As your regular purveyor of cheap thrill, white trash hot rods and oft lamented fun machines; I’ve fortunately experience across the board here.
1. The convertible S197 + chassis car is easily the best variant of mustangs ever built, ESPECIALLY from an open air perspective. The suspension is legitimately good, the chassis doesn’t require subframe connectors or external support, and the 8.8 rears come stock with 31 spline axles and carbon clutches.
If purchasing a 4.6 3v car I HIGHLY recommend a 2009 if you want the early body style. The 09 is a standalone year for cylinder head changes that include cam follower upgrades and do NOT require a 2 piece spark plug. They also have the best drive by wire system. I cannot remember if they got the internal changes that the bullit received, but the 10 cars did. This includes beefier connecting rods and a special intake manifold. The upper end of the safe limit on a blown 3v is approximately 460rwhp. The Bullit and 10 cars can sustain 500.
Caveats being cam phasers on all. A perk is both 3v models use a 3550 transmission that although not as aggressively geared, is actually superior to the MT82.
The trunk opening is rather small given the available space. The rear seats don’t fold.
I had a coupe making 462rwhp with an intercooled v3 Si on a measly 8.5 psi. The 3v at the time made the most power per psi of any modular. I lived around the cars for years. They can easily be made into killer track weapons for any arena. Get a vented hood and or pull the weatherstrip if going very fast. Leave your grills unaltered. Stock clutches won’t take boost. PD > centrifugal if doing it again with the lower imposed redlines.
2. C6... Oh down the corvette rabbit hole I have fallen. I’ve owned a c5 coupe for over 10 years now, coming after selling said 3v and a brief stint with an 02 WS6 (wish I’d kept). At the time there were only c5 and c6 available and I greatly preferred the feel of the c5 and lamented the c6 interior and their Malibu / Cobalt feel. That said but what you like. Underneath they are literally near identical with around a 75% direct carryover in the early cars.
Skipping the c5 garble (buy an 01-03 only); the Ls3 - 2008 + c6 is absolutely the one to purchase. I wouldn’t be allowed to be swayed otherwise. You’ll also benefit from the tr6060. A z51 or GS will get you c5z styled gearing. This is great n/a and not so much with a power adder, so keep an end goal in mind.
All GS manual cars are dry sump and offer the much needed trans coolers that that c6z shares.
It is fairly easy to make @450 whp with a cam only ls3. Yes you can make more, 500 with ported heads but the super aggressive cams aren’t valve train friendly over time. The LS3 is still the best LS to build from in terms of boost or general longevity without getting into ls7 pitfalls.
The stock clutches and hydraulics are trash. Get a GOOD twin disc. That alone will keep fluids cleaner.
As noted you can make them into anything. With boost they will crush 600whp without haste. They still suffer from thinner ring lands and since mine just ate the #7 I’d take that slope with a grain of caution. A measly cammed and stock headed 03 LS1, I was making 642rwhp - it’s a lot. Probably too much for general street use despite what the internet says.
A very basic ls3 car with good cooling mods / suspension/ brakes would be near ultimate from a metrics standpoint.
Large and useful trunk and comically sized storage in the coupes. Can’t take your kid.
Steering and feedback is rather numb. Grip is there. Cars are super soft and grandpa friendly stock.
3. NC. I’ve only piloted a lightly modified NC PRHT with some Flyin’ goodies - I REALLY should have purchased that car in retrospect. It was noticeably roomier than my NB and bigger person friendly.
My NB had a FM II suspension beneath with a handful of bracing, bars, big rubber and decent brakes. It also wore an intercooled JRSC m45 with the ‘high boost’ pulley configuration. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. At @200whp it was a lower/mid 13 second car that was constant smiles. The feedback and the noises along with the ability to wring it out at will without dying or being instantly arrested with a 5 star GTA wanted level made it a wonderful street car.
The chassis was NOT great. This is where a blown NC would really shine. Phenomenal feedback, ability to make more power and far more robust driveline.
Cons - every Miata joke ever. Pride parades, limited storage, hot trunk (maybe not in an NC?) and no room for kids.
Super duper reliable fun if you can make it work for you and much lighter on the wallet. I am very heavily leaning towards a WHITE NC club with forced induction as a next toy; pending an ND doesn’t do it or I buy an s/c’d Elise. Sidenote: I drove my NB back to back with an Exige and actually preferred the Miata. Crazy talk I know.
No matter what there will always be some car I have never ever heard of, and this is one of them. Mitsubishi even made a two door, removable hardtop model. Absolute insanity.
95s are in reach if I stretch the budget a bit (or a lot, depending on what I can negotiate with insurance)! Vipers look very 90s in the best possible way. I miss the 90s.
They aren’t crazy to insure at all from my experience. Was more money to own an SRT4. Likewise corvettes are cheap to insure. 95-99 are great choices as they are all forged and have the 708 factory “hot cam”. They are the go-to for those wanting forced induction or a bunch of nitrous. The later cars were considered “cream puffs” as they mellowed the cam out some. ABS came in 01-02 (it’s hard to find many 02s as they are extra limited production; likewise the GTS are “final edition” cars with a hodgepodge of the best parts over the years) That said it’s farce for populace as it was more a change in LSA and the smoother cams keep more duration. They are actually the fastest of the factory Gen 2 vipers n/a. Also received were revised pistons and heads. Given a 588 cui displacement I believe viper builds should remain all motor much like a Shelby Cobra.
Very cool investment pieces either way. Maybe not like a Euro exotic just yet but far different from the slowly deflating balloon of a corvette. I basically stole mine peak Covid, purchasing 3 days after Christmas. Was a bit of a perfect storm. Still my favorite purchase despite any character flaws or draw backs.
I’ve built those too haha. Had an 88 formula for awhile and have been through every iteration possible building and changing a friends z28 while growing up.
3rd gens are cool for their weight and can be monsters accordingly since GM never really changed anything chassis wise until the Zeta cars. The heavy doors and pin issues are annoying along with the overall packaging. Hatch glass is stupid heavy. Unless you get a car with an Australian (92 350 cars) rear, the 10 bolts are all poop. Not a fan of trans options and the tunnel is a bit limiting.
Build whatever you like though. Those are very different vehicles altogether and tastes are subjective.
My answer to any toy car discussion now is Corvette or Miata. I'd probably love the Miata even more if I fit in the damn things, but I don't think Mazda believes that there is anyone 6'4 tall in the world. Though for the extra size, Corvettes don't really give you that much more room. Both cars give the added joy of being cheap and easy to fix and run. And, you can just hop in and drive them anywhere. Try that in your fancy eye-talian exotic.
I'd actually recommended at an Aston Martin Owners Club meet, that Aston should scrap all the cars they currently make, and by the rights to the C7 from GM. Even have GM do the assembly. Aston would get the best car they ever made, and they could add the fancy leather, paint, badges and trim in England, and continue to pretend they are an actual car builder. They'd even get hand built, hand signed engines back again. What could be better? Oddly, the AMOC crew didn't share my enthusiasm.
And btw, I don't include the C8 in my recommendation.
That is truly weird how Aston handled it. I understand the need for it, but it could have been marketed under a separate Aston brand, kinda like what Tickford was in the 80s, when they were doing fancy, mini Aston, Capris and Metros. But that total moron Ulrich Bez doubled down, and said it was as much of an Aston as Bonds DB5. Idiot.
You probably would. Me, I never liked the iQ, and the Cygnet just reminds me of those stupid-ass MSCHF Big Red Boots that took off last year. Overrated and unnecessary.
Personally, if I were going to spend far too much money a small “British” car with donor development from another country, it would be the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, which was essentially an R56 MINI with an interior designed by Rolls-Royce, including some of the materials Rolls-Royce uses. It’s rather less known about than the infamous Cygnet and much more to my liking.
And maybe Larry Strulovich’s PR offensive is paying off - he has quadrupled headcount in that department - and clearly all of my favorite influencers enjoyed their free trip to the Maybourne Riviera on the launch event … but I find the revised DB12 a fairly interesting car.
There is a likelihood that shoppers would be able to select between a DBS / Vanquish trim level of the DB12 featuring a V12 (albeit twin-turbo), a manual transmission, and real buttons on the center stack and dashboard and Ferrari’s “F167” (the 812 Superfast successor) that will be V12 (naturally aspirated but potentially hybridized) with paddles and touch screens only.
I think the AMOC didn't dig the idea because it would be a soulless Aston. At that point, just spend less money on a Corvette, which will put down better numbers.
The only point I can see in Aston ownership is sould/character of the car. There's absolutely no objective way in which their cars outperform their competition.
But they haven't built a car with soul in almost a quarter century. It's so bad, they had to use the word soul in their marketing. Turn the damn car on, and it says it has soul. If you are trying so hard, you ain't got it. No car they built since 2000 has been as good as the comparable Corvette. (All the cars before then were even worse as cars, but did have character and soul. ) They have just been a second rate exotic since Bez took over, leaning heavily on their Bond mystique, because they have nothing else.
I guess if you never drive it. But they also basically had one design for the best part of 25 years. Designed by Keith Helflett at Jaguar no less, and tweaked by Ian Callum. They basically just broke out thr tracing paper, and tweaked to fit every new chassis. Until Reichman came along and screwed the whole thing up. Now even the beauty of design is gone.
I'll admit the latest iterations have lost something. But I had no problem with the prior design sticking around for so long. Hate new for the sake of new, which results in giant-mawed BMWs, insectoid Toyota crossovers, etc. By contrast, I admire Chrysler and Volvo for their ten-year design cycles and overall restraint.
I disagree that Aston Martins haven’t had soul. The parts-bin 80s and 90s models did, and the gorgeous 2000s-era Ford ones did, too. They were never as good as a contemporary Corvette or Porsche anything, but they had character in spades (Volvo electrical architecture notwithstanding). But they were beautifully flawed, like most British cars.
I’d love to get my hand on a manual-transmission Vantage or DB9, but they’ll likely be priced out of my reach by the time I want to pull that trigger.
I was in a similar situation... young dad, east coast, spare car... (Although my budget was not quite as robust.)
My advice, get the most fun car that can pitch-hit family duty. As your kiddo (or perhaps kiddos) get older - you can expose them to the joys of autos - because you can fit them in a car with a usable back seat. You'll also get more seat time in your toy as it'll be more functional.
I went with an E550 coupe. Wanted a 'stang - but found the E-class coupes were a bit underappreciated and oddly were cheaper. They also have a bigger much more usable back seat, compared to a Mustang. You won't fit a rear facing car seat (in either). But forward facing and booster is fine. Mine's an older one with the NA V8 - but the newer ones (2012+) got twin turbo V8s. They can easily put down 450+ hp with mild modifications.
You can get a good example in the 15k to 20k range - and a great one for just under your 30k budget.
Those pillarless windows are so cool. If I can afford a good cruiser in the next year to pair with my dumbass Bronco, these are on the list. Even the six cylinder wouldn't be a bad choice.
I think it was you that wrote an article a while back about that gen E350 being the last "real" Benz or whatever. I don't know if I'd attach that much romance to it, BUT they have grown on me a lot. Just seem like a lovely place to spend a lot of time.
