Cars you just LOVE to drive

[LewisM]

Cars. We go from A to B in them. They do their job. Some though are NICE to drive and you enjoy it, some are just cars.

What is your car of choice when you just want to drive?

We have 2 cars: a 2002 Volkswagen Passat and a 2005 Nissan Murano. The Murano is the Family car, whereas the Passat is dubbed "The Little Car" by the girls, or Dad's Work Car. I just call the Passat "Eva" :)

The Murano is pleasant enough to drive, but it's just a car. Nothing terribly exciting. Comfortable enough, powerful enough, steers ok (brakes are so-so). But it just leaves you wanting - I call it Plastic-y. Good for a mass-produced Japanese car (though not a Lexus), but lacking somewhat. After along drive, I find I am needing to stretch after standing up again.

Then there is MY Passat. A pure joy to drive. Responsive on throttle, brake and steering. Absolutely could drive it with 2 fingers if you wanted to. You CAN use the accelerator with your big toe - so little pressure required and it responds as it should. It is supremely comfortable - you get out of it after a long drive and no need to stretch and wiggle. The computer adapts to your driving style very well. And it is safe (ANCAP 5 star rated).

I love that car. We have done 300,000 km on it, and it does not look like stopping any time soon

She needs some TLC at the moment - new interior upholstery for the doors needed and a repaint to the bonnet after some vandal put a dab of paint stripper on it in a supermarket car park!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also needs new engine mounts (I think it remarkable it's done 300,000 and only needs them now). Had relatively few repairs over the years apart from bearings and a cracked throttle body (happened at 120,000 km)

[clive milne]

Three that have really impressed me are:

Westfield 7

Lexus RX350

And probably my favorite of all time, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, which also gets my vote as the best sounding car I have ever driven. A mechanical symphony.

[Peter Ward]

You guys pulling my chain? :)

Has to be made in Maranello... preferably Roso Corsa in colour.

[alocky]

+1 for the Westy :-)
Although I think the most astonishing thing I've ever driven was a Matich F5000 open wheeler. I still remember every second of those few laps around Lakeside.
And that was over 20 years ago...
I've only driven one Ferrari, a 308 which I thought was quite ordinary, and that's one more Ferrari than most people have driven.

[OzStarGazer]

I don't drive, but have a passion for vintage cars!

[FlashDrive]

A car I drive in my dreams......:zzz2:

Col....

[LewisM]

I meant cars you OWN :) Yes Peter, we know you own a Fezza.



Driven a Lamborghini in Moscow. Meh, just a car. Sure it would be better on the track, but...

Also driven a Ferrari 599. Again, under normal highway and city conditions, it was just a car. Yes, better than the VW, but really not that "extraordinary". Sure didn't give me goosebumps, as you just can't make it do what it is good at in normal life. If we had a racecourse or an old runway, then maybe. I am sure you don't drive the Fezza to do shopping or pick up the kids from school Peter.

Worst cars I have ever driven have been Peugots and Citroens. Mon dieu, c'est pas une vouiture! (sorry Marc). Fiats... bleh. Alfas... same as a VW really. BMW's turn nicely... otherwise, not been thrilled. Mercs are nice.

They always say the best of something is the one you use the most. For me, that's the Passat. Been eyeing off a few CC's lately, but Eva is going to have to cark it before I even consider replacing her.

[RB]

I love my Camry, wouldn't change it for anything.

:lol: :P

[casstony]

Ford Territory diesel - mainly because of the comfortable truck-like seating position and the extra head room. I feel squashed in regular cars and get a sore back and hips on long drives.

[julianh72]

Every car enthusiast should own at least one Alfa Romeo in their life. (And if you've owned one, you will probably quickly decide that one Alfa is all any sane person would ever want to own!)

My very first car was a 1980 Alfasud Ti 1.5 litre. I LOVED that car, but it had a few niggles, such as an electrical system that killed the battery every 6 to 12 months, perforation body rust in just about every panel when it was just a couple of years old, and an annoying habit of shedding the plastic body-kit bits at highway speed. But it was still a delight to drive.

And then there was my mate's Giulia Sprint GTA 1600 .... SIGH! ... I still get goose-bumps whenever I see one!

[FlashDrive]

In real life ..... I have a Mazda 6 Sedan / Hatch

Zoom Zoom ..!! :D

Flash.

[Kunama]

Edited to show current favourite drive:

My Twin Turbo Mercedes Benz, love the high seating position, great for checking out the scenery ;)

[LewisM]

I thought you sold that one Matt?

[brian nordstrom]

;) as Lewis knows , I love driving my 1971 R/T E37 Charger , it has 320 rwhp , 5 speed Toyota Supra gear box , twin plate clutch and all late model suspension , tires and brake upgrades , it goes very well and I especially like putting SS dunny doors and XR8 coons in their place :D , fun .

And yes NOTHING !! sounds like a Hemi 265 with triple Webbers and twin pipes on full song , magic .

Brian .

ps ,. I hear the detractors before I have even finished typing this :P ...bring it on ,,,,,,

[Wodnas]

I own a couple of old Jags that are nice but the one I enjoy driving the most is this
184725

Cheers Bob

[Ric]

Never owned a car, my wife owns that.

My personal choice has to be my 2015 HD Street Glide "Special" :)

103 cubic inch with full Screaming Eagle air intake conversion and a set of Freedom Performance pipes. :)

Just came off the dyno last week with 110bhp at the rear wheel. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[LewisM]

My Passat V5 delivers 125 KW standard... that's about 167BHP, but yours weighs probably 1/10th of mine :P

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Now you are talking .
Brian.

