Of course, probably every boy and some girl dreams of poster cars. Various super sports and hyper sports and other automotive nonsense are waging an imaginary battle in our heads with airplanes, fast boats and nimble drones. And for most of us they will stay in that head, because it could be a good dream, but quite expensive.
But then there are cars in the world that don’t have to be expensive or unaffordable at all. In fact, it is quite realistic that one day I will get up and go out with a wad of bills in my pocket for such a car. These are cars that I like and for some reason I really would like. Although I don’t need it at all. Something like the Renault Avantime: it’s not expensive, can be bought for normal money and can be reasonably repaired with some effort. But hardly anyone bought it, because the minivan coupe is just stupid. But every time Avantime appears in one of the articles, the reactions in the discussion are always positive, perhaps everyone would really like such a car in the secret of their souls.
In fact all these cars that I want to write about today are contrary to my idea of the ideal car, they are too small or, conversely, too big, weak or unnecessarily uneconomical.. But I want them anyway. And I’ll probably end up buying some. I did it once with the Lancia Thesis and still today I don’t regret it, even if for every positive the car offered a dark side. But maybe so, maybe we want a distinct character from the car, we want something to love the car for, and we want to balance that with some things we hate. Just like we do with people. No one likes a cold nose without errors…
Range Rovers
In terms of size, this car is probably at the top of my goof list. There aren’t many larger passenger cars on our side of the Atlantic. Range Rover satisfies absolutely everything that I don’t like about modern cars. It’s an SUV, it’s unnecessarily bulky, unnecessarily heavy, the operating economy is a disaster even if I ignore the prices of the service. And in the case of Range Rover, service cannot be ignored, as it forms an essential part of its personality.
What are its advantages? It can tow trailers with a boat, a racehorse, a special circuit, a glider. Yes, I have none of these things. You can take it over sand dunes, deep into the forest, traversing your estate on sodden paths through fields – yes, these are also not activities I ever thought I’d do. So what really attracts me so much about this car?
Probably just those options. No, I won’t, but I could. I could go just about anywhere in a Range Rover. Plus, wherever you go in a Range Rover, you’ll be king. You may call them low pulses, but there is something about the feeling of watching the world from the captain’s chairs.
Fiat Panda Croce
I already wrote it text this little fiat. Sooner or later I’ll buy a Panda Cross. Here it is already decided. At the same time, the Panda is definitely not a car from posters, in fact it belongs on the completely opposite end of the spectrum in the automotive hierarchy. As such, the Panda is one of the cheapest cars you can own, it’s the simplest car on the market. The engine has only two cylinders and the horsepower is not significantly higher, the equipment includes a steering wheel, pedals and doors and little else.
And Panda Cross? In addition to some plastics, it adds only one thing – all-wheel drive. It’s still that tiny, simple, weak two-cylinder machine whose engine rattles strangely. But it’s just a great car. Interior space isn’t quite as small as the exterior dimensions would suggest, the tiny all-wheel drive car, thanks to its light weight and real-world compactness, can paint even more serious off-roading.
However, that’s not even why I want Panda Cross. In fact, I definitely won’t be battling the elements amidst muddy slopes. So why do I want Panda Cross? Because it has exactly the qualities that I mentioned in the introduction. It’s like a friend. Or in Panda’s case, even better: he’s like a faithful labrador. He can infect you with his own joy out of complete silliness and make sure you are in a good mood even on a dry, teary day. Hey, we’re overtaking the garbage man! Ooooo!!
Fiat 500 Riva
Many of us certainly look fondly and dreamily at expensive wreckers. Big limousines or even the aforementioned Range Rover simply have an aura of exceptionality, which is, after all, the alpha and omega of their existence. When I try automotive news, I occasionally get lucky and get my hands on a car that you have to have a nice million line in the bank for. And it’s always so contradictory.
Sure, zipping through the streets in a Maserati or one of the big German limousines is uplifting, but at the same time you feel a little out of place here. After all, I’m not a stockbroker or a captain of industry, they have to force me to wear suits, in short, I feel out of place. At the same time, I understandably enjoy the world of fine materials and fine leather, and would really like to live in it.
The solution is the Fiat 500 Riva! You don’t have to take yourself seriously here. You really can’t, you’re sitting in a Fiat 500, that funny little round thing. But at the same time, you certainly don’t feel like your local pizza chef in his Citiga or other subcompact. Because there’s that fine leather and probably the biggest piece of mahogany I’ve ever seen in a car. Occupies the entire dashboard. The partnership with the Riva brand, a legend in the production of high quality motorboats, also has its charm. This is how I imagine a life of luxury, where one doesn’t need to take oneself too seriously, doesn’t need to impress. This is sweet life as it should be.
Fiat Multipla
Yes, Multiple. The Multiple. The real one, before the restyling, which tried to bring it back into the grayness of global competition. Here my plans also have a small practical basis. Today the Multipla is at the bottom of its price range, and if you want a house worker to carry the little things that need to be transported around the house or cottage for you, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better choice. The car is built smartly, simply, reliably, and today it literally costs a pittance to operate. And when the time comes when you have to transport more people who understandably don’t fit in your Fiat 500 Riva, you stack them like nothing in the Multiply.
One could argue that some older MPVs could handle it, but I want a Multipla. It’s like going to the shelter to get a dog. Nobody wants this subversive and will be even more grateful if you accept it. Furthermore, Multipla is not ordinary. From any angle. And I happen to be among the few people who like Multipla. Seriously. For me the Multipla is a beautiful car. The truth is, I’ve always been fine with my midsize sedan and van rental for the big stuff, but if I ever seriously decide that I want a backup unit for just about everything in my fleet, I’ll go for the Multipla. .
Citroën C6
This has been my dream ever since Citroën introduced its then flagship. The C6 is perfect. It is a sculpture on wheels, a perfect piece of modern art that can also be used as a car. I recently thanked Jaromír Soukup’s Citroën I finally had the opportunity to experience the C6 from the driver’s seat. I was a little worried about this, you know the lesson that you must never leave your dreams to confront reality, because then nothing but disappointment can come.
Well, nothing like that happened here. The C6 drives as well as I thought it would. Maybe even a little better. The ride’s buoyancy matches the car’s elegance perfectly, and although it’s been quite a few years since the C6’s introduction, even the cabin doesn’t look outdated. Part of that is because the C6 is simply different. Original pockets in the doors or a minimalist dashboard – this will probably never go out of style.
My head reminds me of Thesis and the fact that I don’t really want such a big car. I like more compact cars, usually don’t need to drive more than myself, and have no plans to change anything in the future. But the head doesn’t always have the last word in the world of cars…
These are some of the cars I look up to in advertising on a regular basis. And you? Do you only dream of flat red sports cars or do you have a relatively cheap, relatively ordinary and relatively useless car in mind that you just wish you had? Share with us in the discussion!
