By James Wong

2012-09-18-17-23-51

The LS460 got its new tyres fitted just before I left for the UK (OK, I admit there is some serious time-lag issues here, but stick with me). While its pillowy ride was present and correct, something was amiss with the tyres and as mentioned in our last post, the vibrations through the steering wheel at any speeds above 100km/h was too much to ignore. So while we were visiting Malaysia, we brought it into a random tyre shop which we found with good old-fashioned stranger recommendations in Johor while the women of the household were kept occupied at the Johor Premium Outlets.

The car was immediately transformed with the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport. We didn’t want such a sporty tyre at first – but the alternatives were sorely lacking and my old man wanted to pamper the car with something after buying it at a good price. So I said – why not – if it meant that I could drive the LS460 with far more confidence than I had before.

It was a good decision. Steering feel was improved, high-speed stability was impeccable and it even handled better despite retaining its battleship-roll on turn-in. Sadly, I could only experience the car for a grand total of one day. As with things like this, the car was at its best when I had to leave it. It was fully serviced by Borneo (with a very impressive pick-up and return service to your home or office), had new tyres and was ready for the next 100,000km of its life. A part of me felt an sharp pain of going back into my comparatively basic hot hatch, especially with the horrid roads around the Isle of Dogs. But at the same time, I was happy that I bagged my dad a good deal and chose for him a car that suited his preferences. It has been a while since we got a reliable, fuss-free Japanese car, so this was a step in the right direction.

More updates when I return to Singapore, to see how the car is faring after almost a year and with an extra 10,000km on its clock… I hope my dad rotated the tyres!

2012-09-18-19-18-09

Tyres newly shod and good to go. I’ll miss this car for its extra cylinders and serene ride.