A follow up from our post about a car for Mark’s brother Facel Vega, prepared for historic rallying and ran in the 2004 Carrera Panamericana Rally!!!
Looks great, here is a test drive to the sounds of the Peter Gunn theme!
A great right up on a car Stirling Moss loved over at Jalopnik
Learn more Facel Vega ClubFacel Vega Club
Well the 03 REX is still going strong at 108,000. A completely new experience for me, for most of my life working for Auto Manufacturers company cars got moved to the auction block and dealer lots with around 12,000 miles on them. For me about 6 weeks on the road.
The REX is a fabulous Michigan commuter care, fast fun, awd, reliable but not that comfortable or frugal. So the question is do I run it on and on and on. Or do I take the value I have in it and trade for a lower mileage different set of wheels. Histronics out in the market demands consideration of the SMART or Yaris, but the SMART would require extensive modification, (hint SMARTUKI). To my mind a low mileage Cooper S or Honda Fit are worthy of consideration. Yes they are a step down performance wise from REX. But I am of the opinion that driving a slower car faster is more entertaining than driving a fast car at only 70% is more interesting. I am reminded of driving Peugeot Turbo Diesels around Ford XR3is in Essex in the late 80s.
From a green perspective rather than a new car late used seems to make most sense. So what do you think, any other interesting ideas for new wheels
What would you recommend as an interesting performance orientated daily driver with stick for a 6 foot 6 with a 65 mile each way commute, all responses of course subject to spousal review and approval?
I talked with Mark the other night about the cars that should be on his brothers shopping list, (translation our vicarious list) the only criteria was that it had to be different, which means no one else in Laguna Beach has one. We talked of Renault Alpine, Venturi, Alvis, Gordon Keeble, Morgan Trikes (yes we did!), AC3000ME, TVR, MARCOS but then I thought what about a Rocket from the Light Car Company?
Now in production again 10 years after the originals were built by Chris Craft from a Gordon Murray design. Check out the video below from Winding Road, for those who love light fast cars but want to stand out from the crowds of Caterhams, Westfields, Spyders and Speedster a Rocket might just be the thing. It makes the Ariel Atom seem civilized!
A Rocket would certainly be on my short list, unfortunately i think it would fall foul of my height. The Light Car Company site is under construction
