The cars you have loved, or are in love with. Tell us your car history and what each one taught you

[infinitely baffled]

This is my car list:

- Datsun 180b (my very first own used very cheap car, a run down POS with hail damage and many other issues, but in restrospect rather cool looking)

- Ford Escort XR3 (a tiny little bit in better shape than the Datsun but still had to be replaced rather quickly)

- Fiat Uno Turbo (my first proper and new car and a real pocket rocket)

- Fiat Punto GT Turbo (my long time big love vehicle-wise, an even much better pocket rocket than the Fiat Uno Turbo, I built in a VERY proper Hifi System, I had this baby for a very long time and am sorry that I sold it)

- Nissan 350Z Roadster (very nice to drive, great sound and extremely reliable)

- Corvette C6 (a LOT more powerful and even better to drive than the 350Z, if the C6 didn't develop electrical issues, maybe I would still have the C6)

- Corvette C7 (a MUCH better car than the C6 in EVERY aspect, I still have and love this car a lot)

- Toyota Yaris GR with Circuit Package (the ultimate pocket rocket!!!)

Hello Christoph....can i ask, does the Circuit Package compromise on-road manners?
What are the spring rates?
When Best Motoring Touge'd some tuned Yari they were very critical of the excessively high spring rated employed by the tuners.

Are your local roads as good as the view from your window hints?

 

[infinitely baffled]

Yes Rs turbos( one to mkIV) the ke jetronic is achlles verse if the car is standing for a long time, they run badly. adjustment is miserable either they run too lean at 6500rpm or too rich at idle. 2.0lt cossworth far better engine a beast.
Unfortunately, everyone knows that today, you can no longer get it without spending a fortune. not for money and good words. one of best 2.0lt engine out there. View attachment 99882

My nomination for best 2.0 turbo:
Mitsubishi 4g63.

My 4g63, in fact?

 

[infinitely baffled]

It's just an Imprezza Sport with a normally aspirated 2L engine. There are nice country roads (+ potholes, LOL) here in Pennsylvania.

A lot of MGs were exported to the US compared to Lotus, which means they're cheaper and easier to maintain. Besides I'm a DIYer at heart and already know the quirks of the BMC A and B series engines, drivetrain, etc. Nostalgia figures a lot in this too.

I can't argue with your 'ease of maintenance' perspective. MG's seemed designed with the hobbyist in mind.
And i do love the interiors of classic brit marques. My triumph herald had the comfiest rear seats combined with a very civilised ambience, wooden dashboard and all

 

[jdza]

And then, after the Sports and the Ms and after the European 12s and 8s and the gtss and gts, and staring dejectedly at one CT scan too many and talking to one middle-aged woman with anxious eyes too many and attending one funeral of a friend too many, you realize that a man in his 5th or 6th decade of life should no longer travel north of 250 km/h.

Then you buy the clumsiest, most uncomfortable, slowest vehicle you can find. And, suddenly you realize as you inelegantly scramble up into it and after a long journey, fall from it in pain, that every time you get the same smile as a six-year-old with his first Tonka toy. That you actually enjoy needing 100s of yards to change lanes, that people you don't know actually have thumbs and smiles and not just middle fingers and scowls.

And one day you take it to where the streets have no name, no, beyond that, to where there are no streets and you realize, that vehicle too can smile in its natural habitat.

A bit like having a horn speaker, really. So imperfect but it just makes you not care because of what it does well, it does so well, and what it does badly.... Hell, who's perfect?

 

[jn229]

You can include me?
Any hints?

The 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevy's are referred to as shoebox. Back in the 60's they were inexpensive to modify for stop light racing.

 

[Gregadd]

British roadster-1976 Triumph TR6. British Racing green.
Reliability problems aside this was a magnificent beast. Lots of power. Great throttle sound. It handled well. I loved driving it to work with the top down and my tie flying in the wind and blowing through my hair..

