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When our crazy industrial society invades the very remotest havens of tranquility. Go to a track FFS.
But why is that any different to the cyclist who goes up the same road, or the coach full of people, or the camper van? He wasnt driving that quick, yes he was using power out of the hairpins but he wasnt hitting that high top speeds. The Boxter sounds and feels quick even at moderate speeds. When I drove the Boxter I thought I was doing silly speeds but I wasn’t, just the engagement and noise was so immersive. To get the same ‘fun’ out of my 3 series you have to be going silly speeds and then it becomes not fun because it’s hard acceleration followed by hard braking, repeat
All of them are not good for the environment, all of them are having their impact.
Power is just the way to make a dull car more interesting
There is lot of truth in this.
I've no experience of the rarefied air of RS6s and Alfa Giuila QPs but I've always had reasonably quick cars.
I had the last shape Leon Cupra, it was reasonable fast and pretty capable but pretty dull to drive. I chipped it giving it just shy of 300hp. It was now "interesting" because managing traction as the thing hit peak torque made it more of a challenge to drive smoothly.
I chopped it for a newer Focus ST which has pretty much the same power us the standard Leon. I've no intention of chipping it because its just a far better more involving car to drive. Crucially its got much better steering feel then the Leon which actually makes it much more fun to drive at any speed as you can really feel the road through the steering.
I don't think arbitrary power / weight figures or acceleration times will get you a "drivers car"
Utter bollox.
I’d far more trust any of my three lads who are all in their 20’s than my +80 y/o Mother for example, or even my OH.
Provide a reference if you're gonna call something flat out wrong.
Obviously some kids are good drivers and some aren't. But the fact remains car accidents are the leading cause of death for for teenagers age 15-20. And 75% are males.
And drivers under 25 cause 85% of all serious injuries on the road. And 1/5th of all fatalities.
My statement above about brain development is pure biology and psychology.
That boxster video...^
Which road is that?
Ive got this – its a caterham 7 and a bmw m4/alfa giulia,boxster/cayman,911,golf r, audi s/rs etc etc
Who says STW can't give a consolidation view?
He rides a bike and he’s prepared to do that, to destroy the peace of a beautuful morning on someone elses island. Its kinda colonial, selfish and just unacceptable. Posting an “influencer” vid on Youtube to encourage others to do the same adding insult to injury.
dont go to magalluf which is 45 minutes away - you'll see proper disturbances of the peace all night long, and not a car in sight.
Seriously though - Time for a bit of give and take, live and let live, he's not breaking any laws, and there are no houses in that area at all - I know it well.
You cant move on that road for tourist buses after about 9.30am. I'd be more concerned about getting squashed by a tourist bus than that fella in his porsche if I was cycling up or down it.
That boxster video…^
Which road is that?
Couple of sections of the roads on Majorca. He wasn't going quick - because you can't.
I had a 1.3 Escort when I was 18 (back in the 80’s) – I still drove like a ****!
That would have been fast compared to my Hillman Imp (Singer Chamois to be exact). Unfortunately by 20 I was driving Renault 5 GT Turbos with amended boost and driving like an asshole. Didn't really stop until I was almost 30 and driving a Caterham 7 by that point.
I now realise that my Aygo is all I actually need and don't feel the need to drive like a ****er ignoring speed limits and safety to other road users. Strangely I still actually enjoy driving within the low power limits and grip my car has.
I chopped it for a newer Focus ST
Don't see many of those about....
I agree, my Cupra 4drive is far more capable than fun. It probably is the perfect car for my needs but expect I'll get a more involving drive next.
But why is that any different to the cyclist who goes up the same road,
You're clearly trolling but I'll state the obvious:
A cyclist is not a threat to anything on the road and is almost silent. You might think the noise is lovely, to me and non-petrolheads it's a horrible racket, an aggression even.
Perhaps I should point out that I live on the Col d'Aubisque part of the year and people like the guy in the vid thinking it's a private race track is becoming more and more of an issue. The noise is a pain as the exhaust of noisy bikes and cars reverberates around the valley and people don't feel safe. The gendarmes are getting more active.
On a positive note the need to provide cyclists with safe conditions has lead to closing cols to motor vehicles for a day a year so they can ride up without being poisoned by fumes, deafened by open pipe Harleys and cut up at least one day of the year.
That boxster video…^
Which road is that?
Its the road down to Sa calobra in mallorca, the one a lot of pro cycling teams use as climbing training.
