Three most dangerous cars you have driven... | FerrariChat

Three most dangerous cars you have driven...

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by richard_wallace, Apr 4, 2019.

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  1. richard_wallace

    richard_wallace Formula 3

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    To set up the question...

    I had a few friends over and we were talking last weekend on some of the most interesting, fun, exciting cars, etc. we have had or driven.. The conversation went to a different level and somewhat interesting topic:

    What 3 cars have you had or driven that you believe is the most dangerous? We all define dangerous differently:

    A.) If I have or keep this, I will die as it is death on wheels, to fast, to much power, etc...
    B.) It is car that I think I am going slower than I am, and because of that I will likely end up with more speeding tickets than the car is worth
    C.) Car is old, but with too much power, no safety helpers, etc. You better know what you are doing....
    D.) Etc. etc.

    I actually pride myself on being able to drive most things with wheels or tracks, Cars, Heavy Equipment, Tanks, Motorcycles, etc. I actually used to believe there is no such thing as too much HP or Torque. Well as I am now older and wiser here is my list.

    My three most dangerous cars I have driven were the following:

    1.) Porsche Carrera GT: Had a chance to take one out on a track (Friends car) in 2005.. I would certainly die in this car. Too fast, unassuming at first, and if you do not know what you are doing - bad thinks happen and quick. A few weekends later something bad did happen with another PGT - not to me, and I decided that is not the car for me.

    2.) 2005 Ford GT40: Not a track incident but on the road. Seems somewhat tame, the lag and the kick this thing had once it spooled up was wicked. I would end up in a ditch or something worse on this one long term. Wish I had one now financially, but this thing was hard to control at speed.

    3.) A number of cars were close in the 3rd position (a few vets, Mustang Cobra, a few older muscle cars) - but I decided to go with the current Ferrari F12 I have. The odd thing on this F-car is that it is so docile at lower speeds and if you just do not push it...it is like any other luxury car... However if you do not know what you are getting into, and hit it around a corner, cold pavement or tires, or do not know what it is capable of - it could end up disastrous... This is one of the first exotics that I do not let many of my friends drive, and those I do let drive it, comes with complete instructions, video tutorial, and last will and testament - on what not to do, so I do not have to pick the car up or them in a scoop shovel off the road... (Likely also apply to the F12TDF and 812 as well) - but have no window time on those...

    What are yours?
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019
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  2. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    S2000 AP1 - vicious snap oversteer.
    Mazda 323 - 85HP baby. The dangers of being fast? Try 'slow'
     
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  3. RonH

    RonH Formula 3

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    57 Austin Healey with a 600 horse tweaked Vette engine. Way too much power for that tiny car. Came close to killing myself.
     
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  4. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    sound wicked though...
     
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  5. RonH

    RonH Formula 3

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  6. F355 Fan 82

    F355 Fan 82 F1 Veteran

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    The scariest part of the 812 is how easy it is. I’ve put a ton of miles on mine and it’s so smooth and quiet you just get lulled to sleep in regular traffic and it has too much power you tap it and it flies. Older cars like my 575 don’t put you to sleep, you feel each shift. The 812 is a monster, just 10 years ago it would have been a supercar stat wise, today it’s a daily driver Ferrari.
     
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  7. NYFAIM

    NYFAIM Formula 3 Silver Subscribed

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    I have a cobra replica with a 427W small block. It makes me nervous anytime I drive it. I can feel my pulse quicken just getting into it. However I've had it on the track and put about 25k miles on it so I'm pretty familiar with it. But the older I get, the more I want a car that has as much safety equipment as I can get. However the fun factor of driving a 500+hp cobra that weighs 2100# or so on the track is unrivaled.
     
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  8. papou

    papou Formula 3 Silver Subscribed

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    V12 XKE, 911 turbo (original ),Morgan plus eight.
     
  9. PFSEX

    PFSEX Formula Junior

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    Cobras, both real and replica. 400 + ++ horsepower, light weight, no weight on rear wheels, short wheelbase.

    DeTomaso Pantera and Mangusta. Lots of power and very strange dynamics.
     
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  10. Shark01

    Shark01 F1 Veteran

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    Mid-2000s Viper, too much engine, too little chassis and brakes
     
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  11. Skippr1999

    Skippr1999 F1 Rookie Silver Subscribed

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    Alfa spider.
    Sold due to fact an SUV would roll over it.
     
