They aren't slow from a dig, they just kill diffs when you try not to be slow from a dig,lol! But yes, I ran S2K From Hell back in the day in a stock Ws.6, and he blew the transmission apart beating me, which happened after my 2nd gear.
Have you ever owned a "dream" car you really wanted?
- Thread starter ZZman
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S2k from hell was a 700+whp car...
My neighbor had an Orange 440 Six Pack Road Runner and offered to sell it to me for $6000 back in 2001 or so. We lived in CA at the time, so it was a very solid car but he was more of a GM guy.
My wife would not let me do it. That would have been a huge very good investment…..
I've owned a few of my dream cars, and most times the letdown overpowered the dream and I ended up letting them go. What do they say about "never meet your hero"? Same thing for dream cars.
The most notable:
C3 Corvette - the more I drove it, the more I questioned my own sanity in lusting after it in the first place. Was this seriously a production car from a major manufacture? I'd been in kit cars that were faster and had better build quality and body integrity. This was a very short dream, gave this up really quick.
C4 Corvette- It was actually pretty nice, light years better than the C3, but the horrible ingress/egress was a lot to deal with in regular life. And it nickeled and dimed me to death, even though it hardly had any miles on it...tie rods, u-joints, wheel bearings, brakes, fuel pumps, EGR issues..... Practically the only part I did NOT an issue with was the dreaded Opti-spark, which is the part I figured would give me the most indigestion. Traded it in for a new Mazda 3 which I enjoyed 10x more than I ever enjoyed the Vette(s). My days of dreaming of Vette's pretty much ended.
Rx7 Turbo II - This car almost fully lived up to the dream, but after just a few weeks the harsh ride became corporal punishment worthy of a death row inmate. It seriously felt like the suspension was made of concrete. Replaced the front and rear springs and shocks/struts for a non-turbo Rx7 and some softer tires. Turned it into a very liveable car which I enjoyed for several years but the short turbocharged Wankel lifespan reared its ugly head at a time where I wasnt able to sink the funds into rebuilding it, so away it went. But it sure was fun while it lasted.
Honestly the car I'm driving now, a shiny red lowly Fiat 124 Spider is as close as to a dream car I can think of right now. Its a Fiat engine, but the rest of the car is pretty much Miata and with the ECU tuned and aftermarket exhaust, the engine sounds magical, it goes like snot and plows through corners like they arent even there, and pulls 37 mpg while doing it. This car never, ever fails to put a smile on my face. I'd like to buy about a dozen of them, wrap them in bubble wrap and stick them out back in the barn to have a lifetime supply but the wife would never go for it. Anyway there's mice in there, otherwise I'd do it. I stumbled onto this dream on a whim and I'm glad I did.
At this point my only real dream car would be a red and black '57 Chevy convertible, but since I havent actually driven one I would have to refer back to paragraph 1.
The most notable:
C3 Corvette - the more I drove it, the more I questioned my own sanity in lusting after it in the first place. Was this seriously a production car from a major manufacture? I'd been in kit cars that were faster and had better build quality and body integrity. This was a very short dream, gave this up really quick.
C4 Corvette- It was actually pretty nice, light years better than the C3, but the horrible ingress/egress was a lot to deal with in regular life. And it nickeled and dimed me to death, even though it hardly had any miles on it...tie rods, u-joints, wheel bearings, brakes, fuel pumps, EGR issues..... Practically the only part I did NOT an issue with was the dreaded Opti-spark, which is the part I figured would give me the most indigestion. Traded it in for a new Mazda 3 which I enjoyed 10x more than I ever enjoyed the Vette(s). My days of dreaming of Vette's pretty much ended.
Rx7 Turbo II - This car almost fully lived up to the dream, but after just a few weeks the harsh ride became corporal punishment worthy of a death row inmate. It seriously felt like the suspension was made of concrete. Replaced the front and rear springs and shocks/struts for a non-turbo Rx7 and some softer tires. Turned it into a very liveable car which I enjoyed for several years but the short turbocharged Wankel lifespan reared its ugly head at a time where I wasnt able to sink the funds into rebuilding it, so away it went. But it sure was fun while it lasted.
Honestly the car I'm driving now, a shiny red lowly Fiat 124 Spider is as close as to a dream car I can think of right now. Its a Fiat engine, but the rest of the car is pretty much Miata and with the ECU tuned and aftermarket exhaust, the engine sounds magical, it goes like snot and plows through corners like they arent even there, and pulls 37 mpg while doing it. This car never, ever fails to put a smile on my face. I'd like to buy about a dozen of them, wrap them in bubble wrap and stick them out back in the barn to have a lifetime supply but the wife would never go for it. Anyway there's mice in there, otherwise I'd do it. I stumbled onto this dream on a whim and I'm glad I did.