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Future sights on an early Aston Marten Vantage (pretty affordable these days but as they say its not the cost of buying it, rather the cost of maintaining it

View attachment 99849

That and you smile ear to ear every time you start it!

 

[christoph]

Hello Christoph....can i ask, does the Circuit Package compromise on-road manners?
What are the spring rates?
When Best Motoring Touge'd some tuned Yari they were very critical of the excessively high spring rated employed by the tuners.

Are your local roads as good as the view from your window hints?

Sorry for the late reply.
I did test drive a Yaris without the Circuit Package and bought one with the Circuit Package and don't find that they are different in their on-road manners.
I don't know the exact spring rates and tbh wouldn't know where to get them...
The springs are sporty but not extremely hard.
Maybe those negative remarks stem from aftermarket spring or complete radical chassis suspensions incorporated by tuners for maximum race track performance?
I don't find the stock springs too hard even for a daily driver.
Our roads vary from near perfect to complete Desaster, depending on where you drive (to) and what road you choose.

 

[Sablon Audio]

British roadster-1976 Triumph TR6. British Racing green.
Reliability problems aside this was a magnificent beast. Lots of power. Great throttle sound. It handled well. I loved driving it to work with the top down and my tie flying in the wind and blowing through my hair.. View attachment 99954

As a schoolboy, a colleague of my father had one of these in carmine red. It really did sound wonderful, ditto GT6 and Vitesse.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

My nomination for best 2.0 turbo:
Mitsubishi 4g63.

My 4g63, in fact?

i nominate the 2023 Honda Civic Type R 2.0 turbo as the best 2.0 turbo. 315hp, 310 lb-ft of torque. it's a beast. for a front wheel drive production car, it's the pinnacle point....as it's not just a stout motor, it's the whole package.

here is the one "now" on our showroom floor.



thought seriously about giving it to myself as a retirement present. but my 16' 991 CS2 i had 5 years ago would still be better. but twice the dollars even used right now.

 

[infinitely baffled]

i nominate the 2023 Honda Civic Type R 2.0 turbo as the best 2.0 turbo. 315hp, 310 lb-ft of torque. it's a beast. for a front wheel drive production car, it's the pinnacle point....as it's not just a stout motor, it's the whole package.

here is the one "now" on our showroom floor.

View attachment 99992

thought seriously about giving it to myself as a retirement present. but my 16' 991 CS2 i had 5 years ago would still be better. but twice the dollars even used right now.

View attachment 99989

I'm really enjoying the Honda - Renault battle for the title of best fwd hatch.
I was actually sorely tempted by one of these, the Megane Trophy R26- R

Renault Megane RS Trophy-R (2019-2020) review - is Renault's record breaker worth its price tag? | Evo

The Trophy R is arguably the most focused, and extreme hot hatch ever made, albeit at a eye-wateringly high price.

www.evo.co.uk

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I'm really enjoying the Honda - Renault battle for the title of best fwd hatch.
I was actually sorely tempted by one of these, the Megane Trophy R26- R

Renault Megane RS Trophy-R (2019-2020) review - is Renault's record breaker worth its price tag? | Evo

The Trophy R is arguably the most focused, and extreme hot hatch ever made, albeit at a eye-wateringly high price.

www.evo.co.uk

my money's on the Honda......we will have to see the Ring times when it happens.

obviously we don't see the Renault over here in North America. and it sounds like they only do a handful anyway. Honda is doing at least 500 Type R's for the USA (ours is #449). serious price on the Renault.....almost double the Type R MSRP (which buyers can't get anywhere close to).

not sure if there will be a lighter 'Limited Edition' version of the Type R this time. not heard anything yet.

 

[Kingrex]

As a kid, a car was not only freedom, it was a chance to get your hands dirty. I changed transmission from auto to stick. Swapped motors to more high performance. Stripped motors of stock carbs and pipes to performance. Lacquer painted a couple. Gutted the interiors to redo upholstery and carpeting.
As I got older it was inserting MSB ignition and Zapco stereo gear.

