At one with the car

obi_waynne

obi_waynne

Administrator
Staff member
Moderator
Points
1,157
Location
Deal, Kent UK
Car
A3 1.4 TFSI 150 COD
When you've had a car for a while you start to appreciate it's limits and you begin to feel at one with it.

How long does it take you to get to this level of oneness with your car?
 
I think that will depend on how you drive and if you are alone, carrying people, dogs or items, empty or fully loaded and weather conditions as each has its own effect on the car. The type of car will also have a bearing on how you receive it. My MG took me a while to fully appreciate it and I still find little differences in its driving but that is down to driving too many cars and not sticking to just the one! The Land Rover is a different animal and took me a while to get a feel for it and how best to drive it and appreciate it. The wife's MGF is still to be explored, have tried to find its limit, not easy when she won't let me track it!
 
I have had quite a few moments of "oneness" with my baby! Always been alone in the car and on only a few particular stretches of road so far.
It does put a huge smile on my face when I take a bend just right or push it through the twisties with no fuss or dramas!
Straightline power always brings out the child in me I'm afraid :embarrest:
 
I've had the Focus for nearly three years now and I still haven't even touched on it's limits yet.
It just sticks to the road like it's on rails it unreal.
I use to think that my old P11 Primera handled well but the Focus is in another league altogether.
 
I found taking my old Mx5 on the dirt roads into the country helped definatly found out how far both the car any myself could go, I cant wait to get back out there and have another play, i would highly recomend it. Just you and the car with miles and miles of empty road and no police and if there is they just give you a wave lol.
 
I don't think you can put a time limit. It depends on your adventures with the car. The good time, the bad times. My Escort D was like an old faithfull dog. Would sometimes need to go to the vets to get better, but just wanted to do me good and serve me well. I regret scrapping her, even tho, I know she would never have passed another MOT.

I hated my Mazda. Nice car and all, but was like going out with a high maintence girl. Always wanted new things, at high cost, because of numbers. It would be a wheel bearing here, a hub there, a shock here, and a stearing rack there, a new set of tyres as the tracking was out and recked the £180 each ones on. Tracking done, stearing wheel wobble because the 18'' rims were not set right.

Lovely car to drive, but what a bitch.

And my Evo :love: love at first sight. I first saw her in 2007 when my mate owned her, and I said to my step bro ''im going to have her one day'' and I have! I have to respect her every time I get in. Knowing, that she can hurt me at any chance she wants.
 
Not much time for usual driving including parking.
For blasting down well known B roads I need somewhat more time.

T9 have good observation about "oneness" with car. Even when i drive my usual car (besides Ibiza i got Clio and Golf) there are moments when after igniting I feel my guts "moves in fase with pistons and are sinchronised with chassis frequency". In that moments every curve is taken just perfect, all breaking are just wright and exits are taken with max control...
Luckily, that hapens when I'm alone in the car.
Yes, T9! That put a big smile on my face after driving.
 
I think you learn more about your car and your driving on the track compared with a journey on the road.
 
I agree Obi as the track is where I can push both car and self to explore the limits of grip and try to improve my skills although public roads can throw up situations that may not happen on some tracks.

Like damp surfaces in shaded areas,cow poo around a blind bend where the farmer takes them over the road to another field/paddock, badly built/cambered corners,surface changes with different grip levels etc etc
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Please watch this on my YouTube channel & Subscribe.


Back
Top