In case you are unaware, and I will allow you to determine the correct level of shame you should feel if you are, Jason has a Citroën 2CV. I am very happy about this, not only for the content I have been enjoying and am looking forward to more of, but because there’s a not-unreasonable chance of me getting to drive the thing.
I’m keen to drive just about any quirky French car (or any quirky car regardless of country of origin, or any car period, to be honest), and as happy as I would be just to go for a polite baguette run in Jason’s 2CV, what I really hope to do is experience the thing getting a good flogging, if not flog it myself. I’ve long been fascinated by the car’s ingenious and highly unconventional suspension, and the wild lean angles it can achieve while being seemingly impossible to flip over – watch:
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Pretty wild, right? Even snapping from full-lean in one direction into full-lean in the other, the little 2CV is just planted, as if there were some unbreakable magnetic attraction between its skinny wheelbarrow tires and the road.
Here’s a fascinating deep-dive into how well it all works and why from TFLclassics:
So that’s what I want to experience most, a 2CV at full boil on a twisty road. How about you?
What Famous/Infamous Car Capability Would You Most Like To Experience?
Top graphic image: screen grab, TFLclassics
Drive a 60’s Canam car at Mosport or Tremblant.
Gimme a Reliant Robin, a 5-point harness and plenty of room to lay it on its side.
The “unsafe at any speed” smear campaign that ruined one of the coolest and most original line of American cars. Big disappointment if Autopian doesn’t write an article about these amazing cars one of these days.
1st gen Corvair had a swing axel rear suspension design that Nadar claimed was dangerous. The reality seems a little more nuanced. For one thing, the VW Beetle also had a swing axel years before the Corvair, but only GM was attacked by Nadar and the press. Also, it wasn’t that the 1st gen Corvair was inherently dangerous, rather it’s handling was not as predictable to drivers of that era. Lastly, GM changed the design for the 2nd generation, but by then the damage was done. Such a damn shame.
One day I’ll own a 2nd gen Corvair Monza coupe.
But I think it would be fun to experience a 1st gen example and see what the hub-bub was all about.
I’ve given up on my passion to own a second gen. Good ones are too much money and affordable ones are too much work.
I’ve recalibrated to a late 80’s early 90’s (92 max) W124 E 300. Decent non rust infested ones are available in the southwest and CA.
I’ll never given up on the dream, but having too many cars to drive any real amount makes it tough to justify another classic coupe. I was thinking the last time I drove my Subie and it was like 5 months ago when I drove it to the airport. Where is it now? At the airport since I’m on a business trip. So like probably 500 miles last year. My old Buick might have even less miles than that. And my daily truck is probably 5000 miles per year. If that.
But one day, I’ll get a Corvair.
I’m getting too old for any project car to take more than two years start to finish and I simply cannot wrap my head around spending 20k to buy a Corvair. I actually like doing as much of the work myself as possible.
I could understand that and it pains me to hear $20k when a few years back I had inquired on a few local examples for (I think) less than $10k.
Ugh. Such a pretty car though.
20k seems to be the ask for a nice ‘restoration’. Although I’d like to have a full go over of the car. There is a load of shady work out there.
Back in the day post high school, I helped a friend put a 327 4spd in the front of a 64. That was a truely shady bodge job. Crazy fast but sketch like nothing you’ve experienced. It was a ‘kit’ he bought out of one of the hot rod mags of the day.
I ruined many a classic back then. Also restored a few. They were a dime a dozen then.
Would most like to experience: Navigating a Group B car and surviving
Would least like to experience: The Top Gear Hilux durability test
Honestly it’s not a car but it’s a set of tires.
The Michelin Uptis Tweels.
J-turn in a gold Firebird Esprit.
There’s a remake in the works.
But can they manage to make a non-pc correct semi true to original version or is it going to be the usual sick in a can Hollywood emission.
I truly want to see what happens when you lift (mid-turn) in an analog 911. Preferably in someone else’s (highly insured) car. Even more preferably at a track with significant runouts.
Would love to determine how briefly a Cybertruck can serve as a boat. From the shoreline of course.
Better yet, the top gear hilux test on the thing.
I would like to drive my 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish with adaptive camouflage technology. (ie: Invisible mode)
Seems shooting target-seeking bullets and missiles from an invisible car for fun and profit would be a great way to spend a few afternoons….
It worked well enough to make Tim Daltons career invisible after Bond.
Losing a front wheel while taking a turn in a Morris Minor
Driving an old hydraulic Citroën on 3 wheels
I want to drive a hydropneumatic Citroën on 3 wheels. The DS, CX, XM, GS and BX fascinate me and I want to at least drive one.
I also want a medium truck with a 2 speed axle so I can split gears
Friend old man had an SM. Never got to drive it, but it was sumptuous inside and rode just as well.
+1 on this, also the XM Active Suspension
I’d love to buy a brand new Corolla Hybrid and just run it into the ground. I don’t mean I’d abuse it, just that I would keep it maintained until the last possible moment.
I’d drive it all over the continent, commute in it when I have to. I bet it could easily last 15 years, but it would be fantastic to keep it until it’s an antique and can be brought to car shows… 30 years from now! At my current rate of about 20,000kms a year, that’s only 600,000! Probably optimistic, but I do think it would be awesome to keep the same car for that long.
We sold my wife’s 2011 Rav to a friend who has put another 15k miles on it. It’s up over 210k now. The only thing beyond basic maintenance was a wheel bearing that I did in the driveway for $60, and at 185k miles I think that was pretty reasonable. I have no doubt that it could be kept on the road for another 5 years when rust kills it, but your aspirations in a less salty climate don’t sound too crazy.
Crossing the Darien Gap in CJ7
I’ve always want to drive an RV into a large body of water…so I’m going to say Terra Wind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za63ltkMGGE
Or drive an amphibicar.
I wouldn’t mind experiencing the Cosworth V-12 in the GMA T.50.
“Another thing about a rented car is that it’s an all-terrain vehicle. Mud, snow, water, woods – you can take a rented car anywhere. True, you can’t always get it back – but that’s not your problem, is it?” – PJ O’Rourke.
Rent a car with full coverage, drive it as far into the woods as possible, just call the rental company with GPS coordinates and say bye.
Mine’s boring compared to some of you! I want to observe the engineering marvel of the 57 Ford Skyliner retractable hardtop.
I wanna hit Turbo Boost in KITT.
Be careful though, you can only do it once per episode.
Oh hell yes, this is it.
Driving at speed on 3 wheels in a DS_ people shooting at me optional
I wanna drive a modified Mitsubishi Eclipse until I get the “DANGER TO MANIFOLD!! warning.
Sure, but how about you and your boy are in a Supra with the targa top off and some dude in a Ferrari revs at you? And then you dust him and have a nice lunch with your bro at Neptune’s Net?
Tuna, no crust.
Don’t let this distract you from the fact that Hector is going to be running three Honda civics with spoon engines, and on top of that, he just went into Harry’s and bought three t66 turbos with nos, and a motec exhaust system.
I’d like to sample a Dan Gurney Alligator motorcycle.
As long as I’m strapped in very well I want to roll a Reliant Robin.
I’d love to be experience hitting speed bump at full speed in a Citroen DS
I want to experience the 930 Turbo, aka the Widowmaker. Preferably on a runway or other place with excessive runoff.