[N1]

My favourite type of car.

[Shiraz]

An E37!!! you lucky sod....

well I still like my Magna, which I guess is sorta related by place of birth and number of cylinders - and nothing much else.

[alocky]

And it's very brave of you to stand up in public and admit that you're pleased with that ;)
My 7 year old unmodified K12s still makes >170 at the rear wheel...
Just a friendly poke at Harley riders. 85% of all Harley's ever made are still on the road. The other 15% made it home...
Still - better than a car.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QCjrQFNMqa8

Though it would seem not better than a Vespa.

Admittedly the Harley is quite impressive when you consider torque rather than horsepower. I expect that's where your effort has gone as they still do pretty well on the quarter mile.
Cheers! :)

[Peter Ward]

I often take the vintage Fezza for a run though "The Royal" (national park). I've discovered the corner speed advisory signs can be ignored by a factor of 3.

e.g. if the advisory is 15km an hour, you can safely negotiate the corner at 45km an hour....have fun and and still avoid a speeding ticket.

This becomes hilarious when a P-Plater (usually in something Japanese with "fully sick" body kit) sees something mid-engined and low ahead, who then proceeds to rapidly catch up and expect some sort of race or to tailgate or both.

I'm usually 1/2 way through the first hairpin ahead when the nose of the car behind will violently dip, with a puff of blue smoke off the tyres, plus a little slalom to regain control for good measure...

Even a humble 45km hairpin can totally make my day :)

[graham.hobart]

1974 MGB GT with over drive. Left it in a barn in the UK and my Dad auctioned it off ;-(

Had a Morris Minor as well- 1968. The garage repair bills were too much for me as a student.

My Mini was better (was better than the Fiat 126).

I'm with the A to B crowd. Whatever gets you there safely, (and the family).
If I win Lotto it would be a Series 2 Landy AND Triumph TR 5/6 or an Austin Healy.
Drive a Jeep now (my second one) and its Ok but it's not a Land Rover!!
Graz
PS My mate in the UK painted his land rover to look like the zebra striped one from Daktari- I will see if I can find a picture.

[blink138]

well a mate of mine had the t-shirt "...... and on the sixth day god created harley davidson, and on the seventh day he was still trying to start the F@!$#%^ thing!"
and one for the triumphs, as they dropped an awful lot of oil, that they done two petrol stations to the mile ha ha!

i am with lewis on this one (for once ha ha) i have a 2008 passat 3.2 petrol, it goes like a flamin stabbed rat, sticks like poo to a blanket and stops on a sixpence............... i absolutely love dubs!
pat
incidentally my first car was a 68 monaro powerglide two speed racing box auto, i fitted it with some triple s.u's and the noise of those carburettors were something else!

[FlashDrive]

Real nice car Peter ... yes indeed.

Flash...

[clive milne]

To see what it would be like to have something like a Westfield on your tail, watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jGi-Vi6UVw

Skip to 5:10 (versus Ferrari 430 Scudaria)
Skip to 8:45 (versus Ferarri 360)

[alocky]

We often say of that crowd: he arrived at the apex and ran out of talent.
Nice machine Peter - although I promised myself the only Ferrari I'd ever buy would be a 250GTO. Which is a convenient excuse, really :-)
Cheers,
Andrew.

[LewisM]

Indeed.

I once was at a set of lights with some purple Commodore or Monaro whatever next to me. He started to do the rev rev.

OK, you wanna play with your V8 vs a V5 with a ****e load of torque. Slipped it into manual...

He gave up after 40 metres. WIMP!

The V5 I have might have been chipped... slightly :P Good kiwi bloke did that.

I think he translated all his power into smoke, noise, and an oscillating car :P

[Octane]

That was great to watch!

H

[Peter Ward]

OK..it might corner well, but the 430 driver being lapped was probably my age....and the Westfield doesn't even have a windscreen. :eyepop:

Windscreens are really useful.

Even really small ones.

While riding my (then youthful) Honda 750 during a hot Perth afternoon, I flipped up the face visor on my helmet for some cooler air.

A microsecond later I had a face-full of monster moth (timing is everything :doh: )

Nearly dropped the bike!

Didn't taste too good either.

[multiweb]

:thumbsup:

[clive milne]

Strictly speaking, that was a Caterham.

Both Westfield and Caterham are replicas of the venerable Lotus 7.

Arguably the most accessible 'bad-ass' car you can legally put on a domestic street in this country. (entry level is around the same outlay as a generic family car)

Incidentally, the 360 that is being lapped at 8:45 is the one being lapped at around the 2 minute mark... I think the guy in the 430 is on the limit.

Take one for a drive, they are astonishingly fast.... a similar experience to riding big capacity Japanese sports bikes (but much quicker in the corners)

[alocky]

My westie does have a windscreen, but that caterham has considerably more HP than I've got. But I sure recognise the handling, and getting hard on the power much much earlier than anything else can. You can see that the Ferrari never really gets a chance to stretch its legs on that track though. It would be a very different story at the Nurburgring.
I once forgot to put the visor down while heading out for a club superbike race up at Wanerroo. A bee hit my sunglasses at about 200km/h. Smashed lens, black eye, and a change of underwear required...

