There is a legend that when asked why his cars had such shitty brakes, Etorre Bugatti responded that he made his cars to ‘go, not to stop.‘ Yeah, thanks dude. I actually like my cars to be well rounded in their capabilities and if erring on one side or the other, stoping prowess outweighing acceleration would in fact be my preference.
That concept however, has long been the exception rather than the rule when certain auto makers wanted to make a statement. Chrysler did so with the bare bones but brutal Viper, and Porsche’s sell a kidney-worthy Carrera GT has long been mythologized as a car that rewards the confident and capable, while biting everyone else in the ass.
Certain cars like certain people carry an air of danger with them, and the challenge of their potential mastery. With that in mind, are their any reputation-ally challenged cars or trucks out there that—danger be damned—you are dying to try?
Image: CarScoops
Hooniverse Asks: What Mythically Dangerous Car Do You Unabashedly Dream of Driving?
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Without Cosby in the car, of course. I’m not THAT much of a risk-taker.
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“Known by the Allied forces as their “secret weapon”, the Czechoslovakian-manufactured Tatra 77a and 87 automobiles inadvertently became Nazi-killing machines. In fact, more high-ranking Nazi officers died driving these models of the Tatra – which had a top speed of 100 miles per hour but were rear-engined and heavy to handle – than in active combat.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/11632594/The-car-that-destroyed-Nazis.html
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03319/tatramain_3319504e.jpg -
Anything with “too much power” sounds like fun.
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Actual, one of those Greenbriers, but the super dangerous Corvair.
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My dad had a Monza Spyder hardtop in high school. He put it into a tree when, as he claimed, the turbo spooled at the same time as he went over a bump in the middle of a left curve on a 2-lane road, the front end went light and the steering wheel became useless.
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Since it’s unsafe at ANY speed (even while standing still), you might as well drive it!
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http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20C/Vincent%20Black%20Shadow%20Series%20C.jpg
If it’s Tuesday, then I must have a death wish.-
Brakes? Clutch? Rear suspension? Hydraulically damped fork?
You’re just not thinking deadly enough.
http://www.yesterdays.nl/images/Excelsior%201919-ohc-1.jpg-
If that’s not fast enough for you, why not drill some more holes in the head to let it breathe easier?
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This has all of those things, but it still wants to kill you.
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Pshaw, that’s a big ol’ pussycat; at the very worst it just wants to maim you, keep you alive and play with you. Now, throw a set of chambers on it, then it will kill you. And eat you. And your offspring.
https://2strokebiker.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/p10105342.jpg-
Those round things on either side of the front wheel, those are weights to help the wheel find the ground between shifts?
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I had a Harley sportster with a mach IV front disc conversion and when you squeezed the brake lever you could see the disc twisting with the pressure from the caliper AND you could still push the bike along unimpeded by any form of meaningful friction
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I rode one of these once. It doesn’t show in the picture but the frame has a huge hinge in the middle. Frightening in a straight line let alone around corners.
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Well, yes — we’ve had one hot six cylinder engine, but how about a second hot six-cylinder engine to go along with the first?
Of course in the same car, silly. What could possibly go wrong?
http://bestcarmag.com/sites/default/files/7634149TVR-Cerbera-Speed-12.jpg
The Auto Union V16 – skinny tires, inadequate brakes, terminal oversteer, and too much power.
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Cool. I’ll race you in the front-wheel-drive Alvis.
https://primotipo.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/burton-alvis.jpg -
There are only three sorts of power.
1. Not enough power.
2. Enough power.
3.More than enough power.
Note: There is no such thing as ‘Too much power’
That is why engines have a throttle, not an on/off switch to control output.
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Most splendid choice. No way to turn around this win.
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Most of the rest of these I would cheerfully drive but a Dymaxion I would not take over 5mph. Terrifying. A forklift would probably handle better.
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Having driven a WWII era forklift over a mile on a 2 lane road paved in bumpy asphalt and railroad crossings, with about a mile of cars behind me, and ultinately having to take a sharp left turn across speeding oncoming traffic, and nearly overturning before crashing into a curb, I agree.
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The Monaco-Trossi, equally terrifying, but for the opposite reason: instead of turning quickly, it could barely turn at all, thanks to a 150 MPH top speed, skinny tires, FWD, and a 75% forward weight bias.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lqcapwW1CkU/SiL5yoHPYyI/AAAAAAAADac/XrKF0Icoufw/s800/800px-Monaco-Trossi1935-%281%29.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q8g6wZG-ZEw/U2pD-QvEnpI/AAAAAAAAObw/8XD6UloEP2E/s1600/trossimonaco.jpg
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Ruf CTR Yellowbird.
She’s killed every owner she’s had.
Do they have to be driven at 10/10ths? ‘Cause if not, my answer is all of them – every single one. I’d love to drive a top-fuel dragster (at basically idle because I’m scared of going fast and don’t want to die or soil myself, or both) or a Pagani or a TVR or a Viper or a …
Every one of these! Yes, even Porsche 930 Turbo, slowly…..just never lift.
