Three most dangerous cars you have driven...

For me it's obvious

1) Countach. Scared the hell out of me because you can't see a damn thing and everyone wants to be next to you. Pretty squirrely on acceleration
2) Pantera. Seriously nutty. Hit the gas and sort of point it. It might go there.
3) 427 replica Cobra. My first reaction was "get me outta here!"

 

I was T-boned on the passenger side in an X 1/9. The car was so light that it just moved immediately to the left so I didn't feel much. It was kinda slow motion. I ended up in the opposite direction lane but luckily the cars coming toward me saw me and stopped in time. Otherwise -- head on at probably 30 MPH which means I would have seen my last birthday.

Then I saw the damage on the passenger side. I'm sure if the same thing happened on the driver's side I would be crippled for life. The door collapsed onto the seat which then was crushed. Cars from the 70's are real death traps.

 

the last time i drove the 930 for any extended trip was from geneva to antwerp in winter on 20 year old tires.
it was like trying to tiptoe across an ice rink on roller skates.
eventful, and surely tested my reactions.

the f40 is fine as long as the weather is good, and you have a straight line to point it in when the turbos kick in.

british cars prior to 1980 are just so badly built, have no accident protection to speak of, no aids, just nothing. and they are small - you are just wearing a thin coating of rusting sheet metal like an ill fitting jacket, and hoping it doesnt rain or get dark before you get home.

 

I spit a mouthful of a very nice Bordeaux all over my iPad when I read this. Too funny. Accurate, but funny.

 

1980 Mazda RX7 -- The worst trailing throttle oversteer I've ever encountered (and I drove a Porsche 930 for decades). I was introduced to the problem after owning the car for only a few weeks. I had to brake hard and swerve to avoid a huge raccoon that ran in front of me when I was traveling about 65mph on a highway. I could feel the steering twist as I caught the skid to prevent the rear from passing the front. One of the major car magazines (R&T or C&D) crashed one during a slalom test.

 

1. Viper ACR, 2005 or so. Bad ergonomics and visibility. Horrible skateboard suspension not meant for PA public roads.

2. 1988 Saleen Mustang vert. Was in back seat while my crazy buddy took it to nearly 130mph on a stretch of road so dangerous dozens of crosses and gravesites stand today.

3. 2007 Yamaha R1. Modified and equipped with air shifter. Hard to keep the front wheel down.

4. 1992 F40. As passenger, on track, experiencing this thing's power oversteer and brutality was simply incredible. I kept wondering what impact was going to feel like when we slammed into the tire wall...and how little protection the 3-pound door would provide. But I lived.

 

I like the pantera but the driving position always makes me feel awkward- but not as bad as the Mangusta. Pantera is not a car for stop and go traffic


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat

 

F40 only road car I ve driven that makes your neck muscles hurt after 30-40 min on track... stock brakes let the car down otherwise I’d drive it every day


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat

 

The pedal box and the gearbox are pretty awkward but the radio placement is pure "Italian".

"Hey Guiseppe! You're not going to believe this one. Those guys at Ford insist we put in a radio!"

 

No car is too dangerous to drive unless it is poorly maintained, has bad brakes, faulty steering or shot suspension.
In itself, no such thing as "dangerous" design, only dangerous drivers who can't or don't know how to adapt their own driving capabilities to the car they drive.
Carrera GT is a great example, very stable, very predictable, just deadly unforgiving to any fool overconfident of his own skills.

 

<rolling my eyes>

 

No comparison. Pur Sang Bugatti 35B. Huge power, little car. No seatbelts or other safety equipment.

Matt

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Oh my! How cool is THAT!!!

 

'61 MGA Roadster #deathtrap at speed lol (plywood stops stuff like metal, right? lol)

'96 Honda Civic EX. it was a piece of **** ricer go kart that was due to explode at any moment

'47 Jeep CJ3B- It was...sketchy

 

WOW! a 1980 RX7 was my second car, and I LOVED the damn thing (and, made the most $$ with it). Never really had issues with the oversteer, but sure hated the crappy rear drum brakes. Made $$$ by renting it to friends left in for training while I was on submarine deployments. Drove the CRAP out of that car, from coast to coast, and North to South (NY to Charleston, WA to San Diego.) Car NEVER let me down.

 

1. A custom shortened VW bus that it didn't seem much longer than it was wide. Wobblier than a drunk with an inner ear problem. I only moved it across a parking lot, never got it out of 1st gear, and I've still never felt less safe in a vehicle.

2. A stretch Mini Cooper limo, painted Pepto Pink. It was actually fine to drive, but it got so much attention that other drivers did crazy things trying to get a better look or a picture.

3. TVR 280i. The cornering limits were a variable mystery, and the instant they were exceeded, it spun like a top.

Honorable mention: Fiat 500 (2012). 1st gear runs out in about a car length, and the gearbox was balky. I lost track of how many times I almost got rear ended while I tried to coax it into 2nd. There was no hope of keeping up with traffic if you wanted to show it any mechanical sympathy.

 

LOL

 

Wow! Is that supposed to be a 2 seater?

 

Driver plus riding mechanic, yes.

It’s a toolroom copy of the most winning Grand Prix car ever.

Matt

 

I thought the picture of the steering box and mechanics you posted was very interesting

 

Thanks. I agree.

You can see the finned supercharger. What you can't see is the carburetor beneath it. The hole above the intake manifold is a backfire hole.

Notice also the leather couplings between the various drives.

Matt

 

Pretty effin cool.

 

You beat me to it on the MGA. My dad had four of them. The 58 was the worst. The door locks were literally pins with a spring and a cable. No seat belts, drum brakes, the already mentioned wooden floor boards, nonexistent turn signals, etc. Yet, I loved driving it. I never felt it was underpowered (even though it was) because when you are just inches off the ground, and a piece of plywood separates you from the pavement, 70 feels really fast.

 

Having driven a well maintained MGA in the 80s and 90s, I respectfully disagree. As I stated in another post, the doors alone were a barely better than a wood frame and an 1/8 inch of aluminum. Even with its anemic motor, it was still faster than the brakes could handle. That said, still one of my favorite cars and would love another one.

 

thats why i have the LM brembo kit on mine