What is the best handing car that you ever owned?

[louiegz]

Since I’m getting my suspension work done on my Q, (ordered my Tokicos with Alex and calling Joe for the rest of the stuff next week) I’ve been thinking of my old cars and witch ones handled the best, and the worst that will be in the bottom of my list. Here’s my list.

1. 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo 5spd2. 2003 BMW 330i 3. 1995 Infiniti Q454. 1994 Honda Accord EX 5spd5. 1986 Chevy Cavalier RS 5spd6. 1979 Chevy Impala

Yea, I know the last 2 are not good handling cars, but the Cavalier could be fun sometimes. That was the car that I got my lesson in how much good tires matter. They had the stock Firestone on them, and they were bald. I put a set of BF Goodrich with the white letters on them. It was a night and day difference. The Impala was my first car and a hand me down from my dad. He made up for it because the Q was also a hand me down from him. I remember the day I went to pick it up with him and I was so happy that he didn’t buy another Sedan de Ville and decided to get a real car. The 944 is the car that spoiled me. That is the car that I compare the handling to all cars that I ever drive. The 330i is the closest that I’ve gotten to the 944, but the 330i matched my older tastes that I have now.

So what are your favorite cars? Feel free to list them.

[rydwhite]

I've only had three, so my list is short and odd.

1. 2003 G35 Coupe

There is a tie for 2 because they both handles like..., well you get the idea I'm sure.

2. 1988 Ford Escort GT2. 1994 Ford Ranger Splash

[diamond]

my j30s she bang,she bangs,lol.

[Rex]

Cars

1976 Chevy Vega ... wagon1981 Olds Cutlass ... comfy1989 Honda CRX ... blast to drive and the 100+ lbs of sub/box help balance the handling1991 Honda Civic Si ... (first kid, had to have back seat)1994 Q45 ... AHHHH1995 Acura Integra LS ... winter beater for free

I have to say of waht I've owned the small Hondas held the road the best, but "overall driver comfort" is something they didn't provide.

Now for handling the Subaru's I've driven really held the road. My Dad's been in the car dealership service business all my life and brought home tons of Demos. The mid-80's Scubbies held the road like on rails. I can only imagine what a WRX or STI does today :drooling.

[Altiman94]

my list:1. 89 240sx2. 94 Altima

[hal90000]

My Austin 850 Mini was the best. Not the fastest by any means. But fun to drive anyway. Never had to slow down.

[Falkdesigns]

1. 2000 Civic Si with ton's of suspension and brake modifications (H&R Sports w/ tokico hp's, Skunk2 21mm rear sway bar, front and rear upper tie bars, rear lower tie bar, ES bushings, Brembo slotted rotors, AEM/Nissin pads, Motul Fluid) Canyon carving king. Traded in for Q452. 1984 RX-7, built for SCCA IT had it from 93-96, stolen.3. 1985 GTI, stock4. 1998 Q45t, just got it, still stock5. 1974 Karman Ghia, slammed and stiff6. 1976 F150 4x4 lifted on 33's.

[WAMP]

1. 2002 A4 1.8TQM =( had to sell....2. '93 J30t (current) saving $$$.....3. '97 Altima overall decent car.

[AZ94Q]

1. 1996 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo (.99g)

Not sure what handled better, my J30T or 91 Q... both were awesome.. 87 supra turbo handled well as well..

Long live RWD

[VimyJ]

Never owned it but my buddy's TR7 was spectacular (when it was running).

My J is great too but it's a different sort of parameter because its probably over 1000 lbs heavier than that TR7.

[Highway Q45]

#1 - 95 Miata- best neutral handling, 105 RWHP (18.4 lbs/HP), great car, needed more power, sold 11/03

#2 - 86 Porsche 944 Turbo- good neutral handling, excellent high- speed stability, 300 HP (10.4 lbs/HP)- current ride and lovin every minute of it.