At this point my only real dream car would be a red and black '57 Chevy convertible, but since I havent actually driven one I would have to refer back to paragraph 1.
Driving it now. It may not be exotic or rare but I have wanted a GTI for decades. Finally have it.
In the early’90s I stupidly passed on a pristine 1968 Road Runner with a four speed manual and factory A/C. Magnum 500s with a set of steelies and dog dish hubcaps in the trunk. Just $4,500. I still kick myself.
Always wanted M3. But, I am not type to keep car in garage. It has to be daily. Since I am still driving kids to daycare (we had kids late) I am ok having xDrive and stick.
But next? M3 or M2.
But next? M3 or M2.
I had a 97 Miata and it was definitely a drivers car. My friend bought a NA RX7 just a few years older than the Miata, and man… I loved that RX7. So much of the Miata dna came from the RX7. the Miata history books suggest that the Miata was a car of its own, but I think some of that is hype… to me it was pretty clear that the lessons learned from the best parts of the RX7 made it into the miata. If I could have either, I’d go for the RX. It had the best parts of the Miata, but also had a roof and was a little easier to live with than the ultra compact convertible. Not to mention the unique experience of living with the wankel, which was smooth, had a unique sound, and was happy to rev.
Yes, my '00 528i 5MT M-Sport. Back in the day I dreamed of a Bavaria but could not afford one. The E39 came close. Lovely to drive. Nice to look at. Comfortable. And it even behaved itself - nothing much ever went wrong with it over the couple of decades I owned it. It even saved my bacon one day with its superb handling.
I'd buy a new one if BMW still made them (when my '07 Accord V6 6MT wears out or rusts out that is).
I'd buy a new one if BMW still made them (when my '07 Accord V6 6MT wears out or rusts out that is).
I think “entry” level M3 is stick. Not sure if 2 series offers. Previous 2 series had a lot of sticks sold. So, maybe used.
I meant I'd like a brand new E39. I'd fit the new one out exactly the same. Okay maybe I'd get an '01 530i 5 spd M-Sport instead (a little better mileage and a few more horses than the '00 528i) but otherwise pretty much the same car: 5 speed manual, M-sport suspension, alloy spare wheel with a full size spare tire, and a motor oil dip stick.
Unfortunately, that train left the station.
Used E39, in good condition is serious money.
I actually had three Rx7s over the years ('80, '86, and the '87 T2) and they were definitely easier to live with compared to the Spider/Miata-ish I'm driving now, mostly just because of the space issue. These cars are t-i-n-y. I hop in my friends' Camaros and Mustangs and Challengers or whatever and they all feel huge.
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Starting with my first brand new car (there have only been 3), all my cars were such when obtained. 4th car was purchased used at age 10 for $14k. I still have a ways to go to be the majority owner by time as the original owner had it 8 years. But I have put the most miles on it of the 3 owners (about 55k problem free with 2020 having < 3k).
98 Maxima SE
07 335i coupe
11 Enclave
06 LS430
The Maxima was junked only this year, all 3 others are still in the stable.
Prior to the pandemic I was eyeing S63 AMGs, wanted a 2013 with P30. The reason I would never consider it as I type? The price in 2023 is the same as 2019, with 4 more years of wear/tear.
2017 V6 S. 380HP/171mph stock, 475/185mph 0-60 3.9 with tune. The Jag is quite responsive. Despite having "by wire" everything, Jaguar tuned it to do exactly what you ask, when you ask it. Even the electric steering is glorious.
Like many modern sports cars, the dampers firm up when in dynamic (track) mode, the throttle becomes more sensitive and is linear, (shown on a graph too) the exhaust cutout bypasses the mufflers, the trans shifts become crisp and steering firms up.
It really is made for street driving fun, and that is where this car shines. While quite good on the track, there are far better track weapons.
The S2000 despite having 405RWHP, was turbo laggy to the point of absurdity, the flexy chassis led to difficulty with precision driving. I had the 2004 (the desirable year, with the suspension and engine updates AP2, but no throttle by wire) It was really a 1998 Honda Civic under the skin, with Civic brakes, Civic thickness sheet metal that one could literally bend by hand, and a Miata transmission+differential. The gearing was absurd with 4.10 rear gears and not much of an overdrive in 6th, so it was around 4000 RPM at 80. Even so, no boost until 5500RPM, ugh. I know people love 'em. I see it as a cool car that does not meet it's promise. And without the turbo, can't even beat a V6 minivan up the on ramp.
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Double tap, sorry.
