Cars you like even though no one else does...

[toon10]

Soupie69uk said:

Audi A2
Porsche 944
Ferrari 400
Lexus LS
Lotus Europa
Mazda CX7
Mitsubishi Starion

I love the Europa (the recent one). It doesn't seem to get much love though. I wish I could find one local to me as I'm in the market for something less practical than my saloon but an Elise is a stretch too far for every day/winter use.

[irocfan]

also really like these...




over there a bit of a red-neck's car - over here not loved either

[swisstoni]

I've got one of these. From the same Renault funny farm as the Avantime. At least they were trying.

[va1o]

BMW 5-series Gran Turismo in 530d Auto guise. Looks a bit funny but its practical, comfortable with a nice seating position and ability to effortlessly eat up the miles



I'm also a bit of a fan of the second gen Mercedes A-Class. It took the innovative elements of its failed predecessor and combined them with a much more luxurious interior/ looks and significantly improved reliability. Bit boring maybe but quirky and more interesting than the equivalent Golf. Shame there is no new equivalent to it




Finally I quite like the VW Eos

Edited by va1o on Thursday 27th November 19:06

[alpha channel]

irocfan said:

also really like these...




over there a bit of a red-neck's car - over here not loved either

Looking like that? I like (nice colour too).

[ffhard]

Not read through all the posts so possibly repeating others, but...

Series 1 (or whatever they called them) Range Rovers, the 3.5 carburetted ones. I've had three but only one engine, everytime the body got just too rusty for me to want weld anymore I bought another with a knackered motor and swapped my excellent engine into it. And, trust me, living in the wilds as I do you could go anywhere in them. And being so old even then if it picked up another dent or scratch then so what? Floods? I used to laugh at floods! I once went over a bridge when the river had risen so high I couldn't even SEE the bridge! Water flodding in through the doors but all the carbs and ignition system were at pretty much windscreen level so no problems at all. Until I got home when it struck me that I had just assumed the bridge was still there. If it had washed away I would have big problems!

Aud1 Mk1 Coupes, the 2.1 five cylinder two wheel drive jobs. Had a couple and they pulled like really pully trains. I suppose not fast by modern standards but they were back in their day. Huge fun when pushed but also comfortable and relaxing when not.

And, finally, Lancia Thema turbo's. Not sure there are any left now, I've two (one very, very special one!) and great to drive long distances. One thing, always be in gear lower than you think you need to be just to keep the turbo spooled up and you'll be fine.

[nagsheadwarrior]

swisstoni said:

I've got one of these. From the same Renault funny farm as the Avantime. At least they were trying.

Great username and great car!
Every time I'm in the market all the cheap ones disappear, it's a lunatics choice but I'd buy one just because of that, the great seats, odd looks x and their weird tv advert.

[krallicious]

LordHaveMurci said:

krallicious said:

Panamera looks good in certain colours .

I have a soft spot for the Multipla and Skoda Yetis too.

I may have been having a look at them online. Look great in dunkelblau When you are inside, you can't see how it looks anyway

[Hell27]

Since it's called cars you like even though no one else does, I'll assume majority of no one else does refers to the great British public.

So I love Citroen berlingos, Peugeot partners and fiat doblos. Great practical utilitarian and cheap.
I like vauxhall insignia vxrs even though not brave enough to own one.
Citroen C6. Just an utterly brilliant looking machine.
Most old Mercedes - 80's GWagen, w123, w124's.
I also like the old Peugeot 505 8 seater estate. I just like the look of it......
Growing up, loved the look of the Talbot Rancho and the Hillman Hunter.
Nowadays I like the BMW 7 series, and oddly occasionally the Ford SMax, but that's quite popular.

[ClockworkDog]

Always had a soft spot for these flimsy things Probably from seeing them on summer hols in France in the 90's and getting to tick them off in my eye-spy book. I'll add the Citroen Visa and Renault Feugo (remember them?) to my guilty pleasures list as well.

[Fastchas]

Saw these everywhere in France when I toured there on my motorbike circa 1994. I thought they were really funky and didn't understand why Renault didn't export them to the UK. I heard Renault think they made a massive mistake not doing so.

[swisstoni]

nagsheadwarrior said:

swisstoni said:

I've got one of these. From the same Renault funny farm as the Avantime. At least they were trying.

Great username and great car!
Every time I'm in the market all the cheap ones disappear, it's a lunatics choice but I'd buy one just because of that, the great seats, odd looks x and their weird tv advert.

