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Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:09 pm
by Col Lamb
Travelled from home in central Lancashire down the M6 > M61 > M62 > M1 to Sheffield yesterday to see Robert Plant in concert and travelled back very late at night.

M62 huge section at 50 mph due to the ongoing smart Mway works, get into Yorkshire and every other gantry, bridge etc have NPR cameras, cameras litter the sides of the Mway, get onto M1 and they are still camera central.

On way back huge sections down to 50mph due to overnight roadworks, the M62 between Heywood and Bury was closed westbound so we had to detour off and go the last 30 miles via the back roads.

On the M62 and some stupid toerag in a white Merc slammed his brakes on in outer lane has he was passing me at about 100 mph when he saw the gantry camera sign and the road measure marks, when he got past the next gantry he floored it again only to again slam on the brakes at the next camera then tootled along at 60 mph, I passed him then 1/2 mile later he came storming past me right through the camera measure lines in the outer lane at again 100mph but this time did not slow. He then slowed again, I passed him again and then I slowed to 50 mph in a roadworks area with average speed cameras only for the Merc to speed past me through the roadworks section doing well over 70mph, he then slammed on the brakes at the end of the roadworks when he saw the second average speed camera. Again he floored it the exited, throughout me I tootles along at the posted speed limits with a smile on my face at his stupidity.

So with cameras getting everywhere driving is getting to be a case of putting on the ACC and tootle along keeping a watch for idiots.

Years ago it was Volvo drivers who had frontal labotomies, then we had a spell of Beamers being dicks, now its the Merc C series brigade who drive like pratts.

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:33 pm
by johnd
You have motorways near you? :shock: Luxury!

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:01 pm
by Dandock
johnd wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:33 pm You have motorways near you? :shock: Luxury!
:lol: :lol:

And you forgot the Audi brigade, Col!

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:20 pm
by Dandock
Seriously, living in Cheltenham and with family in Lancashire we know the M5 and M6 well and have long regarded the queues that are the M5/M6 interchange and a good deal of the M6 in general are a serious disincentive to even make the journey at all.

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 2:59 pm
by Mistertoad
They call it Global Britain . . . . . without the infrastructure ! I drove down the A27 from Havant to Chichester yesterday for the first time in years. When the new dual carriageway was built a long time ago the course concrete surface caused an outcry from residents living within three miles of the road due to tyre noise, so they resurfaced it with tarmac, which solved the problem. Yesterday, while trying to avoid missing lumps of the said tarmac that blights the road I allowed the speed to creep up to 77 before I saw the Sussex Road “Safety” Partnership Camera Van parked on a bridge collecting revenue from unsuspecting drivers. Good job I was not going very fast :P One downside of the Conti with it’s very effective sound proofing and triple glazed windows is the absence of wind or tyre noise. 100 mph feels no different to 70 mph, fortunately the V8 with the sports exhaust still sounds good :evil:

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:09 pm
by Johnsmith
I've seen some interesting characters in white c classes, but let's not pretend they're comparable to a merc of pre 1990s vintage .

Europe is much better.

Next car is going to be a Range Rover. If the quality is poor , I'm going to ford mondeo or a Skoda

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:53 pm
by Col Lamb
Dandock wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:20 pm Seriously, living in Cheltenham and with family in Lancashire we know the M5 and M6 well and have long regarded the queues that are the M5/M6 interchange and a good deal of the M6 in general are a serious disincentive to even make the journey at all.
Last time I was down near you we drove all the way from Monmouth to north of Chester on A and B roads to avoid the dreaded M5/6 in the Midlands, it was so much more enjoyable.

Last time I went north through the M5 - M6 interchange I was in the right lane and a lorry with a distinctive logo which had been vandalised passed me on the left lane which was moving far faster than the right lane, I did not pass the lorry until just north of Stoke.

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 8:04 pm
by ScotMac
I like having something with a bit of power to safely overtake the slow drivers but there is really no point in having a really fast car on the UK roads which is a bit of a shame really.

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:36 pm
by r1flyguy
I’ve had one for years and in the right place, time & circumstances, I wouldnt want to sit in any other car, BUT on the grand scheme of things on UK roads, the difference between going from A-B at 2 different speeds in the Macan or the sportscar saves you nothing more than a few minutes.
So for me personally i choose what i want to do before i choose how i want to get there.
The Macan, super comfy luxury cruiser
The sportscar, super fast fun toy.

Gotta love the Macan and i feel privileged to own one :)

Re: Why bother with a performance car.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:48 pm
by Paul
I often have the same sentiment; came back from a nice weekend nr Torbay on Sunday....M5 @85 on the cruise.......the odd blip to nip past someone but really just an effortless, high speed 1hr run at less than half of the car’s capability.
Same on A roads, B roads etc.......except that brief occasion when you can really give it the beans, and a great grin comes over you face!