"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
07/17/2017 at 20:41 • Filed to: None
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"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
07/17/2017 at 20:41 • Filed to: None | 3
| 20 |
Winter in Melbourne is a hideous thing, far too cold. Even so, I braved the weather and drove an hour down the coast with the roof off to see my buddy’s new-to-him 3-series ‘vert.
I love targa tops. I’ve owned many cars with t-tops. But never a convertible and they are not the same.
This one is a fancy BMW with fancy heated seats. And the wind coming through the center of the car from behind was crap, even with the 4 windows up. And the body creaked like you wouldn’t believe. And the windows shook over every bump with the roof off. And it’ll never look as good as a targa or t-bar, it’s heavy and the boot is compromised, the b-pillar visibility is shit and the roof will one day cease to function then rot into oblivion sending the car to an early grave. And screw the fake woodgrain and the ageing dash display.
The MR2 may be twice its age and made with more plebeian materials. But it’s not
pretending
to be fancy. Between that and the chassis flop, you could make a case for the little Toyota feeling more premium.
I’m not usually against convertibles - it’s not a racecar after all. But it was so noticeable . It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great. And someone in 2002 paid a lot of money for not great . T-tops for me thanks.
Somebody somewhere paid a pretty penny to option this thing
Bonus: he tells me the Crown is running a little rich
Honeybunchesofgoats
> Nauraushaun
07/17/2017 at 21:25 |
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Eh, personally, I think the fact that they feel cheap is part of the appeal of convertibles.
sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> Nauraushaun
07/17/2017 at 21:30 |
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I want to say the first convertible I went in was either my aunts silver S3 Alfa Spider or another family friend’s red over tan 380SL. I was very very young.
itranthelasttimeiparkedit
> Nauraushaun
07/17/2017 at 21:34 |
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hrrrrrrrng mr2
JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
> Nauraushaun
07/17/2017 at 21:35 |
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I think it has more to do with taking the roof structure and fundamental aspect of the vehicle away from cars not designed as convertibles from the onset. The targa top and T-top are really the best compromises. A stock C4 Corvette chassis is jarringly flexible without the top (originally intended to be a T-top before people wanted to feel more like Thomas Magnum), but you can turn the rigidity and (relative) quiet back on again when the desire for fresh air and wind in the hair turns to to carving corners. I must say that a Miata or Z4 provides natural and enjoyable top-down driving, but it would a complete failure of either model not to. A 3er cab is more of an if you really must , but the intersection of 3 series buyers and convertible buyers is pretty sizable. Two good things won’t always make a great one, but it can be the best possible fit for some situations.
For Sweden
> Nauraushaun
07/17/2017 at 21:55 |
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Oppo can’t handle this much Aussiesitelock...
But I can
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Nauraushaun
> For Sweden
07/17/2017 at 23:05 |
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god i wish that were me
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Nauraushaun
> JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
07/17/2017 at 23:06 |
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But surely the E46 was made for it! After all the 3 series ‘verts that came before. Clearly they just didn’t care.
Good to hear about the Miata and Z4. I think it helps them being much smaller cars too. Harder to flex a shorter chassis.
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Nauraushaun
> itranthelasttimeiparkedit
07/17/2017 at 23:07 |
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It’s mine and I’d take it over all the others any day of the week
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Nauraushaun
> sm70- why not Duesenberg?
07/17/2017 at 23:07 |
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None of my friends or family or aunts have any interest in convertibles at all. Somehow I’m the only car guy in the family. Save for a cousin who trades supercharged Commodores for even more supercharged Commodores
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Nauraushaun
> Honeybunchesofgoats
07/17/2017 at 23:08 |
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YEAH?!? Maybe some, but surely that’s against everything BMW wants you to think about their bread-and-butter 3-series! If BMW can’t get a 3-series right after 25 years of trying, what CAN they do!?
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JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
> Nauraushaun
07/18/2017 at 00:04 |
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It would have been more accurate to describe it as a clean sheet design, like how the E30 was a coupe from the getgo and subsequent generations were sedan-based. It seems that convertibles can be treated as afterthoughts when the company focuses so heavily on accentuating driving characteristics in a given model that a convertible variant will detract from, and that they need not do more than offer one to satiate those who want them. In other words, an automaker might infer that the ‘vert buyer places too little value on the engineering merits of the sedan or coupe—relative to the value placed on open-top motoring—for extensive re-engineering of the convertible to be financially prudent. Of course, I am being purely speculative.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Nauraushaun
07/18/2017 at 23:32 |
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nice, though your steering wheel is somehow on the wrong side?
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Nauraushaun
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
07/18/2017 at 23:44 |
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THERE’S A WORLD OUTSIDE AMERICA MY MAN
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Nauraushaun
> JayZAyEighty thinks C4+3=C7
07/18/2017 at 23:46 |
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God. That makes sense, and if true says a lot.
Convertible buyers care more about looking good and being seen in a BMW than the BMW actually being any good. Whether it handles poorly or whether you can hear it flexing and flopping doesn’t matter, nor does the fact that it’s a very expensive car.
No wonder there are so many stereo types. FYI the t-top 300ZXs and MR2 are wonderful cars.
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gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Nauraushaun
07/18/2017 at 23:57 |
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I was joking. If so , then why do you have the same size plates?!?!? These are the questions we need answer to.
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Nauraushaun
> gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
07/19/2017 at 00:11 |
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Haha, I never know what to think on here. So much American stuff flying around.
Uhhh those cars are actually JDM so they’re supposed to have smaller plates but they don’t does that answer your question
spaced99
> Nauraushaun
07/19/2017 at 19:43 |
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Very nice MR2 there.
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Nauraushaun
> spaced99
07/19/2017 at 23:32 |
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Thanks mate we’re very happy together
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spaced99
> Nauraushaun
07/20/2017 at 11:41 |
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I’m trying to find a MKII of my own, but it’s slim pickins in my region. There’s either MKIs (mostly thrashed ones at that), which are neat, but not for me, or MKIIIs, which I have zero interest in for multiple reasons.
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Nauraushaun
> spaced99
07/20/2017 at 22:38 |
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It’s a sad state of affairs. When you exclude the autos, the riced cars, the thrashed cars, the badly aged cars...there’s not a heap left. They’re quite an old car now. And good turbos pretty much don’t exist. And any turbo is priced highly.
Mine isn’t perfect but I love it all the same :)