What other “raw” cars have you owned ?

[Evotion]

Before my drive in an Exige 410 Sport, I had never found a car that got close to the motorcycle experience.

 

[RENDERMAN]

Some cracking cars have been listed here so far.

Below are the cars I would consider 'raw enough' to be included here, listed in order of preference:

Porsche 964RS Lightweight for an unadulterated experience at sensible road speeds. The 964RS was all about keeping you focused whilst giving you the thrills. No sound deadening, air-conditioning, or any creature comforts to speak of but absolutely loved it. Owned for 5 years, and I still miss it!

View attachment 1360 View attachment 1361

Next in line is the Exige S RGB. Superb on the road and quite capable on track too, having 260hp to only propel 935Kgs along provides ample thrills. The RGB is the lightest car I have owned, so “Simplify, then add lightness” certainly works! Don't think I will part company with this one...
View attachment 1362

Porsche 993RS was the longest surviving fun car I have had to date. Owned it for 11 years. More comfortable on the road than both of the above. It did have air conditioning and was a more civilised ride than the 964RS, even though it did not have any sound deadening.
View attachment 1363 View attachment 1364

It was fun having the 964RS, 993RS, and a 968 Clubsport as a daily driver, at the same time for the ultimate Porsche experience, which lasted 15 years and included 7 Porsches in total. Post-997 cars are now too large and heavy for my liking.

Much as I would like an Ariel Atom, Caterham, Westfield. etc. for their rawness, I simply know that they would not last long due to not having a roof. Same with front-wheel-drive cars for fun use; such cars must be RWD (or rear-biased like the GR Yaris) and must have a manual gearbox.

Great choices but you are missing the the most Iconic, the Elise, without it, there's the abcence of the Exige...

 

[Tonyshepp]

Does a 2016 Defender 90 class as a raw car? it certainly was very agricultural in drive and feel.

 

[ChrisJ]

Never had a Lotus but have had quite few marques the most raw of which is TVR. I've had 8 TVRs over the years and this is my current one which is a keeper. TVR 400SX ... 1 of only 2. 1989 V8 supercharged running a more modern ignition upgrade. Dyno'd this year at 303bhp at wheels so roughly 350bhp at flywheel ... not may cars from that era would come close and I've always liked pop-up headlights. The colour is crystal topaz, a TVR colour which flips silver/blue depending on the sunlight.

 

[RENDERMAN]

Never had a Lotus but have had quite few marques the most raw of which is TVR. I've had 8 TVRs over the years and this is my current one which is a keeper. TVR 400SX ... 1 of only 2. 1989 V8 supercharged running a more modern ignition upgrade. Dyno'd this year at 303bhp at wheels so roughly 350bhp at flywheel ... not may cars from that era would come close and I've always liked pop-up headlights. The colour is crystal topaz, a TVR colour which flips silver/blue depending on the sunlight.View attachment 9200

That's a great looking machine!!

 

[RENDERMAN]

If we are talking motorcycles too, then here is my baby: Raw, exciting and lethal fun:

View attachment 6522

Pirelli makes bikes?

 

[RENDERMAN]

First raw car I owned is Maserati GT Sport
View attachment 3364

Then sold it and got myself these 2 (my favourite 2 cars I ever drove)

View attachment 3365


Then had joined ownership with my brother on Aventador Roadster

View attachment 3369

Then both italians were sold and got these 2

View attachment 3372

View attachment 3373

Now Emira will replace the Cayman GTS, and Type 132 as daily, have 2 track focused cars on order coming next year will replace the F12/GT2RS.

I did a DNA test and came back positive match..................DDDAAADDD???

 

[RENDERMAN]

My turn, 2 kings of raw!!

 

[Jack Stone]

Bit of a repetitive theme for me over the years... (but did mix it up a bit with an Evora S)

 

[Lankan]

Great choices but you are missing the the most Iconic, the Elise, without it, there's the abcence of the Exige...

Indeed, but I have never owned an Elise, and not a fan of open top motoring, so it had to be the Exige, and a Series 2 at that due to it being a proper lightweight, for which 260hp is more than enough for occasional road use.

