Coolest car you have ever driven/ridden in?

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by Todd R The H2 not a real Hummer? I see them every day (I'm about 20 min from the plant). A little bit nicer than the original, but still every bit a Hummer....

The H2 is a very cool vehicle, and is technically a real Hummer (as it's made in an AM General plant), but it's based on a modified Tahoe/Suburban platform. It is more civilized for street driving, and is also supposed to be quite capable for off-road use for a production truck.

The H1 is much less civilized for daily use, but it will do things and go places that very few (if any) other off-the-line consumer-available, enclosed-passenger-compartment, four-wheeled vehicles can. Actually, we did some things I can't imagine any other off-the-line truck doing; and got ourselves into a bit of a precarious situation that I can't imagine any other off-the-line truck getting out of. I found myself saying and thinking things like, "We can't do that," or, "We can't get up/over that," only to find that not only could we, but could very easily. It truly redefines what most people think of in terms of off-road capabilities. The thing's a mountain goat.

 

[archosman]

I wouldn't mind a hummer. What? Why are you looking at me like that?

 

[jude]

[size=xx-small] Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller Jude, One of my neighbors has a Roush Mustang.I don't like the spoilers but it sounds great and he says it's plenty fast.When the snow melts he wants to swap cars for a few hours.I have'nt ridden any of my bikes for almost a year and the new Buells are so small I can't see myself buying one.I was gonna take a look at a Confederate,but the guys from the company were real jerks when they came to the motorcycle show in Chicago. One of the owners of Decibel Audio just bought a BMW Z8.I haven't seen or driven it yet but they have both driven my Vette,so a test drive is coming soon.

[/size]Yeah, my buddy has his pop's eponymous "Classic" edition Mustang -- I think you might like the spoiler on that one. I dig most of the Roushified 'Stangs, but I guess you could say I'm also biased.

The Buell my other buddy had was gorgeous, and sounded great. I don't remember it being small, but I'm also a pretty small dude, so that's not surprising. The Confederate he has is pre-company-changeover, and it's astonishing.

The Z8 is a beautiful machine I haven't seen on the road yet -- I've only seen it at the auto shows, and I'd bet your Decibel Audio buddy is going to dig his.

 

[DarkWolf]

Grandma's WRX. Need I say more?

I was all ready to spend about $600 on a car. Then she brought the WRX home and I was like "hey, this is kinda nice." Sometimes she passes someone... I tend to look over at the gauges to see what we're up to. By the time I look back in my miror, the other car is long gone. She's pulled a few fairly high speed U-turns too.. and I've only heard the tires squeek about 3 times. and I mean just a little peep to let you know you are actually on rubber, no sort of loud, long squeal when you completey cange direction in under 3 seconds at over 30mph.

First gear is a rocket. Let the clutch catch and floor it. I've never met another car able to even look like it's trying to keep up. (Never tangled with anything to nice though, I don't get to drive it often enough.) And it doesn't feel like you're going fast either unless you are turning. I took two friends out once. They were like "come on, just one" so I left it in third and pushed it up over 70 on some back road and then let it come back down. (about 5 or 6 seconds to get up from like 30 or 40 without downshifting) they were like "that's it? we were expecting more.." I said, "we went 70." they said "no way! that was like 55 at best!" It really feels like flying a jet plane. It's so smooth and powerful and it makes all kinds of jet plane sounds... I really like that car. I kind of want the new STi version... But I can afford just about 1/10th of it.. If they made a WRX roadster, I think it would be my perfect car. At least untill they come with cold fusion and anti-gravity technology anyway.

I also really want to try out the Toyota Cellica. I like my little FX-16 (grandma's old car) really well. It's not about power in that car, it's about driving by the seat of your pants. It's so agile, and it makes you feel everything you do. Compair to that, the WRX feels big and heavy, which is my biggest complaint about the WRX, I'm used to a smaller car.. So maybe the Cellica would give me a good deal of both. Better gas milage too. Not something people tend to think about with performance cars, but it's still important to me. Oh ya, and there is, of course, the fact that the new Cellica is sucha tight, sexy little package.. That's how it cought my eye. I'd never given it any thought untill I saw it up close. Then I couldn't get enough.

 

[andrzejpw]

Hmm, quite a few. First, my friend's '92 maxima SE. Unassuming from the outside, but once you get in,

. Hmmm, also, a very, very nice 300zx. Oh, and a girl at my high school has an s2000. Its a stick. Its an s2000. She's hot. Everyone wins.

Oh, and please, the hummer H2 is a joke. There are 2 of them on my street. They will NEVER see any type of offroad usage. Ever. Don't get me wrong, offroad vehicles have their place. But WHY do cretins need these monsters to drive their kids to soccer practice? SUV size != manhood size. Can anyone answer that?

 

[tkam]

Good friend of mine owns a used exotic car dealership so I've been lucky enough to drive some amazing cars. I'd have to say that the '84 Testarossa and '00 550 Maranello are my favorites. I'm hoping he'll have a 360 Spider to take for a spin when I see him again this summer.

