Favourite Q car

[motormatt]

My personal favorite is the volvo 850 T5, preferably in estate form Sounds like an Audi Quattro, pulls like a train yet looks like it should have a coffin in the back. What does the rest of autoshite think is the best sleeper or Q car for stealthy performance?

[Matt]

Fast Volvos are exactly what came to mind before I even opened the thread. Are cars that are popular to modify eligible for Q car status?

[motormatt]

Yeah, especially if the car is Something a cosworth but has been dressed down to looks like a GL. I can't really think of a car that is sold nowadays that pulls off the whole Q car thing like a T5 Volvo, even bog standard cars seem to come with the opposite look of a Q car.

[MarvinsMom]

xrj-6,

 

goes like the clappers and is as subtle as a house brick in the face.......

 

 

 

as long as you know what exactly it is. only the wheels and grill really set it apart from a "normal" xj6

[Matt]

Yeah, especially if the car is Something a cosworth but has been dressed down to looks like a GL. I can't really think of a car that is sold nowadays that pulls off the whole Q car thing like a T5 Volvo, even bog standard cars seem to come with the opposite look of a Q car.

 

Turbo'd 240's come to mind, I'd quite like a fast 240 estate. That's a consequence of car styling becoming more aggressive in general. Maybe things will change in the future and factory Q cars will come back.

[Jim Bergerac]

 

Rover 420 GSi Turbo. 200 torquesteering horses in the bodyshell of grandpa's 414 SLi, The few that were sold seem to have been modified ruining the whole discreet performance vibe, though.

 

Agree that there are no modern cars that can pull off the Q-Car thing properly. That said, I've noticed a lot of faster cars riding round on winter tyres with steelies which make a bit of a difference. I've seen a newish Forester Turbo and Octavia vRS locally with CID-car style steels on and the lack of daft 19inch wheels and dark colours (both were black) actually mean they could almost pull it off. Steelies and dull colours FTW.

[Lacquer Peel]

Could you buy a factory 420 GSi Turbo Tourer?

[stuboy]

xrj-6,

 

goes like the clappers and is as subtle as a house brick in the face.......

 

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DSCN0304.JPG

 

as long as you know what exactly it is. only the wheels and grill really set it apart from a "normal" xj6

yummmy

[twosmoke300]

Saab 9-5 Se in doom blue but with aero suspension and a 240 hp remap . 😄

[Sudsprint]

 Daimler Majestic Major - top speed 123mph in 1960 

[Shep Shepherd]

I too love the Volvo 850 T5. So discreet that many second and third owners owners of them didn't know what they had bought, until they had cause to accelerate hard

[Richard]

I'm not sure if T5s do pull off the Q car thing any more, haven't people got used to the idea of fast Volvos?

[skattrd]

I've had a few as I am a fan of the Q car.

Probably the most unexpected was the Mitsubishi RVR, 220bhp and 4wd in what looks like a normal mini MPV, it surprised the hell out of many a rep-mobile. They also do a hotter version with nearly 300bhp.

Lancia Thema LS turbo, mine was a non-descript blue car that went like stink, sounded pretty good with the 16v turbo - these actually had more power than the 8.32

Daihatsu Storia X4, it looks like a normal little Daihatsu as driven to the shops by old people.

[Six-cylinder]

From the cars we have it has to be my wife’s gold 240bhp T5, the red V70 is a 140bhp 10V that was mine but now a friends.

 

Which looks fastest to you?

 

[wuvvum]

My personal favourite is obviously the Rover of Doom.  The Forester doesn't quite manage to pull off the Q car thing - it's doing pretty well until you get to the fucking great scoop on the bonnet.  I've had a few over the years, including a B-reg Saab 99 GL with a 9000 T16S engine fitted.

 

I've always fancied a Rover 620ti - if you find a nice standard one there's very little to indicate 150mph capability.  In fact if I had more time, money, space and mechanical skillz it'd be fun to shoehorn the ti running gear into a nice metallic beige Rover 25 for some proper VAG-baiting fun.