[garymck]

My Lotus,

there are many faster cars in a straight line, but very few that can out corner it. I remember several memorable drives... between Lancefield and Tooborac moving quickly but without effort, noticed an SS Commodore working VERY hard to keep up, upped the effort a bit and left him in the dust. Driving between Echuca and Deniliquin on a dark summers night, roof off looking up at the milky way.... Punting down to Lorne the back way in the rain, totally secure... I love this car, even though it is bloody hard to get into and out of after a hip replacement....When I'm too old to drive it, I'll just look at it...

Gary

[DavidTrap]

My brother bought a 25yo Caterham 7 recently (mid life crisis). It's a really simple motorcar - probably only 130bhp , but it weighs nothing. Lots of fun without being stupid - and where can you do that on public roads without being nailed by the constabulary? A friend let me drive his Porsche recently - went for a gentle drive up Mt Nebo on a random weekday afternoon and was followed by a motorcycle cop for most of the trip. Certainly wasn't trying to drive hard in someone else's pride and joy, but it wasn't worth even considering it...

DT

[Starlite]

Not much attention went into the body panels and interior fittings on the pre 90's models.Like Ferrari said " you pay for a great engine and great running gear and we give you a body and interior for nothing." Ours is a 308 GTS same as Tom Sellick drove in Magnum PI.Took a lot of work to get it looking as it does now.

[Peter Ward]

Colour: tick
Badge: tick

What's not to like ? :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Tandum]

The latest BMW here has 4 wheels, 2001 E39 530i m-sport. I've recently got it safe and I like it, might be a keeper. Took it over Mt Glorious and couldn't under stand why all the jap cars where braking at every corner, very frustrating. Still a lot of work to do on it but a 3 litre inline 6 is a bit of a treat.

[rrussell1962]

My old Mark 3 Mini Cooper S, long gone sadly. Pity it struggled in wet weather due to the unfortunate placement of the distributor behind the grille. Oh, and a pity about the tendency to rust around the rear sub-frame and scuttle too. Totally impractical, but fun. No way would I drive one now though.

[ZeroID]

We're Mitsubishi people, an inheritance from Rally interests.
Currently driving either of my (our) two favourite cars, my 2000 Mitsi VR4 Legnum wagon or my wifes Mitsi VR4 Saloon. Both are 2.5 litre V6 twin Turbo 206 kw (280 hp ) with 4 wd, AYC ( Clever LSD ). Sitting on 17" 245 45 alloys and Eagle F1 D3 tyres. And ceramic pads on 10" Vented disks.
They go like stink ! :thumbsup: Ride is firm and you feel the road. They corner like on rails thanks to McPherson strut suspension all round and the Active Yaw Control (AYC) which shifts power across the back diff ( not like braked LSD) and balances front to rear drive power through the centre diff.
It is the Mitsi EVO's big brother, all the same running gear beefed up a wee bit. ( Driven a couple of those as well )
I've had them both up to 180 kph on the track where they hit the limiter but unchipped they will go at 240 kph in street standard kit.
The Legnum is a bit different with some Ralliart components in the motor, Pod filter, cold air ram and big bore exhaust, interior is Recaro Seats (so wrap round comfortable) and Momo wheel.
Biggest problem ? They are thirsty and require servicing every 5000km to keep the turbos smooth. But boy do they pay back on long trips.
4500 km in two weks round the Sth Island last year, 1500 km in 4 days last weekend following Rally down Sth. But we love them a lot. Absolute drivers car....

My other fav would have been ( you guessed it, another Mitsi) a 1989 Mitsi Mirage Cyborg 1600 NA hatch back. They were made in Japan to be an entry level club sport race car\road car. Mine was only the FWD version but with a pair of 17" rims up front, decent tyres and a solid 5 speed box it was the most fun in a tin box you could have. That could get to 180 kph as well, bog standard. Great fun sledding the front in wet weather round corners, chuck it in too fast and just apply power, heaps of it. Even had vented disks all round. Although the seats were not Recaro they were factory copies with good bucket shape. That car was a lot of fun.

Looked at a Mitsi Ralliart Diamante a few years back. That comes under the 'Bloody Big Evo' category. 3.5 litre V6, NA and Ralliart cam. Huge torque output and surprisingly good to drive on corners thanks to the McPherson suspension all round keeping the tyres flat on the road. Even had a big EVO wing on the back, nearly bought it but the Legnum appeared with all the right bits already attached.

Driven a Lambo,... meh A number of Evo's, 2, 4, 6. .. much better, BMW's on the track, pretty darn good but a bit soulless. Various ToyMotas .. reliable but boring, Nissans, Holdens, Fords, Mazdas ( new MX5 recently, nice but a bit gutless ).

Next probable car, either Mitsi EVO X or their bigger SUV. Been in the EVO X on track with a hot lap. Totally insane ! Which impressed me but also scared me. He was braking at the point he had been telling us to turn in at in the Lambo having braked from about 50 meters further back ! He took the pit exit, a sharpish right hand onto the track at full noise, all wheels screaming under acceleration, .. with 3 passengers on board ...:eyepop:. We exited the lane at over 100 kph and it was only 60 meters long.