#3 -61 MGA 1600- fun to drive when it would start- "Hail Lucas Prince of Darkness" 105 HP (17.61 lbs/HP)

#4- 91 Q45t- Wonderful highway smoozer, scary overweight gun boat going downhill on long twisty mountain grades with hot brakes, fast attack cruiser on the Interstate and normal driving. By far the most comfortable car I've owned. 278 HP (14.6 lbs/HP)

That's my list

Honorable Mention: 60 AH Bugeye Sprite; 73 Fiat 124; 75 Honda CVCC, 5-speed Sport

[AZhitman]

Best handling car?

My 84 CRX - Dropped, slammed, on Riken mesh 15x8's, 140 treadwear radials, all solid bushings, homemade front/rear strut tower braces, swapped '86 Si engine... That thing was a freakin' go-cart.

Runner-up: The Q. Most folks that ride in it are AMAZED that it sticks as well as it does. Eibachs, Tokicos, 20mm rear bar, FST brace, polys, sticky 255mm tires, all new suspension components... All WELL worth the money.

After that? My '94 Si.

My 68 GranSport handled well for a 4300 lb car.

Karmann Ghia handled like crap.

The Suburban with a 6" lift and 35's? What's handling?

[AZhitman]

Yeah, the CRX topped out around 120, and it sucked at high speeds. Very twitchy due to short wheelbase. Almost as wide as it was long.

[driverdriver]

Not in any particular order:

87' Porsche 944Early 90's Audi A90 Quattro (too bad it spent every other week in the shop).'98 Jaguar XJR (not owned but extensively test driven for two weeks).05' Chrysler 300C and Magnum (test driven at Chrysler test track)My J30t

[Highway Q45]

From the responses here I think it shows the poularity of the FWD and growth of the tuner market over the last 25 years. Not to be critical but the term "best handling" should be qualified by driving style. If we are talking about very short, tight twisties or urban bombing, the FWD cars are cool and a blast to drive. If we are talking serious high speed roads, off camber sweepers, and most tracks, a RWD will usually rule the day. I have driven many well built FWD's on road courses at or near 100 mph and never felt the smooth transition and balance of a front engine-RWD BMW, RX-7, or Porsche watercooler. To me they just feel so unconnected and jittery at higher speeds. Even though it's RWD, tracking a 911 is not for the faint of heart and requires a whole new mind set to drive well.

Dkill has it right, the 3rd Gen RX-7 is so perfect; if only you didn't have to worry about it coughing up a lung or setting your garage on fire after parking it. If you ever drove a well prepped 944 Turbo you would love it, so refined for almost a 20 year old car. Any good well balanced front engine RWD performance car will make any driver feel like Mario Andretti after an 8hr DE course.

[nuQ]

77 280z 92 subaru svx---incredible in bad weather, was running sz50's 90 Q45---may jump up with the new suspension stuff

my 91 sentra 5 spd. is soo much fun to throw around,,,honerable mention-----almost everyone that drives it,,,loves it

[HeavyDuty]

For what it was, I chose a Pathfinder for my wife because I had a few as rentals (Budget Rent A Car) and *could not* put them on their lid. I tried. It has a panhard bar rear suspension that keeps the solid axle in check.

99 Civic Si, 288whp/190tq, 10psi aftercooled Vortech, Quaife LSD, 17x7 Volk SE37's, Koni Yellows, Comptech *everything*, Autopower roll bar, Brembo GT's, the Darth Vader of Civics, 108mph traps speed on street tires, spinning through the 1000 foot mark.

1997 240SX SE, bone stock, drove it through the mountains of North Georgia, pushed it past my comfort level, the car never complained a bit.

1991 Q45, needs work, but possibly the best all around driver I've owned. Power, poise, IRS rear drive V8 room for five.

1993 Lightning, handled like on rails, rode horrible.

1991 SE-R handed much nicer cars their arses....regularly.

[fxjackso]

This is great reading. For my part, let me add my 1973 Alfa Romeo Berlina 4-door. An amazing sports car in sheep's clothing, that any fool could get in and drive fast. It would pull through the red line in 5th at 118.This is the only car I have owned that, contrary to the old adage, fooled all of the people, all of the time.

