Tuesday 22nd August 2017

In praise of difficult cars: PH Blog

Do flaws and irritations make a car more lovable? Or just a pain?

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So much of modern motoring is about making things easier but, as discussed, so goes the slippery slope to autonomous driving. But even without the gizmos there's a level playing field of competence in even the most basic of cars.

Dog-leg 'box rewarding once you get it!

It wasn't always this way. As a learner I remember my gran's Fiesta having a much snappier clutch than my mum's Metro, and the subsequent social shame of constantly stalling it while I acclimatised. And how the unassisted steering of a Cinquecento Sporting took a bit of a heave while parking but was preferable to the flaccid response from the wheel of my dad's Renault 11. These days such character traits - some may say irritations - have more or less been ironed out in the name of progress.

I get that. I'm not a Luddite suggesting a proper car needs correct alignment of the stars and a hefty swing on a starting handle just to be coaxed into life. Or require a ride-on mechanic once under way. I value convenience. But the little distinguishing features that can make a car challenging or more 'difficult' to drive can also be enjoyable.

This was brought to mind as I burbled across North Wales in my Subaru Forester, on the way back from driving the new four-cylinder F-Type. The Ingenium turbocharged 2.0-litre in that car is very much on the cutting edge of modern forced-induction engines and has that thumping low-rev torque delivery we've been taught to expect. Obviously it's working in perfect harmony with a cleverly calibrated automatic gearbox but there are never any flat spots in the power delivery and you're rarely left hanging.

Who needs power steering anyway?

In comparison the boxer turbo in my Subaru is somewhat crude. Not a lot happens until at least 3,000rpm, the turbo spools up in earnest by about 4,000 and, although Subaru engines aren't shy about holding revs, the best is over pretty quickly. With a narrow powerband and short gearing you're kept busy, in other words.

But I've grown to love the challenge of keeping it on the boil. The controls are precise enough that if you time the upshift as the boost is cresting, and keep just a tickle of throttle on to maintain it as you dip the clutch, you land right back in the sweet spot. Likewise I'm learning to pre-empt the lag and get on the throttle really early in the corner, the reward for getting the timing right being a subtle shift in balance as the rear axle wakes up and overrides the inherent tendency to understeer.

Were I reviewing it dispassionately as I would a new car I'd probably describe it as flawed. But because it's my car and I've bought into the way old Subarus go about their business I enjoy responding to the challenge.

Dare we even go here?

Looking back there are other examples. The dog-leg gearbox on the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 I was lucky enough to run for a period being one. I drove another dog-leg 'box recently and was all over the place, reminding me how in the 190 it took some real concentration to hook back and left as the lights went green. Motivation was there though - selecting what you might assume was 'first' and dropping the clutch would have had really, really embarrassing consequences. Once the muscle memory was in place the realigned second to third and fourth to fifth planes were really enjoyable and exploitable too.

The obvious 'difficult car made good' is, of course, also from Stuttgart and the quirks of its rear-mounted engine have become a defining challenge many (myself included) have enjoyed mastering. Or attempting to anyway. I'll work on the basis that particular topic may have been done to death somewhat.

And ask you what supposed minor 'annoyances' in a car have you grown to love and appreciate as defining characteristics? And which are still just, well, irritating?

Dan

[suffolk009]

I learnt to drift in a 1969 Hillman Imp. The most fun small cars I've had have been that Imp, an old garden shed shaped Fiat Panda, and a 1960s Fiat 500.

I've a Ford Model T waiting to be restored as a Speedster (just two seats bolted to the chassis rails), that's going to be a hoot - if I can remember what pedal does what!

For family estates I miss my old Volvos now I'm in a dull but entirely competent Audi.

Perfect cars are boring.