What Makes A Car Perfect For You?

"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia) 07/08/2017 at 16:38 • Filed to: Focus RS, Special Cars, Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche 997, DSM

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What makes a car great? Does it need to have a striking and intimidating shape? Is it all about performance metrics and engine output? Brand image and curb appeal? Today, I’ll cover my opinion on what exactly makes a car special, and it may or may not resonate with you.

Emotion Trumps Everything

The 997 will never go out of style. Taken from Google

What makes a car an emotional experience? For me it’s a combination of a lot of different things, a performance engine, a slick manual transmission, and a decent interior are some important places to start. A perfect example of this would be the 997 Porsche 911 Carrera S, packing a 3.8 liter flat six engine with 355 horsepower. Zero to sixty sprints occur in under five seconds, and can be controlled through one of the best six speed manual transmissions ever assembled. Ultra precise steering, world class brakes, and a simple yet elegant interior design make the 911 so much more than a sports car. The exterior design is timeless, instantly recognizable and absolutely gorgeous. There really isn’t a bad line on the car, and I’d venture to say that the Carrera S is one of the best cars you could ever hope to own.

I find the 997 interior to be a perfect balance between sporty, intelligence in execution, and luxury. Photo taken from Google

This 135is looks very good, not overstated but not mundane either. Photo taken from Google

I’d also like to make a serious case for the BMW 135i, featuring the loved and famed N54 twin turbocharged 3 liter inline six engine. The 135i is a back to basics approach with a 3,300 pound curb weight and 300 turbocharged horsepower quickly on tap. I remember my first drive in a 135i, it was an Alpine white six speed manual M sport model, and it was instantly a favorite. The minimalist interior was exactly what I’d like in my weekend sports car, super supportive seats and just the most necessary gauges and nothing that really doesn’t need to be there. The manual transmission was pretty good, albeit a bit rubbery in feeling. Nonetheless, the 135i clawed confidently through corners, and always had the correct amount of torque to pull me up to speed when the powerful brakes had halted me. What counted here was the fact that the 135i always put a smile on my face, and that’s all I ever needed it to do.

This is how a BMW interior should be done. No tacky iPad afterthought infotainment screens, nothing not needed. Photo taken from Google

The beloved 1990 Talon TSi. Photo credit - my iPhone “held correctly this time”

Just the other day, my childhood best friend and sidekick Nathan had taken me for a ride in his new 1990 Eagle Talon TSi. The car is rigged to shit, and he paid $1000 for it from a Craigslist ad. We had worked for a few weekends to get it right, and we took it for the first drive on Saturday, roughly 35 miles round trip. The Talon is mostly stock, it has a 16g turbo with a nice exhaust and a front mount intercooler system. It’s not fast, but it’s certainly not a slow car. With that being said, that was easily one of the funnest trips I’ve went on in a while, we were just two car crazed friends enjoying an old DSM and listening to the massive Tial blow off valve.

After multiple trips in the Talon this weekend, it really got me thinking about what matters when it comes to great cars. Here we were in a 225-260 horsepower Talon, and we were just looking for reasons to drive it, and there wasn’t a single second this weekend where we weren’t smiling like two idiots. The Talon makes all the right noises and just does all the right things. Sometimes, that’s all you really need as a car enthusiast. Sure, Nathan owns a 485 horsepower Dodge Challenger that sits on drag radials, but I couldn’t help but find myself enjoying the non air conditioned DSM even more.

Absolutely pissed off, wrong in all the right ways. Photo taken from Google

This brings me to a car I had driven Monday, a Nitrous Blue Ford Focus RS. The RS really needs no introduction, it’s an all wheel drive lunatic with 350 horsepower, a 3,400 pound curb weight, and a serious attitude problem. The exterior appearance is unapologetic, aggressive, and perfectly executed. The interior isn’t luxurious, but it doesn’t need to be. There’s a tachometer, speedometer, boost gauge, a nicely designed steering wheel and world class Recaro seats, that’s pretty much all somebody like myself cares about. The manual transmission and all wheel drive system are beyond great, traction is always there and shifts are very easy to execute. The RS has a very mean exhaust note, it’s always reminding you that you paid more for the RS and you make good decisions.

