Cars that *feel* the fastest under 70 mph?

[FreeLitres]

Apologies if this has come up before – I did a quick search and I couldn’t see it covered.

I was just wondering - Is there a general PH consensus about which cars feel the fastest at legal speeds? I imagine it will depend on a combination of actual performance figures, ride height, cabin noise, suspension stiffness, weight, etc.

For example, an Elise and an XJR will both sprint to 60 mph in around 5 seconds. One is quite raw and the other is very refined.

Could the humble MX-5 ever feel faster than a E55 AMG?

Does a Mk1 Golf GTi feel faster than a Mk5?

[OnTheOverrun]

My Series II LR on cross-plies?

[Ben Hughes]

My MGB is terrifying at 70.

[southpaw]

Got to be a Caterham/similar without the doors on!

[jas xjr]

I have an xjr and I have driven my sisters 160 sport elise. The elise feels faster , the xjr is a different drive. For fun , the elise, for distance the xjr. I do enjoy the effortless acceleration of the xjr and the handling of the elise. If I could get out of an elise I would get one
+1 for the caterfields

Edited by jas xjr on Tuesday 1st June 18:24

[tybo]

Any 'Caterham' type kit car.

Especially without a windscreen!

[Deranged Granny]

My fiesta. The tracking is fked

Really should sort that out

[Ace-T]

It is about perception of speed not actual speed.

My Mini and MX5 felt/feel much faster at, say 30, than the OH's GTV. Where you sit in relation to the ground, how much you are insulated from the driving experience, how well the car is set up to go quickly; there are an almost limitless number of factors that affect your perception.

If one is in really licence threatening territory, getting an older smaller, slower car is probably the best way forward if you have no self control!

Trace

PS I think the reason I have had no points at all is because my dailys have generally been small older cars. I do have to be careful when driving the TVR

[Mr E]

Elise feels pretty quick everywhere.

[Cock Womble 7]

tybo said:

Any 'Caterham' type kit car.

Especially without a windscreen!

This.

Drive a Caterham, sans windscreen (but with the laughingly-named "wind deflector" fitted) without a helmet and just a pair of Raybans to save your eyes and 60mph will feel like Mach 6.

For the record, pollen hurts when it hits your forehead at that speed.

[Chunky La Funga]

Cock Womble 7 said:

tybo said:

Any 'Caterham' type kit car.

Especially without a windscreen!

This.

Drive a Caterham, sans windscreen (but with the laughingly-named "wind deflector" fitted) without a helmet and just a pair of Raybans to save your eyes and 60mph will feel like Mach 6.

For the record, pollen hurts when it hits your forehead at that speed.

Agree. I remember driving an R400 along a country lane once at what felt like suicidal speeds only to look in the mirror and spy a SsangYong Rexton ambling along behind me. It FELT damn quick but when I looked at the speedo, I was only doing 40mph!

That's my sort of car!

[danwebster]

My old mini felt quick to 70mph...in fact it was quite spritely, did 72mph in 5.6seconds according to my drag strip results...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W-1PzNKnfg

[Don1]

Ha! Love the Mini.

My old MX-5 was a lot of fun under the legal limit - it 'felt' quick, but was really just a 1.6, with good suspension.

[Antony Moxey]

tybo said:

Any 'Caterham' type kit car.

Especially without a windscreen!

Yip, my Tiger Super Six is screenless, save for a three inch high aeroscreen. I normally only hoon with a pair of wraparounds as eye/head prtection and am happy to say anything above 50ish feels like there's a zero missing from the speedo readings.

Perhaps it's the lack of a screen, or doors, or roof or that the only glass is in the headlights, the only things electrical are the lights and dials, or that when you're sat in your normal driving position in the car you can put your hand flat on the road surface, or on the tyre just by your right shoulder.

And whatever hits you stings. Quite a bit. Especially rain - that's like sticking pins in your face at anything approaching dual carriageway speeds. And after reading that over again I'm off out for a few laps of East Devon now....

[10JH]

Or drive a van/lorry/high up car for a few months, then step into a normal height car. Even on the motorway you feel like you're going insanely fast when you're doing 70. Only lasts for a short time though...

[Cock Womble 7]

Antony Moxey said:

or that when you're sat in your normal driving position in the car you can put your hand flat on the road surface, or on the tyre just by your right shoulder.

I think that's got a lot to do with it. When your arse is a couple of inches from the tarmac it does make "sensible" speeds feel much faster.

And it gives you something to strike your match on in order to light your pipe

[edo]

tybo said:

Any 'Caterham' type kit car.

Especially without a windscreen!

+1. My Westfield felt like it was doing 100mph at 40..

[smallgun]

Grinnall Scorpion 3 - you sit so low you can put your hand over the side and touch the ground. Feels plenty fast at almost any speed 0-60 about 4secs

Edited by smallgun on Tuesday 1st June 19:00

[slomax]

scariest car i have been in under 70 is mine. Low, no winscreen, no roof, not roll bar, lots of buffeting and very noisey. great fun though....

btw its a Lomax 223

Edited by slomax on Tuesday 1st June 19:04

[tamore]

850 mini felt like i was doing mach 1 at 70mph!