my car is the best because...

Better to build a shed outside for the R5 GT Turbo: you even won't have to heat it and it is safer when the car auto-ignites.

If you would buy a GT Turbo, first drive it: your V might have spoiled you in such a manner that the old memories why you want a GT Turbo will dissappear.

I had a client who wanted a 2CV, spik and span new. He went through a lot of expense and when he got it, he was as glad as a kid... but he isn't a kid anymore and after exactly 2 hours driving the 2cv had lost all its appeal. We took the car for *FREE* home the same evening.

It was sold for 3500 Eur, which went to the owner. Restauration costs (including a lot of chroming)= 11,000 Eur...

Some fond memories better stay memories.

Tom De Moor

I think we can all come round and help with that.

You can use my garage as long as I can use the car ;)

It's cool. It's tatty. It costs naff all to run It makes me grin like and idiot and drive like an 18 year old every time I get behind the wheel. It rattles like a box of lego but never breaks down.

I'm a tight bastard and it's the best grin/£ machine ever.

Well I've thought and thought and find my car just isn't the best

CdA of 0.55m² A lot of production cars can better it - it's not a complete list.

1: '86 Renault Alpine V6 0.48 2: '90 Vauxhall/Opel Calibra 2.0i (8v) 0.5 3: '80 Ferrari 308 GTB 0.51 4: '86 Renault Alpine V6 Turbo 0.51 5: '93 Mazda RX-7 0.52 6: '93 Bugatti EB110 0.52 7: '93 McLaren F1 0.52 8: '86 Ferrari 328 GTS 0.52 9: '90 Honda CRX SI 0.53 10: '91 Eagle Talon TSI AWD 0.54 11: '94 Bugatti EB110 0.54 12: '86 Toyota MR2 0.54 13: '68Toyota 2000GT 0.54

Turning circle 9.5m Beaten by an old 1964 Austin Mini Cooper 1275S at 8.7m and no doubt others but I can't search carfolio on turning circle.

Space to take stuff like 50 gallon loft tanks, shower doors, 3m lengths of polypipe/copper or timber fit in from passenger footwell to drivers side rear corner of boot. Almost any old 5 door/estate/pickup or SUV does the same with ease.

To top it off, I've recently worked out that the engine is the 5th generation derivative of the BMC A series that was licensed to Datsun in 1952. Seems I'm driving a hopped up Morris Minor.

You would think there should be a car or 2 that can match it on all counts (except last!) but so far I've not found one. Seems I can have space but not Low CdA and/or turning circle. Not many cars with low CdA since the side / frontal impact laws came out, they are improving Cd but waste it on taller/wider body. And it's hopeless trying to find a decent turning circle.

I have to say, in terms of things I find important in a car, CdA isn't one of them, a tight turning circle isn't one either.

The things I find make cars nice to own are as as follows;

Biggest / most torquey engine Must be very comfy Decent handling

*Not* Japanese ( I quite fancy a Legacy Turbo though) preferably RWD Either really well equipped or totally basic.

If I wanted something with a decent turning circle I'd buy a Dolomite Sprint.

I was gonna say - surely a good turning circle (I have the worst in the group - by a MILE) is even less important than an STD...

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Iridium, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

Decent cars don't need STDs. Bentleys don't have soft touch walnut...

As for the dodgy turning circle, an Alfa 164 Q4 would probably fight you for it.

Volvo S80 T6. I think you can turn aircraft in less space.

Sissy! Yours has the best turning circle!

Turn the wheel totally to one side, cancel (if possible) all traction control, engage the clutch, rev to 5000 RPM, let the clutch go.

Voila: un turning circle of 3m!

What do you want more?

Tom De Moor

PS test it first in the wet and with wiiiddddde open space ;-)

Depends on the airplane but small ones turn can turn very sharp. Due to the differential braking it is about possible to pivot round one wheel (on a tricycle). Better that the instructor or owner of the plan doesn't see you ;-)

Taildraggers can also turn very swiftly but when that happens it is mostly no intended.

Tom De Moor

CdA is how I measure style - sleek and low. Style is very hard to define and will always lead to disagreements and changes with the season. I've learnt you can't argue with a CdA. It's good for fuel efficiency too.

After the police said they had better things to do, they put traffic wardens on duty this month, There is only one street left in town center with 1hr free on street parking, it's that or park 1/2 mile further away. Turning circle is vital for easy quick parallel parking in spaces that people with fat ass 11m+ turning circles have to drive by, "How DID you get that in there?".

You need a lesson in load matching. Those big "torquey" motors need an auto gearbox as they are geared to gutless in top in a futile effort to get decent mpg. Mashing the throttle in top at normal road speeds elicits no worthwhile response. Because they can't wean the unedeucated off them they are having to give them the big engines they demand but switch 1/2 of it off in cruise.

