I like JC and Top Gear. It is clear Clarkson really loves the 1.2 and I guess with that in mind he doesn't see the point of the extra money for the 100 BHP. I have not driven one so can't really comment. As for the JTD the price is higher and on average driving with the cost of diesel being higher it would only save 1.3p per mile and I prefer the drive of a petrol. On paper the 1.2 is slow but it feels so much faster especially with dualogic in manual.
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General Clarkson's Praise
What exactly is a car list?....Should I have one?
But it gets there so quickly that you have plenty of time to fill up....
The fact that it looks like a Panda (and that btw, is because it is a Panda!) is exactly what shocks most drivers that you leave behind....:slayer:
I've been looking for a new car and debated getting a 100hp among other things hence 'the car list' as in several possible cars, I know the reason it looks like a panda is because it is one, but if you are buying a car with a sporting use in mind, and don't mind the hard ride and limited range then perhaps you would like something a bit sportier looking than a panda, not that i'm saying the 100hp doesn't look sporty for a panda, it's just the panda doesn't have a design that lends itself to that sort of look, its a bit too narrow and upright, I like the Q-car look I drive round in a 5 door punto with a sporting motor, which can pull much the same trick at the lights but when I hit a rough road its no worse than a standard car, don't like the idea of being made to pay all the time for the 2.5-3 seconds of fun when you blast off the lights, or the 15 minutes every two months when good weather, mindset, road conditions and a good road coincide also standard panda isn't exactly a poor handling car even if it does need more power.
Layney
New member
This was the worlds longest sentence I think.....
Anyway, I get the gist of it and all I can say is that the 100hp is the most fun car I have ever driven. Well, the Ford Racing Puma is up there too (and I have driven many sports cars from 350Z to M Roadster etc etc). Note that the cars that are the best fun on my list are the 1.4 and the 1.7 - who needs a stupidly big engine
The 100hp does look sporty in my opinion. I have a white one and with the privacy glass around the rear and the big mean black front grille, I always get peoples heads turned.
As soon as you touch the throttle (even without the "sport" button on) you get great response. The steering is direct and gives you all the feedback you need when driving slow or fast. Yes, the ride is a little bumpy, but I did a 300 mile journey (country and motorway) the other week and it didn't annoy me once
Quite frankly, I could go on and on forever about how much I love the 100hp, but the guys that have them already know what I will say....
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Layney - wait until you get a GSR on it; sounds sooooo nice :yum:
Layney
New member
Yeah should really have put some full stops in. Nevermind, I was just trying to elaborate on my previous comment, for the record it's a great little car just unsuited to those who do 350 miles a week and travel ridiculously bad roads twice a day or at least that is the opinion I have. Sure a 100hp owner will come on and say I do that and its fine. Peace lads!
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It's all up to the individual really, isn't it. Thats the thing.
I used to drive aircooled 126's, and my best and battered one, Stupid cost me £25 and provided me with the best driving experiences of my life. Flat out at 72mph overtaking everything, towing 1 tonne of trailer for a mobile disco, flinging it around lanes when it was dark, jeepers the things me and that car did.
And I miss it like mad despite the fact it was slow, noisy beyond belief, not terribly economical and battered to buggery.
But I'd kill for a Panda 100bhp, so there you go.
I used to drive aircooled 126's, and my best and battered one, Stupid cost me £25 and provided me with the best driving experiences of my life. Flat out at 72mph overtaking everything, towing 1 tonne of trailer for a mobile disco, flinging it around lanes when it was dark, jeepers the things me and that car did.
And I miss it like mad despite the fact it was slow, noisy beyond belief, not terribly economical and battered to buggery.
But I'd kill for a Panda 100bhp, so there you go.
the 1.3 multijet is defo the best panda
I work at Manchester Airport, a 17 mile commute, of which 15 miles is Motorway. My journey to work goes like this. 05:15 hrs. Start MJ & drive 50 yards to T junction. 1st gear, move off turning left. Select 2nd. Up to 20, select 3rd. Stop at traffic lights after 100 yds. Select 1st, move off, etc., etc. After 1/2 mile and having reached 40 and 5th, stop at traffic lights. Move off again, hitting 40 and again stopping at lights. Move off onto M60. Get to 70 in 5th by the end of the slip road. Slow down to 50 for the speed cameras by J25. Back to 80. Leave M60 onto M56, still doing 80. Take slip road to Airport, finally slow down to 15 at the exit for Terminal 2, exit right offthe 1.3 multijet is defo the best panda
roundabout and at the 2nd roundabout, take 2nd exit. After 1/2 a mile in a 30
limit, take 2nd exit at next roundabout. After 50 yds., turn left and in another
20 yards enter car park.
The reason I've waffled on like this is to make a point. Can anybody think of a better car that I can buy for this journey? It costs £7K, does 55mpg, costs £200 p.a. to insure fully comp. and I can buy 4 premium brand, new tyres for £160. Why the hell would I spend £20K+ on a Golf GTi, or a BMW 3-series or an Audi? Would my journey be any more enjoyable in a Porsche? We buy the car that best suits the needs we have. If someone thinks a Mercedes will do the job any better, then they can buy one. But it's a pointless exercise for Clarkson to slag off a car (and let's face it, he doesn't do constructive criticism) if he's comparing it to one from a completely different class, which by saying it's too slow to use lane 3 of a motorway, that is what he is implying.
ruinin
Established member
If I sound like I hate 100 HP , no, I just don't know the car but I can imagine it won't be very comfortable if it is the same size as 1.2 and stiffer. Anyway,
I think you can drive 100 HP gently as if it was only 1.2 and then the noise should be about the same.
