Tales of the unexpected
Discussion
I have nothing to moan about on GG, so I thought I'd just start a post.
I want to hear about your first hand experiences coming across unlikely or perhaps unassuming motorists who demonstrate a uncanny driving ability in perhaps the most unlikely of cars.
Everyone must have come across a performance car being spanked but it hard to distinguish the driver from the capabilities of the car. So this is the converse of that.
So this is a light hearted post, which should be taken in the spirit its intended. So the anti-hoon police and holier then thou posters please go elsewhere.
The commute home.
A few years ago I had the delightful pleasure of working near Reading. It was a exceptionally boring job with a few redeeming qualities save for the drive home, which was a spirited thrash along some a roads with a liberal sprinkling of roundabouts. Now time of day commuting with traffic permitting the return leg could be amusing.
At the time I was driving a Mercedes 190E, which aside from being built from quality stone was a balance of understeer to choppy oversteer depending upon how you sailed her. Overwhelming the old Pirelli's wasn't a big ask as I believe the rubber had assumed the bedrock qualities of the car, in transforming the rubber to sharing the properties more akin to masonry.
Needless to say I was quite content battering Reps and hot cars across the roundabouts and anything that resembled a corner. Of course, I like you dear PH'er am confidently secure in my above average talent for peddling a motor car far beyond the capabilities of mere motorists, regardless what they are equipped with.
One particular return leg of the commute I was happily showing a Z4 the errors of his road position speed and corner entry, when a battered white Peugoet 205 storms round the outside of both of us and scampers off into the distance with corner speed I aspire to achieve.
Momentarily stunned Z4 man and I pause for a brief second and give chase. Needless to say Z4 man quickly passes me along the straight toward the next roundabout. Giving pursuit I am arriving at the next roundabout to see that a Golf Gti and Z4 man are being left for dust. It was at this moment recalled the quote from Darth Vader during his pursuit of Mr Skywalker, 'Impressive, most impressive.'
So this lesson in car control continues for the length of the journey and Z4 man gives up or just turns off toward home. I finally catch the battered Pug which is about a pretty as the breed of dog in traffic. I unashamedly gwark at the pilot. Low and behold its a grey haired bedraggled lady probably in her 50's. I am in absolute awe. I was expecting a famous rally driver but no, just this unassuming lady with supreme car control and lots of talent in battered 205!
I was humbled. It was pretty awesome to watch her go.
I want to hear about your first hand experiences coming across unlikely or perhaps unassuming motorists who demonstrate a uncanny driving ability in perhaps the most unlikely of cars.
Everyone must have come across a performance car being spanked but it hard to distinguish the driver from the capabilities of the car. So this is the converse of that.
So this is a light hearted post, which should be taken in the spirit its intended. So the anti-hoon police and holier then thou posters please go elsewhere.
The commute home.
A few years ago I had the delightful pleasure of working near Reading. It was a exceptionally boring job with a few redeeming qualities save for the drive home, which was a spirited thrash along some a roads with a liberal sprinkling of roundabouts. Now time of day commuting with traffic permitting the return leg could be amusing.
At the time I was driving a Mercedes 190E, which aside from being built from quality stone was a balance of understeer to choppy oversteer depending upon how you sailed her. Overwhelming the old Pirelli's wasn't a big ask as I believe the rubber had assumed the bedrock qualities of the car, in transforming the rubber to sharing the properties more akin to masonry.
Needless to say I was quite content battering Reps and hot cars across the roundabouts and anything that resembled a corner. Of course, I like you dear PH'er am confidently secure in my above average talent for peddling a motor car far beyond the capabilities of mere motorists, regardless what they are equipped with.
One particular return leg of the commute I was happily showing a Z4 the errors of his road position speed and corner entry, when a battered white Peugoet 205 storms round the outside of both of us and scampers off into the distance with corner speed I aspire to achieve.
Momentarily stunned Z4 man and I pause for a brief second and give chase. Needless to say Z4 man quickly passes me along the straight toward the next roundabout. Giving pursuit I am arriving at the next roundabout to see that a Golf Gti and Z4 man are being left for dust. It was at this moment recalled the quote from Darth Vader during his pursuit of Mr Skywalker, 'Impressive, most impressive.'
