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75 comments
Officially I detest cars and consider that the world would be a happier safer place if the following three simple rules were introduced:
I do however have a dark & shameful secret. I have a very ‘soft spot’ for Landrovers of the Series/Defender type.
This is a bit embarrassing as they (at least all the ones I’ve ever owned) guzzle petrol & oil at an alarming rate and in the event of a collision offer up an oh! so gentle bone mangling girder. They are however really rather good for throwing bikes/dive kit/camping kit in the back/canoes on top – acting as a bit of a base camp (long wheel base ones at least - the short wheel base is a bit of an inverse Tardis) – and for getting to bits that might not be too comfortable in a van – and…. They look ‘right’
Day job is designing cars so i guess i might like a drop of petrol although these days electricary seems to be taking over which just isn't the same even if technically it is superior for performance.
My last decent performance car was an Elise the last year i owned it i did more miles on the bike so it had to go! Down to a Golf and an estate although i was just looking at a bike engined mini.
I've got an Elise in the garage, shared with a few bikes, and sadly, the last couple of years I have to admit that I've cycled more than I've driven the Elise. Owned the Elise for 5 years now and still grin almost every time I drive it. Should get it out of hibernation this weekend, if I'm not out cycling.
We've got a couple of 'normal' cars for daily used, a Discovery 4 and my 230k mile VW T5 Caravelle, nicknamed the Bike Bus for obvious reasons.
More into motorcycles than cars. Ducati in the garage if you please, though Triumph Thruxton R in Cafe Racer guise has recently got the juices flowing....
Cars are great. They go where you want when you want in comfort and safety usually full of children, shopping and stuff for days out. I'm lucky enough to cycle commute and avoid the daily frustrations of traffic jams so the car is a means to recreational opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.
A guy at work has a Thruxton R, utter bike porn. Had a Paul Smart Ducati repro before that. Always liked motorcycles but never learnt to ride one through self-preservation. I think the thing with bikes is the pinnacle of performance is within the reach of almost anyone. Not the case with cars. Anyone working can have a Ducati or MV Agusta if they want, that's not the case with Porsche & Ferrari. Same applies to bicycles.
Petrolhead here. I have a classic mini for racing, a brace of Maranello's finest because they're what I lusted after as a kid, and a diesel *cough* Golf estate for trips with the bikes and Ikea/tip runs. I spent last weekend helping build a Caterham and the Saturday before that changing brake pads and DSG oil on the Golf. Love working on any machine, be it a car, a bike, a computer...
If it's got wheels and you can race it, I'm interested, no matter whether the powerplant runs on petrol or cake!
As an aside, most of the driving lobby who have it in for cycling aren't actually petrolheads. A true petrolhead would go mad sitting in stationary traffic and would be mortified if their lack of driving skill put others in danger. In fact, most people who claim to be into cars are actually into the gadgets fitted to their cars, if my office is anything to go by. They know how to control their phone from the steering wheel, or how to voice control the satnav, but wouldn't have a clue about how an engine works. They think they are driving gods but have no idea how to heel and toe.
The mk1 TT will be a classic when all the Barry'd ones have been written off or weighed in. It's a lovely shape and I'm sure you'll enjoy a good few years of depreciation-free motoring!
This. I believe this to be true. At least I hope it is. The petrolheads I know respect cars and wouldn't get a kick out of a punishment pass in a cyclist. It's the mindless motons that I have a problem with.
I like cars. The most petrolheady thing I've done is imported a mustang when the 'old' new shape was first out (the S197 shape) and you got $2 to £1, pre-kids. Owned that for a few years, sold it once kids came along.
Now got a pick-up as an oversized family car, because we've got too many bikes and too much other shit (great for lugging camping stuff about though), and a golf gti.
I'm quite into cars, don't own anything fancy but will be spending the weekend marshalling at Harewood Hillclimb. The Fuelled Society will also be there showing off customised cars as well. Gives me a break from cycling related.
I love racing around a track in whatever - even won a couple of karting events, but I haven't driven on the road for some years now - hate sitting in traffic, hate inconsiderate and aggressive drivers, and I get the red mist quite easily in those conditions.
Nah, you hear that trite line all the time. Don't need to ride a car fast to appreciate the engineering. That's all these things are - engineering. Either you can appreciate or can't. Same as anything. Everything else is piffle and personal politics.
Not fussed about cars, they're all the much of a muchness. A lot of marketing hype and pointless willy-waving as far as I can see. The make & model makes no odds when you're in a queue. Fast cars belong on race tracks IMO.
If you had asked about motorcycles, now for me that's a totally different story!
Oh yeah, I have some cars I really love. Cayman, Ferrari California. If I had mega bucks, like won the lottery, I would get one of those, depending on how much I won. Like roadsters best in general. Audi TT is a great pick. Had a BMW Z3 before. Loved it, but was getting old so let it go, too much work needed done on it.
Nothing wrong with having a nice sportscar. I ride everywhere now, live in the city, but wouldn't feel guilty about having a wicked car. I'd only use it occassionally, I have that habit now where I wouldn't be driving a few miles to town and spending 20 mins looking for a parking spot. Can't even believe I found that normal before.
Anyway enjoy the TT. Audi's styling is class, bold and modern. New Merc front ends are the same. BMW should line up their designers from the past decade and do them in. Almost all their designs are either middling or awkward at a lot of angles.
Maybe the 1M gets a pass. Very nice. Quite tasty, would consider.
I love cars. Love machines in general, but cars are my first love. Had a Porsche for a while. Now just a bog standard estate with child seats and a roof rack for the bikes!
I don't think cars are "the devil", but too many who drive them do so badly and dangerously. Unfortunately with our appalling public transport " system " too many people need them, and it's harder to treat the driving licence as a thing like other licences, to be taken away if there are doubts about the holder's fitness to drive.
Me.
I have a pick up truck, an AC Cobra replica, and a BMW GS Adventure motorcycle.
love them all, and they're better than the bikes for travelling between North Wales and Essex, which I do on a regular basis
To put it into context I do about 30k miles on the bike, 10000 in the truck, 3000 in the Cobra, and 3000 on the bikes
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