Cars you seem alone in disliking.

[overheadvalve]

Quite like this one, early type tho. anyway, i digress .....sorry

[Negative Creep]

I knew someone who bought and sold supercars. When he was in a Ferrari he had passers by spit at it, call him a wanker, block him in, park too close etc. When in a Maserati he never had a single problem

[Guest]

Probably because if you do that with a Maserati owner, there's a strong possibility you'll end up with concrete boots.

[barefoot]

I don't like RX8's very much because I think they are too narrow.

 

I also think that E-types are too narrow, but I like them.

[Pillock]

Posted anywhere else, this would create no waves. I'd probably have people agreeing in droves.

But Autoshite? Oh well, here goes.....

 

I don't like Volvo 240s or 740s. Basically the big, classic 80s Volvo icon. The big square car. Don't like 'em.

There, I said it.

[jnoiles]

The Capri. Look at the thing. It's hideous. A horrifying, insulting, ghastly pile of fat arsed awfulness. I will never understand their enduring popularity.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I've just remembered another true travesty.

 

The Alfa 33.

 

Absolute shit. Great engine in a car that is way too heavy for it. Driving position obviously not intended for humans, awful gearbox, shit brakes, ugly, lousy seats, and not much in the way of handling and generally a worse car than the 'sud in everything apart from rustproofing - and the early ones still rotted like a 1972 mini left in a field for 20 years.

 

I know there are people out there who won't hear a word against the 33, but I cannot understand the appeal of the things. Maybe it's this whole "It's shit, so we like it" thing. Maybe it's the same as me with the 604 - I like that because my dad had them. Maybe they just don't know any better.

 

The 33 was indeed a pretty useless thing. Alfa lost all the appeal/ability of the Sud in one fell swoop although the original 84-85 Green Cloverleaf with 105 bhp was not bad. The 1.7 was not a nice engine at all and the facelift '87 1.5 Ti's just felt flat and gutless. The one I had (G480JET) wouldn't pull a greased stick out of a Dog's arse.

The second facelift cars from '91 were sort of vaguely okayish in a Mark 3 Golf spectrum of averageness, but the only one that drove properly was the basic 1.5ie on the 14 inch steels. A nice revvy little motor on Motronic (or was it LE Jet?), suitable gearing and the skinny 165 tyres meant it handled okay.

 

But if you thought the 33 was bad..........did you ever drive a flat four engined 145/146? Jay-Zus they were bad!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Any modern Ferrari with a loud sports exhaust, rich chavs.

 

I consider Ferraris to be fast FIATs, with the associated build quality. Ergo, I have no time for them at all.

 

But there are Ferraris, and then there are Ferraris.

 

The 360/430 is certainly a horrid, blaring wanker chariot with an appalling image - ditto the Enzo, 612 Spaglioyeti. The 550 and 575 Maranellos are borderline and you need to be in your 50's and clearly of good breeding stock.

Then you get into the proper old stuff - no, not some awful old Mondial, but the 400's, Boxers, 308GTB's and, dare I say it, even a Testosterone which is so naff it has comedy value.

 

Owning a Ferrari and pulling off a good look is hard, but achievable.

[wuvvum]

I had a J-plate facelift 33 16v and actually quite liked it, despite the dodgy driving position and crap gearbox. It went like the clappers and sounded gorgeous; the torque steer didn't bother me (I'm used to turbocharged Saabs), and I thought it handled well enough, although it didn't particularly like mid-corner bumps. Having said that, the C-reg 1.5 Cloverleaf I had was a much better drive despite the lack of PAS, and obviously the Suds were in a different league.

[Guest]

Any modern Ferrari with a loud sports exhaust, rich chavs.

 

I consider Ferraris to be fast FIATs, with the associated build quality. Ergo, I have no time for them at all.

 

But there are Ferraris, and then there are Ferraris.

 

The 360/430 is certainly a horrid, blaring wanker chariot with an appalling image - ditto the Enzo, 612 Spaglioyeti. The 550 and 575 Maranellos are borderline and you need to be in your 50's and clearly of good breeding stock.

Then you get into the proper old stuff - no, not some awful old Mondial, but the 400's, Boxers, 308GTB's and, dare I say it, even a Testosterone which is so naff it has comedy value.

 

Owning a Ferrari and pulling off a good look is hard, but achievable.

 

I think my favourite 90's Ferrari would be the 456 GT in that metallic blue with a cream leather interior. I reckon I could pull that off. I like the 355s too, but only in black.

[gtd2000]

Quite like this one, early type tho. anyway, i digress .....sorry

 

Are these things actually reliable/dependable or are they of the usual Italian expectations...?

 

I have to admit I do find them very stylish looking.

[Pete-M]

I was in Gloucester today and heard a Maserati fire up. Even when it was just on the starter it was obvious that there's a bloody nice engine in 'em.

 

I could be very tempted by a lateish quattroporte, but I want nothing to do with the old BiTurdo things ever again.

[trigger]

2003 Audi TT Quattro 225 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

These, This was my sister's one, I sat in it and it was very uncomfortable with high doors making it feel very claustrophobic, It done nothing for me what so ever, Yet people rave about them.

[CreepingJesus]

I was in Gloucester today and heard a Maserati fire up. Even when it was just on the starter it was obvious that there's a bloody nice engine in 'em.

 

There's a few QP's and GT's hereabouts, and they do sound much, much nicer than the Ferrari, and have a nice attitude about them. Superior, but in a controlled sort of understated way. Funnily enough, there's a Ferrari engine in there; I'd imagine the Maser team took a different route on the 'sound engineering' of the airbox/exhaust etc.

