Cars, what do you have, and what would you like to have?

[BillM]

I've had many cars over the years and have really liked many of them. But this one might be the one, it could be love

And yes, i do just go down to the garage and sit in it sometimes lol

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

 

[john.margetts]

Never been able to garner any interest in cars and do not own one. I do have a lot of cameras, though.

Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk

 

[macdctr]

I drive this from time to time and I can relate to just sitting in the car every once in awhile... I sometimes do this as well during winter when I put the car away for the season

That Aston Martin is a beautiful car!

 

[petrochemist]

That Aston Martin is a beautiful car!

+1
But personally I prefer the looks of the 70's models. I suspect they wouldn't drive half as well though!

 

[jake337]

Currently driving a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS and a 2015 Honda Odyssey for the other half.

Coming from a 2001 Volkswagen GTI 337 and a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII. I really can wait for my next car which I believe will be a used Porsche 911 Turbo or Carrera 4s.

 

[snowbear]

As far as what I'd like to have, if money were no object: 1930s era Seagrave Pumper

 

[footballfan993]

As far as what I'd like to have, if money were no object: 1930s era Seagrave Pumper

Why a fire truck? But that would be pretty cool to have you can climb like everything, if the ladder(s) are still there!

 

[snowbear]

As far as what I'd like to have, if money were no object: 1930s era Seagrave Pumper

Why a fire truck? But that would be pretty cool to have you can climb like everything, if the ladder(s) are still there!

Technically, it's an engine - the kind that carries hoses & water (and smaller ladders); trucks are the ones with the big ladder. Why - I like the color red. I've also been in public safety (in one way or another) for over 30 years.

 

[nycphotography]

My whole life I imagined having a Ferrari. Showing up at the HS reunion with my Ferrari and two rented blondes.

But once I realized I could actually buy any car I want (almost at least)... the decision was surprisingly both hard, and it turned out, irrelevant, because most of the cars, I just wouldn't really want after all.

Plus, a Porsche, a Jaguar, a Ferrari, a Lambo... they all have some kind of second level aura created by the kind of guys who drive them. Do I really want to be "that guy"? The Porsche guy? The Lambo guy? I mean I always did want to be that guy... but it was just jealousy talking. I wanted the models hanging off my arms. I wanted to be that guy. But slowly I realized the downsides. If you're that guy, then everyone knows your business.

Plus, most of those cars really aren't very drivable. As in go get in the car just to go somewhere, as opposed to a "go be seen in the car" event.

The ones I'd consider as drivers: Maserati. Aston Martin. BMW. Mercedes. Jaguar. Porsche.

Jaguar: F-Type-R - just doesn't have the tech required to make 500hp tractable on the street. Maintenance seemed to be way high. Other Jags are long in the tooth old old old designs.

Maserati: Sexy. Again, maintenance is an issue. Not sure I want the high maint.

Aston Martin: Sexy. TBH, didn't really look too close at them.

Porsche: Having been in Long Island brokerages... The "Porsche Guy" stigma overpowers the fact that they're great driving cars. Mostly because I actually knew a lot of those guys and have no interest in bearing any resemblance to them in any way.

BMW: Kinda boring. Z4 is goofy looking and under powered. M6 is fast, but meh ok looking. X6 is decent looking, but meh on performance.

Mercedes: Love the CLS, especially an AMG one. Elegant lines. Love the S63. But it's big. Love the GT-S. But it's... just... something about it didn't click with me.

So I had a CLK63 AMG for a few years. Great car. 475HP rag top, but very civilized and refined. Cruised around comfy, but went like stink when punched. Downside was the rag top squeaked and thumped a lot. And the transmission shift points were a hot mess.

I always stop at the dealers and look around... just to look you know? It's a weird feeling... sitting in a $300k Ferrari and know you could buy it, if you really want to. But thinking both damn this thing is hot... and also thinking about if you really want it in the garage. I mean, would I _really_ drive it? And how many miles per value adjustment, and other insane service? Is it really worth it?

But then one day I made the mistake of stopping to look at a Mars Red SL63 that I saw in a dealers inventory. It's a weird blend of red sex, luxurious sophistication, and raw brutality. Red car, white interior, black trim, black wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, LSD, and 560HP... but the 560HP is only half the story, because the twin turbo V8 comes on early and pulls long. And a $1100 ECU tune bumps by another 100Hp. And the Mercedes is meant to be driven a lot. Basically, oil changes ever 10k miles, transmission around 50k. Carbon ceramic brakes are supposed to last almost forever (we'll see about that lol). And MB has very long term, high mileage, extended factory warranties, so I can eliminate a lot of the exotica unobtanium repair risk.

I ended up taking the SL63 home.

And to be honest, I can't imagine anything I'd rather drive. I had the CLK63, didn't need another car, had no pressing urge to buy just anything. I just sat and enjoyed life until I happened to find "the one". Someone said "If when you park your car, you don't stop and look at it as you walk away, then you bought the wrong car." I'll be damned if this isn't that car.

Maybe one day I'll pop for a 458 Speciale. But I kinda doubt it.





PS. And somewhere along the way I realized I don't need to go back to the reunion and shove my success in everyone's face to punish them for brutalizing me in HS. They weren't really brutalizing me. Looking back, they barely even knew I existed, and were far too worried about their own petty problems.

 

[Didereaux]

Any car I ever wanted I couldn't get in or out of today. So now I would settle for a Rolls Silver Cloud AND a bank account large enough that if I misplaced the dam thing I wouldn't even go looking for it.

 

[BillM]

@nycphotography Love the SL63, lets see some pictures. I was actually looking at those as my last car was an S Class and my MB dealer is GREAT. I actually bought the Aston from my MB dealer, love dealing with them. I just wish MB would offer more manual transmissions, not too many manufactures do anymore. But I disagree on the M6, in a coupe I love the lines. But I don't like the drop top look at all, it just doesn't work on that car. But that is just an opinion and we all have one of those

 

[minicoop1985]

This is our fleet:

IMG_6450_PS by Michael Long, on Flickr

IMG_6518_1 by Michael Long, on Flickr

 

[rexbobcat]

We used to have a 97 Jeep Cherokee and a 2008 Jeep Liberty. Now we have a 2002 Mercedes and hoping to trade in the Liberty for an FJ Cruiser, because it would be a much better beach car.

 

[Buckster]

I've never been a car guy. That is to say, never had an interest in vehicles beyond getting me where I want to go. Fancy, expensive, powerful, popular, or whatever, never grabbed my interest in any way. Being from Detroit, my friends and family all seemed to be up on all that stuff, but not me.

For my entire career (retired now) I drove company vehicles, nearly always pickup trucks, which suited me just fine. When I retired and had to buy one for the first time in something like 30 years, I chose a 4WD Jeep Cherokee because of the snow and ice we get in Northern Michigan, and it's serving me well.

If it goes before I do, I'll probably just get another one.

 

[nycphotography]

@nycphotography Love the SL63, lets see some pictures. I was actually looking at those as my last car was an S Class and my MB dealer is GREAT. I actually bought the Aston from my MB dealer, love dealing with them. I just wish MB would offer more manual transmissions, not too many manufactures do anymore. But I disagree on the M6, in a coupe I love the lines. But I don't like the drop top look at all, it just doesn't work on that car. But that is just an opinion and we all have one of those