Anyone else falling out of love with driving a 'fast' car?
Discussion
I find myself longing for my Westfield XI with its A Series engine upgraded to a massive 100bhp, it was an absolute joy to drive.
I sold it to a guy in Finland and bought the Ultima GTR that I had always dreamed of. Trouble is, the car is too capable for the UK roads, yes I could track it but horror stories about idiots taking you out leaving you to foot the bill put me off. My journey to work averages 25mph down the A14/M11 so sitting in a 600bhp car watching the fuel gauge drop to bottom and the temperature gauge climb to the top just doesn't appeal. Even when I do get out at the weekend, sneeze and I'm in licence losing territory, coupled with the state of the roads, speed cushions popping up like mushrooms overnight, Brake members and their universal speed of 40 everywhere, Gatsos, lorries elephant racing and the rest and the fun just evaporates.
I sold it to a guy in Finland and bought the Ultima GTR that I had always dreamed of. Trouble is, the car is too capable for the UK roads, yes I could track it but horror stories about idiots taking you out leaving you to foot the bill put me off. My journey to work averages 25mph down the A14/M11 so sitting in a 600bhp car watching the fuel gauge drop to bottom and the temperature gauge climb to the top just doesn't appeal. Even when I do get out at the weekend, sneeze and I'm in licence losing territory, coupled with the state of the roads, speed cushions popping up like mushrooms overnight, Brake members and their universal speed of 40 everywhere, Gatsos, lorries elephant racing and the rest and the fun just evaporates.
mark.c said:
I've had this feeling for some time now, I've bought and kept some quick stuff but ultimately found that a 'quiet blast ' is getting increasing difficult to achieve, this in turn leads to frustration and the temptation to do something daft to get my kicks.
The solution for me is to blat about in something older, analogue and comparatively slow by today's standards. 16 inch wheels, relatively big sidewalls to ride over the cack roads, great chassis and just enough poke to to have a scream without any of the downsides of trying to do it in a really fast modern car.
For me the solution is in my old E30 M3 but the above can be applied to many many older great cars.
This. That's why I love my mr2 turbo. The solution for me is to blat about in something older, analogue and comparatively slow by today's standards. 16 inch wheels, relatively big sidewalls to ride over the cack roads, great chassis and just enough poke to to have a scream without any of the downsides of trying to do it in a really fast modern car.
For me the solution is in my old E30 M3 but the above can be applied to many many older great cars.
k-ink said:
Or move to the highlands.
Or maybe not. Check out Scotland's chief constable revelations about the drinking & crime explosion in the remote areas & in particular Glasgow's more recent citizens from beyond these shores taking off in gangs to the highlands to thieve & plunder. datum77 said:
Just thought I'd throw my hat into the ring.......
As I often have to endure the relentless queues and jams littering our country, I have adopted the annoying habit of when sitting next to a car with an engine bigger than, say, 1400cc, or power output greater than around 80bhp and looking at it and mouthing to myself "What's The Point".
The road congestion in the UK is NEVER going to get any better. It will DEFINITELY get a lot worse. Therefore, 3.5 litre, 160bhp cars are a waste of money/fossil fuels/the environment/the future of our children's health.
If the misguided idea that you are impressing the neighbours/friends/relatives/work colleagues and this is your motive for driving a "Whats The Point" car, you need to take a long look in a mirror.
I've got 4 of those, although 2 are 3.9L. The old Disco definitely is there is impress not just neighbours, friends, relatives and colleagues but also all the random strangers that it is important to impress. As I often have to endure the relentless queues and jams littering our country, I have adopted the annoying habit of when sitting next to a car with an engine bigger than, say, 1400cc, or power output greater than around 80bhp and looking at it and mouthing to myself "What's The Point".
The road congestion in the UK is NEVER going to get any better. It will DEFINITELY get a lot worse. Therefore, 3.5 litre, 160bhp cars are a waste of money/fossil fuels/the environment/the future of our children's health.
If the misguided idea that you are impressing the neighbours/friends/relatives/work colleagues and this is your motive for driving a "Whats The Point" car, you need to take a long look in a mirror.
To be honest, I've never bought a car that doesn't immediately ask 'What's the point?' After all, they are going to be the most fun.
MOTK said:
I felt the same. Took the executive decision to move to the country. No joy in having a quick car in London imo, just frustration.
Now charging around a country road near me, no doubt.Country roads, especially the two lane type with blind, heavily foliaged sharp bends, are the most dangerous in the land.
The single track type are as bad. Drivers going too fast and not accounting for someone like them coming the other way.
Hey, let's all ease off a bit.
Edited by WD39 on Saturday 26th March 16:21
The roads haven't changed radically since the days of MGBs and Escort Mexicos .Most roads aren't faster and few are wider. If you buy a 500bhp behemoth which is 2 metres wide you will soon be reminded of this . An excellent reason to buy a Seven(other lightweight small sports cars are available); I have as much fun in mine as I did in the MGs etc I owned in the ..ahem..'golden age' of motoring. Which was anything but really....
