121 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHwhat other "fun" cars have you owned?
Reported or suspected cause
first pro stock car
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
In late 1970 it was the first Pro Stock car that Bob Glidden had ever driven.
Leading evidence: 'first pro stock car' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'first pro stock car' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Recommend under $30k' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
20 year gap before I returned to sports cars (a wife and two kids changed my priories for a long time) and I got this
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
My Audi 09 s4 cabriolet good torque and excellent all weather machine that I use regularly
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause
probably the engine is cheaper than an FSI build, with double the horsepower.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
For those of you that have owned Beemers - what specific year/models would you recommend for under $30K?
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
121 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T144035Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
For the last 20 years, our stable of cars has been 1 or 2 grocery getters, and 1 fun car, which is owned for its collectability and/or performance characteristics.
What other cars do folks around here own that fit the "fun" category? I'm particularly interested in cars that are less than 15 years old and have a similar price point to a 996.
Thanks.
1.8 DOHC 91 CRX SI (one of the first motor swaps in the bay area. what a fun car)
91 Turbo MR2 (ripping down the street with the loudest HKS blow off valve lol)
91 Nissan 300ZX (this car was NA, but was fun nonetheless)
91 GMC Syclone (wish i still had this! damn thieves!!)
68 Camaro (not fun to handle, but great in straight lines)
82 Toyota Starlet (literally a go kart)
...there's plenty more, but those stand out to me.
I've only had one car that would qualify, and even at that just barely. E46 M3 production stopped in 2006, so exactly 15 years old, mine was an 02, but still essentially the same car.
The E46 M3 is a good sports car made great by the engine, sure it doesn't have a ton of power by today's standards, but man it just loves to rev and is silky smooth. They, like the 996, are sky rocketing in price, but still bargains can be had and are well worth it.
My 996's predecessor was a 2010 Chevy Cobalt SS named Luci.
Modified to be a dedicated track car. Upgraded engine, turbo, transmission, brakes and suspension. Custom front mount oil cooler and trans cooler.
Made 479/471 on E47. <2800 lbs, front wheel drive lol
Thing was an absolute blast but although not nearly as fast, my 996 (Sally) is so much more engaging and fun to drive. More reliable too. I had all sorts of issues with Luci. Went through 3 engine rebuilds and one engine replacement!
I'm looking forward to just drive the snot out of Sally without having to worry about rebuilding anything
#fingerscrossed
Here's the list of the most fun vehicles I've owned, in the order I'd rank them as fun to drive/own:
(Warning: Most are over 15 years old)
2002 Porsche 996
2009 BMW 135i (twin turbo --500 RWHP)
1980 Lola T-590 (SCCA S2000)
1982 VW Scirocco (SCCA GT3)
1980 VW Scirocco (SCCA ITC)
1987 VW Scirocco 16V
2006 Ford Mustang (my son's car now)
1986 Toyota Corolla (Nitrous!)
2001 Ford Crown Victoria P71 Police Interceptor
1983 Mercedes Benz 300D
198x Ford Bronco II (with 302)
197x Fiat X-19
1969 Porsche 912
2014 E63S AMG wagon. Hands down the best car I�ve ever owned. Sold it earlier this year while the resale value was still high.
Went to the opposite end of the spectrum and now have a 2000 Lexus LX470 for a daily. It�s a total lumbering tank but �fun� in its own way.
The most fun car I ever had back in early 80's, I removed the 4 banger out of a 1965 MGB and replace it with a small block ford 289 V8 with 4 speed and 8 in. shorten rear end, went thru a few axle shafts. sure miss that car.
Do you still have the ITR? Lets do a honda meet up and burn some laps at gingerman or something.
The Type R is one of my favorite cars in the stable currently.
