Fast or Fun

[thinfourth2]

Imagine you are allowed out in one of two cars.

The first is a caterham superlight 136Bhp and quite slow by the normal measures such as top speed etc. This will be your slow choice.

The fast choice comes from the year 2020 and has similar performance to a veyron in a straight line but it has fan driven aero and it is sucked into the ground so even faster round the corners. However it has no steering wheel or pedals. Just a button that sets it off once you have set the destination into the sat nav.


Which one is better?


Why do i ask? I think the focus on the pub figures 0-60 etc completely misses the fun of driving.

[Cotty]

Caterham, the other isnt driving.

[jains15]

This is the worst 'what car?' thread I've ever seen

[EDLT]

The super sucker sounds like a dirty roller-coaster, which are quite fun and the Caterham is a Caterham, which are also fun.

Both please.

[goffahsez]

Fun, all day long

[Alfanatic]

The topic heading asks to decide between fast or fun, in which case I'd go for the Caterham, but the OP asks which is better in which case I'd wager that the 2020 special beats the Caterham in the majority of objective tests.

[thinfourth2]

Alfanatic said:

The topic heading asks to decide between fast or fun, in which case I'd go for the Caterham, but the OP asks which is better in which case I'd wager that the 2020 special beats the Caterham in the majority of objective tests.

So why is it better if you'd prefer the caterham.

[JungleJim]

so the question is do you want to drive a car, or go on a theme-park ride?

[havoc]

thinfourth2 said:

Alfanatic said:

The topic heading asks to decide between fast or fun, in which case I'd go for the Caterham, but the OP asks which is better in which case I'd wager that the 2020 special beats the Caterham in the majority of objective tests.

So why is it better if you'd prefer the caterham.

Objective not subjective.

Car makers (most of them, certainly all the mainstream ones) sell cars on objective criteria, as most people just want 'transport', and if they're at all interested in cars they'll probably prefer pub bragging rights over the sort of thing that you have to explain to people*.

Those of us who DO do subjective are a very small minority, hence why the car makers that specifically cater to us (Caterham, Lotus, TVR (rip), Morgan, etc.) are mostly low-volume manufacturers, and often lurch from financial crisis to financial crisis.


That said, in the current economic and environmental climate, such cars are also usefully smaller and cheaper, £-per-smile, £-per-mile and CO2-per-mile, than the equivalent turbo-nutter barge. Which hopefully means they'll continue to exist...




* "Yes, look, the Elise IS a better car to drive because it's got sublime feedback and beautiful balance, perfectly weighted controls and has almost no inertia when you pitch it into a corner. No, OK, it's not as quick to 60 or 100 as your Audi turbo-nutter barge. No, its 'ring time is slower than the Audi too. No, it's not got a Bose stereo or leather heated seats. Look, it IS better, right...it just IS!!!"

[RobM77]

The Caterham Superlight defines driving pleasure. The other option would just be a giggle because it was so fast, but wouldn't really be driving.

It's an interesting thread, because when I was younger I chased faster and faster cars, before learning about what I really liked in cars and concentrating more on the drive than the speed.

By the way, given PH's general obsession with power and relative disinterest in handling I'm quite surprised by the result.

[Alfanatic]

thinfourth2 said:

Alfanatic said:

The topic heading asks to decide between fast or fun, in which case I'd go for the Caterham, but the OP asks which is better in which case I'd wager that the 2020 special beats the Caterham in the majority of objective tests.

So why is it better if you'd prefer the caterham.

Better as in more capable overall. If I wanted the more fun car, I'd have the seven. If I wanted the better car, I'd get the 2020 because it's likely to be able to do most things better than the Caterham can. It will just be less interesting. No steering wheel = no steering feedback, which sucks in Alfanatic's world.

[thinfourth2]

So why does everyone love the veyron then when the super sucker tronic 2020 is even faster but folk prefer a crappy 136bhp caterham

[kambites]

thinfourth2 said:

So why does everyone love the veyron then when the super sucker tronic 2020 is even faster but folk prefer a crappy 136bhp caterham

I'd say exactly the opposite - that everyone on here seems to have a bizarre dislike of the Veyron.

[R26Andy]

I thought we were comparing a caterham to a prostitute when I first seen the options.

Edited by R26Andy on Tuesday 18th January 15:10

[snowy slopes]

Caterham, although i am leaning towards a smart roadster coupe at the moment for my next car, but yeah, fun over fast everytime

[carmonk]

But you're comparing driving with not driving. I'd rather drive a Micra than jump off the roof but the latter would give me a better 0-60.

[thinfourth2]

doogz said:

thinfourth2 said:

So why does everyone love the veyron then when the super sucker tronic 2020 is even faster but folk prefer a crappy 136bhp caterham

It's a forum for car enthusiasts.

Most of them like driving. Therefore, don't want a car that doesn't require any input.

Edited by doogz on Tuesday 18th January 15:16

So why do we look so much at pub times?

[Alfanatic]

kambites said:

thinfourth2 said:

So why does everyone love the veyron then when the super sucker tronic 2020 is even faster but folk prefer a crappy 136bhp caterham

I'd say exactly the opposite - that everyone on here seems to have a bizarre dislike of the Veyron.

I'd agree with that. The Veyron doesn't get a lot of love around here, despite the fact that unlike the super sucker 2020 it actually still manages to involve the driver.

[GadgeS3C]

thinfourth2 said:

So why do we look so much at pub times?

Was going to answer but just realised they're open - bye

Edited by GadgeS3C on Tuesday 18th January 17:02

[Monkeylegend]

thinfourth2 said:

So why does everyone love the veyron then when the super sucker tronic 2020 is even faster but folk prefer a crappy 136bhp caterham

Can't believe you asked that question. It's obvious really, think how you would feel if you scratched the suckertronic 2020 You would most likely be all day.