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Topic starter
I'm interested in drawing up a list of cars with the following spec:
* They must have some decent power. E.g. 180hp/ton+
* I'm being brutal re: styling: cars that have no utilitarian look. So no estates or SUVs with roof bars, no matter how flush
* Ability to fit a removable towbar that has no signs of existence once removed, apart from necessary cutaways to rear diffuser that can only be seen if you stick your head under the back of the car
* Ability to fit a (compatible with above) towbar-mounted bike carrier that can take at least two modern long wheelbase bikes
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:01 am
anthonyweighell reacted
Can't recommend anything without budget. Are you spending 5k or 50?
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:03 am
Topic starter
No need for a budget.
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:05 am
Golf R
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:52 am
Literally anything that can have a tow bar fitted will do what you want. Do you really want to be putting filthy gear in a nice car though? As money appears to be no object, buy a Caddy or Connect for bike duties and a Porsche (other aspirational Marques are available) for car use.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:06 am
Cupra 290 (is what I have)
https://www.pfjones.co.uk/tow-bars/seat-towbars/seat-leon-towbars.html
If you read about the Leon hatch it mentions from 2017 onwards there are tow bars that don’t need bumper cuts. I don’t use one so don’t know. My 29er and friends 27.5 go in the back with the seats down and wheels off.
I’d imagine that the Golf R and Audi S3 are going to be similar in terms of bumper / tow bar requirements.
If you don’t need the 300hp then a standard Golf GTI or a 190hp Seat Leon FR Sport, the Leon still has a 0-60 of under 7 seconds. I had one and it was a really nice car to drive. And I’m a big fan of the 7 speed DSG gear box.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:11 am
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce.
280bhp as standard of as per mine 324bhp with a Celtic Tuning stage one re-map.
No idea of tow bars but with the back seats down I can get my medium Canyon Spectral 125 in with just the front wheel off.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10598346@N03/52829424293/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10598346@N03/52828404472/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10598346@N03/52828404557/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10598346@N03/52829424488/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10598346@N03/52829429738/in/dateposted-public/
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:40 am
That's a thing of beauty, but...
Do you really want to be putting filthy gear in a nice car
That's going to end in tears.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:43 am
I’m being brutal re: styling: cars that have no utilitarian look. So no estates
but estates or wagons just look better, bikes or no.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:52 am
z1ppy reacted
No budget, must have a towbar and over 180bhp per ton
Think this will cover it!
https://www.zero2turbo.com/2016/05/this-is-first-and-only-ferrari-f12-in-world-with-towbar
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:56 am
jamesoz reacted
I've got my Diverge in the wife's Kia Picanto - admittedly seats down and wheels off! You could probaly fit a tow bar, but it would likely tip the car backwards with any weight on it 
Doesn't quite meet your bhp requirement however 
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:05 am
F series M135/140 or equivalent 3 series with a towbar, easy 400hp with a map.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:08 am
Pokey - was I alone in thinking a very small car rather than powerful! 
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:09 am
I used to have a 944 S2 and now have a gt86. Both carry bikes inside. You're basically looking for front engine, 2+2
Audi TT is an easy one, Integra type r, Mustang, etc etc
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:13 am
steveed reacted
I managed to get an XL Stumpy FSR in my Mk2 TTV6. It was a squeeze, but it was really quite practical.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:17 am
Cupra 290 (is what I have)
https://www.pfjones.co.uk/tow-bars/seat-towbars/seat-leon-towbars.html
If you read about the Leon hatch it mentions from 2017 onwards there are tow bars that don’t need bumper cuts. I don’t use one so don’t know. My 29er and friends 27.5 go in the back with the seats down and wheels off.I’d imagine that the Golf R and Audi S3 are going to be similar in terms of bumper / tow bar requirements.
The Cupra is front wheel drive (like the Golf GTI), the S3 and Golf R are 4WD, from my research the rear diff gets in the way of the tow bar mounting.
BMW M340i, available as saloon or the more practical (and better looking) touring and will take a tow bar.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:22 am
@Chipps of this parish had a Carrera soft top with a roll bar mounted bike carrier.
F series M135/140 or equivalent 3 series with a towbar
I had a 1 series Msport125 that happily took a couple of bikes inside with the back seats down, or on the roof, And I even squeezed a bike in a 2 series 140.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:26 am
I've a top spec 3 series saloon, it'll fit a long Cotic FS in with just the front wheel out.
Its also got a towbar, standard 2-bolt as I got it aftermarket but you can get the hidden ones that drop down.
With the standard dark tint on the rear windows very difficult to see there's a bike inside too.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:27 am
Pokey – was I alone in thinking a very small car rather than powerful!
Why compromise on either criteria?
Caterham 7, and U-bolt some fork mounts to the roll-cage because a towbar is clearly adding too much weight.
Anything else is utilitarian by the OP's definition!
If you want luxury, get an S1 Elise with a hard top and seasucker rack
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:34 am
Tesla Model S Plaid?
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:38 am
You can (just) get a 55cm road bike with the wheels off in the passenger seat of a 986 Boxster. Wheels go in the frunk.
A mate has been know to Seasucker a Geometron to the roof of a Cayman.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:46 am
Fiat 500 Abarth. Small, fast, plenty of space inside if don';t mind taking the wheels off the bikes.
I use to have the non Abarth version but still the same size inside. Use the put 2 adult bikes in quite often without issues. Had a tow bar installed after a back injury was making it too hard to get a bike in/out the boot but they do fit.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:49 am
You can get a decent road bike in the boot of a Z4 Convertible
You can get a decent 29er in the back of a Z4M Coupe.
You can get anything you like on a Sea Sucker on the roof of almost any sports coupe.
