mpescatori wrote on 04/20/17 at 08:05:20:

So you thought small cars can't be fast, eh ?)

Actually, that thought has never entered my head. Some of my favorite cars have been the ones with the lowest horsepower, i.e CRX-Si (92.5 hp), MR2 (112 hp), Neon RT (138hp) and a bunch of 240Z's (140-ish HP). I even had a Bug (40hp) that was sorta fun to drive if everything was actually working and I had time for the motor to spin up.

My favorite motorcycles have been the ones with the least hp. Like the old saying; "I'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow".

My buddy Rob has been successful racing his 61 Mini in SCCA hillclimbs, with several firsts in his class.

https://www.motorsportreg.com/index.cfm/event/event.status/uidEvent/55CC908C-...

Funnest car chase movie of all time..

That's possibly true..
McQueen passed the same blasted Volkswagen beetle about four times ripping through San Francisco in Bullet,
That was entertaining..

http://www.reddit.com/r/interestingascrappity smack/comments/3oqts5/a_smart_car_vs_a_mustang/


Hmmm, the board filter is messing up the link.

You know which parts to change!

Although the US have Always been exposed to the Japanese automobile industry,
allow me to say that the best "hot hatches" actually come from European manufacturers of the 1970's and 1980's...
...and they should Always be road tested in their natural "European" state of tune,
without smog heads, lean burn emissions and catalytic converters to foul up performance and "steal" rpm from the power band.

Google the following cars:

From the UK:
- Sunbeam Tiger
- Ford Escorth Mexico and RS  (1970's rwd)
- Ford Escort Cosworth and RS (1980's fwd)
- Ford Sierra Cosworth
- Vauxhall (Opel) Corsa SR
- Triumph Dolomite Sprint (OK it's a 4-door sedan, but compare its tech specs with the Ford Maverick...!)

From Germany:
- VW Polo G3
- VW Golf G5
- VW Golf VR5 or VR6
- BMW 2002 TIi (Touring was its hatchback version, else it was a 2-dr sedan)

From France:
- Peugeot 205 Rallye
- Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6, 1.9
- Renault Clio Williams
- Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (a much more wicked car than the UK-made Tiger)

From Italy:
- Alfa Romeo Alfasud TI/Sprint 1.5, 1.7
- Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5 V6
- Alfa Romeo 147 GTA (a whopping 240bhp 3.2liter V6 !!!)
- FIAT Ritmo Abarth
- Lancia Delta Turbo, Integrale and 4WD (beasts !!!)

All in all, perhaps none of these would make an american V8 muscle car look twice at the traffic lights...
...challenge them on the Tail of the Dragon or Skyline Drive and you'll be thinking twice !!!

Happy hunting on Youtube !  

mpescatori wrote on 04/21/17 at 05:04:37:



That's a nice list!  I would add (among a few others) the Opel Manta.  I play around with driving sims using a FFB wheel with an H-shifter and pedal setup that includes a clutch.  Some of the most enjoyable stuff is the Hot Hatch races and classic Mini cups in Grid Autosport.  Also have a blast with Dirt Rally using a lot of the cars on your list!  I would love to have the chance to throw some small cars around the corners of tracks.

When I first got my driver's license, my dad was driving a '67 VW Microbus (the one will all the skylight windows in the roof). I didn't have my own car, but got to use a family car when needed.

Needless to say, the VW bus was about the slowest thing on the road. Dismal acceleration and a 59mph top speed.

I would be out and about in the bus with a couple of buddies. One of our activities was to stoplight drag race the car next to us. The kicker was that the person in the other car didn't know it was a race. They would just leave the light at their normal speed, and I would be over in the other lane just accelerating the VW for all it was worth. Sometimes we won, but not often.