The innocuous looking saloon above puts out 450 PS (331 kW; 444 bhp)@6050, 560 N·m (413 lbf·ft)@2750-5200.
Tasty! 😀

Saab 9-3 estate.

With the engine from a Dodge Viper….

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/05/insane-swedes-turn-dodge-viper-into.html

My dad had an Alfa 155 Q4 Cloverleaf, awesome car, basically a Lancia Delta Intergrale Evo but with a 155 bodyshell, gutted when he sold it!

The innocuous looking saloon above puts out 450 PS (331 kW; 444 bhp)@6050, 560 N·m (413 lbf·ft)@2750-5200.

Most of them have depreciated like b*ggery, too, so can be had for a bit of a bargain.
Doesn’t the big lump of an engine make it a bit of a boat to drive though?

thegreatape – Member

Doesn’t truly fit the original ‘looks like shit but goes like shit’ definition, but I find it hard to think beyond this when it comes to unassuming Q cars.

Yeah every time I watch Ronin I end up going straight on to Ebay looking for bargain price S8s.

V70 T5R, in AWD flavour.

T-5Rs ended on the 850 (loved mine!). V70R came out after the 850R. Borderline if it could pass for a Q car as it was fairly noticeable for anyone with basic car knowledge. Actually think volvos struggle to fit in as Q cars as everyone knows the police used them and they are quick.

One that’s been mentioned a few times and never gets away with as a Q car is the lotus Carlton. Fair play it looks close to a standard Carlton but the differences are too shouty. Anyone with a slight car knowledge could spot one a mile off.

My last two have been borderline Qs, the 850 T-5R and the current jag s type R 400 bhp & lbs with a fairly quiet 4.2 V8, similar looking exhaust set up to V6s, minus points that no one is surprised to see a quick jag and the noise of the supercharger when booting it (over the engine!) gives it away.

My last two have been borderline Qs, the 850 T-5R and the current jag s type R 400 bhp & lbs with a fairly quiet 4.2 V8, similar looking exhaust set up to V6s, minus points that no one is surprised to see a quick jag and the noise of the supercharger when booting it (over the engine!) gives it away.

I test drove the Type R, but it just didn’t feel that it’d another 150bhp over my 535i – and they do look look good, so not a Q.

I was a bit underwhelmed first time I drove it until I hit the sport button and really nailed in. Was out on a run where it kept up with a Carrera 4s, locked on 3rd or 4th gear with sports on its a bit of a beast!

Completely agree, it can’t be classed as a Q but it is quicker than people would expect. Lot of hot hatch drivers think they’ll be quicker than it!!! Think it falls into the same category as a lot mentioned on here, the ones that get the comments of ‘****, I never knew they were THAT fast!’.

Like it khani like it 🙂

In the spirit of recommending what you know my Q-car is a de-badged 335D SE touring which is pretty quick and surprises the 316i’s , and apparently is quite rare in that guise. It also has a towbar which helps!

Yeah, Jag XF SV8, think I might get one!

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201211284434252/sort/default/usedcars/engine-size-cars/4l_to_4-9l/model/xf/make/jaguar/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/ls298fd/radius/1500/page/1?logcode=p

My choice would be a 1.8T Octavia 4×4

That was my choice as well. It replaced a venerable Subaru Legacy which in turn replaced a very venerable Saab 9000 Turbo. Of the 3 it is by far the most practical, fairly civilized when you need it to be, shifts when you have to, swallows bikes and luggage, and cost a hell of a lot less than the equivalent Subaru or Volvo.

Given a choice between a V70 & Legacy, and having driven both on a track & at work, it would boil down to outright performance versus reliability. They’re both incredibly forgiving cars that are easy to get the best from, but when we got the legacy to use it was like a generational leap forward in terms of performance. However, whilst the Legacy was off the road having yet another clutch, the V70s were happily plodding on & clocking up the miles. if I had the money I would buy the Legacy as my own car just because its got the performance when I want it & I can nurse any fragilities by driving with mechanical sympathy most of the time. This is not to say they’re fragile cars per se, but that they are fragile in comparison to the V70.

Like it khani like it

😀 it was so crappy looking it was good. And totally reliable..
I didn’t know wether to put a tartan blanket on the rear shelf or a gold tissue box for the full effect..

I want that Jag – that’s less money than the A6 (yeah, I know, STW Audi shocker…) my wife just bought! Mind you, service and fuel bills may be a little steeper!

I wonder if you could build up a Bowler Wildcat/EXR Nemesis with a proper, traditional 300/Defender bodyshell? 😈

Zulu-Eleven – Member

I wonder if you could build up a Bowler Wildcat/EXR Nemesis with a proper, traditional 300/Defender bodyshell?

Now you’re talking! 🙂

lad on slroc has GM LS3 v8 engine(430bhp, 430lb/ft torque) in a tomcat – which means i reckon it would fit in a defender with a little work. – might have to move the outriggers and bulkhead back and shorten the rear tub a bit – you really need to change the gear box though – there isnt a rover box on this planet that can take the torque …. this fella used a Tremec tko600 5 speed gearbox,that can handle 600lb/ft of torque, close ratio version and lt230 tranfers box with changes made to the gearbox tail houseing to allow lt230 fitment

Another lad on landy zone fitted a 6.3litre daf engine of sorts to a landy …. really narrow power band but could pull the chassis apart if you anchored it to something strong enough …..

was stood in union street last january and i heard a v8 rumble and some mega fans going, turned round and there was an old scrappy white 110 SW at the lights.. Saxo vts sitting on the otherside of it was giving it laldy like a yappy dog with the throttle basically saying race me race me …. dont know what was under the hood of the landy but it didnt sound like a 3.5 or a 3.9 ….sounded like there was a supercharger involved somewhere…maybe a rangey engine transplant …. This 110 TOOK off …. saxo was left wheelspinning at the lights making lots of noise and going no where.

Currently got hold of one of these, very nice Q car, though fuel costs with a bike on the roof down to Afan last week were not a million miles away from what i used to get out my L200 Animal, just not as fun as the RS4.

Unless that Fiat has a V8 in it, I can’t see a Q car in your pic RV 🙂

namastebuzz – Member

Zulu-Eleven – Member

I wonder if you could build up a Bowler Wildcat/EXR Nemesis with a proper, traditional 300/Defender bodyshell?

Now you’re talking!

I want one of those!
.
Also, anyone remember the Nissan Pulsar? Skyline bits in a Sunny. Obvious body kit but should be easy enough to make it look like a Sunny again. There are a lot of Sunnys which look like Pulsars…

Unless that Fiat has a V8 in it, I can’t see a Q car in your pic RV

Now a V8 in a Fiat 500 is another good idea.

Not really a Q-car but a car I think has abilities beyond its appearance is a Panda 4×4 – neat, tidy, small, unpretentious, small, 4WD, small. Not big like a Land Rover. Small.

I’d defo have one in my dream garage, next to the F1 and Morgan 3 wheeler.

Also, anyone remember the Nissan Pulsar? Skyline bits in a Sunny. Obvious body kit but should be easy enough to make it look like a Sunny again. There are a lot of Sunnys which look like Pulsars…

There is a reason they looks similar. They are the same.

Sunny = UK market
Pulsar = Japan market

The name changed to Almera in the UK, stayed as Pulsar everywhere else.
Also, they were not Skyline parts. The Pulsar GTi-R used the 2.0 DET engine. The skyline used various engines, but mostly 2.5 litre twin turbo.

In the Almera shape they also did a hot version called the VZR, although it never came to the UK. It had a 1.6 litre VVT engine with a smidge under 200bhp. It held the record for the highest bhp/litre of any NA production car for a while.

Q car? how Daft. Why not just modify your car?!

Q car!?!

killwillforchips – Member
Q car? how Daft. Why not just modify your car?!

Q car!?!
Do you not understand the Q-car principle, then?
I’ll keep it simple, it’s a really hot car that looks like a really boring standard car. Factory, custom or DIY, doesn’t matter which.
Clear now?

I’m the other way round I want the old C70 with a D5 in it.

Maybe a 180bhp polo or fabia TDI Quattro…

Whilst looking through autotrader the other day I spotted a late clk500. Bog standard looking wheels / bumpers / trim, with some little exhausts. It could have passed for a 220cdi if it wasn’t for the 388bhp V8 🙂 Very tempting

Also, anyone remember the Nissan Pulsar?

I was loaned one of these for a while;

Holy crapola it was fast!

Polo G60?

Little rocket ship!

This is for sale…am sooooo tempted!

58k on the clock. Wowzers.

Sounds like kids trying to make tatty old junk sound cool.

killwillforchips – Member
Sounds like kids trying to make tatty old junk sound cool.

I think this may be more to sir’s tastes.

I owned a GTIR for a while, big dent in the roof when I’d finished with it…
Not a Q car though! Cars with big bonnet scopes for the intercooler aren’t sleepers.

How much is the Volvo Flashy?
My favourite colour, low mileage – Still, my beating trousers……..

No price given for that ugly Volvo.

Polo G60?

Surely it’s a G40?

Rusty, it’s price on application. I’d imagine it will go for good money. It’s THE colour and THE spec for the T5R

http://www.formulacars.co.uk/used-cars/27/volvo-850-855-23-t-5r-ltd-edn-estate/

Simon, it is indeed a G40. Slip of the fingers!

Mazda 323 4×4 turbo anyone?
Tweaked mine to a respectable 186bhp ( RR tuned ) . Surprised many car owners on track days , and the police didnt even know what it was . I overtook blasted past an unmarked car who then ‘followed’ me for miles as I got all the traffic gaps and he didnt.
When he finally caught up he had a look underneath at the 4wd system and let me go with ‘ keep the speed down a little please’ comment.
Had a Nissan Cherry Turbo too , slightly tweaked. Torque steer ahoy and a very basic 80’s turbo instalation, was fast though , for a Sunny
Mazda did a 323 GTR with a 1.8t engine, fitted with a rather large turbo charger. Very easy to obtain 250 bhp with a remap only. Trans boxs explode if launched though

b r
3L legacy estate, uncle has one and it is nothing look at wise but will take on most things at the lights.

Hmm, maybe.

I tested one earlier this year and it just didn’t feel like it had either the cc/bhp, or it was heavy, not sure.

The 4×4 drive train takes the sting out of it on take off, and the power band means you have to ring it’s neck to get peak power. When it’s off the line though there isn’t much that’ll sit with it through the corners. A very fast composed car, and much more “Q” than any of the german estates as most people have little idea what it is.

The 2.0 twin turbo GTB has 270-290bhp as standard and older ones have huge cross compatibility of parts with classic impreza’s so pretty much unlimited tuning potential. 2k would get you one, 6k would get a 320bhp minter.

I had an Mk2 Escort on an 1100cc log book, nice and cheap to insure coming back on the road after a DR10. It was spotted for sale by a mate who had helped build up the 1760cc motor etc. A rusty four door saloon that would leave XR3s standing and give a good fight to XR2is and XR3is. Loved that car.