1985.5 944
2000 Boxster
2017 GTI (this was a dd and fun car)
2004 Audi TT VR6
I miss them all, but especially the 944 and GTI. Part of me wants to trade my 996 for a 944 Turbo�🥸
I only sold the GTI because I moved out west and needed a daily with AWD for ski season. It was an excellent car
1982 5.0 liter Capri (mustang)
1988 944
1986 Benz E320 solid car
(1999 very very early early amber 996 arctic silver black bought new sold in 2001 : ( )
1st yr Rav 4 with ski rack fun
2001 BMW 325i manual silky engine and shifter
2001 S2000 9k redline
2003 NSX Red Black only 7 made that year
2005 Land Rover LR3 (only car that ever left me stranded on the highway, but I miss it)
2007 Base Boxster
2007 BMW 335i (wife convinced me to get automatic yuk)
2011 Benz E320 (still got it)
2016 Tesla X
1992 NSX
2018 Tesla X (for sale)
2005 NSX (still got it)
2009 S2000 (still got it)
===
2022 Tesla Model S currently on order
My previous Porsche was a GT4, real fun car at the limit.
Now have a nicely set 2003 C2 manual, 3.9L, GT gears LSD, GT3 coilovers, eibach sway bars, full sports exhaust plus lots more, l'm having just as much fun with this as with the GT4. Plus l have a Lexus isf with some nice mods.
Both of these cars combined are about half the price of the GT4.
Surprised a lot of people at the track.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uSXPXcpJ8uI
The Ferrari owner in the other video was disappointed when I told him my car only had 200 HP. Lol
my 2012 e63 sedan was a MONSTER after exhaust and a eurocharged tune, most fun I�ve had with 4 doors!
Enjoyed my 2nd gen mazdaspeed3 very much for a couple years
I've had 5 miatas, most recently a modified Mazdaspeed car (sold when I bought the 911)
It�s honestly a long list (most no longer younger than 15 years), but the ones I miss most are the E63 and my Lingenfelter built Z06. I�m not a brand loyal car person by any means, but having a miata of any generation around is never a bad idea if you just want smiles per gallon!
I drove this 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SE for more than 10 years as daily driver. Pretty crazy that I got to drive one of these everyday. Great car, fun to work on, and it looks like a million bucks.
Let�s see, this should be an eclectic mix;
1965 Mustang fastback (it was less than 20 yrs old when I got it, and so was I). Started off as a 289 2bbl auto, transformed into a 351C 4spd.
1978 Triumph Spitfire. Never had so much fun, going so slow
1989 Suzuki Swift GTi. Hands-down, the most fun car I�ve ever owned. Drove it coast to coast multiple times.
1981 FIAT X1/9. Cheapest fun car I�ve ever had. Surprisingly reliable, until it died
1997 Acura Integra RS. Absolutely fantastic car, but not that fun (automatic trans).
2006 Pontiac GTO. That LS2 was an amazing engine.
2014 VW GTI. Still have it, teenage daughter is about to inherit it. Kinda fun, but I never bonded with it
2003 996 C2. Definitely up there in the �fun� rankings, and probably my favorite of all. Feels the most special.
Porsche’s
(3) 996s
02 3.6
01 Turbo (heavily modded, miss this car had K16 Billet upgrade, a lot of car for the road only)
(Current) 01 3.4 Aero, freshly rebuilt motor and enjoyable mods- intend on keep this forever as it’s a great street car.
(2) Boxster S cars
01 S, 07 S
Audi’s
08 R8 after my Turbo- just couldn’t match the driving feel of the 911 chassis
03 TT which I daily drove for a decade.
BMW
E92 M3
I don't have anything newer than my 99 996
so wasn't going to post in here, but some have posted older stuff so I guess I can cause a drift also with some 70's stuff for the old timers.
This little European car was built in West Germany in 1970 by German FoMoCo employees then revamped in my backyard garage to be a Porsche killer and Muscle Car Killer. I did a home-made TurboCharger setup using a Garret t3-60 Turbo, home-made water/alcohol injection, o-ringed head, did some internal mods, full Koni suspension. With only 5.8 pounds per horsepower ( 1900lbs/325HP) nothing on the street could touch it a straight line or on the twisty's. It was the fastest thing in the Southeast in the early 70's, only thing close was the 66 427 Shelby AC Cobra.
