Practical performance cars

Elfinsafety – Member
I mean, look at this… thing. Just look at it.

Horrible, isn’t it?

Always thought (only half jokingly knowing UK car design of the 70s) the Allegro estate was visually the Leyland designers’ attempt at a more practical ‘everyman’ Reliant Scimitar.

My first two cars were both Allegros (saloons though), so they have a bizarre soft spot in my memory despite being like driving an underpowered jelly using bits of weak elastic to steer with.

slainte 😀 rob

By Christ there’s some shit cars on this thread!

The wee coloured Datsun being the current low point…

Though you missed a trick there with the version of the All aggro you picked:

Most ridiculous statement ever on STW

Cobblers. Do you know why? Because you are wrong.

Lamborghini Countach: 1974 design. The 70s ones were nicer looking; the eighties ones were grotesque.

Jensen Interceptor: Stopped production in 1976…

Audi Quattro: ugly. Ditto the Lancia Delta HF Integrale. Boxy, unaerodynamic.

Yeah, they had corners. But we’re men aren’t we? That’s what we like.

Speak for yourself. I prefer sensuous curves…

As for the 037; the Stratos is light years ahead in terms of sexiness.

So, in your attempt to discredit me, you’ve actually proven me right. 😆

Thank you. X

They could be related rob, same door handles, no?
At different periods I was taken to school in one of these.

And one of these.

I don’t want one now, I’m not really sure I ever did, but it did fascinate me as a kid, 10 pop points for the reason why!

I’d have a stab at Bodie and Doyle

Yeah, and the Allegro was a 70’s design too.

I was thinking more towards The Sweeney…
The Professionals had Capris.

Audi Quattro: ugly. Ditto the Lancia Delta HF Integrale. Boxy, unaerodynamic.

You say some pretty daft things here, which is ok, but how dare you say the best looking car of all time is boxy?

don simon – Member
I was thinking more towards The Sweeney…
The Professionals had Capris.

IIRC one of them (Bodie?) had a Dolly Sprint in the earlier episodes?

slainte ❓ rob

The Professionals had Capris

They had all sorts, including a Dolly.

You could be right Rob.

I’ve had four of these in the past and wish I still had one…

Always fancied one of these, but could never afford one.

All this talk of ‘dolly’ sprints, I’ll just sit at the back of the class & nod if that’s OK.

Probably the best hot hatch of the 90’s

surprised that no one has posted one of these yet:

All this talk of ‘dolly’ sprints, I’ll just sit at the back of the class & nod if that’s OK.

Ah, but who gets the pop points, me or the don?

Haha – from the bloke who doesn’t drive –
I’ve had the misfortune to sit in some of these jalopies, nasty cheap poorly made crap fell apart why don’t you see hardly any of them any more

Don’t mind taking a lift though

how dare you say the best looking car of all time is boxy?

Quite easily actually; it’s a boring, boxy, mundane looking car. Nothing about it really signifies speed, power or style at all. It personifies poor Eighties car design.

But there are one or two cars which manage to achive sexiness in spite of being angular.

Gentlemen, I give you the Lamborghini Countach LP400:

See, that works, even with it’s hard lines. Looks like a spacecraft.

Whereas this 80s version has lost that sexiness.

See? Now you can see why I am right.

surprised that no one has posted one of these yet

That would probably be because this is supposed to be about cars of the 70s/80s isn’t it?

renault 5GT turbo

totally bonkers mid range excelleration and loads of torque steer to boot !!

Nope 90’s are allowed too (and the Carleton started production in 1990 anyway, so it was pretty close!)

so what were good cars of the seventies/eighties maybe even nineties that you wouldn’t mind driving today?

Elfin – not really sure that little example fits in with the ‘practical’ tag

I bring you The Sweeney.

😆

Gentlemen, I give you the Lamborghini Countach LP400

Something I have to agree with the elf about – I had a radio controlled one of those 😉

Though if you’re after something a bit more rounded, how about one of these (who knows what it is?) – something I lusted after along with that Lotus Turbo I posted up there

That would probably be because this is supposed to be about cars of the 70s/80s isn’t it?

and the 90’s……cars before they were drowned in electronic garbage and you didn’t need to take them to a sparky to fix rather than a garage…….Incidentally I’ve always had a soft spot for the Lotus Carlton

Elfin, although the 80’s Lambo is vulgar, the 70’s is frikkin minging

Elfin proving he’s just off to wind people up as per…

BMW 3 series
Merc 190 in any of the quick guises
VW Corrado
MK2 Golf
205 GTI
Mazda MX5
Porsche 959
Ferrari F40

All cars that were built in the 80s and you still see decent numbers of the cars that were built in volume. The 80s is a golden age for fast cheap cars in my view. EFI in hatchbacks made going about at a decent pace accessible. Add that to the likes of VW getting rustproofing sorted, and you’re onto a winner.

As an example, a MK2 Golf 16v will start on cold mornings, whilst going faster than an 3l Capri, rusting less and using far less fuel…

Pug 306 GTI-6. I had one, loved it, one of the great hot hatches. Less than utterly reliable though, especially by today’s standards.

70s countach pretty ugly imho, designed just to be obviously different to Ferrari, was the consensus of opinion iirc. Have to agree that the integralé is a damn fine looking car, all squat menacing power, it seems to say ‘bugger your namby pampy aerodynamics, I’m going to smash my way through the air, faster than anything else’.

But, this thread was about practical performance, and you can’t get more practical than a nice old V70R…

Elfin, although the 80’s Lambo is vulgar, the 70’s is frikkin minging

Right, cos of course you are such an expert on aesthetics and style… 😆

You are of course wrong but it is your right to be and I respect that.

how about one of these (who knows what it is?)

I actually do recognise that, although it’ll take a bit before I remember. Quite unique if I recall.

Bugging me now. The badge is a clue but it’s not coming to me just yet.

dont forget the

MG Maestro Turbo and the Montego

A guy at work at the time dad worked for British Aerospace so could get one very cheap it was ugly but very quick. It got nicked and used as a getaway car in a ram raid he was advised by the Police that it was a common that they were used for such things . He was only visiting his folks in Nottingham at the time

Though if you’re after something a bit more rounded, how about one of these (who knows what it is?) –

That’ll be the MG EX-E, a concept car from 1985.

Drat! I was looking at the badge the wrong way up (not that it’s too distinct in that pic anyway), thinking it was some sort of one-off American jobby.

What happened to MG, eh? 🙁

MG XE Concept. Austin’s very own supercar. Apparently influenced the design of the NSX…

I’m conscious that I’ve been posting cars which don’t really meet the “practical” requirement, so now I’m not giving clues away to the previous one, here’s an Austin Metro – what could be more practical than that?

(not that it’s too distinct in that pic anyway)

I did search hard for a pic without too many clues 😉

Elfinsafety – Member
What happened to MG, eh?

Sadly, this.

slainte 🙁 rob

dont forget the

MG Maestro Turbo and the Montego

😯

I was trying to, actually. Thanks. Thanks a lot. 😥

What happened to MG, eh?

All the warranty claims on the K-Series engine headgaskets going bang can’t have helped them much….

Problem with that 6R4 metro is that it’s got 3/4 of a cosworth V8 shoehorned in the boot, so still not terribly practical… Without doubtthe coolest metro ever though (not that that would be difficult).