[ZeroID]

Can totally love that.
We were returning from a rally stage up north on a windy gravel road and had a couple of the local farm boys in the flat bed farm ute following thinking they were the bees knees keepng up with the Legnum. I went round a flat corner at a 'comfortable' speed, maybe 70 kph. They nearly ended up in the mangrove swamp on the outside of the bend. Funny as heck to watch in the mirror.. :lol:

[LewisM]

I concur about the Mirage's - a total shock to me. I drove one as a hire car SOMEWHERE (might have been Canberra). That little ugly duck not only handles nicely, it really does have some giddy up.

And I would MUCH prefer a Magna to a Commodore or Falcon any day of the millennium. Falcons are truly the most Bleh of Bleh possible, and Commodores just as bleh. I think they succeed in making noise and smoke (usually from the exhaust) more than anything.

I have had the Passat up at 240 (max indicated is 260). Held the road superbly, with NO sign of lightening or tightening. It again, like some of the others mentioned, is one of those cars you do NOT need to brake before taking corners etc, as it just does what it is supposed to. I get into a trap sometimes driving the Murano like I drive the Passat - after a couple turns and needing to brake 40 metres earlier, you adapt :P

I admit I took the Passat to a road I know nearby a week ago that is relatively straight, secluded, and has NO street lighting (hmmmm... good astro spot!). Got the Passatski up to 180 in no time and took the curving bend at the end JUST fine. Adrenalin suitably satiated, I let her coast back to the regulated 80. Would have been a dandy ticket if any Plod were there and not sure if my 5 airbags would have helped much if I hit something, BUT... just had to be done (once in a while, solo)

[Camelopardalis]

A couple of years back my daily driver was an Audi RS4 V8...sweetest noise I've ever heard, and oooooohhhh so much fun around English country lanes early in the morning ;)

[LewisM]

Oh, I know what you mean Dunk. I always wanted the Passat B5 with the 270 BHP W8 engine. I think the Polizei in Germany used it, but it was also available to civilians.

[The_bluester]

I have had a few cars over my 44 years. Many were "Meh" but a couple stand out.

We used to have an MG Midget, stupid little car, constantly banging elbows if you had two in the car, not all that fast, choppy ride, noisy, but I would have it back in a heartbeat.

I used to have a lightly modified 240Z and drove it to work for a decade, and ALWAYS arrived with a smile.

I currently have my sisters S15 200SX on loan (Absolutely stock) I just arranged her a cheap but good car to drive to work so she and my brother in law don't have to contort themselves time wise to avoid driving the 200 to work and leaving a theif magnet in a supermarket car park. In the hour and a half driving it home to my place I remembered how I used to enjoy driving (I do 50,000km a year for work and driving has become pretty mundane)

Hopefully the current arrangement on the S15 stays as is for a while which is if I maintain it and pay the insurance and rego I can drive it. But I don't drive it too far as the driving position is actually a bit clumsy and I find it tiring after a while. Now it is in my hands maybe it is fixable.


Looking at the above, pretty much everything that I have enjoyed has been what I would regard as a "Sports car". Small, light in the context of the day (Given the S15 weighs about twice what the Midget did) lithe handling and good steering feel and a moderate amount of power, just about enough that you feel the car could use a bit more.


The most mundane thing I have driven? An early 90's Corvette ragtop with manual gearbox around Winton raceway, only used two gears for the entire lap as the gearing was moon shot tall and the car just understeered away unless you provoked it with wheelspin to do something else, and even that took timing as it would usually just spin the inside tyre.

I had a passenger ride in an Alfa 4C on track recently and I reckon one of them would float my boat.

[LewisM]

I had the misfortune to be IN a Hyundai i20 recently with my sister - just her and I. Now, I am a big guy, but my sister is a waif.

We went to the bottom of a hill to inspect a house she wanted to buy. Going DOWN the hill was fine. Coming back up was a laugh! I don't think it got out of first gear!

I suppose these cars are fine for city and town, but subject them to a 4% slope and it's game over. I now perfectly understand these old people in these cars - I always thought they were just being old biddies - truth be told the car just ain't cutting it :P

[The_bluester]

I don't drive it anything like as much as I would like, but THIS still makes me grin like a nutter every time I drive it.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/the_bluester/1BA19212-B040-4B33-88A4-B94B578250E2_zpsvn2ubn4k.jpg

[ZeroID]

You guys seem to get 'cut power' imports for some reason.
Hired a Camry Sportivo last time we were over to get up to the Hunter Valley. Boy, was it ever misnamed ! Tuned out to be a standard 2.0 litre detuned sewing machine (with the appropriate sound).
Over here the Sportivo came with a 2.5 litre engine and was no slouch for a bigger car. The Aussie version seemed to have all the bling with none of the zing.

[SteveInNZ]

It doesn't have to be fast to be fun.

Steve.

[The_bluester]

Actually yes, even my sisters S15 is 40 odd KW down on the Japanese equivalent. Apparently fixable by replacing a boost control hose that has a restricting orifice in it with one that does not so that it bleeds more air off the wastegate actuator. Not something my sister was interested in doing while it was under warranty, but hey, that expired a decade ago!

And I agree with you completely Steve, the only car in my list that I would call "Fast" is my race car, and you can buy plenty of road cars nowadays that would match it.

[clive milne]

Here's one on the limit around the Nurburgring. It has a 2L Ford engine, all be it a very finely tuned one. It is up against a Porsche 996 GT2 'Widow Maker' with the 3.6L twin turbo - essentially the same unit used in the company's Le Mans-winning GT1. The 996 is a 320km/h car if it is in standard trim.


