What's your favorite car you've driven more than a few times?

[kentauros]

My father had a 1964 MGB convertible (original owner, too) and I got to drive it quite a lot, using it as my car to commute back and forth to college/university. I learned what it meant to take a curve in that thing and why curves are more fun than anything!

It wasn't difficult to work on, either, other than a few things when we started to restore it (like the heater coil that took almost two days to remove and replace!)

Here's someone else's image of an MGB, in the right color and configuration. My photos of his MG are here but not scanned, so you'll just have accept that we did own one :)




So? Y'all's favorite vehicles that you've driven more than a few times and weren't necessarily the owners, too? If you were, that's acceptable, too ;)

[Forkboy]

1. Audi S-4

There's surely better cars out there, but not one that I've driven.

[kentauros]

2. How'd you get to drive that?

:D

I've been inside of some Top Gear-type cars, but never driven any. What was the Audi like?

[Forkboy]

3. When I was ateenager my best friend's father ran a place called Classy Classics.

He would send us down south to get cars and bring them back up North. I drove everything, from the Dodge Superbee (yeah, baby!), to BMW's, to Jags, to Mercedes, even a Delorean (all show, no go).

The Jags were nice in a comfort sense, the BMW's drove awesome (the car I'd get if given the choice), but the Audi was like a part of me. To this day I've never felt a car handle like that one did.

I'm not a car guy, to be honest. I'd drive a Yugo if it got me to where I'm going to, but the Audi was the sharpest, smoothest, slickest ride I've taken. It handled like a race car must handle. It was like it was taking the turns before I even turned the wheel. Just an awesome ride.

[kentauros]

5. Sounds like just the car to take on the

Nürburgring :D

[JCMach1]

4. Generation 1 Mazda RX-7

The one with the Wankel

[kentauros]

6. I remember that car!

Never knew anyone that owned one, but always thought the Wankel engine was cool.

Any fond remembrances of it? :)

[Forkboy]

7. I'm a good driver, but not THAT good.

:D

[kentauros]

8. Yeah, it is considered a deadly track

:P

[JCMach1]

13. I bought a pampered and garaged one in 1998

Though it was a 1991, it was the most fun I have ever had driving. Wankel engines don't jerk like a piston engine. They are like riding a wave. Like a surfer, it was super nimble and had brakes that saved my a$$ on a number of occasions. It could lay down rubber better than any vehicle I have ever seen.

Of course getting it going on cold mornings was never a lot of fun!

When I move back to the states, I really, really want an RX8.

It was the most fun that I ever had for $2,000. Actually paid for it with a tax refund!

[fizzgig]

9. i haven't driven many cars more than a few times, but...

i drove out to see my mom in summer of 07, an 800 mile drive my 81 volvo wagon was no longer able to make, so i rented a car.

i wound up in a little mazda 3. i have no idea what other people think of it but, for someone who'd been driving that same 81 volvo for nearly a decade, it was a fun little car to drive. had it been a stick, it would have been even better.

my car could do 75 on the interstate...if we were going downhill and the wind was at our back. in the mazda, all i had to do was think about speeding up. i was on the long haul across the nebraska panhandle, looked down at the speedo and was flabbergasted to see i was going 105. eeeeeeeeeeek!

i've made that drive in four or five different cars and that was the most fun i'd ever had.

[kentauros]

10. Cool!

It sounds like the Mazda's were great cars to drive, at least for good fun :D

I took that MG up to 110 and the second time to 105, but that was pushing it. The tach was in the orange and pushing red, so I didn't keep it there more than a minute. That stretch of road wasn't long enough to go that speed for long anyway. You also felt every bump, jerk and even some of the wind leaking through the convertible. But maybe not as bad as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4YNkurhLk :P

[Capn Sunshine]

11. '72 Ferrari Dino-fly yellow

My best friend was a guy who was a commodities trader and bought this car after a great run in the market( honestly for the most part it is a form of gambling and streaks are legend) He then departed the country for an extended stay in the tropics and Japan and left the car in my garage. Knowing a thing or two about Ferraris, I told him it needed to be driven daily, which is true , or it would immediately begin to deteriorate. It was a bit snotty and there was an annoying hiccup around 4000 but it was still a gas. It was almost painful when he returned to give it back and return to my BMW.

