Mini Problems

If she has fallen for the looks of the Mini it's probably game over. But you should still test drive the Fiat 500 for style and the Audi A1 as a driving alternative.

I have been in touch with BMW Group and am told all repairs are being done under warranty.

They are not dangerous or a fraud and are quite legal. The problem is using them in Australian conditions or not following the instructions on their correct use once you have a puncture.

What he bought is in effect a used car, not a new one, so it might vary from the specifications of a new car. In this case it seems that for some reason the run-flat tyres have been switched for regular tyres. I might speculate that as it was a demo vehicle the salespeople demonstrating it might have wanted a softer ride to impress potential buyers than the ride it would have if it were on the run-flats. But that’s me being cynical. Your son should go back to the dealer personally and talk to them face-to-face about his issue and request that they either replace the damaged tyre and provide him with a spare, or fit run-flat tyres as he believes it would have had. The alternative is to carry a can of pump-up foam in the car, which would get him out of trouble in the case of a puncture.

The chain drives the camshafts and provides the timing for the opening and closing of the valves. Chains are used on many engines as an alternative to belts, which need to be replaced regularly. Chains don’t need to be replaced on a regular basis, but they do wear and they can become slack and affect the valve timing, which in turn affects the engine running, and when they wear they can also rattle.

Sorry, but the Superleggera remains only a great-looking concept for now. Even if it makes production, which would take about four years, there would be significant body changes including — not surprisingly — a roof of some sort.

You could ask BMW to cover part of the cost of the repairs, given your car is relatively new, or you could take it to an independent BMW specialist who I would expect would charge much less than the dealer.