Question for Oppo

"Van Man, rocks the Man Van" (jacoboconnell)
10/02/2015 at 21:44 • Filed to: Cars

I’ve been wondering about this question for a bit, and I think I’ve come up with a suitable answer so I’ll ask your opinions. What allows a car, in your eyes, to be considered truly “great”?

I’ll go first: for me, it’s got to be features, or lack thereof. What I mean is, think about a car and say, “Would I want this car even if it didn’t have air conditioning or a radio, and did have 15” wheels, plastic body cladding, and 100 hp?” Because to us car enthusiasts, the most important feature in a car is satisfaction, and if you like your car even with the conditions above, you’ve likely got a fun car. Which means it’s probably considered a pretty great car.

Think about it: most people would consider the Miata a great car, and it’s already got tiny wheels and not a lot of power. Most owners could care less about A/C, but despite that, the chassis and driving experience is fantastic.

What makes a car “great” for you?

Great car for your time.

DISCUSSION (18)

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/02/2015 at 21:54

To me, a great car is simply one that brings about a strong positive emotional connection with it. It can be a regular commuter car or a million dollar hypercar. Doesn’t matter.

My current car, a boring Acura CL is what I consider a great car. Yes, I complain about its HORRIBLE suspension and it’s seen better days but it’s still a great car since it got me through the crazy times in college and then some. It’s even taught me about doing body work and detailing. I even learned to lift-off oversteer in it. Great car.

The e46 M3, my dream car is a great car since it invokes an unquantifiable feeling of lust and desire. I can neither explain nor express what it makes me feel. It’s a great car.

The McLaren F1 GTR is also a great car to me. I’ve never seen one and most likely never will. I’ll most likely never even sit in one or drive one but it’s still a great car to me and many others because it invokes a special feeling. Just seeing a picture of it after a long day is enough to reenergize me. It’s a great car as well.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
10/02/2015 at 21:57

I think you can love any car you drive, no matter what it is. Name a car and I can say 3 good things about it.

I believe when 60 Minutes interviewed the TG boys, someone asked Clarkson what makes a great car and he said, “Soul.”

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/02/2015 at 22:01

Precisely. I’m always of the impression that a true gear/petrolhead can love any car simply because it’s not the car itself but the entire story behind the car and the person.

Ah yes I remember that clip. Sometimes we forget the TG boys really do love cars and their TG personas are simply characters for the audience.

C62030 > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC
10/02/2015 at 22:14

Absolutely agreed, but for me it’s gotta be the Pagani Huayra. Just the combination of all that style and beauty and noise, and the fact that they basically gave Ferrari the finger when they deliberately enhanced the turbo noise, and then gave it purple exhausts . ‘Nuff said.

DrJohannVegas > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/02/2015 at 22:21

For me, when a car has a clear design objective, expressed in the best way it can be, then it’s a great car. For instance, the McLaren F1 is an outstanding bit of design, with a clear set of objectives: maximum performance and connection of the driver to the road, cost no object. Great car. But, in a similar way, the original Chrysler minivans are great cars. The objective was to give maximum room and utility at the lowest possible cost (by using existing passenger car platforms) while maintaining good ride and handling. Great car. Cheap little cars which are designed to be the best little cars they can be, fancy, spare-no-expense luxury barges, even sports cars built to a price point (but not down to a price!) can be great. A truly great car makes its intent evident.

Bad cars, on the other hand, have all the hallmarks of a design driven by backroom arguing. Too many conflicting features, or an unclear design language, are a classic fault. When marketing the lifestyle takes precedence over marketing the product, you know something is wrong. There’s a litany of early 2000s vehicles which fall into this category.

Great cars never need to be explained or apologized for, and bad cars can never be justified or excused.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > C62030
10/02/2015 at 22:22

Perhaps I could interest you in some Huayra pr0n I shot a while back.

Kinja'd!!!

Scary__goongala! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/02/2015 at 22:34

A truly great car must mean more to you than the sum or lack there of its parts. If despite its inherite flaws, you couldn’t imagine driving any other car.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > DrJohannVegas
10/02/2015 at 22:52

That's a good point. I never thought of how clear objectives make a car great.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Scary__goongala!
10/02/2015 at 22:53

Basically Jeremy and the LFA?

Scary__goongala! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/02/2015 at 22:58

Yes. Like my first car(W123 300TD) had a lot of stuff wrong with it. But I absolutely loved that car. It had so much character

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/03/2015 at 00:01

A great car is like porn. It's hard to define, but you know it when you see it.

desertdog5051 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/03/2015 at 00:10

That I own it. Plain and simple.

Grindintosecond > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/03/2015 at 01:03

I used to like my ‘97 S-10 (zq8). I looked great. But was it great? No. I did not like it. I did not take as good care of it as I should have. Because I didn’t really like it. It wasn’t what I grew up in.

What makes a car truly great on one level is not the same level that makes a Porsche 911 RS-america great. You could go through High-School in a Yugo-GV and it would become the worlds greatest car if you got your first hand-job in it, or went through your first break up driving home in it crying to some really stupid music on the radio at night. but those were your memories in your car and your stupid breakup music while driving. It didnt happen in any other car but yours so thats your car. Anything after that really holds no value in that level of greatness. until you get a great performance car that elicits other responses.

A Porshce 911-RS America would do that. Sublime feel and handling. Sublime engine note and smoothness. that is a great car for those reasons. Performance that’s direct and meaningful. A digitally enhanced car is not meaningful and therefore can’t truly be great, unless that ticks your boxes.

A modern new Nissan GTR would tick the boxes of an IT guy. It’s true perofrmance without any computers would be, questionable? Same for the McLaren cars of today. Are they truly awesome or are they managed so much you can’t tell? the F-16 was designed to fly unstable and use computers to make it stable. The F-117 Nighthawk wouldn’t even fly at all no matter what if it wasn’t for the computers. So are they great planes?

A truly great car is in the beholder but also what the beholder is looking for. Are you wanting that connection to road and nothing else? Are you wanting that shaggin wagon for memories? Are you wanting that technogadget on wheels? Some love the Prius and nothing else will do.

It all depends. For me, a truly great car is a pure extension of everything. Handling, engine ability, audio visual tactile senses. I sat in a Volvo P1800 once and fell in love because it was as if it was tailor stitched together for my proportions. I would have to do an engine swap tho to make it what I really want so it’s not my greatness.

RallyWrench > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
10/03/2015 at 01:32

I think everyone could answer this differently, but the F40 fits my definition. It fit when I was 7, it fits now.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > RallyWrench
10/03/2015 at 10:15

I've said this before, but the F40 is literally my favorite car ever.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Grindintosecond
10/03/2015 at 10:17

You can love any car you drive.

Also, the point you bring up about McLarens and GT-Rs is true. Everyone will answer this question differently, hence the reason people like different cars.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > desertdog5051
10/03/2015 at 10:18

I figured someone would answer with this.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Scary__goongala!
10/03/2015 at 10:19

W123s are awesome.