[kentauros]

41. I had an engineer friend that had a BMW like that.

I think they were working on it almost every weekend, too ;)

Didn't know that about the Ferrari though it makes sense. A former friend had a car-restoration shop and they were working on Italian cars often. However, he is the owner of one extremely rare Lancia called the Blue Ray, and maybe one or two other ultra-rare Lancias. Never got to drive any of those as they were pretty much show cars. He had a lot of cool cars on his lot, such as the Lamborghini Espada ('72, I believe) as well as a couple of Aston Martins :D

Where'd you get to drive the Ferrari?

[Capn Sunshine]

45. I got to drive the canyons of southern CA and the 101

from here to Santa Barbara was cool; out to the Santa Ynez wine country was epic.

[Initech]

12. I just test drove a Hyundai Genesis coupe last week.. Bad ass.

[kentauros]

39. Not having driven anything new since 2004,

or higher end than a Honda Civic, what's it like getting used to all the controls on the steering wheel and dash these days? I think I'd have to spend a week driving around empty parking lots before I'd be confident operating the car on regular roads from all the controls I've seen just on steering wheels these days! :o

That's a nice-looking car, though, and seems to be engineered well :D

[Initech]

46. Not bad at all.

I drive a 2007 Nissan Altima currently and the controls on the steering wheel take a bit of getting used to (before that I drove a bare-bones Pontiac Grand Am) but it's pretty nice. I like being able to access the phone, navigation system and radio all from the wheel.

The Genesis Coupe was bad ass, but after driving the Kia Optima today, I loved that car. I really want to get the hybrid model.

[EOTE]

66. Definitely the most coupe you can get for your money today.

And a HUGE improvement over the Tiburon. Not only that, but the base engine option (turbo-charged 4 cylinder) is the better bet if you're looking for a tuner. With a few hundred dollars in parts, you can get the 2.0T to beyond the performance of the V6. And with a good amount of power and a great RWD chassis, BMW/Lexus/Infiniti/Mercedes should really be watching over their shoulder. I've driven in a new BMW 128i and the Genesis was every bit as fun to drive and had a better appointed interior.

[Skip Intro]

14. I had a VW Fox for a few months. Standard. I got to work and back.

I can't drive a standard, but I did. Crazy little car. The VW Fox. I kinda miss it.

[kentauros]

27. The first car I ever owned was a VW Fox wagon.

Standard shift, light, rugged and really fun to drive! I'd still have it even now if I hadn't wrecked it thirteen years ago...

[HopeHoops]

15. My '68 Galaxie 500 fastback - Grandfather bought her new and I still have her.

[kentauros]

38. So, have you driven to other galaxies in it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE_sjuYvd0o&feature=related :P

I knew the name, but had to look up images. Cool car, and it's always best to keep them as long as possible :D

[HopeHoops]

52. No other galaxies, but a buck twenty is pretty close to space travel.

[elleng]

16. LOVED my VW Rabbit '79. HAD 4 doors.

http://image.eurotuner.com/f/12651223+w750+st0/eurp_0812_11_z+Jason_Clement_1979_VW_Rabbit+rear_view.jpg

[kentauros]

37. And I'm guessing it wasn't the pictured "slow-rider" either

:P

What color was it? :hi:

[elleng]

40. No 'slow-rider,' and as pictured, 'bronze.'

[fizzgig]

54. we had a 77 rabbit when i was younger

little two door, neon lime green. i drove it once or twice when i first got my license and was learning to drive a stick. i kind of wish i'd gotten to drive it a bit more.

