Faults:

The Vanos Unit went at 20,000km. This was covered by the BMW warranty, even though I was 3x months out of warranty.

I have replaced the throttle cable at 50,000km

The rear wiper wiring was faulty at 50,000km.

General Comments:

My nephew is correct. This car is a rocket disguised as a sports car. It is seriously fast on the race track, competitive at club racing, but a menace on the road if you have lead feet and Police nearby.

The rear bulging guards, generous rear tyres, and hatchback styling are TVResque while the stretched bonnet is classic. It is a "Munster mobile". In black it attracts a lot of attention, especially from testosterone fuelled lads.

Getting into a low sports car is not good for middle-aged backs and knee joints (torn cartilage) but once in it is snug, with all controls close at hand.

After 55,000kms and 6 years, it remains the "black beast" in my garage, with the younger Ducati ST4S, and the infant racing bike. Every Garage needs one.