What other marques are you all into?

[Nicebiscuit 655]

I can see that a fair number are confirmed and long-term Japanese car fans, but an interesting question that usually pulls all sorts of weird stuff out of the woodwork. Petrol heads tend to have eclectic tastes.

Me? I've never been down the Japanese route before, despite an eye opening drive in a colleagues Impreza STI, but I do seem have a serial Ford habit (they're all chuckable) and an incurable Saab addiction (they have a 'magic' third gear).

Who else 'plays away' on here car-wise? Any guilty, or not so guilty pleasures?

[Ztox 230]

Renaultsport cars are fantastic for what they are and my last notable car was an Megane R26. Not so keen on their latest cars though... I like old Fords too, mainly Escort RS Turbos and Cossie Sierras. I also like American Muscle but I'm mainly into Jap metal and always have been, focusing mainly on Nissan and Toyota.

 

I also like some VAGs to look at, but unlike those listed above I'd never want to own one from this point forward.

[Nicebiscuit 655]

Agree on the Renaults, but just as I got in the market they really dropped the ball with the new Clio. Playstation car. Last Japanese metal I really coveted was Honda mainly - liked the Accord type R particularly - looked like a minicab - made an epic noise. As for Americana - got a thing for Madmen era mid sixties stuff at the moment. It's really cool, but can't quite shake the feeling that if I owned one I'd have to get into guns and line dancing...

[Ztox 230]

Yea the new Clio is trash imo, the next Megane will probably follow suit haha.

[Hanslow 9]

I have a lower spec Caterham in the garage for sunny days, missus has my old Mk3.5 MX-5, both fun cars to drive.

 

I can't shake a hankering for a Land Rover Defender, so will no doubt end up with one at some point, and if I can get my mits on a 50th anniversary one (or modified one), I can satisfy the desire for a V8 at the same time.

 

My other lusted after marques are a Datsun 240z, 1973 RHD 911 RS touring and a RA28 Celica.

 

So nothing overly modern really

[Nicebiscuit 655]

Oh, the 911 thing still annoys me. When you think what you could buy a chrome bumper 2.4S for in the late nineties.... Never mind - onwards and upwards :-D

[remal 85]

The 86 as much as I love it is the slower of my toys. I have a Tiger Supercat with a 2ltr Zetec running Twin 45's I built 11 years ago and still have it. Also a Fireblade. 

 

I love anything from classic cars, bikes etc...

[JamesP1991 222]

My car taste varies quite a bit, but has evolved from being a big motorsport fan. Anything from Radical's like the RXC, to the Caterham R500, 911 GT3's, E46 M3's, the original Godzilla (R32) that dominated Bathurst and touring cars, to classics like the E Type Lightweights, Carrera RS's and Ferrari 246 Dino's. 

 

My guilty pleasure has always been to own a screaming highly modified N/A Type R or S2000, I don't care what anyone says, A VTEC engine has it's place in the car world  

 

Previously to the 86 I had a bashed up old Punto that I used to get myself around after passing my test. I then went straight to a 325 BMW, was young and stupid and spent far too much money keeping it on the road. I then went sensible for a couple of years and bought myself an Alfa Mito until something interesting came along.  

 

This happened to be the 86 which I have never regretted buying since It is quickly turning into my toy and he first car I have properly modified due to having some spare money to actually invest in parts now I am a bit older! 

 

Fastest thing I have been in on a track? I have driven an Atom 300 pretty hard around Rockingham 2 years ago, and it still remains the best driving experience I have had. 

[Tareim 343]

as above my car tastes are varied, and so have been my car owner ship for that matter which is as follows;

 

Mk1 Clio can't remember what engine but was slow

306 1.4

Mazda 6 diesel (that didn't last long as the engine was bad) I did miss that one when it was gone as it was my first Jap car

back to the 306 above

golf tdi 115

MG ZT-T 2.5 v6

MG ZT 2.5 v6 fully decatted, that thing sounded lovely

 

all of the above cars all seemed to have issues and were fairly cheap so I got annoyed with all of that and wanted something fun and reliable (well more than the above) so my next car was...

 

Subaru BRZ

 

My dream car is the Honda NSX, a supercar that can be driven daily, what more could you ask for? though I also wouldn't mind a well sorted mk2 escort

[tonigmr2 39]

R34 GTR, a mk1 MR2 and a Defender!

[Keethos 842]

Another Renault guy here, started off in a Ford KA for a year straight to a Clio 200 for almost 3 years before changing to the 86.  Was close to getting a Megane RS 250 (or 265 can't remember which verison now) but their promise of 4 years 0% finance with only a 30% deposit went out the window for a 50% (or was it 60% can't remember) deposit when I wanted to order.....so I told them to do one and had a look at the 86.  Wasn't wowed by the test drive but it rapidly grew on me.  Like Ztox, the new Clio is a real disappointment, the 5 doors isn't that big of a deal for me but I know lots of people who hate it because of it, going Turbo again not that big of an issue for me as I've never had a Turbo before but purest again hated the car for it but what really gets me is no wide arches like the previous 2 RS' so now you can't really tell it's an RS, no manual, just flappy paddles, the hike in price and last of all....the stupid exhaust sound generator....we're not talking engine noise piped into the cabin, I'm talking stereo sounds of different cars, GTR's, V6's etc....things you'd expect from a bloody electric car....but it's not an electric car.....WHAT'S THE POINT?

