Fast road cars

while I’d love a properly fast car, i’ll settle for fast enough.

130BHP, 4wd, 42mpg average on a 25 mile twisty B-road commute, heated leather seats and a badge on the front guaranteed to annoy most STW readers.

while I’d love a properly fast car, i’ll settle for fast enough.

I’d agree.

We used to have a civic type-R – lovely car and i appreciate isn’t ‘supercar fast’, was plenty quick enough.
However journeys became slightly ‘stressful’ as it did kind of fele like I was always ‘holding back a barking dog’ type thing..

As things are, I really like our (boring alert…) 2l TDI octavia – still feels quick enough to pull away at speed, but ‘comfy and safe’ at the same time..

The only thing I’d like is slightly ‘sharper’ handling, but then I suppose that would negate the comfy aspect.

DrP

I might stretch to something like a 530d but I’m not sure I could take the fuel economy hit, so probably would stay with a 4cyl even if I were loaded.

Where is it used? In perpetual traffic jams?

Are you equating ‘capabilites’ with speed or acceleration?

A good mix of roads, I live in a fairly rural low population density area but as with most other places driving is primarily following the car in front.

The Fabia is roughly the same weight and power as an XR2 that was once considered a boy racer car, in fact due to the turbo diesel torque it’s probably faster in most situations.

I have another similar power but larger car and never wish I had more power or find I can’t easily drive faster than is probably responsible.

For me the emphasis now has to be on making driving as easy and relaxing as possible.

For your main car that is also the priority for me. Having your back smashed apart by a car with low pro tyres, hard suspension and bucket seats becomes very wearing after a while.

Now a little car that’s medium fast and you can chuck around they are fun. Best fun I’ve had were either super minis like Clio’s, Swifts etc. or small soft tops like Alfa Spider or an old MX-5. None of which on a 0-60 time would be considered blistering fast.

Dammit. I want a fast car. 🙁

Yup, I drive an MX5.
It’d the top spec MK2.5 model so pretty comfortable (heated leather seats, electric windows… em, I dunno – it has a boot?)

Great fun to drive and never really break the speed limits. I’ll just do 60 through each corner.

Happy to just sit and cruise in it as well as drive hard through the corners. Although it is a VVT engine it doesn’t feel like a VTEC with a noticeable kick, so it is tame to drive at low revs.

Drove down the borders the other week and had a big grin on my face – sunny day, top down, A roads. Fun increased once I found a 20 mile twisty b road with no one else on it.
Then I got the bike off the back and went mountain biking.

A little bit off topic. Working shift patterns, I never have to drive through rush hour, but now and again I forget what time it is and nip to the shop etc. I don’t know how people do it! I live on the edge of the south downs near Southampton, so not city centre living, but the difference is remarkable. Easily double travel times!

Before choosing a car I would take this in to consideration. I would buy an automatic if I had to drive in the city or during the rush hour, but as stated above I don’t have to. That’s why I have a manual Mk5 R32. 8)

MX5 mk2.5 VVT is actually for better midrange iirc, not additional top end like the VTEC tends to be.

I love my MX5, so much fun (although it does encourage hooligan driving, and can probably go round a lot of corners at appreciably more than the national speed limit. Probably).

Quickish cars are handy for getting away from the lights ahead of the riff-raff. Other than that they can be a bit of a liability. I seem to have a permanent 6 points on my licence which no sooner get reduced than they are topped up again.

I have an Octavia vrs which is quite a smooth and relaxing car while having loads of mid-range surge. My previous car was a Nissan Sunny gti (not a gti-r) which was only 140bhp but had an on/off switch for an accelerator. It was brilliant on back roads but tiresome for cruising, so I just drove everywhere on back roads.

Prior to these I had such Max Power stalwarts as a Renault 4 and three mk1 and mk2 Polos in succession.

Lotus 7 type car – probably the same as a Defender mod cons/comfort wise but at the other end of the spectrum on acceleration, handling and usefulness 😀

I’ve an MG midget (currently in bits to rebuild/upgrade the suspension).