This.
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Other than the fact that Jezza has come out and said that this was all a setup.
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The question was regarding mythically dangerous, not necessarily actually dangerous. Besides, did we not learn anything from the ATC?
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What? It’s an all-wheel-drive wagon. Doesn’t get any safer than that.
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq199/carsplanestrains/AUCTION%209-09/DSC_0250.jpg
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and I want to drive that rail in the background, and the Ford hauler, and what is that across the street? I can’t quite make it out, but yeah, I want to try that too.
When you’ve got a motorcycle that Alan F’ing Cathcart himself won’t attempt a curve on, you’ve got one devilish machine.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/blogs/front-wheel-drive-1923-megola-sport-megola-mania
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/sites/motorcyclistonline.com/files/styles/large_1x_/public/import/header_images/122-1202-01-z%2B1923-megola-sport-featuring-front-wheel-drive-in-action%2B_0.jpg?itok=LPFecxnI
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How about a cycle that the world’s greatest daredevil aborted (gyroscopic issues) its only attempt?
http://capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_privee/truax%20evel%20knieval.jpg-
That’s not a “cycle.” It was a steam-powered rocket, piloted by someone who had no test pilot training.
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It was called Skycycle X-2, and had wheels. The front wheel is slightly visible in the picture above, under the “EVEL” lettering.
You should discontinue your argument or Evel will come back to life to kick your butt. Even Chuck Norris knows better than to talk smack about Knievel.-
I can put gills on a horse, too, but that doesn’t mean it can breathe underwater.
Actually, no I can’t put gills on a horse. Bad example. -
What about a snorkel?
http://www.burleson-arabians.com/images/twink_scuba6.jpg
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The weight is in the middle, but the only wings are in the back. I can’t see how this could possibly go wrong…
Willys MB
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Pshaw! I am Australian, and have owned a Jeep (well mines is a Ford GPW) for over 20 years and mine never did that! Safe as houses it is, despite no seat belts, doors, roof and a steering column that would spear me in the chest if I ran into something….
Pantera. And I have a mullet.
Cobra (a replica would do fine), Viper, Carrera GT, TVRs…give me horsepower with no computers to prevent me from using all it, all of the time, and I’d be happy
Has anyone actually ridden the Dodge Tomahawk at speed?
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Nobody’s had the Tomahawk over about 70 MPH. According to The Telegraph, in its one speed run, “..difficulty in cornering meant he cut the run short.”
Now, on the other hand, leave it Allen Millyard…
I own a Mustang.
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Is that a threat?
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Cars’n’coffee can be dangerous.
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AA/F Altereds…all of the horsepower of Top Fuel and none of the chassis development.
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Good choice, but Captain Jack was going faster than contemporary fuelers, minus suspension, roll cage, or harness.
http://www.captjackmcclure.com/Gallery/PAGE-53-JACK-McCLURE-TAKES-ON-IVO.jpg-
The death wish is strong with this one…I guess stuff like that doesn’t happen much today?
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Well, the car was banned for decades, presumably for insurance reasons, but recently, McClure found, bought, and restored his old car and makes exhibition runs in it! He is 90+ years old!
http://www.dragzine.com/news/video-captain-jack-mcclure-and-his-famous-rocket-go-kart-are-back/
http://www.captjackmcclure.com/images/captjack-new.jpg
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The Ford 999 and/or Arrow and/or Red Devil. Looks like fun.
https://i.wheelsage.org/image/format/picture/picture-gallery-full/ford/999_race_car/autowp.ru_ford_999_race_car_1.jpeg
Birds should be avoided at all costs.
A couple of days ago, two local young guys managed to split their Skyline GT-R in half. Probably not the scariest car by definition and, luckily, both are fine today. But the image of the split Nissan is pretty hard to look at:
http://bt.mnocdn.no/incoming/article3594131.ece/ALTERNATES/w1440c169/20160510bel+24441.jpg
http://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/–Biler-som-blir-delt-i-to_-er-det-sjelden-vi-ser-3593961.html
A dirt outlaw sprinter, without a lot of wing at Eldora and Winchester. I know it happens all the time but that doesn’t make it any more sane.
I’ve been daily driving a ’93 Toyota MR2 since early 2004. SO DANGEROUS! OMG SNAP OVERSTEER!
Tuesday answer – I always wanted a Vmax after reading about and seeing them, unabashedly dangerous barely describes them…I ‘ve had one for nearly 10 years and it still scares me, shit brakes, crap handling, tyres that don’t stick to the road particularly well, uncomfortable, cramped and totally addictive
recently took my partners 16yo cousin for a ‘quick trip[ round the block’ with the permission of his parents, didn’t tell them we hit 200kmh on the freeway on ramp…i’m guessing he didn’t tell them either as they’re still talking to me
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