Cars that I thought would not be shit but were

[Warren t claim]

I will admit to discovering that the Land Rover Defender 110 Safari V8 was a big let down.

An early Mk1 LHD Golf GTi was also a disappointment, I'm glad it caught fire on me.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Caterham 7, an ideal way to die.

Original Lotarse Elise, fucking dangerous in the wet. Like an old 911, it handles and grips well until the split second it doesn't. You are then a passenger. Apparently, these shitheaps make you a driving God. the second gen one with the Toyota engine was much better, enabling you to drive quickly without wondering if it's going to kill or injure you.

[Junkman]

So the original one is the one to get.

[Hooli]

So the original one is the one to get.

From before they engineered the fun* out of it.

[MRustbucket]

Jag XF, much much worse than the proper XJs it effectively replaced. Just cheaper inside, worse driving position etc etc

I have never been impressed by the XF either, but I think it is better than the S-Type whose underpinnings it shares (the XF and S-Type are based on the same Ford platform).

I don't think it is fair on the car though to say that it replaced the XJ, which was always in a segment above the S-Type. They were replaced by another XJ which is quite an impressive car.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My oldest had just turned 18, a years no claims and we'd just picked up her first MX5. It was pissing with rain and I was explaining about how it was going to be a lot different from her Renault 5 Campus.
We came round a bend with me demonstrating my drift skills* and discovered an Elise on the verge, upside down. The rain was still sizzling on the exhaust, so we stopped and looked inside for the driver, who had gone.
We left, but it was the perfect illustration of what I was telling her, I'd liked to have thanked the driver, she had a couple of MX5s and a Eunos and never crashed any of em.
Interesting to see the underside of an Elise too, completely smooth with a big full length solid under tray.

[AutoshiteBoy]

All series Land Rovers are utter wank. And I've driven and sold loads. None were enjoyable.

You just sold them to me.

Now find a good chiropractor.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My oldest had just turned 18, a years no claims and we'd just picked up her first MX5. It was pissing with rain and I was explaining about how it was going to be a lot different from her Renault 5 Campus.
We came round a bend with me demonstrating my drift skills* and discovered an Elise on the verge, upside down. The rain was still sizzling on the exhaust, so we stopped and looked inside for the driver, who had gone.
We left, but it was the perfect illustration of what I was telling her, I'd liked to have thanked the driver, she had a couple of MX5s and a Eunos and never crashed any of em.
Interesting to see the underside of an Elise too, completely smooth with a big full length solid under tray.

There used to be loads on Copart, and also in a damaged state at H.R Owen bodyshop in London.

All this 'taming a drivers car' stuff is bollocks. A properly engineered car lets you have fun without being a vicious bastard.
A pity as the previous M100 Elan was such a fast little thing point to point, and a much better car. No K Series junk either, but a turbo 1600 Isuzu motor. It was regarded at the time as the pinnacle of FWD chassis engineering so I'm surprised Lotus fucked the Elise up.
Old 911's are just as bad. Yet some evil handling 1968 example is worth more than the much better 1994 993. Just bizarre.

[SiC]

A friend is a massive Lotus Licker. Apparently tyres and their pressure make a massive difference to them. Stock were as you described. Tyre designs and compounds have come an awful long way in the last 20 odd years too.

Still tricky in the wet due to lightness and what not. Likewise TVR.

[John F]

Maserati Biturbos are evil bastards that will spin on the fucking spot without warning. Short chassis & loads of power, plus a bit (although not all that much tbf) of turbo lag.