So this lesson in car control continues for the length of the journey and Z4 man gives up or just turns off toward home. I finally catch the battered Pug which is about a pretty as the breed of dog in traffic. I unashamedly gwark at the pilot. Low and behold its a grey haired bedraggled lady probably in her 50's. I am in absolute awe. I was expecting a famous rally driver but no, just this unassuming lady with supreme car control and lots of talent in battered 205!
I was humbled. It was pretty awesome to watch her go.
Never underestimate old ladies in Pugs... Same Scenario for me a few years back when I had my Suzuki Ignis Sport. On back roads I had driven for 4 years constantly back and forth to uni I thought that it would take some real exotica to actually give me fright. But I was very wrong. Out of nowhere, every single Thursday there was this older lady in a 106 GTI buzzing away... Every time one this stretch of back road at the same time our paths would meet. Whenever I was in front I'd be trying everything I can (within reason) to shake her off, but she would be right on my tail... Every time she was in front I did everything I could and only just kept up.
It actually got to the point where it upset me so much and that if I continued on the way I was going I'd end up putting myself in a field. After enduring this for about 2 months I ended up starting to take a different back road every Thursday... Royaly and truly admitted defeat.
It actually got to the point where it upset me so much and that if I continued on the way I was going I'd end up putting myself in a field. After enduring this for about 2 months I ended up starting to take a different back road every Thursday... Royaly and truly admitted defeat.
I had a Galant V6 which was very quiet at motorway speeds - the engine was barely audible at 90mph. My wife had borrowed the car one day to take her mum out for the day - a fairly long trip, hence the use of my car rather than her 1.0 Polo. When she came back she unexpectedly complained that she found the car very noisy on the motorway. I didn't think much of it at the time. Then a couple of weeks later she drove me home from a night out. As the accelerated onto the dual carriageway I was becoming concerned that she was still in 3rd at about a constant 70mph. Before I could raise the issue she turned to me and said:
'See - I told you it as noisy on the motorway.'
'See - I told you it as noisy on the motorway.'
In the days before youth hung out in supermarket car parks and when Bodie and Doyle were the kings of early evening Saturday night TV, I had an auntie in a battered K reg MK I Escort 1100.
She was in her fifties and the village post lady.
This would be about 1980 .
I was out shopping with her at one of the first out of town superstores and retailing her with the driving antics of Bodie and Doyle. As we packed the shopping she asked me precisely what the guys had done with their cars.
We got in and she started the Escort up. We moved off with a squel of the tyres and then in the empty car park she introduced me to J- turns and donuts.
We then drive home at a sedate pace with me being made to promise not to tell my uncle.
She bought a new Mazda 323 shortly afterwards. RWD, and yes she did the same with that for my amusement.
She was in her fifties and the village post lady.
This would be about 1980 .
I was out shopping with her at one of the first out of town superstores and retailing her with the driving antics of Bodie and Doyle. As we packed the shopping she asked me precisely what the guys had done with their cars.
We got in and she started the Escort up. We moved off with a squel of the tyres and then in the empty car park she introduced me to J- turns and donuts.
We then drive home at a sedate pace with me being made to promise not to tell my uncle.
She bought a new Mazda 323 shortly afterwards. RWD, and yes she did the same with that for my amusement.
Edited by wildcat45 on Friday 22 August 11:38
Recently I was going up a steep section of the M2 an autobahn: very wide and completely empty, so I decided to see how quickly I could go up it. Got to about 120 and looked in my mirror to find a middle aged guy in an accord closing rapidly behind me. I immediately moved over and downshifted, thinking he wouldn't be able to pass me, but rather embarrassingly, he did with relative ease, and continued on at a considerably higher speed once the motorway levelled out. I know a N/A MR2 isn't the torquiest car in the world, but I didn't expect to be humiliated by a standard accord (not even a type R!)
I still remember coming back from a fun drive and ending up behind a transit van just before leaving the last village. knowing that my then car was not capable of safely passing (Corsa C 1.2 sxi) I thought that I was in for a boring return trip, I was wrong. The guy in the van must have known that road like the back of his hand. I just didn't have the confidence to stick with him and off he disappeared, for a young guy who thought he could see off most things, it was a blow to my ego for sure!