Why bother with a towbar rack?
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:52 am
ctk reacted
You can (just) get a 55cm road bike with the wheels off in the passenger seat of a 986 Boxster. Wheels go in the frunk.
You can get a Large 29er XC hardtaiil in an MG Midget, with the roof up!
Wheels off, spin the bars, fork goes over the passenger seat and the back end in the footwell. Wheels arranged on the shelf behind the seats then put the roof back up.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:58 am
Pokey – was I alone in thinking a very small car rather than powerful!
Nope, me too!
And me. From the thread title, I thought this was going to be all about the honda jazz
Posted : 19/04/2023 11:15 am
A pal did this, fits all the thread criteria but I can't recommend it.
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:25 pm
Work colleague has ordered and waiting for a BMW M240i xDrive Coupe and was asked numerous times if he really wanted the towbar fitting.. which he does....
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:36 pm
Not sure it is pokey, but I'm looking at the Cupra Born, but can't find any details on whether a towball can be fitted to it. It appears to be the same as the VW ID3 which does have a transportation solution (daft marketing speak) for a towball to use for bike racks, so I'm hoping it will be possible on the Born...230bhp so I suspect it will be more than quick enough.
Actually, I think it might be pokey as in a wee bit quick, but it probably isn't small and pokey...
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:40 pm
Work colleague has ordered and waiting for a BMW M240i xDrive Coupe and was asked numerous times if he really wanted the towbar fitting.. which he does….
A word of warning, I've a 2018 BMW with an aftermarket towbar that used BMW supplied wiring and was fully coded to the car, but recently I'd a recall on it for the EGR Cooler software and the BMW Dealer was unable to install the software.
They tried it with the towbar wiring disconnected, and it worked - but then couldn't get it recoded when they connected it back. Removed the software update and the towbar recoded no issue.
Talking to them the chap he reckoned about 10% of recall updates have had this issue, with the majority due to either aftermarket installs of Apple/Android carplay or towbars.
They need to negotiate a towbar in for a factory install IMO.
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:52 pm
335 xDrive Touring
Debadged obvs
+2
I've got the estate and it's ace.
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:54 pm
I got 4 bikes (2 mtb + 2 road bikes) in my Astra SXi - not powerful, but the Astra VXR is the same size with a little more grunts
Posted : 19/04/2023 12:55 pm
Why bother with a towbar rack?
You can see the bikes while driving.
Easier to get to the bikes.
I noticed a lot of people stopped tailgating me once a got a towbar fitted.
Posted : 19/04/2023 1:37 pm
Whatever the Car a Sea Sucker type rack potentially removes the need to worry so much about Towbars?
Posted : 19/04/2023 2:02 pm
ctk reacted
@thisisnotaspoon I was passed by an Elise with an mtb racked to the roof last week. Made me smile.
Posted : 19/04/2023 3:17 pm
Here's my two offerings:
My old TT 225 Quattro with a large Banshee Prime in the boot:
And the current Mustang with Rassine suction mount (they do a multiple bike version) holding a large Canfield Tilt:
Both pokey, the Ford especially so. TT mk2 can have a towbar fitted, and the US has plenty of options for towbars on this model Mustang so I'm counting that as eligible.
Posted : 19/04/2023 4:06 pm
I had a tow bar on a Renault 5GT Turbo and you could get 2 bikes in the back as well.
Does that count? They’re still around (well a few are).
It’s basically the epitome of ‘pokey’ and is also high performance
Posted : 19/04/2023 7:55 pm
kelvin and fasthaggis reacted
Renault 5GT Turbo
is also high performance
It was for it's era, unfortunately that's 40 years ago.. 115bhp isn't very fast these days, even in something lightish
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:04 pm
I was passed by an Elise with an mtb racked to the roof last week. Made me smile.
That might be me soon. Van is going on eBay and I start my new job next month. I've currently got a very eclectic watchlist but there's 2 Elise 111r on there.
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:07 pm
pisco reacted
@shedbrewed also hopefully me soon as well. Had the Elise for years and in the past put bikes inside (required forks removing). Currently building a rear mounted rack for it.
Posted : 19/04/2023 8:21 pm
colournoise reacted
This was parked outside Munich Legends a couple of weeks ago.....that'd get a couple of 29ers in the boot no problem. Your labrador might protest tho
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:28 pm
BMW 3 or 4 series coupe. Plenty of room in the back for a bike.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:43 pm
As much as I love the V10 M5/M6, I chickened out of buying one at the very last moment due to all the horror stories. You need very significant cash reserves to run one without fear.
Posted : 19/04/2023 9:59 pm
tall_martin and susepic reacted
Not much really structural apart from the roll over hoop under the hoop cover to attach a heavy MTB to on an Elise!
I’d agree TT are surprisingly practical
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:16 pm
Which is what I'm planning. S1 with harness bar and a removable rear window. Spare window with the glass replaced with poly carbonate of some kind so can bolt through it and then attach to the harness bar. Then two straps over the clam onto the tow eyes underneath. Rear wheel held in place on a suction cup and front inside in a bag.
Posted : 19/04/2023 10:59 pm
Well that would work but you would have to hope that it doesn’t rain when you are out since getting the roof on with that set up would be tricky. I’d just take another car if you have one. But post pics if you do get it set up!
Posted : 19/04/2023 11:35 pm
Alfa 159 saloon. Fits a ritchey timberwolf in with the front wheel off and with the correct engine (1750 tbi, 3.2v6 or 2.4 diesel) will surpass the required power to weight ratio whilst looking suitably bellissima. That giulia looks pretty epic too.
Posted : 20/04/2023 12:55 am
fruitbat reacted
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