Anything above 60 is noisy, but even trying to keep up with a 1.1 fiesta is fun on a twisty road! Makes me grin just pootling to the shops.

Sadly I’ve managed to fix the leaky exhaust and the seals on the floats so it no longer spits flames out of the exhaust on the overun :-(.

My car is in having a tow bar fitted today and they’ve given me a Macan Turbo as a courtesy car 🙂
4.7s 0-60 makes it easily the fastest car I’ve driven and yet it’s easy to pootle about in.

[first world problem] MrsSB is annoyed as she thought we were getting a Boxster. Women 😐
[/first world problem]

I have a fast car, one of the new breed of super hot hatches (well one of the first, bit slow now…)
4WD, 275 BHP, limited to 155 and 0-6o in 5.5 secs
I have great fun away from the lights, roundabouts, overtaking etc. However it always feels like your holding it back, straining at the leash.

I’ve found fun is more related to the road you’re driving on than the vehicle you’re driving on it. I’ve a 400hp plus Audi RS estate that’s crazily capable, however I drove a hired Transit down my regular twisting country road recently and it was just as much fun as the Audi (or any of the other cars I’ve previously owned, RWD stuff included).

Where the Audi feels special is when you’re just going about your daily business. It’s just nice to be in something interesting and different on a daily basis – rather than just another bland and boring Eurobox.

I, too, now have a Golf R32 Mk5 (manual) – having previously owned lots of other quick-ish cars: S3, Fiat Coupe 20V Turbos, all the RS Clios etc etc.

It’s an interesting contrast to my cycling lifestyle: I cycle pretty much all the time that I can and rarely use cars unless I really have to.

That said, I drive a lot of boggo hire cars on work business and it’s an interesting contrast with the older, high-ish performance car that I still feel that I need!

In neither car would I drive over the speed limit in almost any circumstance, but in the R32 I’d have a right laugh the whole time. There’s something about that V6 exhaust note that seriously works its way under your skin and, I think, haunts previous owners who decide to sell up.

At 7 years old, I’ve decided to chuck a supercharger and new suspension at it (amongst other bits and bobs). It makes no sense whatsoever in that I will barely use the resultant performance, but it’ll build on a car that has a lot more character than the modern alternatives. 🙂

Last week, I was out in the recovery truck, and had the pleasure of following a new shape McLaren, loving looking vehicle, apparently very quick, but over a 22mile drive there was not one opportunity that he could get in a safe overtake, so we both reached the same destination in exactly the same time.

Having had a modern sports motorbike as well, you don’t begin to wonder why?

One word missing is appropriate speed, yes it might be a NSL but is it appropriate in the conditions?

I’ve never owned a truely fast car – have had a dew quickish ones (Mini Cooper S, 325, 330 etc) but have driven some properly quick cars owned by friends and family.

My MCS was a hoot to drive, not mega fast at 7 and a bit secs to 62 but the whine of the supercharger just egged you on. It was hoot on country lanes too but didn’t do relaxing all that well. The current 330 manages to cover both bases well; it’s good at cruising at a sedate pace but has enough power to make you grin a bit when you can use it. It also sounds lovely too (more so with the BMW carbon air intake).

In terms of properly quick cars, I spent a bit of time driving my step-uncle’s V10 RS6. That was an impressive bit of engineering – it was quite happy to cruise so it wasn’t frustrating but equally cheeky overtakes were over in a blink of the eye. His previous RS4 would have frustrated me more to own because you always felt like you needed to be ‘on it’ to enjoy it.

With the even more serious cars, there is the drama that goes with it too which is fun (noise etc).

might stretch to something like a 530d but I’m not sure I could take the fuel economy hit, so probably would stay with a 4cyl even if I were loaded.

The economy hit isn’t that bad in the real world (ignoring the flawed EU tests) but the pay offs are worth it in my experience; better noise (even with the derv) and they’re much smoother.

Only had fast bikes. They’re nice as everything is effortless, but it’s very easy to do some very silly things. 😈

Now I’m old and over power/speed, I’ll take a slower or older bike any day.