Sadly, there is an onanist round here, who's acquired a 57-plate Ferrari 430 (I think, tho' I don't care enough to know), and lurks around the backroads looking for lesser mortals to overtake. Having diced with said butterist a few times in these last couple of weeks, I can say with conviction that the Ferrari sounds and looks second best to the Maser. Plus the local QP's and GT's seem to be rumbling along quite nicely, without the spectacular unreliability of the old V6's.

I wouldn't kick a 412 out of the garage in the morning, so to say; surely they're in AS territory? Cheap to buy, horrendous to run, and a bit of an unloved/outsider choice?

[wuvvum]

I pass a Maserati Granturismo (or it passes me) most days on the way into work, and I agree that the engine sounds much better than it does in the Ferrari - the Ferrari sounds like a demented chainsaw, the Maser has much more of a growl to it.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I want nothing to do with the old BiTurdo things ever again.

 

I saw one (an eighties QP) with a Ford V6 under the bonnet once. An Italian Granada, basically.

 

The later QP's are nice, but then you look at a £1500 Alfa 166 3.2 with all bits and Homo leather. Such an elegant car with a lovely engine/interior plus Maserati reliability............

[martc]

I don't know about you, but I find Cugnot's "Fardier à Vapeur" a little front heavy. And it's successors are bound to be riddled with build quality and electrical problems.

[Guest]

I don't know about you, but I find Cugnot's "Fardier à Vapeur" a little front heavy. And it's successors are bound to be riddled with build quality and electrical problems.

 

Yes, I would agree that the front mounted boiler does induce lift of oversteer at the limit. When traversing my favourite Welsh mountain B road at twice the posted speed limit I found it lacked that certain X factor that I look for in all wheeled and legged carriages of renown. Common perception is to stick with the Horsey Horseless. There's just something about them, the growl of the straight muzzle, the front end nibbling at understeer at the ragged edge, the weight of the controls.......... I would recommend one in Ruby Black. Distinctive and great for transporting antiques across Surrey.

[Negative Creep]

There are very few cars out there with some actual class but id say the Mazzers do

[Justin Case]

Another positive vote for Maserati (shock horror, Autoshite has unanimous verdict on car ) I had a close look at a QP a couple of years ago. The sound was fabulous as everyone has said, and the interior was the ultimate in style and luxury. I could have just about afforded to buy and run it but that and even the thought of the office managers face when he saw 'Maserati Quattroporte IV Evoluzione' in the space on the expenses claim form usually filled with something llike 'Ford Fiesta Zetec' or 'Kia Rio' was enough to outweigh the fact that a 10 year old Maserati with 8 pistons, 4 camshafts, 32 valves and 2 turbos, each with a mind of their own might not be a wise long-term investment.

 

Anyway, this is about cars we seem to be alone in disliking . The 1957 Chevrolet is an ugly, tacky, bloated, chrome-laden, badly handling barge and is probably the low-point of American car design. Don't get me wrong, America has produced some fine cars, eg the Loewy-deigned Studebakers and the original Mustang, but this thing isn't even outrageous in a Cadillacy sort of way.

[Gompo]

I don't like RX8's

 

Good call.. you're not alone.

 

I wouldnt say I particularly dislike them, just think they look too compromised. Mazda could have done a new proper coupe/sportscar with that motor and it could have been great.

[Tayne]

.

[ayd]

 

never got it, could hardly get in it, never bothered driving it.

 

 

for me, utterly woeful, disconnected and bland.......even the 'newer' version, looks fugly and looks wrong (to me) with a man behind the wheel

[Negative Creep]

I know people here like them but

 

 

Do nothing for me at all. I've always thought the proportions are wrong and it sits far too high

 

 

You might be able to tempt me with a turbo though............

[Pete-M]

I'm with you on the Maestro. The MG EFi ones are pretty handy bits of kit with loads of space but I don't like the look of the Maestro at all. To me they look like something a Brit would design when trying to make a Daihatsu. Front is all wrong and the back reminds me of an Allegro for some mad reason. Don't have a clue why that is.

 

I thought the facelift Montego estate looked pretty good, especially in that dark metallic green with the roof rails and cross spoke alloys.

 

Don't think this would look bad if it wasn't about the same height as a Range Rover..

 

 

Just a shame the things used to eat wheel bearings, cv joints etc for breakfast. Not that terrible to drive either once you learned to drive around the torque steer and often sloppy gearchange. 2.0 EFis were nicely torquey in the 8v stylee.

 

If they'd made 'em in 1979 instead of '82 they'd have been ahead of the game.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I think they were initially designed for launch in the late 1970s.

[jnoiles]

but I want nothing to do with the old BiTurdo things ever again.

 

I harbour a secret fantasy of building a Maser Biturbo race car to replicate the Factory's stunning lack of success in the 80's WTCC series at a club level. But with more beer. I am under no delusions. This will be ruinously expensive and at the end of the day it'll dawn on me that the rest of the field is racing 911's for a reason. But it's not going to stop me. Shiteracer. It's a disease.

[PaykanHunter]

You must be JOKING! The DS is absolutely beautiful! I cant believe that it was launched in 1955! Never driven one, so I can't comment on the handling, but come on! You can't deny that it is a piece of art work... OK, what do I know! I Blog about Paykan!

 

[warren t claim]

I don't have a problem with them, I just don't think they live up to the hype they get in the classic press.

[PaykanHunter]

I don't have a problem with them, I just don't think they live up to the hype they get in the classic press.

Fine! Point taken.