Steering was quite possibly on par with some of the exotics I’ve driven, move the wheel even slightly and the RS is ready to go EXACTLY where you told it to. This isn’t a car you’ll drive one handed or drive while texting. It’s also not blistering fast either. I’ve driven quite a few cars that would easily show the Focus RS some tail lights. In fact, it was a little on the slow side for the level of power in my opinion. The Lancer Evolution 8 had 276 horsepower and definitely runs faster numbers in stock to stock comparison. With that being said, I don’t care. The Focus RS is perfect to me. $36,000, horrendous ride quality, a slightly cheap interior, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The RS isn’t pretentious whatsoever, it is loud, in your face and it’s not ashamed of what it is.

Nothing really luxury here, this car has a purpose and it doesn’t hide it. Photo credit - Ford

I drove the Focus for roughly half an hour, and during no point did I ever feel like I was driving a Ford Focus. After my time was up, I didn’t want to give the keys up, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way about a newer car. If you’re depressed, upset or stressed out, go buy a Focus RS and I can assure you that’ll quickly change.

A Lifestyle

Again, performance metrics aren’t everything, reliability isn’t everything, and luxury isn’t everything. You buy a car because it’s a reflection of you, and because it makes a statement about you. Being a car enthusiast is the best lifestyle in the world, and your car should speak volumes about the type of person you are.

Cars like the Porsche 997, BMW 135i, Eagle Talon and Ford Focus RS are perfect because they’re heavily flawed in the right ways. It’s quite paradoxical, but it’s exactly how I see it. If I have a daily driver, I want air conditioning, navigation and satellite radio. Those luxuries are extremely important in a car I’m going to take big trips in and use it in that fashion. When I go to buy my weekend car, it needs to be a purchase that grabs at my heartstrings. If driving your sports car reminds you of your basic daily driver, you chose wrong.

A sports car should be an occasion, something you look forward to. You had a long twelve hour day at the office, and you take the long way home. You’ve had a bad day, and you go drive your car and cannot stop smiling, that’s the ticket. Every swipe of the shift lever, every kick of the clutch, and every blip of the throttle extracts a silly grin. You park your car to go into work and you turn around and snap three pictures of it, because you truly admire your purchase that much.

Nurburgring times, zero to sixty times, none of that carries serious weight for me. Any car can be fast, and fast is subjective anyways. Buy a car because it makes zero sense, because it has quirks you can’t live without, and most importantly, because you can’t live without it.

My Name is Matthew, and I’m an author of mediocre articles. If you’d like to follow me and read more of my thoughts on random vehicles, you can do so on my very mediocre and very new website !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! we also upload podcasts each Sunday.

Scary__goongala! > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 16:50

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If you can love a car because of it’s flaws, that makes it perfect in my mind. That was the case with my 83' Mercedes 300D at least.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Scary__goongala! 07/08/2017 at 16:55

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Couldn’t agree more! The experience, the emotion, that stuff all beats pure statistics every time for me.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:08

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Agreed. Emotion is what makes a car special. It can be the most mundane car but as long as you care for it and it is properly maintained (read: you don’t cheap out on substandard parts) that’s all that matters. It can be a Camry for all I care. As long as you like it and care for it, that makes someone a car person in my book. If they want to stance life it out, I don’t care as long as it’s done properly with air suspension so they can safely drive down the road. If a stanced out car parks next to a car that is a full track rat and can appreciate the track rat and talk shop respectfully then I’m all for it. We are all United by one thing: we like cars. There’s no need to self-segregate and divide people into a specific group. If you like cars and are respectful to others and their opinions, that should be all that matters.

