Fast road cars

I thought i’d got a farily fast motor until i went for a spin in a mates RS6 avant (V10 lambo jobbie), 653bhp and the way it builds speed is unreal!

I had the use of a tuned/mapped/etc Impreza STI for a day.

You’d floor it looking at the horizon and blink and you were there. Nothing inbetween it seemed. Going round a motorway curving sliproad it gripped like crazy- looking at the speedo I shat myself. Literally.

The only time I’ve felt scared in a car driven by me.

Too much power is pointless. 99.9% of the time you only appreciate the ingear acceleration 30-50, 50-70 for overtakes etc.

A decent diesel would sort that (don’t flame me)

Any good steering/suspension-sorted car with 150bhp is all we need IMO.

I wish the motorbike lot would keep themselves out of threads like this. We’re talking about cars not bikes. We’re all aware that bikes can be fast, hey some bikes are even faster than some cars, but then again there are some cars that are faster than some bikes.

Where they can be compared though is that riding a bike you’re unfortunately much more likely to meet your maker by riding into a stone wall. It was the multitude of fatal accidents caused by irresponsible bikers that have lead to a blanket 50mph speed limit and average speed cameras across swathes of the Peak District’s previously best driving roads, ruining it for those of us who like to drive a nice twisting road swiftly but responsibly. Thanks chaps 😕

I shat myself. Literally.

😆

Where they can be compared though is that riding a bike you’re unfortunately much more likely to meet your maker by riding into a stone wall. It was the multitude of fatal accidents caused by irresponsible bikers that have lead to a blanket 50mph speed limit and average speed cameras across swathes of the Peak District’s previously best driving roads, ruining it for those of us who like to drive a nice twisting road swiftly but responsibly

They are just as likely to run wide and go through the windscreen of a car too.

I think the 50 limit came in not due to bikers but all road users.

Example- theres a think water drainage overflow that runs across the road just after the start of the drop down on Snake Pass. In colder months it freezes. You get people overturning and crashing into the steel-guaze/rubble bails at the side of the road as they think OMG MY CAR HAS LOST CONTROL when really its 0.5secs of light steering so they oversteer madly for some reason.

Then theres another further along.

Then there are the thousands of drivers who see two solid white lines and a imminent corner/bend as ‘time to overtake this slow driver’.

TBH roads like Snake will one day have average cam sections mostly thanks to the car drivers who are thick **** or just can’t drive (but add to the accident stats that are skewered into speeding stats all the same).

molgrips – Member

I am expressing surprise at the prevalence of the sentiment that enjoys beating some random on the road in an inferior car.

I overtake cars because they are impeding my progress.
I may find amusement in passing a dawdling molgrips in my inferior car, but then that’s hardly random, is it?
😛

I’ve overtaken lots of people in a 65bhp Citroen C1. The only issue that I ever accounted doing this was when a mans ego was spiked and he decided to match my speed once alongside him.

I found angry drivers get more angry with you doing the same things in a smaller car.

I used to have a MkII Polo, 1.1l. If I were in a hurry I might be doing 80 or so in the outside lane overtaking things, and rep-man in his Merc would sometimes be apopleptic behind me. I must admit on one occasion I did slow down to match the car to my left for a minute or two, just to wind him up.

agent007 – Member
I wish the motorbike lot would keep themselves out of threads like this. We’re talking about cars not bikes. We’re all aware that bikes can be fast, hey some bikes are even faster than some cars, but then again there are some cars that are faster than some bikes.

Where they can be compared though is that riding a bike you’re unfortunately much more likely to meet your maker by riding into a stone wall. It was the multitude of fatal accidents caused by irresponsible bikers that have lead to a blanket 50mph speed limit and average speed cameras across swathes of the Peak District’s previously best driving roads, ruining it for those of us who like to drive a nice twisting road swiftly but responsibly. Thanks chaps

Why should we keep out of it?
Seriously – why?
Do you think we don’t drive cars?
May I suggest you toddle off and actually look at the stats for Biker injuries and deaths and then kindly shove your “irresponsible bikers” comment up your ….
Seven people I know lost their lives in that area last year – ONLY ONE was their fault.
The other six were all caused because of either a SMIDSY or a CAR driver being where they bloody well shouldn’t have been on the road.
As a Biker – you’re “much more likely to meet your maker” because of another idiot in a car – not a stone wall.