I owned this car for a few years "back in the day". It was a 1970 427 SOHC Maverick.
It started life as a "body in white" sent to Holman/Moody. Holman/Moody built a half dozen of these for the Ford Drag Team. They install Dana 60 rear ends with slapper bars, Top loader 4-speeds and a 427 SOHC engines. They reworked the inner fenders/shock towers wider and moved the steering box over 1 inch to allow for the big block engine, still looked factory. This car was built for Bob Frendsley Ford, driven by Gene Turnage, and wrenched on by Bob Glidden (who was a mechanic for Frendsley Ford at the time) . In late 1970 it was the first Pro Stock car that Bob Glidden had ever driven. ( he went on to be the winningest Pro Stock driver in history)..
I bought the car from friends who were divorcing and liquidating assets. I won my money back in one month. I had other race cars and interests and sold the car which is probably now sitting in a garage somewhere here in Alabama, or maybe going to a local racetrack sometimes.( probably has a small block Chevy motor in it now.lol)
I have regretted getting rid of that car and a couple of years ago thought about trying to find it, but after contacting Holman/Moody to see if they had any documentation on these cars for use as provenance, They told me there were no records of these cars or many of the other cars they built, they were just too busy back then and didn't keep records very well. So I came to the conclusion that proving the origin of the car would be as hard or harder than finding the car and bringing it back to former glory.
Anyway here is a pic of the 1970 427 SOHC Maverick, I wonder what it looks like now !!
There goes all my air-cooled 911s, my 912 and my 930, along with my Datsun Zs and 510. Hell, I don't even get to count my 996 C4S or early S2000 in this poll.
I guess some of us are out of the conversation.
Consider this: by and large, cars are so good these days that with a reasonable amount of care fifteen year old ones are still pretty much new ... and where's the fun in limiting a conversation to new stuff only?
Who's limiting conversation? If you want to discuss older cars, start a thread.
Personally, if I'm going to purchase another fun car, I'd want it to be less than 15 years old.
Yeah I wasn't a fan of the looks either. However, after driving one I was hooked and I'm 71 years old! BTW it's not just a straight line street poser. It carves corners well too.
Owned a lot of cars including 7 Audi's of which two still are my daily drivers. But 3 cars stick out as being fun as he'll to drive (other than 996).
1. 1981 Lancia Zagato Special Edition - goofy looking thing that when it ran it was fun. But it never ran.
2. 1993 Audi 90CS - tight, quick and fun to drive.
3. 2003 Audi S8 (Ronin) - best of all three. Before the age of all the electronics when the S8s where not yet boats and fun to drive. I would still have it today if it wasn't hit by another car running a red light. But it effortlessly saved my daughter who was driving from any injury. What an awesome car. Now I want one again as I think about it. My Q7 isn't as much fun to drive daily.
Still compiling a mental list…of all the fun cars.This one is in the restoration queue.
1968 Shelby gt 500 kr daily driver In the mid seventies.The 996 ims is guilty of photo bomb.
Here are the fun cars. I've also had several Audi A4s over the years
Current
1973 Camaro RS - This is a Pro Touring build with an LS6, T56 6 Speed Trans, Updated Suspension and Brakes
Gone
1998 Mustang Cobra Convertible
1992 Eagle Talon TSI - Back in the day, this car was a rocket
Mazda 323 GTX
Ducati 999S (I like the unloved (cheap) versions of classic vehicles as long as they perform like the loved versions.)