[Iggo]

17. Chevy Chevette. (I'm not kidding!)

It had this little 3 speed automatic tranny that was perfect for flying up and over funner hills like Fullerton Rd or Hacienda.

And that I did.

That I did.

[kentauros]

28. Hey, if it's fun to drive,

then that's all that matters! :D

[JCMach1]

65. Uggg! worst car I ever owned was a 1981 Chevette...

Overheated on the way home from the lot! Went through God knows how many starters. Oil leaked horribly... Had to put in almost a quart a week.

Horrible horrible horrible.

[hobbit709]

18. Back in the early 70's in Italy I got to drive one of these once

My car at the time was a Triumph GT6

Mine was white

[kentauros]

36. I don't know cars well enough to know what the first one is,

but I'll bet it was a treat to drive it :D

I never drove a Triumph, though I'm guessing it probably wasn't much different than the MG in that respect.

[hobbit709]

49. Dino Ferrari

[old mark]

19. I had a Fiat Spider convertible, 5 speed, 2 barrel Weber carb...Dark blue...

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1001552603010978130gSpYhHTYJc


Chrome wire wheels, Nardi steering wheel. Had it up over 130 MPH, still had pedal left, but no more nerve. Had it several years till my ex drove it while drunk, and totaled it...she walked away unhurt...


mark

[kentauros]

35. I tell ya, driving fast takes a LOT of nerve!

The curves just make me focus on what I'm doing more, but driving really fast gets me worried, especially about road-debris, and other road-based hazards. Unless you know a particular stretch of road by heart, it's probably best to take that kind of thing to a track. I'd love to do that, but high-speed isn't as interesting anymore.

That's too bad the car was totaled, but good your ex wasn't hurt. That's a nice-looking car :D

[Curmudgeoness]

20. I bought one of the first Mazda Miata's, and will never forget it.

That was such a fun car to drive, and I totally understand why you loved curves. That car was a treat to drive.

[kentauros]

29. I was talking with my brother over the holidays about drving in America.

Not that we've ever lived anywhere else, just what we've both observed: Americans are, in general, afraid to truly drive their vehicles. I was telling him about this one VW dealership I'd been to where the salesman was relating how one of their salesmen (or maybe he was the parts manager) used to take potential customers out for test drives. He was also a professional racing driver, so you can imagine how he took the curves on cloverleafs. Such as fast enough to have one wheel off the ground! I'm guessing the reason he didn't take customers out for test drives again was that too many were simply afraid of that kind of driving. His own story was similar, only from the perspective of the saleswoman.

He lives in Austin, Texas, and there are some good curves there, too, probably more than here in Houston, due to the hills. One such curve is a U-turn on one of the freeways there that isn't at an intersection, so no problem with merging traffic at the end of the turn. When he was test-driving his VW Golf, he took the turn maybe a little too fast, but the Golf gripped it perfectly and that was what sold him on buying it. However, he could see that the saleswoman was practically digging her fingers into the door panel from fear. She probably had no idea what that car could do on a curve until that day! :rofl:

[Curmudgeoness]

61. I love that story. Wish I would have had that guy take me for a ride.

I didn't have the nerve to take the curves that fast, but I have never had a car before or after that I felt comfortable going fast on curves. That Miata made me feel like I was on a straight road it was so effortless.

Funny that you say you are in Houston. That is where I lived when I had the Miata. In fact, when I moved back north (what was I thinking?!?!?) I traded the Miata in on a station wagon. A convertible in PA is as useless as tits on a boar hog.

[Angry Dragon]

21. 1967 Mustang, 289, 3-speed on the floor

it liked curves

[kentauros]

34. I'm sure it did

:D

And I'll bet it loved curves with a driver willing to take them ;)

[mopinko]

22. i owned a very rusty, thoroughly used 240z. i loved her.

for all her body rot, she was like riding a tiger. it was great for the year or so that i owned her. i used to drive to chicago from the burbs where i lived (40 miles) just so i could glide up and down lake shore drive. in the end, tho, the unibody rotted and i had to send her to the bone yard.
broke my heart.

