What's the best country for a petrolhead??
Discussion
Would have been good to do a poll but not sure how.
Just wondering where people think is the best place for a petrolhead.
I guess we should take into account:
Availability of quality second-hand cars at reasonable prices
Cost of running
Car crime (The stolen RS4 thread this evening brought about this thread)
Driving roads
Speed limits
Anything else I've missed.
I lived in Japan for a while and the roads there are awesome. However you do pay a fair bit to drive, including tolls, insurance, Shakken (Mot every other year at a high price). The cars are generally in excellent condition and some of the mountain driving is breathtaking. Crime is also very low, although I did live in the sticks. Lots of car-porn as well if you're into JDM.
I should mention I will be moving abroad one day and this is a factor for me.
Apologies if this has been done before
Just wondering where people think is the best place for a petrolhead.
I guess we should take into account:
Availability of quality second-hand cars at reasonable prices
Cost of running
Car crime (The stolen RS4 thread this evening brought about this thread)
Driving roads
Speed limits
Anything else I've missed.
I lived in Japan for a while and the roads there are awesome. However you do pay a fair bit to drive, including tolls, insurance, Shakken (Mot every other year at a high price). The cars are generally in excellent condition and some of the mountain driving is breathtaking. Crime is also very low, although I did live in the sticks. Lots of car-porn as well if you're into JDM.
I should mention I will be moving abroad one day and this is a factor for me.
Apologies if this has been done before
thinfourth2 said:
UK
Can make almost anything road registered, the roads are good, lots of club level motorsport, loads of tracks, cheap road tax, a huge cottage car industry and the best race car builders in the world.
But most on here will think its the worst country in the entire world
It's true. We all think we are hard done-by in the UK but it's not bad compared to a lot of places. Australia and Scandanavia for example have huge taxes, France and Holland have a very low tollerance for speed. The UK insurance industry needs to sort itself out and RFL for big engined cars is creeping up but otherwise not too bad. Can make almost anything road registered, the roads are good, lots of club level motorsport, loads of tracks, cheap road tax, a huge cottage car industry and the best race car builders in the world.
But most on here will think its the worst country in the entire world
I think the best has to be the USA, cheap petrol, cheap V8s and the roads aren't all as straight and boring as many people think. Also Germany has to be up there with its autobahms and generally excellent roads.
UK strikes me as stifling at times, although it can be great in places. Just look at the latest EU biking policies
I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
jjones said:
uk, isle of man has to be in with a shout.
no speed limits outside of built up areas, road racing events throughout the year on your doorstep
+1no speed limits outside of built up areas, road racing events throughout the year on your doorstep
Have to agree, very cheap to live there and like others have said, no speed limits. However, not sure what the used car status is there. Although, if you were desperate, it's not that far to get back on uk roads if you needed.
AV12 said:
UK strikes me as stifling at times, although it can be great in places. Just look at the latest EU biking policies
I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
Might make myself look ignorant here, but dont they have less choice of European cars there, like supercars and sports cars. Most of the cars are obviously American Based Firms, I wouldnt have thought that would have been a good idea for a petrolhead. I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
AV12 said:
UK strikes me as stifling at times, although it can be great in places. Just look at the latest EU biking policies
I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
Lived in Barcelona for a while. It's the only place I've ever felt that I didn't need to own a car. Metro craps all over the Tube and it's a small place with good weather. If I wanted to go on a trip I would hire a car. Roads in Spain that I remember were pretty good and some great views. Couldn't comment on costs though.I'd say the USA is up there. Cars/motoring are a part of life and they're unashamed of it, unlike here. And there's so much space!
The IOM for obvious reasons... I'd be interested to hear from people who have lived:
Spain
Italy
Canada
MattMF1 said:
Might make myself look ignorant here, but dont they have less choice of European cars there, like supercars and sports cars. Most of the cars are obviously American Based Firms, I wouldnt have thought that would have been a good idea for a petrolhead.
The US gets pretty much the cars we do. They get a few we don't as well (this may be a good or bad thing!). Nothing wrong with the big V8's and cheap fuel. Let's not fall into a stereotype here.Admittedly the bespoke brilliant cars (Ariel and the like) that we make here will be hard to get hold of, but, cars are celebrated and admired, not keyed or paint thrown on them because of eco-schizophrenia. Yes there will be jealousy, but nowhere near the level of vitriol that some owners of high performance metal on here have.
