The ultimate Q-Cars?
Discussion
Following on from another thread - what are the ultimate Q-Cars? By this I mean the wolves in sheeps clothing, the Porsche chasers that look like shopping carts etc....
To qualify it has to be discreet, and surprising.
I think my daily drive qualifies quite well - a Jag S-Type R. It looks fairly standard, apart from a small spoiler on the boot, discrete "R" badge on the back and the low-profiles - but packs 400Bhp and over 400 ftlbs of torque (which is more than the new M5). It is quite amusing (in a childish way) to see a hot hatch pull out as if to overtake on a duel carriageway, then floor the Jag and watch them go backward in the rear view mirror (please don't tell the missus I do this occasionally, as she thinks anything above 40mph is tantamount to a pact with Satan
).
So, suggestions please (with stats/specs if you have them).
To qualify it has to be discreet, and surprising.
I think my daily drive qualifies quite well - a Jag S-Type R. It looks fairly standard, apart from a small spoiler on the boot, discrete "R" badge on the back and the low-profiles - but packs 400Bhp and over 400 ftlbs of torque (which is more than the new M5). It is quite amusing (in a childish way) to see a hot hatch pull out as if to overtake on a duel carriageway, then floor the Jag and watch them go backward in the rear view mirror (please don't tell the missus I do this occasionally, as she thinks anything above 40mph is tantamount to a pact with Satan
). So, suggestions please (with stats/specs if you have them).
For those of us on a smaller budget, a 620 TI (I'm bound to be biased!) is a good Q-car. Very discreet 620 ti badge on the boot, and the only other visual clue is the slighly wider and different style alloys.
197bhp (in standard form), 143mph, 0-60 in 7.0 secs and you can pick up a decent runner with T&T for less than £500 - bargain fun
Edited to add: oh, and the chrome tipped twin tailpipes - but then I'm sad and I notice these things
>> Edited by ADDYBOY1982 on Thursday 1st December 10:17
>> Edited by ADDYBOY1982 on Thursday 1st December 10:18
197bhp (in standard form), 143mph, 0-60 in 7.0 secs and you can pick up a decent runner with T&T for less than £500 - bargain fun
Edited to add: oh, and the chrome tipped twin tailpipes - but then I'm sad and I notice these things
>> Edited by ADDYBOY1982 on Thursday 1st December 10:17
>> Edited by ADDYBOY1982 on Thursday 1st December 10:18
ADDYBOY1982 said:
For those of us on a smaller budget, a 620 TI (I'm bound to be biased!) is a good Q-car. Very discreet 620 ti badge on the boot, and the only other visual clue is the slighly wider and different style alloys.
143mph, 0-60 in 7.0 secs and you can pick up a decent runner with T&T for less than £500 - bargain fun
Edited to add: oh, and the chrome tipped twin tailpipes - but then I'm sad and I notice these things
>> Edited by ADDYBOY1982 on Thursday 1st December 10:17
A good choice. I went in one once and it was certainly surprising in the same was as a Volvo T4 that I had years ago was - 0-60 in similar figures IIRC. Here: www.volvoclub.org.uk/roadtests/s40_t4_roadtest.shtml
You can probably pic them up for pennies now. Very well put screwed together car.
If you go old school, there's loads of choice, Rover SD1 preferably a V8, but the 2600 can be PDQ from personal experience , or Dolly Sprint's, virtually no-one under the age of 30 knows what they are and often get a nasty shock when they get on the wrong side of a British Leyland bashing!
Regards
Iain
, or Dolly Sprint's, virtually no-one under the age of 30 knows what they are and often get a nasty shock when they get on the wrong side of a British Leyland bashing! Regards
Iain
One of these for me please
Lancia Thema 8.32, Ferrari 3.2 V8 engine (essentially the same lump as in the Ferrari 328 but de-tuned ever so slightly for more torque. And I think that the engine was built on the Ducati production line rather than the Ferrari one.
0-60mph in 5.2 secs iirc?
Ph'er justayellowbadge will know more than me.
Lancia Thema 8.32, Ferrari 3.2 V8 engine (essentially the same lump as in the Ferrari 328 but de-tuned ever so slightly for more torque. And I think that the engine was built on the Ducati production line rather than the Ferrari one.
0-60mph in 5.2 secs iirc?
Ph'er justayellowbadge will know more than me.
Ultimate Q Car? I'm biased as my Dad has one, but you can't really beat a Mitsubishi Ralliart Legnum VR4. Galant estate looks, discreet bodykit with EVO wheels, 2.5 V6 lump, with Twin Turbos, Intelligent Tiptronic Box, Active Yaw, TC, A full Recaro Interior, 280 BHP 4WD.