I can't really argue the Mercedes, I'm down to two and they're endless if (IMO) worthwhile money pits as ALL German cars need constant touching even when they're perfect .
Yes, there is such a thing as a perfect Mercedes but then you'll want to drive it and if you drive it you'll want to do so at 9/10th's even in town so there goes the "perfect" and i don't even smoke .
Back when my employer had the vax gun aimed at my head, aside from searching for potential new employers I also had to figure a way to economically replace two company lease cars. Used E-class wagons were at the top of the list to replace our Durango, and while I'm happy the pressure was released and I didn't have to go through all that, I do occasionally lament the fact that there ISN'T a navy blue 4-Matic with tastefully applied chrome trim in my driveway right now.
If you recall, you helped talk me into it! (A few years ago I asked about an XKR, an E-Coupe, a Tour X, and maybe something else, I was all over the place.)
It's been dependable and reasonable to maintain. The coupe is a bit of bastard child between an E-Class Sedan and a C-Class coupe. Lots of parts shared between the two. Speaking of which, that's probably my only compliant - figuring out part numbers. What the hell from a W204 / W212 fits the W207. Haven't had any issue getting parts or having service done (find a good indy or DiY) - it's actually a pretty simple car in general, not just by MB standards. In my (few) years or ownership and internet research, there doesn't seem to be an Achille's heel with them - aside from the rear-sub frame brace rusting pre-maturely, which MB (as of last year) now warranties for 20 years / unlimited miles. NA V8 M273 issues were sorted by the E-Class. Early M278s (2012 / TT V8s) did had some issues though.
Speaking of which, I thought my sub-frame did have an issue (my car looks super clean underneath, it's never seen road salt) as it's handling has been a little floaty as of late. They rust from the inside out, so unless they are really bad, it's hard to visually inspect. Took it to the MB dealership - was told the subframe brace was fine, but my front shocks were leaking. Which I suppose is fair, after 90,000 miles and frequent trips to the garbage roads NYC has to offer. Quote: $3800
Thought the dealership was trying to screw me, but after determining the correct part numbers (my car has the Vehicle Dynamic Ride control ....effin' magnets... how do they work??) - I found it was $1500 each. THAT was a bit of a shock to me - UNTIL about 15 min of Googling later I find the parts are made by Monroe (which is also stamped on my current front shocks) - they are $250 each when ordering the Monroe part number.
“My advice, get the most fun car that can pitch-hit family duty. As your kiddo (or perhaps kiddos) get older - you can expose them to the joys of autos - because you can fit them in a car with a usable back seat. You'll also get more seat time in your toy as it'll be more functional.”
Let me offer a potential counterpoint: depending on how often you need to haul the kid(s), and your risk tolerance (as well as that of their mother), a 2-seater is a fantastic bonding experience for the kid once they're old enough to ride in the front seat. My kids love riding in the S2000 and I guarantee it has nothing to do with HP/L, the best manual trans ever, or a limited slip. It’s because they get to sit in the front seat and have 1:1 time with dad.
My personal rule was they can go in the car once they graduate to a booster from a 5-pt seat in height and weight (my kids are large for the their age so the age rule is kinda silly). IL law I believe says back seat until 12, but my 11y/o has been over 5’ for a couple years and the lady down the street (former Big 10 cheerleader) is several inches shorter, ~the same weight (105-110) and can actually drive her own car so I think my kid can sit in the front just fine. For the 6y/o I just keep it to surface streets and off the highway. We have a Bubble Bum little inflatable booster which meets the spirit of the law if not the letter and doesn’t jack up my seat bolsters. Anyway, just a counterpoint; in a few more years you could be driving a roadster with your son by your side having a blast. And if you add another kid, time spent with just one or the other is fantastic, especially taking the older one out away from his younger sibling. My kids are 5 years apart so when my youngest was a newborn my oldest loved taking a ride in “red car” to a playground or ice cream to get away from the baby for an hour; dad loved it too because who doesn’t want to escape a baby?
Also, I too live somewhere with no “sports car roads” and if I had any brains I would have traded the S2000 for a C6 or C7 a long time ago. Unfortunately, I don’t, and the heart wants what the heart wants, but driving a low-powered sports car where the roads are all straight flat and boring isn’t a ton of fun. I’d go Corvette over Miata, but I might try to see if the budget stretches to a C7 just for aesthetic and age (of the car) reasons.
My only fly in the ointment was that my darling baby boy paid such close attention that he turned into a _far_ better & faster driver than I ever was so instead of side by side he waits up ahead when he knows I'll enjoy the coffee or grub .
"Let me offer a potential counterpoint: depending on how often you need to haul the kid(s), and your risk tolerance (as well as that of their mother), a 2-seater is a fantastic bonding experience for the kid once they're old enough to ride in the front seat."
What a lovely, and completely true, comment. Thank you.
Damn. Time to buy another old stick shift Ranger to go for drives with my boy. I keep scheming on when he'll be old enough to ride on the back of a motorcycle but that's a ways away yet until I'd really feel ok about it. In the mean time we've been zipping around on this weird Velosolex 4600 FWD moped contraption that I scored off FB marketplace last week.
Good points about the bonding. Is the back seat until 12 a legal requirement it a recommendation? MA recommends 13, but by i don't think they can ticket you for it.
The Internet tells me NC miatas have latch anchors and you can manually disable the airbag.
The NB had the manual airbag disable with a key. No latches, but it will fit a rear facing seat with the belt if you're a bad father. Or so I hear. The NC has the latches and might have had an automatic weight sensor. One issue is that the door sills are so high they can't see out anyway, facing rear or forward, at least for a while.
My kids’ schools are like 5 25mph suburban blocks from our house, so whenever I have staggered pickup or drop off on nice days I take the convertible and they love it.
I forgot about e class coupes. That's an interesting idea. what do you think of the factory exhaust?
I've liked the w212 and considered one back when i wanted a sedan to chew highway miles. I went with a bmw 550 because I still enjoyed a manual transmission. I still don't think I'm ready for an automatic only driveway. I was impressed by the benz though.
isn't the coupe a c class with an e class powertrain? Anyway, they look great. The pillarless windows are really cool.
It's a great point that I'll get more chances to drive it if I pick something suitable for the family. That was actually part of my logic with the m3. I might be confusing the infant seat with the rear-facing convertible seat, but an adult male could sit in front of one for a short distance. The back seat of an e92 is huge for a coupe. Getting the kiddo in the seat was another story.
I can only speak for the NA version that I have, but the factory exhaust is nice. In comfort mode, the car starts in 2nd gear, and there's enough torque on tap that normal everyday driving rarely gets above 2.5k RPMs - under those scenarios you never hear the exhaust... which I personally like.
Get on it and play around a little bit (sport mode / 1st gear starts) - run the RPMs beyond 3k and you'll hear some anti-social noises. Some guys don't find it loud enough and they remove the secondary resonators; others go full aftermarket, usually Brabus.
Depends on what you're looking for. The E-coupe is more of a grand tourer. It can be sporty, but its base personality is comfortable, quiet muscle.
Early M278s had some turbo issues from what I read. But if they come up, it seems like they come up early, likely a used good example would have any issues address.
The 2010 and 2011 had the NA 5.5L M273 engine. The 2012 was kinda neat as it had the new 4.7L Twin Turbo M278 engine, but the older facelift design (separated headlights, that look like 4 distinct) vs the facelift combined headlights. 2013+ was new engine and facelift.
This Brad Brownell business got me thinking of Bob Kane, the alleged creator of Batman.
Kane was a piece of shit in nearly every way one could imagine, without actually being Genghis Khan or John Wayne Gacy, but his stock in trade was the one that offends the craftsman in me TO THE CORE.
He wanted to become rich and famous without actually making an honest contribution to society.
He had other people do the work while he made off with the credit and the money.
After the mass-murdering conquerors and the sadistic psychopaths, the grifters are the lowest bottom-feeding scum of mankind.
The rumor is that "RADWOOD" was stolen in its entirety from an 80's-themed car show held by a church in Canton, Ohio. Fat Brad rarely did more than sell merch and run his mouth.
In most companies, you are generally promoted by mastering the job. So in theory, any CEO can perform any company task. Pro tip...don’t point this out to your current boss or HR.
In a genuine meritocracy, that’s true. In reality, the world is littered with horror stories of people who led companies and had no actual idea how anything was done, and they were often hired from outside rather than promoted from within.
Ryan Passey (I think) dropped one into his NA time attack car and won his class at Willow Springs some time ago. Stock engine with an E85 tune and some "headers" which were just straight pipes coming out of the integrated manifold.
Personally not the biggest fan of the bigger, lower revving engines in my personal Miata.
Recently became aware of these 3.0L V6 engine swaps created by a british firm for the NB (with plans for the NC and ND in future): https://www.rocketeercars.com/
Go for the Corvette. I have the e92 M3 now, and had the NC Miata as well. I sold the NC after I bought the M3. Before the NC I had a tastefully modified C6. I really miss my C6.
Having had the M3 you will miss the power in the NC.
Look for a 2008 or newer C6. The body control electronics are better in the later cars. Z51 at a minimum, or Grand Sport if you can swing an extra few grand. It would be worth it.
My wife says I suffer from scope creep when car hunting and she is correct. I'd take the high mileage Grand Sport over the low milage base C6 every day.
With all the changes life has brought for me over the past few years, including covid fun, job changes, location changes, etc., the one thing I've decided I will never, ever, do again is be forced to pay fancy repair bills on fancy cars at fancy mechanics. Screw that. If you can get past caring what other people think, you fun car life becomes much more carefree, inexpensive and enjoyable. And, yes, fun. I'd rather get something I can wrench on myself, or worst case scenario, be able to take to any corner garage anywhere. I'm honestly at a point in my life where I just don't give a flying fuck what my automotive choices say or mean to anyone, other then myself.
I guess I was lucky with my old E30s. Never needed a ton of work and I managed to do a lot of it myself. Now if my wife was looking at the bills, she might have a different opinion.......
I don't, it's got gobs of torque. Manuals with lots of torque are kind of meh. I like pulling back on that fat handle and putting the transmission in sport mode where they fake rougher downshifts. It's so RACY!
I had amazing luck with 2 e30s back when they were just used cars. Then I pushed it with an e30 325ix coupe 5spd, and learned the true meaning of parts no longer available. To their credit the early 2000s a guy at BMW NA I'm NJ, and I wish I could credit him by name, went above and behind to find me some of the last nos front suspension bits.
I mean, I spent *sick* money on keeping my 2011 E92 M3 going, but even I eventually wised up couple of years ago. I cannot imagine even *considering* an Audi after that experience.
Now, after "suffering" for couple of years with a Mazda 6, I'm thinking of getting one of the last currently available NA V-8 cars with a stick. But I am a terrible person, who must have a decent interior, and a decent sound system, plus some actual color inside and out. That Venn diagram is an empty set, sadly.
Well ... I'll answer, and after that you will probably regret asking.
