Car Chat

[dazzleman]

So what colors did you pick, Dave? Bordello red leather?

Vesuvius gray and brown interior.

[dazzleman]

They were, indeed, wonderful. All the V8 sounds and fuel economy, with none of the power!

That was the malaise era.  My Firebird was before it got too bad.  It was pretty powerful but the handling, traction and brakes were not great.

[CaminoRacer]

Dave, stop this nonsense about getting another Audi. This is your destiny:

https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-models/carrera-4/

[FoMoJo]

Vesuvius gray and brown interior.

have you already made the purchase?

[Laconian]

Vesuvius gray and brown interior.

Oooooo... that's a understated but classy combo.

[cawimmer430]

Brilliant!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYf595EJAc4

[r0tor]

Dave, stop this nonsense about getting another Audi. This is your destiny:

https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-models/carrera-4/

Seriously Dave consider a test drive in a 911.... It operates in a completely different level of pure driving excitement and refinement... Even at just lawful speed limits.  The car is just amazing.   When I got to drive one on the track and street last year it completely opened my mind up to how good something can be.  Race car precision combined with an amazing motor, great sounds, perfect interior and an actual really good ride quality.

Alfa would also give you a different perspective of what a modern car built for driving fun can be about .

[dazzleman]

Seriously Dave consider a test drive in a 911.... It operates in a completely different level of pure driving excitement and refinement... Even at just lawful speed limits.  The car is just amazing.   When I got to drive one on the track and street last year it completely opened my mind up to how good something can be.  Race car precision combined with an amazing motor, great sounds, perfect interior and an actual really good ride quality.

Alfa would also give you a different perspective of what a modern car built for driving fun can be about .

That 911 is super sweet, but I can't have it as my only car.  I'm finding it hard to reconcile having 2 cars when I only drive 8K miles per year.  So my car has to combine fun driving and practicality, which forces me to compromise a bit.

[dazzleman]

Oooooo... that's a understated but classy combo.

I like the look of it.

[dazzleman]

have you already made the purchase?

Not yet.  I am waiting to find out whether my buddy wants to buy my current car.  He has long expressed interest in it but I'm not sure if he can afford it right now since he's an airline pilot and is facing an uncertain job situation.

If he doesn't buy it, I'll trade it in.  I was planning to let him have it for trade in cost anyway so there's no real financial consequence.  And I'm not about to undertake a private sale to somebody I don't know.

[SJ_GTI]

That 911 is super sweet, but I can't have it as my only car.  I'm finding it hard to reconcile having 2 cars when I only drive 8K miles per year.  So my car has to combine fun driving and practicality, which forces me to compromise a bit.

Hey, 8k is more than I drive per year. 

I get not wanting a 911 (or a sports car in general) as an only car, but even if you don't drive a lot you can still enjoy a sports car. What it will mean is that you should be able to own 1 sports car for a long time. You can go out and buy a ~10 year old Boxster and keep it basically forever. Heck, or get a ~40 year old 911 and do the same thing.

FWIW when it isn't your only car having all the tech features means a lot less. I actually enjoy the low-tech nostalgia when driving my (nearly 20 year old) Z3. When I want GPS/Phone integration/Infotainment I can go back to my Golf.

[Eye of the Tiger]

There is always the Panamerican.

[r0tor]

Hey, 8k is more than I drive per year. 

I get not wanting a 911 (or a sports car in general) as an only car, but even if you don't drive a lot you can still enjoy a sports car. What it will mean is that you should be able to own 1 sports car for a long time. You can go out and buy a ~10 year old Boxster and keep it basically forever. Heck, or get a ~40 year old 911 and do the same thing.

FWIW when it isn't your only car having all the tech features means a lot less. I actually enjoy the low-tech nostalgia when driving my (nearly 20 year old) Z3. When I want GPS/Phone integration/Infotainment I can go back to my Golf.

Yea, there is something about hopping in my RX8 with no infotainment and popping in a 90/00s era CD that is actually refreshing

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yea, there is something about hopping in my RX8 with no infotainment and popping in a 90/00s era CD that is actually refreshing

Fuck that, Cherokee doesn't even have a stereo. Just a straight six bubbling through a Flowmaster.

[AutobahnSHO]

Yea, there is something about hopping in my RX8 with no infotainment and popping in a 90/00s era CD that is actually refreshing

Scrappy doesn't have any clock. I thought about getting a cheap one to stick somewhere, but it's fun to just go "raw primitive". I have nowhere to mount a phone. I keep the phone charging cord in the trunk- in case.

[2o6]

Cars are emotional, buy WTF you want.