I enjoy nailing a corner line in the correct gear then hammering it out of the corner back up to 70/80ish. The fast bikes would have cruised a similar corner in top gear then barely accelerated to hit 80. just not as fun without going silly fast.

I think for an exciting car, a roadster would be better than a silly powerful rally rep, or get a nice van and enjoy the relaxing ride!

It’s nice to get an adrenaline buzz, in whatever way you get it

Fast cars are capable, slower cars can sometimes be more fun. Hire cars are nearly always fun to drive…

My car is practical and fulfils family needs brilliantly. Hopefully will get a T5 next.

Thankfully I have a motorbike for kicks. All big bikes are quick, some are just quicker than others

Ben_h, a friend got rid of his mk5 r32 for a mk 7 gti. He says the gti is quicker and better handling but he weeps when he hears mine. I oblige him by revving a lot. 😆

Thanks – there’s a lot of useful info there.

I used to drive fast years ago, and on most days would drive at speeds which would now mean an instant ban. The car I was driving wasn’t fast by today’s standards, but I would make full use of the power in all gears.

I’ve also got a motorbike license, and while I love the increased involvement of bikes, I found it difficult to keep to speed limits on the open road.

I do fancy one or two of the cars mentioned, the MX-5 being one. I had a test drive in a used MK3 last year, and thought it was a nice car to sit in and drive. The main downside of the MX-5 to me is that it’s unlikely to be any cheaper to run than my Defender in terms of road tax and fuel efficiency. Someone mentioned a 2CV, and they also appeal (especially with BMW engine), although after watching some videos last week I came to the conclusion that they’re even flimsier than a Defender, so I think I’ve ruled it out.

However, the Defender has always seemed like an ‘ideal’ car in many ways. I think I’d miss it. Mine is happy to grunt along on minimum throttle, and it’s perfectly content to trundle along at 50mph or 55mph on an A road, so sitting behind a slow-ish lorry isn’t as frustrating as it would be in a fast car. It’s also easy to drive to speed limits in town, and acceleration is steady from traffic lights, to the extent that buses will pull ahead. However, when asked to, mine comes alive with a roar and some impressive acceleration for something that size. It feels like I’m hammering some sort of 1970’s rally car, and it will wheel-spin on damp corners if the turbo is on boost. I know I’m in a tiny minority, but to me it’s almost ergonomically perfect!

I suppose I like something with a bit of character which isn’t too bland to drive. However, modern cars apparently offer great efficiency and safety. I’ll maybe hire some cars, starting with an Up, to see what they’re like.

cobrakai – Member
Ben_h, a friend got rid of his mk5 r32 for a mk 7 gti. He says the gti is quicker and better handling but he weeps when he hears mine. I oblige him by revving a lot.

^^ I almost bought a Mk7 GTI about a month ago.

I decided at the last minute to live a little and to go down the tuning route with my R32. The upfront cost is obviously substantial, but it’ll cost less overall than any new car of even 2/3rds the power – and of course I’ll have the presence, feelgood factor and knowledge (mainly to myself!) that I have a real sleeper. 😉

The fact that I’m a 34-year-old sensible dad of 2 with a boring career etc just adds to the fun! No 320d in recession white for me… 😀

The economy hit isn’t that bad in the real world

See, I am intrigued. The only real dowside to more cylinders is more friction.. but really how much? More weight too I guess.

I hated the MK3 MX5 compared to the Mk2.5. It felt like a Jap saloon to me compared. Better on a long journey maybe but the MK2.5 walked all over it IMO. I still haven’t driven a MK1- I bet (untired) it’d be better than both.

I’ve heard that about the Mk3 MX-5. I only drove it on a short loop from the garage, but it took in some B-roads and a short section of dual-carriageway. It felt refined, but as you say, probably not as raw as a Mk1 might be. I remember that although it seemed quite fast, it took a while for the rev counter to climb.

I’d be tempted to try and find a nice Mk1.

Having an Elise for 4 years spoiled me for other cars, so drive whatever I can find cheap now.

