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.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Page 1 of 5
  1. richard_wallace

    richard_wallace Formula 3

    Feb 6, 2004
    1,956
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Full Name:
    Richard Wallace
    #1 richard_wallace, Apr 4, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019
    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?
     
    vrsurgeon, fer312t, 4re308 and 3 others like this.
  2. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    16,096
    Menlo Park, CA
    Full Name:
    Paul Chua
    #2 paulchua, Apr 4, 2019
    S2000 AP1 - vicious snap oversteer.
    Mazda 323 - 85HP baby. The dangers of being fast? Try 'slow'
     
    375+ likes this.
  3. RonH

    RonH Formula 3

    May 29, 2016
    1,061
    Newport Coast, California
    Full Name:
    Ron H
    #3 RonH, Apr 5, 2019
    57 Austin Healey with a 600 horse tweaked Vette engine. Way too much power for that tiny car. Came close to killing myself.
     
    G. Pepper, LARRYH and paulchua like this.
  4. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    16,096
    Menlo Park, CA
    Full Name:
    Paul Chua
    #4 paulchua, Apr 5, 2019
    sound wicked though...
     
    RonH likes this.
  5. RonH

    RonH Formula 3

    May 29, 2016
    1,061
    Newport Coast, California
    Full Name:
    Ron H
    #5 RonH, Apr 5, 2019
    tfazio, 4re308, DrewH and 6 others like this.
  6. F355 Fan 82

    F355 Fan 82 F1 Veteran

    Jul 22, 2006
    9,063
    #6 F355 Fan 82, Apr 5, 2019
    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.
     
    DRYHOLE and F2003-GA like this.
  7. NYFAIM

    NYFAIM Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 22, 2015
    1,080
    Las Vegas
    Full Name:
    Howard R.
    #7 NYFAIM, Apr 5, 2019
    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.
     
    G. Pepper likes this.
  8. papou

    papou Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    May 18, 2012
    1,577
    plantation Fla
    Full Name:
    daniel ross
    #8 papou, Apr 5, 2019
    V12 XKE, 911 turbo (original ),Morgan plus eight.
     
  9. PFSEX

    PFSEX Formula Junior

    Jun 30, 2006
    843
    Las Vegas
    Full Name:
    John Ratto
    #9 PFSEX, Apr 5, 2019
    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.
     
    4re308, Boomhauer and LARRYH like this.
  10. Shark01

    Shark01 F1 Veteran

    Jun 25, 2005
    5,767
    #10 Shark01, Apr 5, 2019
    Mid-2000s Viper, too much engine, too little chassis and brakes
     
    randkin, F2003-GA, Boomhauer and 2 others like this.
  11. Skippr1999

    Skippr1999 F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 22, 2009
    4,216
    #11 Skippr1999, Apr 5, 2019
    Alfa spider.
    Sold due to fact an SUV would roll over it.
     
    Robb likes this.
  12. Robb

    Robb Moderator
    Moderator Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Feb 28, 2004
    13,895
    Full Name:
    Robb
    #12 Robb, Apr 5, 2019
    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

    Dec 10, 2003
    42,122
    38.89780987025799, -77.03650834642602
    #13 dm_n_stuff, Apr 5, 2019
    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
     
    paulchua likes this.
  14. JimEakin

    JimEakin Formula Junior

    Jun 13, 2015
    988
    Mountain Living
    Full Name:
    Jim
    #14 JimEakin, Apr 5, 2019
    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

    Feb 9, 2014
    4,454
    Frisco, Tx
    Full Name:
    Sid
    #15 sidtx, Apr 5, 2019
    67 Kamann Ghia Convertible.

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

    Did it once. Never again!


    Sid
     
    paulchua and G. Pepper like this.
  16. ZINGARA 250GTL

    ZINGARA 250GTL F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Jun 21, 2002
    17,499
    PA
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #16 ZINGARA 250GTL, Apr 5, 2019
    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 F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,387
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    #17 tbakowsky, Apr 5, 2019
    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 Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 17, 2014
    444
    WA State
    #18 GameMaker, Apr 5, 2019
    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

    Jun 25, 2005
    5,767
    #19 Shark01, Apr 6, 2019
    And the brakes aren't a picnic either.
     
  20. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

    Jul 1, 2013
    7,376
    Weston, MA
    Full Name:
    Paul
    #20 Nospinzone, Apr 6, 2019
    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

    May 18, 2016
    220
    california
    #21 WestCoasta, Apr 6, 2019
    1,2 &3.....Ford Focus. Jesus/yikes

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
     
    paulchua likes this.
  22. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Mar 25, 2009
    12,655
    London
    Full Name:
    Sid Korshak
    #22 daytona355, Apr 6, 2019
    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

    Mar 14, 2016
    337
    Clermont, FL
    Full Name:
    Ken
    #23 Corsair66, Apr 6, 2019
    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!
     
    4re308 and daytona355 like this.
  24. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 28, 2005
    12,061
    #24 375+, Apr 6, 2019
    Agree with you on the S2000, almost lost mine a couple of times at speed. Wicked.
     
    paulchua likes this.
  25. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 28, 2005
    12,061
    #25 375+, Apr 6, 2019
    Original Cobra either 289 but especially 427. An engine with a chassis and virtually nothing else, incredibly crude and dangerous.
     
    paulchua and LARRYH like this.
Page 1 of 5

Share This Page