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Best impractical fun car 40-50K

Tokyo Slim

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Originally Posted by Andre Yew
The reverse is actually true. A middle-of-the-road car can keep up or beat the hottest crotch rockets on twisty roads, because a car has more grip and can outbrake and outcorner a bike. For example:
Ok... when I see a person driving a car like that on a regular road, I'll believe you. And since when is a Porsche 911 a middle of the road car? Beat that same bike in a stock Mustang. Or a BMW 325i. Then we'll talk. The 911 is an exceptional car. Especially when you are trying to find a car that will beat a motorcycle on a curvy road. That, the WRX STi, An Audi or two, and the Nissan GT-R are pretty much the only things I can think of that would have a chance in a real world situation. And out of those, pretty much only the STi owners would give it everything they've got at the risk of demolishing their car on a roadside boulder to try and beat someone on a halfway decent bike. A real person, can't power slide through a blind corner on a real road. The Porsche would never catch that bike unless the Porsche driver was a suicidal maniac. Who corners at that speed in the oncoming lane of traffic on a real road? Plus crotch rockets aren't really necessary (or ideal) for twisties in real world situations. Turns out, that those "fun" roads usually are not maintained as often as you'd like for a track smooth ride. Someone in a Multistrada, V-Strom, or KTM would probably smoke you AND the Porsche as you slowed down for gravel, and they sped through it without even breaking a sweat. I've never seen a driver willing to corner on a regular road at over a hundred and twenty miles per hour. Theres such a thing as oncoming traffic, cement barricades, lanes, and etc. that the driver in the car has to pay attention to. The bike is more maneuverable, and in any real world condition a bike should easily beat a car on a twisty road. Plus, that was one lap. Who knows what happens when that race is repeated? Fastest production vehicle lap time on Nurburgring: Car: 2009 Viper SRT-10 7:22.1 Chrysler conducted test,[1] Motor Trend confirmed, Hardcore Package option, non-stock race seat with a six-point harness, suspension alterations,[2] aero adjustments, video confirmed Bike: 2009 MV Agusta F4 R312 7:21.8 Not saying that its unequivocally true that a bike will beat a car, but again, all out speed is not the issue here. Arguing that point is missing the bigger picture. The cycle is more FUN. And whether you are the fastest thing ever or not is irrelevant - you feel faster because you aren't in a cage.
 

greasypeanut

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Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim
Ok... when I see a person driving a car like that on a regular road, I'll believe you. And since when is a Porsche 911 a middle of the road car? Beat that same bike in a stock Mustang. Or a BMW 325i. Then we'll talk.

I've never seen a driver willing to corner on a regular road at over a hundred and twenty miles per hour. Theres such a thing as oncoming traffic, cement barricades, lanes, and etc. that the driver in the car has to pay attention to. The bike is more maneuverable, and in any real world condition a bike should easily beat a car on a twisty road. Plus, that was one lap. Who knows what happens when that race is repeated?

Fastest production vehicle lap time on Nurburgring:

Car:
2009 Viper SRT-10 7:22.1
Chrysler conducted test,[1] Motor Trend confirmed, Hardcore Package option, non-stock race seat with a six-point harness, suspension alterations,[2] aero adjustments, video confirmed

Bike:
2009 MV Agusta F4 R312 7:21.8


Not saying that its unequivocally true that a bike will beat a car, but again, all out speed is not the issue here. Arguing that point is missing the bigger picture.


well when do u see a biker driving crazy like that also?? and the point was that the r1 is one of the top of the line bikes u can get, while the carrera isnt.
 

Tokyo Slim

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Originally Posted by greasypeanut
well when do u see a biker driving crazy like that also?? and the point was that the r1 is one of the top of the line bikes u can get, while the carrera isnt.
I see many more people on bikes driving at high speeds on regular roads than I do cars. I also see lane splitting, shoulder passing, and a number of other things that even the fastest cars wouldn't be able to do in real world situations if they just wanted to go fast. You don't need a top of the line bike to beat a car on a twisty road. That is my point. J's Ducati would probably make mincemeat out of most cars, on most roads around here with any kind of cornering involved. You don't need to lay the bike down in the corner to do that, because most people who drive around aren't racecar drivers. Compare the price points on the base model 2008 R1 and the Carrera. $12k vs $80k...That is my point.
 