Then there was the 1972 Porsche 911. I broke the block open, changed the motor from a T to S ,new pistons by JE, flowed heads by exteude hobe. Elgin cams. Etc. Crashed it 2 weeks after getting it on the road. I also stripped the frame to bare metal and had extensive weld work done. Plus insulation to lower road noise.

Talking about noise, modern cars I don't hear the motor. Its all tire hum. My Mercedes ML550 is very quiet. Even on rough surfaces. The Porsche is very quiet on fresh pavement. Its god awful loud on pebble/concrete type surfaces. Worn road. I almost need earplugs on long roadtrip.

 

[Kingrex]

I am interested in the Porsche all electric Mechan in 2024 when it comes out.

I am also looking to have a 100% autonomous vehicle such as a SUV. I don't see manual drive as an option in the not to distant future. The government will say manual driving is dangerous and outlaw it. You will need a classic car license to manually ooerate one in 25 years.

 

[DasguteOhr]

opel speedster actually a lotus elise was a good car in 2002 pure driving pleasure 890kg weight 2.0 let turbo engine 0-60mp/h 4.8sec. today they have become very expensive, spoilers, better suspension and cool rims then it looks pretty good. goes damn well around the curve
P.S targa roof you can drive open in the summer

 

[infinitely baffled]

opel speedster actually a lotus elise was a good car in 2002 pure driving pleasure 890kg weight 2.0 let turbo engine 0-60mp/h 4.8sec. today they have become very expensive, spoilers, better suspension and cool rims then it looks pretty good. goes damn well around the curve View attachment 99999
P.S targa roof you can drive open in the summer

I have a real soft spot for those. Everything i love in a car

 

[infinitely baffled]

my money's on the Honda......we will have to see the Ring times when it happens.

obviously we don't see the Renault over here in North America. and it sounds like they only do a handful anyway. Honda is doing at least 500 Type R's for the USA (ours is #449). serious price on the Renault.....almost double the Type R MSRP (which buyers can't get anywhere close to).

not sure if there will be a lighter 'Limited Edition' version of the Type R this time. not heard anything yet.

This will take some beating?
The record breaking nurburgring lap:

As a serial modifier i can recognise the value in the R26 Trophy R proposition.
Carbon brakes....on a hot hatch!
Plus super trick dampers, the obligatory trick front diff,
and next-level dynamic development from arguably the masters of the hot hatch genre.

 

[rando]

This one has all the earmarks of love in my tiny galaxy. Origins passing through a farm vehicle, high quality one off construction for a Japanese race series, open cockpit one seater, and a face equally at home performing extra-legal maneuvers as greeting soft eyed admirers.

The Mini Moke it is based off is a pretty fun vehicle itself. Few years back the current owner rebooted the brand. Primarily among it's natural customer of island resort owners in need of rental vehicles. The original built to good old mid to late century standards was somehow better for all the same reason old MINI are.

This is a white one that was for sale in California. They were also registered in pink and a few other colors the same as Keirin racing jerseys. Yes it is street legal and would be debatable for me to own even today.

 

[Willgolf]

I am interested in the Porsche all electric Mechan in 2024 when it comes out.

I am also looking to have a 100% autonomous vehicle such as a SUV. I don't see manual drive as an option in the not to distant future. The government will say manual driving is dangerous and outlaw it. You will need a classic car license to manually ooerate one in 25 years.

If you mean a driverless vehicle, I am hoping for one soon given that I am functionally blind and can't drive a car!!!

 

[Willgolf]

I worked at Ford Motor Company for 33 years in sales and marketing. I was lucky enough to drive on most race courses around the USA and Germany in many different cars. From a domestic point of view, I really enjoyed driving the Mustang GT. Power personified! It sounded great and was fun to drive. When I could drive, I probably had at least 25 of them.