The noise is a pain as the exhaust of noisy bikes and cars reverberates around the valley and people don’t feel safe.
At least you can hear them coming - wait till the roads are full of fast electric cars that do 0-60 in 2 seconds! 🙂
By the time the roads are full of electric cars hopefully they'll be automatically limited to the speed limit.
I've given up riding some roads during holidays, it's not nice being buzed at 176kmh on a mountain road. I suspect the gendarmes used the section with the avalanche shields. To get caught someone was prepared to do 176km with very limited visibility.
Anyway, back OT:
Probably not to the OP's exact spec, but would a S/H Nissan GTR would be worth looking at?
I just think cars are far too comfortable and remote now.
Our diesel Kuga could comfortably sit at 90mph on the motorway, but my fn2 Civic Type R becomes annoying very quickly at speeds above 80mph so 70mph feels like the right speed for a more relaxed drive! The type R reminds me of my old (original minis), it's fun at low speeds.
We need more crashy, bangy, jiggly cars that make the journey to 60mpg more interesting than the stop-watch says.
julians
That boxster video…^
Which road is that?
Its the road down to Sa calobra in mallorca, the one a lot of pro cycling teams use as climbing training.
Here you go the road with cycling
For Kerley and all the Caterham fans 🙂 is this what you were thinking?
That's not Sa Calobra more like the road to Cape de Formentor
And it gets very busy with cars but great on a bike watching them melt in 85° heat
Cap Formentor, not Sa Calobra.
They must have closed off certain sections or filmed at about 5am! At least any errant walkers would have heard him coming.
That’s not Sa Calobra more like the road to Cape de Formentor
Cap Formentor, not Sa Calobra.
its actually both - the sa calobra bit (and the bit in the thumbnail in the post above) starts at around 7 mins, the first bit is the formentor road
True enough - I only watched the first minute or two.
Both quite tight roads in a fast car - I've always thought Puig would be a lot of fun to drive, wider road and often cambered in the driver/rider's favour.
Its Formentor at the beginning, Sa Calobra at the end. I know these roads well. They wouldn't have closed the roads, just doing it very early. That speed on Formentor is enough to be antisocial and stupid, as a keen cyclist Catchpole should know better. Formentor is narrow with constant bends, changing camber, its possible to ride this very fast on a road bike but you often use the full width of 'your' side of the road - good job he didn't meet any early morning riders coming the other way...thats a good example of driving with the 'assumption' that the road is clear and therefore none too clever. Makes good content though so stuff responsibility, which seem to be the way these days.
Can you get two dogs in a Bond Bug?
My bike does (not saying I do) 0-60 in around 2.5 and I have no idea what I would use that for. Even pulling out to overtake at legal speeds, the road comes up far faster than my brain can process.
Yep I thought it looked like the road to the formenta at the start. I asked as I couldn't believe anyone would think it's ok to drive like that on that road unless it had been closed to other users.
I imagine there would be cyclists on that road at pretty much any time of the day. Any time I've been it's been absolutely rammed. Driving like that on that road isn't cool..
Yep the Catchpole video is Cap Formentor to start and Sa Calabra later on. Neither of these roads have great sight lines at times Sa Calabra is very narrow in places. Both are great cycling roads but driving fast? Even very early in the morning I think is a bit irresponsible, as Ekudator says, you can't be certain that some walkers, MTBers or roadies aren't out earlier than the driver.
Driving like that on that road isn’t cool..
He wasn’t driving the car quick at all! He gave it some beans out of a 1st gear hairpin that was sighted, but that was it.
That’s my point about that car, it’s engaging, and has a great sound track at normal speeds
It was also Evo magazine so there would have been a team of people confirming if sections of the road were clear.
For Kerley and all the Caterham fans
While I would never even attempt to claim a Caterham is practical is was my only car for 3 years and 8,000 miles a year and I used to carry stuff in it but a few dogs would be pushing it!
It was the most fun to drive car though and I will probably get a 160 in the future which although slow for a Caterham is fine for me.
The bit that's eyebrow raising if your familiar with the road is at 50secs and 5mins, which is on the final third of Formentor where it twists high up on the plateau, then he blats it right up to the lighthouse. There's sections on the twisty bits that are narrow enough to make the average numpty in a hire car nervous on width where the cars overlap...so to make the background disappear at that rate, yeh, he's on it. Certainly home to some of the best/ most dramatic roads I've encountered anywhere on a bike...and I'd rather be on my bike than in a modern sports car, something old school sub 800kg with no power steering, no elecy interventions, now that'd be fun.