Having said that I have had an S2000 and a Porsche Boxster S (way back in 2001!), so have changed as the years went by...

 

[Tonyshepp]

Never had a Lotus but have had quite few marques the most raw of which is TVR. I've had 8 TVRs over the years and this is my current one which is a keeper. TVR 400SX ... 1 of only 2. 1989 V8 supercharged running a more modern ignition upgrade. Dyno'd this year at 303bhp at wheels so roughly 350bhp at flywheel ... not may cars from that era would come close and I've always liked pop-up headlights. The colour is crystal topaz, a TVR colour which flips silver/blue depending on the sunlight.View attachment 9200

This was my aspirational car in the 80's to own, lovely motor!

 

[RENDERMAN]

Bit of a repetitive theme for me over the years... (but did mix it up a bit with an Evora S)
View attachment 9227

I remember as a teen drawing the sprit, didn't know about Lotus other than 007, never imagined I would own 2 1/2 there were 3 cars I used to love to draw, the Eprit, De Tomaso pantera and my favorite, the Maserati Bora

 

[VL3X]

Raw? Sure. Fast? Not so much.

Here's my Acura Integra I owned ~15 years ago or so. Swapped in an OEM JDM Honda front end and B18C Type R engine. Full bolt-ons, Tein coilovers, full race traction bars, and every other suspension modification you can think of. Drove like it was on rails, but the NVH eventually got to me and I sold it before installing the turbo system I planned. Ended up using the money I got from it to buy the first black 2004 Subaru STI in the US. The Integra was a great learning experience and I had a lot of fun working on it. Those Honda engine are just so easy to tinker with.

 

[VL3X]

Here's the STI. The paint was called Java Black Pearl. Similar to Dark Verdant since it's basically black most of the time but with the right direct lighting it completely changes. The JBP had some really awesome gold flake to it and it's actually what inspired me to powdercoat the Honda valve cover.

 

[ChrisJ]

Bit of a repetitive theme for me over the years... (but did mix it up a bit with an Evora S)
View attachment 9227

Love those wedges.

 

[RENDERMAN]

Indeed, but I have never owned an Elise, and not a fan of open top motoring, so it had to be the Exige, and a Series 2 at that due to it being a proper lightweight, for which 260hp is more than enough for occasional road use.

Having said that I have had an S2000 and a Porsche Boxster S (way back in 2001!), so have changed as the years went by...

Of all the cars I have ever owned, the light weight on the Elise was amazing, in stock mode I could launch that car and it felt like 300HP, just unreal throttle response!!

 

[DerTheDer]

I’ve got 2 I can put into this category. Found a picture of this my Fisher Fury V8. Fantastic kit car I bought in 2002/3 already built. Rover V8 no filters on the carb other than sieve mesh. Rear live axle and a great fun on hillclimbs and track days. Sold it in 2006 and bought a TVR Griffith 5.0 in BRG (no photo on my phone). Another raw and brutal machine but lots of fun and noise!

What in tarnation is that thing? Its awesome! IS that the TVR Griffith?

 

[3MIRA]

Never had a Lotus but have had quite few marques the most raw of which is TVR. I've had 8 TVRs over the years and this is my current one which is a keeper. TVR 400SX ... 1 of only 2. 1989 V8 supercharged running a more modern ignition upgrade. Dyno'd this year at 303bhp at wheels so roughly 350bhp at flywheel ... not may cars from that era would come close and I've always liked pop-up headlights. The colour is crystal topaz, a TVR colour which flips silver/blue depending on the sunlight.View attachment 9200

450SEAC was my poster car back in the day

 

[ChrisJ]

450SEAC was my poster car back in the day

I had a 420SEAC for a few years. Lovely car but SX is better to drive.

 

[RENDERMAN]

This clio was raw because it was a tin can (not a photo of the actual car)

View attachment 6492View attachment 6493

I lived in London for years and cycled everywhere but hired some fun cars when I could

Wow love the rims!!