WD39 said:
Now charging around a country road near me, no doubt.
Country roads, especially the two lane type with blind, heavily foliaged sharp bends, are the most dangerous in the land.
The single track type are as bad. Drivers going too fast and not accounting for someone like them coming the other way.
Hey, let's all ease off a bit.
Silly nimby. This is Pistonheads not mumsnet.Country roads, especially the two lane type with blind, heavily foliaged sharp bends, are the most dangerous in the land.
The single track type are as bad. Drivers going too fast and not accounting for someone like them coming the other way.
Hey, let's all ease off a bit.
Edited by WD39 on Saturday 26th March 16:21
bigkeeko said:
datum77 said:
3.5 litre, 160bhp cars are a waste of money
I agree. For an engine that size I'd be looking for another 100 at least.When i started driving not much stuff had more than 120hp. 0-60 sub 10 seconds was impressive.
A fast car was a 200 hp Porsche 911.
Now a warm golf will push that out.
Power is much much cheaper and easier to get. Cars handle far better than they ever used too.
Maybe the car has outgrown its own environment.
A "fast" car today is yesterdays hyper car.
stephen300o said:
SidewaysSi said:
stephen300o said:
Yes folks in the country just love folks pushing cars as hard as they can past their houses.
Did I say that?Depends on the car I think. I live in a flat in the suburbs of Newcastle which is getting pretty bad these days. My last car (FN2 TypeR) was just frustratingly dull and frustrating doing the daily driver stuff. Sure it was a hoot hooning in it, but it doesn't seem to happen often enough. Now got a Z4C 3.0 Sport Auto and it's great. It always feels special, it's lovely and effortless to drive slowly, but get out into the sticks and use the manual gears and it's a much more aggressive car, to the point where it feels like two cars rolled into one. It really does tick so many boxes for me as an only car, because it does pretty much everything well.
Find the right car and it'll be worth it.
Find the right car and it'll be worth it.
TameRacingDriver said:
Depends on the car I think. I live in a flat in the suburbs of Newcastle which is getting pretty bad these days. My last car (FN2 TypeR) was just frustratingly dull and frustrating doing the daily driver stuff. Sure it was a hoot hooning in it, but it doesn't seem to happen often enough. Now got a Z4C 3.0 Sport Auto and it's great. It always feels special, it's lovely and effortless to drive slowly, but get out into the sticks and use the manual gears and it's a much more aggressive car, to the point where it feels like two cars rolled into one. It really does tick so many boxes for me as an only car, because it does pretty much everything well.
Find the right car and it'll be worth it.
That was pretty much my conclusion to. Also with a type r to more usable fun.Find the right car and it'll be worth it.
slk 32 said:
I never thought I'd feel this way but with the relentless war on the motorist and the constant roadworks / gridlock in West London having a powerful car seems pointless.
Not only am I surrounded by 20mph zones springing up but the whole A316 from the M3 to Chiswick (approx 9 miles) is, from the summer, going to be one giant safe speed zone controlled by average speed cameras.
I took my slk55 out today for the first time in months as the salt has all gone. As much as I love it, a car like that seems totally at odds with today's driving environment . I've been using my polo bluemotion over the winter which gets 70mpg around town compared to 18 mpg in the slk and as I can't even begin to use a tiny proportion of the slk's performance I'm really questioning what the point is in owning a car like that.
anyone else feel the same?
Get out of town and hit the open road. That's what I do and the SLK 55 never lets me down. It's easy to forget how much you can enjoy your car after only driving around town for days on end. Believe me I know, Bristol is a tosser to drive in.Not only am I surrounded by 20mph zones springing up but the whole A316 from the M3 to Chiswick (approx 9 miles) is, from the summer, going to be one giant safe speed zone controlled by average speed cameras.
I took my slk55 out today for the first time in months as the salt has all gone. As much as I love it, a car like that seems totally at odds with today's driving environment . I've been using my polo bluemotion over the winter which gets 70mpg around town compared to 18 mpg in the slk and as I can't even begin to use a tiny proportion of the slk's performance I'm really questioning what the point is in owning a car like that.
anyone else feel the same?
Salisbury plains however...
Though I can appreciate the frustration of owning a fast car and living in a sleeping policemen/pothole/cyclepath/20mph area, I would never consider getting rid of the car because of the enviroment. I have thought about investing in a set of steel wheels with nice chubby profiles for bouncing up kerbs though. My car moves every week just because I love the noise it makes and the way it moves. It will waft quite nicely and pull from 800rpm.
You have to get outside of the m25 before 5am to enjoy it, or take it to the track.
You have to get outside of the m25 before 5am to enjoy it, or take it to the track.
It's part of the reason why I've left engine mods (outside of exhaust and induction) to the end of my Elise build as its good to wring the neck of its 130ish bhp and feel like you're working the car rather than have 200bhp and using 1/5th of its power.
I do really think the Elise is the answer. Low power, no driver aids and a fully connected feeling when driving.
I do really think the Elise is the answer. Low power, no driver aids and a fully connected feeling when driving.
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