Should I hate myself?

[TonyEnjoyD]

Oh dear, I seem to have upset someone else

Twas simply an observation that hairdressers seem drawn to them, possibly so that they can show the fabulous condition of their own hair as it cascades like that of a statuesqe stallion galloping across the open grassland.

Sorry if I offended with my response implying that all convertibles are driven by Hairdressers - any offense was not intentional

 

[Drago]

I'm just jealous of anyone with hair!

 

[Durian]

I've always liked the Audi TT, apparently another hairdressers car. I don't care, and if I owned one you can call me Teaswie Weasie Raymond as much as you like!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

have to confess to having had an Audi A4 1998 model (2.8L V6 quattro saloon) exceptionally good drive, but I will never forget the face of the BMW driver I overtook uphill in a smallish space whilst fully laden with 2 MTB's on the towbar mounted bike rack - classic!

Don't have it anymore and traded the MTB for an expedition bike and cycled off into the sunset...

Now I have my step-father's (borrowed) Toyota Corolla (hate it!) and a Thorn Nomad MK II and am waiting for that sunset again...

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Don't see many AUDI's,the boy racers seem to buy BMW's.Or perhaps I should say the BMW's are more noticeable round here.IMHO

 

[Drago]

A genuine question - I've nothing agaisnt cars per se, but they don't really turn me on. Sure, i tend to stick to new cars, but not to impress the neighbours, more because I can't be arrissed with coaxing 2nd had crudboxes from one MOT to the next. We have the fourbie for the family, and also because the higher seating height helps Woman who is blind in one eye, then we have a wee Peugeot 107 as our 2nd car, although this will go when Woman has to quit wrok.

So, my question is thus - why do people get such a boner over cars? The speed limit is 70, and even our tiddly 107 would nudge the ton. The running costs insurance, fuel etc cost an arm and a leg. How can anyone take pleasue from spending big bucks on something fast on fancy, being shafted for the cost of running it, then being restricted to the same speed limits as the district nurse in the Morris Minor? I just don't geddit.

Indeed, our shopping tolley is a case in point. My Sister-in-law bought a Fiat 500 1.2 at the same time. It costs more, is fractionally slower, is jucier, costs more to tax, and devalues quicker than the 107, so why bother? I would suspect because all she cares about is what she looks like in it.

Now, while you're all contemplating that I'm off to iron my flares while listening to The Bay City Rollers

 

[Markymark]

A genuine question - I've nothing agaisnt cars per se, but they don't really turn me on. Sure, i tend to stick to new cars, but not to impress the neighbours, more because I can't be arrissed with coaxing 2nd had crudboxes from one MOT to the next. We have the fourbie for the family, and also because the higher seating height helps Woman who is blind in one eye, then we have a wee Peugeot 107 as our 2nd car, although this will go when Woman has to quit wrok.

So, my question is thus - why do people get such a boner over cars? The speed limit is 70, and even our tiddly 107 would nudge the ton. The running costs insurance, fuel etc cost an arm and a leg. How can anyone take pleasue from spending big bucks on something fast on fancy, being shafted for the cost of running it, then being restricted to the same speed limits as the district nurse in the Morris Minor? I just don't geddit.

Indeed, our shopping tolley is a case in point. My Sister-in-law bought a Fiat 500 1.2 at the same time. It costs more, is fractionally slower, is jucier, costs more to tax, and devalues quicker than the 107, so why bother? I would suspect because all she cares about is what she looks like in it.

Now, while you're all contemplating that I'm off to iron my flares while listening to The Bay City Rollers

I have the BMW 335 and the engine is fantastic. I am older than a boy racer, but the performance (for me) is thrilling and the handling fantasic. This car, when the top is up, feels just like a coupe (unlike my old soft top which was horrible in the winter). Having the top down in the warm weather is lovely and exhilirating. Yes, the costs are silly, but I am lucky enough to afford it and I enjoy it.

I am sure there are petrol-heads that say there are much faster cars but this is about as fast as I want for my driving ability, any faster and I frankly don't think I could safely handle it.

However, I aslo love the freedom of my bike and do roughly 3 x more miles per year on my bike than the car.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

...Indeed, our shopping tolley is a case in point. My Sister-in-law bought a Fiat 500 1.2 at the same time. It costs more, is fractionally slower, is jucier, costs more to tax, and devalues quicker than the 107, so why bother? ....

handling, comfort, reliability, knowledge that no matter what the road throws at you the car will handle it, ability to overtake the people sitting at 50mph in their 1.2L engine holding everyone up and that next car towing a caravan can't overtake them, being able to get to your destination and not feel like you have just run a marathon (3 times a year we go up to our friends place 10hrs 550 miles, the difference a good car makes to that journey is staggering), matching motorbikes away from staionary at the traffic lights and watching their faces in horror ( ) but quitting at the speedlimit, the list can go on, but if you don't understand it you never will, however you could try a few laps of a ferrari at a race circuit and you might start to get the idea...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Don't see many AUDI's,the boy racers seem to buy BMW's.Or perhaps I should say the BMW's are more noticeable round here.IMHO

you know how you assosciate Sweden with Volvo and Saab (less so now than 20 years ago, but it does still have a good number of them, well all the second hand AUDI's are in Latvia or Lithuania - the place is full of them.

 

[Drago]

Why would you want to overtake someone that's trundling along at 50, except perhaps on a motorway? I'm really must be a seriously old fart!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

to do 60 in a national area... and have all that empty road in front of you from the traffic they have held up!

 

[Boris Bajic]

I was told ona Speed Awareness Course that the speed limit is just that - a limit.

I always treated it as either a target or a minimum. Apparently it is neither.

My wife had been patiently explaining the point to me for decades, but some men are slightly slow at getting the point in this area and I am one such man.

I am now able to drive quite happily behind other road usetrs at a speed significantly below the posted limit. However, as a former sinner I am in no position to cast any stones.

The wonderful thing is that driving gently has almost no impact on journey time. I regularly drive 120 miles to London on mixed Motorway, country lane and A-Road. The journey time rarely changes by more than 10 minutes whatever apparent delays there are.

I've known this for decades, but there is something intoxicating to a small boy (and some men) about the sound of a petrol engine at full chat. Although now cured of that affliction, I do understand the nature of the buzz.

Oddly, I am now a much happier driver. I'm not sure I understand why, but I am.

 

[Markymark]

I think there's a difference between trying to overtake everything in sight and driving at the limit...and enbjoying a sporty car.

Those that drive aggressivly, forever chaging lanes trying to get passed can drive big/small.fast/slow cars, it's more about the driver than the car.

Most of the time, I drive nice and steadily along with everything else, however, on some nice clear country rodes, putting your foot down is exhilirating.

This is not unuiqe to cars, I experience exactky the same with all different cylcists and find there's all sorts of macho agression on 2 wheels as well as 4.