I was driving on a "private road" when i happened across a silver Corsa B, which i dutifully passed in my old Golf 4motion without a second thought. Moments after i notice them tearing up behind me to pass me again (dual carriageway) so i assumed they wanted a race, which i obliged (silly) - i however fearing for my licence and "not in prison" status backed off at 110 indicated while this old vauxhall carried on past me.
Got a good look at the driver. She must have been in her 70s with a look of utter determination on her face - she would not be bested by this yoof in his Golf.
Still makes me chuckle thinking about it.
Got a good look at the driver. She must have been in her 70s with a look of utter determination on her face - she would not be bested by this yoof in his Golf.
Still makes me chuckle thinking about it.
On my way to the gym one night and stopped at a roundabout that was double lane.
To my right was a beat up old Vectra and a 911 (of sorts - not my specialist subject). Anyway drag race ensues and the Vectra beat the 911 to the merging into single carriageways. This was unexpected. The 911 was been given a hard time too so wasn't a "one sided race".
To my right was a beat up old Vectra and a 911 (of sorts - not my specialist subject). Anyway drag race ensues and the Vectra beat the 911 to the merging into single carriageways. This was unexpected. The 911 was been given a hard time too so wasn't a "one sided race".
I think a lot of it comes from knowing the road,
My cousin drives for a bloke who has various very nice cars, I was nipping to the in laws one night and spotted him in the 911 Turbo (997) he had at the time, he catches up and has clocked me so fills my rear view and gives me a flash of the lights to say hello, the owner was driving so my cousin hadsaid he recognised me.
Anyway, I turn off down the mile and a bit to the in laws, across country roads and he is behind me, I go for it, like I usually do down that stretch, a stretch I have done a million times before and know every inch of, ready for the 911 to be stuck up my bumper all the way I just do what I do and he keeps up for a bit, and then drops back a bit, I carry on and then turn off to the in laws.
A few seconds later I see lights go past the end of the drive and he beeps, I then get a phone call from my cousin, all excited saying that the 911 couldn't keep up and was dumbfounded.
Now, I am no expert driver, I was in a 250 bhp Saab 9-3 on modified suspension and decent tyres which is no match for a 911 Turbo but he didnt know that road, I did, that is where the difference was, I was on home turf, he wasnt, another driver may have kept up easily but he didnt, despite having much more power and handling capability.
Similarly, have been in my 350Z and have had to work a lot harder than anticipated against some little Seat diesel, grim determination comes into it as well, country roads are a great leveller, 350Z out of its depth a bit being a hefty GT and RWD, on more open roads it would have been left for dead.
Oh, and never underestimate old Peugeots.
My cousin drives for a bloke who has various very nice cars, I was nipping to the in laws one night and spotted him in the 911 Turbo (997) he had at the time, he catches up and has clocked me so fills my rear view and gives me a flash of the lights to say hello, the owner was driving so my cousin hadsaid he recognised me.
Anyway, I turn off down the mile and a bit to the in laws, across country roads and he is behind me, I go for it, like I usually do down that stretch, a stretch I have done a million times before and know every inch of, ready for the 911 to be stuck up my bumper all the way I just do what I do and he keeps up for a bit, and then drops back a bit, I carry on and then turn off to the in laws.
A few seconds later I see lights go past the end of the drive and he beeps, I then get a phone call from my cousin, all excited saying that the 911 couldn't keep up and was dumbfounded.
Now, I am no expert driver, I was in a 250 bhp Saab 9-3 on modified suspension and decent tyres which is no match for a 911 Turbo but he didnt know that road, I did, that is where the difference was, I was on home turf, he wasnt, another driver may have kept up easily but he didnt, despite having much more power and handling capability.
Similarly, have been in my 350Z and have had to work a lot harder than anticipated against some little Seat diesel, grim determination comes into it as well, country roads are a great leveller, 350Z out of its depth a bit being a hefty GT and RWD, on more open roads it would have been left for dead.
Oh, and never underestimate old Peugeots.
Some ten years or so ago I had the fortunate experience of following a humble 2.0 Mondeo along some dual carriageway with a number of awkward roundabouts. Mondeo man was giving it the beans but, boy, could he drive. It would have been relatively easy to blast past on the straight bits but this guy's driving skills were totally awesome and I sat behind in awe of his car control and balance - it was good to watch.
