Fastest Point to Point Classic
Discussion
Car Magazine did a feature on "the quickest car in the UK" in the early 90s. They picked the Lotus Elan (M100 type), the Integrale and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (964).
The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
Yertis said:
DonkeyApple said:
I see the Quattro and the Integrale as modern classics but in my head I don't see the Supra as one.
I agree but the Supra is clearly a very competent car. Maybe it's competition pedigree? barchetta_boy said:
Car Magazine did a feature on "the quickest car in the UK" in the early 90s. They picked the Lotus Elan (M100 type), the Integrale and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (964).
The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
And I reckon that a Cayenne Turbo would be the fastest A-B classic if defined as a classic and not just an old car. The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
I'm a huge believer that on British A roads the height of the SUV allows faster negotiation of junctions and creates more overtaking opportunities. Add to that height supercar performance and you have to have the ultimate cross country speed machine.
I do believe that extra height out performs extra power or handling in a country defined by hedgerows, hidden dips, hidden turnings, blind corners and heavy weight of traffic. Oh, and potholes.
benjj said:
These things always come down to the driver and/or how well they know roads.
I remember being on the IoM in the early 90's in my father's E34 540i. He was and still is a very handy driver but was left for dead through the mountains by a kid in, I think I recall, a boggo 1.6 Cavalier.
As above.....I remember being on the IoM in the early 90's in my father's E34 540i. He was and still is a very handy driver but was left for dead through the mountains by a kid in, I think I recall, a boggo 1.6 Cavalier.
Also the type of road an open sweeping and smooth A or B road is very different driving environment to a typical British unclassified country road (a yellow on an OS Map). For one you need shear performance balance and grip, for the other you need suspension travel good damping and small proportions.
There is probably a few Cars which strike the right balance between the two, the Integrale, Imprezza, etc might come close, but might get beaten in certain circumstance by say a Ferrari or well sorted Mini.
AX GT ....by some margin the crappiest car I have ever owned; quick point to point ? With a wheezy old 85bhp engine and terrible brakes I don't think so. They always had a fan base in the press - living with one was a nightmare with its airfix build quality and chronic unreliability. Great ride , good grip , but ludicrously undergeared,hideous seats and awful noise .
coppice said:
AX GT ....by some margin the crappiest car I have ever owned; quick point to point ? With a wheezy old 85bhp engine and terrible brakes I don't think so. They always had a fan base in the press - living with one was a nightmare with its airfix build quality and chronic unreliability. Great ride , good grip , but ludicrously undergeared,hideous seats and awful noise .
Take it up with Gavin Green, or whoever was 'at the helm' back then. A good mate of mine had one, I certainly agree about the plastickyness but it seemed quite handy. He chopped it in after a year for a brand new Golf VR6, which as far as I know he still has, with about 1,000,000 miles on the clock.
S47 said:
NO contest here - as mentioned above Lotus or Caterham 7
OOI all Lotus 7's are tax exempt Historic vehicles which is a nice bonus and get into any classic car show in UK
I've got a '92 Caterham 7 and as much as I love it I'm pretty sure I could pedal an Integrale with decent tyres and pads faster in most real life road situations. I'd stick with the 7 on track in the dry though.OOI all Lotus 7's are tax exempt Historic vehicles which is a nice bonus and get into any classic car show in UK
200Plus Club said:
my little sunbeam lotus with 150bhp in 900kg and decent fast road suspension is a cracking little drive on lanes, instant throttle response and bark. love it!
Yep totally agree about sunbeam. Loved mine.If we are discussing real classics,my vote is for the 60's lotus élan. For years these were acknowledged as the quickest thing a to b. Small and agile with,in sprint coupe form, acceleration to compete with all but the craziest caterfield. And not so weather dependent as one.
Remeber out accelerating a toyota supra in mine, ok it was modded a bit but not much.
And it is a genuine historic vehicle, says as much on the tax disc
Edited by sideways man on Thursday 11th September 14:55
Simply because I'm biased as an owner and that I once had great fun chasing a mega boosted 3 Door Cosworth at the Nürburgring, which run away on the straights but not so great in the twisty stuff, I'll plump for RWD shaped fun in the form of an E30 M3...even though I know the Intergrale would probably win.
Another slightly biased one, 4x4 Saphire Cosworth. Went out with a few friends through the New Forest, assortment of cars including a 996 Turbo and a couple of TVRs. On Dual carriage ways and large A roads, a fast car is a fast car, they will all loose you you licence with ease.
Once we started heading properly cross country, none of them were even close, I had to stop and wait occasionally.
Mine is now over 20 years old, by modern standards it is quite small, goes, grips and handles.
As mentioned above, memories of these hurtling through Welsh forests with Intergrales etc brings a certain nostalgia. When you are out in it, everyone over a certain age has a memory of them, even if it is only one of the neighbours having one when they were a child.
Once we started heading properly cross country, none of them were even close, I had to stop and wait occasionally.
Mine is now over 20 years old, by modern standards it is quite small, goes, grips and handles.
As mentioned above, memories of these hurtling through Welsh forests with Intergrales etc brings a certain nostalgia. When you are out in it, everyone over a certain age has a memory of them, even if it is only one of the neighbours having one when they were a child.
barchetta_boy said:
Car Magazine did a feature on "the quickest car in the UK" in the early 90s. They picked the Lotus Elan (M100 type), the Integrale and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (964).
The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
Not saying their conclusion is wrong, but just as a counterpoint, Fast Lane, must have been the early '90s too, also wondered out loud if the Elan M100 was the fastest real world point to point car available. Or from Lotus, or something. So they pitted it against the Esprit Turbo SE, which was current at the time, in a series of timed, controlled tests.The Integrale won but the point they were making was that any of those three was quicker than a Ferrari 328 (or whatever).
Joel
They did conclude that the Elan was easier to drive fast, but the Esprit won the test. If you needed to get somewhere in a hurry, the Esprit could get you there quicker.
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