 

[mkyy]

I rode in a Mercedes S600 once. It feels like 60km/h but my friend in the front is actually driving at 160km/h, and I was reading a magazine in the back nothing feeling a bit of nausea. That car is rock steady.

I got the chance to drive a tricked out NSX with nice body kits and big rims with some fat tires. I bought it up to 150km/h for a bit in some back road, not that impressive. Also driven a Porsche 968, not that impressive as well.

The one that impressed me much is the Mazda RX-7, got a real strong low end. It do feels like a raceboat for the first two gear when the head of the car is shooting up. But I heard this car has too much mechanic trouble.

 

[steinie]

Let's see..........

Fastest was my mechanic's Porsche modfied with a racing 6. I had it up to 193 at Laguna Seca.

My Porsche 914-6 would do 155 flat out, nice car, and only like 1700 of them made it to the states. Mine had 911S heads, cylinders, pistons, distributor, and cams, so was basically a 2.2 liter 911S motor instead of the stock 2 liter. 150 mph skateboard . My personal favorite.

Also had a 66 GTA Mustang Fastback when younger, but drove my bud's real Shelby GT 350 many times. He was rich, and had the engine printed and ported at Valley Power and Heads in LA, the guys who built the engines for Shelby. Nice car.

 

[HappymaN]

I used to (read : last year) attend a really preppy all-boys private school, with fellow students whose fathers had very nice cars.

I've been in two Ferrari's - 456GT and 355 Berlinetta
Many, many Merc's - S500, SL500, E55
BMW's - M3, 540i
Porsche - 911 Turbo

It's neat having friends like these.

 

[lextek]

A ERA Replica Cobra 427 or the latest Porsche Turbo. That thing is evil. One of the benefits of working in the auto industry. I guess you could throw in the Lexus SC 430. That attracts a lot of attention.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Next-door neighbors while growing up had a thing for cars/trucks. These were regular working class folks who just loved motorized vehices. Each child when they reached age 15 got to pick what kind of car they could get once they turned legal driving age. The kids then worked for their dad to help pay for the car/insurance/gas. After they got the car, they kept working to make sure they could still drive!

The oldest child was my age... on his 16th birthday, he got a Trans Am 6.6 ('79 I think). Two years later, he had discovered Corvettes... he acquired a '67 convertible. Took a quick ride with him. Opening up that 427 was an AMAZING experience!

His father got a chance to drive the Vette, and soon they had several in their garages/driveways from various years.

What was really remarkable was despite having these and other nifty vehicles, neither he nor his brother and sister ever got into a wreck or had the police knocking down their door. Probably the only kids that I've known that had pretty trick cars at a young age that didn't end up wrecking them.

Anyway, the Vette was a cool ride. Nothing like raw cubic inches to get the pulse racing!

Bruce

 

[john_jcb]

The 1939 Ford pickup with a flathead V-8 that I restored in 1967 and 68. My Dad bought 2 of them and we made one great truck. It had all the deluxe features AM radio, vacuum wipers, under floorboard battery and best of all was the fluid filled temperature line and gauge. I learned many skills and absorbed a few lessons while rebuilding this truck. That is why it is at the top of my list

 

[erix]

As opposed to fast (see the Mini Cooper thread for that)

1984 and I just lowered my 56 Chevy 210 Sport Coupe:

That was a cool car. Unfortunately it was in my parent's garage when it caught fire and burned to the ground 2 months after this picture was taken..

8 years later I built this truck, a 66 Custom Cab:

I loved that truck - looking for another one right now.

By far the COOLEST car I ever drove/rode in belongs to my friend Skip. A VERY modified 57 Ford Ranchero:

Tunneled headlights, extended hoods over headlights, split bumper, custom pan between bumpers, shaved doorknobs, shaved trim..

Tunneled tailights, extended fins, split bumpers, 3" hydraulics on the back so it lays right on the ground when parked..

oh yeah..
erix

 

[Mr.PD]

Skips Ranchero is the coolest rig mentioned in this thread.

I live in the sticks there are no cool cars here.

I have owned;
'65 Impala SS
'69 GTX
'91 Mustang GT
'92 Miata
'93 Probe GT
'89 LeBaron GTC (one of 1800 special GTC's)
'88 Corvette
'76 Duster (400 ci big block & I still have this one)
But the coolest I ever owned, and I still have it, is a 1977 Dodge W100. Short box, full time all wheel drive, 30 over 440 and 2" lift. I've owned this thing since 1980. My and that truck have gone through 3 wives, 6 kids 4 dogs and several years of alcohol abuse. And, we both have the scars to prove it.

 

[Old Pa]

1968 Simca 1204 - 1st one I owned and represented [size=small]FREEDOM![/size].

I've also owned BMWs, Saabs, Subarus and Nissans, driven Porche's, Ferraris, Maseratia, a variety of domestic large displacements as strret rods and police packages, but cars have become more or less tools to me over the years. Can't see putting exorbitant amounts of capital or inordinate amounts of pride in them. Bikes are different, but most good 600cc sportbikes are capable of far better performances than their riders.

So the Simca, and the freedom it brought, remain the apex for me.