[Broncho]

Just for fun

Mine is this, the Jaguar XJR-9, my dad took me and my brother when we were kids to Le Mans and saw this win after dominance by Porsche for years, stunning car, amazing experience and something I’ll never forget.

[Russbmw]

Tyrell P34, because it was just weird then, and still is now!

[rlmesq]

Yamaha M1... because Valentino Rossi.

[DaveA]

70's... Ferrari 512M and Lancia Gp5 Monte Carlo (both were pretty)

80's... Either the Lancia LC2 GpC car (was not all that successful, but was beautiful) or the '88 Formula 1 McLaren (just so dominant and not super tech like today)...

90's... McLaren F1 GTR '97 "long tail" (possibly the most beautiful "in the flesh" race car ever) or '99 BMW V12 LMR (this is how an open top sportscar should look)

00's... Basically, everything had gone "supertech" by then, so I don't really have any... Maybe the little MG LM675 car...

10's... The car in my avatar (the V8 sounded great with a design by an artist I have long admired)...

[Wills2]

I think it's the GT40 mainly because of the looks and of course the story behind it which is fascinating along with the 4 straight victories at Le Mans of course.

I also love the pre war GP cars like the silver arrows the W125 with close to 650hp with those tyres must have been bloody scary.

Plus all the 50's and 60's Jags D type Mercedes 300 SLR etc...

Amazing things, Oh and those mental Le mans Porsches like the 917 240mph down the Mulsanne straight with your feet ahead of the front axle whilst sat on a fuel tank with wheels and an engine attached to it.

[Bibbles]

Any of the Group B rally cars. They were fantastic and you had to be a complete lunatic to race them.

[SkyJawa]

This first:



This second:

[RobUK]

Probably something like the Lotus 49. Why - because when I first started watching F1 in the late 60's, this was the car that Jim Clark raced (and won in) on it's debut. To me as a kid it was everything exotic, heroic and fast!

[Wills2]

That's one record that will never be broken. (sorry I was thinking about Brabham)

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by RobUK

Probably something like the Lotus 49. Why - because when I first started watching F1 in the late 60's, this was the car that Jim Clark raced (and won in) on it's debut. To me as a kid it was everything exotic, heroic and fast!

For me the greatest driver of all time but that's another debate entirely!

I started watching F1 in the early 1970's and if pushed I'd probably nominate the Tyrell 006 as my favourite; Jackie Stewart was the driver I supported and that was his 1973 championship winning car. However, Lotus are right up there with the JPS Lotus 79 vying for top spot as well; a car that revolutionised F1 with the introduction of ground effect.

And of course lots of affection for any 12 cylinder Ferrari; a lot of them weren't especially competitive but they all made a glorious noise!

[nordberg]

Jordan 191.

Designed and built on a shoestring by a team in its first year in F1. Genuinely quick and aero on a par with the best at the time.

Gorgeous to look at.

[DaveA]

I notice that none of us are picking any modern cars, are we...

[Pobsey]

Grp 5 Bmw 320i turbo
Lates 80’s early 90’s DTM cars
Leyton House CG901
Porsche 962
Mercedes c11

[SkyJawa]

Originally Posted by DaveA

I notice that none of us are picking any modern cars, are we...

Because on the whole health and safety nanny state has made them a lot duller than years gone by.....

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

Because on the whole health and safety nanny state has made them a lot duller than years gone by.....

I don't think it's that... The continued drive on safety over the years has been a good thing... After all, we don't send folk out to be killed or seriously injured for our sporting entertainment, do we..?

Let's face it, each of these cars were much safer than the previous generations...

I will conceded, however, that the more stringent safety regulations has led to a more even look in many classes, so they look ever more like "one make" championships...

I think part of the issue with motor sports is that there are only ever a handful of teams/manufacturers that are prepared to spend all out to win and so we have to "manage" our various championships to attract more entrants so as to even have them survive (and even that, what, really, are F1 teams other than Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari fighting for..?)... and that makes them all homogenised, also (consider LMP2 in WEC, for instance)... and this, allied to increased costs of attending events has led to a general disengagement of the more casual fan...

.. and also a lack of engagement of younger fans.

Sure, certain BTCC rounds still attract large crowds, but look at other events that are suffering... Look at the problems that NASCAR are having, for instance, the former model of fan success and engagement...

And, let's face it, the future marketing of vehicles will not be around performance on a track/rally stage etc anyway... So we might also be seeing a slow disengagement of the manufacturers...

[CraigUK]

A childhood icon, say no more!

[isleaiw1]

Audi Quattro rallycar

BMW 2002 Tii touring car

Triumph Dolomite Sprint touring car

Vauxhall Cavalier GSi touring car

Touring cars with 4 doors that looked like the ones on the high street were the heyday for me. Still enjoy it but when you can hardly recognise the car it’s not quite the same...

[Broncho]

There's always the Mazda 787b, purely for the sound!

[MashinBenzin]

F1: MP4/4, Ayrton at the wheel

Rally: Toyota Celica 4x4, Carlos sideways through Kielder.

Touring: Volvo 850T5 - the wardrobe carriers competing at the sharp end summed up the Everyman appeal of super touring.

Indy: Big Nige Red 5.

WEC etc.: Porsche 919 or McLaren F1 GTR - tough call and a tie.

[flashollie]

Paddy Hopkirks mini
Metro 6R4. never has such a shit car been transformed beyond all recognition.
Anything that Ari Vaternan drove. I was 12 and in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere at some service halt he chatted to me and signed my autograph book!

The black and gold Lotus JPS
Any group B rally cars especially the Lancia Delta.
Becuase I saw Hannu Mikkula spin 360 on the straight below Oliver's mount. He dropped off the tarmac slightly on to wet leaves so he that lost grip and doing what must have been well over 80 caught it and floored it. Everyone there shat themselves bar Hannu. Class.

[nawz]

The 2008 mclaren.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by RichMB

F1: MP4/4, Ayrton at the wheel

Rally: Toyota Celica 4x4, Carlos sideways through Kielder.

Touring: Volvo 850T5 - the wardrobe carriers competing at the sharp end summed up the Everyman appeal of super touring.

Indy: Big Nige Red 5.

WEC etc.: Porsche 919 or McLaren F1 GTR - tough call and a tie.

Good call on the Volvo - the reason I bought an 850 2.5 estate back in. 1997....