Have you ever bought a car purely due to an article in a mag
Discussion
as above. Have you ever been looking to buy a car and bought one based purely on a magazine article (or these days YouTube review I guess!)?
I think that my 1st three cars were bought this way.
1 - my first car was an Opel Commodore II GS/E Coupe
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bought, pretty much, on a whim thanks to Classic and Sports Car: I liked the photo and the article made it sound good (though I didn't realise quite how rare they were!) so a few weeks later and 800 pounds poorer I had my first car.
2 - my second car (and third!) Fiat X1/9
was thanks to C&SC too: looking for something slightly different, again, read an article and that was it. It was so good I bought another
3 - 4th car (and 5th, 6th, 7th 8th) Chevy Camaro IROC
at a loose end was idly thumbing through.... yup Classic and Sports Car AGAIN!! and the Camaro leapt out of the pages at me and so, with no idea whatsoever about Yank cars etc I went down another rabbit hole.
I don't read C&SC anymore!!
I think that my 1st three cars were bought this way.
1 - my first car was an Opel Commodore II GS/E Coupe
bought, pretty much, on a whim thanks to Classic and Sports Car: I liked the photo and the article made it sound good (though I didn't realise quite how rare they were!) so a few weeks later and 800 pounds poorer I had my first car.
2 - my second car (and third!) Fiat X1/9
was thanks to C&SC too: looking for something slightly different, again, read an article and that was it. It was so good I bought another
3 - 4th car (and 5th, 6th, 7th 8th) Chevy Camaro IROC
at a loose end was idly thumbing through.... yup Classic and Sports Car AGAIN!! and the Camaro leapt out of the pages at me and so, with no idea whatsoever about Yank cars etc I went down another rabbit hole.
I don't read C&SC anymore!!
Slightly off topic but I had a nearly new Commodore Coupe 2.5 for the weekend c1975, on loan. Kept thinking up excuses to go out on errands, just to pose! My Dad had the saloon version of the previous series as a company car in the early 70s. I think it was a 2.4.
I bought my wife's 330d Touring on the strength of reviews. Great car.
I bought my wife's 330d Touring on the strength of reviews. Great car.
Done the opposite. Seriously contemplated a Merc 190 Cosworth on the strength of a misty eyed article in a magazine. Might have been C&SC. Then a mate left me with his when he borrowed my LandRover for a fortnight.
How I hated the wretched thing. By the second week I was going to work on a bloody pushbike.
On a happier note he subsequently bought the LR from me and still has it, although the Cossie is long gone.
How I hated the wretched thing. By the second week I was going to work on a bloody pushbike.
On a happier note he subsequently bought the LR from me and still has it, although the Cossie is long gone.
I use to worship the Evo/Youtube reviews.
Now I’m older, wiser and have driven more cars myself I’m aware it’s all down to what a manufacturer is willing to pay/give said media outlet. It’s just another version of advertising.
I’ve driven more 5 or 4.5 star cars that have turned out to be complete duds than have been worthy of the score.
Now I’m older, wiser and have driven more cars myself I’m aware it’s all down to what a manufacturer is willing to pay/give said media outlet. It’s just another version of advertising.
I’ve driven more 5 or 4.5 star cars that have turned out to be complete duds than have been worthy of the score.
Evo did an article in maybe 2005? The best £20k or £25k cars you could buy and the mk3 MR2 Spyder was rated really highly, the way the article wrote about the car and the fact I'd lost all of my no claims bonus from living abroad meant I needed something performance but also cheap to insure being mid twenties myself.
I bought one without even driving one and learned how to handle a mid engined and rear wheel drive car (having only had FWD hot hatches when I was younger). I bloody loved that thing.
I bought one without even driving one and learned how to handle a mid engined and rear wheel drive car (having only had FWD hot hatches when I was younger). I bloody loved that thing.
Not from a Magazine Article but I was smitten by a Top Gear feature by Quentin Wilson on the Senator 24V
I liked them so much I'm very sure I owned 13 of them over 15 years, most of them were 24V's. I also had a handful of Carltons including the one rebuilt in a shed in Norfolk to be a proper bahnstormer which I still have.