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  12. Robb

    Robb Moderator Moderator Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    Deuce and a half in the army - I think Vietnam era... although this was back in the 80’s

    You just knew the truck was fairly unstable as far as exact control... not a speed demon though :D

    Robb
     
  13. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ Lifetime Rossa Owner

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    1971 Ford Pinto - ticking time bomb with its gas tank location.

    1968 Chevy Corvair - unsafe at ANY speed!!! (Just ask Ralph.)

    1977 Porsche 911S - with the detonating motor and the scary tendency to swap front for rear if you lifted off the gas when your brain screamed "LIFT!!" in a turn.

    D
     
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  14. JimEakin

    JimEakin Formula Junior

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    First time I drove a C5 Z06. I went around a corner and got on the gas. The car immediately did a 90 degree oversteer, pointing right at the curb. I caught it in time. Saw several photos in that era with Z06s piled into trees by the side of the road. Based on that experience, I put a heavier front sway bar and wider rear wheels on my C5 Corvette to get rid of the extreme oversteer under power.
     
  15. sidtx

    sidtx F1 Rookie Owner

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    67 Kamann Ghia Convertible.

    50 HP, 60mph top speed. On a Dallas Freeway.

    Did it once. Never again!


    Sid
     
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  16. ZINGARA 250GTL

    ZINGARA 250GTL F1 World Champ Owner

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    1965 Corvair Corsa had a bad steering knuckle. I was going through some curves in DC's Rock Creek Park when the car shook so violently I almost lost control. For once I agreed with Ralph Nader. That car was a death trap.
     
  17. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky Two Time F1 World Champ Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

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    1992 viper rt/10. Never understood how they got away with selling such a car to the general public.

    Carrera GT, same as viper, yet far more dangerous..crazy fast and can kill you without a thought.

    Lamborghini Countach. Not fast by todays terms, but visibility is so bad, you could cause a serious accident.

    Dodge Demon. This car is nuts. Plain and simple.
     
  18. GameMaker

    GameMaker Formula Junior Owner

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    Well I crashed my '98 Mustang Cobra and a I crash a '93 RX-7... so those.

    The Mustang in particular with the live rear axle and limited electronics was super dangerous.
     
  19. Shark01

    Shark01 F1 Veteran

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    And the brakes aren't a picnic either.
     
  20. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

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    Ralph Nader made a fortune out of complete BS. Back in the day I owned 2 Corvairs, a '63 and a '65. I drove the heck out of them with no problem. In fact with the '65 which was a Corsa with 4 one barrel carbs, radial tires were just making their appearance in the US. The car handled noticeably better when I mounted those tires.
     
  21. WestCoasta

    WestCoasta Karting BANNED

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    1,2 &3.....Ford Focus. Jesus/yikes

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
     
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  22. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ BANNED

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    Bugatti EB110SS..... lunatic kick from the acceleration, awful brakes given the speeds you can get to so quickly.

    I had a Ford Capri 3 litre catch fire at 130mph once, had to slam the anchors on, open the door and throw myself out as soon as I got to a slow enough speed, bloody thing rolled into a traffic light and burnt to a crisp

    Not a car, a bike, GSXR 750..... Jesus Christ that thing was so damn fast. Stopped for speeding by a motorway cop that was a bike fan so let me off for an estimated 170 (with my mum on the back), but that thing flew, and was so light compared to everything else I had had till then, it never ceased frightening me at times. Nothing compared to today’s bikes I know, but back then (1986/87) it was a monster
     
  23. Corsair66

    Corsair66 Formula Junior

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    Several cars come to mind, but I'll put my old Ultima GTR in first place. Over 700HP and ~2000 pounds resulted in one of the quickest-accelerating vehicles I've ever driven, ridden, or piloted - all with absolutely zero modern electronic nannies. If you didn't know what you were doing, the car was going to kill you. I only let one friend drive it and, despite his race experience, he was very careful with it on the street. I was glad to sell it without having had anything unfortunate happen.

    I test-drove an 812 a few weeks ago (currently spec'ing an order) and it was very nearly as quick, but I never got the feeling of impending doom despite a few max-acceleration runs and high-speed corners. What a car!
     
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  24. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    Agree with you on the S2000, almost lost mine a couple of times at speed. Wicked.
     
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  25. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    Original Cobra either 289 but especially 427. An engine with a chassis and virtually nothing else, incredibly crude and dangerous.
     
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