I have been seriously looking at a Mustang ("Premium") GT, but having seen what they did to it this year, there's no way I'm buying that PlayStation on wheels. I don't care how well it drives, those electronics will *NOT* last, and when they go, it's not that they will be expensive to replace, it's that no one will be able to find replacements.
I was also looking at the Challenger R/T, but I think it's too late to get a customized one now.
My last consideration was a Camaro 2SS, but again, I think it's too late now to get one configured the way I'd want it.
To make matters worse, it seems that the options/setup I want only comes in black, with black interior, black chrome, black windows, using black gasoline, black oxygen, you name it. It's certainly true in case of Mustang and Camaro. *sigh*
I should have picked and bought one when I sold the M3, but I first had to financially "recover" from my "keep the M3 going" experience.
At this point a used Corvette sometime in the future is most likely. Though I have doubts. Buddy of mine has a C5 he bought new. He babied the hell out of that thing, yet the interior started falling apart within couple of years. I haven't seen what the C7 interior is like, and I don't know if C7s will last, but when one is desperate...
This is definitely a factor for me. It's been mostly BMWs for me the last 15 years. It wasn't for what people think, it was because they used to offer something not available elsewhere in my price range (RWD+manual transmission+practical package). The M3 was awesome and I haven't completely ruled out another car like it, but I'm tired.
Two repairs pushed me near the edge:
- M3 windshield washers stopped working. Whatever, I'll replace the pump I thought. That didn't work, so I took it to a shop to find out I needed a $700 computer module to get the fucking windshield washers to work. This is minor in terms of what can happen to you with a V8 BMW, but it really pissed me off.
- '05 Tundra needed some deferred maintenance/repair when I bought it. I think it was AC condenser, shocks, brakes, and an axle shaft. Brought it to the in-town corner shop and the cost was probably 20% of what the equivalent work on most German cars would cost. At this point I was used to BMW repair costs. The Tundra taught me that it doesn't have to be that way.
I like what BMW and Benz have to offer, but I might like reduced financial anxiety even more.
The C6 GS outsold the base car for many, if not most of the years it was on the market, so adding it to the list would broaden your options for sure. I don't have experience with it, but it just seems like more of a good thing!
I remember hate-reading Brownell on Jalopnik. He seemed like Jalopnik's parody of you Jack, as he was, ahem, larger and rode motorcycles. I feel like you really captured his essence with this line: 'He alternates between grandiose braggadocio and cellar-dweller self-loathing, which when combined with the inability to follow through on anything tends to be an indicator of mild, but usually treatable, mental illness.' I remember the byline under his articles was something like, 'Lover of everything janky', which would inevitably be appended to an essay about Koenigsegg.
I don't like my current physical shape and I've been working to change it, but I'll tell you: when I was 35 I could drop 20 pounds in 90 days by riding my bike 2 hours a day and eating Subway. Now I don't have the knees for the former and I'm too annoyed by work/other stuff to do the latter. I have to sack up and stop being lazy.
Im 10 years younger than you and same. Used to lay off the booze for a week and drop 5 lbs. three kids under four does not leave much time for exercise and the stress eating is probably literally killing me. Cant keep snacks out of the house cause “the kids need them”. Its brutal.
A close relative dropped 6 BMI points in a few months with intermittent fasting. Basically only black coffee/tea for breakfast, no lunch then game on between ~5-9p.
I think you're being far too hard on yourself. You've had some massive injuries and we aren't spring chickens any longer. This culture has us locked us into this 'forever young' mindset, and I think we've lost touch with the reality of how we're supposed to age. What are you currently doing to change your physical shape?
Unfortunately at our age (I'm a few years older than you) eating less is the only answer. Economize on the carbs, set a limit and stick to it for a couple months, 10 pounds come off.
It really says a lot about Jalops that the management figured they would get wet over something that attacked the fundamentals of american car enthusiasm.
At a PCA track day last year a lovely blue, new Cayman S was chasing me in my M235i an entire session but couldn't close the gap. After the session his wife came over and asked how I was going so fast. Road hugging weight was my answer 😂
Corvette and Miata are the two logical choices here. However, as any regular reader of my comments on the Sunday Open Threads will remember, I’m seldom known for making logical decisions.
Thus, I’d do one of four things:
987 Boxster S: in your price range, you can get one in perfect shape with less than 30k miles. Put a cool exhaust on it, and drive it around town if you aren’t super serious about track stuff. It’s going to be dorkier and maybe less red-meat thrilling than the E92, not to mention less sexy.
Cadillac CTS-V: with a mild budget increase you can get a good but not perfect second-gen model. Fast, V8, fun, and nobody will know what it is.
Jaguar F-Type: I think this would be my personal choice, because they’re gorgeous, not because they’re particularly adept performers. The original 6-speed stick mated to the supercharged 6-cylinder is a lovely car with a decent exhaust note. And they’re cheap now. It’s going to underwhelm compared to the E92, but you’ll look like a budget Bond character driving it around, probably to the local Eurocar repair shop but worth it.
Finally, why not another M3? When BMW is making massive electric tanks that look like they were designed by Stoner anime girls at SCAD (that’s Savannah College of Art and Design) who want to project their art onto the 50 year old men that buy them because daddy issues, you’ll be happy you have one of the last pure, fun, Bimmers out there. It might require busting the bank for a great one, but they’re out there, and you won’t regret it in 10 years.
Considering I’m currently weighing a Boxster, F-Type, and Evora (I could still do the R8 at the end of ‘24, but I have little patience). So you’re telling me the strategy is to wait for another idiot on here to recommend one after me, buy it, and send them the inevitable bill, right?
Women won’t know it’s not an Aston Martin, more comfy than Evora, and I don’t look like a fogey driving it, as I fear I would in a Boxster (besides, I already look old driving a black/brown non-sport-package A4 Prestige around).
If you’re using a car to get girls, get a big named luxury brand. They do not care at all whats under the hood. They care about cars as much as you care about shoes and purses.
I think the only thing that might impress a woman of my preferred demographic would be like a 2002 Outback with some vaguely conspiratorial/left-wing bumper stickers and the smell of weed and wet dog lingering inside.
They drive great, I had good luck for 3 years with my 2009, then got out before my luck changed.
Think of it as a much nicer Mustang. Almost identical dimensions, equally useless backseat in convertible form, but a more pleasant place to spend time.
And unless the s550 GT convertible was infact broken, the cowl shake on the x150 is and order of magnitude less.
The XKs look like they are comfortably in the price range. F Type fits in the upper end as well. If there is a car that would make me forget about preferring a manual transmission, the XK/F Type is it. They look and sound great.
I know manuals are theoretically available, but Car Gurus can only find one in the country, and it's too expensive. It's existence confuses Car Gurus. "The price of this vehicle seems too high. It may have custom equipment or be mislabeled."
I came close to buying an XF once. The insurance was significantly more expensive than the usual suspects in that class. I'll check, but I expect that to be a problem here as well.
If it’s still around and I get my Miata gone next week, I’ll let you know. It’s a bit more than I can spend *right now* because a few work things haven’t started up yet, but if I sell the Miata and squint at my bank account I might just be able to do it.
I've had nine trouble-free years with mine... and this spring the belt tensioner started chirping. Parked it and am using other things while I sack up to head over to Steinel and see if I'm in for something big.
I looked hard at the F Type. I was in the dealer, ready to order a 6 speed manual, in Jag BRG, with tan interior, etc. Sales dude came back and told me that Jaguar had just stopped taking orders on the 6 speed manual, but he could find me a black on black convertible. No. While all of that was going on, I had spent that time sitting in an F Type convertible in the showroom. The one thing that became truly evident to me was that I hated the interior. It might as well have been an 00's vintage GM product. When did that happen to Jaguar? So I left the dealership both disappointed and slightly relieved. I think that the interior would have really grated in the longer term.
I'm sure this is petty of me, but is anyone else bothered by the F Type V6? It just feels like they are scamming me a bit. A fake V6, that shouod really be a V8, but marketing came up with the idea. Thr V6 isn't a bad engine, but it sure doesn't seem special.
It makes more sense in Europe, where all sorts of weird stuff happens with regards to taxation.
In the USA we think of engine size as being reflective of cost, which is ridiculous; there's no way GM pays more to knock out a 6.2 V8 than Honda does to build the J35 V6.
They really did. Allowed them to offer different CO2 options for countries that tax that way, without changing much in the way of motor mounts or wiring harness.
I'd have to look it up, but the Ducati Supermono had something similar. It was a single based on their V-twin, but they kept the second crankpin and some or all of the connecting rod to drive a dynamic balance weight. I guess it was smooth but that seemed like a lot of extraneous weight on something that was supposed to be a light performance bike.
"Cadillac CTS-V: with a mild budget increase you can get a good but not perfect second-gen model. Fast, V8, fun, and nobody will know what it is."
Anytime I see a CTS in traffic I look for the badge. I drove the wagon for a weekend many, many years ago and it still makes me smile to think about it. Some kind in a SN95 Mustang challenged me on the freeway for some reason. I dropped it down a gear and floored it. Took him awhile to catch up when I finally backed off. He gave me an "I'm ready this time" kind of look. I did it again. That car was so much fun.
Fun fact about the Jaguar/Land Rover “AJ126” supercharged 3.0-liter V6: it’s the same as the V8.
I don’t mean it’s a 90-degree V6 derived from a. V8 architecture, like the 3800 or various engines from Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
I mean it is entirely the V8 block, with the same outer dimensions. It’s just that two of the cylinder spaces go unused, it has smaller bores, and it has some balancing shafts to counteract the fact that it’s 90 degrees. (The heads, however, are shortened to only cover six cylinder.)
Bump the budget up $10k (glancing at cargurus, fuck, $15k) and look at M2s. The M235i is...fine. It's gonna feel lame coming from an actual car. I'd have a hard time dropping $30k on it. The NC Miata is great if you're fine with the miata stigma, and the NC stigma from the miata guys. Good engine, good chassis, I've loved all the ones I've driven. Realistically, if I were within an hour from a drive on beach, I'd have a wrangler. But a TJ. Which then realistically would be a YJ, which honestly would end up being a CJ. What was I talking about?
The M235i is hardly any slower than an M2 in most circumstances but it doesn't have the vibe. Even an M2 will feel a bit soft compared to the V8 M3 IMO.
I kinda like the idea of this fella swapping the Tundra for a four door JK. They drive like a three-legged pig runs, BUT they are the coolest possible beach car at the moment. Especially if you drive onto the sand? Shit yeah buy a Jeep.
I don't think I can give up the bed. I need it to get trash filled with diapers to the transfer station. A hitch basket could solve that on a JK, but then I still need a way to get rid of branches and grass clippings. I could get a utility trailer for the yard waste and transfer station, but that occupies a parking spot and won't move unless I tow it somewhere.
And while the JK hatch can fit a surprising amount of stuff even with the roof on (completely vertical hatch helps here), it's even easier to throw all the beach stuff in a truck bed. Not just for the space, but all the sand and brackish towels and clothes can get thrown in with zero fucks given. I was that guy mocking trucks in my younger years; now I can't picture not having one.
