Is anyone else finding it harder to drive for fun?

[DoubleD]

ddom said:

Leftfootwonder said:

Have you seen a map lately?

Yes, you do know the Uk is quite small relatively and within 30-40 mins of most there are loads of roads to enjoy....

I think it was because you said get up early in the morning in the south east and go to Malvern for a drive.

[Hol]

Zarco said:

Koolkat969 said:

Brilliant drive out this morning in the Clio. Left home @ 6am via the M25/A21 kent through to East Sussex for a 2hr drive. Hardly anyone on the road and despite the weather was good fun having a sensible drive especially as I'd just had my wheel tracking and balancing done and a good set of Michelin Pilot sports 3 gave a lot of confidence in the wet. Already plotted my next drive out. It's all about getting up early!

Came across a group of Ford Focus RS's somewhere between Kent and East Sussex in the opposite direction doing similar so who knows, you might be reading this thread also

Edited by Koolkat969 on Sunday 25th October 10:48

This is it

Yup. Early morning start as most people in the know suggest.

[monkfish1]

CooperS said:

Frank7 said:

monkfish1 said:

1602Mark said:

Are modern cars guilty of taking the fun factor out of driving?

Yes. That why i sold my fastest most competent car. You cant really enjoy it without engaging in stupidity.

Colour me dumb, but I’m having difficulty working out your meaning with that statement.
Are you suggesting that the only way that one can enjoy owning and driving a competent car these days is by engaging in stupidity when driving it?
Please don’t think that I’m fishing for hidden meanings, what I know about cars, competent or otherwise, you could put on a postage stamp, and still leave room for the Lord’s Prayer.

I'd imagine they are saying is when a car is so capable at legal speed limits what ntervention can a driver have to make the experience any fun. Thus the need to push past the cars capabilities to have something to do but in doing so risk their licence.

Your assesment of my comment is indeed correct.

[V8RX7]

Turning Japanese said:

Ive just got back from a 1 hour cross country spirited drive in my GT86.... but Im finding more often than not Im getting home afterwards feeling frustrated and wondering wether I really want or need to own a performance car any more.
My main frustration is that the roads around here are in such bad condition it makes driving slightly quickly both difficult and dangerous. Add to that the number of cyclists riding in huge packs and the amount of slow sunday drivers clogging up the back roads means its really hard to get a good uninterrupted flow going.

Im now seriously considering selling my car and buying something 'normal' and then maybe a motorbike for a bit of fun.

Anyone else finding themselves feeling the same?

Agree 100% - combined with mobile / speed cameras.

I found a motorbike is the best solution, doesn't even have to be a fast one

[vindaloo79]

V8RX7 said:

Agree 100% - combined with mobile / speed cameras.

I found a motorbike is the best solution, doesn't even have to be a fast one

I quite like the fact that on my motorbike the cyclists are easy to pass, almost cooperative and they hold up the fast cars so even on my 125 I don’t have faster drivers following me close on country lanes. On sunny days feels like there’s mainly just me and cyclists around some lunch time jaunts

[V8RX7]

vindaloo79 said:

I quite like the fact that on my motorbike the cyclists are easy to pass, almost cooperative

Most of them

I met an interesting one the other day, as I was coming up to pass two cyclists on my bike - which he couldn't fail to hear, he decided to overtake his mate - he decided against looking first too.

It meant there was approx 6" gap between my bars and his.

[grudas]

I think cars are getting too fast.

which is why I enjoy driving my s2000 so much, it's spot on performance/road in uk

think things like

mx5
elise/exige
s2000
gt86

etc are the cars to own in uk!

[cerb4.5lee]

grudas said:

I think cars are getting too fast.

which is why I enjoy driving my s2000 so much, it's spot on performance/road in uk

think things like

mx5
elise/exige
s2000
gt86

etc are the cars to own in uk!

Although they are wrong wheel drive...I'd also add stuff like the Fiesta ST and Mini Cooper S to that list. Both are relatively small and light, so they feel good to throw around on a nice twisty road I reckon.

[ddom]

V8RX7 said:

Most of them

I met an interesting one the other day, as I was coming up to pass two cyclists on my bike - which he couldn't fail to hear, he decided to overtake his mate - he decided against looking first too.

It meant there was approx 6" gap between my bars and his.

You assume he heard? It’s not always obvious.

[fastraxx]

V8RX7 said:

Most of them

I met an interesting one the other day, as I was coming up to pass two cyclists on my bike - which he couldn't fail to hear, he decided to overtake his mate - he decided against looking first too.