Chuckles > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:09

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For me, it’s all about the experiences that you can have in a car that make it great. In high school, for me that was a 1993 Plymouth Voyager named Big Blue. Load it up with you and 6 of your friends and go have an adventure. For the last 2 years, for me that car is an NA Miata with the 1.8L engine and a 5 speed stick. Sure, it’s not fast but it’s light, simple, and handles like a go-kart. It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. A few months after I bought it, I drove it from North Carolina to Pennsylvania, taking back roads through the mountains of West Virginia, top down the whole time. When I crested the first mountain after about a dozen hairpins, I shouted “Wow!” to nobody in particular. Eventually I saw a sign for a scenic overlook, and I ended up driving about 3 miles up a gravel road through the forest before reaching a great vantage point. If I had been in something new and shiny I probably never would have taken that road. That’s the day that I knew that I had found the right car for me.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 07/08/2017 at 17:10

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Excellent point, and very nicely conveyed! I literally don’t think I could agree more. Cars truly are a reflection of their owner, and the car you drive speaks volumes about your personality. Love it!

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Chuckles 07/08/2017 at 17:12

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Miata is always a great answer, doesn’t matter the question. I love your Miata!

I can tell you’re really passionate about it, and it’s not hard to see why. They are so much fun to drive, getting from a to b in a timely manner doesn’t matter if you own the right car. I enjoyed this reply a lot!

Klaus Schmoll > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:17

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The heart wants what the heart wants. We all have different priorities. 0-60 times, being comfortable on a long commute, bragging rights about Nürburgring lap times, this thing called “fun” that can’t be put into a metric, you name it.

Ever since I was a kid, I thought 5 series Tourings were cool. I somewhat have a soft spot for comfy, practical cars that do just fine in the twisties. It’s a compromise, but if you can have only one car that does it all, they are hard to beat.

Finally bought one, and so far, it wasn’t a case of never meet your heroes.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Klaus Schmoll 07/08/2017 at 17:20

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Oooh I gotta know, what did you buy? Also, I agree with you all the way. Everyone has a different opinion on what makes a car perfect, this one was just through my eyes.

I love the E46, E34, and E39 touring models. Let’s not forget the fantastic E91!

Chuckles > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:28

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Thanks. I understand that the Miata isn’t for everyone though. It’s small, cramped, not overly powerful, and it has a soft top. But I love driving that thing. With top down you really can appreciate your surroundings more, and it feels like I can take any corner about 20mph faster than I could in my Civic.

I’m a big fan of “drive whatever makes you happy.” Sometimes it feels like there is too much judgement among car folks.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Chuckles 07/08/2017 at 17:30

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Convertibles always make the experience more visceral, cruising a road like the tail of the dragon is so much fun with the top down.

Klaus Schmoll > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:40

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I went for a one owner, perfect service history, E61 LCI because BMW corrected some of the faults with the facelift, and good E39s are impossible to find or go for silly money. The F11 is a wet noodle and my budget would only have bought a pre LCI car, and with BMWs you want a car that’s late into the product cycle. So there she is!

E90M3 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 17:42

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Perfect is the only word I can think of to describe this. Yes, it has flaws, but as a package, it’s perfect.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Klaus Schmoll 07/08/2017 at 17:42

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Oh...my.... I’m in love. The E61 is a favorite of mine as well, that one is mint! The F1X drove like crap in my opinion as well. The E39 is phenomenal but I’ve always said the E60/1 is the best driving 5 series.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > E90M3 07/08/2017 at 17:53

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There isn’t a single car from this era in this price range that beats the E9x M3. Perfect is indeed correct.

PG; the scalpel wielder > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 18:10

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Obviously have to agree with your assessment of the 1er. For me it was because it was different enough from my previous car (rsx s) and would be a formidable daily. Rwd, manual, light-ish and blue. Plus for it was quite luxurious as well with alcantra nav etc. The short shifter helps the rubbery shift feel somewhat. And now with the tuning ability on this platform I don’t think I could change it for somthin else. The MHD Android tuning has changed the game, uploading maps and changing exhaust burbles from my phone has utterly spoilt me.