My Senator ownership effectively came to an end in 2006 - I went over to the dark side and bought a 99 740i in 2006 because we have a house rule that if it needs welding it's a project car and the daily can't be a project car......
One Senator 24V that I broke for parts donated it's engine for my Monza GSE track car and the current track car project (Opel Commodore GS will be getting a 24V engine too)
I liked them so much I'm very sure I owned 13 of them over 15 years, most of them were 24V's. I also had a handful of Carltons including the one rebuilt in a shed in Norfolk to be a proper bahnstormer which I still have.
My Senator ownership effectively came to an end in 2006 - I went over to the dark side and bought a 99 740i in 2006 because we have a house rule that if it needs welding it's a project car and the daily can't be a project car......
One Senator 24V that I broke for parts donated it's engine for my Monza GSE track car and the current track car project (Opel Commodore GS will be getting a 24V engine too)
Yes... Several... Porsche 993 and 964 Turbo's, Ferrari 360, AM V8 Vantage, Audi R8, and many BMW M cars to name a few.. All purchased New, Purely on the original launch spotters/reviews including the New M240 and M2 which i picked up a couple of months ago. A 'test' drive for one hour or 24 hours drive couldn't possibly give myself the true driving abilities and feeling of the car and if I waited for a Demo before ordering one I'd then be wanting forever....B'stard Child said:
...current track car project (Opel Commodore GS will be getting a 24V engine too)
Was seriously tempted at one point to try and find a Rekord D/Commodore II Coupe shell and see if I could have a 3.2 24V V6 Vectra lump chucked in. With roughly 220HP it promises to be quite a bit of fun...
DodgyGeezer said:
B'stard Child said:
...current track car project (Opel Commodore GS will be getting a 24V engine too)
Was seriously tempted at one point to try and find a Rekord D/Commodore II Coupe shell and see if I could have a 3.2 24V V6 Vectra lump chucked in. With roughly 220HP it promises to be quite a bit of fun...
however the Opel/Vauhall straight six is my preferred choice - 3.7 24V running triple 50 DCOE carbs with hotter cams (Stroked Lotus Carlton crank and rods, JE forged pistons, decked block and head with a reasonable amount of porting)
Downside is it's not going to rev to 8,000 rpm like the last straight six I built but it will produce more than 250 bhp - should produce a fair chunk of torque and just over 300 bhp (which in something that weighs 1100 kgs should be fun)
B'stard Child said:
DodgyGeezer said:
B'stard Child said:
...current track car project (Opel Commodore GS will be getting a 24V engine too)
Was seriously tempted at one point to try and find a Rekord D/Commodore II Coupe shell and see if I could have a 3.2 24V V6 Vectra lump chucked in. With roughly 220HP it promises to be quite a bit of fun...
however the Opel/Vauhall straight six is my preferred choice - 3.7 24V running triple 50 DCOE carbs with hotter cams (Stroked Lotus Carlton crank and rods, JE forged pistons, decked block and head with a reasonable amount of porting)
Downside is it's not going to rev to 8,000 rpm like the last straight six I built but it will produce more than 250 bhp - should produce a fair chunk of torque and just over 300 bhp (which in something that weighs 1100 kgs should be fun)
I had pretty much made my mind up to buy an Integra Type R in 2000.
A road test by Russ Bulgin in Car magazine was the final push I needed. There was a line in his article along the lines of "spanking it's little Japanese arse" that made me grin and I placed the order for the car very shortly after.
A road test by Russ Bulgin in Car magazine was the final push I needed. There was a line in his article along the lines of "spanking it's little Japanese arse" that made me grin and I placed the order for the car very shortly after.