 

Not really an old classic guy, can't see the hype about E-Types, prefer the look of the 2000GT (more proportional), but do like a really old Mustang or AC Cobra, which leads me to wanting an American Muscle car at somepoint (or at least hiring one like a new Camero  ) for their big engines....I know they'll handle terribly.  I'm more of a modern/future car guy, your typical Supercars with Aston Martin Vanquish being the first car I'd buy as my daily while I hunted down Koenigsegg on some sort!

[JamesP1991 222]

Uhhh blasphemy! What's not proportional about this Keith?! haha

[Keethos 842]

Hmmmm meh....that one of the lightweights version? Hear how Jag are creating 8 more of them for a million odd each....but the other owners are calling the copies and not allowing them to join them on track and stuff? Bit harsh considering they are built by and exactly like the originals....supposed costing a mill and a bit for a brand new one would worry the original owners who value theirs at 5 mill.....

[Nicebiscuit 655]

Thought this'd be interesting...

Couple of thoughts... Although the new Renaultsport Clio is a real let down, the cooking diesel model is a decent little car. Torquey little thing with 'wheel at each corner' handling - if you get offered one as a hire car take it. The sin of the Renaultsport is it barely feels any more special.

As for the admission of MG ZT ownership - I've always thought those underrated, and still catch myself looking at them on Autotrader - particularly the daft RWD model with the Mustang V8. Now there's a muscle car... For me though it'd have to be the rarer retired-vicar Rover version. V8 powered sofa...

[Tareim 343]

Yeah the MG ZT is a great handling car for its size, I'd bet the v8 is even better but I couldn't live with the small niggling issues it had

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[Lauren 2259]

Obviously I have an AE86. I got that four years ago. 

[Kodename47 446]

My guilty pleasure has always been to own a screaming highly modified N/A Type R

That was my last car.... 9k RPM is fun and I still miss the sound. I'd still say the favourite car I've owned. Still love Honda, just wish I'd stuck with my original plan of replacing it with a NSX, having been in an NSX-R, but the money for what you get is crazy.

[Quixote 35]

The most reliable and fastest car I've had was my old Impreza...heavily modified but still looked "stock", very satisfying to drive especially with four wheel drifts round corners 

That was followed by an S2000, and I have to agree the 9k redline was a blast.

I had to satisfy a desire to have an M3, so E90 it was, but BMW customer service was awful...miss the V8 a little I have to admit - that linear torque delivery was lovely

 

I'd love to own a '70 Chevelle SS 454, not sure how practical it would be over here though

[JamesP1991 222]

That was my last car.... 9k RPM is fun and I still miss the sound. I'd still say the favourite car I've owned. Still love Honda, just wish I'd stuck with my original plan of replacing it with a NSX, having been in an NSX-R, but the money for what you get is crazy.

Prices for the R version are mental, and an unmolested original example in the UK is rarer than hens teeth. I guess your best bet would be to import one from Japan. A lot of hassle but with the R you get all the lightweight parts, and the gutted interior etc!

I have a couple of friends who have gone the Hondata route with their Type R's. Heavily modified, 9300rpm redline and VTEC kicking in extremely early with the software.. I have to say it is intoxicating and I think the FN2 still looks good, but they also lived at the petrol pump as the fuel costs were stupid. If I were to ever own one I'd just use it as a track thing I can thrash I reckon!

[Nicebiscuit 655]

Those Honda engines are amazing. They're the only (sensibly priced) cars I've heard on the road that actually sound like racing cars straight out of the showroom.

Actually our old Abarth 500 sounded quite nice in tunnels but that was the only good thing about it (other than getting to look at it...)

[JamesP1991 222]

Well the F20 VTEC lump from the S2000 held the production engine HP/L record for a long time, with 120HP/L until it was surpassed by the Ferrari F430 I think it was?

But still, to think Honda were getting 240hp from a 2L 4 cylinder engine 15 years ago is just incredible!

[Kodename47 446]

My Type R:

Started with a B16B, which was crazy for revs. The only B Series near to the F20 in sound/attitude. It ended up with a B18C with lots of bolt ons. Not quite as rev needy or frantic but still lovely. It lacked torque with the B16B but the character was something different and despite being a chavvy Civic was always well respected. It was rare too, which is one of my requirements for owning a car.

[Lauren 2259]

I had a DC2, absolutely amazing car. 

 

The only car so far I've cried over when I sold it.

 

 

That engine, that amazing chassis, the LSD, the feel, it was just incredible. Best handling car I've had. 

 

I may have another one day when I can build my collection. 

[Hanslow 9]

I looked long and hard at the teg DC5 and also the civic FD2, but they hold their money so well I couldn't bring myself to part with the cash. I'd still have one for the right price, but happy with the 86 right now.

 

I had a UK impreza turbo back in the day with a few tweaks, and I do really miss the seating position and the full on sound, hence why I've been scouring over exhaust options recently but will once again have to weigh up sound vs cost

 

Gearbox wise I think I have to rate my old ford puma as one of the best I've used for feel.

[Nicebiscuit 655]

I had a Puma. Lovely car, and although quite different, it's the gap I'm trying to plug with the GT86. Fun at sensible speed, just practical enough and not daft running costs. The gearshift is the one area the GT86 doesn't trump it. I actually thought long and hard about buying another as they go for pennies now, but they're all rusty, and they don't really wear miles...

The amazing thing about the Honda n/a engine outputs is not that they could do it, but they could do it at production volume and apparently without trade off in reliability.

The Yamaha tweaked engine in the Puma was fun, but only 125bhp from a 1.7 and they only got 155bhp I think even out of the 'racing' limited edition. Just shows how far ahead Honda were.