It meant there was approx 6" gap between my bars and his.

have you ever cycled? its hard to hear

[ddom]

fastraxx said:

have you ever cycled? its hard to hear

Into a headwind almost impossible. Whilst we are talking about motorcycles do the riders understand how much of a wake up it is when they pass at speed? Worse than cars tbh, especially if they’ve got a noisy pipe.

[anonymous-user]

One thing that I always find baffling is the idea prevalent on PH that roads belong only to enthusiastic car drivers and bikers. This view holds that cyclists, vans, horses, pedestrians, and non-enthusiast motorists are all enemies who somehow spoil the roads (and also that no cyclist, van driver, horse rider, or pedestrian is ever a motorist, perhaps even an enthusiastic one). It's really not that hard to share roads with other road users, and also not that hard to find quiet roads. If your idea of fun driving is going everywhere at 100 mph plus, then track days are still a thing.

I think that the most perfect car that I have ever driven was an early 1970s Alfa Romeo GT junior with a 1300 cc engine. Its performance figures would probably be regarded with derision by many here, but I would challenge anyone who claims to enjoy driving a car not to find the experience of driving that car spectacularly enjoyable.

Bikes are fab, and even a slightly meh and cheap bike can be a lot more fun that even a very hot and expensive car, but the problem with biking on the road is the objective danger posed by road surfaces, weather, debris and fluid spills, and not being spotted in time by road users in much heavier and more solid machines. I still manage to have fun as a slow and not very adventurous fair weather biker on not very powerful bikes, but I sometimes wonder if biking is best for tracks.

[CABC]

Breadvan72 said:

One thing that I always find baffling is the idea prevalent on PH that roads belong only to enthusiastic car drivers and bikers. This view holds that cyclists, vans, horses, pedestrians, and non-enthusiast motorists are all enemies who somehow spoil the roads (and also that no cyclist, van driver, horse rider, or pedestrian is ever a motorist, perhaps even an enthusiastic one). It's really not that hard to share roads with other road users, and also not that hard to find quiet roads. If your idea of fun driving is going everywhere at 100 mph plus, then track days are still a thing.

yeah, yeah.
but i think we can agree that camper vans are the enemy and should be banned?

[anonymous-user]

Only if they have stickers. Those people must die.

[V8RX7]

fastraxx said:

V8RX7 said:

Most of them

I met an interesting one the other day, as I was coming up to pass two cyclists on my bike - which he couldn't fail to hear, he decided to overtake his mate - he decided against looking first too.

It meant there was approx 6" gap between my bars and his.

have you ever cycled? its hard to hear

That's worse, if you can't hear anything you definitely need to look before moving out.

[fastraxx]

V8RX7 said:

That's worse, if you can't hear anything you definitely need to look before moving out.

I never asked that

[ddom]

V8RX7 said:

That's worse, if you can't hear anything you definitely need to look before moving out.

As a driver you need to understand the risks ahead.

[crofty1984]

maz8062 said:

CooperS said:

Frank7 said:

monkfish1 said:

1602Mark said:

Are modern cars guilty of taking the fun factor out of driving?

Yes. That why i sold my fastest most competent car. You cant really enjoy it without engaging in stupidity.

Colour me dumb, but I’m having difficulty working out your meaning with that statement.
Are you suggesting that the only way that one can enjoy owning and driving a competent car these days is by engaging in stupidity when driving it?
Please don’t think that I’m fishing for hidden meanings, what I know about cars, competent or otherwise, you could put on a postage stamp, and still leave room for the Lord’s Prayer.

I'd imagine they are saying is when a car is so capable at legal speed limits what ntervention can a driver have to make the experience any fun. Thus the need to push past the cars capabilities to have something to do but in doing so risk their licence.

Exactly, and it will only get worse as speed limits are revised downwards and cars get even faster.

The other day I drove from NE London to Legoland in Windsor. This is a 35 mile trip round the North Circular, A40 and the M4. The A40 is now a 40 limit with average speed cameras and the M4 has got roadworks going on way past the Slough/Windsor turn off with a 50 limit and again, average speed cameras. Regardless of the time of day that route will cost you your licence if you try and chance it.

The best cars are the ones with sharp acceleration and low top speeds, but the car manufacturers focus on BHP numbers and useless gearing.

One thing I find true in my case with cars and motorbikes is "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow'.

Not true for everyone of course, there's a lot to be said for bumbling along in supreme comfort, or the noise of a highly tuned V8, or just enjoy being in a fancy expensive sports car.

[1602Mark]

crofty1984 said:

One thing I find true in my case with cars and motorbikes is "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow'.

This and the nostalgia factor is what makes a classic the perfect car for me.

[DoubleD]

ddom said:

V8RX7 said:

That's worse, if you can't hear anything you definitely need to look before moving out.

As a driver you need to understand the risks ahead.

All road users have to understand the risks and be careful.