As raw as the Porsche is, the Caterham is something else entirely.
Whilst there is nothing in it as far as lap times, the Caterham will leave you with a day long smile.
The contrast between the driving experience might be glimpsed from these videos:

Two laps of the ring from inside the Caterham:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P8pURqBAVQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwRgSZiKTk

And the same two laps as seen from inside the Porsche:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCIrmqj_tII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRI5Zdtqe8U

If you only watch one of these, I'd recommend the second lap in the Caterham. The guy behind the wheel has impressive and equal measure of skill and testicular fortitude. The gentleman in the 996 is no mug on a Sunday drive either. It starts with the Caterham flat out in top gear on the straight and the 996 blows past it like it is standing still.... then come the corners.

enjoy,
c

[The_bluester]

I don't reckon there are any brave pills left to buy in the shops where the Caterham owner lives!

[LewisM]

Yup, and hence why a good kiwi mate chipped my Passat gratis. He also showed me a VW tech tip (that even the local VW dealers didn't know or won't admit to). It may only be applicable to SOME Passats of model/make/vintage:

Put the key in the ignition, but leave it in the off position. Push the accelerator pedal flat to the floor, through the kick down position. Hold it there for 3 seconds. Let go of pedal, and start car. It has now been switched over to the "Sport" mode.

At least in mine, it makes a SERIOUS difference. Obviously "unlocks" a restriction programmed into the computer, and perhaps many Aussie dealers/service agents either don't want to let people know or are not allowed to.

If I want to go back to normal mode, the reverse applies.

Maybe Pat can try it and report back :)

[inertia8]

E34 M5, steering is a little vague but fantastic straight six w/itb's engine (when everything is in 100% working order) and very comfortable for long trips... Not that I take it on many!

[julianh72]

Horses for courses ...

My 18 year old daughter recently bought a brand new red Hyundai i20 3-door automatic (there's not a single word in that sentence with any redeeming feature - apart from "red"! :lol:) as her first car - and she loves it! It's got 5-star safety rating, 5-year warranty, roadside assistance, fixed-price servicing, Bluetooth, air-con, etc, so in many ways, it probably is an ideal first car for a teenager who just wants a driving appliance, and isn't an "enthusiast".

(And while it's not a car that I "love" to drive, I'm surprised that it's not as horrible to drive as I feared.)

[marc4darkskies]

Oh, you guys just don't get it do you!!! :screwy: Do either of these old, hideously expensive to maintain bombs have:


Blind spot alert
Radar cruise control
Rear cross traffic alert
Reverse camera
Parking sensors
Satnav
Traction control
Vehicle stability control
Precollision safety system
Lane departure alert
Touch screen
Auto high / low beam
Rain sensing wipers
Voice recognition
USB and bluetooth connectivity
Steering wheel controls for everything


My wife's 3 week old 2015 Camry SL does :) :P:P and all for the price of a few Ferrari services! :lol::P:P

Cheers, Marcus

[The_bluester]

But I bet you the Camry does not have the sound of a bunch of Webers sucking in air (Forgot that about my 240Z, at once stage I had individual throttle body injection on it, the noise was fantastic!)

I would trade that noise on the weekend for just about every safety item under the sun.

[OzStarGazer]

I know this thread is about cars that we actually drive, but I would really like this car!
http://www.resonancepub.com/images/amateu1.jpg
Or this one:
http://nephite.com/images/2003/telescope_car.jpeg

Of course I'm kidding, but in particular the first one is cute...

[Renato1]

I hire good automatic cars over in Europe because I figure that's where I'm most likely to have an accident and want protection around me. So I've driven,
- a Peugot with doors that went out and slid back - great for when walking back to a hot car, open the doors 80 meters away and it's nice and cooler when you get to it. It took me a week to figure out I had to double push the accelerator to make the automatic transmission kick down and give me more power.

- a BMW which I thought was good, except it always gave me a sore back no matter what I did to adjust seats/use pillows etc.

- a Ford Fiesta - hopeless power wise, but the most comfortable car on my back I've had over there.

- several Audis A4 - one I didn't like at high speed, one was okay, but they didn't grab me - especially with the default economy mode where the engine stopped whenever the car came to a stop. Though they had the best radios for driving round Europe, they kept homing on the same type station I had selected - it felt like you were always on your favourite station.

- a Lancia Therma - the most magnificent car I've ever driven, but way too big for the streets over there. People kept asking me if I intended to do weddings during my visit. I gave it back and said to give me something smaller.

- and my absolute favourite car, the one that was comfortable and felt absolutely safe and was a joy to drive - a Volvo S60. I loved that car, then one day Hertz rang me up and said to please bring the car in as they had sold it, and they gave me an Audi in exchange - I was very unhappy.

Cheers,
Renato

[LewisM]

Do you mean the OLD original Lancia Thema (Italian design), or the rebadged Chrysler 300 (aka Lancia Thema)?

I know several people who own Chrysler 300's... none been too happy with them. Our neighbour at a former place had one, and I saw her swearing profusely at it in Hungarian before she threw a house brick at it! And it hit...

[garymck]

I'd like to drive this - 680hp 1,8 litre lotus, supercharged at the low end, turbocharged at the high end........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmscSzFurwg

Gary

[alocky]

Actually Lewis - I have a suspicion what is happening is that the throttle position sensor has just been recalibrated.

