Perfect Cars?

"BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion" (pbs) 07/07/2014 at 12:24 • Filed to: None

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Ok, so while there probably isn't such a thing as THE perfect car, is there such a thing as a car that could be called perfect, in the sense that it fills out a specific niche so perfectly that there's little to nothing that could be designed differently to improve it? Are there multiple "quintessential" cars like that? If so, what are they? Are they all classics for being the first models to get a formula "right", modern offerings that perfect said formulas or a mix of both? Here's a pair I would definitely include in that list:

Now what are yours?

EDIT: Folks, do try to keep in mind, this isn't about your perfect car, or a car that would be perfect for your needs, it's about cars that completely fill out the formulas they were created to. What I'm trying to argue here, in the examples above, is that the 250 SWB and 911S are the perfect Ferrari and Porsche because they embody the spirit of their own concepts without fault or excess.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 12:35

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This is my "perfect car" And by that I mean its the car I could DD 365 for the rest of my life and be completely content.

YSI-what can brown do for you > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 12:37

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That's a hard question for me to answer. I like to many cars to pick just one! I guess a 240sx with a 1UZ swap is the top of my list right now.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 12:41

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TDI, manual Defender 110. The perfect off roader. No Jeep, no Land Cruiser. This is the PERFECT overland off road vehicle. Can be repaired with a hammer and a spanner.

And what I consider the be the perfect sport sedan. 2003 BMW M5 E39

Granted this one is a little bit more perfect; upgraded brakes, tires, suspension, exhaust, and ECU.

EL_ULY > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 12:41

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R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 07/07/2014 at 12:43

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I love that weird 90s teal for some reason, it just makes me happy and want to listen to Sugar Ray all day. But, seriously, I feel the same about both of my selections, I would DD either of them until the end of time, even if I could afford some ridiculous exotic I would still have only those 2 for myself.

DipodomysDeserti > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 07/07/2014 at 12:49

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In that color?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 07/07/2014 at 12:51

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I also love the teal which is why seeing this breaks my heart. It's been off and on CL a few times in the last 4 years.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/454726…

thevoid > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 12:53

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I think I might have to get a bit philosophic and claim that ultimately the 'perfect' car will be subjective. From the few replies I see below on mobile view this seems to be the consensus, thus far.

One person's perfect car could be another's nemesis?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > DipodomysDeserti 07/07/2014 at 12:58

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Yes or a nice dark Purple.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > DipodomysDeserti 07/07/2014 at 12:59

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A defender 110 in teal? hell no An M5??? even hell-er no!!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:02

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That Volvo though...

Id put the 242 Turbo front end on it tho

EL_ULY > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 07/07/2014 at 13:03

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e39 M5 with those exact mods....all day!!!!

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:04

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Ok so in my head looking at these pictures I saw:

1.) For the Stingray, very attractive and slightly older woman in a mid-thigh dress bent over adjusting her heels (note - nothing actually showing, just the subtle and very attractive outline of her body, hinting at its capabilities)

2.) For the E30, I picture the super fitness type women, resplendent in yoga pants and sports bra (flared wheel arches) with color matched training shoes. You know, the type of woman that makes you lose count of your reps, or makes you linger a bit longer before you begin your set just so you can stare out of your peripheral vision.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:06

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Those are some nice choices. I wanted to include a Corvette in my picks up there, but I'd have to give it some thought on which model I'd include, so I left only the Porsche and Ferrari. I think the C2 is a good choice here, as it's when the classic Corvette recipe really came together for the first time.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:07

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You know it! If I get to do a possible job at the start of the year, I will definitely be able to buy my e39 (finally) and modify it properly; as well as buy the wife her Audi Allroad she wants; as well as fully convert my Disco into the overlander she wants to be; as well as pay off all debt and if I continue doing that job for the next few years: buy the house the wife wants and save enough for medical school so I don't have to work through it and don't have any debt when I finish residency, so I can open my own practice.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > thevoid 07/07/2014 at 13:20

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I may not have been perfectly clear in the question... what I meant by perfect isn't the car that is perfect for a specific person's needs, but perfect in the sense that it completely filled its niche right out of the factory. For example, the 250 GT, fo all Ferraris, is the one that best embodies the spirit of the classic front engined V12 berlinettas, while the original 911S does the same for Porsche.

EL_ULY > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 07/07/2014 at 13:21

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i'm going through that at the moment, house shopping is a pain, wife going to enter school soon, wondering what to do with my Audi A6 avant and what she will drive, and wanting to eventually open my own shop. Give it hell man and don't give up.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > YSI-what can brown do for you 07/07/2014 at 13:22

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Right, but how would you rank the original, unmodified, 240SX in its own category? Was it the best car to represent the small, affordable 2+2 coupe segment, or did it have something missing or in excess?

EL_ULY > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 13:23

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That was the base for my choices, the recipe that came from institution cars, legends, and standards

YSI-what can brown do for you > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 13:25

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It was missing a lot, like power, and a nice engine, oh and a good diff. The chassis is pretty good though, and it is light! Like 2600lbs, and you can get them down to nearly 2300 lbs as well. I like the cars unmodified, but they are so much cooler when modified properly!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 13:26

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Lancia are good at this:

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:36

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In the meantime, I've been blessed tremendously. Moved to new town for wife's job, found a badass IT job that keeps me engaged, happy, and paid.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 13:37

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//rubs hands gleefully

The MK1 MGB was a very honest car - it's what the Miata was before the Miata, a little two seater convertible that was fun and fashionable. British Leyland's attempts to improve it resulted in the hopeless MK3 with its pig-ugly rubber bumpers and stilt-like suspension.

The good old Beetle. Reliable and dependable whilst remaining quirky, the Beetle just can't be made any differently. Point all the Hitler jokes you want at it, but you can't deny significance and success of its design.

A car so simple and rugged you couldn't make it any simpler. I love the 2CV.

People out there are cutting these up to make 250 GTO replicas. Stahp. Pls. This is my favourite Ferrari because it's just so elegantly beautiful. And it's got a V12. Pls.

The 190E is teutonic engineering for the masses.

And the 600 Großer is teutonic engineering at its very best. I still maintain that this, with its hydraulics, is the best car Mercedes ever made.

True, over its life, the original Mini was updated with many little things. But, the basic design remained the same and it could be argued that it's design was so perfect that it became the basic template for all FWD economy cars to come.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 13:47

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Yup, you understood perfectly the original question, that's the kind of perfect I'm referring to!

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/07/2014 at 13:50

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Oh yeah, those are perfect examples! The Delta would probably have to slot in with the Audi Sport Quattro S2, as a quintessential AWD sports hatchback. Not that that's a bad thing, of course.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 07/07/2014 at 13:50

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Yeah, perfect answers, moar please!

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 13:54

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Land Rover Defender 110 Diesel would be my number 1 choice but it is not offered in North America.

For something I could buy here it would be a Ford Raptor Crew Cab but with a 3.2L inline 5 powerstroke diesel from the Transit (it doesn't exist but it should).

EL_ULY > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 07/07/2014 at 14:21

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heck yeah dude!!! I have to deal with immigration (wife in Mexico) expensive paperwork and taking a lot of time, but in the next month or so it will be done! I'll be the bread winner til she gets to Murica, goes to school, and get into the workforce, but all worth it because our ladies are awesome right :]

EL_ULY > EL_ULY 07/07/2014 at 14:22

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Range Rover needs to be included for sure. So does Countach and a "Fusca" :]

MAXIMUMVRM > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 14:34

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my perfect car is the Audi RS6 avant.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > YSI-what can brown do for you 07/07/2014 at 15:20

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Yeah, but that's the thing, the question was more in the lines of what cars best represent their concepts, what car is the quintessence of the segment in which it was produced. I think the 240SX is a good answer, and I actually wouldn't say it was missing all of those things, because it had them, it would be a different car, not an affordable, 2+2 sporty coupe.

Jedidiah > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 16:40

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Perfect personal luxury car is the Cadillac Eldorado. Absolutely no compromises for comfort. No false sporting pretensions—FWD for more legroom. No size constraints—it's big and it doesn't care, short wheelbases are not comfortable. No gimmicks—it does comfort the simple way with plush seats and a soft suspension. No four doors here—its all about cradling the driver. The engine is no way designed for efficiency or performance, it was made to carry the weight around smoothly and effortlessly.

YSI-what can brown do for you > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 07/07/2014 at 22:57

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It is a probably the best affordable 2+2 sport coupe you could buy. Affordable being the key word, if you compare it to something like a Porsche 911. . . well its toast, at least when it is stock.