[dazzleman]

Hey, 8k is more than I drive per year. 

I get not wanting a 911 (or a sports car in general) as an only car, but even if you don't drive a lot you can still enjoy a sports car. What it will mean is that you should be able to own 1 sports car for a long time. You can go out and buy a ~10 year old Boxster and keep it basically forever. Heck, or get a ~40 year old 911 and do the same thing.

FWIW when it isn't your only car having all the tech features means a lot less. I actually enjoy the low-tech nostalgia when driving my (nearly 20 year old) Z3. When I want GPS/Phone integration/Infotainment I can go back to my Golf.

I like your thinking.  I could pick up a used sports car that I drive only occasionally.

[dazzleman]

Cars are emotional, buy WTF you want.

Best thought yet. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Best thought yet. 

I think you want a Dodge Challenger Scat Pack

[FoMoJo]

I like your thinking.  I could pick up a used sports car that I drive only occasionally.

Sticking with Audi...

[dazzleman]

Sticking with Audi...

That's a sweet one.

After I retire and I see how I'm doing financially, I may consider getting a used second car to be driven occasionally.  I could go with a more contemporary sports car or a classic.  The former is much more practical.

[AutobahnSHO]

That's a sweet one.

After I retire and I see how I'm doing financially, I may consider getting a used second car to be driven occasionally.  I could go with a more contemporary sports car or a classic.  The former is much more practical.

The thrill of even debating "which car do I want to drive?" is honestly magical. Even better if they're both cars you really love.

Since we have 3 cars I base most of my decision on the weather- Scrappy is less "bad weather" desirable. But also amount of passengers and cargo is a huge decision point. It's funny because wife and I haven't been in Impreza together in... a couple years? Since we went playing in the NY snow in it. So much better than a minivan for slick road shenanigans!!!

[Morris Minor]

Cars are emotional, buy WTF you want.

So true. There is very little of the rational in my daydreaming about cars.  The last time I let my left brain dominate completely was when I got the CR-V. I've never felt less attached to a car.

[cawimmer430]

Love the Autobahn. True driving pleasure and freedom giving you the ability to test your car at the limit. I was 4 km/h from the top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), but nevertheless the A250 is very stable and solid and I got the feeling that I could actually drive much faster! Should have gotten an A35 AMG and removed the limiter. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Why are you in such a hurry?

[cawimmer430]

Why are you in such a hurry?

I wanted to go home.

Had some business in Nuremberg yesterday: a photo shoot with a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T. The Autobahn was fairly empty and there was no speed limit on this long stretch - so I figured I might as well attempt to max her out. After this awesome fast driving, I settled down into a 150-160 km/h cruise and 120-130 km/h where speed limits were in place. I arrived in Munich with a fuel economy of 8.2 L / 100 km (28.6 mpg) - not bad for spirited driving and my high cruising speeds.


Before I drove home I took a snapshot of my Priscilla with the Zeppelinfeld main tribune in the background.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party_rally_grounds#Zeppelinfeld

[shp4man]

I wanted to go home.

Had some business in Nuremberg yesterday: a photo shoot with a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T. The Autobahn was fairly empty and there was no speed limit on this long stretch - so I figured I might as well attempt to max her out. After this awesome fast driving, I settled down into a 150-160 km/h cruise and 120-130 km/h where speed limits were in place. I arrived in Munich with a fuel economy of 8.2 L / 100 km (28.6 mpg) - not bad for spirited driving and my high cruising speeds.


Before I drove home I took a snapshot of my Priscilla with the Zeppelinfeld main tribune in the background.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party_rally_grounds#Zeppelinfeld

So, Priscilla? Elvis's wife? Some affair with an English chick? Something else? 

[dazzleman]

I wanted to go home.

Had some business in Nuremberg yesterday: a photo shoot with a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T. The Autobahn was fairly empty and there was no speed limit on this long stretch - so I figured I might as well attempt to max her out. After this awesome fast driving, I settled down into a 150-160 km/h cruise and 120-130 km/h where speed limits were in place. I arrived in Munich with a fuel economy of 8.2 L / 100 km (28.6 mpg) - not bad for spirited driving and my high cruising speeds.


Before I drove home I took a snapshot of my Priscilla with the Zeppelinfeld main tribune in the background.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party_rally_grounds#Zeppelinfeld

I love it man.  A nice long fast drive puts me on a natural high.

[Raza]

How about the Jaguar i-Pace? If you want comfort and speed, then high end EVs are most certainly where it's at.

Disgusting.

[Raza]

I test drove an Audi A6 with a sport package and I am probably going to buy it.

Good choice.