Well I have to admit to being a news hound and listen to the local ABC on the way home. I know I can hear you sighing from here!

There was a guy who has written a book about the Top Cars of all Time and they asked for callers so I called. I had my 2 cents about the 8 and got about 2 minutes of airplay.

Then I hear the so called author expert extolling these virtues; Well the RX8 is unique, however the Wankel engine sent Mazda broke and they had to be bailed out my Ford!! Is this correct? He also mentioned that the engine and the car were far from a car of all time. His choices were the mini, yup agree with this one...a Citroen..nope disagree on this one. The VW Beetle cause it was a car for the masses. The Lambo model from the 70's can't remember the name. and something else.

I was annoyed I didn't get a right of reply and listened on the way home thinking, Well he hasn't bloody driven an 8 I bet so how can he know? Jeremy Clarkson seemed to nearly wet his pants when he test drove one on Top Gear.

Alas alack I fear that the 8 is a much maligned and misunderstood car.

As far as the expert well. He can have his opinion I choose not to agree!

Ps. In case you are wondering I do listen to other things on the stereo, mostly Cd's look out for the soundtrack to Run Lola Run or the film for that matter it's fantastic!

 

Ok I know it's sad that I listen to the ABC and respond to my own threads...but here's the thing.

What would your top 5 cars of all time be?

 

I can safely say there won't be a Mini or a Volkswagen in there....

Hmmm, I'll have to think about this one. Good on you for having a go, Julia!

 

McLaren F1 (my top car of all time by miles)
Ferrari F40
Ford GT40
Mazda 787B (the best rotary)
Future:
Porsche GT1. haha

 

oh come on 'mez...don't hold back

Yeah Julia, good on you. In fact, it was the case that Mazda did encounter certain financial difficulties, but no one (in Mazda) has ever slated it home to the Wankel.

Five great cars, eh. One has to be the Porsche 911 (come on - 36 years old and we still all want one); another has to be the Roller (just because, ok ); Range Rover (changed 4WDs); Audi Quattro (intro'd AWD); ...er, perhaps not Mini, but definitely the Cooper S (as much fun as you could have in the 60's with your clothes on)

Can I have more than 5....there's got to be a Ferrari in there, too...but which one? Probably a Lamborghini (Miura or Countach)...and definitely a mad AC Cobra...soooo hard

 

Audi Quattro -

 

If I could have any ferrari it would be their 04' f1 car... but as far as a street car I would probably get that rebodied enzo done by pinnafarina... different rims though of course.

Greatest cars of all time? Have to be more specific than that. Greatest race car? In what sense.. historically significant... technologically advanced.. no car is the #1 in all catagories.

 

Hey Julia, way to go!

And never apologise for listening to the ABC - it's usually much better than the commercial FM pap.

Top 5 cars huh? These lists are always hard. Do you choose historically significant cars (like Timbo, whose list I tend to agree with), the current crop or just the cars you've personally always lusted after.

I'll take the latter.

In no particular order, they are:

'57 Chevy Corvette in bright red (I love the shape of these).
'57 Chevy Bel Air in electric blue (the best of American '50's excess IMHO).
The Ford Mustang from Bullitt (who didn't want to be Steve McQueen?).
Ferrari F40 in red (hard, serious and looks like it wants to eat you).
McLaren F1 in silver (as Top Gear has shown, by no means the best but still the most awe-inspiring).

Bugger it, I need 10. The rest are:

Ford GT40 (rarity, shape and speed).
Porsche 911 Turbo ( preferably the latest model but any would do).
Mercedes convertible staff car from WWII without the **** insignia (the ultimate cool cruiser).
Mad Max's black weapon (who didn't want one as a teenager?).
Ariel Atom (anything that warps your face and sticks like **** to a blanket has got to be good).

I could easily list another 10 but that's because I'm greedy and hate choosing.

 

The Miura?

 

you got it Dave...legendary

nice one Julia...sounds like a ****! Citroen was probably 2cv for quirkiness. (read made of wood, crappy and soluable)

M

 

1. AMG 55 as a day car
2. Supercharged 20b AWD RX8 (man can dream)
3. Lambo Murci Cabrio (some of us still have some hair to feel the wind through.....Rev...LOL)
4. Pagini Zonda (the new one)
5. Big Pink Caddy 70's pimpmobile

6. A Hummer 1 With installed TOW missile, (for Sydney traffic)
7. Ariel for the track.
8. New Nissan Godzilla......always fancied one!
9. 60's Vette to do the West Coast in Style
10. Rangey with every extra know to man to tow a huge boat!!!!!

 

And of course, the insulation to allow the top to be down in winter...Mikey...LOL

 

I prefer to think of it of corner stabilising ballast!!!

 

Fair enough.

Meanwhile, I prefer to think that I've minimised my head's coefficient of drag.

 

It's all good cause beanies are back in fashion!

OK for more information why don't we pick.

Top 10 Race cars of all time
Top 10 Road cars of all time
Top 10 Concept cars of all time
Top 10 Pre war cars
Top 10 post war cars

And for those looking for an even greater list.

Top 10 cars of all time from Eastern block countries!

Does that help.

Will post my reponses later...off compiling my list now!

 

OH NO!!

I'm turning into Dave! I agree with his list.

We must be the same vintage.

 

How do you think I felt agreeing with Timbo's list!

Relax Jormie - you're much older. I just have mature taste.

 

I have to say that that guy might know something about ****-something, but it isnt wankELs.

Mazda did NOT go broke because of the rotary engine. In fact they didnt officially go broke. Ford bought a percentage of mazda (24% first up and then up'd it to 33% http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_...ticle_id=15147). Didnt help that mazda weren't doing to well at the time ;-) but as far as I know they weren't bankrupt in any country.

As for my top 5 cars of all time, in no particular order:

1. Mazda R100 (1st production Rotary)
2. Mazda FD RX-7 (Best rotary ever)
3. Shelby Cobra (Just a BEAST!)
4. 1953 Corvette (birth of the modern roadster)
5. Audi R10 (1100nm Torque!!!)

 

This was in my mind when I was doing my list too. Wicked piece of kit.

Have you seen the Rides episode which covered the development of the modern Shelby Cobra concept car? Awesome thing. Sound of the motor is amazing.

 

Here's where I would start to put my list together!!

http://www.supercarinvestments.com.au/main.asp

Happy shopping!

 

hmmm, I think if I was going for aussie classics you would have to go for Monaro

 

Surely also Falcon GTHO Phase III, original XU1 Torana, Charger E34, and Torana A9X???

 

Yes to all those and a mention for the Phase IV (not that it got to production).

My brothers consecutively owned a genuine XA GT sedan about 15 years ago. Second brother to own it was a spray painter at the time and took it back to a shell and rebuilt it after a fantastic paint job. Mildly worked 351 Cleveland. Damn that car was fast.

 

Probably not as fast as the 8, though

 

Memory is unreliable with this but I don't know about that. Certainly over the first few hundred metres the 8 would really struggle to keep up. I remember being a passenger in a few TLGP's with 911's and we beat some and weren't exactly disgraced in others. This thing had phenomenal torque.