Sports car this evening...

janm399

I could hardly believe it--a chap in sports car (a rather fancy one, but don't ask me for any more details) overtook with *loads* of room and then kept an eye out for me and moved out of my way as he slowed down before the lights in Didsbury village.

I did catch up and asked if he knew he was driving a sports car and said thanks for the excellent overtake and generally good driving.

It made an excellent end to a good scenic commute.

MaxwellBygraves

A fellow MAMIL.

pst88

He probably didn't want to get blood on his fancy new car.

Kieran_Burns

I like to confuse cyclists by passing them very considerately, I'm patient and courteous and give them loads of room.

I drive an Audi 8)


(honestly I have had some VERY confused expressions shown my way on occasions )

UndercoverElephant

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I like to confuse cyclists by passing them very considerately, I'm patient and courteous and give them loads of room.

I drive an Audi 8)


(honestly I have had some VERY confused expressions shown my way on occasions )

In my old Audi (before I sold it and bought another bike), I once really confused a cyclist by rolling down the window, beckoning him over and telling him politely that his rear light was low on battery. Could have knocked him down with a feather.

Likewise the chav in an old, souped-up Vectra that I pulled up next to at a red-light after he overtook a bit too close, asked him to roll down the window, leaned in and said "Your front, near-side bearings are shot, you should get them looked at."

EKE_38BPM

I've been a WVM driving through central London and I've been given dirty looks, offensive hand gestures and been sworn at by cyclists for outrageous manoeuvres such as hanging back from cyclists at pinch points, leaving plenty of room when overtaking and not encroaching into ASLs.

VespaTrek

I've got an old red 911 and always give cyclists loads of room, wait patiently for them etc., and stopped to help someone once in case they couldn't get going again and offered a lift... so not all sports car drivers are bad...

optimisticbiker

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I like to confuse cyclists by passing them very considerately, I'm patient and courteous and give them loads of room.

I drive an Audi 8)


(honestly I have had some VERY confused expressions shown my way on occasions )

likewise... and when I have the roof down I sometimes even say 'nice bike' or other appropriate comment at the lights too

Yes i admit it, I am a sports-car driving, bike-riding MAMIL... and I love it... so there!

(my other toy is a heavily modded mk1 TT)

DonDaddyD

I need a new car.

It was going to be a Alpha Romeo GT. Bu 4 doors and a boot/hatchback would be more practical. Especially when loading a bike. So Honda Civic (as the basic spec is quite high) or Golf/Seat Leon. What a come down. I refuse to get a Ford or Vauxhall.

Just saying.

Anyway, I find sports cars give more room as they don't want to risk messing the paint work. It small cars and bangers you gotta watch out for!

Kieran_Burns

DonDaddyD wrote:

I need a new car.

It was going to be a Alpha Romeo GT. Bu 4 doors and a boot/hatchback would be more practical. Especially when loading a bike. So Honda Civic (as the basic spec is quite high) or Golf/Seat Leon. What a come down. I refuse to get a Ford or Vauxhall.

Just saying.

Anyway, I find sports cars give more room as they don't want to risk messing the paint work. It small cars and bangers you gotta watch out for!

Don, given your recent posting, you can't possibly own an Alpha.

vaseline

There's a white Mercedes 2 seater in the Warrington area, registration plate is supposed to spell Craig I think, who never gives more than a couple of inches room. He must be a very good driver to be able to go past me every day so close without ever worrying about me scratching his car as i fall off my bike.

edhornby

DDD probably thinks of himself as an alfa male ;-)

bails87

OptimisticBiker wrote:

mk1 TT

So how long have you been a hairdresser?

veronese68

If someone waits, leaves me room, etc I always give a wave of thanks. I've recently noticed that if someone doesn't pull out on me I give an appreciative nod. It's almost subconscious. I'll keep donig it, but should I feel it necessary to thank someone for not trying to kill me?
For variable D's, get an Alfa estate, sorry Sportwagon. Sensible family car, but nice. Very cheap for what you get because people are scared of them.

too slow to go

I always get strange looks from cyclists when i give extra time/room when im driving my bus sometimes get a wave or thankyou from the cyclist aswell... usually if they can see im waiting to get into a bus stop to pick up passengers.

But i have been caught out before with passengers not telling me they want on or off till the very last second and i have started to overtake the cyclist.

SmellTheGlove

DDD - 147 could fit the bill (someone will no doubt add "would sir like like the Selespeed...")

wgwarburton

Hi,
Sports car drivers may often fall into a couple of different categories- some buy them 'cos they want to look flash, others 'cos they enjoy driving and want a car that is fun to drive. Many of the latter will be very considerate road users.
Note that "sports cars" also cater for these two markets. Few posers drive Caterhams and few Drivers have TTs... Porsches combine both aspects- objects of desire and hugely rewarding to drive, so it's impossible to generalise on them...

Cheers,
W.

mudcow007

DDD i was looking at getting a Alfa 159 2.4 diesel its the volvo D5 engine and goes like stink

you can pick one up for about 10,000 with leather etc

on the subject of cars, my mrs has a 1.8 mx5 vvt (the faster one) an absolutley nobody lets you out at junctions, but if i drive my astra, people let you out!


i think its cool when a car has been courtuous, you thank them an they put their hand up to acknowledge you

DonDaddyD

Estates and saloon sized cars are what Mr DDD drives. That's my Dad, he's a bit older me.

Me? I like sporty hatchbacks that are bigger than Fiesta's, smaller than Mondeo's and aren't Focus's.