60 in under 6, 160 ish top end, but all that in an estate?
A proper sleeper.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sullivan6/VR4/side.jpg
(this one's got aftermarket rims, but think EVO 5 as standard.)
60 in under 6, 160 ish top end, but all that in an estate?
A proper sleeper.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sullivan6/VR4/side.jpg
(this one's got aftermarket rims, but think EVO 5 as standard.)
I quite like the car I own for it's Q'ness
I purposely got a common ish colour, and debadged it. It could be any other diesel, Xsi, GTi, and blends in with everyday stuff quite nicely. I think a car needs to have a bite bigger than it's bark, better yet to look like nothing special at all but go like stink! Worst is when a car appears to have some potential but is actually a bag of crap with no real world pace at all.
From a distance or out on the road I must say that the S-Type R is no more Q than the E39 M5, but both are exceptionally understated cars.
Once you get within good eyeshot, the clear front grille, quad exhausts and 18 chrome shadow wheels give away the M5, and for the S-Type R, the same give aways, a totally unique front bumper, unique alloys (i think), and them large brakes and much more "filled" arches than other S types. Oh, and the badges on both if present too
I guess in a way the old RS4 is quite Q car too, just a shame that the hot S/RS models are getting more flambouyant now and you expect they are something special from quite a distance.
Dave
I purposely got a common ish colour, and debadged it. It could be any other diesel, Xsi, GTi, and blends in with everyday stuff quite nicely. I think a car needs to have a bite bigger than it's bark, better yet to look like nothing special at all but go like stink! Worst is when a car appears to have some potential but is actually a bag of crap with no real world pace at all.
From a distance or out on the road I must say that the S-Type R is no more Q than the E39 M5, but both are exceptionally understated cars.
Once you get within good eyeshot, the clear front grille, quad exhausts and 18 chrome shadow wheels give away the M5, and for the S-Type R, the same give aways, a totally unique front bumper, unique alloys (i think), and them large brakes and much more "filled" arches than other S types. Oh, and the badges on both if present too
I guess in a way the old RS4 is quite Q car too, just a shame that the hot S/RS models are getting more flambouyant now and you expect they are something special from quite a distance.
Dave
Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, long time ago but it was a great car, very underated at the time.
It didn't have too many electronic gizmos but it did have a dirty great V8 engine that shifted its bulk at an alarming rate for such a big car. If I could buy any new saloon car ever made it would be one of those.
It didn't have too many electronic gizmos but it did have a dirty great V8 engine that shifted its bulk at an alarming rate for such a big car. If I could buy any new saloon car ever made it would be one of those.
Mr Whippy said:
From a distance or out on the road I must say that the S-Type R is no more Q than the E39 M5, but both are exceptionally understated cars.
Once you get within good eyeshot, the clear front grille, quad exhausts and 18 chrome shadow wheels give away the M5, and for the S-Type R, the same give aways, a totally unique front bumper, unique alloys (i think), and them large brakes and much more "filled" arches than other S types. Oh, and the badges on both if present too
E39 is too easy to spot E28 without the body kit is much more Q. 286 bhp in what looks like a 520i
The original Subaru Impreza Turbo back in the early 90's, especially in estate form, was a real Q-car. Virtually nobody knew what it was. I remember a friend (now my brother-in-law) saying he had been overtaken in his MR2 by "something that looked like a Mondeo" like he was standing still. I scanned a pic of the Impreza and emailed it to him and he said "that's it. I thought only farmers bough Subarus". Amusing, as my father already had a history of fast Subarus and was running an Impreza 5-door at the time, although I think this was before my brother-in-law had even started dating my sister so I guess he was unaware of this.
Another great Q-cars is the Audi S4 2.7TT Avant - more anonymous than the RS4 and a hell of a lot cheaper too.
Another great Q-cars is the Audi S4 2.7TT Avant - more anonymous than the RS4 and a hell of a lot cheaper too.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Pity, as I was going to nominate a Skoda Estelle with a TVR-tuned Rover V8 where the rear seats should be. I think that would be a hoot and possibly the ultimate Q-car. Having said that, unless you virtually rebuilt it with a triangulated spaceframe or something, it would probably have the torsional stiffness of wet lettuce and would therefore handle about as well. 
Still, it would be worth doing just for sheer traffic light Grand Prix amusement if nothing else.
Same goes for any other humble car that has been seriously re-engined, such as the famous Reliant Kitten drag car or any of the Rover V8-engined Morris Minors.
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 1st December 11:47
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