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Sports car chat

myles said:
Practicality Shmacticality as Harry Nilsson once said. I know owning a VX220 is not quite the open wheel experience but I'm not worried about cramped position, ice on inside of windscreen, hotter than the devils thermos in the summer, smelly, harsh ride etc etc. It's an event, simple as that
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Sounds like my first car, a Reliant Supervan mk3.
 
gez said:
That's what I like about it. I'd never call it generic though, generic compared to what? Another Porsche maybe, otherwise nothing else looks like it. You could argue that the Evira is "generic" super car in it's looks (McLaren or later model Ferrari's anyone?). But then of course, that's the whole point surely?

I have to admit I'm in the "Evira is too flashy" camp personally, I prefer to fly under the radar. Especially so as I live in London, and attracting attention in a car in London is likely to result in your not owng the car for very long. Caymans are practically 2 a penny here in London, so not many people take much notice of them*. That would suit me fine.

*Well unless it's a GT car obviously.

I have to say though as far as Caymans go, the 718 is my least favorite looks wise. I think the 981 got the balance about right between the overly curved "911" clone looks of the 987 and the over squared 718.
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As I said, eye of the beholder. I "get" the Cayman and I was in my local P dealer for a Taycan test drive a few weeks back and was seriously tempted. A nice Cayman GTS is very similar money to the Emira and probably its closest true rival. Agree on the 981 being the sweet spot.
 
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CageyH said:
Am I the only person on PFM with a Caterham? I have not seen much mention about them here, apart from an Elise being more practical.

Having been away on a three week holiday in mine, and also having used it as a daily driver, I am happy with it being practical for my needs.

I have owned the car for 21 years now, and still love the driving experience. I don't think you can beat it.
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The Elise feels like a limo compared to a Caterham ;) although i suppose it depends what spec the Caterham is. Caterhams are a great great driving experience, not unlike driving a formula Junior, utterly remarkable the design is nearly 70 years old! Probably as good as it gets as a pure sports/race car until you get to something like a Radical or single seater and comfortable with the right seat (although you have to be careful that your passenger will fit in Caterham to avoid embarrassing situations! The build of them is poor compared with an Elise (which are a special little car IMO), or an Ariel Atom.

Love these videos of Ivan Dutton, Henry Catchpole and Stefan Vapaa, pretty much sums up the 7 experience and if these videos don't make you want to buy one, i don't know what will! :)



 
richardg said:
It was brilliant because it cornered as if on rails or it was brilliant becasue it still could slide controllable without spinning, even though people say it could easily snap out with the same wheels on the front?
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It braked and cornered brilliantly. More grip than power, it was maybe 210bhp. Fast round a whole lap. Faster than a pal‘s 911 C2.

But I guess proper suspension, corner weighted, good brakes and the bracing made a difference. I never drove a standard car in anger, other than country roads but I suspect there‘s a lot of people been caught out just because it’s mid engined and doesn’t understeer like most cars. The guy who modded it for me always did a square setup on his cars.
 
I’ve never wanted a Lotus. Caymen, Boxter, 911 - yes!

I do like the Alpine, but could use me having one over a Cayman.
 
Jubal said:
It braked and cornered brilliantly. More grip than power, it was maybe 210bhp. Fast round a whole lap. Faster than a pal‘s 911 C2.

But I guess proper suspension, corner weighted, good brakes and the bracing made a difference. I never drove a standard car in anger, other than country roads but I suspect there‘s a lot of people been caught out just because it’s mid engined and doesn’t understeer like most cars. The guy who modded it for me always did a square setup on his cars.
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I had (as I posted before) a MR2 mk3 for twelve years. Completely stock, which meant 185 front and 205 rear tires. Handling? The short story: On open roads it either understeered or oversteered (pushing hard I was just on the brink of loosing it a couple of times). On track (still stock suspension/tires), at 98%, it was wonderfully balanced, just steer through the corner according to the schoolbook. Pushing it from there and it probably lost grip in the rear. Either way, it was great fun and I only traded it because of a bad back.
Jubals had, as he writes, modified suspension which means different handling.
 
Jubal said:
It braked and cornered brilliantly. More grip than power, it was maybe 210bhp. Fast round a whole lap. Faster than a pal‘s 911 C2.

