Or been in?
For me it would be a friends brand new 911 - I only got to drive it about 2 miles, but it was by far and away the nicest bit of kit I've had a go in.
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New Jaguar XJR - blown 4.2 V8 delivering 400 bhp.
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Did someone say a Mondeo TDCi yet?
Subaru Impreza WRX STi
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I've been a passenger in a dodge Viper GTS R10 and in an Aston Martin DB7 Cabriolet. Both quick and comfortable.
I've also driven Caterham 7's, 911's Imprezzas and a few other genuinely quick cars.
The best of them has been the Imprezza turbo, just becuase it combines some practicalilty of a four door saloon with extreme handling.
--
I read often, only post occasionally
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I've only been driving a few years so the nicest car I've driven was my dads 2002 BMW 325i was pretty snazzy.
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Erm... believe it or not a Cavalier SRI.
It had more than enough raw power for UK roads, it handled OK but not that well so white knuckle moments were many and regular. It was cheap and cheerful so you didn't bother where you parked it. It was well... just fun...
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Probably a Dax Rush, looks very similar to a Caterham or Westfield but this one has a bit more bite - it's powered by a 400bhp Cosworth engine and has the full 4x4 running gear.
It is very quick and handles superbly.
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Mk1 VW Golf GTI.
Why? In 1976 It was a thought provoking revelation. I drove one of the first R/H drive ones at a track day. On finding out the brakes were rather poor I steered into the corner with hope rather than expectation. The reality of such a sweet car cocking up a rear leg like a dog at a lamppost and going round the corner at impossible speeds on three legs reminds me of how far car handling has progressed.
For that reason it remains the best car I have ever driven.
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Too many to relate, but the Mercedes S-Class 320 CDi and the supercharged Jaguar XJ6 both provided staggering levels of pace, grace, handling and outstanding comfort.
On one occasion I did more than 1,000 miles in two days in the S-Class and was as fresh as a daisy on return, despite a night on the black and white stuff you drink from big (pint sized?) glasses and quite a bit of red wine between the outward and return sections...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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I drove an 600SL in ''92, one of the first in the country. 408bhp 6.0ltr 48 valve V12 silky smooth rocket ship, great fun with traction switched off. The engine was later reduced to (IIRC) 380bhp by emmisions regs.
Though most fun, I guess an Elise 135 at the Lotus test track.
Someone is going to say it so why not me, yes my Mondeo Ghia X TDCi has been pretty impressive over 92,000 miles, not 100% problem free though it still drives as it did when it was new and after a quick wash from 10ft it looks like new.
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>>afterr a quick wash from 10ft>>
If you got closer it might look even better...:-))
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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>>afterr a quick wash from 10ft>> If you got closer it might look even better...:-))
It's my long arms, oh and no I am not a Policeman.
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Vicarage MKII 3.8 Jag, BMW 3.0CSL, Impreza turbo but probably BMW 330d auto for its immense abilities.
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Subaru Forester XT!
Mind you, what do you mean by best?
Most comfortable - Peugeot 605
Most unusual - toss up between NSU Ro80 and Citroen SM
Most reliable - Honda Accord 4WS
Fastest -BMW 730i
Best handling - Ford Escort Mk 1 - great fun!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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"Mind you, what do you mean by best?"
by best I mean, um, best. A car you have driven that made you think, this is the best car I've ever driven - doesn't mean fastest, comfiest or most reliable - just whatever you value as being the best.
Don't think I've ever used the word best as much, and it starts to sound silly when you write it enough times.
Here's another, try to say 'Beer Can' without sounding like a Jamaican saying 'bacon'.
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The most fun was probably a Fiat X19, I loved that thing.
But as for the "best" car, I dunno. It definitely wasn't a mondeo though, of that I'm sure. Perhaps a current S Class.
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The most fun was probably a Fiat X19, I loved that thing.
yeah!!! someone else!!
The most "complete" "balanced" car I've ever driven,just enough power,just enough grip,just enough brakes,and small enough to run rings round everyone else!
Most fun was my old Dodge D100 pickup,with a tuned 400 cube big block. That thing would smoke tyres for fun! 8mpg though...
I now have a few cars,X1/9,Pontiac Fiero,Range Rover,Alfa 146,but if I have somewhere to go,I always seem to end up taking my old C200 Merc.I'm new to Merc ownership,and I don't think I'll ever be without one now.HATE that parking brake though...Inching forward at an uphill junction with the caravan in tow is either "riverdance" or burning clutch..
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My own supercharged 1991 VW Corrado G60. Very fast and never let go of the road ,going as fast as I dared. Sold it after a year while the going was good.Have a bike for that kind of performance nowadays.
In its day , my Dad's 1968 Sunbeam Rapier H120 (Holbay ) was fantastic- but the live axle and dodgy Dunlop SP68 textile radials made it a handful in the wet.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Biggest - A truly enormous Dodge double cab V8 pickup truck
Best handling - Lotus Elise 111
Biggest surprise - V70 D5 - the first diesel engine to impress me
Fastest - Mercedes Mclaren SLR
Most expensive - See above!
Best sounding - See above!
Smallest -
Worst handling - My old Austin Aggro 1750 'Sport'
Most disappointing - Many BMW 3 series; what's all the hype about?
Slowest - Huge Luton bodied Transit with puny 2.0 petrol engine
Cheapest - My ancient Austin Aggro
Worst sounding - Lotus Elise 111; it just droned with no soul
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Oops, hit "post" too soon.
Smallest is a genuine Mini.
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For fun: Clio 172 Sport Club. Never been round corners so fast, and so apparently securely, and it pulls quite well! For comfort: Volvo S60 D5 auto. Salesman revved it whilst stationary to show off its engine note/smoothness. Haven't actually driven anything more exotic than these, so bottom of pecking order here!
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1969 Mustang Fastback 351 cu.in with 4-bbl Holley, Crane cams, uprated brakes. Damn, I even owned the thing until a month ago.
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1974 Lime Green Mini.
Fantastic drive, most fun i've ever had driving a car. Borrowed it for a few days, and couldn't get together the £200 (in 1993) to buy it before someone else bought it.
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Two cars to consider for me:-
Jaguar S type 4.0 Auto
Ford Sportka.
Loved the Jag for it's fantastic engine and power, and I loved the Sportka for, well, I just loved it. Only had it a week and maybe wouldn't want one as my main car all the time, but I absoloutely loved it in the time I had it. Was so much fun to drive around corners at stupidly quick speeds and it looked cool.
Blue
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Been a bit spoilt over the years but my '85 bluebird ZX Turbo astonished me with the power and handling at the time, so much so that when we went to trade it in for a BMW 325i we kept the Nissan as it was definitely quicker, quieter and handled better! Currently in total awe of the LeMans Coupe (Daytona Cobra replica) Low tech 12 valve 6.6 litre Ford v8 with 525 ponies on tap, corners on rails,mind blowing brakes, 0-60 sub 4 secs topping at genuine 200+!
Andrew
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Simplicate and add lightness!!
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Low tech 12 valve 6.6 litre Ford v8 with 525 ponies on tap,
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12 valve V8, 1.5v per cyl, very clever if you ask me, must be a 2v per cyl 16v V8 I assume.
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i liked my mates old v12 xjs, although he did end up buying a second one just for parts, was hillarious watching the gti crowd try it on, when you floor it in a xjs its wow
original saab turbo all those years ago was pretty good, first car i was in that could overtake uphill like that
big toyota automatic i had in new zealand, forget the model name, it just worked flawlessly
mg metro was fun for throwing around the twisty bits pre speed camera
like the last cav before the vectra came in too, nice and anonomous
lots of great cars
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Mine would be my old XJS too.
In the dry it destroyed the GTi crowd like you say, but in the wet from the lights it just fish-tailed or swapped ends and the GTi crowd disappeared in the distance. I once span it 180 degrees in Regents Park in the rain just moving gently away from the lights, completely caught me out.
I loved it and I absolutely will be buying another.
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svx
best fast GT. I prefered it to the 911C4.
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Blushes with embarrasment!! Yes of course 16v V8!! Sorry
Andrew
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Simplicate and add lightness!!
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well ,the best car ive driven is the ford focus c-max 2.o ltr tdci....fantastic car,holds the road well
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Driven - Renault Avantime, not the fastest, best handling or most luxurious by a long chalk but just superb around the mountain roads of Corsica
Been in - Maybach - Unbelievable comfort & space.
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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The car that has the fondest memories for me is a Pug 205 1.9 GTi that I had, albeit very briefly, in the early '90s.
Will always remember driving to the '92 Geneva Motor Show in it with a couple of mates.......what a trip!
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To be honest I reckon my A4 Quattro is the best (see Quattro dies thread). It isn't the fastest, the best handling, the most expensive, the cheapest, the most fuel efficient etc, etc, but what car on the road (apart from another Audi) has the same mix of passive and active safety?
The incredible all weather traction means that you can be confident that you won't cause an accident. It ain't going to tip over like an SUV either. And when you are in an accident, you can be pretty sure you will walk away.
I'd take my chances in my ncap 4 star Audi bank vault any day over that French rubbish, engineered specifically to get 5 stars in the ncap tests.
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An MB S500L (circa 2003) - just fantastic in every respect.
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There are two of them for me. I owned a Pininfarina Spider Europa, 2 litre Fiat engine with Volumex supercharger. Low, very,very fast, beautiful exhaust note. Then some stupid woman managed to drive 400 yards without noticing that there was a traffic light ahead and I was waiting on red. Poor old car was never the same again. The second was a 1994 MB SL320. Neck-snapping acceleration, quality build. Great poser power. I sold it in February this year for a C270 CDI and was amazed at the progress made in 11 years. The C270 performas almost as well as the old SL320. And I drove from Luxembourg to Chelmsford then on to Fleet in Hampshire on one tank of fuel. 800 kilometers (500 miles) on 60 litres of diesel. My friends can't get their heads around two things: a) I gave up smoking and b) I bought a diesel.
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Wonder what HJ would say is his top choice?
Clarkson seems to say whatever the latest car he is driving (well only the supercar type) is the best, or "astonishing"!
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Best as in new/best: I suppose the 911
Best as in best/nostalga: Audi 100 GL5E auto. God I loved that car, I was 18ish (40 now) at the time. Went like a rocket and easily went round corners keeping up with my mates lowered Mini. The kickdown was just in the right place and it even managed 50 in reverse (ehem).
I expect if I drove one now it would only disappoint but at the time it was fab and holds a special 'best' place in my head.
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A 1985 1.3 honda civic, had a very sweet 12 valve engine, small as a pug 205 but ate escorts for lunch, also had a versatile rear seat, where you could adjust the legroom and luggage space, had it for 8 years.It was my first car
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but what car on the road (apart from another Audi) has the same mix of passive and active safety?
Well lets see, ... no I cannot be bothered to list them all, it would be quicker to list those that have not.
And when you are in an accident, you can be pretty sure you will walk away.
You were lucky, there are many cars that are as safe (or safer than) the Audi however there are accidents that can completely destroy the safest cars on the road.
I'd take my chances in my ncap 4 star Audi bank vault any day over that French rubbish, engineered specifically to get 5 stars in the ncap tests.
Sorry that is just cynical clap trap presumably based on years of vorsprung durch marketing, fact is that you have statistically less chance of serious injury in a Laguna than an A4 - period.
And with modern tyre technolgy and systems such as ABS, EBD, EBA, DSC etc etc fitted to many mainstream cars you have as much chance of avoiding an accident in a 2wd car as a 4wd.
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"I'd take my chances in my ncap 4 star Audi bank vault any day over that French rubbish, engineered specifically to get 5 stars in the ncap tests."
Not seen the film where they crash a brand new Megan then and the man walk outs with no injury? or the brand new Espace at a combined speed of 60?
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I'd take my chances in my ncap 4 star Audi bank vault any day over that French rubbish, engineered specifically to get 5 stars in the ncap tests.
The Audi marketing folk will feel proud!
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For me,Mclaren F1 road car.Unfortunately it was only round the car park at work,so that doesn't really count.My mate's Ferrari F550 Maranello was fun,also 6 litre Audi A8 is fab,but a lap round the Nurburgring in a Merc C55 AMG put the biggest grin on my face.
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For me my all time favourite was a 911, however I have owned 2 injection scirrocos in the past which drove just like the Mrk1 Golf GTi as they had the same chassis, and they were great. But my current favourite is still my 1964 Beetle, which I still own, which has a tuned performance 1.8l engine, which is so hairy to drive (its like a wild animal, powerful but unpredicatable) and scares the whoopie doo doo out of me every time I drive it! Great fun.
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Honda Prelude 2.2VTEC - 200HP but docile when you want it to be. Great engine which is quite at low revs but growls above 5,000 RPM. Excellent ride, fantastic handling with 4WS and can cruise for miles easily. It's a lovely car without being flash. Very underrated, peanuts to buy because of the 'grandad' image in this country and very reliable (excepting auto/tiptronic box).
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I've been lucky enough to drive various exotica through company track days, but the car which I felt most at home in (reflected in the lap times) was the Vauxhall VX220 Turbo. Outstanding car, especially for the money.
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