Ducati Hypermotard
Wide Body Evo 8 w 585WHP and 285's on all 4 corners
Focus ST
Fiberglass dune buggy 2100 stroker chrome engine 2 Webber�s 48, candy Apple 🍎 red. 1979 rx 7 13b Holley 750. 1986 iroc z stick (had a $3,000 alpine system and I use to blast come on Eileen. 1985 gti, 1986 and 1987 sciroccos 16v one was silver other was black. 1993 corrado vr6, 1995 volvo 850 r yellow. 1980 300 td mercedes went over 1,000,000 miles. 1985 M635CSI shark. 1984 745i car had all wood and telephone in it. 2004 r32 HPA twin turbo 695 whp with 104 race fuel. Now 996 and 19 f150 super crew (this is third f150. I wish I never would have sold some of those cars.yeah I forgot 944s2 that I got in a police auction I should have never sold that car.
LOL on my bike side, the BMW K1600 is for road trips and the Harley for short trip althought have had cross country twice with 152 SAE RWHP, and the 70 Bonneville only has 1200 miles and I havent registered since 1997. the Harley has been pass on to the oldest boy. I almost was going to teach the oldest how to ride on the Bonny but thought better of it because right hand shift.
Current cars:
1994 Corvette LT1 6-spd
2008 Mugen Civic Si (soon to be K24A2 swapped)
1989 240SX SR20DET swapped
1995 BMW M3
2004 BMW 330i ZHP sedan 6-spd
And pretty much every part to build an Integra Type R except the chassis.
my wife drives a B8 S4 6mt and has since it was basically new. It�s been very reliable and I love the supercharged v6. I had a B6 S4 Avant and sold it with 200k. It was certainly great but I like the V6 better in some ways. It�s more flexible and winds up quickly. the B8 platform is very good and a pretty nice value.
=mrfeh;17713512]For the last 20 years, our stable of cars has been 1 or 2 grocery getters, and 1 fun car, which is owned for its collectability and/or performance characteristics.
What other cars do folks around here own that fit the "fun" category? I'm particularly interested in cars that are less than 15 years old and have a similar price point to a 996.
Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Past...
76 Triumph TR7
85 Toyota MR2
87 Porsche 944
86 Porsche 944 Turbo (951)
87 911 Carrera (written off by a drunk driver - never would have sold it)
Present...
2002 Porsche 911 C4S (996.2)
2015 VW Golf GTI
if you can find a euro shark that car is a beast. Make sure the rubber boots connecting the individual throttles are not crack. I bought my 85 in 2006 drove it over 100,000 miles and sold it in 2015 for almost $8k more than i
Paid for it, car was recently tune but the suspension was soft and clutch needed to be replaced. Straight pipe cat was empty, max flo muffler amazing sound, had a dinan tune. Silver gold bbs wheels Shartz black, I�m using the shark car cover on my 996. Never should have sold that car, wife called it the �pimp mobile�.
i have an 05 STi and a 2000 C2 tiptronic. So obviously manual vs auto� C2 is lower and just handles on rails. The subbie when you push it feels a bit sketchier. C2 is a Really fun car and has the rear engine feel. The STi is modified. It�s raw and loud and faster I think. AwD� just so different but I love them both
I had an '05 STi and currently own a 996 targa. Apples, oranges. Rally car, sports car. Gussied up econobox, premium vehicle. AWD with a heavy nose, 2WD with a heavy butt. Etcetera.
I loved my STi and would enjoy getting another one if budget and storage permitted. But there is not much to compare beyond both having 300-ish horsepower.
Lots of cool cars in here. I've had my fair share of fun ones over the years.
1990 500 SL (dads car I got after he passed on)
1994 Camaro Z28
2000 Mustang GT
2000 Camaro SS
2004 VW R32
2004.5 Jetta GLI (salvage rebuild I did)
1995 M3
2001.5 M3
2004 Audi S4
2015 Audi S3
Currently have 99 911 and 2004 Mini Cooper S as fun cars.
[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:]
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1333/23ed81e3_4569_46f4_89f0_3152c82a802c_ecca042ac57034ecfa985d9ce42286a47135275b.jpeg
I see another Raptor owner
2013 SCrew, 6.2L with some minor upgrades and add ons. Also shown is my Ultra 4 Jeep TJ. LS swap, bypasses, air bumps, tubed frame front and rear, 1 tons, etc.