May I suggest you toddle off and actually look at the stats for Biker injuries and deaths and then kindly shove your “irresponsible bikers” comment up your ….

Here you go

Oh, and . . .[/url]

“A 3ltr in a 3 series is too much. I’ve got a 2.0 one and its plenty quick enough. “

No its not. 335d driver here and its just about perfect…

So you find two articles on t’internet that directly target bikers – the Derbyshire Police one was/is a directed campaign against Bikers and they were lambasted for it.
The other an inexperienced rider who released the footage to show others what he did wrong.
You still haven’t shown anything to back up your comment.
The vast majority of the reasons for the blanket ban is from inexperienced drivers in high powered vehicles having/causing accidents.
Bikers are targeted because they are an easy, soft target without the likes of the AA/RAC behind them.
As so many on here keep spouting – driving is seen as a “right” and no one is going to take the chance of going up against the majority….

A decent diesel would sort that (don’t flame me)

Over time, I prefer the low down torque of a large engine diesel than free-er revving petrol.

As for 2.0 diesel being fast enough versus 3.0 – yes and no. The 2.0 will have the pull to do the overtakes, but I feel that your pushing the upper limits to get that performance, where as the 3litre engines seem to give out the acceleration with more ease, and have more on top for when you really want it. The 3 litres / six cylinders have a deeper scope for acceleration which I like personally over a 2 litre / 4 cylinder.

I was behind a BMW 135 and he seemed to be finding it a handful, almost like he was oversteering or too much acceleration then brake – no smoothness. I kept up with him in a wallowy boat of a car by comparison. We weren’t racing, I kept a static distance but I think he could see me constantly in the near distance and wanted to be ‘gone’. I remember thinking ‘why bother?!!!’

I remember years ago blasting off from the lights, disapearing off and then pulling upto the next lights. Only for the old Volvo estate that was behind me originally to slowly round a corner and pull up slowly behind me again. Repeat twice and I thought ‘what is the point in this childish driving?!’

May I suggest you toddle off and actually look at the stats for Biker injuries and deaths and then kindly shove your “irresponsible bikers” comment up your ….

Really? 😆

You still haven’t shown anything to back up your comment.

So you find two articles on t’internet that directly target bikers

Okay here’s another one then (from the Government this time). Think the stats speak for themselves!

hora – Member
I was behind a shit driver and he seemed to be finding it a handful, almost like he was oversteering or too much acceleration then brake – no smoothness. I kept up with him in a wallowy boat of a car by comparison. We weren’t racing, I kept a static distance but I think he could see me constantly in the near distance and wanted to be ‘gone’. I remember thinking ‘why bother?!!!’

FTFY

We had a similar experience with my Mrs driving the old van and getting held up by a Nissan GTR – apparently you have to smash the break pedal for every single bump/dip/crest/curve in the road in one of them

?! I find that unlikely.

Maybe what’s needed is something that isn’t that fast, but feels like it is:

agent007 – Member
May I suggest you toddle off and actually look at the stats for Biker injuries and deaths and then kindly shove your “irresponsible bikers” comment up your ….
Really?

You still haven’t shown anything to back up your comment.
So you find two articles on t’internet that directly target bikers
Okay here’s another one then (from the Government this time). Think the stats speak for themselves!

Actually – they don’t.
They show a vulnerable road user more likely to be KSI’d. Nothing more.
Again – back up your statement about it being “irresponsible bikers” being the cause of YOU not being able to enjoy your driving road…..

