# Best car you have ever driven and why?



## G1BB0 (Jul 11, 2012)

straight forward post. 

Mine was my mates Sierra RS Cosworth as I had the biggest smile ever after flooring it a few times and almost bought one on the strength of it (until the ex put her foot down grrrr)


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## chrisd (Jul 11, 2012)

We had a Lotus Elise for a couple of years and, for me, it was like getting into a letter box but it did go like a rocket. HID now has a Toyota IQ and it's some car!


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## bigslice (Jul 11, 2012)

fiat coupe with 450bhp not my car but had it at 160mph on a private road!!! private ma arse


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## USER1999 (Jul 11, 2012)

In terms of stupid out and out speed, cornering, etc, my wife's Z3M coupe. 321 hp, modified suspension, brakes, etc. pocket rocket. Awesome car. For about 20 minutes, before my back packs up.

Other than that, it depends how you define best car. Right now, my hearse is the best car I have ever owned, and simultaneously the worst car too.


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## Rooter (Jul 11, 2012)

I have just bought a Volvo xc90 and to be fair it's blooming fantastic!

Best car ever driven though? I have been lucky, db9, 911 turbo, Ferrari 355, m3's, m5's etc etc. fav for me was my old BMW z3m, 3.2 flat 6, 300+ bhp, no traction control or roof! Add on race exhausts, it was epic!


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## G1BB0 (Jul 11, 2012)

it doesnt matter why, it isnt neccessarily raw power


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## bigslice (Jul 11, 2012)

bigslice said:



			fiat coupe with 450bhp not my car but had it at 160mph on a private road!!! private ma arse
		
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just reread not the fastest but best. best was mk1 golf gti 1600c skateboard type car till the fuel pump fell off mid overtaking


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## rosecott (Jul 11, 2012)

You don't have to have enormous BHP to enjoy a car. In 1967 I had a 3-cylinder SAAB 96 which had a 3-speed gearbox (freewheel and no synchromesh from 2nd to 1st) and I loved every minute I had it. It stuck to the road like glue.


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## kev_off_the_tee (Jul 11, 2012)

hard to say as my job requires me to drive every type of car out there.

The car that brought the biggest smile was the Jaguar XKRs as it was just awesome fun. Closely followed by the Aston Martin DB9. The nissan GTR wasn't bad either

The best non supercar has to be the BMW 535d M Sport. All the benefits of the BMW M5 but with MUCH better mpg and Â£30k cheaper. 

The one car I'm still to get my hands on that I would love would be a Lamborghini Murcielago but that will NEVER happen


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## DelB (Jul 11, 2012)

A 1989 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport in Grand Prix white with white Fuchs alloys. I used to have a 1989 944 Turbo SE, but my mates 911 just felt so special to drive. You just became part of it and it sounded fantastic!!!


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## USER1999 (Jul 11, 2012)

Most fun was my mini 850cc. Handled brilliantly, cornered on rails. Top whack, 55 mph. Noisy as. vinyl seats that glowed red hot in the sun, no carpets, etc. loved it. I was 18, it represented freedom. If cornered too hard the hub caps fell off, and I had to get out and go look for them. Dropped the exhaust in tesco multi storey in uxbridge. Sounded like a v8 muscle car.  Had so much fun in this car. It was a heap, but it was mine.


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## Imurg (Jul 11, 2012)

1986 Toyota Corolla GT.
1600cc, 16 valve, twin-cam in white with all the skirts and spoilers.
Just so much fun. Rev limiter kicked in at about 7600rpm, it stuck to the road like glue, would do 120 with ease but it felt like 160....and it begged to be driven.
I loved that car....


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## MegaSteve (Jul 11, 2012)

A genuine ex Ford France GT40 Le Mans car... Knew the people that ran the company that had the franchise for servicing them... Based in Chiswick so I got the chance of taking it for a quick blat up the M4 to Maidenhead Thicket and back... Aside from that an Austin Healy 3000.... Both top cars in their day....


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## CliveW (Jul 11, 2012)

My Mk II Cobra 289. 5 Litre V8 American muscle. 