[Camelopardalis]

Lewis, love to drive and love to own are not necessarily the same thing :lol:

OTH, I drove a 300 SRT a little while back and it was a blast, on the straight and even in the corners :eyepop:

[blink138]

that is very interesting lewis, what if you already have the option of "sport" in the gearbox anyway?
the sport mode just makes everything more responsive and it hits redline deffinately a little quicker!
i will try that though
pat

[ZeroID]

wants a driving appliance, and isn't an

Just LOVE that phrase ... priceless

[louie_the_fly]

I've had a lot of cars over the years. Some mainstream, some quite unique and interesting. I did have a Holden VY2 Adventra 5.7L wagon a few years ago. That was a good car. Bucket loads of power, and as stable as anything. Only downside was the lousy 4 speed auto trans.

I have 3 cars at the moment. My daily drive-to-work is a 2011 Suzuki Swift GLX. Has all I need in an everyday car, including Bluetooth, ABS, ESP & 7 airbags, plus a really good sound system. It's comfy to drive, pretty zippy, and good fuel economy. I haven't driven a car as good as it for a lot of years. And it's cheap to maintain. Only regular servicing - no repairs required yet.

I also have a quite low mileage 2005 Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R diesel 4x4. Great offroad vehicle with all the fruit. It never gets used anymore. My dear late wife used to drive it but she got to the stage early this year where she couldn't drive anymore. Now it's just sitting in the driveway waiting to be sold.

My current weekender is a 1981 Porsche 911SC sunroof coupe (not a 930 turbo unfortunately - see the current prices of those things?) with 204hp 3.0L, 5 speed, factory LSD, Dansk dual exhaust, no AC, no power steering, and it's great fun to drive. Has the most comfortable seats I've sat in for a car it's age. Last year my wife & I drove to Melbourne, put it on the Spirit of Tassie, and drove around Tasmania for 10 days. It was an absolute blast. I'm going there again this November with a group of other Porsche owners from around the country to drive some of the Targa Tas stages.

I had a BMW E30 M3 Sport Evo about 10 years ago. The 911 leaves it for dead as a driver's car. Both are raw performance cars, but the 911 gives me a workout. No need to go to the gym after an hour of spirited driving.

Earlier this year I had the good fortune to drive a McLaren MP-12C and a fairly new 911 GT3. My mind is made up. Win lotto & buy the McLaren. And a new 911 Targa. That is one seriously gorgeous looking car.

[Ausrock]

Always regretted selling my LC XU-1.......it was only 12 months old when I bought it and I ultimately moved on to a string of Holden V8's.

Most comfortable car I've owned was my '90 3.5ltr Range Rover........shame about the Lucas electronics.

Current car is an '08 Suzuki Grand Vitara (our 4th Suz over 28 years) and as with the earlier ones we owned I can't really fault it.

If I had cash to throw around then a Lotus 7 clone would be at the top of the list.

[julianh72]

Oh, you Camry guys just don't get it do you!!! :screwy: Does your Camry send a shiver down your spine when you open the garage door? (And that's before you even fire the engine up!)

[pgc hunter]

Anything on the German Autobahn.

Driving in Melbourne is a heart attack waiting to happen. Or world record blood pressure readings. I HATE driving in Melbourne. Communist revenue cameras everywhere, hopeless drivers, iron fist approach to road "safety", (safety is a nice word for backwards commie oppression as opposed to the rest of the developed world), idiotic rules/policies, such as closing a lane and reducing speed limit in the Burnley Tunnel and Bolte Bridge in PEAK HOUR to INCREASE traffic flow... FFS!!!! :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: Then there is this Tullamarine Fwy "upgrade".... $1.4 Billion to repaint the lines, and DerpRoads wants to reduce the limit to 80km/h between the city and the airport because they painted over the emergency lanes. 1.4 billion to paint some lines and to reduce the speed limit. Classic. :mad2: HERP DE DERP fit for a Monty Python sketch :rolleyes: :mad2:

[Peter Ward]

Shun the non-believer! (who has a *red* Italian telescope and still doesn't get it :shrug: ) ....Shunnnnn!! :lol:

P.S.
Seriously, the Fezza 7500rpm red-line sound track does make the Camry blind spot alert sound a little lame ;)

[marc4darkskies]

Hehe ... Yes, it's red. Yes, it's Italian. But it cost roughly the same as a ....... Camry!! :) I.E. Entirely consistent with my philosophy! :D

I'm not an exotic sports car guy. I'd like to have 3 cars in my garage - the Camry (comfy, pleasant and all the mod cons), the 4WD (for touring - I own a Landcruiser 100 series V8) and an imposing, mean looking classic muscle car with a throaty, throbbing large capacity V8 under the hood. One with the sound that you feel in your gut regardless of whether you're pressing the pedal to the metal or sitting at traffic lights! The older folk among you will remember the killer sound of Steve McQueen's car in the movie Bullit (1968 390 (6.4L) Mustang GT Fastback) ... Mmmmmmmm!

[RB]

Yes, but we just turn the air con heater on when we get in.
Shiver gone !

:P

[LewisM]

I always told the wife that when the kids are all grown up, which will put me in my 60's, that we will get a 1954 MG TS - green of course (or red, maybe).

I like curves on cars. I have a serious dislike of straight line or angular designs (most modern cars), and a definite dislike of anything looking TOO futuristic (read that as wanky) like the Lamborghini's.

The Murano - whilst being modern - at least is curvaceous and not a straight line in sight anywhere. The Passat is curvy enough too.

