Having looked at some of the replies to the similarly named reliability thread, I was almost struck dumb with horror at how incredibly dull some of the cars were, which people felt they had been forced to in a quest for reliability.
So I thought it would be interesting to look at it from this angle, and see what we find.
It doesn't have to have been fast or handled brilliantly, it just has to have entertained you as well as been a method of A-B travelling.
For those of you who don't believe that a car should be fun, there's no need to answer this thread ... although I'm sure you will anyway ;)
Here's mine:
Most fun - Alfa 145 Cloverleaf
Not the quickest car I've owned, but very good proof that that's not what it's all about. Put's a smile on my face when I see her, put's a smile on my face when I drive her. Perfectly capable of giving you an entertaining drive within the speed limit and without endangering myself or others.
Least fun - Vauxhall Astravan
And I've owned a Volvo 440, so it must have been dull!
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Most fun: Leon Cupra (current car)
Least fun: Vx Astra 1.4L G-reg
Least fun car I've ever driven but not owned: Vx Vectra 1.8LS N-reg, in white!
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most fun... has to be my spider. ( altho' my GTV would up there as well)
Fast enough for a spirited drive, cool enough to cruise in and look very cool while doing so.
Least fun .. Ford Orion 'nuff said
JaB
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Least Fun - Merc C200
Most fun - Citroen BX GTi 16v
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I'm going to exclude the 911 because that's not fair.
Least fun: the Montego. Constant worry that it might stop. Soggy. slow.
Most fun: 1998 E36 BMW 323iSE manual. Pinsharp handling, perfectly balanced. Enough ooomph, easily. Gears & clutch were perfection itself. Drove it 70k miles in three years and loved it. Almost cried when I said goodbye, although I grew to love its replacement.
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Most fun: Pug 205 GTi- highlights of ownership included overtaking a BMW M3 at the Nurburgring.
Least Fun: Fiat Punto non-turbo diesel van- my first company car and the first car I ever had a 4 wheel skid in, directly into a snow bank causing no damamge whatsoever. Wheel bearing did seem to whistle after that though.
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Most fun - my old Alfasud 1.3 Ti - the combination of 'Sud handling, not quite enough power and (relatively) skinny tyres made it, well, perfect! Even the rust was under control - sadly written off by an errant van driver. :o(
Least fun - 1997 Toyota Avensis 1.8
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Least fun - Ford Ka leant to me while car was at bodyshop a few years ago.
Most fun - currently my integrale. Might all change when I get my new toy next week :-)
teabelly
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Least fun the 1.1 Mk 3 Fiesta.
Most fun - our current smart car. Not particularly quick in a sprint, but sticks like a go kart and can cause a few raised eyebrows when you are steaming down the outside lane of the motorway!
Still attracts plenty of attention and opening the roof from the remote while someone is peering inside always raises a few laughs - but not with the people who think they have done something to the car to make it open!
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Least fun: Austin Aggro 1750 sport. Roly poly handling, frightening handling near the limit, and more faults in the nine months I owned it during 1984 than all cars since added together.
Most fun: If it's just pure, undiluted, 'woo hoo' then it has to be my Honda Hornet 600 motorbike. Brilliant sportsbike dynamics that anyone who has never ridden such a type of machine will never comprehend, decent pillion perch for the missus to join in on our frequent trips together, and looks to die for. If I must choose a car though, then that would be my 1984 MG Metro that replaced the Aggro. Fun from the word go, and a complete blast by the time I had finished modding it (some quite serious dosh) seven years later. Sold with much sadness at eight years because of substantial structural tin worm.
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Most fun: (at least on the smileometer) my 1984 230TE MB in a fetching cream. So cheap I couldn't get over it; such build quality; doors that clunked properly; and best of all that bonnet - elegant curves, refined lines & a star perching on the top of it. I worked out why the Wise Men followed the star.
Least fun car ever driven: 1.1 little Fordy thing, from car hire place with auto box. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Oh and the A Class from Stelios was a miserable drive on the motorway - but it rates on the fun scale for other reasons!
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Most fun, Caterham Seven Supersprint
Least fun, probably a 1.o Fiesta I owned when I had so little no claims and was too young to afford insurance on much else.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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Most fun; Citroen BX 16 valve - main road pest one minute, roomy family hack the next.
Least fun; Volvo 760 estate - comfortable (except for the unfortunate children in seats 6 & 7 in the boot) but so dreary.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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1954 Mercury Monterey V-8 in black with green tinted windows and green naugahyde inside. Big chrome rocketship nacelles on the massive chrome front bumper.