Every now and then though, I see a Tuscan or an Alfa and just think …

Mk1 MX 5 rocks. I had a 1.6 which was generally regarded as a little underpowered – was fine with a few upgrades, but if I were looking again I’d start with the 1.8 block. Unfortunately I need some passing gesture at least at 4 seats 🙁

My car falls into your broad definition of quick I suppose, but it really drives just the same as the slower versions except when I ask it, so there’s no drawback. And being able to leave most people in a cloud of dust on demand… er, well, mostly smoke actually… is a nice option.

I had motorbikes before cars so very little seems fast, my “popular first bike” could run a barely-over-3-second 0-60 and a sub-9-second 0-100, and a better rider would have that well beat. So it gives you a different impression of speed really.

I’ve always had to have sensible (but quite nice) cars owing to having a sensible job with sensible company car. Job change last year meant I had the chance to drive whatever I fancied. 2 door german coupe 6 cyl twin turbo diesel 280+ bhp auto. Loads of fun, bags of power, by far the fastest car ive had for any length of time 5 sec 0-60. Yet I can pootle anywhere within speed limits as it can also be quite lazy. Still have as much fun as my mate in his westfield, but with leather and aircon and 40+ mpg unless hooning about where -30 mpg is more likely. That said, on a warm dry day,the westie might bring a bigger smile!!.

.

I still haven’t driven a MK1- I bet (untired) it’d be better than both.

Mk1 mx5 are great cars, if you can find one that’s light on rust. Not much power but perfectly balanced. Wish we still had ours.

One word – roundabouts.

And being able to leave most people in a cloud of dust on demand… er, well, mostly smoke actually… is a nice option.

There it is again.. fascinating..

Toyota GT86 here – have had it for just over 2 1/2 years now and it still makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel. Reasonably economical if you want it to be (nudges 40 mpg on a run), but brilliant fun at sensible speeds if you fancy a change. 100% reliable so far – have had no need to make use of the 5 yr standard warranty, or the dealership for anything other than routine servicing. 🙂

Roundabouts? Theres a double figure of 8 roundabouts near me..

molgrips – Member
And being able to leave most people in a cloud of dust on demand… er, well, mostly smoke actually… is a nice option.
There it is again.. fascinating..

Whilst I take your point, it’s undeniable that when we’re in our cars, at times there’s a sense that we’re children again and playing at racing.
I’m not condoning making the roads into a child’s racetrack, but obviously it’s part of our psyche.

There it is again.. fascinating..

Yep. Someone who professes to be disinterested in fast cars can’t stop coming back to a thread about one.

Admit it, deep down you want to be in that car overtaking from five cars back…

34 years old with a bambino on the way. Been a golf fan for years and this is my 3rd after 2 mk 4s. Tdi was superb but the 2.0 “gti” was gutless.

I can see loads of potential in the v6 but I’m leaving it completely standard. It’s only got 40k on the Clock and as long as I keep it serviced and the mileage lowish, it’ll be desirable in 10 years. I think mods can go either way so just leaving it.

Turbo kit though…..

Cobrakai, me too funnily enough I brought it to keep stock, keep the mikeage reasonable and in great condition. It’s actually really nice when it’s clean and glistening in the sun when young and old petrol heads know what they’re looking at and give you a wave or thumbs up, particularly if you make it sing for a couple of seconds.
But I do keep finding myself looking at the turbo and supercharger upgrades….then the DSG upgrade….suspension….brakes…. £21000 later I’d have a track day only useable car but worth nowhere near a well looked after original.
I woul love to know how many R32 owners occasionally go on you tube for exhaust comparisons……just for the noise!

molgrips – Member

There it is again.. fascinating..

Is it really? We are allowed to overtake you know

There it is again.. fascinating.

What I always found fascinating was the number of people in vanilla diesel supermarket hacks and asthmatic superminis that would drive like their underwear was on fire the minute they saw something clearly a bit special. They outnumbered the kids in their Max Power pride & joy by 10 to 1.