I came across this cool article as I was trying to entertain my curiosity...

Times Online

During the course of my life as independent software engineer I come across many different kinds of people. Or lets rather call them clients. Sometimes I get stupid requests. Sometimes the requests are so stupid they are Dork Award nominees. Such as this one I got today:

Would you be able to send me a test file so that XXX can test.

The context of this request was for a project which I have quoted on 3 months ago, have not yet received any kind of approval to start the development, yet now they want a test file to illustrate the typical transaction volume they can expect.

Make/Model: Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Coupe S-Tronic
Colour: Silver
New?: No, 5500km on clock
Engine: 3.2l V6
Power/Torque: 184kW @ 6300rpm, 320Nm @ 2500-3000rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 9.4 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 5.7 s, 250 km/h top speed.
Owned: August 2007 - July 2008

Notes: After being bored by the BMW's reliability, good looks, powerful engine and fantastic fuel consumption I decided to look around for something that will inspire an emotive driving experience once again. I almost purchased an S-Type Jaguar, but one day before accepting the deal I saw a new Audi TT Coupe driving past me and I immediately had the WOW reaction.

So I did some research and realised that the car actually has 4 seats - even though the rear seats are extremely small, they are good enough for my 3 year old daughter who really enjoys sitting in that small space. So I took one for a test drive and I was hooked. Problem was just that 3.2l TT's were on a 4 month waiting list. That, and that alone, caused me to accept an offer from a guy who had his for 3 months and only had 5500km on the clock. He really looked after his car as it was in mint condition - so I accepted the deal and drove off with this little demon.

Make/Model: Jaguar X-Type 2.2l Diesel
Colour: Winter Gold
New?: Yes
Engine: 2.2l Diesel, 4 cylinder, 4 valves/cylinder
Power/Torque: 114kW @ 3500rpm, 360Nm @ 1800rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 6.0 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 8.9 s, 220 km/h top speed.
Owned: August 2007 - current

Notes: This is not a replacement for my BMW 330d. In August 2006 when I sold my Alfa I also sold my Corsa (it was getting really old with > 130000km on the clock), and I purchased a new Chevrolet Spark LT as replacement for the aging Corsa. That car had a 1 litre engine, power steering, electric windows, ABS. With only 48.5 kW and 87.3 Nm torque, it crawled to 100 km/h in 13.9 seconds, and top speed was limited to 160 km/h. But it was brand new and a very nice little car, with a boot bigger than most other hatches. So when I sold the BMW I decided it was time to get a better second car. The problem is the car I replaced the BMW with is a sports car and does not really have big rear seats, so to take it on long journeys would be hard on my poor daughter. So I decided to get a nice second car, and the Jaguar fit the bill perfectly.

I have not driven it extensively, however I did drive enough to be able to form some solid opinions. It has an extremely comfortable suspension - when you drive it it feels like you are flying. It is really the most comfortable car I ever drove.