Why? Because there is no ABS, Traction Control, Brake servo or power steering. Just basic 1960s technology and you need to drive it. :thup:


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Jul 11, 2012)

I used to have a couple of Mk2 XR2's, handled like gokarts and so much fun to blast around country lanes in. Drove an M3 with flappy paddle gearbox, big disappointment. Currently driving a 325D M Sport which I absolutely love, probably the best all round car I've ever owned.


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## Philm (Jul 11, 2012)

530hp 8ooKg Toyota Gt Turbo.

great crack, fastest fwd car in the Ireland currently.

even around 400hp on the road on norm fuel its awesome.

thats 675hp/Ton... who cares for clean pants anyways.

Phil


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## Slime (Jul 11, 2012)

I've been lucky enough to drive a few 'special' cars including DB9, DB2/4, Ferrari 512, 450SEL 6.9, Formula Ford race car, but, of the cars I've actually owned four come to mind...................no laughter please ;
1. Austim Maxi 1750   so many memories 
2. Montego Turbo (2 of)   0-60mph in 7.1 seconds & enough torque steer to break your wrists!
3. TR6   had one for 4Â½ years, absolutely stunning,
4. Alfa Romeo Alfasud   simply the best handling car I've ever owned.......................if they hadn't rusted away within about 17 seconds the Golf GTi would be nothing.........absolutely nothing.

*Slime*.


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## coolhand (Jul 12, 2012)

Most fun  - Vauxhall VX220 Turbo, great handeling and more Turbo lag than you can shake a s***y stick at.

Best - Range Rover TDV8 Vogue -what more could you want in a car.


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## Piece (Jul 12, 2012)

Handling - UK Impreza Turbo

Tugging power - tuned 535d M Sport. Comically fast from 80mph plus.


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## RichardC (Jul 12, 2012)

Piece said:



			Handling - UK Impreza Turbo
		
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It's the one car that I always regretted selling. Everything about it made me smile, except the servicing bills


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## ArnoldArmChewer (Jul 12, 2012)

Bentley GTC, not mine but enough said.

Best car I have ever been in was the Ford GT40, simply unreal!!


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## DCB (Jul 12, 2012)

An original Mini Cooper S - went like stink and held the road like nothing I've ever seen since.

Can remember trying to get insurance and one broker eventually told me I'd be cheaper trying to insure a light aircraft than one of those cars at my age.


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## ArnoldArmChewer (Jul 12, 2012)

Slime said:



			I've been lucky enough to drive a few 'special' cars including DB9, DB2/4, Ferrari 512, 450SEL 6.9, Formula Ford race car, but, of the cars I've actually owned four come to mind...................no laughter please ;
3. TR6   had one for 4Â½ years, absolutely stunning,


Still yearn for a decent TR6, is this mid-life crisis.
		
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## One Planer (Jul 12, 2012)

Best car I've owned: Ford Escort MkII RS Turbo that had seen more performance work than Dwayne Chambers

Best car I've driven is my bosses Brand Spankin new Jaguar XJ.

5.0ltr, V8, Supercharged, 510BHP monster. More kit on it than a branch or Toys 'R' Us and faster than anything I've driven 

Comfortable too!


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## Val (Jul 12, 2012)

Best - Merc S320 -  Solid on the road with plenty guts.

Fastest - Porsche Boxster S 

Best owned has to the Mondeo in it's many guises, an absolute reliable workhorse of a car.


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## Lump (Jul 12, 2012)

A Z cars mini. Out of this world quick. Scary infact. It gripped right until the point it tried to murder you. Thats with toyo R888's on. The noise it made was unreal too but I suppose thats what you get with a turbo hayabusa engine pushing 400bhp


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## CMAC (Jul 12, 2012)

Triumph Spitfire, open top.
The name, the looks, the feel.....fantastic!

Also drove the car from Clockwork Orange (10yds) as it was so low to the ground it couldn't get over the entrance to a petrol station!!

Sierra RSCosworth, friend had it as 165mph on the Edin road until we realised how totally stupid we were being, scary stuff many years ago. Took it to knock hill after that.

Best 'ordinary' production cars have to have been the 3 Audi's I've had over the years.


