Being that Dave Nutting and I are currently at Lime Rock Park, among some of the most advanced and high performing road race cars in the world right now, this seems like a good question for the day. Nutting is a big Pro Touring guy and his Monte Carlo SS is set up to be a budget corner burning machine, my big Caprice is heading to suspension upgrade-ville shortly, and lots more have been bitten by the bug of autocross and open track competition in recent years.
In my past, the most nimble car I have ever owned was a 2003 SVT Ford Focus. That little two door hatch back was an absolute riot and it handled like it was on rails. Yes, it barely had enough power to out scoot a Camry on the straights, but boy were on ramps and the few autocrosses I ran it in fun! A 2.0L engine, a six speed transmission, and totally awesome Recaro seats made that one a real fun toy. My 1988 IROC that had been retrofitting with some 1LE stuff was a bundle of fun as was my 1999 Mustang Cobra. For all out cornering fun, it was another little car, the UMass Motorsports VW Rabbit that we raced in SCCA ITC competition that ranks as the best organ shifter that I have piloted. It went out in an upside down blaze of glory…ironically at Lime Rock.
How about you?
What’s the best handling car you have ever owned or driven?
Owned: Peugeot 2.0 GTI
Driven: Caterham Superseven
My Chevelle..and i have had a 85 Monte SS,and several Camaros..
Best one I’ve owned: A 1986 Corvette with the Z51 handling package.
Driven: Either a ’91 Miata with a turbo and full on autocross suspension, or a new Mercedes C55 AMG.
I have owned several G-Body cars that I’ve swapped the springs and bars out of, they were completely out classes by modern, lighter cars (although I’d LOVE to have another one.)
In this arena, my Spectra has proved much more capable than any of my previous rides. Swapped springs and sway bars, installed 17″ rubber and threw away some extra weight I found tagging along here and there. A shortened gear set in the 5-speed helped make up for the 143 HP under the hood. I’ve become a fan of driving slow cars fast because of it.
That would be my old 1963 Austin mini 850. In it’s decrepitude, it had maybe 30hp and would top out at about 50mph.
It was super light and you did not need to bother with braking before entering any corner. Just power in floored!
It was a really fun car.
My 73 monte carlo. Hard to believe but GM nearly made the mid engined. 75% of the engine was behind the front axle centerline. And it was set way low in the chassis. I could toss that boat into turns and it would stick. I was so surprised how well it was designed despite the mile long hood.
1969-72 Pontiac Grand Prix has even more engine set-back and similar handling characteristics. Much better than its size and weight would suggest.
FWD: 2004 SVT Focus
RWD: SVO Mustang (except that I suspect the 2012 Mustang GT would out-lap it handily)
I have had many Mustangs, GT,s Mach 1 ,Pintos, Escorts which was great for their time if they had the Mich XZX tires.
But the best was the 85 Thunderbird we built to play on the Carolina back roads with. It had Eibach sport springs and struts. we had 10 hole wheels and 235/60/15 street stock race rubber on the car, being just a few inches off the ground it stuck like glue and would out handle the Mustangs we had at the time, the built 302 really helped it move out.
Thunderbird Turbo Coupes are fairly good handlers as well when equiped with good tires.
Owned..1973 Lotus Europa. Driven..196? Lotus Elan
My 1987 Shelby Daytona with the 174 hp Turbo II engine. Would really stick in the corners and was really comfortable to drive at the limit. Also faster than you would have thought.
My G8 drives like its glued to the road,my 77 Monte Carlo has some good upgraded suspension parts and does really well too . One of the best that sticks in my mind is a brand new 91 Z28 another is my brothers 77 Trans Am both very good. .
The best handling car I have ever driven was an Mini Cooper S (my brother’s car).
The best handling car I have ever owned was a 1966 VW Beetle (think GR50-15 BFG T/A’s on all 4 corners.)
Ron
Best hsndling car I ever owned was a 1977 Holden Torana L34. Built for Bathurst racing , mine was actually a backup car that sat behind the pit wall and never got used during the 1977 Bathurst race in Australia – after the race it got resprayed and put back on the road. It had an (Australian) GM/H 308 cube V8 and 4 speed and had suspension so stiff that it eventually ended up rupturing my gall bladder and putting me in hospital! My god, though, did it handle…near GM/H in Elizabeth, South Australia theres a really large roundabout – I have fond memories in the early 80’s of powerdrifting around it with a car full of fellow apprentices many years before drifting got invented….utterly sideways, smoke pouring off the tyres, huuge fun!!
my stock suspension 73 challenger….. I’m kidding. Probably an 83 trans am. And it understeered like a snowplow. Everything else ive ever owned handles like an old Mopar. Or dumptruck.
Owned? my 1986 Pontiac 6000-STE.
The 76 and 77 Chevelles while good handlers after I got done with them, the 6000 could walk away from them on a winding road despite the massive power deficit from the 2.8, and my Explorer is just a clumsy fat kid in a room full of speed skaters.
Driven, Sis’ 2006 BMW 335 sedan.
2004 SVT Cobra.
1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. It had all the guts my Regal has plus brakes and handling. Not a nose heavy slug like the regular Trans Am GTA of that year.
My 1985 Dodge Omni GLH Turbo. That little sucker would corner like it was on rails. Fast (for the time) too
1984 Pontiac Fiero. even with the four cylinder and auto it handled like it was on rails.
2. 1984 Porsche 944
3. 1989 GMC Sierra lowered 4/6 on 16 inch wheels.
4. 1987 Supra turbo
5. 198? Subaru SVX
In that order no question
Owned: 87 S-10 truck. It was lowered with everything I could get from Bell Tech, and had Firebird 16″ wheels, and 245/50 tires. The down side was the tires, no power steering and a small diameter Grant steering wheel. I auto crossed that little truck every chance I got.
Driven: Audi TT turbo. My uncle (a hair dresser) bought it because he thought it was a “cute little beach car”. He let my dad and I drive it around. We took turns scaring each other, and nearly didnt give it back.