Hooniverse Asks: Slow car, fast… is it actually fun?

Jeff Glucker

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I’m going to answer this question right off the bat, at least from my perspective. Yes. It is indeed fun to take a slow car and drive it quickly. Every rental car ever is proof positive of this notion. But backing it away from tortured Hertz fleet machines, let’s refocus on non-rental spec rides. One of my favorite slow-car, fast cars is the Mazda2. It cost under $16k new in the top-spec trim, the curb weight is a tick per 2,300 pounds, and the wheels are only 15-inches. This little zoom-zoom hero made the absolute most of its 100-horsepower engine, and it seemed to adore being caned on a twisting back road. I remember that I had to work very hard to get the tires to make any protesting squeals of torture.

On the flip side though, fast cars driven quickly are also fun. An odd taste of this came to me last night during the first race of the 24 Hours of Lemons iRacing season 2 event. For season 1, I drove the Class C 2010 Mazda MX-5 Roadster. I decided to switch it up for season 2 and jump into the Class A Ford Mustang FR500S. And I had a lot more fun driving in, around, and through the traffic of the slower classes.

So I’m left wondering how many of you out there enjoy slow car, fast? Or would you prefer a fast car driven quickly? I know that some will simply prefer slow car… slow, while others will say good car at any speed. Where do you fall?

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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17 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: Slow car, fast… is it actually fun?”

  1. danleym Avatar
    danleym

    I’ve never driven a truly fast car fast. I’m sure it would be awesome. Most likely more fun than slow car fast. But I do really enjoy the ease of pushing the limits in my beater TDI Jetta.

    So yes, slow car fast is good. But anyone who tells you they wouldn’t have fun tearing it up in an Aston Martin (or even a high power Mustang) is full of shit.

    Reply
    1. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      Although I have no experience in FAST cars, I do have some experience in Fast cars, and, of course, plenty of experience in SLOW cars.

      Here is my impression.

      In 90 percent of circumstances -that is not on the Autobahn or a track- FAST cars, and indeed Fast cars can be pretty boring. That is, the limits of the car are so much higher than required by the speed possible that the driving experience is pretty much limited to “Point n’ Push”.
      That is to say, point the car where you want to go and push the gas or the brake as appropriate.

      However if you can squeeze an extra 5 miles an hour (8 Euros and a few centi-watts in foreign measurement) above a curve’s posted limit for in a VW Beetle, Buddy you got some excitement! going on.

      To push this point to it’s limit, a couple of MDHarrell’s vehicles are thrilling to drive if they even move.

      Reply
    2. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      Although I have no experience in FAST cars, I do have some experience in Fast cars, and, of course, plenty of experience in SLOW cars.

      Here is my impression.

      In 90 percent of circumstances -that is not on the Autobahn or a track- FAST cars, and indeed Fast cars can be pretty boring. That is, the limits of the car are so much higher than required by the speed possible that the driving experience is pretty much limited to “Point n’ Push”.
      That is to say, point the car where you want to go and push the gas or the brake as appropriate.

      However if you can squeeze an extra 5 miles an hour (8 Euros and a few centi-watts in foreign measurement) above a curve’s posted limit for in a VW Beetle, Buddy you got some excitement! going on.

      To push this point to it’s limit, a couple of MDHarrell’s vehicles are thrilling to drive if they even move.

      Reply
    3. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      Although I have no experience in FAST cars, I do have some experience in Fast cars, and, of course, plenty of experience in SLOW cars.

      Here is my impression.

      In 90 percent of circumstances -that is not on the Autobahn or a track- FAST cars, and indeed Fast cars can be pretty boring. That is, the limits of the car are so much higher than required by the speed possible that the driving experience is pretty much limited to “Point n’ Push”.
      That is to say, point the car where you want to go and push the gas or the brake as appropriate.

      However if you can squeeze an extra 5 miles an hour (8 Euros and a few centi-watts in foreign measurement) above a curve’s posted limit for in a VW Beetle, Buddy you got some excitement! going on.

      To push this point to it’s limit, a couple of MDHarrell’s vehicles are thrilling to drive if they even move.

