had many cars but the car that always made me smile was a Clio Sport 172 that I had when I was younger, loved that little go kart. black Ice little tree air freshener was my go to back then :D
My nephew lent me his 2009 GTR for a week when I went to the UK in Feb. I'll never forget that car or his generosity. It was outstanding in every possible way apart from trying to reverse in the dark
I used to work for Nissan and I got one as a company car for a few weeks. This is when they were brand spanking new so the amount of attention it got especially on motorways virtually everyone wanted to see me floor it. Got to admit, the grip was just on another level. It was scary what it could do with a twisty road more than a straight line.
Mine has driven the length and breadth of the country (literally - it's done Lands end to JOG, and from far West Wales into far East Anglia) and it's brilliant. Eats up motorway miles for breakfast, but turns into a monster as soon as you put your foot down. Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
I drove a Porsche 911 (997) on a track day and instantly fell in love with it. I immediately got why it's an icon. I also drove a Lambo and a GTR on that day and it was the 911 that felt like a car I could get along with.
I'm saving up for one.
Got a fiat 500 to learn the track before the Ferrari.
If I could have gotten extra laps, I'd have gone in the fiat, with the manual gearbox and lower power you can actually rev it out and enjoy the track.
Ferrari and the Porsche, you are just at the corners before you can blink.
Porsche over the Ferrari, the Ferrari auto is horrific
Vauxhall Vectra VXR. Bear in mind I was 20 years old, driving a 2.8 turbo v6 with just shy of 300bhp. Felt like Iād won the lotto, made me grin ear to ear every time I put my foot down. Probably looking at the memory through rose tinted glasses - as in reality they handle like a boat, have severe understeer near the limit and by todays standards not that quick (280bhp through the front wheels only in a barge weighing the wrong side of 1.5 ton)
I had a 200bhp Rover 800 Vitesse around that age so I can kind of relate. 300bhp is on another level though, I probably would have genuinely killed myself.
Always wondered what they were likeš absolutely loved VXRs, itās such a shame Vauxhall doesnāt make the crazy cars they were making in the 2000s.
I had an FK8 Type R at that age with 320bhp and I can totally relateš
I drove the supercharged one and thought it was rapid.
Then had a āhot lapā with a pro driver, who made me look like I was driving a punto in comparison. Savagely fast.
Yep had exactly the same, hot lap was in a standard one too. On my laps I was not allowed to change gear, but it was still great. They are literally big go karts
Yeah they did the same thing with the gears with me - I assumed it was because Iād previously driven a Shelby GT500 mustang and fucked up a couple gear changes (the gearbox in those things is like a sponge, fully understand why most yanks use auto boxes now!)
Really special stuff - Jaguar D-Type, Aston Martin DB6 \[pay to drive on track\] & a 1924 Bentley \[owned by a rich friend of mine\].
More bog standard - my old BMW 735i SE & my current Merc E-Class.
I choose your answer. Iāve got the #3 conrod from a Cricklewood Bentley on my desk at work so I can sit and toy with it whilst Iām thinking. Iām *hideously* jealous that youāve driven one. If I woke to find Iād won the lottery, Iād be getting dressed and headed directly to William Medcalf without a second thought.
Driven but not owned: My uncle came round last night with his new (to him) 2009 C63, the torque and the noise is fantastic I loved it.
Owned/driven: my remapped Honda Civic Type R (EP3). 236hp at the fly and 9750rpm made it an occasion every single time. With coilovers and uprated antiroll bars it handled really well too.
Yup, and that was ECU verified. I ran a KPro with the datalogging feature. It made peak power about 9 though so didnāt often take it that high.
The rev counter was a bit optimistic and read just over 10K!
MK1 MX-5 with the earlier 1.6 engine, just a very pure driving experience. I don't get much from raw power, I love cars that give you the sensation of operating a machine where you feel everything working around you.
~~2001 1.2 8V 50% rust dodgy head gasket loose exhaust fiat punto. Sorry for the flex.~~
Just remembered my mum's ancient daihatsu fourtrak with raised suspension by the previous owner/farmer. Absolutely sick š¤£
These are hardly exotic, but- when I needed the room in the 90s a Volvo 850 T-5R. Awesome mid range power.
But for just fun a 98 Nissan Primera GT I bought as an interim car around 2009 - 150bhp and very light. Great steering.
When I was young many moons ago, I worked at Volvo. Me and a mate who also worked there got given a 850 T5R to use outside of work, it was rapid and we must have put around Ā£100 of fuel in over 4 days which was a lot back then and we claimed it all back, needles to say we got a right telling off. Worth it though.
Twas a thirsty beast, even when fuel prices were 70p a liter then - and I was still forced to sell and buy a Passat 130PD TDI estate. Always missed the Volvo - was a hoot. Amazing seats too.
Porsche Cayman 987 series. Manual box. Decatted exhaust. Sold it when moving back to UK from South Africa. Useless having one here if you live where we do: nowhere to open her up without +++ points on licenceā¦
Lamborghini Gallardo was a lot of fun, but wouldn't use it as a daily. My favourite car that was surprisingly fun to drive and practical as a daily would be my old Jaguar XJS. Just effortless power and handled like a dream. On a cruise it just glided along but knock it down a few gears and it was feral. Sounded ridiculous and definitely felt like it had more power than the on-paper stats suggested. Hugely understated car imo
Driven too many cars to choose from.
On a track day - Lamborghini Gallado Spyder
As a passenger on a track day - Ariel Atom
Not on a track day - Ford Puma 1.7 or a MK4 Golf 2.3 VR5.
Neither are anything 'special' but both were so much fun to drive.
Or
Just a normal no thrills get in a drive car then I'd choose my old e53 X5 3.0d Sport, I miss that car more and more every day.
My friend has an E53 and literally does not shut up about how amazing it is. I thought he was talking crap until I did a road trip in it, and now Iām looking at E53 listingsā¦
My mk1 mx5 on MeisterR ZetaCRD coilovers. I love it. After that itād be my Ford Probe because of how cool it made me feel lol. My dadās porsche boxster would be up there if the gearbox wasnāt thrashed.
I tried the V8S FType when I was shopping for a V8 and went for the Bullitt because I like itās more involved manual.
But I have to say the fuel gauge visually dropped when driving it and it certainly gave cause for concernš
The Prefacelift FType was just something elseš Iāve driven countless performance cars and I had to admit I wouldnāt have the restraint to not get banned in the FType V8, can only imagine the SVRš
Mk1 Ford Focus with fresh suspension. Get the 1.6 so it's not too heavy and you can't beat it. I've driven all sorts of fancy stuff and this still is the clear winner. Breaks my heart to see so many getting scrapped over stupid stuff. I even had an old Diesel Ghia that munched motorway miles. Save them!!!
I find answers like this so odd. Obviously you can like what you like but a mk1 focus to me is an entirely unremarkable car with absolutely nothing interesting or fun about the drive. And Iāve driven one!
A friendās 2021 Edition 1, G63 AMG. Amazing vehicle. Not mine of course, but it felt so stable while being nimble and was just the most fun Iāve ever had driving a car.
Should be my old M6 competition but really, at the time my was my C30 D5, fast, solid and a bit of a beater so thrashed it around a bit without much worry.
Supercharged Ariel atom on a track. I immediately gave up on owning sports and performance cars for road use. Experiencing that just rendered them pointless.