[kentauros]

33. Aww that sucks.

Still, great memories and it may lead you to something else later on that steals your driver's heart :D

[mopinko]

51. i also had an old benz, and would love to own a good one.

but omg, the repair bills. the parts! ugh. and it wasn't just because it was old. my bil had a one that was just out of warranty, and he sold it shortly after he had to get a couple things fixed on his own dime.

i would like to have a sports car, tho. i was looking at a gig that required long commute for a while, i was determined to replace my old truck with something that would bring me some joy. the whole thing didn't happen, but i will be getting rid of the truck in the spring. i survived my midlife crisis, it is time to get a sports car. i like those little 2-seat beemers. and i still drool at the new z cars, even tho my son tells me they suck.

[flvegan]

23. Honestly, I have to say my Mazdaspeed 3.

I really thought about this, and I've driven an awful lot of high end cars. I've driven a Countach 5000QV, a 308 and 328, a Testarossa, 911s, an AMG Hammer, Rollers...all kinds of high-end toys multiple times. Every single one of them falls short in at least one category compared to my MS3.

Easy to maintain, rare, safe, great handling, can carry my Great Dane and 70 lbs of dog food, gets 25mpg (even though I drive like an idiot), has held its value like I didn't expect, and every time I mash my foot on the go pedal, the boost puts this ridiculous smile on my face. It does every single thing, and that's why it's my favorite. My 1987 Grand National would have won this, but anti-locks and airbags pushed it to second.

Take that, Ferrari.

[kentauros]

30. "even though I drive like an idiot"

:rofl:

Well, we probably drive better than most, such as doing the little stuff of paying attention, knowing where all the corners of our respective vehicles are, knowing what sounds we're hearing from the car and what they mean and so on. We may look like we're driving like idiots to the rest of them, but I'd bet we're all safer drivers than most due to the little things we care about.

I could probably get better mileage out of my Civic, but I'm like you in that I love its fast starts and somewhat good handling of the curves. It's not as good as I'd like, but I have yet to be worried about anyone keeping up with me on a fast curve or corner ;)

[flvegan]

44. When I say that I drive like an idiot

as you know, I mean that I've got my foot running deep. I agree with you that we probably do drive better than most. I don't even have the radio on 99% of the time. I talk myself through a lot of traffic. I think about clipping an apex, about how much "runway" I have to pass someone. Mileage stats are for idiots. No matter what you drive, just DRIVE. And enjoy it.

[triguy46]

24. My weekend driver. Its everything you would expect it to be.

Unfortunately, owning a Boxster is telling the world you cannot afford a 911.


<a href="" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[triguy46]

25. Spec Racer Ford.

I'm in #12


<a href="" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[kentauros]

31. It's the Stig!

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[Capn Sunshine]

47. Seeing that reminded me of one of our great projects

We found this car- which we believed to be a works racer, possibly Peter Schuster's pictured above. It looked exactly like this.It had these numbers. It was in a garage in a home undergoing renovation. The owner sold it to us. WE determined to put it on the street. That was something else. To convert a racer to a street car invloves more than you would imagine, but we got it on the road. After like ten grand and a million hours. Even then girls did not understand the lack of interior and stiff go cart high ride.Not a good date car. We paited it white, with White DEEP Alpina rims. I was a partner in a disco then, maybe you saw me on the 5 or the 170 at 3 in the morning heading home. That late taking the transition roads in full drift was something to experience. These days, I would just take it to the track.

Spec Ford takes some deep pockets, amigo. I genuflect to your wherewithall.

[elias49]

26. I own a '1997 BMW 540I that STILL gives me an emotional boost

when I drive it. My god, what a car!