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        It’s the centi-watts that tend to make the difference.

        Reply
  2. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I have a Mazda2, so I think my allegiances are obvious enough.

    That said, most of it is that I don’t live on a race track, so it’s just about how I can find some enjoyment without being completely socially irresponsible. Something communicative and enthusiastic that’s fun at 5/10ths instead of a 10/10ths I can never access. Although, my kingdom for a little more lower end torque.

    Reply
    1. Fuhrman16 Avatar
      Fuhrman16

      Basically this. Most people, even us car enthusiasts, don’t have the driving skills and access to race tracks to really ever drive a fast car quickly. A slow car allows you to be a hoon on city streets without being a major danger to others or winding up in jail.

      Reply
    2. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      Even with race tracks – it depends on the track. The nearest to me is a great track, but it’s also a very tight and technical road course and it really suits lightweight cars over powerful ones. I reckon many modern powerful cars would need a track like Spa before you’d really see the benefit of insane power and grip over something that’s just stripped out, light and handles well.

      Reply
    3. wunno sev Avatar
      wunno sev

      even at autocrosses and on tracks, when you’re not competing, there’s a lot of fun in knowing you hit the corner right instead of that you hit it faster than the next guy, and anyway for lap times getting the corners right tends to be more important than having power.

      Reply
  3. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Cars are fun, period. I enjoyed slinging a 1.3 Corolla around corners in Hardanger – basically never lifting, only shifting gears occasionally. I enjoyed jumping my Honda minivan on gravel roads in the mountains and realizing that a van with its oversized brakes does take moronic driving surprisingly well. I enjoy making my current boat wallow around corners, fast for real with its 3.5 litre engine – huuuge by Urobean standards – or just feeling fast, because I slide around in these soft, cushy leather seats.

    A big part of “slow car fast” is growing into driving skills. Powerful cars are not very forgiving. Slow cars are harder to press across their boundaries, and when you do, it’s not necessarily that dangerous. On vacation i Greece, I once rented a Fiat Cinquecento. The inner rear wheel would lift really early, and it would eventually start drifting very controllably. In a Ferrari, a lifted wheel would have concerned me way more…

    Reply
  4. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I can’t speak about cars because I rarely drive them (really only once a year, when I go visit my family and take the Dodge Neon out.) Driving pickup trucks and vans faster than prudence would dictate is a hell of a lot of fun, but I haven’t driven a ‘fast’ car since I sold my SAAB 900 thirty years ago so I have no comparison to make.

    I’ll let P. J. O’Rourke weigh in on The High Speed Performance Characteristics of Pickup Trucks

    “Driving a pickup at high speed is a difficult skill to master. The first step is to assume the proper driving position: Use one hand to firmly grasp the drip rail on the roof. This takes the place of shoulder harness, lap belt, and air bag and lets you give the finger to people with anti-handgun bumper stickers on their cars. Then place your other hand on the gearshift knob so you’ll always know what gear you’re in (which is second, as I pointed out before). Now take your third hand…Perhaps some picture of the difficulty is beginning to emerge. Anyway, be sure to balance your beer can carefully in your lap.”

    https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a14499830/p-j-orourke-revisits-the-back-porch-with-an-engine-the-pickup-truck/

    Reply
    1. Tiberiuswise Avatar
      Tiberiuswise

      P.J. O’Rourke is a mad genius. The Bill Murray of journalism, if you will.

      Reply
  5. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    Back when I owned my 2012 Mazda5 stick shift briefly it was a ton of fun to drive that up and down the hills near me. There wasn’t a straight stretch on them and they were off camber. I managed to get the one rear wheel to bump into the air once. You can hear and feel so much in a wagon like that made with Mazda 3 bits. If I had attacked that same road with a performance car then I would be dead. It’s basically a rally course. Until I stopped trusting the tires on my Soul it was fun to play with it on there but nothing like the 5 because Mazda just knows how to dial even their commuter cars in.
    Same goes for my Spitfire that I used to own. As you pushed that car harder and harder there was something in there that wanted more. 80-90% of a Triumph 1500 is 40-50% of a Mazda 2 of today.
    Being on a highway during 70-75mph in a Spitfire with giant SUV’s around you is a thrill. Scooting in an out of them. Different than on a small motorcycle. It’s more like you down in the weeds than a bike.
    (sniff) I miss my Spitfire and yes yesterday on Twitter I did say it tried to kill me on more than one occasion. Once by stalling in a blind highspeed intersection. Oh and with an exhaust leak. Both of those issues were fixed.