The biggest reason that a Wrangler looks increasingly unlikely is my son is too young to ride with the roof and doors off, and I'm not sure when that changes. Right now he doesn't even tolerate the windows down past 25 mph in the Tundra. We are also planning to have another, so that timeline will get reset. I could put the Jeep back together when he rides in it, but that's a bit of a production, even with the soft top. It already takes an eternity to get him out of the house. A Wrangler with the roof on almost all the time is considerably less fun.
Finally, the available drive-on beach comes with a disclaimer. It's typically not available for the majority of the summer due to nesting endangered shorebirds. It's a pretty short drive-on beach season.
I think everyone here has successfully talked me out of all variants of the 2-series. It's awkward looking. I haven't driven it, but I don't have high hopes for the steering feel. I could buy another E9X M3 and set the difference aside to cover rod bearings and throttle actuator work.
Jack, you appear to have overlooked the time that Butterfinger BB had a health scare on his flight and became committed to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or at least performatively so on Twitter. That ended swiftly.
As for the $30K car question … I think the E9X M3 platform is the way to go here, irrespective of whether you owned one beforehand! The B7 RS4 is a karaoke version of the contemporary M3, so that would be a disappointment (they are rarer, however).
"Jack, you appear to have overlooked the time that Butterfinger BB had a health scare on his flight and became committed to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or at least performatively so on Twitter. That ended swiftly."
Oh God
THE PHOTO OF HIM WEARING A RESPIRATOR AND OXYGEN ON THE PLANE
Then he went to the gym every day for three days.
Another bizarre aspect of Fat Brad: he has a woman's soul in the sense that he desperately wants men to see his face and body online. I've never seen another man post so many "selfies" to the Internet. He has to be in every photo he takes. Does he think he's attractive, either to men or to women?
Not being familiar with this fellow, I had to google him and the first image that came up was him looking like he was doing some sort of Yukon Cornelius imitation - I see what you mean.
He talks a lot about his stepfather, who apparently drove an F-150 but never put anything in the bed. I wonder if there was some sort of abuse or sexualization there.
At one point years ago, his complaints about F-150 Stepdad got to the point that I distributed this bit of song parody... cue the Allman Brothers!
Or it’s that another figure more conventionally masculine than him got more of mommy’s attention and he resents the symbols of that.
Practically speaking, though, my own father is the opposite of Fat Brad’s stepdad: does stereotypical “hick with truck” things but refuses to be seen in one: vivid memories of hay and seed in an E46, trailers filled with concrete block and seed speeders towed by an X3, Jettas and Passats treated like farm trucks, the floors caked with red clay. Wish he’d buy a Silverado, already.
Having had both a V8 M3 convertible and an M235 coupe, I agree with Jack that you probably won’t be satisfied with the M235. Its only virtues over the M3 are that it’s more comfortable and that the torque curve is better suited to city driving. Everything else about it feels less special.
I actually found the M3 reasonably comfortable with EDC in comfort. Probably more so than the 08 550 6-speed I had. I'm sure the M235 has more torque for street driving, but I think torque in the M3 is underrated. Keyboard warriors that haven't driven it can't wrap their heads around sub 300 lb-ft from a V8. I expected it to feel gutless below 4,000 rpm, but it pulls from most any RPM and then spins up fast.
Making the car feel special for a reasonable amount of money (in relative terms) is probably the V8 M3s best party trick.
I think I can remove the 2-series from my list of saved cars.
Maybe I’m bias since I owned one for ten years but if possible I’d have a stock C5 Z06 over an LS3 C6 all day everyday and twice on Sunday. It’s rarer, just as fast and way more visceral in my opinion. If I was compelled to purchase a C6 in the 30k range I’d find a GS if such a thing exists at that price.
Oh, that's the eternal question... but you can argue that the C6 is both a better street car AND capable of making a bit more power without risk. Can't lose either way.
I would want the ND2 for the engine upgrade and fixed (I hope) manual transmission. That puts it in the upper end of my price range. Not sure it's worth the extra.
When I tested the NC, there was a Fiat 124 Abarth next to it. I sat in it, but was running out of time so I didn't drive it. The fit isn't dramatically different, but the windshield felt too close. It was also harder to get in and out of. I caught my toe on the kick panel somehow and almost pulled it off on the way out. Getting in and out of the NC was very close to any other lowish car.
There's a fellow driving one of those Fiat Abarth Miata clones in my neighborhood. He's always got a grin on his face. The car looks a little dorky but sounds good.
2) This is America, and another V8 is the answer. I'd agree on not discounting the 4.6 'stangs. The mod motors sound great, the power is fine for all legal and illegal road purposes, and come with proven durability and well understood, low-cost fixes for common issues.
He was already writing for Kirchner's EV site that gets absolutely zero traffic. He pivoted to that "autopia" car show that drew 12 people before shutting down. His effort at "Rad4Sale" part deux seems to have flopped as well. It looks like he's now trying to sell socks.
Sheer delusion - I believe GM and Ford are looking for perpetual handouts under the green mantra because the math doesn’t. Same with these Chinese wind and solar farms collecting IRA tax subsidies while gas and coal run flat out to keep pace with demand.
We compete for labor where the China / Ford plant is being built and are already highlighting whether you’d want to work there.
Think of how much extra Dino juice ford would have kept from being burned if they just focused on building as many Maverick hybrids as they could instead of Lightning’s that clog dealer lots.
Trying to have a sports car with toddlers always required a back seat, so the Corvette and Miata are out. The 235 is out simply because they don’t exist. My guess is the 550 low miles option is not a bad choice as is the Camaro. The 550 probably would have been much less likely to have been abused. The difference between M3 coupes and convertibles.
As your regular purveyor of cheap thrill, white trash hot rods and oft lamented fun machines; I’ve fortunately experience across the board here.
1. The convertible S197 + chassis car is easily the best variant of mustangs ever built, ESPECIALLY from an open air perspective. The suspension is legitimately good, the chassis doesn’t require subframe connectors or external support, and the 8.8 rears come stock with 31 spline axles and carbon clutches.
If purchasing a 4.6 3v car I HIGHLY recommend a 2009 if you want the early body style. The 09 is a standalone year for cylinder head changes that include cam follower upgrades and do NOT require a 2 piece spark plug. They also have the best drive by wire system. I cannot remember if they got the internal changes that the bullit received, but the 10 cars did. This includes beefier connecting rods and a special intake manifold. The upper end of the safe limit on a blown 3v is approximately 460rwhp. The Bullit and 10 cars can sustain 500.
Caveats being cam phasers on all. A perk is both 3v models use a 3550 transmission that although not as aggressively geared, is actually superior to the MT82.
The trunk opening is rather small given the available space. The rear seats don’t fold.
I had a coupe making 462rwhp with an intercooled v3 Si on a measly 8.5 psi. The 3v at the time made the most power per psi of any modular. I lived around the cars for years. They can easily be made into killer track weapons for any arena. Get a vented hood and or pull the weatherstrip if going very fast. Leave your grills unaltered. Stock clutches won’t take boost. PD > centrifugal if doing it again with the lower imposed redlines.
2. C6... Oh down the corvette rabbit hole I have fallen. I’ve owned a c5 coupe for over 10 years now, coming after selling said 3v and a brief stint with an 02 WS6 (wish I’d kept). At the time there were only c5 and c6 available and I greatly preferred the feel of the c5 and lamented the c6 interior and their Malibu / Cobalt feel. That said but what you like. Underneath they are literally near identical with around a 75% direct carryover in the early cars.
Skipping the c5 garble (buy an 01-03 only); the Ls3 - 2008 + c6 is absolutely the one to purchase. I wouldn’t be allowed to be swayed otherwise. You’ll also benefit from the tr6060. A z51 or GS will get you c5z styled gearing. This is great n/a and not so much with a power adder, so keep an end goal in mind.
All GS manual cars are dry sump and offer the much needed trans coolers that that c6z shares.
It is fairly easy to make @450 whp with a cam only ls3. Yes you can make more, 500 with ported heads but the super aggressive cams aren’t valve train friendly over time. The LS3 is still the best LS to build from in terms of boost or general longevity without getting into ls7 pitfalls.
The stock clutches and hydraulics are trash. Get a GOOD twin disc. That alone will keep fluids cleaner.
As noted you can make them into anything. With boost they will crush 600whp without haste. They still suffer from thinner ring lands and since mine just ate the #7 I’d take that slope with a grain of caution. A measly cammed and stock headed 03 LS1, I was making 642rwhp - it’s a lot. Probably too much for general street use despite what the internet says.
A very basic ls3 car with good cooling mods / suspension/ brakes would be near ultimate from a metrics standpoint.
Large and useful trunk and comically sized storage in the coupes. Can’t take your kid.
Steering and feedback is rather numb. Grip is there. Cars are super soft and grandpa friendly stock.
3. NC. I’ve only piloted a lightly modified NC PRHT with some Flyin’ goodies - I REALLY should have purchased that car in retrospect. It was noticeably roomier than my NB and bigger person friendly.
My NB had a FM II suspension beneath with a handful of bracing, bars, big rubber and decent brakes. It also wore an intercooled JRSC m45 with the ‘high boost’ pulley configuration. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. At @200whp it was a lower/mid 13 second car that was constant smiles. The feedback and the noises along with the ability to wring it out at will without dying or being instantly arrested with a 5 star GTA wanted level made it a wonderful street car.
The chassis was NOT great. This is where a blown NC would really shine. Phenomenal feedback, ability to make more power and far more robust driveline.
Cons - every Miata joke ever. Pride parades, limited storage, hot trunk (maybe not in an NC?) and no room for kids.
Super duper reliable fun if you can make it work for you and much lighter on the wallet. I am very heavily leaning towards a WHITE NC club with forced induction as a next toy; pending an ND doesn’t do it or I buy an s/c’d Elise. Sidenote: I drove my NB back to back with an Exige and actually preferred the Miata. Crazy talk I know.
4. Buy a Viper. Reasons: Yes.
Pinned, thank you!
I want to be you when I grow up.
I assure you there are better role models on here. I’ve plenty to look up to myself.
Always buy the Viper
I remember the first time i saw a viper when my dad was buying our minivan “dad. Lets get that” probably 30 years ago
I had a similar showroom experience with the Mitsubishi 3000GT. We came to look at the Galant and impulse bought an Expo LRV.
At least your family ended up with a real van out of the experience.
No matter what there will always be some car I have never ever heard of, and this is one of them. Mitsubishi even made a two door, removable hardtop model. Absolute insanity.
95s are in reach if I stretch the budget a bit (or a lot, depending on what I can negotiate with insurance)! Vipers look very 90s in the best possible way. I miss the 90s.
