Whats the nicest car you have ever driven?
Discussion
Despite being lucky to have owned a 550 and several Masers plus getting to drive lots of different cars as part of my day job the two cars that stand out for me are the first two cars I ever owned. The first was an Alfasud Ti Green Cloverleaf which I had lots of great drives in, the second which though completely unfashionable then and now, but thinking about it now still makes me grin like a fool was a bright red 1992 Fiat Tipo 2.0 16V. It was on sticky Pilot SX's, had the Recaro interior, Momo wheel and the twin cam howled like a banshee and it was superb at lift off oversteer. I replaced it with a 145 Cloverleaf but that didn't come close to the Fiat, what a great car!
TVR Tuscan.
My now wife organised it for my 21st birthday - a colleague of hers owned it.
Lovely seats, lovely interior.
The sound, the acceleration, the presence.
When he chucked me the keys and told me to take the missus for a spin, was probably one of the best moments of my life really.
Burbling around the Hertfordshire countryside with my lovely OH.
My now wife organised it for my 21st birthday - a colleague of hers owned it.
Lovely seats, lovely interior.
The sound, the acceleration, the presence.
When he chucked me the keys and told me to take the missus for a spin, was probably one of the best moments of my life really.
Burbling around the Hertfordshire countryside with my lovely OH.
It's a close-run thing between the deTomaso Longchamp GTS and the Lotus Eclat.
Neither are anything like the fastest cars I've driven, or the best-looking, or the neatest-handling, but the ability to make something so big and comfortable handle like something so compact whilst still offering plenty of interaction and driver enjoyment was sublime. So many all-rounders these days seem to compromise 'fun' to some degree. Neither of these did.
Problem is, the average Eclat is as reliable as Colonel Gadaffi's sanity and the Longchamp averages 8mpg, so neither will be making an appearence on my drive any time soon, sadly.
Neither are anything like the fastest cars I've driven, or the best-looking, or the neatest-handling, but the ability to make something so big and comfortable handle like something so compact whilst still offering plenty of interaction and driver enjoyment was sublime. So many all-rounders these days seem to compromise 'fun' to some degree. Neither of these did.
Problem is, the average Eclat is as reliable as Colonel Gadaffi's sanity and the Longchamp averages 8mpg, so neither will be making an appearence on my drive any time soon, sadly.
Depends on the definition of 'nice'. I've driven a handful of exotica and several handfuls of respectable cars but if the definition of 'nice' is somewhere that's a nice place to be, can carry a happy enough pace and is reasonably engaging, I'd have to go with a Mondeo ST or a Porsche 987S.
The fact you can always be happy driving those two is what makes them 'nice' cars, over and above Diablos, Elises, Esprits, 355s, 360s, 997s and R8s.
Fire at will.
The fact you can always be happy driving those two is what makes them 'nice' cars, over and above Diablos, Elises, Esprits, 355s, 360s, 997s and R8s.
Fire at will.
Rawwr said:
Depends on the definition of 'nice'. I've driven a handful of exotica and several handfuls of respectable cars but if the definition of 'nice' is somewhere that's a nice place to be, can carry a happy enough pace and is reasonably engaging, I'd have to go with a Mondeo ST or a Porsche 987S.
The fact you can always be happy driving those two is what makes them 'nice' cars, over and above Diablos, Elises, Esprits, 355s, 360s, 997s and R8s.
Fire at will.
Nope, I agree. I've driven all manner of exotica, but I think the nicest car I've ever driven insofar as it made me feel relaxed, calm and just generally soothed at the wheel is an old Audi A8. Lovely thing.The fact you can always be happy driving those two is what makes them 'nice' cars, over and above Diablos, Elises, Esprits, 355s, 360s, 997s and R8s.
Fire at will.
Hmm. Hard to answer. I joined the Classic Car Club in London in Nov for this very reason. Where I live in London, its just not worth changing my car all the time, or having something that needs a little more attention i.e. TVR Tuscan / Cerb / Maser 3200, but I did want to sample loads of different stuff. It has been going well so far!
Nicest is between 2 jags so far. Their XK150 and their Series II 4.2 E-Type. The XK150 was brilliant given that I had just got out of a Fiat 500 (old one) and a Volvo P1800 on an open day, I was expecting it to also feel a bit old, wooly and floaty. The thing is a beast though. I got 15 mins in it and it was epic. Fast, tight and nice steering (relatively of course) so I imagine that they have done a few sympathetic upgrades. I've blagged it for Father's Day weekend so I should be able to get to know it much better then.
E Type was great as I had that for a whole weekend, and it was very 'nice'. Not super quick compared to my M3 of course but you didn't need it to be. It was just a great place to be and when I picked the Mrs up from work on the Strand on Fri night it gathered so much attention, I have never experienced anything like it. My Dad had a Jensen Interceptor but the E-Type is just on another level with everyone pointing and asking about it whenever we stopped and wherever we went.
I have to give my E36 M3 Evo a shout as although it's compromised with being a convertible, that also is what made it so 'nice'. The 2 times I have taken it round the Italian lakes, Mrs in the passenger seat, loads of room for luggage for 2 weeks and can get 2 friends in if needed without them being crushed like they would in a 2+2. I have no fear it will let me down. Left for a couple of weeks outside it starts first time. It did Brands Hatch and then the next day was off for a 3000+ mile jaunt through Europe. Ok when I got there I would have liked a 355 / 550 more perhaps but it was great to get there in comfort and it never missed a beat. Still had enough beans for a friendly play with a boggo 996 Carrera 2 over the alps in Italy and made a great noise when going through the tunnels and had easily enough poke to dispatch a few stragglers on the mountain passes!
I've got a TVR Chim, Maser 3200 Assetto Corsa, NSX and Aston DB9 lined up for the rest of my membership. Looking forward to those.
Nicest is between 2 jags so far. Their XK150 and their Series II 4.2 E-Type. The XK150 was brilliant given that I had just got out of a Fiat 500 (old one) and a Volvo P1800 on an open day, I was expecting it to also feel a bit old, wooly and floaty. The thing is a beast though. I got 15 mins in it and it was epic. Fast, tight and nice steering (relatively of course) so I imagine that they have done a few sympathetic upgrades. I've blagged it for Father's Day weekend so I should be able to get to know it much better then.
E Type was great as I had that for a whole weekend, and it was very 'nice'. Not super quick compared to my M3 of course but you didn't need it to be. It was just a great place to be and when I picked the Mrs up from work on the Strand on Fri night it gathered so much attention, I have never experienced anything like it. My Dad had a Jensen Interceptor but the E-Type is just on another level with everyone pointing and asking about it whenever we stopped and wherever we went.
I have to give my E36 M3 Evo a shout as although it's compromised with being a convertible, that also is what made it so 'nice'. The 2 times I have taken it round the Italian lakes, Mrs in the passenger seat, loads of room for luggage for 2 weeks and can get 2 friends in if needed without them being crushed like they would in a 2+2. I have no fear it will let me down. Left for a couple of weeks outside it starts first time. It did Brands Hatch and then the next day was off for a 3000+ mile jaunt through Europe. Ok when I got there I would have liked a 355 / 550 more perhaps but it was great to get there in comfort and it never missed a beat. Still had enough beans for a friendly play with a boggo 996 Carrera 2 over the alps in Italy and made a great noise when going through the tunnels and had easily enough poke to dispatch a few stragglers on the mountain passes!
I've got a TVR Chim, Maser 3200 Assetto Corsa, NSX and Aston DB9 lined up for the rest of my membership. Looking forward to those.
BluePurpleRed said:
Hmm. Hard to answer. I joined the Classic Car Club in London in Nov for this very reason. Where I live in London, its just not worth changing my car all the time, or having something that needs a little more attention i.e. TVR Tuscan / Cerb / Maser 3200, but I did want to sample loads of different stuff. It has been going well so far!
Nicest is between 2 jags so far. Their XK150 and their Series II 4.2 E-Type. The XK150 was brilliant given that I had just got out of a Fiat 500 (old one) and a Volvo P1800 on an open day, I was expecting it to also feel a bit old, wooly and floaty. The thing is a beast though. I got 15 mins in it and it was epic. Fast, tight and nice steering (relatively of course) so I imagine that they have done a few sympathetic upgrades. I've blagged it for Father's Day weekend so I should be able to get to know it much better then.
E Type was great as I had that for a whole weekend, and it was very 'nice'. Not super quick compared to my M3 of course but you didn't need it to be. It was just a great place to be and when I picked the Mrs up from work on the Strand on Fri night it gathered so much attention, I have never experienced anything like it. My Dad had a Jensen Interceptor but the E-Type is just on another level with everyone pointing and asking about it whenever we stopped and wherever we went.
I have to give my E36 M3 Evo a shout as although it's compromised with being a convertible, that also is what made it so 'nice'. The 2 times I have taken it round the Italian lakes, Mrs in the passenger seat, loads of room for luggage for 2 weeks and can get 2 friends in if needed without them being crushed like they would in a 2+2. I have no fear it will let me down. Left for a couple of weeks outside it starts first time. It did Brands Hatch and then the next day was off for a 3000+ mile jaunt through Europe. Ok when I got there I would have liked a 355 / 550 more perhaps but it was great to get there in comfort and it never missed a beat. Still had enough beans for a friendly play with a boggo 996 Carrera 2 over the alps in Italy and made a great noise when going through the tunnels and had easily enough poke to dispatch a few stragglers on the mountain passes!
I've got a TVR Chim, Maser 3200 Assetto Corsa, NSX and Aston DB9 lined up for the rest of my membership. Looking forward to those.
I also joined for a year. I was underwhelmedNicest is between 2 jags so far. Their XK150 and their Series II 4.2 E-Type. The XK150 was brilliant given that I had just got out of a Fiat 500 (old one) and a Volvo P1800 on an open day, I was expecting it to also feel a bit old, wooly and floaty. The thing is a beast though. I got 15 mins in it and it was epic. Fast, tight and nice steering (relatively of course) so I imagine that they have done a few sympathetic upgrades. I've blagged it for Father's Day weekend so I should be able to get to know it much better then.
E Type was great as I had that for a whole weekend, and it was very 'nice'. Not super quick compared to my M3 of course but you didn't need it to be. It was just a great place to be and when I picked the Mrs up from work on the Strand on Fri night it gathered so much attention, I have never experienced anything like it. My Dad had a Jensen Interceptor but the E-Type is just on another level with everyone pointing and asking about it whenever we stopped and wherever we went.
I have to give my E36 M3 Evo a shout as although it's compromised with being a convertible, that also is what made it so 'nice'. The 2 times I have taken it round the Italian lakes, Mrs in the passenger seat, loads of room for luggage for 2 weeks and can get 2 friends in if needed without them being crushed like they would in a 2+2. I have no fear it will let me down. Left for a couple of weeks outside it starts first time. It did Brands Hatch and then the next day was off for a 3000+ mile jaunt through Europe. Ok when I got there I would have liked a 355 / 550 more perhaps but it was great to get there in comfort and it never missed a beat. Still had enough beans for a friendly play with a boggo 996 Carrera 2 over the alps in Italy and made a great noise when going through the tunnels and had easily enough poke to dispatch a few stragglers on the mountain passes!
I've got a TVR Chim, Maser 3200 Assetto Corsa, NSX and Aston DB9 lined up for the rest of my membership. Looking forward to those.
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