DodgyGeezer said:
please keep us posted on progress with that - sounds amazing
I'll share the end point but the build not a chance as despite PH being a broad church there will be too many mentions of aquatic mammals for me to share all so when it's done I'll share but not the journey (Been 5 years of very glacial progress cos I cocked it up right at the start and I need to tear it apart to fix it)
B'stard Child said:
DodgyGeezer said:
please keep us posted on progress with that - sounds amazing
I'll share the end point but the build not a chance as despite PH being a broad church there will be too many mentions of aquatic mammals for me to share all so when it's done I'll share but not the journey (Been 5 years of very glacial progress cos I cocked it up right at the start and I need to tear it apart to fix it)
t uses that lump don't you know anything and what a piece of crap car, not worth it mate. You could have a AudMW which drive rings...." and so on). The irony being they're driving a pcp'd car whilst living in their parent's basement - not that there's anything wrong with a pcp'd car, it's all about what works for you 
Anywho - hope to see something about it in the fullness of time. BIG fan of the Commodore II/Rekord D coupe
I have only been influenced by the Media once and funny enough its with my current car a Porsche Cayman 4.0 GTS . The Cayman for me was like the Boxster a bit of an " entry level Porsche " and I worried about if that involved any shortcomings over a previous 911 GTS I had owned some time back .
After reading numerous Reviews , the Opinions were pretty much unanimous in the Cars favour . I went to Porsche Wolverhampton for a Test Drive and felt that the Car was OK but what do you really learn in 30 minutes of anything ? I took the plunge however and bought a new one and have been delighted thus far so in this case I think the media had the Car assessed pretty accurately . I suppose I should add that I have bought previous Cars that had glowing reviews and found them pretty crap . 1990 Ford Escort RS turbo was pretty dire in comparison to previous RS Fords I had owned .
After reading numerous Reviews , the Opinions were pretty much unanimous in the Cars favour . I went to Porsche Wolverhampton for a Test Drive and felt that the Car was OK but what do you really learn in 30 minutes of anything ? I took the plunge however and bought a new one and have been delighted thus far so in this case I think the media had the Car assessed pretty accurately . I suppose I should add that I have bought previous Cars that had glowing reviews and found them pretty crap . 1990 Ford Escort RS turbo was pretty dire in comparison to previous RS Fords I had owned .
Of course - there wasn't much alternative for most of my car buying life. And I'd certainly have taken the word of a Bell . Bowler, Cropley or Robinson to some bloke in the pub who'd extol the virtues of his Astra despite his never having driven any of its competition.
So the Alfa Suds , Clan , Caterhams , sundry GTis and many more were bought on the strength of reviews I'd read.
I only had two regrets and they related to cars which have an almost cult like following - the Suzuki SC 100 and the AX GT . Even Setright loved the Whizzkid and I remain amazed anyone had a good word for them. I bought mine new on the strength of Motor's road test - and it was junk. Chronic unreliability , dangerous in crosswinds and a disconcerting habit of the engine cutting out on RH bends taken at any speed . Awful dealership too.
And the AX. Jesus , it was awful - cramped seats, brakes which stuck on, gearchange terrible if car exposed to muddy roads, Airfix kit build quality, terrible dash , crap radio , ludicrously undergeared , horrible thrashy engine noisy - generally hateful , and only redeemed by great ride and handling .
So the Alfa Suds , Clan , Caterhams , sundry GTis and many more were bought on the strength of reviews I'd read.
I only had two regrets and they related to cars which have an almost cult like following - the Suzuki SC 100 and the AX GT . Even Setright loved the Whizzkid and I remain amazed anyone had a good word for them. I bought mine new on the strength of Motor's road test - and it was junk. Chronic unreliability , dangerous in crosswinds and a disconcerting habit of the engine cutting out on RH bends taken at any speed . Awful dealership too.
And the AX. Jesus , it was awful - cramped seats, brakes which stuck on, gearchange terrible if car exposed to muddy roads, Airfix kit build quality, terrible dash , crap radio , ludicrously undergeared , horrible thrashy engine noisy - generally hateful , and only redeemed by great ride and handling .
Mrs 404 had a Focus Cabriolet for a while. Coincidentally, it arrived around the same time as Clarkson reviewed it in his Sunday Times (?) column.
He reckoned it was "surprisingly good".
I beg to differ. I hated it from day one. Plus I have no idea how Clarkson even got into the car. He's a big unit. I'm 5'7" on a good day and I got tired of whacking my head on the roof every time I got in or out.
He reckoned it was "surprisingly good".
I beg to differ. I hated it from day one. Plus I have no idea how Clarkson even got into the car. He's a big unit. I'm 5'7" on a good day and I got tired of whacking my head on the roof every time I got in or out.
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