Best Handling car

[kennyknoxville]

I would nominate the Porsche Bosxter S as the ultimate handler (that you can drive every day). In a recent EVO test it was faster than the Porsche 911 S, also, the "rookie" tester said it inspired more confidence so it was easier to achieve those times.

has anyone pit a boxter s against a lotus elise? that would be interesting

page 2 pwnt

[apexcarver]

A worthy search indeed. I personally would not inlcude the Honda as it felt squirrelly when last driven by yours truly. The Toyota MR-2 Spyder I owned ran rings around it from a handling standpoint - easier and more predictable to slide around a corner, and with a hundred less horses it felt faster. Go figure.

The Lotus Elise is incredible - it stuck like glue and was very reassuring at the limit - although it does require your full attention. Top contender indeed.

The Boxster was a pleasant surprise - I test drove a base 2007 Boxster and it was a pure joy - even correcting a purposely blown cornering maneuver with very efficient electronics. The engine in the base model, now equivalent to the old Boxster S's was fine, although the S version, which matches the 911's of a few years ago, is probably even more fun. The clutch was better, the chassis felt more sorted, and it bore no resemblance to an older Boxster I had driven and decided wasn't for me. Of course the 911 GT2 should be on this list. Sadly, I have only driven a 911 Carrerra, so I can only imagine.

So - the Boxster/Boxster S (2007) makes the short list. No doubt the Cayman as well. But why when you can have a roadster for less?

Cars like the Ariel Atom and Capari T1 are no doubt towards the top of the heap but not everyday drivers - which the others listed are.

What you have to ask yourself - is - do I want a light car I can easily toss around(Louts, Toyota MR2, MX-5, etc.) or a heavier car that needs a ton of power to compensate for the weight. Yes the powerful heavy cars will go just as fast or faster, and may look okay on paper, but trust me you will feel the difference and it may bother you. It does me.
I have also driven the EVO and STi and while they have great engines and are a kick to drive, their chassis just cannot compete with the Lotuses and Ferrari's of the world. Of the two, the original EVO has much faster turn-in and feels lighter. The STi has more low end grunt. AWD is great, but a purist generally favors a RWD car as they are easier to drift and break away more predictably. It is all about the feel. A good car is like a glove - a bad one is like an oversized mitten.

DO NOT buy a Mazdaspeed3 if you are all about the handling. Great engine - but friends don't let friends buy front-wheel drive sports cars, no matter how much the auto mags like the GTI or Mini's.
Torque steer is only part of the problem. Understeer is the real buzzkill on FWD cars.
Good luck on your search.

[torque55]

i'm assuming that the caparo will be up there once they got it working properly.

my choice would be the NSX. i wouldnt rule out the skyline either

[HOTPROPHET]

I am also torn between which "best-handling" car i want. I'm looking to build a nice little car with exceptional handling which can be used on a near-daily basis.

I own a drag racing iroc with a supercharged 383, which is my nice beach day driver. I'm getting rid of my DAILY driver and want something as fun as my camaro, but with better handling and better fuel economy of course. I'd want to use this at the track near the city. So as listed, i figured my options were the mr2, miata, porsche cayman, porsche boxter, or lotus elise.

I've never driven these cars, let alone seen them much.

But here's the thing... is there much difference between the expensive cars "boxter, cayman, elise) and the cheap car "mr2, miata" other than looks and slight increase in power?

Considering I could get an mr2 or miata for 5-10 grand as compared to 25-55 grand for the others, I could spend the extra cash providing a better suspension setup for the mr2 or miata correct?

[kingofthering]

Hello, and welcome!


The answer, or so I've heard, is yes.

[Kitdy]

What is a Yamaha OX119?

[kingofthering]

What is a Yamaha OX119?

Yet another 90's supercar that didn't make it off the ground (;D).

[Kitdy]

Yet another 90's supercar that didn't make it off the ground (;D).

Google yielded nothing. The first result was this UCP thread.

Any info, pics or anything?

[Ferrer]

Google yielded nothing. The first result was this UCP thread.

Any info, pics or anything?

There you go.

Yamaha OX99-11 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[LandQuail]

Utmost respect for everyone who's posted, but for 'Quail's money, I'd give the MR2 a serious thought.

Sure, it looks like a piglet, but there's a strong argument to be made for its relevance as an Elise rival.

They've both got the same underwhelming engine, but one's considerably cheaper. I'd give both the Elise and the MR2 test drives, and then see if the undeniable driver involvement advantage of the Elise is worth the price of admission.

'Quail says it might not be.

[whiteballz]

There was a touge video of a modified MRS that destroyed a modified GTR, S15, and AE86, so I would agree the chassis has to be a contender

[HOTPROPHET]

woooo, most people seem to lean towards the miata in other forums. Even on top gear, they do absolutely nothing but praise the miata video after video and seem neutral about the mr2. But what really just shut me out of the MR2... aftermarket parts... HOLY SHITE! Parts for that car are rare, and EXPENSIVE! The amount you'd spend tuning the suspension and engine in an MR2, you could build twice the car with a miata.

That's another thing that came to my mind after that research... if you'd spend the extra cash getting an Opel speedster or an elise which are nearly impossible to find, you'd have to spend a hell of a lot more for aftermarket parts as well. Insurance would be much more and from what I've read, the claims that the handling on the expensive Opels and Elises being better than the mr2 and miata are very questionable.

So here's a question, the better handling cars weigh:

Boxter/cayman =3100/2900 lb
miata=2500 lb
mr2=2200 lb
opel speedster and elise = under 2000lb

So, despite their weight differences, why do all these cars have matching performances around corners?

[Ferrer]

I'd personally go for the car you feel most at ease with and the one that's more fun. Who cares if it doesn't go as fast through the corners. It's not like you are going to take part in races, are you?

[NSXType-R]

There was a touge video of a modified MRS that destroyed a modified GTR, S15, and AE86, so I would agree the chassis has to be a contender

You're basing your opinion on drifting?


Eh, you should test them all out. You never know which one you really like.

[Kozy]

So the general consensus is that the best handling cars are MR?