Bonnet surfing

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
redfacedbaldfatman
Posts: 97
Joined: 25 Aug 2012, 2:15pm

Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by redfacedbaldfatman »

mjr wrote:
Audax67 wrote:What in the name of Puff's Holy Garters is anyone doing driving a Porsche in a country with a 70 mph blanket speed limit?

Its acceleration is probably still quite thrilling, even if it cannot get near the top speed legally. I recently changed from a car that could do 0-60 in about 10 seconds (when new - probably much much longer when we sold it) to one that could do it in 8 (with a better driver than me at the wheel) and it's quite noticeable. Some Porsches can do it in 4, but they lose out in fuel economy, emissions and depreciation.

Of course, one still should drive cars safely and never ever use them to run people over. So I hope the driver in this story is removed from the roads!


Mark1978 wrote:Acceleration, and indeed handling. The Porsche will stick to the road far better than your average Ford Fiesta and hence be more fun to drive, even well within the speed limits.


The acceleration is indeed thrilling, the handling is excellent and the stopping power is better than most cars on the road. I've taken people out in my cars and had exactly the same comments from them "Oh, now I understand why people drive fast cars".
Plenty of thrills to be had under the speed limit, and there's always IOM and Germany to go faster legally.

You'd be surprised at the fuel economy though, driven gently mine manages 32MPG (cruise set at 50), even though it can also do 0-62 in 4.1 seconds.
Edwards
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Edwards »

Just got back from the sons and was surprised to read this. Glad to hear you are not to bad.

I do hope the CPS sorts its act out and does him good and proper, if not do you want the boys to go round. :wink: :lol: :lol:
Keith Edwards
I do not care about spelling and grammar
Merry_Wanderer
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Merry_Wanderer »

Glad to hear you're in one piece Bob. Where in the country did this happen?
mrjemm
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Joined: 20 Nov 2011, 4:33pm

Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by mrjemm »

redfacedbaldfatman wrote:Plenty of thrills to be had under the speed limit, and there's always IOM and Germany to go faster legally.


Ah yes, that land of wide open roads with clear sight lines and no cyclists, pedestrians or animals about. Plenty of dry stone walls though. Plenty of roadside memorials probably also.

Again, legal does not mean right.

Have I just fallen for a goat eating under bridge dweller with a Norsk heritage?
reohn2
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Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by reohn2 »

mrjemm wrote:
redfacedbaldfatman wrote:Plenty of thrills to be had under the speed limit, and there's always IOM and Germany to go faster legally.


Ah yes, that land of wide open roads with clear sight lines and no cyclists, pedestrians or animals about. Plenty of dry stone walls though. Plenty of roadside memorials probably also.

Spot on!

Again, legal does not mean right.

or wise

Have I just fallen for a goat eating under bridge dweller with a Norsk heritage?

:lol: :lol: :lol:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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Richard A Thackeray
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

jezer wrote:I think drivers of these types of cars don't believe the law applies to them. I speak as a former petrol head who had a TVR Griffith 500 in 1998. It was totally insane and I'm glad I got rid of it before it killed me :cry:

Very, very, happy that the OP is with us & able to tell us of his tales of woe

Digressing;

I've driven a couple of Griffs, a 430 & a 500, both could be scary cars, but not as mental as the Sagaris!!!! (only driven one of those on a track)

I test-drove them when we were looking for a new car, but SWMBO bought a Jaguar XKR instead (tried to talk her into a Cerbera instead)

Sadly The XKR has now departed, but I'd still love to have a Griffith500 sitting in the garage
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Mark1978
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Mark1978 »

There is certainly a general attitude that the majority of traffic laws are for those 'other' drivers who don't know how to drive properly.
redfacedbaldfatman
Posts: 97
Joined: 25 Aug 2012, 2:15pm

Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by redfacedbaldfatman »

mrjemm wrote:Ah yes, that land of wide open roads with clear sight lines and no cyclists, pedestrians or animals about. Plenty of dry stone walls though. Plenty of roadside memorials probably also.

Again, legal does not mean right.

Have I just fallen for a goat eating under bridge dweller with a Norsk heritage?


As you may already know there are only certain roads where there is no limit on the IOM, and of course, legal does not mean right but there are times when 65 on the single carriage mountain road is just fine, and other times when doing 50 on a 70 mph dual carriage way is not safe.




Anyway Bob, I'm glad you're safe and not seriously injured and hope that the police actually do something if they catch the guy.
Richard A Thackeray
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

redfacedbaldfatman wrote:Anyway Bob, I'm glad you're safe and not seriously injured and hope that the police actually do something if they catch the guy.

The Police may produce a file for an intended prosecution, but surely it's the CPS (Couldn't Prosecute Satan) that decide whether the offence the driver is charged with goes to Court in its original form, or is downgraded, as there's more chance of a conviction for a lower graded offence (& a tick in the right quota boxes for the CPS)

I know that's not right, but it's the way it works



I'd suggest reading Inspector Gadgets blog, but he's taken it down (if you can get the book from yourlocal Library, do so; Perverting The Course Of Justice)
Yorkshire Born & Bred. And, Proud Of It

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jezer
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by jezer »

Richard A Thackeray wrote:
jezer wrote:I think drivers of these types of cars don't believe the law applies to them. I speak as a former petrol head who had a TVR Griffith 500 in 1998. It was totally insane and I'm glad I got rid of it before it killed me :cry:

Very, very, happy that the OP is with us & able to tell us of his tales of woe

Digressing;

I've driven a couple of Griffs, a 430 & a 500, both could be scary cars, but not as mental as the Sagaris!!!! (only driven one of those on a track)

I test-drove them when we were looking for a new car, but SWMBO bought a Jaguar XKR instead (tried to talk her into a Cerbera instead)

Sadly The XKR has now departed, but I'd still love to have a Griffith500 sitting in the garage


Yes, the Griff was a lovely looking car. Later on a had a Chimera 400 which was a bit tamer, but not by much. I swopped the Griff for an XK8 which was a lot more practical. It's probably a good thing that TVR went out of business (again), since they never fitted ABS or airbags. I did always fancy a Cerbera though. These days I drive a Fiesta but prefer riding my bike :D Oh dear, this sounds more like pistonheads.com :cry:
Power to the pedals
Richard A Thackeray
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

Sorry folks!!!


jezer wrote:
Richard A Thackeray wrote:
jezer wrote:I think drivers of these types of cars don't believe the law applies to them. I speak as a former petrol head who had a TVR Griffith 500 in 1998. It was totally insane and I'm glad I got rid of it before it killed me :cry:

Very, very, happy that the OP is with us & able to tell us of his tales of woe

Digressing;

I've driven a couple of Griffs, a 430 & a 500, both could be scary cars, but not as mental as the Sagaris!!!! (only driven one of those on a track)

I test-drove them when we were looking for a new car, but SWMBO bought a Jaguar XKR instead (tried to talk her into a Cerbera instead)

Sadly The XKR has now departed, but I'd still love to have a Griffith500 sitting in the garage


Yes, the Griff was a lovely looking car. Later on a had a Chimera 400 which was a bit tamer, but not by much. I swopped the Griff for an XK8 which was a lot more practical. It's probably a good thing that TVR went out of business (again), since they never fitted ABS or airbags. I did always fancy a Cerbera though. These days I drive a Fiesta but prefer riding my bike :D Oh dear, this sounds more like pistonheads.com :cry:


I remember the first time I saw a Griffith on the road, one of the 400s, I just stood & watched it go out of sight, & what an incredible noise. :D 8)
XKR was okay, but a bit too 'civilsed', but then again, it is a Jaguar.
That said, it could be an utter pussycat(!!), or a raging beast, if you were so inclined, with that supercharger whining

Economy was okay, if you were gentle with it, I've seen 30MPG from it, on a trip to Cardiff!!

It was a splendid vehicle for overtaking (in 'Sport' & kick down), with a 'booked' 30 - 70 figure in the region of 4.4 seconds!!!!, so far less time spent on the wrong side of the road at any point

Before anyone 'jumps down my throat'' about unsafe speed/drivers, this was only where considered completely safe to do so, it does not imply I (or my wife) drove in that manner

With a car like that, as I'm sure Jezer will agree, the SpiderMan phrase is the mantra;
'With great power, comes great responsibility'
Yorkshire Born & Bred. And, Proud Of It

Generally to be found plodding along; with www.ackworthroadrunnersandac.co.uk

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meic
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by meic »

You'd be surprised at the fuel economy though, driven gently mine manages 32MPG (cruise set at 50), even though it can also do 0-62 in 4.1 seconds.


Economy was okay, if you were gentle with it, I've seen 30MPG from it, on a trip to Cardiff!!


I would like to think that you were both joking here but I fear you were serious. My car gives 60mpg in real life with a load of timber and often when carrying more people than fit in a Porsche 911.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

As I said - another 911 overtook me on that road the very next day - no problem precisely because he had the power to make it work.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Richard A Thackeray
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Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

meic wrote:
You'd be surprised at the fuel economy though, driven gently mine manages 32MPG (cruise set at 50), even though it can also do 0-62 in 4.1 seconds.


Economy was okay, if you were gentle with it, I've seen 30MPG from it, on a trip to Cardiff!!


I would like to think that you were both joking here but I fear you were serious. My car gives 60mpg in real life with a load of timber and often when carrying more people than fit in a Porsche 911.


Our car now (XKR was a second car/weekend 'toy') also does 55-60MPG, can carry a settee (& has done so - but not with full compliment of passengers), has a VED rating of £30
Skoda Octavia estate (1.6Tdi)
Yorkshire Born & Bred. And, Proud Of It

Generally to be found plodding along; with www.ackworthroadrunnersandac.co.uk

The 'Wheels go round & round' with; http://www.featherstoneroadclub.co.uk/
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[XAP]Bob
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Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Bonnet surfing

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Richard A Thackeray wrote:
meic wrote:
You'd be surprised at the fuel economy though, driven gently mine manages 32MPG (cruise set at 50), even though it can also do 0-62 in 4.1 seconds.


Economy was okay, if you were gentle with it, I've seen 30MPG from it, on a trip to Cardiff!!


I would like to think that you were both joking here but I fear you were serious. My car gives 60mpg in real life with a load of timber and often when carrying more people than fit in a Porsche 911.


Our car now (XKR was a second car/weekend 'toy') also does 55-60MPG, can carry a settee (& has done so - but not with full compliment of passengers), has a VED rating of £30
Skoda Octavia estate (1.6Tdi)

Well mine doesn't - 35 is a GOOD day.
The culprit? A Renault scenic...
Surprisingly I only get that when heavily loaded. the gearbox must end up running in a more efficient zone when the car is loaded than at other times...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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