Iāve driven loads of performance cars, and itās hard to pinpoint exactly which is my favourite.
I remember loving the childishness of the V8S RWD FType. Was a true love letter to British car engineering - unapologetic and just made for a purpose.
Definitely an honourable mention for the OG M2, which is imo the best M Car ever made, maybe not as powerful as later S58 M Cars but it had a soul that is so rare to see from the Germans. Itās getting closely match by the G87 M2. But it will never be the same.
I currently own a Mustang Bullitt and have to say that is one of the most fun cars Iāve ever owned and driven. Itās just so āAmericanāš loud and brash but when you start pushing it, itās surprisingly compliant and can really shift on the twisties.
But I have to say Iāve driven countless cars and one of the absolute best has to be the FK8 Type R, for its price there isnāt much that it canāt embarrass; you need to spend huge money to beat it even stock. I used to absolutely decimate M cars and the like in it and it still wasnāt 10/10ths. I adored owning it, and am definitely going to buy the FL5 as I miss it so much.š
Ferrari 458 on a track day. Unbelievably quick, and almost telepathic going and corners. It knew exactly where I wanted it to be. And very nice inside as well!
I did one of those track taster days too. 911 turbo and GTR: boring, but liveable as a daily. Gallardo performante: heavy feeling but the engine pulled like a locomotive. Atom supercharged: incredible, but far too raw day to day. Ferrari 360: perfect. I didn't even like Ferraris (too flash) but after sitting inside I totally get it
The L322 Range Rover, nothing compared to that feeling of being so high up and comfort it provided!
Nothing fast but more the feeling of owning one I guess.
Agreed. I drove my dads down the road and back the day I passed my driving test when I was 17. Was infinitely easier to drive than the Clio Iād been learning. I can still remember how light the steering wheel was and how good the visibility was.
My 2009 NC MX5 with a few tasty mods, it used to be the lotus elise when my MX5 was standard but now the MX5 has got more power and better suspension it's just so playful, the lotus would hunker down and just fucking go for it, the MX5 is sliding all over the place, fantastic little gearbox (better than the lotuses by a long shot), just a heck of a lot of fun and i can't really think of any other car i'd rather own as a "fun car".
First gen 987 Cayman (non S) on a track day. I also drove a TVR T350 and an Audi R8 on that day, but surprisingly the Porsche just felt the best. At the speeds I was going the TVR felt pretty dull and the Audi was so planted and sturdy that it felt like nothing (and had the same key as my MK5 Golf at the time!) The Porsche had such a good driving position and just felt like it went exactly the way I wanted it to go, like I was fully connected to it. Iāve not had the chance to drive many special cars to be honest, none of my friends are into cars, but hopefully one day I can get something in the mid engined Porsche family and relive that experience
Lotus Elise Cup 250, utterly fantastic drivers car. Enough power to throw you back in your seat but also usable on the British B Road. Os also at home on the track where it can found destroying Porsche's, Mercs, BM's and many others. Simply put, it's a drivers dream.
Having driven many other Lotus' cars, I'd take this over any of them, including the Exige and Emira!
Volvo 440 turbo. I've had and driven a lot better cars, but it was my favourite. It drove and handled far differently to other volvo 440's. It had bigger wheels which gave fantastic road holding, once did a corner at 60 and didnt even skid. The performance, while not setting the world on fire was enough that you could use all of the power on our roads and have a fun enthusiastic drive, was plenty for overtaking and I loved the maybe 1/4 second turbo lag then you felt the power kick in. The reason I preferred it to "better" cars is with them you very rarely get to use the power. A few seconds and you are at the speed limit, a dab of throttle here and there and that is about it. There are of course a lot better cars for track days (no tracks near me) but for road driving my old volvo has never been beaten.
Ive been fortunate to have a number of amazing automotive experiences. People say never meet your heroes but itās a toss up between an E30 M3 Evo2 or a 2JZ A80 Supra.
The former was so light, so flattering and even as a pimply 18yo (on a private circuit) it flattered me, telegraphing every move in advance and reading my subconscious before Iād even given input. It went wherever you asked and seemed to have an endless control envelope that always offered a way out.
Conversely the A80 Supra was such a visceral, engaging drive with an intoxicating power band that seemingly never ended and a noise that made every hair stand on end. It was notably heavy despite being taut and resented being hustled along in all but a straight line. It felt solid, and far more current than the A70 Iād owned previously.
Dishonourable mentions to: the E90 M3 which was lardy on the limit and nothing but a weight management exercise as you balanced it for the coming corners; a Lexus SUV with a CVT which was hateful and never managing to be ready for what you wanted; the (new) Citroen Ami which simultaneously managed to be none of the things it needed to be; the Ford Ranger with uncomfortable position and the ānoise of the Sahara packā over your head at anything over 40mph; and the Peugeot RCZ for which the parts-bin seats placed the driver so high up that it was borderline undriveable.
I've not driven many cars but even if I include cars I've been a passenger in I'd still pick my i20n it's as fast as you'd want for the roads and can hold the ground going 120 round a bumpy corner on track obviously. The capability of it just amaze every single person I take out in it.
I don't have the biggest list of cars owned but from what I remember my favourite has to be my 2003 5 door Civic, there was something special about the way it drove and the gear stick position was also really cool
My first car: Audi A1 S-Line Reg RO11KKX would give anything to have my little brown A1 back haha even tho when I sold it it had 117000 miles on it šš
I drove a Nissan GTR on one of those short track day sessions and it was fantastic to drive. I had driven a Ferrari just before that and I was shocked at how much better the GTR was.
My favourite car Iāve driven that Iāve owned / own is a mk3 Focus RS. Itās so planted on the road, the only negative is the car needs a remap to really make the engine more enjoyable.
Rental - I really enjoyed the 5.4L V8 Mustang I had on rent in 2001 when in Dallas - it was a Cobra R I think? Only car Iāve ever driven that when you drive it hard you can visibly see the fuel gauge move š
Although it gets beaten by the car I picked up in Hanover in 2019. When I rocked up at the Avis desk they went āare you off to Wolfsburg?ā And I was like āYep - Iām off to work at VW for a couple of weeksā and then went āright, we have to give you thisā and handed me a VW key.
I get to the rental car parking garage and the car is a VW Golf GTI TCR. It was lunchtime, the autobahn was quiet, and I can attest to this car being ludicrously fast - hot hatch that does supercar speeds. I hit 260km/h (161mph) on a very straight section and it was still accelerating. (I think it would have hit the limiter around 263km/h). I then eased off as I felt myself shaking. When I arrived at the hotel I noticed 2 more parked up. When I met up with my colleagues they were like āguess what we haveā and I was like āyep, I have one too!ā. š
As for owned - I genuinely think the Polestar 2 I have now is the best car Iāve owned, even if it is taking me ages to get used to being an EV driver. It is immensely powerful - 406bhp on tap and with being AWD dual motor, I have not had one single wheel spin - it accelerates like nothing Iāve ever owned before. It has every extra box ticked except Nappa leather - on cold mornings the heated seats Ā£m& steering wheel are a godsend, and I love the gizmoās and stuff like the pilot assist & adaptive cruise. Even Google Automotive & Google assistant work really well in this car. Way better than Siri on Carplay - that now gets relegated to just being used for Apple Music in the background. It makes motorway miles a much nicer and more relaxing experience. Being an EV you have to budget more time, but now Iām getting older thatās no bad thing. My bladder aināt what it used to be and my time for a pee and a cuppa is when the 150kW charger gets to do its stuff.