They aren’t crazy to insure at all from my experience. Was more money to own an SRT4. Likewise corvettes are cheap to insure. 95-99 are great choices as they are all forged and have the 708 factory “hot cam”. They are the go-to for those wanting forced induction or a bunch of nitrous. The later cars were considered “cream puffs” as they mellowed the cam out some. ABS came in 01-02 (it’s hard to find many 02s as they are extra limited production; likewise the GTS are “final edition” cars with a hodgepodge of the best parts over the years) That said it’s farce for populace as it was more a change in LSA and the smoother cams keep more duration. They are actually the fastest of the factory Gen 2 vipers n/a. Also received were revised pistons and heads. Given a 588 cui displacement I believe viper builds should remain all motor much like a Shelby Cobra.
Very cool investment pieces either way. Maybe not like a Euro exotic just yet but far different from the slowly deflating balloon of a corvette. I basically stole mine peak Covid, purchasing 3 days after Christmas. Was a bit of a perfect storm. Still my favorite purchase despite any character flaws or draw backs.
you had me at "white trash hot rods and oft lamented fun machines"
It’s all I know.
what more is there to know?
Women and finance are probably worth investigating haha
great info, thanks!
Goddamn. This might make me plunge into a S197 instead of a third gen f body like my body wants to do.
I’ve built those too haha. Had an 88 formula for awhile and have been through every iteration possible building and changing a friends z28 while growing up.
3rd gens are cool for their weight and can be monsters accordingly since GM never really changed anything chassis wise until the Zeta cars. The heavy doors and pin issues are annoying along with the overall packaging. Hatch glass is stupid heavy. Unless you get a car with an Australian (92 350 cars) rear, the 10 bolts are all poop. Not a fan of trans options and the tunnel is a bit limiting.
Build whatever you like though. Those are very different vehicles altogether and tastes are subjective.
Fire away with any specific questions to either.
As a 4.6L ragtop S197 owner (2006), I was gonna chime in, but Thomas articulated this better than I ever could.
My answer to any toy car discussion now is Corvette or Miata. I'd probably love the Miata even more if I fit in the damn things, but I don't think Mazda believes that there is anyone 6'4 tall in the world. Though for the extra size, Corvettes don't really give you that much more room. Both cars give the added joy of being cheap and easy to fix and run. And, you can just hop in and drive them anywhere. Try that in your fancy eye-talian exotic.
I'd actually recommended at an Aston Martin Owners Club meet, that Aston should scrap all the cars they currently make, and by the rights to the C7 from GM. Even have GM do the assembly. Aston would get the best car they ever made, and they could add the fancy leather, paint, badges and trim in England, and continue to pretend they are an actual car builder. They'd even get hand built, hand signed engines back again. What could be better? Oddly, the AMOC crew didn't share my enthusiasm.
And btw, I don't include the C8 in my recommendation.
This reminds me of the finest Aston Martin of modern times, the Cygnet
That is truly weird how Aston handled it. I understand the need for it, but it could have been marketed under a separate Aston brand, kinda like what Tickford was in the 80s, when they were doing fancy, mini Aston, Capris and Metros. But that total moron Ulrich Bez doubled down, and said it was as much of an Aston as Bonds DB5. Idiot.
Well, let's see what the market has to say:
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/aston-martin/cygnet/2011/937627
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/aston-martin/db9/2010/966200
CYGS UP
HOES DOWN
The market is stupid
it is. it's why everyone drives crossovers and no one drives cool wagons
I mean, it’s a novelty.
That doesn’t mean it’s good.
I really like the Toyota iQ so I suspect I'd enjoy the Cygnet
You probably would. Me, I never liked the iQ, and the Cygnet just reminds me of those stupid-ass MSCHF Big Red Boots that took off last year. Overrated and unnecessary.
Personally, if I were going to spend far too much money a small “British” car with donor development from another country, it would be the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, which was essentially an R56 MINI with an interior designed by Rolls-Royce, including some of the materials Rolls-Royce uses. It’s rather less known about than the infamous Cygnet and much more to my liking.
I saw a Cygnet at Le Mans in 2018!
And maybe Larry Strulovich’s PR offensive is paying off - he has quadrupled headcount in that department - and clearly all of my favorite influencers enjoyed their free trip to the Maybourne Riviera on the launch event … but I find the revised DB12 a fairly interesting car.
There is a likelihood that shoppers would be able to select between a DBS / Vanquish trim level of the DB12 featuring a V12 (albeit twin-turbo), a manual transmission, and real buttons on the center stack and dashboard and Ferrari’s “F167” (the 812 Superfast successor) that will be V12 (naturally aspirated but potentially hybridized) with paddles and touch screens only.
Isn't that the car Clarkson referred to as a dishwasher?
I think the AMOC didn't dig the idea because it would be a soulless Aston. At that point, just spend less money on a Corvette, which will put down better numbers.
The only point I can see in Aston ownership is sould/character of the car. There's absolutely no objective way in which their cars outperform their competition.
But they haven't built a car with soul in almost a quarter century. It's so bad, they had to use the word soul in their marketing. Turn the damn car on, and it says it has soul. If you are trying so hard, you ain't got it. No car they built since 2000 has been as good as the comparable Corvette. (All the cars before then were even worse as cars, but did have character and soul. ) They have just been a second rate exotic since Bez took over, leaning heavily on their Bond mystique, because they have nothing else.
Well, they have the styling, which is almost enough to make up for the rest of it.
I guess if you never drive it. But they also basically had one design for the best part of 25 years. Designed by Keith Helflett at Jaguar no less, and tweaked by Ian Callum. They basically just broke out thr tracing paper, and tweaked to fit every new chassis. Until Reichman came along and screwed the whole thing up. Now even the beauty of design is gone.
I'll admit the latest iterations have lost something. But I had no problem with the prior design sticking around for so long. Hate new for the sake of new, which results in giant-mawed BMWs, insectoid Toyota crossovers, etc. By contrast, I admire Chrysler and Volvo for their ten-year design cycles and overall restraint.
The era of the big sniff has been a disaster for BMW
I think I'd still take a DB9 over a C5, but I don't disagree with most of this.
Aston is very much a second rate exotic, and the prices reflect it.
I disagree that Aston Martins haven’t had soul. The parts-bin 80s and 90s models did, and the gorgeous 2000s-era Ford ones did, too. They were never as good as a contemporary Corvette or Porsche anything, but they had character in spades (Volvo electrical architecture notwithstanding). But they were beautifully flawed, like most British cars.
I’d love to get my hand on a manual-transmission Vantage or DB9, but they’ll likely be priced out of my reach by the time I want to pull that trigger.
I was in a similar situation... young dad, east coast, spare car... (Although my budget was not quite as robust.)
My advice, get the most fun car that can pitch-hit family duty. As your kiddo (or perhaps kiddos) get older - you can expose them to the joys of autos - because you can fit them in a car with a usable back seat. You'll also get more seat time in your toy as it'll be more functional.
I went with an E550 coupe. Wanted a 'stang - but found the E-class coupes were a bit underappreciated and oddly were cheaper. They also have a bigger much more usable back seat, compared to a Mustang. You won't fit a rear facing car seat (in either). But forward facing and booster is fine. Mine's an older one with the NA V8 - but the newer ones (2012+) got twin turbo V8s. They can easily put down 450+ hp with mild modifications.
You can get a good example in the 15k to 20k range - and a great one for just under your 30k budget.
GL!
Huh. I never considered an E Class coupe, that's actually a great suggestion!
I'd sure love to have one.
Those pillarless windows are so cool. If I can afford a good cruiser in the next year to pair with my dumbass Bronco, these are on the list. Even the six cylinder wouldn't be a bad choice.
Arguably a GOOD choice since that's known to be a dependable and low-cost engine by Benz standards anyway.
I think it was you that wrote an article a while back about that gen E350 being the last "real" Benz or whatever. I don't know if I'd attach that much romance to it, BUT they have grown on me a lot. Just seem like a lovely place to spend a lot of time.
I'm still trying to buy my father's E350. Doubt I will succeed.
NO LOWBALLERS! I know what I have!
I can't really argue the Mercedes, I'm down to two and they're endless if (IMO) worthwhile money pits as ALL German cars need constant touching even when they're perfect .
Yes, there is such a thing as a perfect Mercedes but then you'll want to drive it and if you drive it you'll want to do so at 9/10th's even in town so there goes the "perfect" and i don't even smoke .
-Nate
Just got me looking at W212 wagons for my wife...
If there is anything that will get my wife out of an SUV, a benz wagon is probably it.
Worth a shot!
Back when my employer had the vax gun aimed at my head, aside from searching for potential new employers I also had to figure a way to economically replace two company lease cars. Used E-class wagons were at the top of the list to replace our Durango, and while I'm happy the pressure was released and I didn't have to go through all that, I do occasionally lament the fact that there ISN'T a navy blue 4-Matic with tastefully applied chrome trim in my driveway right now.
If you recall, you helped talk me into it! (A few years ago I asked about an XKR, an E-Coupe, a Tour X, and maybe something else, I was all over the place.)
YES! I remember
It's been dependable and reasonable to maintain. The coupe is a bit of bastard child between an E-Class Sedan and a C-Class coupe. Lots of parts shared between the two. Speaking of which, that's probably my only compliant - figuring out part numbers. What the hell from a W204 / W212 fits the W207. Haven't had any issue getting parts or having service done (find a good indy or DiY) - it's actually a pretty simple car in general, not just by MB standards. In my (few) years or ownership and internet research, there doesn't seem to be an Achille's heel with them - aside from the rear-sub frame brace rusting pre-maturely, which MB (as of last year) now warranties for 20 years / unlimited miles. NA V8 M273 issues were sorted by the E-Class. Early M278s (2012 / TT V8s) did had some issues though.
Speaking of which, I thought my sub-frame did have an issue (my car looks super clean underneath, it's never seen road salt) as it's handling has been a little floaty as of late. They rust from the inside out, so unless they are really bad, it's hard to visually inspect. Took it to the MB dealership - was told the subframe brace was fine, but my front shocks were leaking. Which I suppose is fair, after 90,000 miles and frequent trips to the garbage roads NYC has to offer. Quote: $3800
Thought the dealership was trying to screw me, but after determining the correct part numbers (my car has the Vehicle Dynamic Ride control ....effin' magnets... how do they work??) - I found it was $1500 each. THAT was a bit of a shock to me - UNTIL about 15 min of Googling later I find the parts are made by Monroe (which is also stamped on my current front shocks) - they are $250 each when ordering the Monroe part number.
Long story long, just watch out for the markup.
What do you have to watch out for with the M278s?
“My advice, get the most fun car that can pitch-hit family duty. As your kiddo (or perhaps kiddos) get older - you can expose them to the joys of autos - because you can fit them in a car with a usable back seat. You'll also get more seat time in your toy as it'll be more functional.”
Let me offer a potential counterpoint: depending on how often you need to haul the kid(s), and your risk tolerance (as well as that of their mother), a 2-seater is a fantastic bonding experience for the kid once they're old enough to ride in the front seat. My kids love riding in the S2000 and I guarantee it has nothing to do with HP/L, the best manual trans ever, or a limited slip. It’s because they get to sit in the front seat and have 1:1 time with dad.
