What kind of car SCREAMS enthusiast?

[Ferrari308 (M3 Lover)]

My impression of an "Enthusiast" car is something like a Honda S2000, or an RSX, or an MX-5...Something that has no real practical purpose, and is bought just to have fun, and look good doing it. ALL Ferraris and most of the 911 range can be defined by this term, because, while cars like the 612 Scaglietti and the 911 Carrera 4 have four seats, the car's weren't bought for practicality, they were bought because the owner wants to have fun, and may need those extra seats sometime. In reality though, he'll never actually use them to carry people around in...


That's what I view an "Enthusiast" car as...

[Coolvw52]

According to me, I'm happy to see muscle cars ( my favorites : 69 Dodge Charger and Charger Daytona) . Those cars give to me a feeling of freedom and the "madnees" of the late 60's.
I have the same feeling with the my 70 beetle, i think it's have the same "spirit".
I like VW too, and why not ride a Golf 1 GTI or and old Scirocco, but new VW are as exciting as old, like the Polo Dune or a Lupo GTI.

[evo_power]

My impression of an "Enthusiast" car is something like a Honda S2000, or an RSX, or an MX-5...Something that has no real practical purpose, and is bought just to have fun, and look good doing it. ALL Ferraris and most of the 911 range can be defined by this term, because, while cars like the 612 Scaglietti and the 911 Carrera 4 have four seats, the car's weren't bought for practicality, they were bought because the owner wants to have fun, and may need those extra seats sometime. In reality though, he'll never actually use them to carry people around in...


That's what I view an "Enthusiast" car as...

While I do agree with you that those are all enthusiast cars, most of the people that own them are NOT by any means automotive enthusiasts. While obviously there are enthusiasts that do own all of these cars, most are driven by idiots. The RSX says Acura on it, and I've seen about eleventy billion highschool girls driving these around. The MX-5 is also a great car, but so many divorced woman and gays drive them it really hurts the cars repuation as being a car that screams, OH MAN THAT PERSON LOVES CARS!

Also, all the exotic cars you just listed are driven by 80% tossers and d-bags. You really think that the playboy with his gucci everything really cares about the racing heritage of Ferrari? Do you really think Puff Diddly dirives tons of enjoyment out of Enzo Ferrari's legacy? I'm sorry, but almost all of those cars scream JACKASS to me.

Enthusiast cars are uncomfortable, they are loud, they are not easy to drive, they have lots of problems with them, sometimes they are barely running, but by god, you'll know a real car enthusiast after you see a man step out of rust bucket that is barely clinging to life that is running on tires that are bald as hell with the biggest smile on his face every time he gets out.

An easy way to put this, real enthusiast cars don't have power ANYTHING other than the wheels.

[clutch]

Well evo, there is a difference between an enthusiast car and a pile of junk that doesn't run. You know just because it isn't practical to drive doesn't make it an enthusiast car. For example if you have a piece of shit like a rusted Chevy Celebrity that has no working air con, is running spares on all 4 corners, a muffler with a hole in it, wheel tracking that is in high need of alignment, and an engine that is wheezy and needs a jump start every blue moon, and seats worn to the springs. This car would fit your definition, but it is far from enthusiast.


For the most part all cars have been deglorified in some way or another. Japanese imports are now considered to be rice magnets, German cars are regarded as snobish old people rides, and American vehicles re "redneck unreliable cheapos". The thing is, it isn't about the car being an enthusiast car, its about the driver's relationship to that car. So while we may name off cars we consider enthusiast and others we don't, it all comes down to the individual level of passion and connectivity. The car is what the driver makes it.



However, I do have a car to add to my list, or rather an automotive company, Caterham.

[evo_power]

yeah, I'll agree with your last post Clutch. Especially the last part,"The thing is, it isn't about the car being an enthusiast car, its about the driver's relationship to that car. So while we may name off cars we consider enthusiast and others we don't, it all comes down to the individual level of passion and connectivity. The car is what the driver makes it."

Nice way of putting it.

I'll also definitly agree with Caterham too! Those cars are just go-karts with bigger engines, and they rule!

[S POWRD]

Lotus Seven reminded me of the whole loud, hard to drive, uncomfortable thing... For anyone unfamiliar




There's no enclosure other than the roll bars and the exhaust dumps RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR HEAD. I cannot wait to build one of my own. 

[S POWRD]

850csi comes to mind too.

especially if you take that into service with that V12 engine...must cost a fortune. 

they EAT radiators like no other as well... I know, I've done one in a 750 that was on its 2nd or 3rd.

And with 2x throttle bodies, MAF's, air filters, etc.

Oh, and that v12 uses 2 oil pans. One you have to remove the engine to get to the other is easy. But together they cost about $1500 to replace. OH, and those engines love to leak oil as well.

[MikeyVuitton]

ariel atom, b5 rs4 (in the us), 850-t5r in yellow

[S POWRD]

ariel atom, b5 rs4 (in the us), 850-t5r in yellow

Uh, not happening... Unless you imported one, and that wouldn't be worth it.

[LSixer]

850csi comes to mind too.

especially if you take that into service with that V12 engine...must cost a fortune. 

they EAT radiators like no other as well... I know, I've done one in a 750 that was on its 2nd or 3rd.

And with 2x throttle bodies, MAF's, air filters, etc.

Oh, and that v12 uses 2 oil pans. One you have to remove the engine to get to the other is easy. But together they cost about $1500 to replace. OH, and those engines love to leak oil as well.

Yer just an e38 hater. Those cars are for rich people, Yeah I know, I owned one. Loved it as muchas it loved my money. Still, there is just no other sedan that I have owned that drove like those.

[Heretic]

850csi comes to mind too.

especially if you take that into service with that V12 engine...must cost a fortune. 

they EAT radiators like no other as well... I know, I've done one in a 750 that was on its 2nd or 3rd.

And with 2x throttle bodies, MAF's, air filters, etc.

Oh, and that v12 uses 2 oil pans. One you have to remove the engine to get to the other is easy. But together they cost about $1500 to replace. OH, and those engines love to leak oil as well.

radiator problems...duel intakes with individual throttle bodies,and  oil leaks.....are we talking about a BMW or a V12 jag XJS?

On the XJS, you actually have to remove the fuel rails to change the spark plugs.....But jags come with their own oil recycling system. it iis a pan that you slide under them at night, and pore it back into the engine in the morning..........Oh, and did you hear about the computer jaguar developed? They had to recall it, because they could not make it leak oil

When you have been a jag fan as long as I have, you hear all the jokes

[Wagon Mafia]

Forgot to say Lotus elise/Exige...

[das]

umm, Mr2's, and old british cars

and old VDUBS as well, Like Mk1-Mk2 GTI's and Beetles

not BMW's, because alot of people just buy them for the badge around here

[LSixer]

Forgot to say Lotus elise/Exige...

Good call.

And Das, I think you mean the newer evolutions of bimmers. The older ones pre 1992 require so much work, if you are NOT an enthusiast, you must be too poor to buy anything else.

[das]

no trust me, at my high school, kids will drive an E30, but if questioned about, they don't know shit about the car, other than that it's a BMW

same applies to Mercs over here