My top three all time cars...

[TripleS]

Good morning, everybody.

I hope you are all well and happy.

Best wishes,
Dave - an exception (not necessarily notable).

And there's me thinking I was the "notable exception" here. Perhaps we all are, in one way or another. Just some more notable than others.

And there was I thinking that this was a "driving" forum. The question simply asked about the three most "engaging" cars that you have driven. Are you both so disconnected from the driving experience that you really have nothing to contribute?

Well I have now made a contribution or two, but I'm not sure about being 'disconnected from the driving experience', maybe I am. I have always enjoyed driving and sought to cope safely and decently with whatever has been at hand, but if you're referring to the ability to evaluate and pass judgement on the various handling or other behavioural qualities of a car, then it is probably fair to say that I am disconnected. I suppose I could eventually get to the stage of saying that I didn't like the way a car behaved, but I think that would relate more to my personal preference, rather than being a qualified judgement of the car itself. After all, a certain amount of this stuff is merely expression of opinion, isn't it?

[TripleS]

Sounds like an excellent response to me. I've never had the pleasure of any of those. I guess the Sprite is at the top because it's the best "driver's car" of the three?

PS I considered putting one of my MG BGTs in my three, but much as I loved them, they didn't quite make it to the top of the list. The rear suspension was their Achilles heel - that and not enough oomph

The Sprite was of course my first car, bought new, too; so naturally I had a great fondness for it. It was also the car in which Eileen and I did a great deal of very happy travelling in our courting days. It was a lovely car to drive, as it felt light and nimble, though the quarter elliptic rear springs could sometimes give a slightly strange feeling. I expect it was something to do with the increased arching of the inner spring and increased flattening of the outer spring in spirited cornering. This would mean that the centre-line of the rear (live) axle would not remain at 90 degrees to the centre-line of the car in hard cornering, so we had a measure of rear wheel steering. Heh, the rear springs were very stiff too: and it was said that you could run over a coin, and know whether it was heads or tails.

The Sprite was, of course, a small and lightweight car with only 43 bhp, but the Jaguars were a very different matter. Both were much larger and heavier, and in truth the 3.8 was something of a brute, maybe with too much power for its own good, and the model seemed to acquire a bad reputation in the 1960s following a number of dreadful accidents. It was said that it was a car that needed an experienced expert to get the best out of it, failing which one was advised to serve an apprenticeship with a 2.4 litre version first! Anyhow I wasn't an experienced expert at that time, (but I am now, of course, as you all know ) so I did the best I could with it, while trying to be wary and keep out of trouble. I suppose I was a sheep in wolf's clothing with that car. Anyhow the only mishap I had with it was a little bump at about 75 mph, when I encountered a stray sheep on the A171 just before Christmas 1969. It weren't really my fault, guv; it was in the dark and the stupid animal just ran up an embankment and straight across the road in front of me. Apart from that I was fairly troublefree with that car.

The Series 3 Sovereign V12 was of course even more powerful than the 3.8, but it just wasn't the same kind of motoring; I'd now moved into a most enjoyable era of waftmobiles, and it wasn't the sort of car to even try throwing about, though I may occasionally have slipped a little over the NSL in it...

[waremark]

The Series 3 Sovereign V12 was of course even more powerful than the 3.8, but it just wasn't the same kind of motoring; I'd now moved into a most enjoyable era of waftmobiles, and it wasn't the sort of car to even try throwing about, though I may occasionally have slipped a little over the NSL in it...

I remember Jags of the XJ6 era as extraordinarily quiet and comfortable riding. I am certain they were by the standards of the day, but I suspect they also were even by today's standards. The V12 also had performance which would be respectable by todays standards, even hampered by a slow 3 speed auto. The refinement of more modest cars has improved out of all recognition, but I suspect not that of luxury cars. Does anyone know whether I am right or am I looking back through rose tinted specs?

In 1977 it was a treat to drive my uncle's Daimler Double Six - much quicker than the modestly sporty cars I had driven to date as well as ultra refined. ((Pretty much the same car as Dave's Sovereign but with more veneer and not yet on the Series 3).

[waremark]

The Series 3 Sovereign V12 was of course even more powerful than the 3.8, but it just wasn't the same kind of motoring; I'd now moved into a most enjoyable era of waftmobiles, and it wasn't the sort of car to even try throwing about, though I may occasionally have slipped a little over the NSL in it...

I remember Jags of the XJ6 era as extraordinarily quiet and comfortable riding. I am certain they were by the standards of the day, but I suspect they also were even by today's standards. The V12 also had performance which would be respectable by todays standards, even hampered by a slow 3 speed auto. The refinement of more modest cars has improved out of all recognition, but I suspect not that of luxury cars. Does anyone know whether I am right or am I looking back through rose tinted specs?

In 1977 it was a treat to drive my uncle's Daimler Double Six - much quicker than the modestly sporty cars I had driven to date as well as ultra refined. ((Pretty much the same car as Dave's Sovereign but with more veneer and not yet on the Series 3).

I remember in about 1970 someone with a then smart Merc travelling in my fathers XJ6 on a hot day and saying 'what good ventilation your car has'. It was the first car in my childhood household to have air con, and the Merc owner did not know about car air con. My fathers first XJ was specced up to £3.3k when the entry price was £1,998. Nostalgia. Wonder how that compares in purchasing power with a £100k high end XJ todày.

[Silk]

Good morning, everybody.

I hope you are all well and happy.

Best wishes,
Dave - an exception (not necessarily notable).

And there's me thinking I was the "notable exception" here. Perhaps we all are, in one way or another. Just some more notable than others.

And there was I thinking that this was a "driving" forum. The question simply asked about the three most "engaging" cars that you have driven. Are you both so disconnected from the driving experience that you really have nothing to contribute?

Is this some kind of uk.rec.driving reunion? That post was pure old school; took me right back.

Not really sure what you mean by "engaging". Some cars I've driven have been comfy, some fast, some fun, some not so much of any of these. Don't know about "engaging" though. Sounds a bit vague.

[JamesAllport]

Difficult this as, like Waremark, I just like driving. So I really enjoyed my cruise to work this morning in my nine year old diesel people carrier. But, top three most engaging...

(1) Stefan Einz's then brand-new BMW M3 CSL. He kindly let me drive it on my very first HPC event the month after it had been on the front cover of Evo. I was so nervous about driving it (it was twice as powerful as my car, ran on track optimised tyres and it was a winter's day) that I remember almost everything about it.

(2) Porsche 944 S2. I remember the combination of sensational steering, including the nicest steering wheel I've ever held, and lovely throttle response that allowed one to be very precise.

(3) A Mercedes Brabus modified E class diesel. It was really, really, really quick. It had air suspension and those seat bolsters that inflate to hold the driver through the corners. So there was the sensation of turning into a corner, feeling almost none of the sensations of roll or loading I might have expected because the air suspension kept the car flat, and then being hugged by the seats. Certainly memorable, and all on lovely Scottish roads.

Happy new year to all.

James

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

I've just come back from a lovely drive in .... a Porsche

This time it was a 28 year old 924. Not rabidly fast, but recognisably from the thoroughbred stable, despite having an Audi engine. A very nice man who is one of our tutors offered me a drive of it, and it would have been churlish to refuse. A most enjoyable hour or so. This particular car isn't going to knock off any of my previous top 3, but it does beat a lot of other cars I've driven.

[waremark]

(3) A Mercedes Brabus modified E class diesel. It was really, really, really quick. It had air suspension and those seat bolsters that inflate to hold the driver through the corners.

I also had the pleasure of driving that car on the wonderful Scottish roads. Gadget freak that I am, those particular inflating seats did not do it for me. It might make sense as a feature if the system could use the satnav to predict when to blow up before you got to a quick corner - but as it was they were slow to respond, and by the time they inflated you were past needing to be gripped. It just felt weird. The rest of the car was great though. Notable that the owner did not get those seats on his next Merc.

[jcochrane]

I've just come back from a lovely drive in .... a Porsche

This time it was a 28 year old 924. Not rabidly fast, but recognisably from the thoroughbred stable, despite having an Audi engine. A very nice man who is one of our tutors offered me a drive of it, and it would have been churlish to refuse. A most enjoyable hour or so. This particular car isn't going to knock off any of my previous top 3, but it does beat a lot of other cars I've driven.

That reminded me that one of our coaches let me have a days drive of his Porsche 996. A delightful car that instantly fits like a glove as if you have been driving it for years.

[waremark]

3. McLaren MP4-12C - the best road car in the world

You should try a 650S. Wow.

[Silk]

Silk OTOH...

I don't bother with a Sunday paper.

[waremark]

3. McLaren MP4-12C - the best road car in the world

You should try a 650S. Wow.

When I drove the MP4 I was limited to half revs anyway. It wasn't the power that made it the best road car...

It's not the power that makes the 659S better ....

Happy New Year Dave.

[Kimosabe]

I once had a Fiat Panda (given to us by a neighbour) which put an immense smile on my face, simply because it went at all. Each panel was a different colour, it was as basic as a shed, never locked and simply hilarious to drive around in. I think it's a similar thing that puts a smile on my face when driving my MX5 and I really quite fancy a Morris minor or something like it for sheer 'I can't believe this thing goes....or stops' factor.

I saw a Maestro (with the talking dashbot thing) the other day and coveted my neighbour's ass, so to speak. There's just something about driving a car like that which I need to experience for a while. My dad used to have a YYP 585H Morris Traveller many moons ago, when the Smurf song was in the charts and you could start it with a small screwdriver, as some oik once did. I'm sure i'm not alone in wanting a car with a personality.

[triquet]

Another car we enjoyed many years ago was a Triumph GT6. Mrs Triquet did on occasion take a quantity of children to school in it (eek!).

Quite entertaining on corners, walk-in engine room (sit on a front wheel to play with the engine), and an amazing amount of bilge water in the footwell.

[7db]

I've had the privilege of driving many lovely cars, although many for just a few hundred miles. I find it extremely hard to judge a car purely on a once or twice outing. To engage with it properly you need to put a lot of miles in and learn the car and adapt to it.

I'd find it hard to knock the Caterham off the top spot, as a result. With nearly 100,000 road miles in it, the car fits like a glove and does whatever I think. I hope I'll get the E39 M5 there as well -- a decidedly different car. I'm holding my third spot open: contenders welcome (although the 550 Maranello is still echoing around my head this week, I'm not good friends with it yet).