N1X said:
[post]367632[/post] I was very tempted when I saw it for sale and so close to me, too !
Very sorry about that without seeing it in person, I'd been keeping an eye on it, another guy was about to see it and after a few emails and calls I decided to gamble, put down a deposit and buy it. I bought it, it was one of the most affordable ones because of a colourful past; it was written off and repaired 15 years ago and still has the scars after surviving that, a previous owner decided to strip it to a bare shell and flog all the bits then a Rally School owner decided to bring it back from the dead a 2nd time by rebuilding it again this story of survival chimes with things in my own life so I kind of like it more because of that. Was I crazy buying it yes, was it the right decision definitely 100% ! :grin:
The roads are crap and this car communicates the road to you in braille form, for every tiny bump, if you go over something really rough you go :? is it still in one piece? Yes it is and then you move on, it is delightful and quick and will be amazing around the B Roads up here I just have to avoid potholes more carefully oh and anything with a rough and inconsistent texture like um a typical British Road.
It is a "drivers car" which is a completely meaningless phrase until you actually drive a "drivers car" where the seats hug you tightly and the car responds precisely to your actions and communicates so much feel back to you. My 2005 Golf 1.4 drove well, albeit a bit slower and all the stuff between the driver and the road had a bit of insulation between it, the problem gets worse on newer cars, how ever funky they look or how ever many gadgets they can boast it is all designed to distract you from a very sanitised and detached driving experience they offer, you still steer, use the pedals and gears but modern cars are constantly deciding stuff for you and limiting your experience and overall control. A Racing Puma is unfiltered, raw and just tells it how it is with no sugar coating. :wink:
The Golf has a 2 shades of grey interior, back in 2003 VW were thinking of ideas for the seat fabric and found their most boring Wolfsburg Accountant and stole his most boring suit to upholster the interior with, which is exceptionally, record breakingly and prolific in it's dullness. :| The Racing Puma on the other hand is silly, lurid and flamboyant inside I love the ridiculousness of the interior and wide arches it just brightens a day.
Non car fans don't understand why people like cars because most cars are really boring, what makes a car fun is 1000s of tiny details noises textures sounds and sensations a car can deliver. For a brief time I drove a Peugeot 107 yes it's cute and also has it's fans and fanclub but it was so painfully slow, had the handling characteristics of an empty packet of crisps when presented with a light breeze and so hatefully cheap and nasty inside for a period the car maniac in me started to die, the 107 is the car that came close to making me hate cars :-( . If anyone ever wishes to cure their love of cars buy a 107 it will depress you so much, cars will just make you sad and you can spend your money on other things like...... er overpriced coffee and um....public transport?
The Racing Puma is daft, absurd, it's a pair of brightly coloured running shoes in a world of sensible brown shoes and sometimes life needs a bit of silliness, flamboyance and absence of practicality! All the reasons you should never want a car like this is exactly why you do! :wink:
