Cars that speak to you

[John V]

I think a lot about cars. As busy as I've been lately with work, car projects, car parts projects, and the other things I commit to but don't have time for, I'm kind of surprised that I find time... but I do. Lately I've noticed my thoughts always drift back to specific cars, and that made me realize the cars that I'm NOT thinking about.

The cars I've owned are listed in order of ownership below. The ones I still own have a * next to them.

1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
1989 Honda Civic Si
1995 Ford Taurus SHO
1995 BMW M3
2000 Porsche Boxster S
1996 Nissan Altima
2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
1990 Mazda RX-7 GTUs
2003 BMW 330i ZHP
2002 BMW 330Ci*
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD*
1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
2011 Porsche Boxster S*
2005 BMW 330Ci

What is it about certain cars that imprint so strongly on our psyche? The RX-7 was my first car, the first thing that I spent my own money on. It was broken more than it ran and when it did run it was neither fast nor efficient. It was, you'd say, a bad car. But it had personality. It was always surrounded by the wonderful aroma of un-burned hydrocarbons. It had comfortable seats. It carried me to and from college year after year and accepted all the abuse a 16-20 year old could dish out. It seemingly begged me to run the tach up until it sounded the over-rev buzzer. And I don't care what anybody says, I love the sound of a turbocharged rotary.

My M3 was my first really good car. Maybe the first really good car I'd ever driven. It was love at first drive, and was the only car I've ever owned that truly lived up to my unrealistic expectations. I remember reading Car and Driver's effusive praise of the E36 M3 in my senior year of high school and thinking I'd have to drive one some day. The tactile nature of that car was like nothing I'd experienced, and I don't think BMW has yet made a better-sounding engine than the S50 inline-6 (sorry, S65). Mine was a very low-mile example when I bought it from the first owner, and it still smelled new, with that weird BMW aroma of crayons and leather. The E36 has a bad reputation for build quality and long-term durability, but mine was a sweetheart. Not many like that exist anymore.

There are some good cars in the rest of that list. My ZHP was arguably a better car than my M3, but the M54 engine lacked character and vigor. The chassis lacked the precision and playfulness of the M3. It was a good car, but I don't miss it tremendously. Whereas my M3 always sounded and felt faster than it really was, my ZHP always felt slower than it really was. There's something less fun about that.

My Z06 was, on paper, the best out of all of them. It had a reasonably spacious cabin. Plenty of room for road trips. A trustworthy chassis, lacking feel but ultimately extraordinarily capable and with seemingly endless grip. And the engine... oh my. The LS6 that pops and crackles between every shift, not from gimmicky programming but from a fat camshaft and mufflers that were just barely so. A bolt-action shifter. But I don't miss it. I had my fun with it, and moved on with life.

The Civic? Fun, but too slow. The SHO? A tire destroyer, and fun in its own way, but no. The 986 Boxster? When I sold it I never thought about it again... I was always wanting more from that car, and the 987 filled that bill perfectly.

I'm not sure the point of this post, other than to remind myself that nostalgia is a hell of a drug. It would almost be easier if my childhood lust for Ferraris and NSXs and Turbo Porsches had continued into adulthood, but it didn't. So please excuse me while I go back to surfing autotrader for E36 M3s and old RX-7s. :)

[clyde]

Can't type out list of cars I've owned, but I still think about my Fox body 5.0s. The '69 Corvette. The Q45. The RX-8. The Buicks, but not in good ways at all. I thought about my brother's SHO the other day that I drove a lot in the year he had it (which was not long after it was built), taking more than a few multi-day long driving trips, but had not really thought about it in years.

The most indelible impression of any car was the 2005(?) Ford GT and I only had a brief drive.

But I don't think cars speak to me universally. I think they speak to at the time. Maybe that's the nostalgia piece. The itches I need to scratch right now are of qualities, not embodiments of them. I want torque without torque steer. I want feel good V8 noises. I want enough tire.

[rumatt]

nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Yes sir it is. Memory lane is fun!

My ZHP was arguably a better car than my M3, but the M54 engine lacked character and vigor. The chassis lacked the precision and playfulness of the M3. It was a good car, but I don't miss it tremendously. Whereas my M3 always sounded and felt faster than it really was, my ZHP always felt slower than it really was. There's something less fun about that.

I remember back when I first got my E46 and everyone in the forums was shitting all over it and raving about the E36 M3. I went and test drove them a couple times and every time I left not feeling the love. It was different and nice in many ways, but it felt dated, flexy and rattly... and not all that much faster.

Not that there's anything wrong with dated, flexy or rattly. But if I'm willing to accept those compromises then it opens the door much wider. Why not just buy a sports car instead?

A 3-series is a frigging family sedan, not a sports car. To me there's something strange about a luxury sedan with a stiff suspension and loud exhaust. To me the E46 330 is more authentic and owns what it was designed to be more than a E36 M3, or even an E46 M3. And for whatever reason, in my bizarre brain that scores a lot of points.

EDIT: This is also what kept me out of the M2. I couldn't wrap my head around the dual personality. Loud exhaust, stiff suspension... in a luxury coupe. :scratch: Given those characteristics I'd rather have the real thing - so I bought a Cayman.

EDIT 2: I'm not poo-poo'ing anyone else's preferences. Just trying to elaborate on "cars that speak to me" and try to figure out why.

[ff]

I've owned a few, but my clear favorite is the S2000. Ironically, the qualities of that car that made it destined not to survive beyond one product cycle (simple, no-frills, and involving to drive), are the qualities that I liked most about it. I guess the rest of the car-buying public just doesn't get it. :D

[bren]

Lately my cars seem to be saying "F U" to me. :/

[FC]

I've liked all my cars in one way or another. I'd have to say the 987S was my favorite as far as driving nirvana, but I probably had the most attachment to the ZHP. Just too many firsts (first new car, first MT car, first performance car, first ED, etc).

The Turbo is definitely memorable and an awesome experience to own and drive. The Miata, surprisingly, is a car I'm loving more and more. It fulfills it role perfectly. I could say the same of the LR4. I've had it for 3.5 years now and I could still see myself owning it for 10+ years.

[Plaz]

I haven't owned as many as most of you, but I'd say the three that stay in my mind are my '85 CRX, my '02 E46 330i, and of course my current '11 1M.

[rumatt]

Lately my cars seem to be saying "F U" to me. :/
:lol:

[John V]

I remember back when I first got my E46 and everyone in the forums was shitting all over it and raving about the E36 M3. I went and test drove them a couple times and every time I left not feeling the love. It was different and nice in many ways, but it felt dated, flexy and rattly... and not all that much faster.

You're not wrong. The E46 is a better car. And neither the E46 nor the E36 (nor the E90) are sports cars.

What the E36 represents to me is a fairly visceral and engaging multitasker. I think Josh has called the 3-series "The Ultimate Compromise Machine." You have an E46 and a Cayman so you don't need one car to try to be both a practical daily car and a sports car. When I was thinking about cars in 2002 I needed something that could do everything - fun daily driver, enough room for road trips, reasonably efficient, and affordable - and the E36 fit that bill. The closest "new" thing that exists to that in my mind is (was) the RX-8, and I probably would own one if (ironically) it didn't have a rotary. The GTI is close as well, but ... FWD. Boo.

Bad E36s are pretty bad, as you say they can be creaky and rattly. Good E36s are really pretty good.

[Biggins]

Being probably the youngest one on here, I missed most of the pre 90s cars. I still enjoy the FR-S and don’t plan to sell it, but I’m one who holds onto cars.

The 1-series BMW is probably a car I will need to own. I drove a diesel hatch version briefly in Europe over a decade ago, and it’s a car I still want to own. However, I spoke with a couple guys from VA Beach who autocross one, and all the “care” that car needs has had me second guessing getting one.

The next two cars on my list are an E36 Touring and an old 2002, but I have to wait a couple more years to import the wagon and affordable 2002s don’t seem show up anymore. If I don’t get anything else fun in the next few years, I will seriously consider these options. I’m always looking for unique BMWs though.

My tastes usually differ from what my attainable budget allows, so that has always led me more to Japanese cars, but I find myself regularly checking classifieds for: Nissan 240SX/300ZX/350Z, Honda Civic Si/S2000, Lexus IS F, Mazda RX7/8, Acura NSX, Toyota MR2/Supra. I guess it would really be all of the “Fast and Furious/Gran Turismo” era cars… except Subarus, never loved Subarus (I realize the irony of my FR-S).

[Theo]

I tend to never lust after or look at cars out of my lifetime price range. Zero interest. That said after 91 I started liking all of my purchases. Would I want to own all of them again. Of course not but they all do have a place in my heart.

If I had to revisit a couple I would say the E36 M3 and MAYBE a 94-95 turbo MR2.

The only other cars I even want to look at right now are the E92 6spd M3 and an 11+ 987.2 Boxster S.

[JST]

Credit where it's due--I think Clyde came up with "ultimate compromise machine."

Both JV and FC hit on an interesting point. Like music, cars can resonate on an emotional level and a car that you owned at a particular time in your life can develop resonance that's all out of proportion to what the car actually did.

And of course your baseline changes over the years, and the reference points change, and the cars that you remember as being world beating may not be so great in retrospect.

I tend to agree that the E36 M3 is an amazing car. I've said before and I'll say again that it might be the best car ever built, in terms of doing everything well, and it might be the best car that ever *will* be built, given the trends in the industry.

The E46 330 was a brilliant car, too, and probably better than the M3 overall, but I always felt like the M52/54 was a little too lacking in personality to be a really outstanding engine.

I'll add the R56 Mini as a car that just spoke to me (and in which I finally felt like a halfway decent autocrosser).

And the 987 Boxster has an amazing combination of traits.

[dan]

http://i.imgur.com/MWeWIwr.png

[Nick M3]

I'm really enjoying my E36. Everything about it just feels right in a way that so few other cars come close to. And the S50B32 radically improves the feel of the car. (It's much more about the way the engine feels than the moderate power bump.)

The E46 is nice, and I've got mine to a point where it really feels good, but it just doesn't have the steering and cockpit feel and mechanical sense that the E36 does. (Even though it should be better by every technical definition.) E30s are also very entertaining, but they don't match the overall package that the E36 offers.

[Jeff_DML]

http://i.imgur.com/MWeWIwr.png

fitting post for this

http://13252-presscdn-0-94.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/00b0b_bIKhgkTmZok_1200x900-620x349.jpg

http://bringatrailer.com/2017/05/09/dakargelb-einhorn-2003-bmw-325xi-touring-5-speed/

[Nick M3]

fitting post for this

http://13252-presscdn-0-94.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/00b0b_bIKhgkTmZok_1200x900-620x349.jpg

http://bringatrailer.com/2017/05/09/dakargelb-einhorn-2003-bmw-325xi-touring-5-speed/

Not 100% sure it's the same car, but...

[Plaz]

http://i.imgur.com/MWeWIwr.png

The Archivist (http://web.archive.org/web/20080701050719/http://redwing.hutman.net:80/~mreed/warriorshtm/archivist.htm)

http://web.archive.org/web/20080701050719im_/http://redwing.hutman.net:80/~mreed/Assets/archivist.jpg

(and yes, I appreciate the irony of my post)

[John V]

I'm really enjoying my E36. Everything about it just feels right in a way that so few other cars come close to. And the S50B32 radically improves the feel of the car. (It's much more about the way the engine feels than the moderate power bump.)

I really must find a way to get behind the wheel of this car. Though that could be a very expensive test drive for me. :lol:

[wdc330i]

The E46 must have resonated with me, since I've owned four of them in various iterations (330i step/non-sport; 330i manual/sport; 325xiT step; M3C manual.)

I had the 330i manual/sport for 7 years. And it was an extremely satisfying all-around, semi-practical car.

Plaz, I also drove the CRX back in the day and loved it. Ended up with a manual Accord EX hatchback instead (more practical). Liked that a lot and kept it for 9 years.

I drove only one E36, but it was a convertible and pretty ragged.

The M240i is fun, but in a somewhat synthetic way. Turbo power, fake exhaust sound, adjustable suspension, etc. Oh, and an auto transmission.

It is however, the hit of the eleven-year-old boys club. :lol: All my son's friends want to ride in it.

