What cars do you have to own to qualify as a petrol head ?

[deltashad]

I've never owned an Alfa, not saying I wouldn't. Especially an old Sprint or any Pre 90's GTV.

Thought about a few many times, but never quite won me over.

[Contigo]

Not so much have to own a specific car but have to buy something which makes very little sense or even man maths won't calculate. To buy a car and think wtf have I done is that moment that you realise you are in the Petrolhead brigade. When you can't stop thinking about it and it keeps you awake at night.


My tick list.

4 cyl
5cyl
V6
V8
V10
Supercharged
TurboCharged
RWD
FWD
AWD
SportsCar
Roadster
Super Saloon
Uber Wagen
Supercar

[RobM77]

Devil2575 said:

willisit said:

None. If you love cars, you can be one. As a youngster I'd know specs of pretty much everything on the road. I LOVED cars but was years away from driving. Why would that exclude anyone?

What about boats? With twin V8s?
Planes?

Since TG said you'd have to own an Alfa, I've heard about this phrase a lot and I think it's nonsense.. but that's just me. I know plenty of people who cannot afford to own anything that'd "qualify" but go to every Festival of Speed or Breakfast club...

This.

Quite. Clarkson often makes flippant comments that have an underlying truth in them, but the Alfa comment was just plain odd - particularly as it alienated a huge percentage of his audience who weren't interested in classics or front wheel drive family cars.

As you rightly say, and many of us have said (me included in my first post), being a petrolhead is just about liking cars. People like cars for different reasons, and some people seem to have trouble understanding that (see some of the posts on this thread!), but that's just life - people can be narrow minded. Personally I'm into driving and how cars handle and go round corners, most of PH seem to be into straight line speed at the cost of everything else, and I'm sure there are plenty of other petrolheads who are interested in a myriad of other things about cars. Most of my racing mates aren't even interested in road cars at all. The fact is they're all interested - and that's that

[Pixelpeep]

RobM77 said:

edited to save bandwidth

Rob, you are right but with that revelation comes the simple answer to the thread.

it's not what car you choose, its why you chose it which would determine if you could be considered a petrol head.

[otolith]

The Clarkson comment was always a back-handed compliment, anyway. The point was that they were a heart-over-head purchase, that you had to really love the thing to put up with the ownership experience. I think it's a very long time since Alfas were either that lovable or that awful - but then it is something he first said a very long time ago.

[caraddict]

StuntmanMike said:

WTF is everyone going on about 320d's for, what relevance is that car to this topic?
Reading through this thread I think most have it spot on, on this discussion anyone who bangs on about specific cars, or makes lists for chrisakes, comes across as a bit of a dick.

+1

[Cotty]

StuntmanMike said:

Sorry mate, I don't think I've missed anything, what individual car you drive has got absolutely sod all to do with being a petrol head, my rant was really started by posters not naming what they drive, but posting what you should drive.

Ok my two. Never had a V8 (V6 in the TVR I owned) PH started out as a sports car forum namely TVR. When people sold their TVR's and bought another sports car they asked for a forum for that car. Haymarket are more if you are into cars and are a bit of a petrolhead then welcome. Although I probably have two PH worthy cars, if im going to a Sunday Service I still feel more comfortable taking my Elise. Just my personal feelings, doesn't mean anything really.



My previously owned TVR

[Bibbs]

Contigo said:

Not so much have to own a specific car but have to buy something which makes very little sense or even man maths won't calculate. To buy a car and think wtf have I done is that moment that you realise you are in the Petrolhead brigade. When you can't stop thinking about it and it keeps you awake at night.


My tick list.

4 cyl
5cyl
V6
V8
V10
Supercharged
TurboCharged
RWD
FWD
AWD
SportsCar
Roadster
Super Saloon
Uber Wagen
Supercar

You missed I6 (M3, Supra, Skyline)

[gizlaroc]

I know people that spend more on their cars than they do on the rest of their outgoings combined, now their choice of metal is not the same as mine, but to me that makes them a petrolhead.

[willisit]

I've just been to the Classic Car Show at the NEC.

There are cars there that, every year, I would swear I've never seen or heard of. Some have next to no power, some have no headlights, some have wooden wheels, others aren't cars at all - but you know what? The owners are still petrolheads. The owners love their cars. Simple stuff really.

[RobM77]

gizlaroc said:

I know people that spend more on their cars than they do on the rest of their outgoings combined, now their choice of metal is not the same as mine, but to me that makes them a petrolhead.

I used to spend more on motor racing than my mortgage and bills combined in any given year. If you factor in buying and running cars and the fact that I own two road cars it's definitely more! I also take every opportunity I can to try new cars, out of interest but also so I can better inform my buying decisions, and in doing so have driven loads and travelled around a lot too. For example a few weeks ago I made a 7 hour round trip to buy the perfect car for my wife

[Vladimir]

M135i ordered, 335d outgoing.

A bit more petrol head.

[RobM77]

Vladimir said:

M135i ordered, 335d outgoing.

A bit more petrol head.

I thought the 335d was all the car you'd ever need?

[Vladimir]

RobM77 said:

I thought the 335d was all the car you'd ever need?

It probably is. But it's petrol time and a nice weight saving. Hoping it's not an error. It's on the system but no build time yet...

[crazy about cars]

RobM77 said:

I thought the 335d was all the car you'd ever need?

From recent threads I'd guess the 335D remapped is all the diesel car you'll every need and a M135i is all the petrol car you'll ever need