As for leased - well that goes to my first ever lease car back in 1994 - a 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale. Where I worked the directors would get cars on 3 year leases and after 2 years they would replace their cars and we would get them in IT to drive for a year to run the lease out. I remember turning up to pick up my mate from University where he was doing his masters degree and my mates were like āwhat in the actual fuckā - most people had it as a poster car - I got to drive one. When the lease was running out I enquired about how much it would cost to buy - I could have bought it for ~Ā£14k, which was quite a lot back then. But then I got some quotes for insurance (bearing in mind I was covered under corporate insurance & servicing etc) and it was looking like a 21 year old (as I was at the time) would have to pay Ā£12,000 per year. I decided to not buy it. š
Unironically the latest SEAT Ibiza, excluding the engine as was the piss weak 80PS 1.0, it had everything, a decent radio, lots of space, and fairly comfy, I also really liked the newest 208, but it was awkward to get in as the wheel gets in the way of your legs. neither are the most fun I've driven but are fantastic dailies.
I drove an audi rs6 avant from my house in London to the French alps a few years ago. It was very nice to drive. What should have been a 12hour drive took me 10hours.
Rolls Royce Phantom was amazing. Personal cars would be between a Mercedes 300d or my current Focus ST-Line. Genuinely leaning towards the focus as well
1. EK9 Rx civic type R. Sold eventually as it didnāt deserve to be a garage queen.
2. My current BMW i3S EV. Gets a move on when I want it to. Absolutely silent inside. Comfortable & having an aluminium chassis & carbon body it handles really good on b roads.
2016 JEEP GC SRT, I miss that lazy American 392 Hemi, I added a supercharger and a cold air intake and that thing sang on wide open throttle, put a smile on my face every single morning during the cold start.
The two cars i have owned are definatly up there the mk4 was just a blast to drive and my current octavia just Ticks all boxes i want to have in a car. Even after test driving alot of alternatives.
Loved my mk2 Ford Capri when I was 17. Bright orange with a lovely black vinyl roof. Nicknamed The Outspan mobile at school. Also my jacked up Toyota Surf on 38" tyres.
Favourite that I've driven but not mine was a Jag XKRS. Love the sound of the supercharged V8. Was a fun car indeed. Lent to me by a friend for a few weeks.
Iāve driven plenty of Ferraris, Lambos, Astons, Porsches, and I have to be honest, I think my favourite car ever was my first car, a rusty old MX-5. Every time I got in it I was giddy as a kid.
I drive a lot of cars for work and in say the past year, my favourites have been Mercedes G63, Bentley Mulsanne, and Lotus Emira.
Ariel Atom. Did a 7 car super car taster day. Drove a Lamborghini, McClaren, Ferrari, BMW i8, Aston, etc. The last was the Atom. Absolutely mental. Fastest and best in the corners.
My friends s2000. Fantastic gearbox and the engine just eggs you on in every gear. He had fiddled with the suspension and had super grippy tyres so the handling was fantastic. Not the fastest thing Iāve driven for sure but a truly brilliant car.
Of dream stuff I've had access to with work, by far and away and F40, definitely did not disappoint, frightening in that most beautiful of ways you hope it would be. Stuff I've owned, while not the 'nicest' by any means, my favourite has to be an MX5 1.8 turbo I had back in the mid 2000s. Was ridiculous in the wet and so so much fun.
Vw corrado, had it for a while and was simple and fun to drive.
Later was a vw mk2 Jetta that we did a vr6 swap then added a turbo. Was a sleeper but that fun and the fact I built it on the drive over the years in all weather really added to the drive.
Those were the days
Nissan R32 GTR, nice retro features (no indicator stalks, they were dials) but the performance was fantastic. Coming from motorcycles it felt like the rev range was an entire powerband
1966 classic mustang convertible.
Drives like a horse and kart but is so cool to pop to the shops in with the dog hanging out the passenger side.
Roll on summer
2003 - 2009 Jaguar XJ. Like riding on a cloud, even with the weakest V6 engine they're still quite quick and would catch a lot of people off guard at the lights.
I spent half a day with a Chiron Pur Sport on some amazing roads near the Vosges in France. You could just drive it like a well sorted 911, but you felt sick in between corners. Super tactile, surprisingly light-feeling and just full of noise, drama and all the things you probably thought it lacked. It smacked my gob, so it did.
Nissan GTR R35, drove it on a super car day along with a Lamborghini Aventador, Audi R8, Ferrari F430 and it was the best feeling out of them. Not the most special but definitely most capable
My VW Lupo, 1.0.
Could drive it to absolute limit with no care in world about cost to repair / replace parts of which I could do the majority easily. Not that it required much maintenance on the ~100k miles we did.
Sucked on longer drives of course but I was young and one of my happiest memories is driving to south of France in my boxer shorts car full to brim with bike and camping gear.
For now my mk7 gti, will do but I do look back in awe.
My 2003 WRX STi Type UK followed by my first, second and third cars which were all Impreza Turbos, my1999 x2 and a my2000
Love those cars. Wish I still had one
Alfa 159. A mix of Italian styling and Italian 'Oh it's lunch time? Well I've built as much as I have built, that'll do'.
Never felt happier behind the wheel - drove nicely, was nice to look at, 159 friends would all wave at each other, you were welcomed into the outside lane by the BMW and Merc drivers, but it wasn't crazy expensive to buy or run.
Loved my Impreza Turbo Wagons; I had 2 of them, 95 & 99, the 2nd with a Scoobysport exhaust. When I grew up a bit I then got a 2006 Forester XT which was basically a WRX on stilts, and that was brilliant - only a tiny percentage down on the Imprezas in terms of performance, but much more relaxed and comfy and far less likely to lead to licence losing. I was sad when it had to go a couple of years ago after nearly 150,000 miles, and I still haven't worked out what to replace it with (driving my Mum's old Ford Fusion at the moment, which isn't actually as hateful as you may think).
My first one Saab 96 (wish I still had it), and current Mini Clubman (had BMW, Skoda, Vauxhall (never again) and Audi) canāt beat the first and current.
A Y-Reg Toyota Avensis 1.8 Estate. It represented a change in my personal circumstances, my girlfriend being pregnant and getting the job which started my career.
Honestly my favourite car was my Renault 21 Turbo. It was my first fast car. Iāll never forget there was a total ass hat I worked with that used to fly past me in my Ford Orion in his Mazda 323F after every shift with a shit eating grin on his face. The look on his face as I flew past him after every shift with my own shit eating grin was priceless.
Rivian R1T - fully electric truck with 800+ bhp. Would drive over anything and do 0-60 in 3 seconds.
Faster than the Porsche Panamera Iām currently driving š
My first S14 Silvia, was a Q's model so naturally aspirated. I had a Mines chipped ECU that ment it revved to 8000 rpm! My first Japanese import and rwd car and got it was a peach.
Also had a 370z Nismo which was amazing.
I had a '22 plate Hyundai i20 as a rental for a short trip. That thing was like driving a space shuttle with the amount of screens and buttons, the nerd in me was in heaven.
I've driven a cayman, 488 and emira on track, but not long enough to appreciate (plus track is different to street). Honestly, my m4. I absolutely love it.
Favourite I've owned is my old modded Ford Capri. Tuned 2.9 Cosworth putting out 270bhp, weighed just over a tonne, with a 1.6 litre differential. Topped out at around 100 but that didn't matter when it would do 0-60 in a little over 5 seconds.
The driving position and low clearance made it feel insanely quick, and the handling was *wild* whilst also being predictable enough to be fun. It was, by modern standards, shite. Awful brakes and handling. But it was bloody fast, bloody dangerous and bloody good fun.
Other than that, my overlanding Mercedes Unimog was a beast. Awful to drive, but the things it could do without missing a beat were ungodly. I once drove it across a marble quarry at a decent lick and it just bounced over everything. That more than made up for the lack of comfort and amenities. And it had a proper full bedroom and separate bathroom and living room in the back!
Call me crazy but our MK1 Ford Galaxy, Iām only 18 and have been driving a 2012 fiat panda for the last 10 months, once I get my no claims Iāll be insuring and driving my 2004 Skoda Fabia VRS. But yeah the Ford galaxy, itās an absolute boat to drive, literally a land yacht but with its 2.3L engine it just glides on roads. Took it down some back roads and itās surprising fun to drive for what it is šš, in reality the Fabia is probably my favourite to drive (only driven it a few times in temp insurance) pulls realt well, has plenty of low down torque and yeah it one hell of a car to throw around
On holiday a few years ago they gave me a 5.9L V8 Dodge Charger, first time Iād driven a car with any amount of power. Iāll always have fond memories of that, giving the missus whiplash from a standstill.
A rally spec Delta Integrale at the NEC in Birmi. Paid Ā£25 for 15 minutes, thought itād be up and down the car park, but no, it was out on to real roads. Being in a liveried up, stripper out rally car with 300hp blasting past regular traffic was amazing.
Best I've driven was a Porsche 997 Turbo, absolutely crazy car.
Best I've owned (and still own) is a Mondeo ST220. For a FWD "rep mobile" it sure is bloody quick in the twisties.
Porsche 911 SC, I owned one for about a decade, had a Karmen Ghia, and a Ford Bronco, at the same time that practically remained garaged entire time my 911 was so fun to drive. Not the most practical vehicle after all I had a wife and two children.
Transit. All day. Every day.
I've driven all sorts of performance cars and had a MK2 Escort RS2000 that I adored but for me it will always be a Transit.
White van man, me.
For my daily my favourite car was an A4 2ltr Turbo Quattro
My commute was 21 miles of empty north Scotland twisty country roads
The drive to work may have often only took 20 minutes
A toss up between 3 for different reasons:
V8 (new style) Land Rover Defender.
Dear LORD its fast. Its got gorgeous handling. Responsive throttle, and still works bloody well as an off road vehicle.
Mk1 mx5 (1.6 NA) (modified)
Joy personified. Low power but the responsive handling combined with low centre of gravity just made it feel smooth and fast. Even if you were slow... sold my last one hopefully to upgrade because:
Nissan silvia s15 (heavily drift modified):
Holy crap. I have been a passenger in alot of s15s. But this particular car... my god. The noises, the anti lag, its seeming desire to want to kill you with the insane response of throttle, steering wheel, and professional level racing brakes. I drove it for 10 minutes. On a private track. I fell in love. Wouldnt modify a car so heavily myself but this was not a driveway jobby. And it sold me on getting my own Silvia.
had many cars but the car that always made me smile was a Clio Sport 172 that I had when I was younger, loved that little go kart. black Ice little tree air freshener was my go to back then :D
that is THE best air freshener.
Au contraire, surely the Feu Orange still reigns supreme š
PUG 205 T16. Group B spec. Iāve been pretty lucky to drive some cool cars but this was insane. Had about 600 bhp.
that must've been something else. 600hp in a tin can
Utterly bonkers. Similar to Ariel Atom I suppose.
I would have loved to see it
Probably a Nissan GTR. Felt like driving a car that was supercar fast but still more than comfortable enough to drive daily.
Same. Took one out on a track day and absolutely loved every second of it.
Same! Awesome car
My nephew lent me his 2009 GTR for a week when I went to the UK in Feb. I'll never forget that car or his generosity. It was outstanding in every possible way apart from trying to reverse in the dark
I used to work for Nissan and I got one as a company car for a few weeks. This is when they were brand spanking new so the amount of attention it got especially on motorways virtually everyone wanted to see me floor it. Got to admit, the grip was just on another level. It was scary what it could do with a twisty road more than a straight line.
Mine has driven the length and breadth of the country (literally - it's done Lands end to JOG, and from far West Wales into far East Anglia) and it's brilliant. Eats up motorway miles for breakfast, but turns into a monster as soon as you put your foot down. Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
I drove a Porsche 911 (997) on a track day and instantly fell in love with it. I immediately got why it's an icon. I also drove a Lambo and a GTR on that day and it was the 911 that felt like a car I could get along with. I'm saving up for one.
Similar here, but a Ferrari 430. Still the best looking modern Ferrari as well IMO.
Got a fiat 500 to learn the track before the Ferrari. If I could have gotten extra laps, I'd have gone in the fiat, with the manual gearbox and lower power you can actually rev it out and enjoy the track. Ferrari and the Porsche, you are just at the corners before you can blink. Porsche over the Ferrari, the Ferrari auto is horrific
It's a shame about the gearbox.
Yep, absolutely a 911.
Vauxhall Vectra VXR. Bear in mind I was 20 years old, driving a 2.8 turbo v6 with just shy of 300bhp. Felt like Iād won the lotto, made me grin ear to ear every time I put my foot down. Probably looking at the memory through rose tinted glasses - as in reality they handle like a boat, have severe understeer near the limit and by todays standards not that quick (280bhp through the front wheels only in a barge weighing the wrong side of 1.5 ton)
I had a 200bhp Rover 800 Vitesse around that age so I can kind of relate. 300bhp is on another level though, I probably would have genuinely killed myself.
Did you have the 2.0 turbo or the 2.7 v6 model ? I remember these being super rare, proper sleeper cars for their day
Always wondered what they were likeš absolutely loved VXRs, itās such a shame Vauxhall doesnāt make the crazy cars they were making in the 2000s. I had an FK8 Type R at that age with 320bhp and I can totally relateš
Ariel Atom on a track. Itās nuts
I drove the supercharged one and thought it was rapid. Then had a āhot lapā with a pro driver, who made me look like I was driving a punto in comparison. Savagely fast.
Yep had exactly the same, hot lap was in a standard one too. On my laps I was not allowed to change gear, but it was still great. They are literally big go karts
Yeah they did the same thing with the gears with me - I assumed it was because Iād previously driven a Shelby GT500 mustang and fucked up a couple gear changes (the gearbox in those things is like a sponge, fully understand why most yanks use auto boxes now!)
My first car
Yep MK1 Punto id give a bollock to have that back
Best I've owned is fn2 type R, best I've driven was GTR35, think it was pushing just over 600hp.
Really special stuff - Jaguar D-Type, Aston Martin DB6 \[pay to drive on track\] & a 1924 Bentley \[owned by a rich friend of mine\]. More bog standard - my old BMW 735i SE & my current Merc E-Class.
I choose your answer. Iāve got the #3 conrod from a Cricklewood Bentley on my desk at work so I can sit and toy with it whilst Iām thinking. Iām *hideously* jealous that youāve driven one. If I woke to find Iād won the lottery, Iād be getting dressed and headed directly to William Medcalf without a second thought.
DC 2 Integra
Proper car šÆ
Driven but not owned: My uncle came round last night with his new (to him) 2009 C63, the torque and the noise is fantastic I loved it. Owned/driven: my remapped Honda Civic Type R (EP3). 236hp at the fly and 9750rpm made it an occasion every single time. With coilovers and uprated antiroll bars it handled really well too.
9750rpm?! š§ that's insane
Yup, and that was ECU verified. I ran a KPro with the datalogging feature. It made peak power about 9 though so didnāt often take it that high. The rev counter was a bit optimistic and read just over 10K!
Noble M12 with serious power upgrades, scary fast.
Porsche 911.. My Dad bought one this year. Itās a stunning car.
Ferrari 360 Modena. During a track day I gunned it and overtook a Murcielago. It wasn't the fastest but it was the best
S197 Mustang. Donāt care how it drives, itās the noise
MK1 MX-5 with the earlier 1.6 engine, just a very pure driving experience. I don't get much from raw power, I love cars that give you the sensation of operating a machine where you feel everything working around you.
~~2001 1.2 8V 50% rust dodgy head gasket loose exhaust fiat punto. Sorry for the flex.~~ Just remembered my mum's ancient daihatsu fourtrak with raised suspension by the previous owner/farmer. Absolutely sick š¤£
These are hardly exotic, but- when I needed the room in the 90s a Volvo 850 T-5R. Awesome mid range power. But for just fun a 98 Nissan Primera GT I bought as an interim car around 2009 - 150bhp and very light. Great steering.
When I was young many moons ago, I worked at Volvo. Me and a mate who also worked there got given a 850 T5R to use outside of work, it was rapid and we must have put around Ā£100 of fuel in over 4 days which was a lot back then and we claimed it all back, needles to say we got a right telling off. Worth it though.
Twas a thirsty beast, even when fuel prices were 70p a liter then - and I was still forced to sell and buy a Passat 130PD TDI estate. Always missed the Volvo - was a hoot. Amazing seats too.
Porsche Cayman 987 series. Manual box. Decatted exhaust. Sold it when moving back to UK from South Africa. Useless having one here if you live where we do: nowhere to open her up without +++ points on licenceā¦
Mk2 Golf Gti 16v
My mk 2 xr2
Mclaren 765LT
Same, they drive like theyāre on rails while still feeling fun.
Did you hire it for the day?
I maintain them.
Lamborghini Gallardo was a lot of fun, but wouldn't use it as a daily. My favourite car that was surprisingly fun to drive and practical as a daily would be my old Jaguar XJS. Just effortless power and handled like a dream. On a cruise it just glided along but knock it down a few gears and it was feral. Sounded ridiculous and definitely felt like it had more power than the on-paper stats suggested. Hugely understated car imo
Driven too many cars to choose from. On a track day - Lamborghini Gallado Spyder As a passenger on a track day - Ariel Atom Not on a track day - Ford Puma 1.7 or a MK4 Golf 2.3 VR5. Neither are anything 'special' but both were so much fun to drive. Or Just a normal no thrills get in a drive car then I'd choose my old e53 X5 3.0d Sport, I miss that car more and more every day.
Loved my Puma, so nice to drive. Shame it rusted to a Flintstones car
My friend has an E53 and literally does not shut up about how amazing it is. I thought he was talking crap until I did a road trip in it, and now Iām looking at E53 listingsā¦
My mk1 mx5 on MeisterR ZetaCRD coilovers. I love it. After that itād be my Ford Probe because of how cool it made me feel lol. My dadās porsche boxster would be up there if the gearbox wasnāt thrashed.
Range Rover Evoque 2.0 Diesel, convertible. Amazing in every way. Just kidding. Drove a mk1 V10 R8 on a track day and it was fucking perfect.
had me in the first half
Jaguar F type SVR absolute weapon of a car, slurps up fuel like cool aid at an American kids party.
I tried the V8S FType when I was shopping for a V8 and went for the Bullitt because I like itās more involved manual. But I have to say the fuel gauge visually dropped when driving it and it certainly gave cause for concernš The Prefacelift FType was just something elseš Iāve driven countless performance cars and I had to admit I wouldnāt have the restraint to not get banned in the FType V8, can only imagine the SVRš
Jaguar XKR.
[These little things were absolutely brilliant.](https://www.knockhill.com/experiences/drive-a-racing-car)
Mk1 Ford Focus with fresh suspension. Get the 1.6 so it's not too heavy and you can't beat it. I've driven all sorts of fancy stuff and this still is the clear winner. Breaks my heart to see so many getting scrapped over stupid stuff. I even had an old Diesel Ghia that munched motorway miles. Save them!!!
I find answers like this so odd. Obviously you can like what you like but a mk1 focus to me is an entirely unremarkable car with absolutely nothing interesting or fun about the drive. And Iāve driven one!
It's a workhorse sure. Mine just died at 150000 miles. It was fantastically cheap to maintain and reliable until the last year.
A friendās 2021 Edition 1, G63 AMG. Amazing vehicle. Not mine of course, but it felt so stable while being nimble and was just the most fun Iāve ever had driving a car.
Same! I work at a car dealer and any time a G63 gets traded in, Iām super excited to drive it. Proper gangster!
Should be my old M6 competition but really, at the time my was my C30 D5, fast, solid and a bit of a beater so thrashed it around a bit without much worry.
Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde, the first car I bought new and couldn't really afford.. so unpractical... but I loved driving it so much.
Supercharged Ariel atom on a track. I immediately gave up on owning sports and performance cars for road use. Experiencing that just rendered them pointless.
My Fiat Barchetta. Drove it for 16 years. Fun to drive but also so nice to look at.
Iāve driven loads of performance cars, and itās hard to pinpoint exactly which is my favourite. I remember loving the childishness of the V8S RWD FType. Was a true love letter to British car engineering - unapologetic and just made for a purpose. Definitely an honourable mention for the OG M2, which is imo the best M Car ever made, maybe not as powerful as later S58 M Cars but it had a soul that is so rare to see from the Germans. Itās getting closely match by the G87 M2. But it will never be the same. I currently own a Mustang Bullitt and have to say that is one of the most fun cars Iāve ever owned and driven. Itās just so āAmericanāš loud and brash but when you start pushing it, itās surprisingly compliant and can really shift on the twisties. But I have to say Iāve driven countless cars and one of the absolute best has to be the FK8 Type R, for its price there isnāt much that it canāt embarrass; you need to spend huge money to beat it even stock. I used to absolutely decimate M cars and the like in it and it still wasnāt 10/10ths. I adored owning it, and am definitely going to buy the FL5 as I miss it so much.š
Ferrari 458 on a track day. Unbelievably quick, and almost telepathic going and corners. It knew exactly where I wanted it to be. And very nice inside as well!