[SCOTTDW]

1961 MG-A 1600 Coupe1988 Mazda RX7 GTU1998 Ford Taurus SHO

Scott99I30T

[louiegz]

#1 - 95 Miata- best neutral handling, 105 RWHP (18.4 lbs/HP), great car, needed more power, sold 11/03

#2 - 86 Porsche 944 Turbo- good neutral handling, excellent high- speed stability, 300 HP (10.4 lbs/HP)- current ride and lovin every minute of it.

#3 -61 MGA 1600- fun to drive when it would start- "Hail Lucas Prince of Darkness" 105 HP (17.61 lbs/HP)

#4- 91 Q45t- Wonderful highway smoozer, scary overweight gun boat going downhill on long twisty mountain grades with hot brakes, fast attack cruiser on the Interstate and normal driving. By far the most comfortable car I've owned. 278 HP (14.6 lbs/HP)

That's my list

Honorable Mention: 60 AH Bugeye Sprite; 73 Fiat 124; 75 Honda CVCC, 5-speed Sport

Highway, I like your list the best. The Miata. I've allways wanted to drive a Miata. With a turbo kit, you could get those extra HPs that car needs. I read an old Road and Track the someone stuffed a Mustang 5.0 in a Miata. Wow! That thing must haul arse! The 944 Turbo, I had one so I understand. I'd like to know how you got 300hp out of it because mine had 217hp. The MGA, Never drove one but I did own an MGB for 24 hours. 15 min after I paid the guy for the car the car died. I had to park the car and had my atorney call the next day to get my money back. The guy was crapping in his pants. The MGB didn't make my list because I didn't get to drive it enough to enjoy it. Maybe on day I will own a ragtop.

[AZ94Q]

highway,

You must be another fellow racer

RWD, accept no substitute

"For the pure sport of driving" -Porsche

Couldn't agree more on the rx7... I must say the supra had amazing grip.. you couldn't escape the weight (wasn't that bad) The grip it had though given the weight, was really unreal... Way more forgiving then the rx7... alas the rx7 will always be my fantasy.. One ride, and I knew it was the feeling I always wanted to experience...

The m3 does it for me as well..

The lotus elise is coming to the U.S.

That might be the only thing to get me close to the rx7.. although the U.K. has plenty of similar cars.. Noble/Lotus/TVR.. those brits know what handling is all about.

[jtesensky]

Here goes mine...

1.) The Coupe (no question):ylsuper 2.) 1993 Del Sol Si (very fun, you'd be surprised)3.) 2001 Jetta 1.8L Turbo 4.) 1995 Camero (V6)5.) 1997 Nissan Hardbody6.) 2003 Sentra7.) 1989 Sentra8.) 2003 QX4

Coupe = no substitute!!!!!!!

[pmcd1966]

My list:94 Miata R with sticky Yoko's91 Miata - sold it80 Triumph TR8 great handling car for it's age96 Q45 - great handling car (sticky stock size tires)a few other Japanese FWD's that are long gone go to the bottom of my list.

[Qdog]

1) 81 VW Rabbit Cabrio with RE71 Bridgestones, stiff sway bars. It still wasn't fast with a 86 GTI motor, but fun to drive. I couldn't lock up the Bridgestones in a panic stop from 55 mph on the freeway, but stopped in time before getting rear ended in a chain reaction on the freeway. Totaled, drove it home, bought another one. In another incident, this car saved my life with it's quick handling, avoiding a Taurus that apparently didn't see me coming.2) Fiat X1/9, can't remember the year, but it was so light, mid-engined, it was fun to go around corners and not have to downshift or slow down. I remember looking up at the huge rounded fenders on VW Beetles next to me at a light...3) 75 Opel Manta, stiff, spartan, 1.9 litre pushrod, fuel injected. Front engine, rear drive. It was basic transportation, good tires would have made it a lotta fun, but at that time I thought if there was tread visible then the tires must be ok...4) Various Volvos...pigs one and all in the handling dept, but tanks. I like driving tanks, the Q is the best driving tank ever.I don't know where the Q fits in, I just don't want to throw it around like a small car, but it is confidence inspiring at high speed.

