Cars that were too fast at the time
Discussion
Personally I would define this as vehicles where the performance exceeds the stability of e.g. the chassis such that either the vehicle is potentially dangerous in the wrong hands e.g. Lamborghini Miura apparently where the aerodynamics are reputedly a bit dodgy or the original Stratos which requires exceptional ability to drive it anywhere close to the edge. The latter is the only one of those two I've experienced and believe me I don't/didn't have the ability or cojones to really give it welly.
Pat H said:
1989 VX Astra GTE 16v.
Stonking engine.
Not so stonking chassis.
Fast, but horrible to drive.
And horrible to look at.
And horrible to sit in.
And that digital speedo was horrible too.
It was a great looking car for it's time, and still looks pretty good these days I reckon. They had huge boots, nice Recaros and a decent driving position though let down by an amazingly shoddy cardboard dash and the typical hard scratchy plastics of the day. No worse than the equivalent Ford and most French hatchbacks of the time though, and it would walk away from most of them (in a straight line...)Stonking engine.
Not so stonking chassis.
Fast, but horrible to drive.
And horrible to look at.
And horrible to sit in.
And that digital speedo was horrible too.
I agree about the nasty digital dash, though apparently you could order the car with conventional analog gauges.
The 1980s hot hatch boom really brought quite a lot of performance to the masses (and many inexperienced drivers) coupled with pretty dodgy narrow tyres and low weight, the lift-off oversteer in many instances was quite shocking. How I didn't crash my 1989 CRX the first time the back stepped out I still do not know!
charlie84rum said:
I sure Im correct in thinking that the police had been sold a load of Omega's just before the Lotus Carlton came out rendering them somewhat impotent.
The civic type R was the first "quick" car I ever drove and I hate to think of a 17 year old me getting the keys to one.
The Omega came out a long time after the Carlton. In fact, I think it replaced the Carlton.The civic type R was the first "quick" car I ever drove and I hate to think of a 17 year old me getting the keys to one.
Sunbeam Tiger.
Almost any mid-engine car until tyre technology improved (admittedly in the hands of we mere mortals).
I was told by a Lotus employee many of the fwd Elan turbo press cars suffered front end damage from catching the driver unawares when accelerating to overtake - they rear-ended the car in front when the boost came in too early.
The diesel RAV4 the MiL drive seems too fast when she is giving me a lift...
Almost any mid-engine car until tyre technology improved (admittedly in the hands of we mere mortals).
I was told by a Lotus employee many of the fwd Elan turbo press cars suffered front end damage from catching the driver unawares when accelerating to overtake - they rear-ended the car in front when the boost came in too early.
The diesel RAV4 the MiL drive seems too fast when she is giving me a lift...
jeremyc said:
In 2002, having won it's class (and come 11th overall) in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, the Caterham R400 was banned from the next year's race.
On what pretence were they banned?Simon Nearn at the time said:
I guess it’s embarrassing for us to roll up with a car that costs a fraction of the price of the rest of the field, can be driven to and from the track and run for 24 hours without a glitch.
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