Flowing curves forever. If the designer didn't use a French Curve designing it, I don't like it :)

[LewisM]

I owned a Camry for 2 years - damned good car. Nothing exciting about it, but it does it's job RELIABLY. I never managed to kill it with all my home mechanics :)

Just don't pronounce it Kam-Wry like I have heard many do here in QLD. Kam-ree works better :)

[Camelopardalis]

Doesn't have to have curves to increase my pulse...angles can be might fine too, like a Lambo Aventador up close :eyepop: but IMO it's all about fluidity and consistency. Many car designs just don't work to my eye, but this is why we're individuals.

I don't get Camrys either. Oh I understand why people own them, but IMO the world will be a better place when the people aren't driving them ;) (i.e. they're autonomous) All the cars I've owned have had the reliability people praise for Toyotas for, but none of them have been so dull :P

[LewisM]

The De Lorien is an example of an angular car I just dislike the looks of. One reason Back to the Future was average :)

[FlashDrive]

:lol::thumbsup:

[LewisM]

Surprised Andrew doesn't have a Smartcar. :P

One car I had the DISPLEASURE of driving, that sent a shiver down my spine for all the WRONG reasons was a Peugot 304. I am not sure if there was a lot mechanically FUBAR with the chassis, but it would ROLL out of corners, the steering was jittery, the gear box was mushy, and it was just plain horrible - and the thing looked new (probably needed new suspension, bearings and a host of other things). Almost worse than the Ford Cortina my Grandfather used as his farm bashing vehicle.

[N1]

Actually the German Autobahn is just as nerve wracking. I've wasted way too much time on it. The main problem on unrestricted sections is the difference in speed between vehicles, which is stupidly high and can occur anytime, without warning, even if no-one breaks the law. Sure, travelling at 200-250 kph puts a smile on many people's faces (not sure why), but boy does that smile turn into sheer terror when a truck pulls out in front of them doing its allowed maximum speed of 80. Truckies (or anyone else) are not expected, or required, to judge your speed correctly if you are going faster than 130. Not to mention the tedious accelerate-brake-accelerate-brake thing you do 90% of the time, deperate to enjoy the freedom :screwy: of having no speed limit but finding it impossible to get ahead :screwy: because you are not alone on the road. False economy at its worst.

For fast surface travel, I much prefer trains over there. No stupid staring in one direction for hours, plus at 250 kph, you can still have a relaxed conversation with your travel companion over a cup of coffee, or dinner in the dining car for that matter :thumbsup:

[RB]

It transforms into a smart car as soon as I get in it.

:P

[FlashDrive]

I went to the local Bakery to get a yummy curry pie ... whilst I was in there...this parked beside me..... twas a good year to, it was...1955.

The owner was sitting outside at the ' tables ' enjoying his coffee.... and yes, he is a Policeman .... now how did I know that. ;)

Flash....

[LewisM]

Wrong colour but... DROOOOOOOOL

[DarkKnight]

Although I must admit that I've always loved BRG.

I had two iconic rides in the day.

A black 1275 Cooper 'S' bought new in 1966, the year they won Bathurst.
The shopping basket on steroids. It was a little rocket ship.

The other was an XA GT Falcon with the full RPO83 pack. I think 'Brute' best describes it. Boy, I wish I still had it.

[Renato1]

Hi Lewis,
The Lancia was brand new. Here is a picture of it.

Wherever I parked it, 40% of the body would be sticking out on the road. When driving down the Autostradas and Autobahns, I'd be saying "I wish I'd kept that Lancia". But when I'd have to go down spiral driveways into carparks, or got nearly crushed by buses at tight turns in mountains and coastal roads, I'd say "Gee, I'm glad I got rid of that Lancia", as it was freaky enough with my Audi.

Cheers,
Renato

[LewisM]

That red one is MUCH nicer... still, BRG is needed...

[LewisM]

Yup, rebadged Chrysler 300.

I always found it perplexing driving round Moscow seeing Daewoo's rebadged as Chevrolets. Funny in fact.

[Camelopardalis]

The 300 is a big American car for the land of the Fiat 500 :lol:

[Ric]

Speaking of Cars & torque

I found this rather amusing. :D

[FlashDrive]

Nice.....

[Renato1]

It was hilarious driving the Lancia around over there. It has those beeper things that warn you when you are too close to something. Apart from on the major roads, more than half the time driving around the average roads, it would keep beeping continuously. When no one was coming in the opposite direction, I would drive along the centre of those roads to stop the beeping.
Cheers,
Renato

[ZeroID]

Now , THAT has got curves .....:thumbsup:

[Camelopardalis]

Brilliant :lol: no I need to clean up the orange juice I just spat out :P

[JD2439975]

My favorite car was an old 73 FJ40 landcruiser, not very comfortable and it would have killed me if I ever rolled it but I loved it anyway.
Curbs, shopping trolleys and small trees mean nothing to a 4x4 with bars and who cares if some moron opens their door on it in a parking lot...it's a bush pig!!
Once had a guy in a Porsche try to sneak up the inside on a merging lane, guess who won, hehe.
My favorite thing though was the inside doors, no padded linings just bare metal with the door handles at the back beside the seat and exposed rachet gears to bite unwary fingers.
Great amusement can be had watching people reach for a door handle that isn't there, then watching the panic set in as they try to figure how to get out of the damn thing.

Loved my shorty 40.

Justin.

[Bigtom]

My Impala........low and slow.