We followed a 7 seater Zafira at around 1am through the North York moors once, he was hitting 100mph on the straights and maintaining between 70-80 on the bends and 60mph on the tight ones. It was a really decent pace and we felt no need to overtake for over 40minutes despite being on a hoon... In a Nissan GTR 
Even more unbelievably all the seats were in use, filled by old Asian gentlemen sporting those white caps. It was hilarious!
A MYregcheck showed that it was 1.6, we couldn't believe it ourselves, he must've been topping it out on the straights... On a narrow country road
Even more unbelievably all the seats were in use, filled by old Asian gentlemen sporting those white caps. It was hilarious!
A MYregcheck showed that it was 1.6, we couldn't believe it ourselves, he must've been topping it out on the straights... On a narrow country road
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.3975424,-2.75...
Driving down this last year, was cruising along and had a Z4m overtake me on the straight bit, and tried to leave me behind in the twistier bit. I did know the road, but Z4 man was surprised to see a Ford Ka keeping up with him and he was giving it the berries. Out of the corners he would get away, but the turns I could keep up. When I turned left at the bottom I got a beep and a hand up, along with a rather puzzled expression
Driving down this last year, was cruising along and had a Z4m overtake me on the straight bit, and tried to leave me behind in the twistier bit. I did know the road, but Z4 man was surprised to see a Ford Ka keeping up with him and he was giving it the berries. Out of the corners he would get away, but the turns I could keep up. When I turned left at the bottom I got a beep and a hand up, along with a rather puzzled expression
peterbredde said:
'See - I told you it as noisy on the motorway.'
I had a similar experience with my now wife!! When we were first dating we got to the stage of using each others company cars. I had a BMW 320i at the time. She borrowed it one evening and said it was noisy on the motorway. Wasn't sure what she meant, I always thought it pretty reasonable. Anyway we went to a wedding and she drove back that night. We trundle to the motorway and join it at about 2am - it's deserted. She then accelerates hard up the slip road and just keeps on gunning it through the gears. Gets into top and settle into a 125mph cruise down the M11 to London.
'See - I told you it's noisy on the motorway.'
She drove a fairly crap Vauxhall at the time and just got used to flooring it everywhere because it was so slow!
Who can forget the Astramax Van, a regular hero on Top Gear, especially the one which easily beat an Esprit Turbo!
Check out the link - from 2 minutes in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0New3Thw8yA
Check out the link - from 2 minutes in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0New3Thw8yA
I finished work at 3am heading out from the city centre, where there was a decent long road (one lane in each direction) of long curves interspersed with roundabouts, no traffic lights and thoroughly deserted at that hour.
I had an MX5 with some decent handling mods at the time and knew the road like the back of my hand, all the gradients, camber, bumps, etc so I knew I could make decent progress.
I came across a newish Nissan Micra, 08 vintage, whoever it was saw me coming up behind and decided to give it some, we're talking trail braking, smooth inputs, and I could have sworn I saw a rear wheel hitch up on some of the roundabouts. I was mesmerised at the way this Micra could fling itself around the bends. It was all I could do just to keep the same distance from it.
I caught up to it at the lights at the end of the road expecting to see the ghost of Senna but no, I had been whooped by a mid 20-s girl.
I personally kept a Z4 at bay in my OH's Daihatsu Copen, it was pissing down with rain though! He couldn't believe it was just 660cc
I had an MX5 with some decent handling mods at the time and knew the road like the back of my hand, all the gradients, camber, bumps, etc so I knew I could make decent progress.
I came across a newish Nissan Micra, 08 vintage, whoever it was saw me coming up behind and decided to give it some, we're talking trail braking, smooth inputs, and I could have sworn I saw a rear wheel hitch up on some of the roundabouts. I was mesmerised at the way this Micra could fling itself around the bends. It was all I could do just to keep the same distance from it.
I caught up to it at the lights at the end of the road expecting to see the ghost of Senna but no, I had been whooped by a mid 20-s girl.
I personally kept a Z4 at bay in my OH's Daihatsu Copen, it was pissing down with rain though! He couldn't believe it was just 660cc
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