Thanks. Renault put a lot of design effort into the Avantime and the Vel Satis. At the time I think they were considering creating a luxury brand a bit like Lexus is for Toyota or Infinity is for Nissan. It was going to be called Initiale.
I have the 3.0dV6 Initial Vel Satis and despite being 12 years old, it has worn pretty well. I believe only the basic frame is steel with all the panels, door and roof either aluminium or composite. I've had it for 6 years now and it cost £4k!
I'd say that the most issues I have had have been with things like bushes and electrical gremlins. Nothing too troubling.

[LittleEnus]

irocfan said:

also really like these...




over there a bit of a red-neck's car - over here not loved either

It is not considered a red necks car. It was for a while in the early 90s, in the same way Escorts, Capris etc were driven by chavs.

They are now collectors cars and have increasing respect. They have survived the periodic dip when they are no longer new and picked up on the cheap and not maintained. Most sporty cars do this- M3's, Scoobys, Integrales, Quattros etc.

The IROC is one of the most famous Camaros of all time.

[andrewboom]

Having odd taste in cars, or not caring about brands can really save you money in the long run.

Got a Skoda Octavia way cheaper than the equivalent VW. Got a Hyundai coupe much cheaper than a Celica, as their cars improved before their image did.

Mrs now has a very cheap pt cruiser with auto and LPG. She actually gets loads of people asking her about the car (I admit mostly retired people). Interior is nowhere near the Octavia, but it is comfy, practical and has been reliable. Not a big fan of the looks but at least it is different.

[Europa1]

toon10 said:

I love the Europa (the recent one). It doesn't seem to get much love though. I wish I could find one local to me as I'm in the market for something less practical than my saloon but an Elise is a stretch too far for every day/winter use.

I had a Europa S (you'd never have guessed....) with the upgraded interior they introdiced for the SE version. Loved it. Went like the proverbial stabbed rat, but more civilised than the Elise with a much better boot.

Find one and buy it; sod whether it's local. Secondhand values for them are apparently going up as it becomes more appreciated and there are only something like 45 of them in the UK.

[Paraicj]

I don't think I'm adding anything new to the thread, but there are a few ...less-fashionable... cars that I'd have in a second.

The Chrysler Crossfire. No, it's not a dynamic drive. Yes, it's a little odd-looking. But I like it! A nice light blue, manual gears, happy days...


The BMW Z3, especially the wide-body version. I don't get the dislike for them. Plenty of fans of E30, E36 and E46 3-series, this has bits from all of them. Blue again, obviously.


And finally, one I didn't see mentioned. Remember Colin McRae Rally games? I don't know why, but when I first got it, I picked the Renault Megane Coupe as my car of choice. Liked it ever since. Full rally livery please!


But even the plain old boring 2.0 road version makes me smile appreciately. In Yellow. So weird!

[andrewboom]

Think the z3 has ages very well. Plus now they are cheaper\older I think you see more men driving them than women now. When new it was a lot of money for what some described as a girls car.

[DeltaTango]

Paraicj said:

I don't think I'm adding anything new to the thread, but there are a few ...less-fashionable... cars that I'd have in a second.

The Chrysler Crossfire. No, it's not a dynamic drive. Yes, it's a little odd-looking. But I like it! A nice light blue, manual gears, happy days...


The BMW Z3, especially the wide-body version. I don't get the dislike for them. Plenty of fans of E30, E36 and E46 3-series, this has bits from all of them. Blue again, obviously.


And finally, one I didn't see mentioned. Remember Colin McRae Rally games? I don't know why, but when I first got it, I picked the Renault Megane Coupe as my car of choice. Liked it ever since. Full rally livery please!


But even the plain old boring 2.0 road version makes me smile appreciately. In Yellow. So weird!

Agree with you on both. Really liked the post facelift 6 cylinder Z3's and a 2.0 megane coupe was my first half decent car.

[Raman Kandola]

Number 5 said:

Panamera's are a marmite car and they definitely look better in the metal than they do on a photograph. When I first seen a picture of one I thought they were terrible, it wasn't until I physically seen a Panamera then my opinion changed.

+1 Couldnt have said it better

[d3llams]

I have to say the calibra. My dad had one some years ago, 2.0 redtop. At the time it was the fastest car i had been in. Ever since i have had a soft spot for them. Most aerodynamic car in its day i heard.