I wish the motorbike lot would keep themselves out of threads like this. We’re talking about cars not bikes. We’re all aware that bikes can be fast, hey some bikes are even faster than some cars, but then again there are some cars that are faster than some bikes.

I got the impression that people who – me included – have ridden very fast motorbikes are simply saying that they’re faster and, more importantly, more visceral than any car, no matter how fast. Which they are, particularly in terms of acceleration. Closest thing to flying without leaving the ground.

Anyway, so I’m quite happy with my modest Corrado VR6 with tweaked suspension etc. I know it’s not fast by STW standards, but it’s fast enough for me, makes a great noise and has the advantage of being obscure enough that most people don’t know what they are.

I can’t think of anything worse than driving around in some blatantly obvious rocket-ship of a thing, I don’t care about being faster than other drivers or not, and if I were genuinely bothered about going quick, I’d get back into bikes. But that’s a whole different thing… 😉

As the first person to refer to bikes on this thread, I’ll chime in.

The thread has, for a change, actually included some intelligent discourse on the pleasure folk get from driving. For many, it’s the feeling of acceleration, the joy of threading through some nice corners or the sight of other vehicles receding in your rear-view mirror. The fact is that all of these pleasures are available on two wheels, and they can be experienced on relatively low powered and less expensive equipment. Of course there are downsides; vulnerability, noise (though that’s not all bad) and the weather amongst them.

gofasterstripes – Member
?! I find that unlikely.

Well obviously. My comment was to do with the capability of the driver rather than the car

Just replace motorcyclist with cyclist in the bike complainers’ posts.

oh wait.

Anyway, so I’m quite happy with my modest Corrado VR6 with tweaked suspension etc. I know it’s not fast by STW standards, but it’s fast enough for me, makes a great noise and has the advantage of being obscure enough that most people don’t know what they are.

It’s fairly high on my wish list of cars…

the joy of threading through some nice corners or the sight of other vehicles receding in your rear-view mirror. The fact is that all of these pleasures are available on two wheels, and they can be experienced on relatively low powered and less expensive equipment. Of course there are downsides; vulnerability, noise (though that’s not all bad) and the weather amongst them.

Just buy a 2004 MX5. You don’t have to hang up your steering wheel in bad weather, rain, snow or sleet. Just drive, it steers nicely, it feels nice. Its also cheaper than most decent motorbikes.

Job done. Sorry.

I’ll also add- a while back I was driving behind a Transit Connect van that was pissing out diesel on the winding roads towards Hayfield. I was beeping and flashing him. Eventually he pulled over .. at lights.

So I said (knowing why now) ‘you know your pissing out diesel’?

Yes, oh yeah mate.

He was obviously trying to get to his destination where he could replace the tank etc rather than stop and pay for recovery. This way he saved his wallet but how many **** other people will have skidded off their motorbikes?

He carried on after I pulled away.

Pillocks like that don’t give a ****. One of the many reasons why I won’t ride a motorcycle sadly.

Sounds just like the numbnuts who necked his tank at a filling station here and then promptly left a trail of diesel 135mts long around a bend/junction.
At 3pm on a bright April afternoon there was no way of seeing the spill due to the underpass and not only myself but another rider and 4 cars all crashed. OK – at less than 20mph – nut still a major clear up that closed an A road for over an hour.
Guess what.. despite CCTV and a witness behind him – he did not get prosecuted and the claim had to go against the MIB for “uninsured loss against an unknown driver”. Work that one out!

This thread is just the flip side of the “cyclists against fast car drivers” except its the car drivers against bikers this time.

Lots of lovely 11-year old motorcycles if vintage transport is your bag.

what is that gofasterstripes?

looks like the bastard lovechild of a Morgan 3 wheeler and Galvatron from Transformers.

Who is against motorbikes? Just because a couple of posters do/are- doesn’t mean the rest of us are.

I chose not to because I don’t trust other road users. Similar to how I feel to road users in my car just alittle more wary.

Lots of lovely 11yr old bikes out there?