I've owned 86 cars over the last five decades, about forty percent of which are of one sort of "special interest" or another,
Here's a small, varied sample of the esoteric list of vehicles I've enjoyed owning:
I've had a lot of cars, and and all of them have been fun
Having picked up my first Porsche a couple weeks ago, my stable consists of:
1999 996 C2, 2008 BMW X3, 2005 MB C230 Coupe, 2000 BMW 323i and lasy but not least the 1987 VW Scirocco 16v.
They all go away for the for the winter some time in November except for the X3, then come out of hibernation April 1st!
I currently have 2001 C5 Z06 with an A&A supercharger as my track car but I use to be really into BMWs:
S52 swapped:
I also tried these out for a while:
My first car, I am pretty sure most of the forum would have no idea about what it is
Then I moved across the world and got that!
Then that one!
And that one!
And this one, which remains a favourite of mine (Euro engine ofc)
And a 318is race car too:
And the last one, which I moved stateside and sold last summer, to buy my 996:
My first sports car when I was in high school
My second sports car in my 20s
20 year gap before I returned to sports cars (a wife and two kids changed my priories for a long time) and I got this
Got bored with the C5 and sold it to buy this
And finally found my soulmate
It was an Opel Calibra (the brits here would know it as a Vauxhall).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Calibra
Not really a performance car by any means, but very light and surprisingly fun to drive. Plus it looked very cool.
Opel made a turbo awd version that was fast though, but I had the puny NA 8v engine
The Skyline was fun but unfortunately mine was an auto (got it from a friend who was leaving Japan at the time after the nuclear plant accident... paid 80,000JPY for it, I let you convert...
) so I only kept it a few months as I wanted something more suitable for track days.
I brought this home a couple of weeks ago:
Kubota L48TLB. It�s a pretty bada** little tractor. A little less than 8,000 pounds, 48 hp, 4x4. 11� backhoe dig depth. 3000 pound loader lift capacity (at the pivot pin). The last tractor I will ever need to buy.
Totally different type of fun�.but fun, nonetheless.
This is my winter beater and autoX car. An unmodified 2003 WRX wagon with 239k miles.
My C4S was supposed to replace this car when I bought it 4 years ago... but the WRX is just too much fun -- especially in the snow.
1997 (NA) Miata - Excellent driving experience albeit quite slow in a straight line. I still have my limited edition (STO #624)
1990 300ZX NA - Similar to the Miata but with a tad more power
1997 C5 Corvette - Sounded great but the interior was too cheap
2008 B7 S4 Avant - Loved it as a daily but it wasn't large enough to accommodate my height and car seats
2001 Mercedes SL500 - OK but not great an anything
That’s always a great conversation starter! "Fun" cars can mean different things to different people—some love the raw power of a muscle car, others prefer the precision of a nimble sports car, and some just enjoy the quirks of an unusual or classic ride.
I had a c6 z06 with z51. Carbon ceramics, all the fun stuff. It was so much fun. The power of that 7.0 NA V8. It was a 2011. Good bargain now. A serious track weapon and nearly 28mpg on the highway. Massive hatch to store a ton of stuff.
highly recommend you find a c6 z06. Even if for a little while.
I mostly have trucks (Tacomas and Land Cruisers) except for this one (and the 2000 996 C2). 1999 M-Roadster I bought new, drove it for a couple of years. Now it's sitting at 12k miles, under a car cover, with a trickle charger in my garage. I've been considering selling via BaT but I'm not home enough to actually do it.
[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:]
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1408/25th2_a1aa37088fe3358ed015d9121ae0777a61b8bc2d.jpg
Nd2 miata is about as fun of a little car as anyone could hope for and I gotta say it�s a perfect complement to the 996. I don�t think I�ll ever sell either car. Past cars include Audi TT, Audi S4 and a Mazda speed protege.