My question is, does anyone know what revs both cars make at 140 kph? I think that is some sensible speed on motorway not too much faster than the limit. If you could provide the revs at this speed for both cars we could see if 100 HP is really so much noisier at a sensible motorway speed.
My 1.2 does feel quick, but the weakest two points for me are lack of power in two situations: on motorway going up hill wanting to maintain 140 kph, almost impossible or impossible if the slope is steep enough. The other situation is when you want to overtake someone on A road doing 80 kph and the stretch is never long enough and it just takes too long to accelerate to 100 kph and make it safely. It happened to me two days ago but I only come across this situation about 3 times a year, so that is no problem.
Contrary to what most people criticize about 1.1 or 1.2 it is fast enough on motorways. If you want to keep going around 140 kph, you just have to kind of sail along - collect speed on downhills - up to 160 kph and sail up the hill that comes next - it is really sailing rather than driving, but hey who says it is not fun to drive a vehicle without an engine...
I think you can drive 100 HP gently as if it was only 1.2 and then the noise should be about the same.
My question is, does anyone know what revs both cars make at 140 kph? I think that is some sensible speed on motorway not too much faster than the limit. If you could provide the revs at this speed for both cars we could see if 100 HP is really so much noisier at a sensible motorway speed.
My 1.2 does feel quick, but the weakest two points for me are lack of power in two situations: on motorway going up hill wanting to maintain 140 kph, almost impossible or impossible if the slope is steep enough. The other situation is when you want to overtake someone on A road doing 80 kph and the stretch is never long enough and it just takes too long to accelerate to 100 kph and make it safely. It happened to me two days ago but I only come across this situation about 3 times a year, so that is no problem.
Contrary to what most people criticize about 1.1 or 1.2 it is fast enough on motorways. If you want to keep going around 140 kph, you just have to kind of sail along - collect speed on downhills - up to 160 kph and sail up the hill that comes next - it is really sailing rather than driving, but hey who says it is not fun to drive a vehicle without an engine...
ruinin
Established member
And only now I know what I lost in my beloved ex 1.6 escort. Everyone seems to hate that car, but mine sounded great,(I equipped it with a cone air filter) had fatastic Bilstein upgraded suspension, so handled superbly, a bit better than my Panda does now, and wonder of wonders, when driving on motorway, it was ME who chose the speed, not wind or inclination of the landscape! Like I could really decide if I wanted to go 120 or 140 or 170 no matter what hills up or down. I remember having an argument with myself all the time on motorway: commnon, forget the cops, go 150, no calm down, it is not necessary, just slow down to 140. Common, coward, why dont you have fun and go 180. OK, but just for a while, it is too expensive then! And this is how I drove, once slowly, then fast like hell, never able to decide.
In Panda I don't argue with myself anymore. I just focus on the rev counter
and try to hypnotize it. Common, stick to 4500, please, don't lose the revs, common you can make it, good girl.... or do you want me to downshift now?
Or no twisty B roads in Escort I would try to figure out the line between being insane and sensible. Is that bend too close? Am I driving too fast?
OMG, I nearly didn't make it...
In Panda it takes forever before the next turn comes so I have plenty of time to decide whether I want to drive at 60 or 62 kph... In Panda, I find myself actually accelerating in the middle of a turn to get closer to the limit.
In Panda I don't argue with myself anymore. I just focus on the rev counter
and try to hypnotize it. Common, stick to 4500, please, don't lose the revs, common you can make it, good girl.... or do you want me to downshift now?
Or no twisty B roads in Escort I would try to figure out the line between being insane and sensible. Is that bend too close? Am I driving too fast?
OMG, I nearly didn't make it...
In Panda it takes forever before the next turn comes so I have plenty of time to decide whether I want to drive at 60 or 62 kph... In Panda, I find myself actually accelerating in the middle of a turn to get closer to the limit.
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Buy an old 1.6 Escort then, sorted
Derv drinker
New member
I think The Beard has summed it up perfectly, personally I think the petrol, 1.1 and 1.2 are of a muchness, and very different from the 100HP, and MJ, which are different again, a Panda for all jobs is the way I see them, low miles - 1.1 and 1.2, doing the miles - MJ, and for fun the 100HP. As for Clarkson - is there a car that he actually likes!!!
Whippet
New member
After all is said and done....Clarkson's a superstar.
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Yeah. Just as long as it has a Jaguar, Aston Martin, RR or another one of those unknown Brit brands which are always struggling to survive.
Can't wait to see if he changes his tone the moment Jag gets taken over by Tata
ScoobyChris
Established member
He seemed quite taken by the R8. Poor misguided fool that he is!
Chris
Chris
I like Clarkson and the Top Gear crew but I would only buy a car after I drove it and made up my own oppinion.
I just purchased a Grande Punto Sporting M-Jet which is excellent, the other car I considered was the new Panda either diesel or the 100HP. I drove the 100HP but not a diesel one. The 100HP was harsh on the ride but was excellent fun. Anyway when I get bored of the GP I am trading in for a 100HP. Although harsh the fun was excellent. Then after owning the 100HP I would then consider the diesel version down the line (thats my car list LOL).
Overall I need to have all of them but just not at the same time.
FIATS Rock :slayer:
I just purchased a Grande Punto Sporting M-Jet which is excellent, the other car I considered was the new Panda either diesel or the 100HP. I drove the 100HP but not a diesel one. The 100HP was harsh on the ride but was excellent fun. Anyway when I get bored of the GP I am trading in for a 100HP. Although harsh the fun was excellent. Then after owning the 100HP I would then consider the diesel version down the line (thats my car list LOL).
Overall I need to have all of them but just not at the same time.
FIATS Rock :slayer:
