Any point in having a fast car in London????
Discussion
Having worked in Park Lane surrounded by people buying Supercars in the city I do think 'what's the point' sometimes. Most of the time they are parked outside huge houses as a 'symbol' or like you said driven at 30mph max which I think is sad. Perhaps that's why there's such a huge market for supercar tours abroad?
Eh?
You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Own a fast car capable of commuting (most modern fast stuff is capable, but even my TVR aged manages OK) or buy a cheap second car to commute in or use the train. Even without the traffic, was there ever any real point in having a fast car in town anyway? You simply own one because you fancy it.
Last week I headed from central to my home in SW, it was about 23.30 and the roads were gloriously clear. Fun can still be had outside of daylight hours, but there was never reason to own fast when living in the capital if you wanted to speed all the time.
You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Own a fast car capable of commuting (most modern fast stuff is capable, but even my TVR aged manages OK) or buy a cheap second car to commute in or use the train. Even without the traffic, was there ever any real point in having a fast car in town anyway? You simply own one because you fancy it.
Last week I headed from central to my home in SW, it was about 23.30 and the roads were gloriously clear. Fun can still be had outside of daylight hours, but there was never reason to own fast when living in the capital if you wanted to speed all the time.
EDLT said:
The amazing thing about having a car is that you don't have to stay in London all the time. You can leave whenever you like.
This is exactly what all the '60% of people live in cities so they don't need any more than an electric powered mobile Portaloo' soundbites seem to miss. I live in a city.
I have a car to get me out of the city.
London is a pig to drive in as a rule. A fast car (and any other car for that matter) is limited by the roads it drives on. In London these are usually chocka, badly surfaced, full of mad cyclists/motrobikes/pedestrians/taxi-drivers or a combo of all three.
However, try getting up early (5am ish) on a Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday and drive through the City for instance. Gives you a very different perspective of London traffic (i.e. there isn't any!). If you plan your route to take in some of the sights it can be a very ennjoyable way to start a morning. Even better if you're in an enjoyable (fast!)car as there are opportunities to open the taps (even in central London - along The Wall for instance). Some of my most memorable drives have been in Central London at silly o'clock.
However, try getting up early (5am ish) on a Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday and drive through the City for instance. Gives you a very different perspective of London traffic (i.e. there isn't any!). If you plan your route to take in some of the sights it can be a very ennjoyable way to start a morning. Even better if you're in an enjoyable (fast!)car as there are opportunities to open the taps (even in central London - along The Wall for instance). Some of my most memorable drives have been in Central London at silly o'clock.
Yes of course. Mine regularly takes me to Norfolk and Cornwall, occasionally to Scotland and one a year to the Med. Olus load of trips to Buck, Oxon, etc. Basically places where family and friends live.
Mon-Friday, though, is more about cycling across London to work than driving for me.
Mon-Friday, though, is more about cycling across London to work than driving for me.
Some miserable Northern sod parked next to me and said, "there's no point having that car, you can't drive it any quicker than my Mondeo". I told him that, impressed as he might be on his first visit to London, there is in fact a world outside and that is where I enjoy my car.
(I'm a Northerner too before any Norhterners get upset)
(I'm a Northerner too before any Norhterners get upset)
Zod said:
Some miserable Northern sod parked next to me and said, "there's no point having that car, you can't drive it any quicker than my Mondeo". I told him that, impressed as he might be on his first visit to London, there is in fact a world outside and that is where I enjoy my car.
(I'm a Northerner too before any Norhterners get upset)
And he can't drive his Mondeo any quicker than a Ford Ka as 70mph is the speed limit (I'm a Northerner too before any Norhterners get upset)
Pointless in my opinion to have a supercar like that in the city. Its in city centre's that I think that small electric cas should be used. I admit they need a lot more development and need to come down to a more sensible price, but since you are stationary most of the time in Central London you may as well be in an electric car rather than a petrol one.
Garlick said:
Eh?
You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Very true, but in other parts of the country you can have have a laugh the other five days of the week too. You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Plus, because of the nature of the jobs you get in an expensive city, I'd imagine a disproportionate number of Londoners work long hours and/or weekends.
I got rid of my Caterham because I rarely had a chance to take a car out purely as a toy. The TVR, on the other hand, is practical enough to use when I manage to escape London on business or for a weekend trip.
Chris71 said:
Garlick said:
Eh?
You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Very true, but in other parts of the country you can have have a laugh the other five days of the week too. You can leave London at weekends, evenings, days off. You can venture to Le Mans or across Europe at any time too....
Plus, because of the nature of the jobs you get in an expensive city, I'd imagine a disproportionate number of Londoners work long hours and/or weekends.
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