[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:]
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlist.com-vbulletin/2000x1538/img_1236_42909e5421dcb7bfb79bcde6c724d123c045eec2.jpeg
89 Honda Civic Si hatchback 5 spd in the 90s
96 VW Jetta VR6 5 spd in the early 2000s
99 E36 M3 2dr 5sp late 2000s
03 BMW 540iT M sport Wagon, 1 of 181 for NA
and several FJ40s
Fun thread to read through. With limited garage space fun cars get replaced but how cool if we had the ones from the past all in one garage.
Current:
2003 C4S 4.0
Past Porsches:
1990 C2
1980 SC Euro
1973 T 3.0
Past (non-porsche) Fun Cars:
2004 VW R32
1983 UR quattro
Sebring?
Looks very Michelotti, and not sure I've ever made the connection before, but I was looking at a Prince Skyline Sports on the weekend, and am surprised about the similarity.
Perhaps it is the color...
Pity the Nissan has an anemic four cylinder in it, but at least it was a start.
In contrast to a nice design, looking for a decent engine (the Skyline Sports that is), we have my previous fun car, an excellent engine looking for a decent design:
F1 based, multi-carbed, twin-cammed, and happy at 10,000 rpm it sounded like this:
You Tube
Sold like many others here, to make way for something else...
Kuro, close...it is a 1959 3500 GT. It shared the same engine as the Sebring, only it came five years before. I can see the similarity. I have never seen that Honda before. It accelerated like a sport bike.
Ah ha!
I've mis-IDed a few of the 3500 GT and Sebring then... this I think is a Sebring:
Look at that quality finish!
Like Lancia, there's something really appealing about early pre-Ferrari Maserati.
Except perhaps the Bi Turbo (can I say that?).
Mistral (?), at my local track.
My old neighbor has a 450S and a 6C of some sort...
I found this pic of Michelotti's attribution on an acquaintance's Skyline Sports in my archive.
While I'm here, one more of my dumpy little S800M... See ya!
Stunningly beautiful car.. Regarding being a problem child -- to quote Lady Gaga, "Baby I was born this way"
. I absolutely love early Loti --- specifically the early Elan and the Twin-Cam Europas -- but Colin perhaps added too much lightness from the start. It's taken all my will power not to by a Europa or Elan. I will own one one day, when I have enough spare time to take care of it.
I talked to a guy who had a beautiful Elan in the infield at the Lime Rock historic races a few years ago, and he said he'd rebuilt every part of the Elan completely twice, once from a pretty significant fire. I asked him if it was reliable after all that work -- fully expecting a "yes" -- and he said no, he still spends about 3 hours working on it for every hour he drives
. Most of the old cars have had their inherent problems fixed by the aftermarket and expert restorers/rebuilders over the years, but the old Lotus's remain a tough nut to crack
.
You Tube
I've had a few that I'd count, each of which was special to me:
1994 BMW E34 540i and 2001 BMW E39 540i-6 speed:
200x Volvo C30 turbo 6-speed (heavily modded, Stage 3 tune):
1994 Toyota FZJ80 Land Cruiser (heavily modded for off-road):
2012 Panamera Turbo, tuned to 615 HP:
Perhaps not as "fun," but my current grocery getter: 2016 Mercedes E350 4Matic wagon:
By my recent count, I've owned 34 cars by this point, including the current stable of five. My wife thinks I have a problem. I say it's just a good start.
1980 Mercedes Benz four door 240D with a manual transmission. My introduction to independent four corner suspension and a torquey diesel engine. The fun was keeping it in second gear and running it like a bulldozer with rubber tracks through city streets.
We’ve only bought German cars since then…
I have a 2013 S212 and I really like it. Immensely practical, 30+ MPG highway, very comfortable, fast enough, safe as houses. It's a shame the US doesn't appreciate good longroofs.