[Richard]

I can remember reading a group test of small/medium family cars and the Honda Civic's top speed was something like 145mph, even though it wasn't a remotely sporty model. I think it was the Rover 400 shape of Civic.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Wtf is a Q car?

[Six-cylinder]

Wtf is a Q car?

 

A car that looks average but goes like F***!

[Cavcraft]

A 'Q' car is one that looks ordinary but goes really fast. 

 

I think of all the ones I've owned, an Omega 3.0 auto was probably the best. It was unbelievably quick and scared the crap out of me and embarrassed owners of sports cars. 

[Richard]

It comes from Q-ships http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

[Inspector Morose]

Thema 8.32 . Wanted one when they came out and still want one now.

[Jim Bell]

Rover 25 GTI?

Rover 200 BRM?

BRM advertises itself with its orange mouth and gaudy red interior, while the GTI keeps it right on the downlow.

 

Both put out 142 BHP but the BRM is 90 kg lighter which will buy you an extra 1 mph at the top end according to Parkers.

 

They're both very quick, light and compitent. Not competitive against the larger displaced forced induction jobs, but still Qs in my eyes.

 

 

 

 

[155V6]

Xantia V6 

[Alfamale]

I have a Lancia Delta HF4WD. Externally it is identical to the HF Turbo but underneath everything is what went into the Integrale. Engine is slightly down on power though (10bhp or so) on the glamour girl in the party frock.

[andy18s]

Had some fun with the ex Scooters T5 I run for a while

Used to love winding up the local chavs with it's crusty bits and debadged tailgate

 

The Mrs used to run an Impreza Spec D which was a total wolf in lambs clothing

 

Similar to this one,it had a good 350bhp and a full Prodive suspension pack

It even had a std bonnet thanks to a front mounted intercooler

Quite possibly 1 of the quickest point to point cars that was used on a daily basis I've ever been in....

[fordperv]

I always thought a mk1 kia magentis 2.5 was a great q car because everyone's perceptions were it's a kia but they weren't counting on 170bhp out of its dull looks, but also the bug eyed scorpio, many people thought they were gopping cars but 204 bhp the only downside was the fact that they were auto, i know the 2 cars I've mentioned aren't the fastest road burners, but they have caught a lot of people unaware

[Skizzer]

Personal favourite, VW Polo G40.  

 

Plus my Yeti has to be worth an honourable mention.  It's in 170hp flavour - same engine as the Octavia VRS and the Golf GTD, but handles better because 4wd.  GR12 for seeing off Audi A3/A4 TDIs, all of which are either lower powered or heavier (mostly both).  But it's a beige pensioner chariot - does it look sporty or aggressive to you?

Skoda Yeti by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

[fordperv]

A more modern for you is the astra h Sri 200+ it's a 2.0 turbo it is a 5 door hatch with Sri styling, they blend into the hoards of astra's on roads

[JohnK]

I've always fancied a Rover 620ti - if you find a nice standard one there's very little to indicate 150mph capability. In fact if I had more time, money, space and mechanical skillz it'd be fun to shoehorn the ti running gear into a nice metallic beige Rover 25 for some proper VAG-baiting fun.

A few years ago I went to a car meet up in Durham that was arranged through the blue forum. Whilst there, a black Maestro van pulled in. It was immaculate, nice alloys but running a 2.0 T-Series turbo engine they had removed from a 620ti.

 

5 minutes later his mate turned up in an absolutely hanging, beige B reg Maestro 1.3. Gaffer tape on the rusty arches, giffer spec interior with steel wheels it was a state. Also running a 2.0 T-Series turbo. Never been a big fan of Maestro's but that did change my opinion ...

[Asimo]

Turbo-nutter-Impreza engined Subaru Forester and anything BL with unexpected V8 auto content like the Daimler powered Toledomite I will have someone build me when I win EuroMillions.

 

Edit - how could I have forgotten the excellant Ami Super!