I saw a W(?) reg’d suzuki hayabusa 1200- covered in road dirt/grime and what looked like Jap tax/doc(?) stickers- No idea on how it’d ride but it looked **** AWESOME.

That is a Polaris Slingshot.

I am trying to enthuse my design for a ULEV with something like that pazazz. It certainly caught your eye 🙂

This thread is just the flip side of the “cyclists against fast car drivers” except its the car drivers against bikers this time.

We’re not against motorcyclists, it’s just that this thread is all about cars, yet all we seem to get is ‘yes but my bike is way faster, more fun, more raw than your car can ever be’. Well guess what, my uncles aerobatic plane is way faster, more fun and involving than your bike could ever be, but so what – we’re talking about cars.

In the past I have ridden motorcycles regularly off road whilst working for months in the Australian outback, usually with shorts, t-shirt and no helmet and they were a lot of fun but I have no desire to don a thick, sweaty leather suit, restrictive helmet and ride motorbikes quickly on the UK roads.

I’d argue that cars are every bit as involving as bikes once you’re on a good bit of road. Not only do you not have to wear an uncomfortable helmet which for me feels like you’re insulated slightly from what’s going on around you (maybe mine was a rubbish helmet) but because a car isn’t trying to kill you at every opportunity, the experience of a fast car, more so when its a small roadster like an Elise, can be enjoyed far more and in far greater safety for you and other road users. I’ve already pointed out that bikes are way more dangerous than cars (38 x more dangerous mile for mile).

So ride bikes if you want, I’ve no objection to that, but don’t come on here saying that bikes are better, more involving etc. because for me, and many other IMO, they just are not.

the sight of other vehicles receding in your rear-view mirror

Why is this enjoyable?

Presumably because the sight of them in your rear view mirror means you’re no longer being subjected to their tiresome, detached approach to driving and you can get on with enjoying yourself.

Just give up pretending to want to try to understand, molgrips. You’re not fooling anyone.

Why is this enjoyable?

Some people enjoy it. They have imaginative brains and enjoy the game. Whether the game is real or in their head is irrelevant.

Why do you enjoy pootling everywhere? Only you know.

And yet many folk commenting here have the experience you lack and disagree with you. Makes you think, eh?

They have imaginative brains and enjoy the game

So they are pretending that the other person is racing them? And that their cars are in fact equal but the other person is inferior and can’t keep up?

I find this odd. Well – I didn’t when I was 8 years old..

Just give up pretending to want to try to understand, molgrips. You’re not fooling anyone.

I do try to understand everyone, but in this case I am trying to avoid the conclusion that anyone who enjoys the sensation of winning a race against some other driver in a slower car has the mind of an 8 year old. Cos that wouldn’t be nice.

I find this odd. Well – I didn’t when I was 8 years old..

Do you? Do you find it odd?
Do you find it odd that people continue to enjoy things they enjoyed when they were younger? Do you?
Like riding bikes? Like eating chips? Like going on rides at amusment parks?

I think you mean, you don’t like it so no-one else should. Is that correct?

For me owning a well sorted fast car or bike means that you can actually enjoy driving rather than mindlessly drifting to a destination. Had to drive some fairly boring company cars for a while and unfortunately they became an office, which was not good.

you can actually enjoy driving rather than mindlessly drifting to a destination

It is possible to enjoy driving without having a fast car. There is another way. Comfortable crusing can be enjoyable.

You still need a well sorted car, but it’s all about ride and driver comfort. Handling and performance needs to be just good enough.

Do you find it odd that people continue to enjoy things they enjoyed when they were younger?

Not everything, no. But this one, yes. Do you still worry if you haven’t got the proper cool trainers?

I think you mean, you don’t like it so no-one else should. Is that correct?

No, it’s not.

Not everything, no. But this one, yes. Do you still worry if you haven’t got the proper cool trainers?

Nope.

No, it’s not.

Yeah, but it demonstrably is. Riding that high horse for that long must be making you sore.