Original Ford puma 1.7. “Racing” if you can find one. 100bhp/ton. Great fun to drive.
I still regret getting rid of mine all these years later. Replaced it with a 220bhp rwd car that was no better to drive on a daily basis. (Rx-8).
Evo magazine quite liked them too if that’s important.
I’ve no idea what to spend the other £59000 on.
My mate has a Ford Racing Puma in mint condition - no way you’d get that for a grand!
I had a fast audi but dsg, 4wd and quality interior drowing out noise made it feel like a playstation car.
Best car ever had was my lexus. It was not the fastest and was quite heavy but it drove like nothing else I have driven since. Properly sorted chassis and just a lovely place to be.
60k will get you a RCF.....
I’ve got a MK8 Golf R on order, but there’s production issues at the moment. So, I’ve been looking around again.
Viewed a mk8 GTI the other day. What a woeful car, general quality has taken a huge downturn compared to mk 7.5 golf. Cheap, nasty plastics that shouldn't be anywhere near a £40k car and even simple things such as the carpet is really thin compared to its predecessor.
If it was me, I'd be looking at a civic type R if you want a drivers hot hatch, can get ones that deletes some of the body kit as I know that puts a lot of people off them (Think its called a sport).
BMW M2 competition is also a good shout, will likely be one of the last "proper" M cars. Get a M340I if you need more practicality. 90% of the performance of an M3 for nearly half the price.
Guilia Quadrifoglio is the pick of the bunch for me, ferrari V6 engine (Even though they say it isn't!), great looks and great value for money.
Ah, yes, the Sportline Type R.
I think if you're going Type-r you really should go all in with the body kit. You'll look like a large child either way, so lean into it!
I did like the look of the limited edition, until I realised they remove the air con and the ICE for weight. Less is more though, so you pays more money!
Lexus RC
My mate has a Ford Racing Puma in mint condition – no way you’d get that for a grand!
More like £15K. A standard, run into the ground Puma would be more than a grand.
Guilia Quadrifoglio is the pick of the bunch for me, ferrari V6 engine (Even though they say it isn’t!), great looks and great value for money.
Also, it's very, very definitely honest gov not at all the same as the engine in the Maserati mc20. No sir. Look mr journalist would you like a bottle of champagne? Why not take two, and a playstation...
More like £15K. A standard, run into the ground Puma would be more than a grand
Yeah just had a quick look and £14-5k seems right for an FRP. Wonder how many of the original 497 are left.
I traded in my 2001 puma in 2011 after 8 fantastic years of ownership and about 80k on the clock for about £800 I think. It had needed a new air con controller and there was some rust starting. Otherwise no trouble at all. Should’ve kept it clearly!
Just reading some of the stats on the Giulia QF
**** me! What a machine.
Your collies would need G-Suits!
So much prettier than the competition too.
A friend bought a puma in 2018 for £100 and ran it for a few months until catastrophic chassis rust put an end to it. Other friend has built his to the same spec as the racing version over many years.
On the buying suggestions, wanting a new car limits you way too much imo. I echo the sentiments that any vaguely practical new car will have way too much grip to be fun without doing immoral speeds.
Well, that's the i30N sold to WBAC tonight. Only lost £4k from new over 3 years. Its a good time to sell cars at the moment!
Well, that’s the i30N sold to WBAC tonight. Only lost £4k from new over 3 years. Its a good time to sell cars at the moment!
That's pretty good going. Is that as in you have physically done the deal, or that's what they are offering you. I just chopped in my Wildtrak for a Disco Sport and "only" lost £3.5k on it over 18 months. I got £1500 more from Landrover than WBAC were offering, although when i sold WBAC my T5 I got £2k more than Ford were offering. Found them easy to deal with, and got what they offered despite having a few extra scratches etc
Yep, WBAC were pretty good. The car isn't worth £20k really. Buy the market is bonkers becuase of chip shortages.
Could have maybe got £500 - £800 more going private sale, but I can't be bothered with the hassle.
WBAC quoted me £3000 less in Jan, than they did now.
I passed on a mate's Racing Puma about 5 years ago, he lost his garage and sold it for a song just as prices started to go mental. Now every so often I look at the standard 1.7 models and all you can get for the same price he asked me for the FRP is absolute rustboxes, and I am bereft.
Does explain why the engine's so popular for engine swaps though, just give it a kick and the entire chassis turns to dust and self-extracts the motor for you.