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## GreiginFife (Jul 12, 2012)

Best car driven - My 320 coupe, just comfy and a drivers car (none of these toys and aids).
Most fun car - I rebuilt a Mk4 Astra with a 3.0 V6 from an Omega uprated most of the engine to 250HP, quadrametric suspension and had 167MPH out of it up Knockhill. 

Fastest car - Until I met the Mrs and had a kid, I had a E46 M3 and my mate removed the limiter for me. That was scary quick, 411HP 4.2 V8.


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## Doon frae Troon (Jul 12, 2012)

Vauxhall Astra estate. 1.8
Fantastic car for dogs, golf clubs, holidays, bikes etc.
Never gave me any trouble in the 8 years I owned it.


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## ADB (Jul 12, 2012)

I had a 1974 MG BGT. When it worked it was great fun :lol:


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## Hobbit (Jul 12, 2012)

Best car driven is my Audi A6 - love it.

The car I'd like to drive/own, a DB9


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## gripitripit (Jul 12, 2012)

About 14 years ago I had a Bedford Midi van with column shift...never missed a beat and when empty on wet roads it was great fun going sideways around roundabouts.


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## tagnut69 (Jul 12, 2012)

My best car would be my series 3 lwb land rover, it is slow, does 15 mpg on a good day, noisey, but every time I take her out it puts a smile on my face, everything else on the road gets out of the way when they see me chugging towards them, simply majical


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## Alex1975 (Jul 12, 2012)

Ferrari 355... no why needed!


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## DaveM (Jul 12, 2012)

The most fun car was a Lotus cortina Mk1 in full rally spec I had. Fun but a pig to drive on roads. The best alround car a Volvo 144. Had it from new got rid with 150,000 on the clock. Never had one break down.


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## StrangelyBrown (Jul 12, 2012)

Best cars... 

1. My MX5 1.8iS - enough power to be entertaining, great handling, not too much grip, power oversteer in the wet, roof comes down in the dry, big enough boot for a weeks shopping or a weekends luggage.

2. Honda Accord Type R - best handling saloon car I've driven and the last of the great Type R cars before the EP3 Civic polluted the blood line.

3. S2 Range Rover - 3.9 litre RV8 engine which made a great noise. Comical handling, I assume it was broken.

Worst cars (in no particular order)...

Kia Rio - Horrid inside, rubbish Halfords plastic silver stereo, brake pedal hit the floor with no appreciable retardation, wheezy performance, noisy.

Vauxhall Insignia - grip, grip, grip with no appreciable sense of what's happening. It's like the steering wheel is loosely connected to the front wheels with a slack elastic band. Good stereo though.

Vauxhall Meriva - Tried to spit me into the central reservation of the M6 when I had to carry out an emergency stop because of an accident that occured just in front of me. Plasticy interior.


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## munro007 (Jul 12, 2012)

The Fastest car i have ever owned was my Subaru Impreza Wagon 500 BHP. The Scariest car i have ever driven was a Ferrari F40. But the Best Every day car i have driven, is my mates Nissan GTR R35 OMG what a car. I do like my cars


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## NWJocko (Jul 12, 2012)

Most fun car was a Renaultsport Clio 182 I had back in the mists of time.  Like an absolute rocket, had some great fun driving that across the Moffat/Biggar roads about 10 years ago 

Best car I've owned is the current Mondeo Titanium X.  Just a superb car all round.  I have another, older, Mondeo that does the job but they took a quantum leap forward with the current model.


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## Crawfy (Jul 12, 2012)

Metallic Green Volvo 240GLE.....I was 14

Black Toyota Supra 2.8 (Pop up headlights and digital Knight Rider dashboard)....I was 16

Lets just say that my boyhood summer holidays were a mix of golf and convincing my Uncle & Grandpa to let me drive (sometimes when they were not passenders)

Donegal Gardai were not super-efficent back in the 80's


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## RGDave (Jul 12, 2012)

All of them that were not VW Golfs.



Dave dives for cover....



Supra?


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## MadAdey (Jul 12, 2012)

Car I have owned that I loved the most was My 1996 Impreza STi limited lightweight. Uprated induction and exhaust putting out 340 BHP and only weighing just over 1200KGs (280BHP per Tonne)  ...... timed it and was getting 0-60 in 4.1 seconds now that was fun watching all the M3 and porsche drivers as I left them at the lights....:whoo:


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## bluewolf (Jul 12, 2012)

Most fun: Renault 5 GT Turbo. That car was just dangerous and ended up in more fields than your local rambling club. Tried to kill me on many occasions, ad provided less protection than a screen door in a hurricane. 