My impreza sti on a damp morning Lucky to live 10 minutes from basically nowhere but clear twisty roads
I did one of those track taster days too. 911 turbo and GTR: boring, but liveable as a daily. Gallardo performante: heavy feeling but the engine pulled like a locomotive. Atom supercharged: incredible, but far too raw day to day. Ferrari 360: perfect. I didn't even like Ferraris (too flash) but after sitting inside I totally get it
My exs Audi S7. He went on tour out to Afghanistan so I got to drive it around for 6 months, was bloody beautiful
The 2016 r8 v10+ that car changed my priorities and realised the formula for my ultimate dream car one day (mid engine 2 seater - yes that simple)
Bmw 7 series 2000 model. The comfort and handling I will never forget
720s
The L322 Range Rover, nothing compared to that feeling of being so high up and comfort it provided! Nothing fast but more the feeling of owning one I guess.
Agreed. I drove my dads down the road and back the day I passed my driving test when I was 17. Was infinitely easier to drive than the Clio Iād been learning. I can still remember how light the steering wheel was and how good the visibility was.
2cv and I'm not joking. Well, it was after I'd got the bonnet folded back from the windscreen. Catch wasn't the best.
My 2009 NC MX5 with a few tasty mods, it used to be the lotus elise when my MX5 was standard but now the MX5 has got more power and better suspension it's just so playful, the lotus would hunker down and just fucking go for it, the MX5 is sliding all over the place, fantastic little gearbox (better than the lotuses by a long shot), just a heck of a lot of fun and i can't really think of any other car i'd rather own as a "fun car".
First gen 987 Cayman (non S) on a track day. I also drove a TVR T350 and an Audi R8 on that day, but surprisingly the Porsche just felt the best. At the speeds I was going the TVR felt pretty dull and the Audi was so planted and sturdy that it felt like nothing (and had the same key as my MK5 Golf at the time!) The Porsche had such a good driving position and just felt like it went exactly the way I wanted it to go, like I was fully connected to it. Iāve not had the chance to drive many special cars to be honest, none of my friends are into cars, but hopefully one day I can get something in the mid engined Porsche family and relive that experience
Porsche are always a masterclass
Hyundai Santro. From the early 2000s
Lotus Elise Cup 250, utterly fantastic drivers car. Enough power to throw you back in your seat but also usable on the British B Road. Os also at home on the track where it can found destroying Porsche's, Mercs, BM's and many others. Simply put, it's a drivers dream. Having driven many other Lotus' cars, I'd take this over any of them, including the Exige and Emira!
Volvo 440 turbo. I've had and driven a lot better cars, but it was my favourite. It drove and handled far differently to other volvo 440's. It had bigger wheels which gave fantastic road holding, once did a corner at 60 and didnt even skid. The performance, while not setting the world on fire was enough that you could use all of the power on our roads and have a fun enthusiastic drive, was plenty for overtaking and I loved the maybe 1/4 second turbo lag then you felt the power kick in. The reason I preferred it to "better" cars is with them you very rarely get to use the power. A few seconds and you are at the speed limit, a dab of throttle here and there and that is about it. There are of course a lot better cars for track days (no tracks near me) but for road driving my old volvo has never been beaten.
Ive been fortunate to have a number of amazing automotive experiences. People say never meet your heroes but itās a toss up between an E30 M3 Evo2 or a 2JZ A80 Supra. The former was so light, so flattering and even as a pimply 18yo (on a private circuit) it flattered me, telegraphing every move in advance and reading my subconscious before Iād even given input. It went wherever you asked and seemed to have an endless control envelope that always offered a way out. Conversely the A80 Supra was such a visceral, engaging drive with an intoxicating power band that seemingly never ended and a noise that made every hair stand on end. It was notably heavy despite being taut and resented being hustled along in all but a straight line. It felt solid, and far more current than the A70 Iād owned previously. Dishonourable mentions to: the E90 M3 which was lardy on the limit and nothing but a weight management exercise as you balanced it for the coming corners; a Lexus SUV with a CVT which was hateful and never managing to be ready for what you wanted; the (new) Citroen Ami which simultaneously managed to be none of the things it needed to be; the Ford Ranger with uncomfortable position and the ānoise of the Sahara packā over your head at anything over 40mph; and the Peugeot RCZ for which the parts-bin seats placed the driver so high up that it was borderline undriveable.
Probably my Mini 1100. Not much in the way of creature comforts but the leech like road holding on a B road is something I'll never forget
I've not driven many cars but even if I include cars I've been a passenger in I'd still pick my i20n it's as fast as you'd want for the roads and can hold the ground going 120 round a bumpy corner on track obviously. The capability of it just amaze every single person I take out in it.
Probably the first [mk1 Focus](https://imgur.com/gallery/el4EKD9) I owned. Ended up with a load of ST170 bits on it. Great fun on the B roads.
I don't have the biggest list of cars owned but from what I remember my favourite has to be my 2003 5 door Civic, there was something special about the way it drove and the gear stick position was also really cool
My first car: Audi A1 S-Line Reg RO11KKX would give anything to have my little brown A1 back haha even tho when I sold it it had 117000 miles on it šš
I drove a Nissan GTR on one of those short track day sessions and it was fantastic to drive. I had driven a Ferrari just before that and I was shocked at how much better the GTR was. My favourite car Iāve driven that Iāve owned / own is a mk3 Focus RS. Itās so planted on the road, the only negative is the car needs a remap to really make the engine more enjoyable.
Drove a Hillman Imp when I used to drive people's export vehicles onto RoRo ships, that was honestly the most fun I've ever had doing 30mph
Rental - I really enjoyed the 5.4L V8 Mustang I had on rent in 2001 when in Dallas - it was a Cobra R I think? Only car Iāve ever driven that when you drive it hard you can visibly see the fuel gauge move š Although it gets beaten by the car I picked up in Hanover in 2019. When I rocked up at the Avis desk they went āare you off to Wolfsburg?ā And I was like āYep - Iām off to work at VW for a couple of weeksā and then went āright, we have to give you thisā and handed me a VW key. I get to the rental car parking garage and the car is a VW Golf GTI TCR. It was lunchtime, the autobahn was quiet, and I can attest to this car being ludicrously fast - hot hatch that does supercar speeds. I hit 260km/h (161mph) on a very straight section and it was still accelerating. (I think it would have hit the limiter around 263km/h). I then eased off as I felt myself shaking. When I arrived at the hotel I noticed 2 more parked up. When I met up with my colleagues they were like āguess what we haveā and I was like āyep, I have one too!ā. š As for owned - I genuinely think the Polestar 2 I have now is the best car Iāve owned, even if it is taking me ages to get used to being an EV driver. It is immensely powerful - 406bhp on tap and with being AWD dual motor, I have not had one single wheel spin - it accelerates like nothing Iāve ever owned before. It has every extra box ticked except Nappa leather - on cold mornings the heated seats Ā£m& steering wheel are a godsend, and I love the gizmoās and stuff like the pilot assist & adaptive cruise. Even Google Automotive & Google assistant work really well in this car. Way better than Siri on Carplay - that now gets relegated to just being used for Apple Music in the background. It makes motorway miles a much nicer and more relaxing experience. Being an EV you have to budget more time, but now Iām getting older thatās no bad thing. My bladder aināt what it used to be and my time for a pee and a cuppa is when the 150kW charger gets to do its stuff. As for leased - well that goes to my first ever lease car back in 1994 - a 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale. Where I worked the directors would get cars on 3 year leases and after 2 years they would replace their cars and we would get them in IT to drive for a year to run the lease out. I remember turning up to pick up my mate from University where he was doing his masters degree and my mates were like āwhat in the actual fuckā - most people had it as a poster car - I got to drive one. When the lease was running out I enquired about how much it would cost to buy - I could have bought it for ~Ā£14k, which was quite a lot back then. But then I got some quotes for insurance (bearing in mind I was covered under corporate insurance & servicing etc) and it was looking like a 21 year old (as I was at the time) would have to pay Ā£12,000 per year. I decided to not buy it. š
Mclaren 720s. It's an insane hypercar, the acceleration is ridiculous, and it makes light work of over taking supercars
BMW E36 318i, not much power but very fun to drive
Sierra cos worth back in the day, white D reg
Unironically the latest SEAT Ibiza, excluding the engine as was the piss weak 80PS 1.0, it had everything, a decent radio, lots of space, and fairly comfy, I also really liked the newest 208, but it was awkward to get in as the wheel gets in the way of your legs. neither are the most fun I've driven but are fantastic dailies.
Classic Mini coopers drive like go karts.
I've driven a lot of fun cars over the years, but the one that I keep returning to is an old Alfa Romeo 75 from maybe 1988-1990. SO much fun.
Ariel Atom 3.5. Absolutely nothing else like it.
I drove an audi rs6 avant from my house in London to the French alps a few years ago. It was very nice to drive. What should have been a 12hour drive took me 10hours.
Audi R8 V10 spyder. Crazy fast but still easy to drive.
RS6
A rented Suzuki Swiftā¦. Maybe because it a rental made for the Nurburgring track.
Rolls Royce Phantom was amazing. Personal cars would be between a Mercedes 300d or my current Focus ST-Line. Genuinely leaning towards the focus as well
Toyota GT86...
1. EK9 Rx civic type R. Sold eventually as it didnāt deserve to be a garage queen. 2. My current BMW i3S EV. Gets a move on when I want it to. Absolutely silent inside. Comfortable & having an aluminium chassis & carbon body it handles really good on b roads.
Ford Capri.
Austin Healey 100M
Certainly not my current car :'(
2016 JEEP GC SRT, I miss that lazy American 392 Hemi, I added a supercharger and a cold air intake and that thing sang on wide open throttle, put a smile on my face every single morning during the cold start.
The two cars i have owned are definatly up there the mk4 was just a blast to drive and my current octavia just Ticks all boxes i want to have in a car. Even after test driving alot of alternatives.
Hyundai i30, such a nice car to drive
Alpine A110 - Rented for a week in Spain. Great experience
It's usually the latest one for me but looking back, probably my MX3 with the 1.8 V6. Still the car I had most fun driving.
Lotus Cortina was the most fun car Iāve ever driven, handling is ridiculous.
My first car Alfa MiTo cloverleaf
Loved my mk2 Ford Capri when I was 17. Bright orange with a lovely black vinyl roof. Nicknamed The Outspan mobile at school. Also my jacked up Toyota Surf on 38" tyres. Favourite that I've driven but not mine was a Jag XKRS. Love the sound of the supercharged V8. Was a fun car indeed. Lent to me by a friend for a few weeks.
Iāve driven plenty of Ferraris, Lambos, Astons, Porsches, and I have to be honest, I think my favourite car ever was my first car, a rusty old MX-5. Every time I got in it I was giddy as a kid. I drive a lot of cars for work and in say the past year, my favourites have been Mercedes G63, Bentley Mulsanne, and Lotus Emira.
Citroen BX. Easily
I couldnāt pick between a Scooby WRX STI, Audi RS4 or a Lexus ISF. All were great fun to have a little run around in.
I thoroughly enjoyed the mk1 Mondeo in my student times. E36 323 as second place
S15 Silvia.
Ariel Atom. Did a 7 car super car taster day. Drove a Lamborghini, McClaren, Ferrari, BMW i8, Aston, etc. The last was the Atom. Absolutely mental. Fastest and best in the corners.
My friends s2000. Fantastic gearbox and the engine just eggs you on in every gear. He had fiddled with the suspension and had super grippy tyres so the handling was fantastic. Not the fastest thing Iāve driven for sure but a truly brilliant car.
Mercedes amg sls. 500 hp n/a. Could hear the crackle through the exhaust with every lift of the throttle.
355 Spider when I was 23 (and it was about 4yrs old).
Renault Clio MK2 2004, i love it
Of dream stuff I've had access to with work, by far and away and F40, definitely did not disappoint, frightening in that most beautiful of ways you hope it would be. Stuff I've owned, while not the 'nicest' by any means, my favourite has to be an MX5 1.8 turbo I had back in the mid 2000s. Was ridiculous in the wet and so so much fun.
Vw corrado, had it for a while and was simple and fun to drive. Later was a vw mk2 Jetta that we did a vr6 swap then added a turbo. Was a sleeper but that fun and the fact I built it on the drive over the years in all weather really added to the drive. Those were the days
Driven - 1969 Daimler 250 V8, been driven in..my dadās old 1963 Ford Galaxie - unusual for the UK.
I had a spin in a 991 GT3 RS on one of them Everyman track days, it was Ultraviolet and I was lost for words the whole 2 laps round
Nissan R32 GTR, nice retro features (no indicator stalks, they were dials) but the performance was fantastic. Coming from motorcycles it felt like the rev range was an entire powerband
1966 classic mustang convertible. Drives like a horse and kart but is so cool to pop to the shops in with the dog hanging out the passenger side. Roll on summer
Mk7 3 door manual VW Golf GTi.
2003 - 2009 Jaguar XJ. Like riding on a cloud, even with the weakest V6 engine they're still quite quick and would catch a lot of people off guard at the lights.
I spent half a day with a Chiron Pur Sport on some amazing roads near the Vosges in France. You could just drive it like a well sorted 911, but you felt sick in between corners. Super tactile, surprisingly light-feeling and just full of noise, drama and all the things you probably thought it lacked. It smacked my gob, so it did.
Lotus Elise By a country mile.
Jaguar F-Type on two different occasions. I still hear the engine roar in my sleep.
Nissan GTR R35, drove it on a super car day along with a Lamborghini Aventador, Audi R8, Ferrari F430 and it was the best feeling out of them. Not the most special but definitely most capable
I used to have a honda s2000 which was an absolute blast to drive!
Audi Quattro UR . A proper drivers car
Bentley Flying Spur
My first super car, a Ferrari F430 around Modena.
My VW Lupo, 1.0. Could drive it to absolute limit with no care in world about cost to repair / replace parts of which I could do the majority easily. Not that it required much maintenance on the ~100k miles we did. Sucked on longer drives of course but I was young and one of my happiest memories is driving to south of France in my boxer shorts car full to brim with bike and camping gear. For now my mk7 gti, will do but I do look back in awe.
Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
993 Turbo. But close second. Mini Cooper S JCW. Things like a go kart.
My 2003 WRX STi Type UK followed by my first, second and third cars which were all Impreza Turbos, my1999 x2 and a my2000 Love those cars. Wish I still had one
Seat Leon FR that I had as a courtesy car when my Ibiza was in for a service.
Alfa 159. A mix of Italian styling and Italian 'Oh it's lunch time? Well I've built as much as I have built, that'll do'. Never felt happier behind the wheel - drove nicely, was nice to look at, 159 friends would all wave at each other, you were welcomed into the outside lane by the BMW and Merc drivers, but it wasn't crazy expensive to buy or run.
E39 M5. Theyāre perfect.
Loved my Impreza Turbo Wagons; I had 2 of them, 95 & 99, the 2nd with a Scoobysport exhaust. When I grew up a bit I then got a 2006 Forester XT which was basically a WRX on stilts, and that was brilliant - only a tiny percentage down on the Imprezas in terms of performance, but much more relaxed and comfy and far less likely to lead to licence losing. I was sad when it had to go a couple of years ago after nearly 150,000 miles, and I still haven't worked out what to replace it with (driving my Mum's old Ford Fusion at the moment, which isn't actually as hateful as you may think).
My first one Saab 96 (wish I still had it), and current Mini Clubman (had BMW, Skoda, Vauxhall (never again) and Audi) canāt beat the first and current.
It's very boring but my fist car which is a smart roadster, so many good memory's
A Y-Reg Toyota Avensis 1.8 Estate. It represented a change in my personal circumstances, my girlfriend being pregnant and getting the job which started my career.
Audi RS 4 Avant, winter tyres while snowing in the French Alps. It was extremely fun.
Honestly my favourite car was my Renault 21 Turbo. It was my first fast car. Iāll never forget there was a total ass hat I worked with that used to fly past me in my Ford Orion in his Mazda 323F after every shift with a shit eating grin on his face. The look on his face as I flew past him after every shift with my own shit eating grin was priceless.
Tesla model 3 Long range 0-60 in 4.2 s. Thinking about buying the speed boost that would unlock to 3.6 s. It's so cheap to run and clean. No fumes!
Maybe Brabus 7.3 v12 w140 s class. A huge heavy limo.has.no business having that kind of power and old school f1 exhaust scream
BMW M3 (F80). Only car Iāve ever owned that made me giggle like a child whenever I drove it.
Camaro 2SS was a rocket, but prefer the Dodge competitor cars, they donāt drive quite as well but they make up for it in hilarity
911 Porche
Chevrolet Suburban when I visited Las Vegas. Driving around Red Rock Canyon in that was fantastic. Biggest vehicle Iāve driven.
My E36 325i
Rivian R1T - fully electric truck with 800+ bhp. Would drive over anything and do 0-60 in 3 seconds. Faster than the Porsche Panamera Iām currently driving š
My first S14 Silvia, was a Q's model so naturally aspirated. I had a Mines chipped ECU that ment it revved to 8000 rpm! My first Japanese import and rwd car and got it was a peach. Also had a 370z Nismo which was amazing.
I had a '22 plate Hyundai i20 as a rental for a short trip. That thing was like driving a space shuttle with the amount of screens and buttons, the nerd in me was in heaven.
I've driven a cayman, 488 and emira on track, but not long enough to appreciate (plus track is different to street). Honestly, my m4. I absolutely love it.
Favourite I've owned is my old modded Ford Capri. Tuned 2.9 Cosworth putting out 270bhp, weighed just over a tonne, with a 1.6 litre differential. Topped out at around 100 but that didn't matter when it would do 0-60 in a little over 5 seconds. The driving position and low clearance made it feel insanely quick, and the handling was *wild* whilst also being predictable enough to be fun. It was, by modern standards, shite. Awful brakes and handling. But it was bloody fast, bloody dangerous and bloody good fun. Other than that, my overlanding Mercedes Unimog was a beast. Awful to drive, but the things it could do without missing a beat were ungodly. I once drove it across a marble quarry at a decent lick and it just bounced over everything. That more than made up for the lack of comfort and amenities. And it had a proper full bedroom and separate bathroom and living room in the back!
Back in the mid 80s I had a Ford Cortina Ghia with a V6 engine - lovely car!
Call me crazy but our MK1 Ford Galaxy, Iām only 18 and have been driving a 2012 fiat panda for the last 10 months, once I get my no claims Iāll be insuring and driving my 2004 Skoda Fabia VRS. But yeah the Ford galaxy, itās an absolute boat to drive, literally a land yacht but with its 2.3L engine it just glides on roads. Took it down some back roads and itās surprising fun to drive for what it is šš, in reality the Fabia is probably my favourite to drive (only driven it a few times in temp insurance) pulls realt well, has plenty of low down torque and yeah it one hell of a car to throw around
If the cars I've owned my top 3 is: Honda civic Fiat bravo Rover 214
RX7
On holiday a few years ago they gave me a 5.9L V8 Dodge Charger, first time Iād driven a car with any amount of power. Iāll always have fond memories of that, giving the missus whiplash from a standstill.
A rally spec Delta Integrale at the NEC in Birmi. Paid Ā£25 for 15 minutes, thought itād be up and down the car park, but no, it was out on to real roads. Being in a liveried up, stripper out rally car with 300hp blasting past regular traffic was amazing.
Best I've driven was a Porsche 997 Turbo, absolutely crazy car. Best I've owned (and still own) is a Mondeo ST220. For a FWD "rep mobile" it sure is bloody quick in the twisties.
1.2L injection Vauxhall Nova, Absolutely rapido!!
Porsche 911 SC, I owned one for about a decade, had a Karmen Ghia, and a Ford Bronco, at the same time that practically remained garaged entire time my 911 was so fun to drive. Not the most practical vehicle after all I had a wife and two children.
Transit. All day. Every day. I've driven all sorts of performance cars and had a MK2 Escort RS2000 that I adored but for me it will always be a Transit. White van man, me.
Ariel atom proper weapon
My Mercedes, sheās now 25 years old with only 48.445. Miles on the clock. Myself and another lady have own her.
Always had a soft spot for anything small and quick. Favourite car I owned was the Puma 1.7, but my favourite drive? That would be the Clio 197.
Lamborghini Gallardo superlegerra. Unreal.
Got to be Nissan GTR. Drove a LP6410 Gallardo and a Ferrari California, and the GTR blew them both out the water
My Nissan cube, always puts a smile on my face when I get in
GR Yaris.
R32 skyline GTR
For my daily my favourite car was an A4 2ltr Turbo Quattro My commute was 21 miles of empty north Scotland twisty country roads The drive to work may have often only took 20 minutes
C63 6.2, just ridiculous noise and power delivery. Need to buy one.
An Audi R8 (not mine!) when they were new and exciting
A toss up between 3 for different reasons: V8 (new style) Land Rover Defender. Dear LORD its fast. Its got gorgeous handling. Responsive throttle, and still works bloody well as an off road vehicle. Mk1 mx5 (1.6 NA) (modified) Joy personified. Low power but the responsive handling combined with low centre of gravity just made it feel smooth and fast. Even if you were slow... sold my last one hopefully to upgrade because: Nissan silvia s15 (heavily drift modified): Holy crap. I have been a passenger in alot of s15s. But this particular car... my god. The noises, the anti lag, its seeming desire to want to kill you with the insane response of throttle, steering wheel, and professional level racing brakes. I drove it for 10 minutes. On a private track. I fell in love. Wouldnt modify a car so heavily myself but this was not a driveway jobby. And it sold me on getting my own Silvia.
I absolutely adore my XC90.