Hi Andy
Thanks for your wishes -and yes, if there's going to be a 3rd one, it better be a boy! lol
I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying the black V6. Keep it nice please, yep
That's exactly what I was saying to the chap who took L823JVV -"if you're selling it in 2-3 yrs time, pls let me know as I may buy it back from you"!!!! lol
Luckily, like the V6, this one also went to good hands, I was very happy with this: a man from Edinburgh who's into welding and does restoration projects -e.g. he works on a Capri right now. His last txt last night after he got back home was "I fell in love with it, definitely staying with me". He has four classic cars. He came with a friend, I took them for a spin combining motorway and country road, they were impressed with the power -people probably believe these are sluggish cars. And of course the flight-like ride. The guy had a Xantia before, so not new to Cits, but never an XM.
I got a 407 now. The steering is markedly better than a DIRASS XM, as it's a double wishbone setup and so the bounce and steering are de-coupled -the only weak spot of XMs (McPhersons, unlike CXs and GSs). Suspension is a top design overall -just that it rides on springs! It's also a quieter engine, gear-change is very good, and it has a looong 6th gear. In every other respect, give me an XM! The worse aspect has got to be cabin space. The rear, is like a Golf-class car. And it's already full of error lights telling me the end of the world is coming
I hope to come to terms with how very damped it is, talking of shock absorbers. At least it doesn't feel rubbery like my wife's Scenic -you'd think this one rides on rubber elements, not springs and shocks!!! Anyway, I'll be happy if it lasts me a year.
In relation to the 407s suspension, imagine the lengths of economies manufacturers are pressed to go to these days: on the 508 -replaces the 407 and 607, right?-, the front double wishbone design -identical to the 407s- *only* goes on the top 2.0 HDi 200bhp model -only on that one. ALL the rest of the range gets a cheapo McPherson system at the front!!!!! And imagine they had both the design and the production ready in place!! All 407s got the double wishbone front system...
Right, Andy, it's been in my mind all this time that I need to tell you how to make the DIRAVI work -it's not fully working on the black XM actually as it's not connected. So you're not experiencing the DIRAVI fully -you only have the centering function. Once you connect it, you'll see what the stiffening effect is -with increasing speed. It's very simple: there's a wire that plugs onto the gearbox somewhere. When they changed the clutch on this car, they either didn't put this back, or they didn't put it back well -a classic on an XM. At the other side, the cable goes to the DIRAVI centrifugal regulator -this is what increases/decreases the hydraulic pressure that stiffens the steering wheel towards the centre position. This is a black ball-shaped item at the engine bay, passenger side, next to the firewall, near where you fill up the windscreen liquid. Trace the cable leaving under this ball, to see how it goes onto the gearbox -that's where it "reads" the speed of the car. Remove at the gearbox end, and re-plug till you are sure it's properly hooked -the cable has a flat end, that's all. The first time you're on the motorway with this feature working, you'll think you're driving a train!!!
Best wishes
George
Hope not "till they turn 18" though! Hoping in a few years time I'll be back to LHM 
The XM will come with the factory 2-spoke as in "1.5" hydractives.