[Highway Q45]

Louiegz: My 944 Turbo has the Turbo S (K26/#8 hotside) upgrade w/ factory 247HP @ 12psi. Add good chips, manual boost control, shimmed wastegate, "test pipe", adjustable FPR and you have 16psi for a safe 300HP @ crank. Haven't dynoed yet but this a very typical mod list and quite mild for what can be done. Cool thing is I can swap the test pipe only and pass Calif. smog with flying colors. Not bad for an old 2.5L 2-V design. Many others are making 315-340 RWHP with MAP, standalone ECU, and K-27 or Garrett. Can't imagine the 3.0L outputs people are building. A LT-1 V-8 swap is the kit swap of choice for Turbo owners tired of spinning their #2 rod bearing and blowing head gaskets. Nothing like a 4.5 sec 0-60mph sleeper in lederhousen! The LT-1 swap only changes the F/R weight ratio by <1% and getting an LT-1 to 400 HP is fairly inexpensive compared to Porsche aftermarket add-ons. The outputs that are capable with some Japenese cars are just plain unreal. Will they run for 200K miles, we'll see, but I bet most Nissan/Toyota/Subie will stand the test of time.I've ridden in one Turbo Miata; scared the holy cr#^ out of me and I'm no flower! 340 RWHP in a 2200 lb car is truly a ride on the Dark Side.

AZ94Q: I have yet to drive an M3 or M5 but would love to. Owners rave about them. Maybe someone can loan me theirs and I'll post a review after a hard drive across Nevada!

ScottDW: A 1600 Coupe-Lucky Man, still have it? My twin-cam was built by Team Cooper in So. Cal. and ran like the wind. I miss the track fun nowadays, it just costs too much to spend one weekend with brake pads, rotors, tires...you get the picture.

This topic has been a real fun read...I hope those of you that haven't had a chance to drive a well prepped RWD sports car will get the opportunity. Coming from FWD you will feel like you've gone to Heaven.

Hello..my name is Steve and I'm a Boostaholic

[911/Q45]

My Porsche was faster, but I drove a Ferrari 355 at the track and the steering was so precise I felt I could place the car within an inch of where I wanted it. The sound of that V8 at 9000 rpm 6" behind my head was better than sex!

[cweberj30t]

2 of you used to own Karman Ghia's? What are the odds of that?

[lfootmatt]

###1!

93 SUPRA (low miles)

And get this, it was a company car!!! Can't say what company, but getting paid to drive the total Cr@p out of it was the best!!! It was a nonturbo w/ and automatic transmission. Off the line it stunk. But I was mostly on the fly anyway. Drop the shifter and mash the gas and crank the wheel. Apexing corners in that thing was awesome! Trust me if I wasn't getting paid to drive like that I'd be in Jail.

It is a thing of beauty when a car that capable is put in the hands of someone equally capable, who is willing to, and given the authorization to drive it to it's limits! If it had been a Twin Turbo they would have never gotten it away from me!

#2, 93 J30, Nice, but the wife won't let me drive like I do at work so I'll never really find out what its got. Besides, if I break it I fix it. Too many $$$s to push the limits.

#3, 86 Accord LXI#4, 68 442 convertable#5, 68 Bug#6, 01 3/4 ton burb#7, 97 Tahoe#8, 84 Bronco

[Alan]

1963 Morris Mini Pickup

1973 Alfa Spider

1968 TR 250

HiWay Q where are you in N CA911/Q aren't you glad you didn't have to pay to maintain that Ferrari?

Looking at the cars on this list, at 49 I feel like I must be the oldest coot around here.

[louiegz]

Louiegz: My 944 Turbo has the Turbo S

Hey Highway, here's an artical that you might get a kick out of. European Car Magazine has a 1986 944 Turbo as a project car. Looks like there doing some cool stuff to it. Made me wish that I still had mine but after 2 expensive cluch jobs, I remember why I got rid of it. I had a love hate relationship with my 944 Turbo. I loved it when ir ran, I hated it when it was in the shop. My 944 was a lemon and was in the shop alot, plus I was broke. That is a bad combination. I'm glad I still had my Cavalier at that time so I had a car to drive when the 944 was in the shop.

http://www.europeancarweb.com/projectcars/