For some people, letting another person drive their car is on the same level as letting another person “have a go” with their significant other. It’s nothing personal, but we just can’t allow it. Jalopnik readers would never hand over the keys of the ten cars below.
10.) Toyota MR2 Turbo
Snap oversteer is a thing. A very real thing that can occur if you’re an inexperienced driver behind the wheel of turbocharged, mid-engined, rear-wheel drive car like the second generation Toyota MR2 Turbo. Justin can share his experience from when he lent away his MR2.
I bought one many years ago and let a friend drive it shortly after. He spectacularly spun the car out two blocks later on a back street between parked cars while I had a code brown in the passenger seat.
Remember kids its not like hokey pokey. When you put your right foot in you never take it out.
Suggested By: Justin, Photo Credit: Grant C via Flickr
9.) Mazda RX7
Mazda RX-7s are beautiful machines that are able to deliver seriously unique driving experiences, but not without a little instruction first. If you’re not familiar with the RX-7, its rotary engine and the little quirks that come with it could leave an unseasoned driver stranded and its owner very angry.
Basically, don’t flood it.
Suggested By: KomradKickass, Photo Credit: Mazda
8.) Chevrolet Aveo
Unlike the MR2 or RX-7, the Chevy Aveo is a simple to use, versatile little car. In fact it’s so simple, boring, underpowered, and ugly that most people would rather ask their friend to take public transportation than have them deal with the nothingness that a Chevy Aveo would provide or be spotted driving an Aveo. As reader Scot Zediker put it, “Friends don’t let friends drive an Aveo.” Truer than true.
Suggested By: Scot Zediker, Photo Credit: Daniel Oines via Flickr
7.) Dodge Viper
Back in the olden days when cars required real concentration while driving hard and spiritedly, the Viper was a king. Reader assbooket452 has a story to share.
Was at a track day recently where a guy showed up with 2009 and a 2013 Viper. One of his buddies was driving the 2009, and the 2013 was in to switch drivers. Tires started screeching, take a look at the track and the ‘09 is just finishing spinning and blowing smoke.
Owner just screams out loud and is understandably a little rattled. Turns out, he was genuinely concerned about his buddy. Plus, the smoke was water hitting the pipes. But he took the tire off of the bead and shut down the track time until he was able to borrow a tire from the ‘13 and put it on the ‘09 to limp it off.
But really, if that was me, I would have only brought one, and would be driving my friends around the track. I would not have been as generous as he was that day.
Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Robin Corps via Flickr
6.) Ford GT
550 horsepower might not sound like all too much when placed next to some of today’s performance cars, but with the wrong person behind the wheel, this nannyless beast could be transformed into a very effective suicide machine. Just breathe on the throttle, that’s all you’ll need.
Suggested By: $kaycog, Photo Credit: Paul Hudson via Flickr
5.) Porsche 930
With unthinkable turbo-lag and an engine hanging out as far as possible in the rear, there’s good reasoning as to why the early Porsche 911 Turbos were referred to as “Widowmakers.” It’s because they would kill you.
I won’t let that happen. Go find something else to drive.
Suggested By: Green Pig, Photo Credit: ilikewaffles11 via Flickr
4.) Porsche Carrera GT
The world has already had the misfortune of seeing the kinds of catastrophic damage a Porsche Carrera GT can do when being mishandled. And with the Carrera GT, mishandling and driving outside of a driver’s limits is something that’s all too easy.
It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s the car that I don’t trust. I swear!
Suggested By: MikeofLA, Photo Credit: Axion23 via Flickr
3.) Your Project Car
It’s not a project car if there aren’t tens and tens of silly little peculiarities that have to be kept in mind during operation. It’s likely that if one were to lend their project car out, in order for it to come back in a single piece, the operator would probably need a whole other operating manual just to figure out what all those noises are and why that red exclamation mark keeps flashing in the middle of the gauge cluster. There’s just too much to explain.
Suggested By: Brian Silvestro, Photo Credit: Nick Ares via Flickr
2.) Ford RS200
Short wheelbase, extremely light and nimble steering, and some good ol’ fashioned rally car boost. Fun, yes. But who could actually be trusted with all that greatness? Nobody.
Except for maybe me.
Suggested By: fordboy357, Photo Credit: Brian Snelson via Flickr
1.) Lamborghini 400GT Monza
What’s worse than potentially crashing a one out of 220 legendary street-legal rally car? Potentially crashing a one of one Lamborghini from the 1960s. This is the kind of car you don’t tell anyone you own or have even ever seen. If something breaks this, what options do you really have? None. You’re screwed.
I don’t know if I could even risk it.
Suggested By: Mini_Fanatic, Photo Credit: Brian Snelson via Wikipedia
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day’s Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It’s by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Grant C via Flickr