Best all round: my current Nissan X-Trail just won't let me down. No matter what I do to it. I treat it like an unwanted gift and the thing just keeps on ticking.


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## Durango (Jul 12, 2012)

Had a clio 182 and then the 197 f1 edition. Miss them both, cracking little cars.


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## Durango (Jul 12, 2012)

Look at my old baby, a thing of beauty.


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## Kaizer_Soze (Jul 12, 2012)

Ferrari 360 Modena - HID got a track day experience for my 40th at Knockhill.


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## richart (Jul 12, 2012)

My Alfa of course.

Apart from that I did have a lot of fun in a Rover 220 GTI Turbo for a couple of years.


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## Mark_G (Jul 12, 2012)

Glad we got an Alfa Romeo on the list, anything Italian is special. Abarth 500 with Esseesse kit is something special for putting a smile on my face. Most fun could be my Chevette (oh happy days) it had 4 engines in 2 years and went through brake pads in less than a thousand miles. My Manta was special also, and I have driven most cars on the road but the one I most enjoyed recently was an Alfa Spider with the roof down on a warm sunny day.


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## Crow (Jul 12, 2012)

Vauxhall Chevette 3 door, in that nice orangey colour they used to do.


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## DappaDonDave (Jul 14, 2012)

Any garage courtesy car... Drive it like you stole it!


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## viscount17 (Jul 14, 2012)

for sheer brute power - a 7.2 litre 'slightly modified' Ford Mustang ( in a straight line - awesome, around corners - puckerish!)

for pure enjoyment, one of these bright red, set up for rallying, wire wheels, loads extras and it had been on the Monte. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





sad thing,it was for sale only Â£250 but no license, hence no insurance and 17 and broke!


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## RGDave (Jul 14, 2012)

richart said:



			Apart from that I did have a lot of fun in a Rover 220 GTI Turbo for a couple of years.
		
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I remember that. Scary thing...very fast. 

6.3 seconds 0-60. Even I've been 140 in one... (at Gaydon)


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## RGDave (Jul 14, 2012)

viscount17 said:



			for pure enjoyment, one of these bright red, set up for rallying, wire wheels, loads extras and it had been on the Monte. 
	
	
		
		
	


	




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What is it Viscount? My knowledge of cars only goes back to about 1978.


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## Crow (Jul 14, 2012)

RGDave said:



			What is it Viscount? My knowledge of cars only goes back to about 1978.
		
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Looks like a Sunbeam Talbot Alpine.


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## Smiffy (Jul 15, 2012)

Nissan Qashqai 1.6 dci.
Plenty of power, great economy and the most comfortable car I have ever driven. Decent sized boot too.
And holds it's value better than any similarly priced car out there.
If I had the money I'd buy one myself tomorrow.


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## munro007 (Jul 15, 2012)

Smiffy said:



			Nissan Qashqai 1.6 dci.
Plenty of power, great economy and the most comfortable car I have ever driven. Decent sized boot too.
And holds it's value better than any similarly priced car out there.
If I had the money I'd buy one myself tomorrow.
		
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You can get one on mobility


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## philsh (Jul 15, 2012)

Best 2 cars i've ever been in Escort Cosworth and the daddy of them all imho the Lotus Carlton. Had ago of 911 carrera 4s, audi r8 and rs4.


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## ScienceBoy (Jul 15, 2012)

Ford Focus Diesel, only car I have driven apart from my current car and the Corsa I learnt to drive in. Anything is better than the current crap heap I drive.

I do arrive in style in it as those at the Thetford meet know


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## triple_bogey (Jul 15, 2012)

Best fun in a car was in a AE86 Trueno (Toyota) but most bonkers was in my friends 800bhp GTR.


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## viscount17 (Jul 15, 2012)

Crow said:



			Looks like a Sunbeam Talbot Alpine.
		
