Have we got it all wrong? Are cars too fast now?
Discussion
Good morning,
I am a current 12c owner and have owned all the usual suspects.
It has got to the point now when I'm driving on UK roads I am sh**ing myself giving the car the beans.
100MPH arrives far far too soon and you can not red line after second gear which is frustrating. The police are hiding everywhere because motorists are easy targets which helps the police with their targets (I have inside knowledge).
Track days are expensive and the scenery is not as good.
Maybe the chase for more power, faster, bigger, wider and louder is all wrong?
It must be difficult "downgrading" to an Elise (before Elise owners go mental I used to own one)
Discuss.....
I am a current 12c owner and have owned all the usual suspects.
It has got to the point now when I'm driving on UK roads I am sh**ing myself giving the car the beans.
100MPH arrives far far too soon and you can not red line after second gear which is frustrating. The police are hiding everywhere because motorists are easy targets which helps the police with their targets (I have inside knowledge).
Track days are expensive and the scenery is not as good.
Maybe the chase for more power, faster, bigger, wider and louder is all wrong?
It must be difficult "downgrading" to an Elise (before Elise owners go mental I used to own one)
Discuss.....
I agree the cars are probably too fast for the road now, although not too fast for the track (assuming you are not stuck in traffic at slower track days)
On the other hand there are plenty of options if you do want to have fun going slowly, for example a Morgan or a lower powered Caterham
On the other hand there are plenty of options if you do want to have fun going slowly, for example a Morgan or a lower powered Caterham
Ahbefive said:
I find 350bhp fine. I also find track day pretty cheap and more fun than road driving.
Agreed. I had 414 bhp in the last fast car I had. I did the odd bit of speed on the roads but was happy most of the time to pootle knowing I had the power when needed, normally for overtaking. Track days were where I had fast fun.too fast? yes power figures are going nuts now but you can still have spurt on on UK roads if you keep em peeled-right time right place etc. you cant tell me that most cars now are so fast they cannot be enjoyed on the road. when electric cars peak youll be thrown at the horizon faster than youll be able to react and at that point most of them will be driverless anyway......
I'm sure this topic comes up every couple of months, but I think the point has merit. I got up early and went out for a drive this morning, and despite my car being one which routinely attracts criticism for it's modest power, I had a cracking time. I could use the full extent of the rev range and really open up the throttle, whilst still doing somewhat sensible speeds. When I'm just out to enjoy the drive on my own on the roads (which is exactly the sort of recreational driving I do), then outright speed doesn't matter so much as the ability to feel like the car is being used to it's full potential.
Obviously I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to own something more powerful in the future, but when I read opinions like yours (and others who start similar topics), I begin to wonder if I would get a lot more out of the experience.
Obviously I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to own something more powerful in the future, but when I read opinions like yours (and others who start similar topics), I begin to wonder if I would get a lot more out of the experience.
Modern cars have far too much power and are too numb. There is nothing fun about straight line speed, too many police and bad drivers on the road for silly speeds.
I am only young but have become disenfranchised with big power (had a 300ish bhp car), I find i am happy with a sub 200 bhp car that begs for revs and can handle its power properly.
Taking all the above into context i also ride bikes and very few cars will ever get close to the power/speed on offer of a superbike; when i took a mates R1 out i s
t myself when i opened it up, not a feeling i have had in any car.
I am only young but have become disenfranchised with big power (had a 300ish bhp car), I find i am happy with a sub 200 bhp car that begs for revs and can handle its power properly.
Taking all the above into context i also ride bikes and very few cars will ever get close to the power/speed on offer of a superbike; when i took a mates R1 out i s
t myself when i opened it up, not a feeling i have had in any car.Sounds like your want fun that feels fast, yet you bought fast that doesn't feel fun.
Plenty of other cars that may suit you better, both new and used.
Plenty of other cars that may suit you better, both new and used.
Jumpingjackflash said:
It must be difficult "downgrading" to an Elise
As a wise man once said; if you're going to obsess with 'climbing the ladder', do make sure its the right ladder. 
Worst "I have a 12C" post ever.
No one is making you buy the fastest thing you can afford. If I may get on a soapbox - especially in the UK, one of the best places in the world to get a small, low production volume, very involving car.
Wah wah wah but I want refinement, he says. Well then guess what: it won't be involving at legal speeds. They are contradictory attributes.
No one is making you buy the fastest thing you can afford. If I may get on a soapbox - especially in the UK, one of the best places in the world to get a small, low production volume, very involving car.
Wah wah wah but I want refinement, he says. Well then guess what: it won't be involving at legal speeds. They are contradictory attributes.
I've felt for some time that the top end (and increasingly the middle) of the sports car market are now fast enough to actually detract from my enjoyment of driving; especialy given the increasing focus on refinement and usability in the mainstream. Around 200-250bhp/tonne feels about right for me for fast road use, ideally generated more through lack of weight than through brute power.
If someone offered to replace my Elise with a 12C, I'd turn it down (unless I was allowed to sell it and buy the Elise back pocketing the change, obviously). So for me, swapping a 12C for an Elise would be an upgrade.
If someone offered to replace my Elise with a 12C, I'd turn it down (unless I was allowed to sell it and buy the Elise back pocketing the change, obviously). So for me, swapping a 12C for an Elise would be an upgrade.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 10th September 10:44
I think Chris Harris makes a great point in this video comparing the Porsche 911R to an old Peugeot 205 Rallye.
https://youtu.be/EfDHULZZjpQ
https://youtu.be/EfDHULZZjpQ
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff