Q cars.........Why?

[julian64]

Never really understood the posts on PH regarding Q cars. It seems to be highly prized by a lot of people on here to have a car that in every way looks normal, but has a big powerful engine. Wolf in sheeps clothing.

I can't understand why. I came from the generation that watched the introduction of the hot hatchback. The birth of the original golf GTI / 205GTI. I absolutely hated them because they didn't look like a sports car. In my mind still a sports car has to be all swoopy and drop dead gorgeous.

But even allowing for people that don't think that way there is a much bigger problem with sleeper cars. That is you can't make any progress in them. If you come up behind someone in a sleeper they don't notice you, and certainly don't expect you to go past. In todays busy roads thats just a recipe for disaster. If I come up behind someone in a sports car I am pretty much noticed straight away, and the car will either try to facilitate or rarely sometimes obstruct. Either way you know where you are.

Why do people like sleepers?

[Prawo Jazdy]

Unless you happen upon someone who likes cars and wants to hear the noise as you overtake, I really doubt most people give a st what turns up behind them. Most appear to use mirrors on a seasonal basis, rather than as something that's imperative to good driving.

ETA: Hang on, you've got an M5. Depending on which it is, it's likely to be 'just a saloon' to most people, so you must know whether driving it is a 'disaster' or not?

I like the idea of Q cars, but I don't really know why. I suppose being the antithesis of 'low-powered car with lots of shouty modifications' is appealing for some smug reason.

Edited by Prawo Jazdy on Monday 27th February 10:02

[900T-R]

julian64 said:

Why do people like sleepers?

Ever got a mouthful from the kerbside about your 'antisocial' driving when in fact you were pootling along and not even anywhere near the speed limit? Or have bicyclists hunt you down to where you needed to be, to start a rant about your speed while the HUGE pick up truck just behind you was doing the exact same speed - which would have a bigger potential for mayhem if it all went wrong than a 1,000 kg plastic sports car?

I never had that problem in the black Saab even if that car was just about as loud as the TVR.

[R11ysf]

The other benefit is you are in a fast car without other tw@ts on the road endangering themselves and you buy trying to catch/follow/race you when out is a sports car. I've had people drive recklessly to try and catch me up in the Tuscan and then signal they want a "race". Utter tossers. I couldn't imagine they would have done that in a C63.

[VR6 Turbo]

why would you obstruct someone overtaking or making progress?

you can overtake a Zonda in a Micra if its doing 40mph everywhere. how do you obstruct people then?

VR

Edit read it wrong sleepy eye's this morning! I have never had a problem due to my car being a sleeperish, only total knobs round these parts.

VR

Edited by VR6 Turbo on Monday 27th February 10:08

[y2blade]

The lack of attention drawn is bliss

[Dracoro]

julian64 said:

If you come up behind someone in a sleeper they don't notice you, and certainly don't expect you to go past. In todays busy roads thats just a recipe for disaster.

Oh dear, what rubbish.

For every driver that thinks "Oh, a sports car, I'll let him go past" there is another that's got the attitude "Pah, flash git in his sports car, I'll show him" and do something stupid.

[Benbay001]

julian64 said:

In todays busy roads thats just a recipe for disaster. If I come up behind someone in a sports car I am pretty much noticed straight away, and the car will either try to facilitate or rarely sometimes obstruct. Either way you know where you are.

I can think of very few situations that would require the car in front to help me to make progress. The only reasonable common one would be a tight and twisty B road where there was no room for passing. In which case, i cant see many people pulling over to let any type of car past.

[Johnboy Mac]

julian64 said:

Why do people like sleepers?

Honestly, I'm very suprised you asked that question. (No offence intended.)

[daveknott5]

because I love having the "go" without the "show". The ability to humble other traffic without shouting "I'M A SPORTS CAR, GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" is, in my opinion, very cool.

[Nick M]

I think it harks back to the days where there was a bit more freedom on the road, so driving 'enthusiastically' was possible, and if you had a car which didn't draw so much attention while doing that then so much the better.

Times have changed as well, in that while the opportunity to have a traffic light grand prix with some young driver in their Max Powered Corsa might still arise, the chances are it has a weedy engine and is weighed down by a mahoosive stereo Gone are the days where the normal looking Escort next to you might be packing a BDA, and your big saloon might actually be quick with it's decent sized engine.

That said (and I do tend to agree with the sentiment in your original post), Q cars are the antithesis of the hot hatch, which was a cooking car saying 'look at me !'. They're about subtlety, now show-offery. There is still something slightly subversive about having a Q car which can, when the time is right, throw off the sheeps clothing and go a bit mental !

[y2blade]

Nick M said:

Q cars are the antithesis of the hot hatch, which was a cooking car saying 'look at me !'. They're about subtlety, now show-offery. There is still something slightly subversive about having a Q car which can, when the time is right, throw off the sheeps clothing and go a bit mental !

Nicely put

[E38Ross]

because not everyone wants to be raced at the lights, have people constantly staring at them, or just love the looks on peoples' faces when they are rather surprised at the performance of an otherwise normal-looking car.

Q-cars are great.

[sleep envy]

y2blade said:

The lack of attention drawn is bliss

bingo!

[FamilyDub]

Example: de-badged C55 AMG Estate... Full of win and most normals would think it's a CDI220.

[y2blade]

sleep envy said:

y2blade said:

The lack of attention drawn is bliss

bingo!

I also ride Motorbikes.....so I know the opposite side of the "drawing attention" coin very well.

[DanDC5]

sleep envy said:

y2blade said:

The lack of attention drawn is bliss

bingo!

I'd agree with this, my car isn't slow but it isn't exactly a the fastest thing ever either, 220bhp makes it interesting enough, but because it's white and has a massive wing it attracts attention from every moron on the road. I even had a guy in an Evo 10 a few nights ago speed up right behind me to try and race me ffs!

[sleep envy]

FamilyDub said:

Example: de-badged C55 AMG Estate... Full of win and most normals would think it's a CDI220.

Do you reckon an RS4 in metallic grey would be able to pull off the same trick?

[lyonspride]

There is a certain element of negative attention to owning a certain style of car. Try going out in a bright yellow kitcar and see just how many people try their hardest to get in the way..... Or even in my experience try to run you off the road for beating them off a set of lights.

I say to my friends all the time "I don't enjoy driving on British roads any more, it's not worth pouring money into a nice car".

[chris182]

E38Ross said:

because not everyone wants to be raced at the lights, have people constantly staring at them, or just love the looks on peoples' faces when they are rather surprised at the performance of an otherwise normal-looking car.

Q-cars are great.

That. They're just cool, fun to drive without attracting any negative attention. Also particularly amusing to give people lifts in.

It's also very amusing occasionally when Mr VAG tdi comes off a roundabout or to the end of a speed limit right up your chuff all ready to overtake and then gets left behind as a dot in your rear view mirror. After a few repetitions of such treatment some of them look like they're about to blow a blood vessel (yes, I'm a bad person).