Not sure how many will remember me from the old GTX forum and long before that, back to the original granturismo.com forums. Haven't been doing as much gaming recently so let the gaming forums reduce to just one regular hang out but Alan P recently got in touch pointing me to where everyone went to and it's amazing to see how many of the old usernames I recognise. The original forum was my first ever experience of an online community so I still hold a soft spot for it.I think I still had my Civic Type R (EP3) when I was last on here? Been a bit of a JDM trawl since then...
2001-2004 Civic Type R
Still the longest I ever kept a car, just, though more due to financial constraints than choice. Really not the best hot hatch that so many think it is. Horrible lift off oversteer, terrible build quality (yup, Honda UK put them together as well as they put Rovers, Austins and Triumphs in years gone by....) numb steering and headache inducing refinement. Still, the engine and gearbox were nice....
2004-2007 Mazda RX8 230
Brilliant car. Miles better than the Civic. An ex demo with all the options including the slightly dubious bodykit. Had a few reliability gremlins but I put those down to being a demo and being flooded when it was younger leading to the catalyst imploding eventually! Second best handling car I've ever owned, only beaten by....
2007-2009 Mazda RX8 PZ
Take a stock RX8 230, give it to Prodrive to upgrade, and this is what you get. No more power, some OZ alloys that have the single virtue of not corroding like the OEM ones, but a chassis to die for. The best handling car I've ever owned, and it still rode as well as the stock car. I really miss this one. But a few bad winters made me give in and go to.....
2009-2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 330S
The great benefit of economic collapses is dealers suddenly panicking and getting rid of gas guzzlers and performance models at practically cost price. Got a massive reduction on this new which made it cheaper than a Golf GTi! 330bhp Prodrive upgrade as well as their "handling" springs pack. Great engine with massive amounts of mid range grunt. But very average handling with understeer like it's going out of fashion, even with the upgrades, and an engine with the weakest pistons known to man. Sure enough, after a mere 20,000 miles, piston 3 surrendered, the engine blew and I had a 3 month fight with Subaru to get a new short block under warranty, only won because I could use my tracker companies data to show I didn't drive it like a lunatic....though the dealers did when they were meant to be "diagnosing" it. So, bitter taste in the mouth, once it was fixed I got shot of it for...
2011-now Mitsubishi Evo X FQ 330 SST
A better car in every way to the Subaru bar engine note. But the much vaunted Evo handling? Not a patch on either RX8. Lots of grip, sure, but a bit boring, all told, with some really poor steering feel around the straight ahead. Fast, sure, though the Subaru felt faster, but 23mpg average, £500 a year road tax and spending more time stuck in traffic than enjoying driving it has made me rethink what a daily driver should be. Certainly not a rally rep with bone hard ride and hole in the petrol tank! So, it's going this summer, now all the bits that have gone wrong with it have been fixed. Mitsubishi reliability? Well, it's had a new gearbox, AYC pump, intercooler, 2 sets of rear wheels, 3 sets of front wheels, 2 sets of front discs and both front struts replaced in just over 2 years, thankfully all under warranty! Can't imagine they've made a profit out of me, though. I paid £21k for it and that to adds up to around £14k worth of dealer parts and labour! Mainly the gearbox (£9k) and AYC pump (£2k). No wonder they're stopping production!
As to what next. Well, the head says Golf R, A45 AMG (at a push, they are horribly overpriced) or S3. The heart? It says one of these....
Which is almost a straight swap for the Evo, even new, and a more sensible daily driver. Then, in two years, once depreciation has it's wicked way, one of these for the weekend....
Yup, I've gone quite mad in the intervening years...
Still on PSN, but never made it to PC. PSN ID is o-Ali-o for anyone that's still playing!
Right, talk me out of an Alfa folks.
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Originally Posted by Ali