Why was it fun? Simple. (a) it was a helluva chick magnet just to look at -- alright alright I was a bit younger and somewhat less shop-soiled then, and (b) take a bend a bit sharpish and let it wallow on its soft suspension, while the date of the night slid inexorably into intimate bodily contact across the front bench seat. No seat belts then. Barbara Lesley where are you now?
Least fun? My goodness I blush to admit this. I arrived at Gatwick more or less unannounced on a business trip sometime in 1985 and the best rental I could get was a Vauxhall Nova, not having booked anything beforehand. The dinner and night of passion I had been looking forward to with Amanda was instead one of chill and disdain and is this the best you can do. Not even lashing out on a bottle of Brut could thaw the lady.
A cold shower would have been preferable.
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Most fun - Current (04) Audi A3 2.0TDI Sport. Holds the road like nothing else on earth and has tons and tons of power and phenominal midrange response. I feel I reach my "limit" before the car reaches its limit.
Least fun - 1999 (S) Golf TDI Auto 90 Mk4. This was a terrible buy, witness it only stayed with me a couple of months. The gearbox was lousy, and couldn't decide what decision to make about 2nd or 3rd at 30mph, No power so it didn't really accelerate at above 50mph, thirsty as heck and the Mk4 Golf is possibly the worst driving car on the roads, you picked up a wheel going round any roundabout/corner at speeds that the Mondeo in front barely rolled at. Naff car.
Chris
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Most Fun: 1978 Dodge D100 pickup.400ci (6600cc) engine from a pre emission strangled big block Mopar-never did find out what it came from.33x12.5x15 rear tyres would spin at 40mph if you nailed it,and it had twin dualie exhausts,exiting either side of the truck,just behind the doors,pointing upwards.If you got it right,you could blow Saxo drivers hats off at the lights,or if you were feeling naughty,you could lift up ladies skirts when passing by,with a well timed blip!
Least Fun.I've never bought anything that wasn't fun,or didn't have a hidden talent somewhere,even a Skoda Favorit I once owned had beatifully controllable lift-off oversteer on demand.Probably the car I've least enjoyed was an E28 model BMW 520i,horrible steering and suspension,but fun in the wet if you were in the mood.
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Least fun: Astra TDi; works pool car left me feeling numb due to the feeling of detatchment from any sense of control......like being suspended in jelly I imagine!
Most fun: Polo G40 (slightly modded); neck wrenching performance from what most people see as a 'shopping car'. '80s technology that still shames modern hatchbacks (and a number of 'proper' sports cars too!!)......and all this from a 1275cc engine.
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Most Fun: Alfa 156 Sportwagon of course. :o)
Least Fun: VW Vento 1.6GL. Sluggish performance, putrid interior and a wallowing gait that made me want to rename it the HMS Vento.
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Most Fun
Peugeot 309Sri - stealth Pug 205GTI fun
Least Fun
Suzuki Alto
Fun in a thrashable way - really light, bouncy and horrendous brakes
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309 - now there's a car I lusted after and I ended up getting a Chavalier SRi. Whooops.
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Most fun? First car- a 1961 Ford 100E Popular, side valve, 3 speed, bought in 1972 for £50.
Small Mountney steering wheel, diy Stromberg conversion with a pancake air filter, Riley 1.5 leather bucket seats and cheap Blue Peter remoulds. Oversteer on demand on roundabouts.
When I was more flush a VW Corrado G60 scared everyone for a while. Was 100% reliable but no more fun than the old Ford.
Least fun? A new 1600cc VW Golf Driver Mk II.
Absolute slug on motorway hills . Swapped it for a similar GTD, which went better but steering was heavy and understeering.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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309 - now there's a car I lusted after and I ended up getting a Chavalier SRi. Whooops.
If only you had held on a bit longer, you could have thrilled yourself with a Vectra instead of the Cavalier! ;-)
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Most fun - my current impreza Turbo, obviously.
Least fun - Partner's Fiesta 1.3 'Classic'. Ghastly, horrid thing with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
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Least fun - 1990 VW Polo 1L Hatch. Austere interior, feeble engine, wasn't VW rock solid, got a £600 repair bill just before going on holiday, great.
Most fun - 1972 Rover 3500S. Now gone but the pick up in 2nd and 3rd was always a joy, nose slightly up as the engine snarled making it feel like it was going much faster. The pitch in the turn and driving the car with a couple of fingers on the 18'' steering wheel, arm resting on the open window.
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