The Ultimate Q car?

Post by **philhoward** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:05

Starting off from another thread (I don't like thread hijacking, yet i'm guilty of going slightly off-topic)...

...What do you reckon is the ultimate Q-car?

The Xantia Activa must surely be in any top 10 - unbelievable cornering ability and stonking mid-range pull. My personal votes go for a Vauxhall Nova 1.5TD and a Mk3 Cavalier CDi..plus my own favourite, the Reliant Scimitar 1800Ti (quicker in 5th than a Sierra Cosworth, and outhandles one by a mile).

Open the floodgates...

Post by **philhoward** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:07

philhoward wrote:Starting off from another thread (I don't like thread hijacking, yet i'm guilty of going slightly off-topic)...

...What do you reckon is the ultimate Q-car?

The Xantia Activa must surely be in any top 10 - unbelievable cornering ability and stonking mid-range pull. My personal votes go for a Vauxhall Nova 1.5TD and a Mk3 Cavalier CDi..plus my own favourite, the Reliant Scimitar 1800Ti (quicker in 5th than a Sierra Cosworth, and outhandles one by a mile) - although it is a sportscar so is expected to perform as one - not the idea behind a Q-car in my mind.

Open the floodgates...

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:11

My Activa has got to be one of the top.

Also, the 309 GTi, probably THE most underrated GTi there is (was). Much better handling than it's baby brother the 205, and just a fraction slower 0-60.

And if an Mi16 engine is dropped in......well, it's a beast!

Oh I miss mine

Post by **philhoward** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:39

Wasn't there a very limited edition with the Mi16 engine?

Underrated - yes. Q-car? Not sure - I always thought the idea was a car which didn't look like it was quick - but was. Surely a GTi hints at its abilities?

Post by **CitroJim** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:40

LeeDJC wrote:My Activa has got to be one of the top.

Also, the 309 GTi, probably THE most underrated GTi there is (was). Much better handling than it's baby brother the 205, and just a fraction slower 0-60.

And if an Mi16 engine is dropped in......well, it's a beast!

Oh I miss mine

Oh how I agree Lee

A pal of mine has a 309GTi Goodwood (Limited Edition) and it is a real corker. Yes, they do handle better than a 205GTi, not so nervous and more planted. It has a wider track and a popular mod is to put 309GTi front wishbones and rear beam on a 205.

And, of course the Goodwood is a true Q-Car in that it does not "shout" that it is a GTi as the 205 does.

They still don't handle quite as the Activa does though!

I like Q-cars a lot. Extending to non-French, how about a Lotus Carlton?

Post by **CitroJim** » 25 Apr 2007, 21:45

philhoward wrote:Wasn't there a very limited edition with the Mi16 engine?

Yes, only available in LHD form and never imported into the UK officially. Called the 309GTi16 I think.

Oh and of course another, very rare one now, the BX GTi 16V with the Mi16 engine from the factory.

And another, the 405 Mi16

Sadly few of either now exist for reasons we all know too well

deian · Post by **deian** » 25 Apr 2007, 22:01

... or the 405 Mi16 4x4 with self levelling rear suspension! My cousin bought one to convert the 4x4 driveline to a 309gti... sadly he didn't bother in the end and destroyed a rare car!! He took the engine though, and dropped it in the 309, he doesn't do much with it, as he has a 306 rallye and a mitsubishi evo 6 imported from japan

Ultimate Q car... late CX Gti Turbo 2 in red with slats on the back window, converted to LPG with the engine managed by microsquirt on a laptop, and of course non TRX tyres... all customizations behind the scenes of course.... no boy racer stuff here!!

The Lotus Carlton was THE super saloon of it's time... speaking vauxhalls, isn't it funny how they can't do cars alone.... lotus chassis, engines from bmw and isuzu etc etc, anyway moving on.

I'd love a Subaru SVX for some weird reason!!

Or failing all that a (e30) BMW 320iS (yes a proper 320iS only available in italy with 192bhp), or a 333i... only available in South Africa! BEASTS!

Ross_K · Post by **Ross_K** » 25 Apr 2007, 23:39

An Activa?

Not even remotely in the same league as a Lotus Carlton or Vauxhall Monaro...

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 26 Apr 2007, 00:25

The Morris Monaco 2200 and Austin Princess V6 were to my memory Q-cars ?

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 26 Apr 2007, 00:40

Deian; I didn't realise you rated the CX turbo!!
I had you earmarked for an XM 24v v6 from your past postings...

Sounds like you've pretty much described one of my CX's bar the LPG
- but why would I want to lose the boot space and add a stupid big heavy
tank? If you're going to invest that sort of money on a conversion you'd
risk running a nice and rare car into the ground on a daily basis to 'justify'
it whilst dynamically altering the car. For me it'd not be worth it

It IS indeed a truly fantastic rapid car - thing is, it's built more for cross
continent blasts than Saturday Night point-&-squirts though with two
gearchanges BEFORE 60mph and it's rear spoiler does somewhat spoil
the Q car idea.

On the other hand, the Xm 24v V6 looks JUST like a boggo 2.0i and IS
fast in a different way - not quite as exciting as a GTi Turbo2 but a good
Q car that doesn't cost silly money IF you find one...

I'm a tad jaded about fast cars at this precise moment having been
Gatso'd by a hidden van at almost double 30mph limit in my "slowest"
car - a Xantia 1.9TD. Yes, I'm repenting now for a momentary lapse
of patience where it was on a barriered dual carriageway a couple of
hundred yards short BEFORE a 50 limit started...

Notice here, it was leaving the 30 limit OUT of the town not zapping fast
flowing recently exited motorway traffic going the other way INTO the
30mph highly populated busy/congested town centre...

Pretty much ruined things for me due to my own hand.

If I still have a licence, it looks like I'll have to leave the handbrake
ON when I drive my XM 24V V6 or the GTi turbos, or the newly
acquired Activa

Andrew

nurkov · Post by **nurkov** » 26 Apr 2007, 06:53

For me it always will be 1989 citroen CX 25 GTI Turbo2 in nice dark colour.

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 26 Apr 2007, 12:14

Ross_K wrote:An Activa?

Not even remotely in the same league as a Lotus Carlton or Vauxhall Monaro...

I'd have said lotus Carlton but thats abit in-ya-face, abit obvious with is huge bumpers?
Jaguar S Type R - debadged of course, I'd bet that would be a great Q car.

deian · Post by **deian** » 26 Apr 2007, 16:21

Andrew: The CX appeals to me because it's out of my reach. Maybe one day when i can prise someone off theirs for cash i will get one, i reckon u could be right about the LPG thing...

I'd also love an XM V6 too, with the older engine and manual, which i NEARLY got my hands on... but i got my hands on a Xantia V6, going to get it tomorrow off d.hallworth. he won't sell me the XM now! Never mind, the Xantia will do for now I guess. Next step would be the CX or XM in some form. I would be overjoyed if i had one of the others!

LeeDJC · Post by **LeeDJC** » 26 Apr 2007, 16:32

There is a CX GTi Turbo Series 1 on ebay at the moment if any one is interested

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Citroen-CX-2-5-GT ... otohosting

deian · Post by **deian** » 26 Apr 2007, 17:09

Thats REALLY nice, looks looked after too, look at all the spares... including an engine, that in itself is worth a few bob!! It'll worth watching this one!! What dya think it'll go for? I reckon £2k easy

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