Southern-Nupe

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Originally Posted by Sprezzatura2010
The Viper is probably the crudest car sold in the US in the last 20 years, and the fuel economy is stupid bad. Rolling proof that Bob Lutz was a doddering old fool even in the early 1990s, and he's only gotten more so.

Does this not equate to what the OP is looking for?.....Being somewhat impractical is the objective of the Viper, i.e. no technologically goodies to make you go faster, just raw power and physics...the old-school basis of what a sportscar is suppose to be. I think of them as the AC Cobra's of the new millenium.

All said, I still think the Lotus is the best choice.
 

Tarmac

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I take all my answers back. Here is what I would get.
00.JPG
gnx3.jpg
 

ama

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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

Not the most impractical car in the world, but come on, you really want to be riding around in AC Cobra repo or a Morgan that some dude built in his garage?
 

Southern-Nupe

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Originally Posted by Tarmac
I take all my answers back. Here is what I would get.

00.JPG


I use to love the Grand National and GNX's back in the day, when growing up, the dentist that lived behind us owned a Black Vette, Black Blazer and Black GNX....I remember thinking how subtle yet sinister the GNX looked. They've been holding value pretty well, but it's pretty difficult to find one that's still stock and hasn't been modded.

It's not the best car for a road course, but they're still quite fast in a straight line.
 

Sprezzatura2010

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Originally Posted by Southern-Nupe
Does this not equate to what the OP is looking for?.....Being somewhat impractical is the objective of the Viper, i.e. no technologically goodies to make you go faster, just raw power and physics...the old-school basis of what a sportscar is suppose to be.

A Viper is a musclecar, not a sports car. It drives like a truck at legal speeds. Something like an Elise or S2000 is fun at 15mph and at 115mph.
 

nickwills

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Originally Posted by Sprezzatura2010
A Viper is a musclecar, not a sports car. It drives like a truck at legal speeds. Something like an Elise or S2000 is fun at 15mph and at 115mph.

+1
 

visionology

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I don't know what their resale value is but the Noble M12 used to go for around $75,000 new so prehaps they may be in your price range used as well. I have no knowledge of their depreciation. They may be even more impractical than the Lotus since they are hard to find and I'm sure maintenance is a *****.
noble-rear-corner.jpg
 

A Y

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Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim
Not saying that its unequivocally true that a bike will beat a car, but again, all out speed is not the issue here. Arguing that point is missing the bigger picture. The cycle is more FUN. And whether you are the fastest thing ever or not is irrelevant - you feel faster because you aren't in a cage.

No one's saying a bike is any less fun, just that it's not as fast as some think it is. There's a follow-up video with slightly more technical comments from the two drivers in the Top Gear shootout:



It's a good discussion of the issues that affect both vehicles.

--Andre
 

bkk

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Originally Posted by Nahmeanz
get a s2000 and turbo it...

So it can finally have a bit of torque? Save the time and trouble and just go for a Lotus. Better performance and leaps and bounds better looking.
 

tricky

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I'd say WRX STI.

I have an 07 and it's reliable, practical and fun as hell. For an extra $2,500 or so you can go Stage 2 with a protune and be putting down over 300 hp to the wheels...which in an AWD drive car is hella fun.
 

Sprezzatura2010

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Originally Posted by visionology
I don't know what their resale value is but the Noble M12 used to go for around $75,000 new so prehaps they may be in your price range used as well. I have no knowledge of their depreciation.

They may be even more impractical than the Lotus since they are hard to find and I'm sure maintenance is a *****.


Was the Noble ever imported to the US? Immediate parts availability might be an issue because I think most of the stuff in there is off-the-shelf from British-market cars, but beyond that it's a pretty simple car. Fiberglass body over a steel spaceframe, right?
 

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