[Renato1]

Glad you enjoyed my recollections of the week and a half I kept the Lancia.
Cheers,
Renato

[Renato1]

That looks a bit like Sam and Dean Winchesters' car. Doesn't it roar?
Regards,
Renato

[RB]

Speaking of smart cars.... came across this one, parked at the local shopping centre.

:)

[RobC]

Robin , they had to break because you were slowing them down. I sympathize with you as my wife had to down trade from her steroid jap car to a more sedate 335 BMW Coupe.

Cheers

Rob

[ZeroID]

When I was doing big Fireworks Displays a few years back on one beach located display ( New Year ) we would borrow a short wheel base Toyota Landcrusier off the sponsor CEO and his business. (Developer) a builders hack. When you picked it up you had to kick the clay out of the cab and rearrange the shovels in the back. When you drove it it sounded like a bunch of 44 gallon drums being towed behind a tank. It was amazing fun to drive round the place and brilliant on the beach. Used to tow a 1/4 ton trailer loaded with pyro in deep sand. Always enjoyed that contract if only for that.
We had some good displays too, some huge explosions, great fun but bloody hard work.

[Tandum]

Yes Rob, very funny. I was originally looking for another clapped out $500 bike to buy and restore, done half a dozen now easy, but couldn't find one for under about $3500. Got this 5 series for $4500. It was also clapped out (look at the price) but as with most bimmers the drive train only needed a little bit of love to get it pumping again. Suspension and steering is another matter, cars have a lot more in there than just shocks and a ball joint. It's been a lot of work but that side is almost done. It even drove well when I could wobble the rear wheels while they where off the ground so go figure.

But lately it's been looking like this :

[PCH]

Wow Robin,

you've certainly got that looking well again! Would it be rude to ask how much you ploughed into the restoration in money and time?

Looks almost like a new one though - well done!

[Tandum]

Jeez Paul, spent nothing on the outside yet, just a clay bar rub down of the paint. It needs new window tints ($250) and there is a tear in the back seat ($250). I will respray it, I have the tools and have done a few bikes but not sure what that'll cost, maybe $500 in product.

I've spent prolly around $1.5K in parts and about $250 in tools. I had to buy quite a few large spanners and a bush pressing tool. The spanners are way bigger than you need on the bikes.

It was supposed to be a weekender but cripes it drives so well I'm in it daily :) But it's a big car inside, similar sized to a statesman. I was looking for a 3 series but couldn't knock this one back.

They say the e39 was the last of the home repair BMW's. I've seen u-tubes of later models and you need a computer to bleed the brakes :(

[RobC]

Good on you mate its looking good. I am surprised not more people are into doing this as it makes a lot of sense. It saddened me when I saw you selling off your astro gear. Will you ever come back ?

Cheers

Rob

[UniPol]

A year old thread I know but I thought I would post some pics of my recent Mustang purchase. I ordered the Stang in November 2015 and have only just had it delivered. Lucky for me it is a MY2017 model with updated features over the previous model. So far, I must admit it is effortless to drive, naturally aspirated, no two litre turbo's for me. Ford have gone to great lengths to make it a world car apparently very popular in the UK and Germany. I won't mention the fuel economy but it will mainly be a fair weather Sunday driver. I bought the 6 speed manual transmission model of course, couldn't contemplate driving an automatic.

[Kunama]

Nice 1 Steve!!!

[Stonius]

Okay, mines not particularly new or flash by todays standards, but I absoloutely love my little '07 WRX.

Reasons;


When you need it to, it really goes, but being a turbo, when you drive it like a normal sane person, you don't eat through the fuel. I used to have a 04 Forrester that was slow as anything - it would change gears at odd times, and rev high, and not move (never driven an auto I really liked). Yet the mileage is the same.
It's sporty, but it does fit the kids too, even for camping (amazing how few cars can fulfil these dual functions without morphing into an SUV)
Because of this, I can use it as my normal commuter car
It's '07. It's in great nick, but I won't be sinking my knees in despair like that guy in 'platoon' first time it gets a ding or a scratch.
It hugs the road like a possum pancake
Reliable. It just keeps on keeping on.


-Markus

[Red_Dog]

Colour. Gold
Gearbox. 5 spd manual
Interior. Beige velour
Engine. Straight 6
Double barrel carby mechanical link.
When that second barrel opens make sure you're not taking a sip of your drink.
Miss it more than my 2.5 lt WRX.

[goober]

Only ever owned three cars, and probably driven about 15 others.

76 Ford Escort Ghia - adored it, still miss it.
99 Holden/Open Astra - eh, it was okay.
07 Honda Accord Euro - lovely car, still going strong.

[Octane]

Recently bought a Lexus RX 450h.

I totally understand why people buy these types of cars now. :O

It is an absolute pleasure to drive. So, so very quiet.

H

[75BC]

The best car I've ever owned is my current weekend car. Not as prestigious as some mentioned here but it's plenty rare. It's a Mitsubishi 3000GT. Number 33 of only 115 sold in Australia, and mine is 1 of only 6 pearl white.

This was a very high tech car when new 25 years ago and still aint bad by today's standards. 320hp from a 3L twin turbo. It's big and heavy but god it loves high speed cruising on the open road. What a true GT should be good at. :)

[dimithri86]

My current daily driver is a supercharged MR2, with glass targa top. Easily the most fun car I have every owned. Doesnt have aircon, power steering or abs, pretty much just a engine strapped to your back.