What has been the best handling car you've owned?

What has been the best handling car you've owned?

Author
Discussion

Cold

15,254 posts

91 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Lotus 340R

Limpet

6,325 posts

162 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Puma for me. Felt nimble, communicative and beautifully balanced. You could play around with it on the limit of physical grip, and even overstep it to a point, and it never felt ragged or out of its depth.

On the road it was a joy to drive, and on track, it could keep cars with significantly more power and straight line speed honest.

Brilliant thing.

Hungrymc

6,688 posts

138 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Evora S was fabulous. Should never have sold it.

Pan Pan Pan

9,950 posts

112 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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I suspect that if the question had been `what is the best handling car you have ever driven, rather than what is the best handling car you`ve owned, the lists might look a little different.
For many of us probably the best handling car we have owned is in fact one of the cars we have owned, because at that point in time, we have not discovered a better handling car, (until of course we then get into one where we discover the handling is better than anything we have owned).

FK

161 posts

65 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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BMW 320i E36. Crisp, analogue, and very well balanced

MOBB

3,623 posts

128 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Limpet said:
Puma for me. Felt nimble, communicative and beautifully balanced. You could play around with it on the limit of physical grip, and even overstep it to a point, and it never felt ragged or out of its depth.

On the road it was a joy to drive, and on track, it could keep cars with significantly more power and straight line speed honest.

Brilliant thing.
A friend of mine has a stripped out Puma with coilovers and track tyres, that thing is a weapon and flies past stuff in the corners, loses out on the straights but what a car

Shnozz

27,506 posts

272 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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S2 Exige on Ohlins.

Evora a consideration if handling included ride quality.

Timberwolf

5,347 posts

219 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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"Owned" this is a no-brainer, but even out of "driven" I'd have a tough time not saying early MX-5. Not least because you could get to the point where it felt "alive" without going utterly stupid speeds. Very progressive too so you could lean on it without worrying it'd snap without warning.

biggbn

23,501 posts

221 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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1989 pop up light Honda prelude 2.0 16v 4ws. I had owned some pretty good cars but boy that thing went round corners! Puma and any Ka, including StreetKa! Mk1 mondeo saloon was great. E30 bmw 318is was a scalpel in its day. Mk1 mr2 and here are a couple that might not get a mention.. Renault 19 16v executive. Went really well and really dug in, and an honourable mention for my wee citroen Visa 1360gt. You could get 100% from that wee car anytime you needed it!!

From the good cars I have owned, e36m3 was a joy to punt and the porsches, 928s4 and basic 944 really dug into the corners too!!

Trophy Husband

3,924 posts

108 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Bonefish Blues said:
Clio Trophy
Same here. Utterly capable, shamed many others down the twisties of Snowdonia, damp, wet or dry. Never had a hairy moment unlike my 172 cup!
Had mine since 2008. Keeper.

Chedders

345 posts

90 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Accord Type R, utter brilliant!

Xcore

1,346 posts

91 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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172 cup!

Bonefish Blues

26,866 posts

224 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Trophy Husband said:
Bonefish Blues said:
Clio Trophy
Same here. Utterly capable, shamed many others down the twisties of Snowdonia, damp, wet or dry. Never had a hairy moment unlike my 172 cup!
Had mine since 2008. Keeper.
Bought mine new at a sizeable discount, remarkably. Flattered me something rotten, completely intuitive to drive.

Supercell

110 posts

133 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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Suzuki Swift Sport 2011. Only 123bhp which is ridiculously small compared to modern cars, but changes direction so eagerly and its one of those cars that you can sense likes to be driven like a hooligan as its so light on its feet.

I sold a BMW with twice the power to buy the Swift back with a view to quickly sell it again for a profit. 15 months later I still cant bring myself to sell it!

spyder dryver

1,329 posts

217 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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TVRBRZ

229 posts

90 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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MCSV8 said:
Another vote for the MG ZS180.
And another. My ZS was better than my BRZ, but that may have been because it had decent tyres.

Dolomote Sprint in #3

neutral 3

6,503 posts

171 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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1/ My Much missed 2003 E46 M3 - The CSL steering rack that was fitted, is simply perfect !!

2/ My Much missed 1986 R5 GT Turbo ( lowered and up rated shocks )

3/ My Much missed 69 Stingray handled well for a big / heavy car.



Str6mik

192 posts

177 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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In my personal view in descending order (for the road)

Cayman GTS
Boxster Spyder
Megane RS 250
Civic FK8 Type R
BMW M3 V8
Honda s2000
Nissan 350Z
BMW z4MC
Toyota MR2 Mk 3
Exige V6
Clio 182
BMW 320d m sport
Elise 135r

Edited by Str6mik on Saturday 4th April 21:26

AceKid

281 posts

56 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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For me it was a mk1 1.6 ford focus zetec, on standard 15" alloys.....pin sharp turn in.....lift off oversteer....loved it!

ZX10R NIN

27,648 posts

126 months

Thursday 2nd April 2020
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This