I've never known a car get so much attention

Skyhook · I've never known a car get so much attention

I always considered it a motoring journalist cliché when a road or long term test says that the writer has never known a car have so much attention, people wandering over for a chat at petrol stations etc.

I can honestly say, I’ve never known a car get so much attention as the Panda 100HP gets.

Saturday – I’d just got out the car in a Supermarket car park when a bloke called over, asking what I got out of it. MPG, that is. About 42, I told him then went on to blather about the 115mph top speed, 0-62 time… he seemed impressed by the six speed gearbox, climate control, less so by the Bluetooth. As I walked away his parting comment was “nice car that”.

I felt slightly odd being approached and asked about such a ‘normal’ car, but this wasn’t the first time. A few months ago I was washing the car outside the house when a bloke pushing a pram slowed as he passed me then stopped. “Great car that; I’ve admired it every time I walk past”. He looked sane, and not about to wrestle me for the keys so we had a bit of a chat. He was in the market for a new car so we went through the positives and negatives, had a look in the boot etc. I think I did a good job selling the Panda, though slightly embarrassed that I knew all the facts and figures. He didn’t realise it had a 1.4 engine rather than 1 litre, nor that it had such power – yes, power, alright?

I’d quite fancy being a Car Salesman; apart from the hours, pay, paperwork and having to deal with people.

He asked what dealer I’d bought it from, so I gave him the address and name of the Salesgirl (and also that I got 25% off list price). I also asked him to give my name and address if he did buy – I’d get a £50 voucher for referring someone.

Funnily enough, I had to call the Salesgirl the next day about getting my new phone to pair with the car and mentioned the conversation I’d had while washing the car. She told me they’d already had someone else call in that weekend asking about 100HP’s; apparently he was interested because he’d seen a white one blarting around Nottingham, and mine was the only white one they’d sold…

See, people are watching me. Or rather the car. And waving. That turned out to be a chap from the Fiat forum, but not the same bloke who apologised on that forum because he “think I nicked your parking spot outside your house last night”. He had as well.

It’s all a bit cosy.

And a bit spooky, to be honest.

GonnaBreakABuggy

kraftwerk

Both my Fiats garner similar reaction, especially the van. 'I've never seen one of those before - what is it?' from people of all ages. The 128 gets 'I haven't seen one of these for a long time,' usually from gentlemen approaching buspass vintage and 'Isn't that a lovely colour?' from young ladies. At traffic lights near home the other night, several Turkish fellows got very enthusastic about it. 'Fee-at! Fee-at!'

Gurney

I had the same with my Fiat Coupe, ok a tad outlandish even today. By far the most comments/interest though (ignoring the Alfa Spider) was my Mini One. On more than one ocassion we came back to it's lair for the day, to find it surrounded by people eager to know all about it.

I still give 100HP's a second glance - don't know what it is about the styling but it makes me grin every time I see one.

TimR

Mark

The Insignia receives an alarming amount of attention. Even now - they've been around ages.

DarthBalls

My smart forfour got a lot of attention as well - a fair few people went out of their way to compliment its looks. The silver tridion with black panels was a very nice combo.

When it comes to attracting attention and interest nothing compares to a De Lorean.

Matt

Both myself and my Dad have noticed people looking at the Astra - amazing what an Italian suit and deep blue paint can do for a humble Vauxhall!

The colour of the Jag earns it a lot of looks, too.

gonnabuildabuggy

Just spent the weekend camping with friends all of whom were taken with the FRV - the small size outside, the large size inside, plus the fact that no-one has to travel in the boot. One family are after a replacement for a Toyota Picnic, the others wanted something more practical than their X5 which was far poorer in terms of fitting in camping kit.

We managed 5 adults plus shopping for 21 people and a shed load of booze in it, helped by the folding centre seat to hold all the alcohol.

canadian bacon

Frank Bullitt

Both the A2 and smart get people stopping me for a chat while I'm washing them.

Never happened with my two Punto's

Apex clipper

Mine was photographed by some yoofs just after it came out..I walked out of the shop to see a host of them clicking away, just after school time looking at their attire..

...FAST FORWARD...2 years and my wife driving it and parking up at the rear of her works (Private land)..well todo women walks up to the cashier and asks who owns the blue car out the back..Cashier calls the manager..

"My husbands..why?"
"That car is on my sons wall!"
"What?"

"He took the picture and he's quite car mad...plus it had that reg.. that he kept on about!" "He had the picture blown up and framed and stuck it above his bed."

That's my boy.

I've never meet them though.

Turbonutter

The Sierra gets quite a bit of attention - from both youngsters and older 40 somethings. Went to the beach in it last week and went to get some stuff out the boot only to find two 50 year old blokes discussing it. Only after the beach cricket set for the boys and instead spent 20 minutes talking them through it and showing them the engine

Grampa

When I had the first MINI, everywhere I went people wanted to talk about it - you could come back to it to find a crowd had gathered round, peering in through the windows etc. It once completely entered a Ford dealership (which has a admin dept on one floor) when it was parked on their forecourt. I was still inside when the manager returned from a meeting, unaware of the attraction outside - his face was a picture seeing 20 or so empty desks.