    Reply
  6. Ryan Huelsemann Avatar
    Ryan Huelsemann

    I drive one of these little buggers, and i have to say it’s the most smile inducing thing in the world. minivans are faster than me in a straight line, but i can rip it all the way to redline on onramps, and carving corners is a riot with such a short wheelbase. and of course there’s the “italian sound”. build quality has even been good up until this spring when the rear hatch refused to open. once my state opens back up again i’m going to have the harness and switch replaced as those are common culprits. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9a11ba3377bcd440469d87b6e690c191b7c7545df42ac75bc533eaaa87eab896.jpg

    Reply
  7. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    Sorta.. but slow car fast, like any 3 word maxim conveys an overall idea, but not the subtleties. We have a Mazda 2 as our “sensible” car, and it can definitely be fun, but there’s still limits to that fun. There’s a little bit too much roll softness around the front axle with the normal bias to understeer so while the chassis is entertaining overall, you don’t always get that really crisp turn in you’d hope for, the steering is a little numb, then engine is alright, but rarely “sings” in a rev happy sort of way. You can heel toe in it, which you can’t say for many modern-ish cars. Some econoboxes surprise you, but there are loads of slow cars that are very little fun at all, especially once you move up from tiny hatchbacks all your middly middling mid-size sedan/SUV stuff.

    What is fun is a (relatively) slow car that was designed to be driven fast, or at least enthusiastically. Yes I am biased – like a Suzuki Cappuccino, or Miata, Elise, Toyota86 Caterham, Peugeot 205 XS/GTI (some reckon the lighter XS and Rallye is actually more fun) etc. In some ways, they’re not actually slow, you will lose drag races, but that’s not what they were made for, these cars can be quick enough in their element. It’s more that they appear slow now simply because many of the modern performance cars simply bludgeon the tarmac into submission through torque and grip. Tyre/suspension/electronic tech has moved on so much that even a not entirely resolved chassis can be fast because the driver can be going silly speeds before the inherent chassis balance even becomes noticeable. Grip and handling are regularly confused – grip plays a part, but to me “handling” is more about the balance and how the driver can influence that balance both under and over the limits of grip.

    Fast cars are fun too, but here’s the weird thing for me – many are now way too fast for the road. I don’t mean worrying about getting a speeding ticket, l mean there’s simply not enough room on the road to really stretch many cars before you’re well beyond the bounds of “responsible hooning”…. so take it to the track right? ..but if you’re on the track, well all those supercars suddenly seem a bit soft vs. a proper single seater or any race prepped/track only car really.

    Reply
  8. Tiberiuswise Avatar
    Tiberiuswise

    The correct answer, as most of you point out, is why not both. Although it isn’t Tuesday, I’ll relate with my two bikes. One a DR-Z 400 (slow bike) and the other a DL650 (while hardly a gixxer, fast bike).

    The DR-Z is a blast to run through the first four gears on. Lean forward or you risk lifting the front wheel but believe it or not, you’re only doing about 50 MPH. The single piston thumping its little heart out for you like a 6 year old yellow Lab that doesn’t get enough exercise. Do the same thing on the DL and the v-twin is propelling you to triple digits with the focused energy of a Doberman. Both fun, but very different.

    Reply
  9. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    I’ll just reiterate what others here have said. It’s rare that one can reasonably drive fast cars “fast”, without track access. Drive any performance car at even 6/10ths of its abilities on regular roads and you’re either breaking the law or endangering others. There are many more opportunities to drive a slow car at its limits, and while they aren’t without risk, they’re at least much lower.

    However, said slow car must have good handling and steering characteristics.

    Reply