Short of a real sports car with a stick, I can't imagine anything I'd rather be driving currently. (And I wouldn't want to drive that sports car with a stick everyday, nor would it have enough utility for our second car needs.)

If I hadn't wanted a convertible, I might have opted for the M2. But, probably not. I can't see putting up with a two-door unless it's a convertible or a roadster. I would have just kept the E91, which was a great car in its own right--although not a standout in any one area.

So, I guess that leaves me with the Ultimate Compromise Machine. Again. ;)

Car list (before I can't remember anymore--I don't remember the MY of the early ones.) Thirty-seven years of car ownership, including the spouse's primary cars:

Mazda GLC
Accord EX Hatchback
Accord EX Sedan
Volvo 850 Sedan
2001 330i
2002 330i
2001 Z3 2.5 (spouse's)
2003 325xiT
2006 530xiT (spouse's)
2006 M3C
2009 X5 3.0 (eventually the spouse's)
2012 328iT
2016 X5 50i (spouse's)
2017 M240i CV

We're done for awhile. Unless the Boxster bug bites again.

Edit: I'd say the E46 M3C was my favorite. Power, handling, top-down capability. But I know I struggled with the harsh ride on DC streets from time to time. And I only had it for a couple of years or so.

[Jeff_DML]

I liked my e46 when I had it but afterwards compared to some of my other cars it is pretty soft,numb and squishy. It was still fun kind of sliding/pushing it around on the track

I bitch about my E90 M but it was better drivers car over the E46(guess it should be since M). E36 M was better then E90 M for me.

[equ]

Cars that have "spoken to me":

OWNED

* 2000 Audi A4 2.8q 5-speed: my first nice car, bought when I was 27 and single, lots of memories, ski trips, etc. Bought new, owned for 4+ years.

* 2001 Porsche 911 C2: my first sports car, the steering truly spoke to me, so very direct. The suspension beat me up. Aerokit lapis blue. Lots of attention even in NYC. Owned for a summer. Decided it was not practical enough for an only car (should've kept the a4, but I thought differently back then and limited myself to one).

* 2004 BMW 330Ci & 2003 330i ZHP's. These were awesome all-around for the day and my driving abilities, where I was much closer to max'ing them out both in a straight-line and occasionally on turns. Very balanced, great on highways. The coupe was leased. Imola/Natural Brown had to go (long story) so I swapped the lease and bought the Orient Blue/Cloth sedan.

* 2006 Porsche Cayman S: Sold the Orient ZHP for this car. Atlas gray, very low option, bought new. Owned for 5+ years. First real commitment to porsche and enjoyed it greatly with no headaches. Car had no actual faults, at all, other than a trunk adjust here and a slight noise there. This is when I started owning more than one car at the same time.

Those were an e39 528i, b6 s4 avant and finally an e90 330xi. All three were good cars and relieved the cayman for the winter. None really spoke to me, nor did they need to.

* 2006 BMW 330i ZSP: Even as a daily/winter, this car spoke to me. I had tons of fun and connection that I never had with the same year 330xi.

Sold the 330i rwd after a particularly difficult winter for the b8 a4 (bought new). The a4, I had for 4+ years, but it never spoke to me. The x5 diesel that replaced it was a total fail. The 2011 335xi lemans blue, kind of spoke, but the front suspension still ruined things a bit (and overall level of grip). That was replaced by a b8.5 s4 (bought new) which also failed a bit (as well as the red getting to me). I should never buy a red car again, although I continually get attracted to them.

* 2011 Porsche Cayman S - Very much so. More than a 997.2 (2010) Carrera or a 2016 GT4 (go figure!)

* 2001 BMW M3 (e46): Flawed but speaks to me at times. It must as I'm at 4+ years. Still don't like the stock suspension/handling. Great rear grip, funny front end and a little lacking in feel for a hydraulic. Weighting is perfect. With SSK, shifting and stoc clutch are excellent. Engine sounds great with an exhaust. Laguna Seca makes it for me. So it does speak, but not like a porsche because turns are just not as fun.

* 2013 Boxster S - Still a bit overly modern, too many toys in the interior. But the sound, feel and driving is first rate. Awesome and it continues to excel. Not one issue.