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Spot on, they were entered in the Monte Carlo Rally in the early - mid 50's and won a few trophies, driven by, among others, Stirling Moss. 
At 17, sitting there on a garage forecourt, bright red and gleaming among a bunch of funereal looking saloons who wouldn't want it?


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## USER1999 (Jul 15, 2012)

Smiffy said:



			Nissan Qashqai 1.6 dci.
Plenty of power, great economy and the most comfortable car I have ever driven. Decent sized boot too.
And holds it's value better than any similarly priced car out there.
If I had the money I'd buy one myself tomorrow.
		
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You set high standards.


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## PNWokingham (Jul 15, 2012)

Gordon - take it to DMS in Southampton - pay a few hundred quid - and your smile and appreiation will grow a lot wider - I have the same car and the difference is monumental!


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## Smiffy (Jul 16, 2012)

murphthemog said:



			You set high standards.
		
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Cars don't interest me


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## 6inchcup (Jul 16, 2012)

the ford fiesta i nicked when i was 15,did over a ton in second and whent round corners on 2 wheels,did crackin hand brake turns,not to good on the off road thou.,but made a beltin barby after we had drove it,,toasty warm!


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## USER1999 (Jul 16, 2012)

6inchcup said:



			the ford fiesta i nicked when i was 15,did over a ton in second and whent round corners on 2 wheels,did crackin hand brake turns,not to good on the off road thou.,but made a beltin barby after we had drove it,,toasty warm!
		
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Not the best thing to post on here, true or not.


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## daveyc2k2 (Jul 16, 2012)

The best I have owned is my current Clio 182. A 2 litre engine in a car of that size certainly shifts.

But the best I have ever driven is without a doubt an Aston Martin DB9. Amazing power and a thing of pure beauty.


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## 6inchcup (Jul 16, 2012)

murphthemog said:



			Not the best thing to post on here, true or not.
		
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i am sorry , next time i will have to start with the title,HUMOUR!!!


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## Smiffy (Jul 16, 2012)

Is this a best car thread or a willy waving excercise???
If it's the latter, I have driven a Veyron
But as I say, cars don't interest me.
I like my comforts though


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## swanny32 (Jul 16, 2012)

Given my previous job I have had the pleasure of driving some rather nice cars in my time, and driving them like I had stolen them too which was always nice. I worked for an experience day company wwwe.experiencemad.co.uk. 

For speed it would have to be a WRX Impreza which had been tuned to the nuts, 0-60 in just over 4 seconds.

For nostalgia and dream come true value an M3 around Brands Hatch, I have wanted to drive around there since I was knee high to a grasshopper. The M3 was nice to drive but I'd have been over the moon about driving a skoda around Brands. I love the place as it holds so many special memories to me.

I drove a Caterham 7 with a welded differential which was awesome, had great fun drifting in that and doing donuts.

But for me, the most fun and best experience I have had driving in a car would have to be a Vauxhall Astra, everything ripped out of it, roll cage in and allowed to rag the granny out of it on a rally track in Oxfordshire with the rain coming in sideways. Brilliant fun and would choose doing that again over driving any Ferrari or Lambo.


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## HotDogAssassin (Jul 17, 2012)

Best car driven - Palmer Jaguar JP-LM
Best car owned (Performance minded) - VW Golf V6 4Motion
Best car owned (Allround) - Land Rover Discovery 3 HSE
Best vehicle owned/driven (ridden) - Suzuki GSXR1000 K1


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## Davey S2 (Jul 17, 2012)

Toss up between an absolutely immaculate Ferrari Dino with less than 20,000 miles on it or a black Ferrari 430 Spider.

They both belonged to the same person who generously let me drive them both on a trip down to Monaco for the Classic GP 2 years ago.

Fastest I have driven was 184 in a friends SL55 AMG (at Bruntingthorpe) which was impressive


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## hangover (Jul 17, 2012)

Ariel Atom


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## Carbon (Jul 17, 2012)

Best car i have drivenwas probably a BMW M3 around brands hatch.

most fu has to be my current car, 2007 Mitsubishi colt 1.5 turbo, ive spent way to much money on it but its a hobby, its now at 260bhp over the factory 150and weighs arond 950kg rather than the factory 1100kg, far from praticle with no rear seats and super stiff suspension but its fun!


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