What Car Are You Convinced Is Great Even Though You’ve Never Driven It?

Autopian Asks Convinced Is Great
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For those afflicted by the automotive hobby in their youth, the hero car is a common phenomenon. Whether it’s a Ferrari F40 or a Lexus LFA, there are always the untouchables that are nothing short of canonized. As age and wisdom build, some of those hero cars can lose their luster, but some of us still have those machines that we hold in great regard, even if we’ll likely never drive one. Maybe it’s the experience that comes with the job, but finding a personal example took a bit of searching because I’m generally a skeptic.

Unless I have prior experience with a powertrain or chassis, just about any car could go either way. However, there is one exception for me, just because spec sheets and period road tests give enough information to suggest that it’s probably fun. Yep, it’s the TVR Sagaris.

With a 406-horsepower four-liter inline-six, a five-speed manual gearbox, a curb weight of 2,731 pounds, and styling from Mars, the TVR Sagaris sounds like an absolute riot. More importantly, it seems better built than most TVR models, with Evo writing:

So instead of reporting on a sexier, more savage Sagaris, I’m here to tell you about things like washer jets fixed to the scuttle instead of floppy rubber tubes lashed to the windscreen wipers; supportive Sparco seats that don’t wobble during hard acceleration, braking or cornering; new floor-hinged pedals made with a curve so that you don’t have to overextend your ankles to fully depress the clutch or accelerator; tailgate glass with a beautiful alloy latch instead of a recess designed solely to pinch your fingers; rear-exiting exhausts that spit and pop but don’t resonate; and bodywork that doesn’t act as a trap for every leaf, granite chipping and errant cigarette butt. The list goes on.

Properly quick, lightweight, and built with some semblance of care sounds like a winning formula. The TVR Sagaris is probably good fun, even if it’s still a TVR, so things like ergonomics aren’t a massive concern. I still want one, because really, it seems like a difficult vehicle to go wrong with, provided you start with the right set of expectations.

Tvr Sagaris 1

So, what car are you convinced is great even though you’ve never driven it? Whether you idolize the R32 Skyline GT-R or just know intrinsically that the C6 Corvette ZR1 is spectacular, I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below.

(Photo credits: TVR)

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127 thoughts on “What Car Are You Convinced Is Great Even Though You’ve Never Driven It?”

  2. So many great answers here, and I’m gonna steal a few, but add some more:

    • Clownshoe
    • That 911 special edition with the houndstooth seat inserts
    • 1st-gen NSX
    • Nissan GT-R R32
    • All the BMW M3s E30-E46
    • McLaren F1
    • Lotus Exige (drove an Elise, it was brilliant)
    • Ford Escort/Sierra Cosworth (in full dialled-up turbo nutter mode)
    • RUF CTR “Yellowbird” (Gran Turismo memories)
    • Toyota Corolla AE86 (only if I can try drifting it)

  4. 2019 Bullitt mustang. The automotive school at the county college where I went had a 2001 which didn’t run, but still looked awesome and was a conversation piece with the lead instructor (for clarity I did not even participate in the auto program). When the 2019 was released at the Detroit Auto Show alongside Steve McQueen’s 1968 car, I was hooked and have been lusting after one ever since.

  9. There are some great guesses in the comments (Alfa Romeo Montreal; Dino 246, Pantera, Miata…)

    It’s truly the aspirational automobile we want. Hearts.

  10. All you folks here have me convinced I’m gonna love a Miata. Hope you are right. Hope I fit, too. At 6 foot, most of it in my legs, I’m not sure I will. I have to lean the seat back and run it all the way back in my Mazda2Yaris to fit and not hit my head

  11. Oh, a whole lot.

    Miata, s2000, Viper, NSX, AZ-1, manual 7.3 Powerstroke

    There are already several cars that have more than lived up to my expectations: Samurai, my CJ and J10, IDI Fords.

  12. CRX- Never driven one but have heard a million good things about them. I want one so bad. I used to have an 80’s VW Rabbit so somewhat similar. For a hero car, the Ferrari Testarossa and Lamborghini Countach

    1. I used to think that a CRX must be awesome to drive. But having driven an Accord and a Civic side by side, I kinda don’t like Civics anymore. I thought an Accord was a bigger Civic, but that’s not really true. It’s pretty much a better civic.

      1. Yeah, I’ve actually always liked the Accord better…I have a 2014, have had 2 late 80’s Accords, and a 91 Accord was a family car growing up. The CRX’s just seem special, and even more so I really want a late 80’s Prelude

          1. Nice! Yeah, out of any Honda besides the NSX, that gen Prelude is like a holy grail to me. They are (like the CRX) hard to find in decent shape and price…I can’t believe how much some people want for them- there are cheap ones but need a lot of work but that’s probably the way to go

  15. Hawkeye WRX STI. The part of me that never stopped being a teenager is convinced that upon getting into one, I’ll be transformed into Colin McRae, effortlessly drifting along frozen Michigan backroads. I refuse to be disabused of this notion, nor will I acknowledge that attempting to bring this dream into reality will most likely result in wrapping myself around a tree.

  21. I can answer this most easily in the past tense. For my whole life I was convinced air-cooled 911s were great. Finally bought one in 2015 and, yessir, they sure are.

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