Also if i spent £10,000 on a car, right now Ms DDD would kick my ass actually kick it. It was all i could do to negotiate £4000 with the intention of spending £6... maybe....

Kieran_Burns

DonDaddyD wrote:

Estates and saloon sized cars are what Mr DDD drives. That's my Dad, he's a bit older me.

Me? I like sporty hatchbacks that are bigger than Fiesta's, smaller than Mondeo's and aren't Focus's.

Also if i spent £10,000 on a car, right now Ms DDD would kick my ass actually kick it. It was all i could do to negotiate £4000 with the intention of spending £6... maybe....

That's you that is 8)

t4tomo

DonDaddyD wrote:

I need a new car.

It was going to be a Alpha Romeo GT. Bu 4 doors and a boot/hatchback would be more practical. Especially when loading a bike. So Honda Civic (as the basic spec is quite high) or Golf/Seat Leon. What a come down. I refuse to get a Ford or Vauxhall.

I used to have the Alfa GT. Its surprisingly practical for a coupe - hatchback, folding rear seats, decent sized boot.

However on your £4-6k you'd be taking a bit of a punt on a lot going wrong at the age you could buy a decent 1.9 diesel, which is a much better engine that the 2.0 petrol,which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

On ethe otherhand , all real men should drive an Alfa a some point in their life.

wgwarburton

t4tomo wrote:

...On ethe otherhand , all real men should drive an Alfa a some point in their life.

Drive? Yes. Own? No.

Cheers,
W.

DonDaddyD

t4tomo wrote:

I used to have the Alfa GT. Its surprisingly practical for a coupe - hatchback, folding rear seats, decent sized boot.

However on your £4-6k you'd be taking a bit of a punt on a lot going wrong at the age you could buy a decent 1.9 diesel, which is a much better engine that the 2.0 petrol,which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

On ethe otherhand , all real men should drive an Alfa a some point in their life.

I should change my username to thread hijacker

Given that I drive roughly 2000 miles (probably less) a year and if most of those miles weren't to Essex I probably wouldn't even bother owning a car this a bad one then?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

Thing is for roughly the same change I could get this (which has a higher spec)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

rolf_f

I upset a Jag today. Coming down Scott Hall Road into Leeds; traffic light red near the bottom. I pulled in behind the one car already at the lights. Jag man pulls up within an inch of the car infronts bumper (ie next to me). I give him a look. Lights go green, I pull away (obviously way ahead of him as car drivers mostly seem to have the reflexes of a 3 toed sloth) and he hoots me as I take up position a metre from the curb. No idea why - it wasn't as if he had a hope in hell of keeping up with me.

I think some people are just a bit odd..........

PS - the amount people spend on cars is so depressing. I'm a car enthusiast but I suspect I'll never spend more than 5k on a car again. Unless maybe I get a Lotus Europa (modern type) but I doubt I could be bothered. It just isn't worth it unless you really are an enthusiast. If a car is just transport, there is probably little real reason to spend more than 3k even.

@ D(-DD). The Alfa has stupid alloys (ie 18 inch for maximum crap ride quality and maximum kerb damage potential) which would bother me for a start. For a hassle free life I'd take the poached egg mobile any day. Seems pricey though.

jzed

Neither really shouts out DonDaddyD

Rolls

DonDaddyD

Rolf, what is the poached egg mobile?

Basically small cars pound for pound tend to be more expensive than big ones.

Of the Focus sized variety in my price range the best ones are:

Seat Leon
VW Golf
Honda Civic
Vauxhall Astra
Ford Focus

The Ford and Vauxhall are too run of the mill, it's like getting a Specialized Tarmac (dentist bike - ask Greg). My issue with VW Golf's and Seat Leon is that the styling is nice the quality good but the spec is often very low for the sake of a badge. When you're spending £6k on a car that doesn't have rear electric windows it raises an eyebrow...

So Civic it is.

JZed, too be honest when it comes to cars, generally speaking its just a car. But I have to like it at the very least.

Dudu

I was once asked about my bike by a WVM while waiting at the lights.

He knew the frame-builder.

mudcow007

i would stay as far away from a Seat as possibly my bought a 54 Ibiza an the thing litrally fell apart

you cant go wrong with the Honda, i very very nearly bought a Type R same shape as that one you posted but whacked my knee on the corner of the dash (test drive one you will see what i mean)

if your only doing about 2000 miles a year by something really fun, silly an drinks fuel like a XJR - 400 BHP with a super charger or a XKR 400+ BHP with a super charger, both are V8's though an can pick tem up for next to nothing because of fuel prices etc

rjsterry

Dudu wrote:

I was once asked about my bike by a WVM while waiting at the lights.

He knew the frame-builder.

Now cut that on-topic nonsense out!

@DDD: I know diddly about cars, but nobody's mentioned anything French yet - was that deliberate?

captain_chaos

WGWarburton wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

...On ethe otherhand , all real men should drive an Alfa a some point in their life.

Drive? Yes. Own? No.

Cheers,
W.

Yes I have done that. Had (in 1987-1989) an 1.2l Alfa Sud. Paid £50 - best car I ever owned or at least most fun car I have ever driven. Red line never achieved in any gear. Handled like it was on rails. Fell to bits around me. Miss it immensely. Although if I had had an accident in it I wouldn't be here today

Drysuitdiver

bails87 wrote:

OptimisticBiker wrote:

mk1 TT

So how long have you been a hairdresser?

that was my first thought too.