My personal rule was they can go in the car once they graduate to a booster from a 5-pt seat in height and weight (my kids are large for the their age so the age rule is kinda silly). IL law I believe says back seat until 12, but my 11y/o has been over 5’ for a couple years and the lady down the street (former Big 10 cheerleader) is several inches shorter, ~the same weight (105-110) and can actually drive her own car so I think my kid can sit in the front just fine. For the 6y/o I just keep it to surface streets and off the highway. We have a Bubble Bum little inflatable booster which meets the spirit of the law if not the letter and doesn’t jack up my seat bolsters. Anyway, just a counterpoint; in a few more years you could be driving a roadster with your son by your side having a blast. And if you add another kid, time spent with just one or the other is fantastic, especially taking the older one out away from his younger sibling. My kids are 5 years apart so when my youngest was a newborn my oldest loved taking a ride in “red car” to a playground or ice cream to get away from the baby for an hour; dad loved it too because who doesn’t want to escape a baby?
Also, I too live somewhere with no “sports car roads” and if I had any brains I would have traded the S2000 for a C6 or C7 a long time ago. Unfortunately, I don’t, and the heart wants what the heart wants, but driving a low-powered sports car where the roads are all straight flat and boring isn’t a ton of fun. I’d go Corvette over Miata, but I might try to see if the budget stretches to a C7 just for aesthetic and age (of the car) reasons.
A good plan Chris ;
My only fly in the ointment was that my darling baby boy paid such close attention that he turned into a _far_ better & faster driver than I ever was so instead of side by side he waits up ahead when he knows I'll enjoy the coffee or grub .
In the big picture this is a win-win but damn .
-Nate
"Let me offer a potential counterpoint: depending on how often you need to haul the kid(s), and your risk tolerance (as well as that of their mother), a 2-seater is a fantastic bonding experience for the kid once they're old enough to ride in the front seat."
What a lovely, and completely true, comment. Thank you.
100%. I love going places with mine. The 84 911 is great and 91 Cummins is better.
Damn. Time to buy another old stick shift Ranger to go for drives with my boy. I keep scheming on when he'll be old enough to ride on the back of a motorcycle but that's a ways away yet until I'd really feel ok about it. In the mean time we've been zipping around on this weird Velosolex 4600 FWD moped contraption that I scored off FB marketplace last week.
I would love a c7. I think it looks much better than the c5 or c6. I would have to find one with high miles for it to fit in the budget.
Good points about the bonding. Is the back seat until 12 a legal requirement it a recommendation? MA recommends 13, but by i don't think they can ticket you for it.
The Internet tells me NC miatas have latch anchors and you can manually disable the airbag.
The NB had the manual airbag disable with a key. No latches, but it will fit a rear facing seat with the belt if you're a bad father. Or so I hear. The NC has the latches and might have had an automatic weight sensor. One issue is that the door sills are so high they can't see out anyway, facing rear or forward, at least for a while.
They can't ticket you in a two seat car. That's the loophole.
So far, no Miata rides for my 3yr old daughter! Every year I pitch the idea to my wife. I'll keep trying.
My kids’ schools are like 5 25mph suburban blocks from our house, so whenever I have staggered pickup or drop off on nice days I take the convertible and they love it.
Based and unlikely enthusiast choice, although I'm not a Mercedes fan
I forgot about e class coupes. That's an interesting idea. what do you think of the factory exhaust?
I've liked the w212 and considered one back when i wanted a sedan to chew highway miles. I went with a bmw 550 because I still enjoyed a manual transmission. I still don't think I'm ready for an automatic only driveway. I was impressed by the benz though.
isn't the coupe a c class with an e class powertrain? Anyway, they look great. The pillarless windows are really cool.
It's a great point that I'll get more chances to drive it if I pick something suitable for the family. That was actually part of my logic with the m3. I might be confusing the infant seat with the rear-facing convertible seat, but an adult male could sit in front of one for a short distance. The back seat of an e92 is huge for a coupe. Getting the kiddo in the seat was another story.
@Bugersandbeer - Sorry for the late reply.
I can only speak for the NA version that I have, but the factory exhaust is nice. In comfort mode, the car starts in 2nd gear, and there's enough torque on tap that normal everyday driving rarely gets above 2.5k RPMs - under those scenarios you never hear the exhaust... which I personally like.
Get on it and play around a little bit (sport mode / 1st gear starts) - run the RPMs beyond 3k and you'll hear some anti-social noises. Some guys don't find it loud enough and they remove the secondary resonators; others go full aftermarket, usually Brabus.
Depends on what you're looking for. The E-coupe is more of a grand tourer. It can be sporty, but its base personality is comfortable, quiet muscle.
Early M278s had some turbo issues from what I read. But if they come up, it seems like they come up early, likely a used good example would have any issues address.
The 2010 and 2011 had the NA 5.5L M273 engine. The 2012 was kinda neat as it had the new 4.7L Twin Turbo M278 engine, but the older facelift design (separated headlights, that look like 4 distinct) vs the facelift combined headlights. 2013+ was new engine and facelift.
This Brad Brownell business got me thinking of Bob Kane, the alleged creator of Batman.
Kane was a piece of shit in nearly every way one could imagine, without actually being Genghis Khan or John Wayne Gacy, but his stock in trade was the one that offends the craftsman in me TO THE CORE.
He wanted to become rich and famous without actually making an honest contribution to society.
He had other people do the work while he made off with the credit and the money.
After the mass-murdering conquerors and the sadistic psychopaths, the grifters are the lowest bottom-feeding scum of mankind.
Gil Kane > Bob Kane.
The rumor is that "RADWOOD" was stolen in its entirety from an 80's-themed car show held by a church in Canton, Ohio. Fat Brad rarely did more than sell merch and run his mouth.
I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you!
Yep, that's the story I heard.
Likewise. Brad apparently doesn’t value friends if they aren’t of the left coast car Twitter variety.
Kane screwed Bob Finger for sure but there's nothing wrong with work-for-hire talent. Harley Earl couldn't draw but the men and women he hired could.
Do I really need to learn PCB design if I have an idea for guitar pedal?
In most companies, you are generally promoted by mastering the job. So in theory, any CEO can perform any company task. Pro tip...don’t point this out to your current boss or HR.
In a genuine meritocracy, that’s true. In reality, the world is littered with horror stories of people who led companies and had no actual idea how anything was done, and they were often hired from outside rather than promoted from within.
The “Peter Principle!” One rises to the level of their own incompetence!
Nothing wrong with hiring people who are better than you at something you need to be done.
As long as you give them credit and a cut.
NC Miata, but with an LS swap. Expensive and impractical, but you can now achieve flight without wings.
That's the only way I will have an NC again. The chassis is great. The engine is not.
Really makes me wonder what the "correct" amount of power is. It's somewhere between stock and LS, but I'm not sure where. 180whp? 200whp?
The LFX swap (about 325hp) is probably about right, but if I were spending the money I'd have to spring for the LS. Damn scope creep...
Ryan Passey (I think) dropped one into his NA time attack car and won his class at Willow Springs some time ago. Stock engine with an E85 tune and some "headers" which were just straight pipes coming out of the integrated manifold.
Personally not the biggest fan of the bigger, lower revving engines in my personal Miata.
Recently became aware of these 3.0L V6 engine swaps created by a british firm for the NB (with plans for the NC and ND in future): https://www.rocketeercars.com/
An example mazdaspeed NB sold on BAT recently: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-mazda-mazdaspeed-mx-5-miata-16/
I want one (possibly even in NB chassis) but want one in an NC even more
Also - aren't there other engine swaps?
Have seen turbocharged and supercharged 2.5L NCs on BringATrailer and should have bid
Stricly speaking, you can put most anything in there. The K series is possibly the most popular non-Mazda swap, and it makes a lot of sense.
To Adam: Get the Corvette.
Go for the Corvette. I have the e92 M3 now, and had the NC Miata as well. I sold the NC after I bought the M3. Before the NC I had a tastefully modified C6. I really miss my C6.
Having had the M3 you will miss the power in the NC.
Look for a 2008 or newer C6. The body control electronics are better in the later cars. Z51 at a minimum, or Grand Sport if you can swing an extra few grand. It would be worth it.
At that point might as well go for a 427! :)
My wife says I suffer from scope creep when car hunting and she is correct. I'd take the high mileage Grand Sport over the low milage base C6 every day.
"Scope creep" - love it. Although as a PMP I should hate it.
I'm the same way, though - always thinking for a little more, we can get something better, and so on and on...
Me too. Somehow, my search for a 1996-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII turned into a search for a 2012-2014 Bentley Continental GT.
I mean, they’re both large-ish personal luxury coupes of sorts, no?
Bentleys really do know how to depreciate.
With all the changes life has brought for me over the past few years, including covid fun, job changes, location changes, etc., the one thing I've decided I will never, ever, do again is be forced to pay fancy repair bills on fancy cars at fancy mechanics. Screw that. If you can get past caring what other people think, you fun car life becomes much more carefree, inexpensive and enjoyable. And, yes, fun. I'd rather get something I can wrench on myself, or worst case scenario, be able to take to any corner garage anywhere. I'm honestly at a point in my life where I just don't give a flying fuck what my automotive choices say or mean to anyone, other then myself.
And I'm not sure why my answer ended up there, as I was responding to a different post. Oh well.
Typical Substack behavior.
They should have hired me to fix it.
I was so sick of paying BMW repair bills I sold the damn thing..... and bought an Audi.
frying_pan_fire_leap.jpeg
At least the Audi is new and worth more than the repair bills which will hopefully be covered for a few years.
Tick...tick...tick
I guess I was lucky with my old E30s. Never needed a ton of work and I managed to do a lot of it myself. Now if my wife was looking at the bills, she might have a different opinion.......
I do not have the skills or the time to do it myself. I do miss the car but the Audi is nice. Wish it was a manual.
I don't, it's got gobs of torque. Manuals with lots of torque are kind of meh. I like pulling back on that fat handle and putting the transmission in sport mode where they fake rougher downshifts. It's so RACY!
I had amazing luck with 2 e30s back when they were just used cars. Then I pushed it with an e30 325ix coupe 5spd, and learned the true meaning of parts no longer available. To their credit the early 2000s a guy at BMW NA I'm NJ, and I wish I could credit him by name, went above and behind to find me some of the last nos front suspension bits.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
I mean, I spent *sick* money on keeping my 2011 E92 M3 going, but even I eventually wised up couple of years ago. I cannot imagine even *considering* an Audi after that experience.
Now, after "suffering" for couple of years with a Mazda 6, I'm thinking of getting one of the last currently available NA V-8 cars with a stick. But I am a terrible person, who must have a decent interior, and a decent sound system, plus some actual color inside and out. That Venn diagram is an empty set, sadly.
One of the last currently available NA V8 cars with a stick?
Pray tell which one?
Well ... I'll answer, and after that you will probably regret asking.
I have been seriously looking at a Mustang ("Premium") GT, but having seen what they did to it this year, there's no way I'm buying that PlayStation on wheels. I don't care how well it drives, those electronics will *NOT* last, and when they go, it's not that they will be expensive to replace, it's that no one will be able to find replacements.
