5 Joys Of Driving A Non-Performance Car
1. There's no pressure or obligations
Unless it’s a sleeper or understated hot hatch, when you have a performance car, everyone knows it. And that means that there’s always someone egging you on to be silly, or a local boy racer challenging you to beat him away from the lights.
Even if you find it easy to ignore these distractions, they still become rather tiresome. In something more understated no one pays you any attention.
2. Hustling becomes all about you
Some cars just don’t enjoy being driven quickly, but it’s exactly at this point you discover how good you are behind the wheel. Loading up suspension and tyres that were designed to be calmly caressed can result in you and your motor getting to know a ditch a little too well. Instead, you’ve got to learn to be smooth and conserve momentum wherever possible; when you nail a quick section it’s all the more rewarding.
3. Sometimes it's nice to just chill
Don’t get me wrong, I love a stripped out road racer as much as the next guy, but sometimes there’s nothing more enjoyable than falling into a comfy chair and loafing about in comfort. I’ll probably get lynched for saying it, but there are days when 120bhp and an automatic gearbox are all I need.
4. You can hone your driving skills
When you’re to driving fast there’s a lot to take in, and things can go wrong very quickly. By slowing things down you give yourself more time to think and analyse your technique. For example, I taught myself to heel and toe in my old diesel Passat, which was easy because even when I messed up I had time to correct it.
5. Foot to the floor doesn't result in jail time
It’s great to put your foot to the floor. Mashing your right boot into the firewall is a pleasure that’s becoming less and less frequent thanks to our overcrowded roads now. But here’s the thing about slow cars: you can put your foot down everywhere and never get in trouble!
Comments
Talking about horses under the bonet, this little guy has only 60. But it handles like a boss.
Put some rubbish tyres on the back pair them with excellent handbrake and sir you will have some fun :)
A manual corolla E11 is a bliss <3 sounds like a race car, feels like a race car, gotta love squirmy roads too, comfortable as hell, really fun and it really becomes a second home. Damn thing is indestructable.
what car is that? at number 1
i drive a hatch .. it is 4-cyl 1,3L 93hp FWD car. but i love driving it so much, it have one of the best Manual transmition i have came across, handles like charm , and put power down like a sports car. Plus the engine sounds soo awesome for a 4-cyl . and by its low wieght and short gearing , i have out run a 110 hp saloon. :D
Gotta say I love hooning about in my base model Subaru legacy. Great low-end torque for an entry level 4cyl, and more grip than I know what to do with on most occasions. I once hit an offramp too fast that would’ve ended in a policy claim in most other cars I’ve driven, but I kept on the throttle and it kept it’s grip…producing enough Gs to take my girlfriend’s glasses off her face lol.
I liked my 95 escort alot.fun to drive Slow as hell. 88hp. Amazing gas milage. But I wouldn’t trade my 335xi for it.
Lovely post!! Some times is nice to read thing like this… because not every body can have a racecar, o project car, etc.
I drove a Yaris hatchback manual, it was a blast to drive.
One of the funniest cars i’ve ever drove was my mum’s former chevrolet (opel) corsa 1.0. Skinny tires, no luxury (= no weight) and a 60+ bhp engine can be really fun.
Every time i’d driven it like i’d stolen it (3-wheel corners and some scandinavian flicks with a little help from the handbrake all the time) and never took a speeding ticket or crashed it!
Yup, I have a Hyundai veloster and it always amazes me how such an affordable car can keep up with more powerful ones and most of the time out handle them. Zippy little car it is and I love it.
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