One of the key factors to the feel of a car is power reserve at cruise in top gear. Basically how much power is available and cars response to just flooring the throttle. Of course light weight helps too.

200SX RS13 1200Kg 170bhp 141bhp/tonne 1.8L I4 turbo lift back coupe CdA 0.55m². BMW 300Ci 1500kg 225bhp 150bhp/tonne 3L I6 coupe CdA 0.63m². BMW 335i 1620Kg, 306bhp, 189bhp/tonne 3L I6 turbo coupe CdA 0.63m². Corvette C5 1450kg 345bhp 238bhp/tonne 5.7L V8 with 6 speed, CdA 0.58m². (is it BIG n TORQUEY enough?) Ford Mondeo TDCi ST155 1500Kg 152bhp 101bhp/tonne 2.2L I4 turbo diesel 4 door saloon CdA 0.65m².

RPM at 70mph in top gear, WOT power at wheels, estimated drag power, excess power / weight ~ acceleration. Excess power is power less estimated drag. Even at 70mph CdA is having an effect.

200SX 3200rpm, 86.6bhp, 21.7bhp, 54.6 bhp/tonne. BMW 330Ci 2440rpm, 87bhp, 25.5bhp, 40.9 bhp/tonne. BMW 335i 2575rpm, 123.5bhp, 26bhp, 60 bhp/tonne. Vette C5 1550rpm, 72.8bhp, 23.9bhp, 34 bhp/tonne. Ford TDCi 2040rpm, 116.5bhp, 26.1bhp, 60.5 bhp/tonne.

At 70mph the turbo smoker wins! Shock, horror, big "torquey" V8 loses big time. Low drag power translates directly into better mpg (note to self: stop mashing the throttle!). My 200SX has had an exhaust system fitted to match the pace.

Stay in top and get on the A-bahn at 100mph.

200SX 4570rpm, 117.3bhp, 52.6bhp, 54.4 bhp/tonne. BMW 330Ci 3480rpm, 122bhp, 61bhp, 41.1 bhp/tonne. BMW 335i 3680rpm, 167bhp, 62bhp, 64.6 bhp/tonne. Vette C5 2200rpm, 104bhp, 57bhp, 32.7 bhp/tonne. Ford TDCi 2900rpm, 126.3bhp, 63bhp, 42.3 bhp/tonne.

When it comes to mash and go in top gear the BMW 335i is utterly devastating. Both the TDCi and 200SX are still pissing on the big torquey V8 Vette. The smaller 3L BMW 330Ci is better LOAD MATCHED to normal road conditions than the oversized V8 but it too is a loser to the small turbos. TDCi shows it's very peaky nature as it's the only one that has much lower excess power/weight at 100mph than at 70mph. The Vette HAS to change down and be revved to not get left for dead.

An automaitic gearbox masks the basic mismatch by kickdown, you don't pay in on road performance so much as at the fuel pump.

The 9.5m turning circle effectively excludes all FWD/4WD cars that meet the CdA. viz Calibra and Eagle Talon.

Hehehe been there, tried it ;-)

And it has no traction control.

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Peter Hill, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

Riiiiiiight..... Ok.....

The Range Rover can get into any space long enough, and I have no problem with parking the Scorpio.

Just flooring the throttle isn't everything you know. What I want from my cars is response. Instant - always there - response. You can't fake decent throttle response and diesel burns too slowly for it to be possible using compression ignition.

I suspect that almost everyone who uses this room could make the same kind of list of reasons why their car is the best. SH because his has the softest touch cupholders, Dervy because he has the best seats, Dan because his car is the closest to being square in plan. Dougie because he has the most scottish flies stuck to his, Carl has the most technically advanced back seats (oo-er) and I'm happy with the Scorp and Rangie at the moment.

As for the lesson in load matching, if you're doing 70 mph at 1500 rpm you're not going to get a large amount of response from many engines, but the Bentley Turbo R will be better than most, and that's what I'd buy instead of anything on your list.

Boys just can't resist pressing their crotches against it.

no japanese?!?!?!?!?!?!?! that excludes the best cars! :)

na try an L200 there s**te for turning circles!

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Vamp, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

Nah, the Impreza, Legacy, R32 GTR and MX5 are the only Jap cars I'd consider owning.

The rest do absolutely nothing for me. I just don't get the Jap car thing. To me they're all dull and uninteresting, some look quite nice, but nothing about them makes me go "oooh, I like that". Even when I was a Nissan salesman I didn't get the Jap car thing, endless streams of pensioners and do-gooders telling me about Nissans unburstable reliability and how they're just brilliant didn't make me any more interested. I can't get comfortable in most Jap stuff, and the ones I can get comfy in aren't interesting enough to make me want to drive 'em.

I've owned all of them except the MX-5 and I am tempted to get one for some roofless motoring.

Fraser