I was also looking at the Challenger R/T, but I think it's too late to get a customized one now.
My last consideration was a Camaro 2SS, but again, I think it's too late now to get one configured the way I'd want it.
To make matters worse, it seems that the options/setup I want only comes in black, with black interior, black chrome, black windows, using black gasoline, black oxygen, you name it. It's certainly true in case of Mustang and Camaro. *sigh*
I should have picked and bought one when I sold the M3, but I first had to financially "recover" from my "keep the M3 going" experience.
At this point a used Corvette sometime in the future is most likely. Though I have doubts. Buddy of mine has a C5 he bought new. He babied the hell out of that thing, yet the interior started falling apart within couple of years. I haven't seen what the C7 interior is like, and I don't know if C7s will last, but when one is desperate...
See? I told you you'd probably regret asking ...
I did the same thing, same car, though my BMW was a sexy E91 328 wagon. There comes a point when your main car has to be available every day.
I wasn't expecting to like the S4 as much as I have, it's just so ...nice.
I sprang for the prepaid 4 year maintenance plan so other than gas and insurance it will cost me nothing to run. There is a joy to that.
It is nice. I liked the bimmer but it was 16 years old. The new car shine wore off years ago. I like everything about the s4 so far
That's the primary reason I sold my '86 911 after 2 years of ownership. My mechanic was a nice guy but I got to know him far too well.
This is definitely a factor for me. It's been mostly BMWs for me the last 15 years. It wasn't for what people think, it was because they used to offer something not available elsewhere in my price range (RWD+manual transmission+practical package). The M3 was awesome and I haven't completely ruled out another car like it, but I'm tired.
Two repairs pushed me near the edge:
- M3 windshield washers stopped working. Whatever, I'll replace the pump I thought. That didn't work, so I took it to a shop to find out I needed a $700 computer module to get the fucking windshield washers to work. This is minor in terms of what can happen to you with a V8 BMW, but it really pissed me off.
- '05 Tundra needed some deferred maintenance/repair when I bought it. I think it was AC condenser, shocks, brakes, and an axle shaft. Brought it to the in-town corner shop and the cost was probably 20% of what the equivalent work on most German cars would cost. At this point I was used to BMW repair costs. The Tundra taught me that it doesn't have to be that way.
I like what BMW and Benz have to offer, but I might like reduced financial anxiety even more.
The C6 GS outsold the base car for many, if not most of the years it was on the market, so adding it to the list would broaden your options for sure. I don't have experience with it, but it just seems like more of a good thing!
I remember hate-reading Brownell on Jalopnik. He seemed like Jalopnik's parody of you Jack, as he was, ahem, larger and rode motorcycles. I feel like you really captured his essence with this line: 'He alternates between grandiose braggadocio and cellar-dweller self-loathing, which when combined with the inability to follow through on anything tends to be an indicator of mild, but usually treatable, mental illness.' I remember the byline under his articles was something like, 'Lover of everything janky', which would inevitably be appended to an essay about Koenigsegg.
In my defense, I was 195 pounds at his age. It took multiple trauma impacts to get me to the point where I couldn't outrun my fork.
That's what I was trying to say with the 'parody' part. You're big Jack, not fat at all IMO. Brownell is obese.
I don't like my current physical shape and I've been working to change it, but I'll tell you: when I was 35 I could drop 20 pounds in 90 days by riding my bike 2 hours a day and eating Subway. Now I don't have the knees for the former and I'm too annoyed by work/other stuff to do the latter. I have to sack up and stop being lazy.
Im 10 years younger than you and same. Used to lay off the booze for a week and drop 5 lbs. three kids under four does not leave much time for exercise and the stress eating is probably literally killing me. Cant keep snacks out of the house cause “the kids need them”. Its brutal.
A close relative dropped 6 BMI points in a few months with intermittent fasting. Basically only black coffee/tea for breakfast, no lunch then game on between ~5-9p.
I do that. Then wake up at 2am and eat goldfish. Living by myself, there were no goldfish.
I think you're being far too hard on yourself. You've had some massive injuries and we aren't spring chickens any longer. This culture has us locked us into this 'forever young' mindset, and I think we've lost touch with the reality of how we're supposed to age. What are you currently doing to change your physical shape?
Well as soon as my broken thumb heals I'm back to lifting every day.
Unfortunately at our age (I'm a few years older than you) eating less is the only answer. Economize on the carbs, set a limit and stick to it for a couple months, 10 pounds come off.
I thought Jalopnik's parody of Jack was neurotic agoraphobic catlady's "car man" thing.
It really says a lot about Jalops that the management figured they would get wet over something that attacked the fundamentals of american car enthusiasm.
Where's the link ? .
Being fat isn't all that fun but it's okay if you're okay with it .
I wish I only weighed 198# .
-Nate
(road hugging weight)
At a PCA track day last year a lovely blue, new Cayman S was chasing me in my M235i an entire session but couldn't close the gap. After the session his wife came over and asked how I was going so fast. Road hugging weight was my answer 😂
Embrace it Grasshopper =8-) .
As to how fast, that usually has more to do with the driver .
-Nate
Link!? I never had the pleasure. I quit when they were bought by Gizmodo or whatever
Corvette and Miata are the two logical choices here. However, as any regular reader of my comments on the Sunday Open Threads will remember, I’m seldom known for making logical decisions.
Thus, I’d do one of four things:
987 Boxster S: in your price range, you can get one in perfect shape with less than 30k miles. Put a cool exhaust on it, and drive it around town if you aren’t super serious about track stuff. It’s going to be dorkier and maybe less red-meat thrilling than the E92, not to mention less sexy.
Cadillac CTS-V: with a mild budget increase you can get a good but not perfect second-gen model. Fast, V8, fun, and nobody will know what it is.
Jaguar F-Type: I think this would be my personal choice, because they’re gorgeous, not because they’re particularly adept performers. The original 6-speed stick mated to the supercharged 6-cylinder is a lovely car with a decent exhaust note. And they’re cheap now. It’s going to underwhelm compared to the E92, but you’ll look like a budget Bond character driving it around, probably to the local Eurocar repair shop but worth it.
Finally, why not another M3? When BMW is making massive electric tanks that look like they were designed by Stoner anime girls at SCAD (that’s Savannah College of Art and Design) who want to project their art onto the 50 year old men that buy them because daddy issues, you’ll be happy you have one of the last pure, fun, Bimmers out there. It might require busting the bank for a great one, but they’re out there, and you won’t regret it in 10 years.
The next person who recommends a Boxster on this forum has to pay the repair bills of whoever takes their recommendation!
Considering I’m currently weighing a Boxster, F-Type, and Evora (I could still do the R8 at the end of ‘24, but I have little patience). So you’re telling me the strategy is to wait for another idiot on here to recommend one after me, buy it, and send them the inevitable bill, right?
5-D chess!
F Type coupe is the prettiest one of the group, therefore you should buy that because life is too short to buy cars that aren't the pretty one.
Women won’t know it’s not an Aston Martin, more comfy than Evora, and I don’t look like a fogey driving it, as I fear I would in a Boxster (besides, I already look old driving a black/brown non-sport-package A4 Prestige around).
If you’re using a car to get girls, get a big named luxury brand. They do not care at all whats under the hood. They care about cars as much as you care about shoes and purses.
Or buy a Wrangler/Bronco. I have never gotten more female attention from a car than I have with my big dumb Bronco.
to get the girls in my part of Oakland, you need something with a Hellcat badge. Anything less and you're alone with Rosie Palmer.
I think the only thing that might impress a woman of my preferred demographic would be like a 2002 Outback with some vaguely conspiratorial/left-wing bumper stickers and the smell of weed and wet dog lingering inside.
A young guy in a cheap Porsche looks like a guy who can't afford a 911. An old guy in a cheap Porsche is just plain smart.
Is an XK8 too old? Those were lovely
Pretty sure a last gen XKR falls in that price range. No idea how they drive, but they look and sound absolutely incredible.
I thought everyone here hated those Ford Jags .
If they're any good, buy one and de badge it .
-Nate
They drive great, I had good luck for 3 years with my 2009, then got out before my luck changed.
Think of it as a much nicer Mustang. Almost identical dimensions, equally useless backseat in convertible form, but a more pleasant place to spend time.
And unless the s550 GT convertible was infact broken, the cowl shake on the x150 is and order of magnitude less.
The XKs look like they are comfortably in the price range. F Type fits in the upper end as well. If there is a car that would make me forget about preferring a manual transmission, the XK/F Type is it. They look and sound great.
I know manuals are theoretically available, but Car Gurus can only find one in the country, and it's too expensive. It's existence confuses Car Gurus. "The price of this vehicle seems too high. It may have custom equipment or be mislabeled."
I came close to buying an XF once. The insurance was significantly more expensive than the usual suspects in that class. I'll check, but I expect that to be a problem here as well.
I've got a red 987 Boxster S for sale right now! Latest round of bills all done!
I shouldn’t ask, but will, what’s your price?
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1356478
For our little group I'll cut a deal.
Y
If it’s still around and I get my Miata gone next week, I’ll let you know. It’s a bit more than I can spend *right now* because a few work things haven’t started up yet, but if I sell the Miata and squint at my bank account I might just be able to do it.
I've had nine trouble-free years with mine... and this spring the belt tensioner started chirping. Parked it and am using other things while I sack up to head over to Steinel and see if I'm in for something big.
The next small bill Steinel's sends anyone will be their first
Source: had my 944 serviced there
Can we extend this to N54 BMWs as well?
I looked hard at the F Type. I was in the dealer, ready to order a 6 speed manual, in Jag BRG, with tan interior, etc. Sales dude came back and told me that Jaguar had just stopped taking orders on the 6 speed manual, but he could find me a black on black convertible. No. While all of that was going on, I had spent that time sitting in an F Type convertible in the showroom. The one thing that became truly evident to me was that I hated the interior. It might as well have been an 00's vintage GM product. When did that happen to Jaguar? So I left the dealership both disappointed and slightly relieved. I think that the interior would have really grated in the longer term.
I'm sure this is petty of me, but is anyone else bothered by the F Type V6? It just feels like they are scamming me a bit. A fake V6, that shouod really be a V8, but marketing came up with the idea. Thr V6 isn't a bad engine, but it sure doesn't seem special.
It makes more sense in Europe, where all sorts of weird stuff happens with regards to taxation.
In the USA we think of engine size as being reflective of cost, which is ridiculous; there's no way GM pays more to knock out a 6.2 V8 than Honda does to build the J35 V6.
To me, it just weird that I get a V8 block, with a pair of 3 cylinder heads. It just doesn't seem... right.
Oh my God, is Jaguar really building an engine like that?
https://www.whichcar.com.au/events/performance-coty/is-the-jaguar-f-type-s-old-v6-really-just-a-v8-with-two-cylinders-blanked
They really did. Allowed them to offer different CO2 options for countries that tax that way, without changing much in the way of motor mounts or wiring harness.
I tell you, this modern world takes some getting used to.
OMG. Said in Jonathan Hillermans voice.
