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Wheels Inbox: Done speeding, reader comeback, and insurance headaches

The latest thoughts, insights, corrections and criticism from our readers!

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Wheels magazine has always had a passionate audience, with a thriving letters section. Here's the latest from our readers.

And while we're talking about the mag, have you subscribed?

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Bussed a move

šŸ–Šļø Parminder Gill, via email

I got banned from driving a couple of months back. No, I wasnā€™t high on meth or drunk as a skunk. Instead, I was enjoying my car on a very quiet rural road and was clocked driving at more than 45km/h over the limit by police.

It sounds a lot, doesnā€™t it? 45km/h over the limit seems a terrible speeding offence. What I hadnā€™t realised was that the speed limit had changed from 80km/h to 60km/h since the last time Iā€™d driven this particular stretch of road and that my car would reach over 105km/h in second gear.

So the 108km/h I was clocked at really didnā€™t feel an outrageous velocity. But I knew as soon as I saw the police car that I might be in trouble.

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I understand that this sounds like a bunch of ā€˜poor meā€™ excuses but I have accepted responsibility and taken it on the chin. Thatā€™s not to say that it doesnā€™t smart. I had a clean driving licence for more than 10 years prior to this incident, but it seems that this counts for little to nothing if youā€™re placed in this bracket of speeding offence.

Iā€™d just like to appeal to Wheels readers to really be careful in todayā€™s effortlessly rapid cars. My Cayman is enjoying a rest in the garage and Iā€™m on the bus to work. I wouldnā€™t wish that on anyone.

šŸ›ž Editor Andy

Wheelsā€™ long term McLaren 720S could effortlessly clock big numbers. We had to watch that one. That said, tools for staying within the speed limit have never been better

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Lies, damn lies...

šŸ–Šļø Bryan Winship, via email

It was hugely heartening to read the story on Wheelsā€™ readership lifting by 41 percent according to the latest Roy Morgan figures.

Itā€™s long been taken as a given that magazine sales are on the slide. My partner worked in the publishing industry for 20 years and prior to that she was in the metropolitan police force in London.

She always used to joke that being a copper was far less stressful than trying to keep a magazine afloat! Celebrate your victories because theyā€™re certainly hard won.

šŸ›ž Editor Andy

The Roy Morgan survey takes a huge sample of over 66,000 respondents, but we canā€™t get ahead of ourselves. Translating readers into buyers is the genuine mark of success

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Barely covered

šŸ–Šļø Name supplied, via email

I recently went to renew my car insurance policy with AAMI and was pretty disillusioned with the whole experience. Iā€™ve been with them for nearly 10 years now and have never made a claim or had any convictions.

This year, the premium went up by 20 percent. Whatā€™s more, with the rise in the price of used cars, their Red Book valuation of my car is about 15 percent off what it would cost to replace. You guessed it, I can pay more to get that valuation up, but why should I have to? The insurance is supposed to be ā€˜comprehensiveā€™.

When I called to complain, they instantly knocked almost 20 percent off as a ā€˜goodwill gestureā€™ which shows how much fat is built into the quote. If the government is looking to cap inflation, it should be clamping down on businesses like these that are dudding Aussie consumers.

šŸ›ž Editor Andy

Thereā€™s been too much egregious price gouging by Aussie businesses enjoying record profits

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Subtotal recall

šŸ–Šļø C. Baccino, via email

I've owned my Volkswagen Golf MK VII from new and have had it serviced at the same main dealer.

Imagine my surprise when I booked it in for a service and they told me that recall work that was due on the car hadnā€™t been done. It turns out that VW had been sending the recall notice letters to my old postal address.

Iā€™d blithely assumed that if the dealer had my new address then Volkswagenā€™s head office would have it too. It seems not. Just something I thought your readers ought to know.

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šŸ›ž Editor Andy

Thatā€™s a very good point that will have escaped many. Iā€™m sure Volkswagen isnā€™t the only manufacturer that operates in this way, but if you move house, hereā€™s another thing to check off

Podcast recs?

šŸ–Šļø Steve Boruc, via Facebook

Love listening to a good car-themed podcast on the way to work. Can I get some recommendations from you to see if Iā€™m missing any?

šŸ›ž Editor Andy

I love Smith and Sniff, the Intercooler, the Race F1 and the Collecting Addicts show, even if it frequently meanders off into the realms of which limited edition Singer/Ferrari you should buy as part of your twelve-car garage. Pommy roots showing badly here

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The R33 tends to get the short end of the stick these days, as people seem to think itā€™s the least classically attractive of the Skylines. Just search ā€˜R33 boat memeā€™ and youā€™ll see.

No love for R33?

šŸ–Šļø lan Brown, via Facebook

I was browsing through back copies of Wheels online last week and realised that youā€™d covered the R32 and R34 generations of the Nissan Skyline GT-R in Modern Classic, but have overlooked the R33.

As a proud R33 owner, Iā€™m standing up for the forgotten generation of Skylines. Can we see it featured soon? Not mine, by the way, itā€™s a bit ratty.

šŸ›ž Editor Andy

Okay, people. Letā€™s help Ian out here. If youā€™ve got a tidy R33 GT-R and want to see it featured in Wheels magazine, you know what to do

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The Wheels question to you

New BMW XM ā€“ an apt 50th birthday present for M?

I'm okay with it

  • I think the point most are missing is that this is just a vehicle to demonstrate Mā€™s capabilities. It isnā€™t trying to say anything bigger than that. People need to stop with the hysterical reactions to it. Sarah Standish, via Facebook

Hell noes

  • OMG. Talk about a face only a mother could love. With all the resources available to it, BMW felt an oafish bloater was the best way to demonstrate the way ahead for the M division? Why? N. Jones, via Facebook

Want to have your say? Keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au. You can also chime in on Facebook & Instagram.

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