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

[MC Bodge]

[speedtwelve]

Re: Clarkson's 'Alfa' comment. My 156 JTS Veloce looked nice, had quite an exotic-looking interior and very pointy steering. That's it. 4-pot engine sounded dull, with crap drive-by-wire throttle response, understeery, unresolved & choppy chassis with poor damping.... Hardly an epic driving experience. The car was only 4-ish years-old to boot. A mate's old boxer-engined 33 and Alfasud Sprint sounded great and reasonable fun to drive, but still a bit unremarkable.

You don't 'have' to own anything specific to qualify as a petrolhead. I'm using a 2-seat V8 sports car with no driver aids as a daily driver in mid-November at the moment, but that just marks me out as having no common sense more than anything....

A good test of petrolheadness, rather than the contents of your garage, is whether or not you find Chris Harris' recent vid of Goodwood Revival TT antics one of the best things you've watched in ages.


EDIT: ^^^Mmmmm...Napier Railton. An epic machine!^^^

Edited by speedtwelve on Thursday 21st November 21:54

[007 VXR]

A V8

[Monkeylegend]

stick100 said:

That's the question answered thanks the chap above is right that's all that's needed all those who said Audi hang your heads in shame

What makes you say that? Or is it because it's popular on here to jump on the Audi hate bandwagon.

There are some Audis out there that more than qualify you as a true petrolhead.

[Escort Si-130]

Anything that is PETROL, not a MPV and doesn't give a st about mpg.

stick100 said:

As per the tittle what cars have you. Have too of owned to qualify as a petrol head ?

[Leptons]

stick100 said:

As per the tittle what cars have you. Have too of owned to qualify as a petrol head ?

Well it be onto this.

[0a]

A w124 merc 6 cylinder estate for going to the tip

[Welshbeef]

>200bhp per tonne?

That's getting beyond nippy and into properly fast car territory

>300bhp per tonne
st yer pants fast

[glazbagun]

As others have said, owning specific (or any) cars doesn't make you a petrolhead. Like the term implies, it's about having motors on your mind.

[Schmeeky]

I'll go with none - you don't have to actually own anything to be a petrolhead.

Ever since the year dot I've loved everything and anything that has an engine. Got the sales brochures and studied them so I knew the precise difference between a GL and a GLS. Fantasied about Renault 25 V6 Turbos and Sierra XR4i's.

I've had my car license since I was 18, and my bike license since I was 23. I bought my first bike aged 23, but my first car aged 37....

That's kinda by-the-by, ownership doesn't actually mean much, it's the petrol in your veins that counts!

[lightthefuse]

0a said:

A w124 merc 6 cylinder estate for going to the tip

Nothing a decent trailer can't sort... besides, the V70's boot is full up with dog cage. Anyway, it's manly to drive an artic.


I agree with those that say it's not about the cars, it's the mentality. I enjoyed belting a F430 around some B-roads for an hour, but couldn't wait to get back to the Volvo and hustling that around. Wouldn't even consider a Scuderia for the Lotto garage, what with my goodself wanting a Venturi instead occupying that slot.

If pushed, I'd say you've got to have had FWD, RWD and 4WD (the final one's a box I've yet to tick) and had a car with over 150hp in the garage, but always want more in that department. Whilst my daily's got 95 well-used ponies, I do enjoy sitting down with over 250 in the Volvo and am currently plotting how to fettle that over 300, or failing that convincing the wife that we need a V70R in our lives.

Me, my dream car's an old-skool 900 Aero with the big spoiler. With 900 prices the way they are doubt I'll justify one, but who knows?

[007 VXR]

Schmeeky said:

I'll go with none - you don't have to actually own anything to be a petrolhead.

Good point, my boy is only 5, but just mad on cars and racing

[JordanTurbo]

JordanTurbo said:

Audi S-line.

My Evil Twin said:

some of the answers belong in the 'Things that make you think knob' thread....

an Audi!!!..ffs

You dont 'qualify' to be a PH, its not about possesion or status or wealth or one brand over another
nor its it about vehicles that perform above a certain benckmark.

stick100 said:

That's the question answered thanks the chap above is right that's all that's needed all those who said Audi hang your heads in shame

Wouldn't have thought an S-line comment would be taken so seriously on PH. Some people need to chill...

Maybe I should have added "TDI" and "the Imagine" to make it more obvious.

[Willy Nilly]

Welshbeef said:

>200bhp per tonne?

That's getting beyond nippy and into properly fast car territory

>300bhp per tonne
st yer pants fast

Have you even got a car?

[chunoo]

A car that you love and are very enthusiastic about.

As long as the passion is there, it doesn't really matter what it is

[Japveesix]

JordanTurbo said:

Audi S-line.

Because of the imagine.

[Paul_M3]

I agree that being a petrolhead isn't related to the car you own (or have owned).

I was just as much of a petrolhead when I was skint and owned an Escort 1.3L as I have been the last few years with some more 'sporty' cars.

[Rawwr]

willisit said:

If you love cars, you can be one.

I can be a car? Yay! VROOM VROOM! BEEP BEEP!

[Paul_M3]

Rawwr said:

willisit said:

If you love cars, you can be one.

I can be a car? Yay!

(And now predicts this turning into a "If you were a car, what car would you be?" thread......)

[cib24]

A rotary and an Alfa Romeo.