Klaus Schmoll > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 18:10

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My mom still drives this. And I have to say that it’s hard to choose between an E61 and an E39. Similar yet a little lighter and more communicative. 530d manual diesel wagon at over 200k miles, so this should give her some jalop points. Racked up some expensive repair bills in 2016 but not enough to get her into a newer car, 2017 has been spotless so far.

wafflesnfalafel > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 18:46

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I just kinda like driving all cars, each one a new experience. I do generally prefer smaller, zippier vehicles to daily - and a good feeling car is important, (well thought out controls, good brakes, taught but supple suspension, etc.) One of the things I don’t like is complexity/useless gadgetry, (keyless push button start, power doors, waffle makers in the armrests, etc...) Emotion is a part of it, but I’ve had a blast driving butt ugly, slow as a snail vehicles too.

C62030 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 18:53

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I think I mostly want it to be very good at what it’s designed to do, and look good doing it. 70s Lincolns get terrible gas mileage, they’re incredibly slow, and they have the equipment levels of a 1940s prison. But they’re huge, roomy, airy inside, floaty and supremely comfortable, and thus are some of my favorite cars. Everything you do with it is simply a pleasurable experience (except parking). It also helps that Lincoln didn’t build a single ugly car between 1960 and 1979. My current car, too; it’s supposed to be a quick-ish, attractive, comfy commuter car if you want your commuter car to be a little more distinctive than an Elantra or Corolla, and it’s terrific at that.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > PG; the scalpel wielder 07/08/2017 at 18:54

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Oh damn, that’s one of the nicest 1er I’ve seen! Yeah I’ve not driven one with a SSK installed but I’ve heard it helps the shifting feel tremendously.

JB4 and other options make tuning these a breeze. You chose very well, and your good taste come through on this E82!

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Klaus Schmoll 07/08/2017 at 18:56

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I’m very in love with the E34T, the design is just so classic and truly BMW dominating that market. Huge kudos to you guys for this one!

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > wafflesnfalafel 07/08/2017 at 18:58

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Nope I agree with you a lot here. I used to have a blast driving my MK3 VW, mostly because it was light and very simple. Simplicity is good by me, hence why I love the simple 1 series BMW interior so much. Excellent points here. Some of the most entertaining cars I’ve driven are slow ones.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > C62030 07/08/2017 at 19:02

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I love the Lincoln models of the past as well. So much elegance and panache. Instant win in my book.

C62030 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 19:05

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The moment I can afford it, some time in the distant future, I’m buying a Mark V when they’re even cheaper. As it stands you can get a mint one for less than the price of a new Corolla.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > C62030 07/08/2017 at 19:08

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I can definitely get behind that, oddly I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mark VIII too

Die-Trying > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 19:09

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when JUST sitting in it, it feels like a deathtrap. when you have crawled over just about every part of it while putting it together. something that is worth more to me, than the sum of its parts...when it can keep you up at night dreaming about the next cruise up the street, and the adventures that the two of you will meet......

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Die-Trying 07/08/2017 at 19:14

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And just like that, we just became best friends. Love the car, and truly love the sentiment here.

C62030 > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 19:25

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I love its stance and general American-Aston-ness, but that melting-butter 90s styling drives me nuts.

Die-Trying > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 07/08/2017 at 19:57

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i always meet the nicest, most interesting people.......

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Die-Trying 07/08/2017 at 20:15

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We clearly have similar taste hah

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > C62030 07/08/2017 at 20:16

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You and me both, it’s always been a guilty pleasure of mine!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 08/27/2017 at 16:52

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Style, uniqueness, power, comfort and features.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/27/2017 at 18:29

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Absolutely, can’t be too one dimensional by any means.