I was giving serious consideration to one with the 6mt, now that the prices are falling.
Consideration over.
I'd have to look it up, but the Ducati Supermono had something similar. It was a single based on their V-twin, but they kept the second crankpin and some or all of the connecting rod to drive a dynamic balance weight. I guess it was smooth but that seemed like a lot of extraneous weight on something that was supposed to be a light performance bike.
Not just you. That would drive me crazy.
"Cadillac CTS-V: with a mild budget increase you can get a good but not perfect second-gen model. Fast, V8, fun, and nobody will know what it is."
Anytime I see a CTS in traffic I look for the badge. I drove the wagon for a weekend many, many years ago and it still makes me smile to think about it. Some kind in a SN95 Mustang challenged me on the freeway for some reason. I dropped it down a gear and floored it. Took him awhile to catch up when I finally backed off. He gave me an "I'm ready this time" kind of look. I did it again. That car was so much fun.
Fun fact about the Jaguar/Land Rover “AJ126” supercharged 3.0-liter V6: it’s the same as the V8.
I don’t mean it’s a 90-degree V6 derived from a. V8 architecture, like the 3800 or various engines from Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
I mean it is entirely the V8 block, with the same outer dimensions. It’s just that two of the cylinder spaces go unused, it has smaller bores, and it has some balancing shafts to counteract the fact that it’s 90 degrees. (The heads, however, are shortened to only cover six cylinder.)
I can see Jesse Ventura in "Predator" just staring and going, "What the fuck?"
Bump the budget up $10k (glancing at cargurus, fuck, $15k) and look at M2s. The M235i is...fine. It's gonna feel lame coming from an actual car. I'd have a hard time dropping $30k on it. The NC Miata is great if you're fine with the miata stigma, and the NC stigma from the miata guys. Good engine, good chassis, I've loved all the ones I've driven. Realistically, if I were within an hour from a drive on beach, I'd have a wrangler. But a TJ. Which then realistically would be a YJ, which honestly would end up being a CJ. What was I talking about?
*"actual M car". God this comment system is brutal.
Yeah it's bad.
The M235i is hardly any slower than an M2 in most circumstances but it doesn't have the vibe. Even an M2 will feel a bit soft compared to the V8 M3 IMO.
I sometimes catch an E46 M3 in my M235i on the track, but not the E92 if its being driven well.
Same weight, 100-plus more horsepower? Don't beat yourself up.
Thanks, and I truly don't. I'm still running an open diff!
I kinda like the idea of this fella swapping the Tundra for a four door JK. They drive like a three-legged pig runs, BUT they are the coolest possible beach car at the moment. Especially if you drive onto the sand? Shit yeah buy a Jeep.
I don't think I can give up the bed. I need it to get trash filled with diapers to the transfer station. A hitch basket could solve that on a JK, but then I still need a way to get rid of branches and grass clippings. I could get a utility trailer for the yard waste and transfer station, but that occupies a parking spot and won't move unless I tow it somewhere.
And while the JK hatch can fit a surprising amount of stuff even with the roof on (completely vertical hatch helps here), it's even easier to throw all the beach stuff in a truck bed. Not just for the space, but all the sand and brackish towels and clothes can get thrown in with zero fucks given. I was that guy mocking trucks in my younger years; now I can't picture not having one.
The biggest reason that a Wrangler looks increasingly unlikely is my son is too young to ride with the roof and doors off, and I'm not sure when that changes. Right now he doesn't even tolerate the windows down past 25 mph in the Tundra. We are also planning to have another, so that timeline will get reset. I could put the Jeep back together when he rides in it, but that's a bit of a production, even with the soft top. It already takes an eternity to get him out of the house. A Wrangler with the roof on almost all the time is considerably less fun.
Finally, the available drive-on beach comes with a disclaimer. It's typically not available for the majority of the summer due to nesting endangered shorebirds. It's a pretty short drive-on beach season.
I think everyone here has successfully talked me out of all variants of the 2-series. It's awkward looking. I haven't driven it, but I don't have high hopes for the steering feel. I could buy another E9X M3 and set the difference aside to cover rod bearings and throttle actuator work.
Jack, you appear to have overlooked the time that Butterfinger BB had a health scare on his flight and became committed to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or at least performatively so on Twitter. That ended swiftly.
As for the $30K car question … I think the E9X M3 platform is the way to go here, irrespective of whether you owned one beforehand! The B7 RS4 is a karaoke version of the contemporary M3, so that would be a disappointment (they are rarer, however).
"Jack, you appear to have overlooked the time that Butterfinger BB had a health scare on his flight and became committed to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or at least performatively so on Twitter. That ended swiftly."
Oh God
THE PHOTO OF HIM WEARING A RESPIRATOR AND OXYGEN ON THE PLANE
Then he went to the gym every day for three days.
Another bizarre aspect of Fat Brad: he has a woman's soul in the sense that he desperately wants men to see his face and body online. I've never seen another man post so many "selfies" to the Internet. He has to be in every photo he takes. Does he think he's attractive, either to men or to women?
Not being familiar with this fellow, I had to google him and the first image that came up was him looking like he was doing some sort of Yukon Cornelius imitation - I see what you mean.
He talks a lot about his stepfather, who apparently drove an F-150 but never put anything in the bed. I wonder if there was some sort of abuse or sexualization there.
At one point years ago, his complaints about F-150 Stepdad got to the point that I distributed this bit of song parody... cue the Allman Brothers!
My stepdaddy he drove an F-150
He hauled nothin' but air and never towed
Late at night I'd hear him
Buttfuckin' my mom
He gaped her ass and rolled on down the road
Lawd, I was born a bloggin' man
Or it’s that another figure more conventionally masculine than him got more of mommy’s attention and he resents the symbols of that.
Practically speaking, though, my own father is the opposite of Fat Brad’s stepdad: does stereotypical “hick with truck” things but refuses to be seen in one: vivid memories of hay and seed in an E46, trailers filled with concrete block and seed speeders towed by an X3, Jettas and Passats treated like farm trucks, the floors caked with red clay. Wish he’d buy a Silverado, already.
Like the pig farmer in the Rolls Royce story!
You have met MY Ohioan pig farmer friend who wears an ALS 1815 UP/DOWN and Cucinelli Vicuña while driving his fleet of BMWs!
Him being vegan sounds more plausible than converting his Porsche to a partial hybrid.
The problem is that there weren't enough plants.
Having had both a V8 M3 convertible and an M235 coupe, I agree with Jack that you probably won’t be satisfied with the M235. Its only virtues over the M3 are that it’s more comfortable and that the torque curve is better suited to city driving. Everything else about it feels less special.
I actually found the M3 reasonably comfortable with EDC in comfort. Probably more so than the 08 550 6-speed I had. I'm sure the M235 has more torque for street driving, but I think torque in the M3 is underrated. Keyboard warriors that haven't driven it can't wrap their heads around sub 300 lb-ft from a V8. I expected it to feel gutless below 4,000 rpm, but it pulls from most any RPM and then spins up fast.
Making the car feel special for a reasonable amount of money (in relative terms) is probably the V8 M3s best party trick.
I think I can remove the 2-series from my list of saved cars.
Maybe I’m bias since I owned one for ten years but if possible I’d have a stock C5 Z06 over an LS3 C6 all day everyday and twice on Sunday. It’s rarer, just as fast and way more visceral in my opinion. If I was compelled to purchase a C6 in the 30k range I’d find a GS if such a thing exists at that price.
Oh, that's the eternal question... but you can argue that the C6 is both a better street car AND capable of making a bit more power without risk. Can't lose either way.
I've never driven the C6 but my dads C5 felt unbreakable. The C6 looks better.
......and easily the best looking ‘Vette from the 70s to present
For 30k I'd look into the ND1 or early ND2. Sport trim if you can find one and modify as desired. It's that much better than the NC, if you can fit in it. Blackbird sells a seat bracket to gain some extra headroom. https://auroraautodesign.com/products/aurora-auto-design-low-profile-driver-seat-mount-nd-miata-fiat-124
I didn't like the ride/handling compromise of the NC1. I've never driven an NC2 but they supposedly improved it quite a bit.
"I didn't like the ride/handling compromise of the NC1. I've never driven an NC2 but they supposedly improved it quite a bit."
Depends on which one you got. Clubs are the best of the best. The others are still a little roly poly but it never bothered me.
I would want the ND2 for the engine upgrade and fixed (I hope) manual transmission. That puts it in the upper end of my price range. Not sure it's worth the extra.
When I tested the NC, there was a Fiat 124 Abarth next to it. I sat in it, but was running out of time so I didn't drive it. The fit isn't dramatically different, but the windshield felt too close. It was also harder to get in and out of. I caught my toe on the kick panel somehow and almost pulled it off on the way out. Getting in and out of the NC was very close to any other lowish car.
There's a fellow driving one of those Fiat Abarth Miata clones in my neighborhood. He's always got a grin on his face. The car looks a little dorky but sounds good.
Fiata.
1) on BBs EVs, hopefully he can find a home hawing this garbage that runs a 70% negative EBIT margin at Ford. Can't wait for the chickens to come home to roost on this one. https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/unplugged-ford-lost-72762-for-every
2) This is America, and another V8 is the answer. I'd agree on not discounting the 4.6 'stangs. The mod motors sound great, the power is fine for all legal and illegal road purposes, and come with proven durability and well understood, low-cost fixes for common issues.
He was already writing for Kirchner's EV site that gets absolutely zero traffic. He pivoted to that "autopia" car show that drew 12 people before shutting down. His effort at "Rad4Sale" part deux seems to have flopped as well. It looks like he's now trying to sell socks.
This guy?
https://www.bianchipr.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/C.-Kirchner-768x768.jpg
The sock thing is pure cringe. Thankfully it has a Matt Farah endorsement.
Why is a man who featured his bare foot as his twitter avatar now selling socks?
That...would appear to be it.
Holy hell that's awful
Would a 10x increase in volume in 18 months be believable with any car, let alone an EV?
Sheer delusion - I believe GM and Ford are looking for perpetual handouts under the green mantra because the math doesn’t. Same with these Chinese wind and solar farms collecting IRA tax subsidies while gas and coal run flat out to keep pace with demand.
We compete for labor where the China / Ford plant is being built and are already highlighting whether you’d want to work there.
Think of how much extra Dino juice ford would have kept from being burned if they just focused on building as many Maverick hybrids as they could instead of Lightning’s that clog dealer lots.
Ford should have tooled up to build a million Maverick hybrids a year and sold them at a dollar over cost. That's what Henry would have done.
I’m getting into Al Sloan’s book about his time running the place, with men like William Knudsen, Charles Kettering and others in the mix.
I can’t think of another company that went from utter market dominance to purveyors of mostly junk like GM
Not sure men like that are allowed to exist anymore.
Trying to have a sports car with toddlers always required a back seat, so the Corvette and Miata are out. The 235 is out simply because they don’t exist. My guess is the 550 low miles option is not a bad choice as is the Camaro. The 550 probably would have been much less likely to have been abused. The difference between M3 coupes and convertibles.