Your Top 5 Drivers Cars
Discussion
Continuing the top 5. We have done in terms of looks or "want one" factor. How about your top 5 drivers cars.......
Can be in terms of fun, handling, speed etc.... Not necessarily best looking though. This thread can also be pig ugly cars that drive amazing.
More top 5's to follow.........
Can be in terms of fun, handling, speed etc.... Not necessarily best looking though. This thread can also be pig ugly cars that drive amazing.
More top 5's to follow.........
Road cars that I've personally driven, in order:
1) Lotus Elise. Any model will do. I'm not too keen on the n/a Toyota ones though because of the harsh cam change. My favourite is the S2 111S - no servo brakes, cable throttle but late enough to benefit from the continual improvements made throughout the car's life.
2) Caterham 7 (I prefer the "R" models with the k series engines - R300, 400 and 500). Only loses out to the Elise because of the De Dion rear end, feedback that's biased too much towards the rear, where you sit; and it doesn't have that magic Lotus setup.
3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
4) Toyota MR2 mk3 or mk1.
5) Peugeot 106 GTi. Just fantastic compact chuckable fun. I adore them.
Cars I expect would be there if I'd driven them: 996 GT3, 964 RS, 997 GT3, Ferrari 430 SC, Mclaren F1, LCC Rocket, Integra Type R, 968CS, Lotus Elan mk1 (1960s one), Mini Cooper (again, 1960s). I've not driven any of them though, so they're not in there
1) Lotus Elise. Any model will do. I'm not too keen on the n/a Toyota ones though because of the harsh cam change. My favourite is the S2 111S - no servo brakes, cable throttle but late enough to benefit from the continual improvements made throughout the car's life.
2) Caterham 7 (I prefer the "R" models with the k series engines - R300, 400 and 500). Only loses out to the Elise because of the De Dion rear end, feedback that's biased too much towards the rear, where you sit; and it doesn't have that magic Lotus setup.
3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
4) Toyota MR2 mk3 or mk1.
5) Peugeot 106 GTi. Just fantastic compact chuckable fun. I adore them.
Cars I expect would be there if I'd driven them: 996 GT3, 964 RS, 997 GT3, Ferrari 430 SC, Mclaren F1, LCC Rocket, Integra Type R, 968CS, Lotus Elan mk1 (1960s one), Mini Cooper (again, 1960s). I've not driven any of them though, so they're not in there
RobM77 said:
Road cars that I've personally driven:
3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
I read many of your posts and respect quite a lot of what you say, but I do not agree that the NSX's handling is even remotely extraordinary by the standard of cars that are available, new or used, to the discerning driver.3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
It certainly was a leap ahead of its then contemporary, the Ferrari 348 (I've driven one and it really made me look like the ham-fisted driver I, er... was!). But, the NSX was no different to many low polar MoI cars of the day, in that the transition, if you can call it that, from on-limit, to over-limit characteristics were, and are, on the not-fun-at-all, side of being 'challenging' to perceive.
I do agree about its induction and exhaust note and would almost agree with you on gear-change, if the 2004 example I drove wasn't hampered with such an unnecessarily and momentously weighty flywheel. I am a mech-engineer and this irks as it is there for the, er, ham-fisted...
In the spirit of this topic, and as a work of engineering that set so many subsequent cars of its ilk on a 'better' path, I do agree with its placement. But for us mere, 'one fast car in the garage folk,' I don't regret nearly chopping in my first CSL for one.
The CSL - Now there is my first nomination for this topic:
5. Lotus Exige Mk1
4. Caterham Roadsport 175.
3. 1967 Lotus Elan S3.
2. E30 M3 - non Evo
1. M3 CSL
ellipsis said:
RobM77 said:
Road cars that I've personally driven:
3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
I read many of your posts and respect quite a lot of what you say, but I do not agree that the NSX's handling is even remotely extraordinary by the standard of cars that are available, new or used, to the discerning driver.3) Honda NSX. I know the steering lacks feel and it isn't that fast, but the handling is truly extraordinary, and the engine sound and gearchange are amongst the best around.
It certainly was a leap ahead of its then contemporary, the Ferrari 348 (I've driven one and it really made me look like the ham-fisted driver I, er... was!). But, the NSX was no different to many low polar MoI cars of the day, in that the transition, if you can call it that, from on-limit, to over-limit characteristics were, and are, on the not-fun-at-all, side of being 'challenging' to perceive.
I do agree about its induction and exhaust note and would almost agree with you on gear-change, if the 2004 example I drove wasn't hampered with such an unnecessarily and momentously weighty flywheel. I am a mech-engineer and this irks as it is there for the, er, ham-fisted...
In the spirit of this topic, and as a work of engineering that set so many subsequent cars of its ilk on a 'better' path, I do agree with its placement. But for us mere, 'one fast car in the garage folk,' I don't regret nearly chopping in my first CSL for one.
The CSL - Now there is my first nomination for this topic:
5. Lotus Exige Mk1
4. Caterham Roadsport 175.
3. 1967 Lotus Elan S3.
2. E30 M3 - non Evo
1. M3 CSL
RobM77 said:
This is really interesting, as I too respect and agree with most of your posts. I should add that there are plenty of cars I haven't been lucky enough to drive (see my footnote), and these may displace the NSX if I'm ever lucky enough to step behind the wheel. What's interesting though is that it was the transitional characteristics - the lucidity and smoothness that the NSX crossed the point of maximum grip (often misleadingly called "the limit") - that impressed me about the NSX I drove. What's even more interesting is that it was a 2004 model that I drove as well.
PS; A car worked on by Ayrton Senna cant be bad can it? 
From what I've driven I think I'd go for (with the best version in brackets):
1) Lotus Elan (Sprint FHC)
2) Caterham Seven (I think probably the CSR)
3) Lotus Elise (S2 111/111S)
4) Noble (M400)
5) Porsche Boxster (986 S)
My answer would probably be different if you asked me tomorrow, though.
1) Lotus Elan (Sprint FHC)
2) Caterham Seven (I think probably the CSR)
3) Lotus Elise (S2 111/111S)
4) Noble (M400)
5) Porsche Boxster (986 S)
My answer would probably be different if you asked me tomorrow, though.
RobM77 said:
How did you find the turbo lag on the M400 model? I nearly quoted it, as the handling was so good and performance so pleasing, but I had a right old job in some corners stopping the engine spooling up too soon and pushing the nose wide.
Annoying to be honest, but the rest of the car is so good that it would probably be worth learning to drive around the engine's flaws. Gear linkage wasn't up to much either, but it might just have been badly adjusted. I've not driven any of the other versions of the car to know how the engines compare. I suppose I might prefer the lower powered versions if I tried one.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 29th June 12:28
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