Interesting about Barcelona, as I found when I spent a week in Lisbon, the transport system is so cheap and easy (flat fares etc) that getting about a city such as that is just a breeze. A single ticket on the tube is £4 without an oyster card
In Lisbon I could get a day ticket for that, hell even to Estoril! Didn't explore the road network though. Any more information on the Spanish road network? Sounds good. (I wouldn't live there for certain reasons), but it'll be interesting to know.
AV12 said:
Interesting about Barcelona, as I found when I spent a week in Lisbon, the transport system is so cheap and easy (flat fares etc) that getting about a city such as that is just a breeze. A single ticket on the tube is £4 without an oyster card In Lisbon I could get a day ticket for that, hell even to Estoril! Didn't explore the road network though.
Any more information on the Spanish road network? Sounds good. (I wouldn't live there for certain reasons), but it'll be interesting to know.
Yeah, When I was there a 10-ride ticket (which doesn't expire from memory) on the Metro cost about 7 Euros. Roads that I traveled in Spain were generally in good condition with some nice cross-country stuff. Other drivers left a little to be desired though, not that London is any better for different reasons. In Lisbon I could get a day ticket for that, hell even to Estoril! Didn't explore the road network though. Any more information on the Spanish road network? Sounds good. (I wouldn't live there for certain reasons), but it'll be interesting to know.
freenote said:
Just wondering where people think is the best place for a petrolhead.
Germany by a country mile - folks love their cars.From Frau Schmidt with her Nissan Micra to business
executives in their AMGs, via the Zuffenhausen cowboys
in the latest Porsche.
Name another country in the civilised world
where you can drive as fast as you like, there's
very little car crime and the police are required to
treat you like a responsible adult, not a child.
Home territory for Porsche, BMW, MB, Audi, VW and
a host of little outfits like Alpina and Ruf.
The beer's not bad, either.
dcb said:
Germany by a country mile - folks love their cars.
From Frau Schmidt with her Nissan Micra to business
executives in their AMGs, via the Zuffenhausen cowboys
in the latest Porsche.
Name another country in the civilised world
where you can drive as fast as you like, there's
very little car crime and the police are required to
treat you like a responsible adult, not a child.
Home territory for Porsche, BMW, MB, Audi, VW and
a host of little outfits like Alpina and Ruf.
The beer's not bad, either.
Interesting. A friend of mine said last time he drove through Germany he got his M3 serviced. Apparently they said every time an English car comes through it's in shocking condition and they proceeded to go through it replacing a number of missing nuts and bolts!From Frau Schmidt with her Nissan Micra to business
executives in their AMGs, via the Zuffenhausen cowboys
in the latest Porsche.
Name another country in the civilised world
where you can drive as fast as you like, there's
very little car crime and the police are required to
treat you like a responsible adult, not a child.
Home territory for Porsche, BMW, MB, Audi, VW and
a host of little outfits like Alpina and Ruf.
The beer's not bad, either.
I live in spain, actually in Madrid, and it isn´t a pistonhead dream country although we have very good roads with no holes and most of them with pretty new tarmac( mainly thanks to the whether), the MOT is terrible, you can´t modify your car on any aspect without being approved by an engineer which cost a lot of money even if just to make your car safer( like better suspension, brakes,....). Also cars are far more expensive than in the UK.
On the good side is that public transport is far better and cheaper than in the UK. You don´t need a car in Madrid, with the metro(tube) is more than enough, it is brand new and connects most places of Madrid.
On the good side is that public transport is far better and cheaper than in the UK. You don´t need a car in Madrid, with the metro(tube) is more than enough, it is brand new and connects most places of Madrid.
dcb said:
Germany by a country mile - folks love their cars.
From Frau Schmidt with her Nissan Micra to business
executives in their AMGs, via the Zuffenhausen cowboys
in the latest Porsche.
Name another country in the civilised world
where you can drive as fast as you like, there's
very little car crime and the police are required to
treat you like a responsible adult, not a child.
Home territory for Porsche, BMW, MB, Audi, VW and
a host of little outfits like Alpina and Ruf.
The beer's not bad, either.
Love Germany, Find the Germans impossible to get on withFrom Frau Schmidt with her Nissan Micra to business
executives in their AMGs, via the Zuffenhausen cowboys
in the latest Porsche.
Name another country in the civilised world
where you can drive as fast as you like, there's
very little car crime and the police are required to
treat you like a responsible adult, not a child.
Home territory for Porsche, BMW, MB, Audi, VW and
a host of little outfits like Alpina and Ruf.
The beer's not bad, either.
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