The Minor generates a lot of "I used to have one of those" type comments and once had a drunk ask if I could take him home in it as he had fond memories of owning one.

The Astra gets a fair bit of attention mostly comments about the colour and the depth of shine of the paint, closely followed by enquiries as to the power and how fast it'll go.

Guitar Zero

My ST was so popular that 4 young men from the local church group wearing ceremonial balaclavas let themselves into my house to tell me how much they liked the car.

I was so taken with their passion and enthusiasm, that I let them take the car for a quick drive around the block.

Unfortunately, whilst they were out delivering communion wafers and hymn books to the elderly and infirm they got lost on their way back to my house and I never saw the car again. Although I do believe they continued using it for good, by helping patrons of local public houses give up the evils of drink by confiscating their money and emptying the tills of the landlord.

Awww bless.....

PG

Guitar Zero

Even before it went on a 3 week holiday with Satan and the fuck you crew, it got stupid amounts of attention.

I got papped god knows how many times (yoofs mainly) and people would come over and ask stupid questions at the pekky station and supermarket car parks.

If it was a Veyron, I could sort of understand, but it was just a pokey focus. If you want to know more about it, buy a magazine or go down the dealers you 'tard. I never, ever approach randoms about their cars and I expect the same in return

.

What's worse is the neds who stand around the car, but are waiting for you to start the conversation. Needless to say, conversations remain unstarted.

Best attention grabber ever was my dad's brand new T reg S80 2.4. They hadn't been out long and not many had been sold - it was the only car I've known to be stopped by the police just so they could " have a look at it " because they hadn't seen one before.

I suppose if your not a ned like us, the first time you see something new is on the road. You still get stupid questions though - like " Is this the new Mercedes " ?

Erm...no - it's a Volvo as indicated by the large badging fore and aft of the vehicle.

These are the same people who think 2.0 litre engines are big - one guy couldn't believe that the engine in the ST was 2.5 litres and he nearly shat himself when I added it had 5 cylinders and was turbocharged.

Grampa

Skyhook

Bloke at work: Is that a Panda?

Me: Yup, Panda 100HP.

Bloke: Looks good, how much power has it got?

Me: 100HP. You mong.

Martin

Maybe he though is was something to do with the sauce? 100 bottle capacity perhaps? Only with the sliding seat option though I bet!!

With so many car having misleading badges, it's easy to get confused!

"him"

Yup, according to Wikipedia :-

74 kW (100 PS; 100 hp)

Fiat refer to it as 99BHP, which is rounded up from 98.63!

Skyhook

A few people have had their 100HP on a rolling road, and claim it puts out 105-110bhp as standard. Whhhhooooo hoooooo!

Group 5 insurance as well. (Sorry, wrong thread)

A workmate went to a car meet at the weekend, a bloke there had a twin turbo Panda... 300bhp at the engine...

Blarno

300 Bhp in a Panda? Is he certifiable?

Only Ford and Cadillac were daft enough to put that amount of power through the front wheels, and Ford only managed it with a fancy diff and BTCC spec suspension.

"him"

Twelfth Monkey

I'm sure franki tops this easily but when we were in city-centre offices, we were a mere 100-or so yards from a school. Our receptionist tells me that even after two years, groups of teenagers stopped to both look at and photograph The Beast several times a day.

Blarno

Slightly related, a chap around the corner from me has just chopped in his TT for an R8. Every time I go to Lidl, it's on the carpark and I can't help looking at it.

Twelfth Monkey

I don't think the R8's design is perfect, but it makes all 911 variants (bar the GT3, natch) look old hat to these eyes.

Gurney

300bhp Panda!

Wouldn't that be a Grizzly?

Autodelta GTA AM Supers commonly pack 422bhp, loads of those knocking about. One guy in South Africa has a 156 with allegedly 550bhp fidgeting there way through the front wheels, he has also made the GTA the same as the 'facelift' 156 - looks more like a 159 from the front.

Eff One

I'm in the dubiously enviable position of having owned several cars which garnered a lot of attention, not all of it desirable. The VX220 was the worst in this regard, with an endless stream of Golf TDis and pikeyed 3 series' having a go on the road. And I felt pretty uncomfortable in rural France with it - people would literally stop and stare as if the Tardis had just landed in front of them.

Only with the Barchetta and GTA did I have people wandering over for a gawp and a chat - in the case of the Barchetta, usually because they couldn't work out what it was.

I was surprised at how many people identified the GTA, and how courteously I was treated on the road, overall.

Skyhook

I've asked my workmate to get more details on the 300HP Panda, hopefully photos as well at the next get-together. Apparently it even has roof rails fitted!

I must admit I was admiring a V8 Vantage parked outside work last week, couldn't resist saying "nice car, mate" when the owner came back to it. He agreed.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr