Does anybody ever go joy riding

monkeysnapper

Basically ive always wanted to drive a high performance car but never have. I'm a family man and have test driven loads of cars at garages . With the intension of buying.

It just dawned on me. Why haven't I ever gone to a garage and test driven a Scooby doo . Or BMW 5 series. All cars that are well out of my price range.

Have other people gone and test driven cars knowing right well they just wanted a bit of fun .

Mr Benevolent

Yes, but on an empty private road. The car left the ground at one point. Lots of fun.

Anan1

Confab wrote: »

Yes, but on an empty private road. The car left the ground at one point. Lots of fun.

I'm guessing you didn't read the question..

Ronnie Beck

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Basically ive always wanted to drive a high performance car but never have. I'm a family man and have test driven loads of cars at garages . With the intension of buying.

It just dawned on me. Why haven't I ever gone to a garage and test driven a Scooby doo . Or BMW 5 series. All cars that are well out of my price range.

Have other people gone and test driven cars knowing right well they just wanted a bit of fun .

I was just thinking the same thing myself, with the world about the end. Stroll into the BMW dealership in a rented suit... I like to test drive the M3 outside the door please.

ShadowHearth

I did do that once! After that damn bastard seller forced me to buy it. That's how I ended up in scooby!

Bigus

Yes and some of the more interesting ones were

Ferrari 355
Porsche 911
XkR jag

And top of the list an Evo 8 fully prepped rally car on an ex military base.

But you need to arrive in the right car and ask the right questions, and the scruffier you look the better, and spend loads of time familiarising your self before opening them up, to put the demonstrator at ease.

However if you're looking for thrills try rally school Ireland or best of all Jonathan palmers Bedford autodrome, it's worth the cost.

TherapyBoy

http://www.rallyschoolireland.ie/

I got a voucher for this place a few Birthdays ago & had a blast. Drove Mini Cooper, Ford Escort, BMW E30 325 & a Subaru Impreza, all with roll cages, helmets with comms & an instructor constantly telling you to go faster! You can drive all sorts of cars on their track depending on what you're into & how much you want to spend. If you want to drive something fast this is the place to go.

ottostreet

My understanding of joy riding was the car was stolen!

Bigus

ottostreet wrote: »

My understanding of joy riding was the car was stolen!

Yes but joyriding in the 80's sense has been eradicated with the advent of immobilisers built into keys.

Eric Cartman

ottostreet wrote: »

My understanding of joy riding was the car was stolen!

in this case I just think they mean driven like its stolen

2pack

I know a guy that does the same, he is after the FREE thrills(and does have too much time on his hands too) and like to see how the performance cars drives.. he would never dream of going to the rally school unless someone else paid for it and rally school Ireland seem expensive and alot of people wont have that sort of money lying about from now on...

Del2005

Bigus wrote: »

Yes but joyriding in the 80's sense has been eradicated with the advent of immobilisers built into keys.

They just take the keys now. It's hardly as if no cars are stolen any more

TherapyBoy

Would probably be cheaper to bring a car to Mondello or somewhere for a track day. You'd have to drive your own car or have balls like Bengali tigers to take a car on a test drive!

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

They just take the keys now. It's hardly as if no cars are stolen any more

They do indeed just take the keys now but generally the reason for the theft is not to go joyriding. Back in the 80s and 90s car theft for joyriding was rampant for literally the "fun" element. The leftovers were a frequent site. It's ridiculously easy to break into and take a car that's not immobiliser equipped without the keys.

When I was in primary school a few of my classmates older brothers were heavily involved in joyriding, a lad I know whose now in his early 40s was in many stolen cars joyriding, in the Cork City forum in the "characters of cork" or whatever it's called thread there's frequent references to a mentally handicapped chap in his 30s who was in an accident in a stolen car, he got over €1m in compensation I believe.

To put it in perspective joyriding back then was almost as prevalent as hard drug use is now, a serious problem.

They have the ole company cars now thanks to donedeal.ie etc.

AltAccount

OP, even if you drove into the BMW dealer's forecourt in a 3 year old M5, wearing scruffy clothes (as suggested) but an expensive watch, glasses and shoes (a half decent salesperson will notice the details) and know all the details about the new M5 like you're actually interested in buying one, what kind of joyride would you expect to get? A blast up and down the M50 maybe?

Using testdrives to get your motoring jollies seems like a very complicated way to go about it...

Hotwheels

Anytime I ever test drove something powerful the salesman always went along, I can't see many garages letting a person loose in a M3, RS etc, and even if they did you'd have to have the equivalent insurance, to cover the car you are test driving.

As an exercise try ringing your insurance company and tell them you are taking a <insert supercar of choice here> out for the day to test drive, and see what they say, or charge as the case maybe



I still think a track day is the best option too.

monkeysnapper

I didn't think about track day racing. I bet its a blast alright. I have gone go karting a few times. I suppose its the bottom of the barrel racing but wow, what good fun that is. You just need a good few friends with you to poke fun at when you've lapped them for the 2nd time.

I did take a Nissan leaf for a test drive. Hope this thread doesn't get locked now I've said that. I know it's not a performance car but I was impressed by the power. Thought it was nippy.

Del2005

Hotwheels wrote: »

Anytime I ever test drove something powerful the salesman always went along, I can't see many garages letting a person loose in a M3, RS etc, and even if they did you'd have to have the equivalent insurance, to cover the car you are test driving.

I overtook a branch car once on a test drive, salesman was with me and all:D:D It was only a standard car but he said it had a bit of power!

Hotwheels wrote: »

As an exercise try ringing your insurance company and tell them you are taking a <insert supercar of choice here> out for the day to test drive, and see what they say, or charge as the case maybe

Years ago a friend of mine was getting married and her brother worked in a Merc garage. I was the only person at the time with private car insurance so he arranged for me to get a Merc as the wedding car. I rang my insurance and explained what was happening and they where happy to cover me on an AMG S class once I paid the extra cover, only ended up with an S320

AltAccount

monkeysnapper wrote: »

I did take a Nissan leaf for a test drive. Hope this thread doesn't get locked now I've said that. I know it's not a performance car but I was impressed by the power. Thought it was nippy.

I'm sorry, you just broke the thread

Wonda-Boy

I absolutely CANNED a prius once...until the battery died!!!!

:D:D

Bigus

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

I absolutely CANNED a prius once...until the battery died!!!!

:D:D

Not possible.

Battery in a pruis never goes below about 25% and petrol IC engine is default mode.

djimi

There is a GT86 in my local Toyota garage that I am tempted to try and blag my way to a test drive, but something tells me I wouldnt be let past the gate...!

Voodoomelon

AltAccount wrote: »

OP, even if you drove into the BMW dealer's forecourt in a 3 year old M5, wearing scruffy clothes (as suggested) but an expensive watch, glasses and shoes (a half decent salesperson will notice the details) and know all the details about the new M5 like you're actually interested in buying one, what kind of joyride would you expect to get? A blast up and down the M50 maybe?

Using testdrives to get your motoring jollies seems like a very complicated way to go about it...

Do only wealthy people have bad eyesight? :pac:

AltAccount

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Do only wealthy people have bad eyesight? :pac:

I think you have that the wrong way around - you probably meant to ask do all wealthy people have bad eyesight?? :D