But I guess proper suspension, corner weighted, good brakes and the bracing made a difference. I never drove a standard car in anger, other than country roads but I suspect there‘s a lot of people been caught out just because it’s mid engined and doesn’t understeer like most cars. The guy who modded it for me always did a square setup on his cars.
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A lot of people will have been caught out because it doesn't handle like a FWD hatch. Drive too fast into a corner in a typical FWD hatch, the front slides, oh dear, I'm going too fast, take foot off accelerator, car slows down and front stops sliding, complete turn. Do that in a MR2 or in my case in a Caterham 7, oops, here comes the back end now going faster than the front. Whoah....
 
myles said:
Same chassis I heard!
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More or less I think in the case of the S1 at least. Wasn't the S1 Lotus built on an Austin 7 chassis, and wasn't that at least the basis of the Reliant 3 wheeler? Rather tenuous, but there you go. I think the first S1 Lotus had a Standard 10 back axle (let's be honest, he used what he could get and back then a back axle was much the same as any other. Disconnect it from the leaf springs, attach the new ones, bolt up the propshaft flange, reconnect brakes). Front suspension on later ones was a straight lift from a triumph Spitfire/Herald and they lasted a very long time indeed, indeed was one of the last mechanical parts to be finally replaced, well into the 90s, but they weren't around at the start.
 
gintonic said:
the nicest Boxster we had. In fact in terms of fun this is nicer than my 992

Untitled by uh_simon, on Flickr

this was our fav pork

Untitled by uh_simon, on Flickr
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I really liked my 981 Boxter S too. I changed it for a 991.1 4S because I wanted the back seats (well, what passed for them in a 911), but should I ever get less decrepit & fancy another Porsche, then a 981 would be high on my list. My personal favourite Porsche. The day I swapped over -

i4cSOXC.jpeg
 
Suffolk Tony said:
I really liked my 981 Boxter S too. I changed it for a 991.1 4S because I wanted the back seats (well, what passed for them in a 911), but should I ever get less decrepit & fancy another Porsche, then a 981 would be high on my list. My personal favourite Porsche. The day I swapped over -

i4cSOXC.jpeg
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And how is the 911 vs the Boxster for thrills, pace, handling etc? I drove a standard Carrera cabrio of that generation and found it a bit slow, which left me wondering if the Boxster / Cayman really is the best Porsche.
 
CageyH said:
Am I the only person on PFM with a Caterham? I have not seen much mention about them here, apart from an Elise being more practical.

Having been away on a three week holiday in mine, and also having used it as a daily driver, I am happy with it being practical for my needs.

I have owned the car for 21 years now, and still love the driving experience. I don't think you can beat it.
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I am a long term Westfield owner, bit old skool for most with a windscreen and clam shell wings, but mad enough still.

I did run a motorbike as my only transport in my youth for 5 years, I still think the bike was more practical than the Westfield !
 
tony_s said:
I am a long term Westfield owner, bit old skool for most with a windscreen and clam shell wings, but mad enough still.

I did run a motorbike as my only transport in my youth for 5 years, I still think the bike was more practical than the Westfield !
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I hung onto my Westfield for a couple of years, despite enduring the tiny fuel tank that was a trial to fill up, & struggling with the impossible hood in the p*ssing rain. It was a grand little car for darting about in though.

YPFV0cg.jpg
 
richardg said:
And how is the 911 vs the Boxster for thrills, pace, handling etc? I drove a standard Carrera cabrio of that generation and found it a bit slow, which left me wondering if the Boxster / Cayman really is the best Porsche.
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My 911S was as quick as you could possibly want, and handled superbly: The last of the naturally-Aspirated 911s. I owned two Boxsters - a 2.7 987.2 as well as the 981S, both PDK (I don't do manuals) and both were great things to drive, being nippier on windy roads than the 911. It was nice being able to put the roof down too. Best? I dunno…
 
Don't want to trash your pride, but I just dont see how you like the lines of a 911 cabrio, there's nowhere for the hood to go so they just create a hump.......Boxster every time for me if it needs to be cabrio!
 
richardg said:
And how is the 911 vs the Boxster for thrills, pace, handling etc? I drove a standard Carrera cabrio of that generation and found it a bit slow, which left me wondering if the Boxster / Cayman really is the best Porsche.
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Lots of people say this, and the answer seems to be "if you don't need the rear seats the Cayman is better to drive".
 
richardg said:
Don't want to trash your pride, but I just dont see how you like the lines of a 911 cabrio, there's nowhere for the hood to go so they just create a hump.......Boxster every time for me if it needs to be cabrio!
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🤷‍♂️ - 911 is a far nicer cabrio. that picture massively overexaggerates the hump. In reality is quite flat

Screenshot_20211218-142535_Chrome by uh_simon, on Flickr


992 is a quick tourer but pork have engineered out the things that were exciting and interesting in previous version

targa 4S 991 was my fav 911

Cayman was dingy inside
 
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