The f10 535i doesn't speak to me. I do like the mk7 GTI Perf Pack 6-speed, APR Stg 1. It's not mine, but it's great when I drive it.

TEST DRIVES - WISHES:


* s2000 : again and again. I just loved this car in 2006 and it was a close second to the cayman. Just didn't want a convertible at the time. The z4 or the miata cannot touch it.

* aston vantage v8: sort of like a not much faster but better looking and figured out e46 m3 with only 2-seats. The balanced feel & steering, revvy v8 definitely spoke to me

* subaru brz: this was an awesome car, baby base cayman, great in turns, slow and unsatisfying on a straight.

* e36 m3/rx-8: never owned these cars, but always enjoyed driving them. I wasn't into cars until about 2004.

CONCLUSIONS

I do love manuals and relatively simple interiors, and my choices are getting fewer and far in between. I could go into audi, bmw, porsche dealerships 8 to 12 years ago and be excited, those times are passing. I love the 981S, but I do miss certain aspects of the 987 (simpler interior, steering feel) this is made up for by better brakes, more front grip, better long distance.

I am running out of break time, so to be continued on conclusions...

[equ]

I drove an aging 1st gen Jeep GC near a Maine beach a few years back. Perhaps it was the surroundings, friends, etc, but I kind of liked it. Straight-six, not oversized, decent steering feel for an SUV.

[blee]

Hmm, cars I've owned (as the primary driver):

1987 Oldsmobile Calais (parents)
2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
1999 BMW M3
1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
1988 BMW M3
2004 Ford SVT Focus
1992 BMW 525i
2007 Saturn Aura XR (inherited)
2011 Chevy Silverado (still have it)
2003 BMW M3 (still have it)

Most of these cars spent a short amount of time with me; in fact, the Silverado is the first one to pass five years of ownership. And only three of them were bought new.

I've always been a gearhead, but I think my uber-frequent car trading was a sort of self-therapy for being miserable at work before I quit. It was pretty stupidly expensive to do that, but on the flip side, I've owned some pretty cool cars. Favorites include...well, you know already. I've liked them all, though, and my reminiscence of each one brings with it the memories of that period of my life -- some much more pleasant than others.

[Alan]

Now this is a cool thread ... I've had 37 cars not including the one's I've purchased for my wife and kids and to think of the favorites is tough ...

Like John I love the Rx's having had 3 of them ... there is nothing like them, also LOVE LOVE LOVE the Corvettes (had 4) !!

If I had to pick my 'past' favorite cars ever it would be my 85 RX7 GSL-SE, 91 MR 2 turbo and my 2006 Corvette coupe ... all purchased new and was in love with all of them.

Currently love the present 991s and R8 !!!

[rumatt]

Now this is a cool thread ... I've had 37 cars not including the one's I've purchased for my wife and kids
Holy shit man, that's incredible.

[Terri Kennedy]

http://13252-presscdn-0-94.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/00b0b_bIKhgkTmZok_1200x900-620x349.jpg

http://bringatrailer.com/2017/05/09/dakargelb-einhorn-2003-bmw-325xi-touring-5-speed/

There’s only one interior shot, but leather on the driver’s side doesn’t look too bad–that said, we can’t see the upper bolster very well.
That's because it is leatherette, not leather. No cold weather package or PDC, either. Someone went through the [large] effort to order an Individual car and then didn't option it up.

The rub strips on the sides and bumper are a nice standard feature of the E46, but you really need a dark exterior color for them to not look out of place.

I think my wagon's title of "highest-optioned E46 325xiT ever sold in the US" is safe. :D

[FC]

Holy shit man, that's incredible.

:+1

Damn.:eek:

[Alan]

Holy shit man, that's incredible.

:+1

Damn.:eek:


It just makes me realize how old I'm getting :ack:

[wdc330i]

It just makes me realize how old I'm getting :ack:

I'm conscious of the fact that my current car is probably one of the last--if not the last--sporty cars I may own. I can't see myself still bumping around on sport suspensions in my '60s. But who knows?