[kentauros]

32. And that's what sets you apart from the ones that are buying the badge alone.

I had a thread here a couple of months back where I was complaining about getting stuck, one after another, behind slowpoke drivers of BMWs because they weren't driving their cars, they were "operating" them. Flegan set me straight about those types not driving them for the fun, but the prestige, and he's absolutely right.

[Kat45]

42. My first car was a '67 Mustang, V8

I loved that car! And boy could it move! Everyone always wanted to drive it, and everyone wanted to steal it. It got broken into several times, but fortunately I knew some of the kids in town, and when they found out it was my car, nobody bothered it again. It also broke down a lot. But I loved that car.

[Common Sense Party]

43. Weird choice, but I loved driving a Peugot pickup truck--5 speed in the tree

Had amazing get-up-and-go, which was important in dodging the crazy drivers in Buenos Aires.

The best part was having the manual gear shifter up on the steering column. That was a blast.

[Mendocino]

48. 66 Ford Fairlane 289 V-8

First car I bought. Long may you run.

[bluedigger]

50. My current ride, actually.

'06 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The ride is on the rough side, the handling is average, at best, it has no top end, no power windows, doors, or locks.



It takes me wherever I want to be.:)

[Auggie]

53. Opel GT

How I never wrapped it around a tree is a miracle.

[Capn Sunshine]

55. I LOVED those things

Baby Corvette. Try to find one today.

[kentauros]

56. My brother had one of those.

'72 or '73, I think. Bright lime green. Twice while he owned it, he got hit by people that said "I didn't see you." How do you miss a bright lime-green anything?! And this was long before the major driving distraction of the cell phone ;)

I think I drove it once or twice, but couldn't get used to something about the shifter. I guess I was just too used to that MG by then.

[Xithras]

57. 1965 Aston Martin DB5

Yep, the same kind of car James Bond drove in Goldfinger.



My uncle bought it from a guy in LA in 1981 for $1500 after it had been wrecked on one side and partially stripped for parts (about $3500 in todays inflation adjusted dollars). He spent three years diligently collecting parts for it and repairing the damage. He was very proud of the fact that there wasn't a drop of Bondo on the car when he was done, and that he was only into it for about $15,000 when he rolled it back out onto the road.

He showed the car in competitions, but always hated "trailer queens". He insisted on driving the car to shows, and when the weather was nice liked to drive it around town. Awesomely for me, he also wasn't shy about letting me drive it...with HIM in the car of course :)

He ended up selling the car in 2002 when he retired. I don't know how much he got for it, but it was enough to eliminate his mortgage and other debt completely. My guess is that he got at least $75,000 for the car, but he doesn't discuss it.

[kentauros]

58. Great story for a great car!

:D

Did you listen to spy music while you were driving it, too? ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN8GcRGNWe4

[Xithras]

60. LOL! Actually, YES!

My uncle had a CD with music from various Bond movies. The car was equipped with its original radio, but he liked to toss his portable stereo in the back and crank it up every now and then. It was a fun car to drive, and everyone always instantly recognized it as "the Bond car" :D

The DB5's used in the Bond movies were actually 1963 models, but unless you were an Aston Martin aficionado, you couldn't tell the difference.

[alphafemale]

59. Triumph Spitfire

It was my much older brothers. I did only drive it a few times. But. Want.

[Bombero1956]

62. what I drive now

2006 Mustang GT. When I first bought it I wasn't so sure I'd like the convertible top because my experience from riding in them when I was a kid was that they were noisy and drafty in cold weather. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that modern ones are very quiet and very fun in nice weather.

[REP]

63. Same answer, different car :-)

2008 350Z GT. I've had it since it came of the boat in 11/07.

[hayu_lol]

64. Ah, memories...

Triumph GT-6, Mk I Took it from stock to stage IV screamer for SCCA track use.

Fiat 600 ABARTH twin cam.

[Bake]

67. '97 Toyota Supra Limited Edition

Or as my son calls it, "she whose name shall not be spoken."

Wish I still had that one! She was fine. And fast.

Bake