[lemming]

Cars that spoke/speak:
1999 M3
2000 M Coupe
2004 STi
2004 Z06
1991 MX5
2009 987 S
2004 C4S
2013 M3
2008 R56 S
2009 MX5
1985 Carrera 3.2

Cars that made me shrug:
C6 Z06
1998 C2S
1998 SAAB 9-3 SE
1998 Volvo S70T5
2005 Legacy GT 5spd
2011 135i
2008 WRX
2011 G37
1997 VW GTI VR6
1998 VW Jetta GLX

Did not include any SUVs or station wagons for obvious reasons.

[3LOU5]

I'm kinda embarrassed to list the cars that I've owned.

Ah fucket, y'all know I'm not a true carmudgeon anyway, so here goes:

1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback (1.8L four/5-speed manual) - my sister's hand-me-down. Couldn't ask for a better first car.
1988 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab (2.3L four/5-speed manual) - LOTS of memories with this rig. Was in the Army, with a dirt bike, girls on the truck bed....
1987 Honda Accord LXi Liftback (2.0L four (iirc)/5-speed manual) - the first manual I loved revving the snot out of.
2002 BMW 325i (2.5L six/5-speed manual)* - my current DD, and my first "real" car.
2000 Honda Odyssey (3.5L six/4-speed with OD automatic) - had great memories with this minivan camping and touring the country.
1994 K1500 Chevrolet Silverado (5.7L with automatic)* - AWESOME beater/snow/tow rig. Gets driven about 5-6000 miles a year.
2016 Toyota Sienna SE (3.5L six/6-speed automatic)* - Great highway cruising machine with all the comfort and room.

*currently own

It's safe to say that my BMW is the car that "speaks to me". I love it so much, I'm actually wondering if it is possible to use it as a coffin when it's time for me to check out.

Funny, as a kid I always dreamt of owning a Porsche. But it was way too expensive and not very practical. Being in a gambling town, I'd vow to purchase one if I ever hit it big....which probably won't happen since I go to the casinos about 4 times a year, LOL.

So I guess I'll just keep dreaming on....

[equ]

I'm kinda embarrassed to list the cars that I've owned.

Ah fucket, y'all know I'm not a true carmudgeon anyway, so here goes:



Why, you actually have a tasteful excellent list. It's not about number of cars or how much $$$ they cost.

[3LOU5]

Why, you actually have a tasteful excellent list. It's not about number of cars or how much $$$ they cost.

You're being too kind, lol.

Compared to you guys with high-end/high-performance cars, I might as well be driving a Yugo.

But it's all good.

[wdc330i]

You're being too kind, lol.

Compared to you guys with high-end/high-performance cars, I might as well be driving a Yugo.

But it's all good.

Not true. A manual 2002 325 is a fantastic car. Absolutely a keeper.

[rumatt]

Not true. A manual 2002 325 is a fantastic car. Absolutely a keeper.
Exactly! I still like my e46 best!!!

[Nick M3]

I really must find a way to get behind the wheel of this car. Though that could be a very expensive test drive for me. :lol:
I have come to the conclusion that the E36 M3 is the platonic ideal of a car.

[FC]

I have come to the conclusion that the E36 M3 is the platonic ideal of a car.

No doubt. Light, simple, great handler, a bit raw, not overpowered, factory LSD. It's like a high-quality 4-door Miata in comparison.

[equ]

I have come to the conclusion that the E36 M3 is the platonic ideal of a car.

You have them, you're probably right.

I've never had one, just test drives. It was always a hoot. Willing turn-in with four seats. But also a bit creaky and weak-feeling for daily duty.

[equ]

Exactly! I still like my e46 best!!!

Not better than the Cayman R. I had my chance in early 2012 to buy brand new around the 70k mark, 75k for a loaded one. Having all the time in the world, I test drove and negotiated at one or two NJ dealers, two PA dealers and two CT dealers. It was hard to get them off MSRP, maybe a tiny bit, and I was still looking for my next gig. Felt cheap and got the 2011 Cayman S in the wrong color. With remus, lsd, tax and tip, that car probably cost me $10k for just under a year. And then the economy and 987.2 values bounced back.

Shoulda coulda woulda.

[lemming]

I have come to the conclusion that the E36 M3 is the platonic ideal of a car.

Yes