Musings About My Corvette

"Jay Lauer" (thefaultinourcars)
04/22/2015 at 23:19 • Filed to: None

Today at work, I went to a building that had a rather large and complex parking garage system. As some of you may have read from my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I haven’t been very pleased lately with all of the awesome things about my Corvette. Today kind of had me thinking about the car again.

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Also, holy hell Oppo. I can’t believe how many of you took that article seriously. I complained that it was too fuel efficient, too reliable, too spacious, and had too much cargo capacity. I mean, really? I bitched about the turn signals because it’s ridiculous enough that Oppo complains about them at all. I realize there’s only so much to say about a car before getting bored, but come on, we need to get back to the essence of driving. And in that respect, my Corvette is fucking awesome.

Now, as I was at this parking garage, I was in my 08 Scion xB. I use this car everyday because a) it’s high riding and comfortable and b) it copes with the horrible downtown traffic I’m in every single day. The Corvette’s a wonderful vehicle, but driving it a block at a time in first gear over pothole-ridden roads just get old quickly.

Picture doesn’t really do justice to well. Shit was way steeper than it looks.

Back to the point. at this parking garage I had gone over a number of rather logs bumps and elevation changes. Mixed with that was some seriously steep and short rises to ascend up the garage levels. The Scion made it up fine and through fine because, well, it’s a normal car. But as I was through some of this I thought, “My Corvette wouldn’t make it through any of this”

In Kansas, everything really is pretty flat. Hills are treated like rollercoasters here. However, going through this I kind of realizes why the Corvette isn’t popular all around the country. It’s a very low-riding car and I’m guessing that just isn’t easy for some to live with. It’s scrape city getting into my own driveway; I wouldn’t have even made it up to the second level of this particular garage.

On a entirely unrelating note, the Corvette is for sale. There’s nothing wrong with it and nothing I really don’t like about it. Selling it was always the plan; I flip cars. However, as my ‘college career’ ends here in the next month or so, I’m looking at possible buying a sports car that I may keep for a bit. Something to enjoy for being a car, and enjoy having a salary instead of selling a car immediately for private.

Enter the photo from above: Porsche Cayman S.

The logical choice is clearly buy another Corvette; C5 or C6. They’re great cars and I can’t go wrong with either. However, I tend to hop around cars and buy different things every time. I just like to try new things, I suppose. I’ve had a German car before, E46 BMW, but it was a 166k mile car. My hope is that picking up a well treated, low miles (<60k) example would fair far better in terms of reliability.

What also appeals to me is the prestige. I’m sure it’s every bit as wonderful and great-handling as journalism trumpet it to be, and that really is why I like it. However, in the Midwest, Corvette’s are very common. There are 18, including mine, in the square mile I like in and that is not a joke. Nobody around my parent’s neighborhood had a Porsche, and it isn’t a very common vehicle here in Wichita, KS. I do particularly enjoy the idea of owning and driving my own nice Porsche simply for the sense that damnit, I’m doing pretty well. And then of course, slay motherfuckers at autocross with it.

The issue right now is that I haven’t driven one before, which clearly is the most important part yet. Zero are in town for sale and my schedule has been too hectic anyway to try it out. I went to Carmax hoping to test a Cayman R (The only Cayman for sale in town,) but it had sold so I drove a C6 Grand Sport.

I’ve bought numerous cars without driving before, but this is where I appeal to Oppo. Anyone have experience with 1st-Gen Cayman’s before. I’m all ears to any first-hand knowledge anyone could lend. And if anyone wants to know anything about the C5 Vette, I’ll answer any questions there.

DISCUSSION (13)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Jay Lauer
04/22/2015 at 23:25

You daily an xB? Have a star

Jay Lauer > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/22/2015 at 23:28

Fan of the xB?

I actually really like my 08 way more than I ever thought I would. It’s not as good to drive as the 05 Mazda 3 I had years ago, but it’s also a fair bit better. The amount of space around you in the Scion is awesome. It’s better than most SUV’s nowadays.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Jay Lauer
04/22/2015 at 23:30

Not to mention their prestige in the heating of baked goods world

Kinja'd!!!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Jay Lauer
04/22/2015 at 23:31

Ermm....Prestige is a bit of a interesting reason, and one I try to avoid; I just think buying a car to show off isn’t a good idea, at least that’s what I’ve been taught, and what the good people at Oppo have shown me. But hey, more power to ya if that’s what you want!

If you want to avoid IMS issues, find an ‘09 and up, I have no idea what your budget is like, but Caymans from any year will most likely be cheaper than the equivalent 997 or 991.

Jay Lauer > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
04/22/2015 at 23:32

They make my toaster strudel taste a lot better.

But that sticker confuses me. The xB is many things. Fast isn’t one of them.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > Jay Lauer
04/22/2015 at 23:32

E46 BMW, but it was a 166k mile car. My hope is that picking up a well treated, low miles (<60k) example would fair far better in terms of reliability.

There is a difference between being unreliable because of neglected maintenance and the car being outright unreliable. Most people neglect the maintenance and then wonder why things break down. However some German cars (E46 being one of them) require lots of maintenance that most people would consider unusual, so they just do oil/tires/brakes and cross their fingers.

Jay Lauer > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
04/22/2015 at 23:36

Well some would also consider that if a car needs more maintenance than others, that it is not reliable.

I’m sure my E46 was in the camp of not maintained to great standards. I replaced a lot of things on it. It generally would have a CEL every 2 days.

Like I said in the article, if I can find a low miles Cayman from a nicer owner, I’m hoping to avoid high maintenance issues.

samssun > Jay Lauer
04/23/2015 at 06:31

Here’s a pretty thorough comparison between the old and new Cayman:

http://jalopnik.com/how-much-bette…

Turbo74 > Jay Lauer
04/25/2015 at 14:39

Jay, come to one of our PCA meets! A few cayman owners there, everyone is super nice and you'll get some really good info and advice

Jay Lauer > Turbo74
04/26/2015 at 13:36

I’ve actually been to a number of Wichita PCA autocrosses last year when I had an S2000. There was a very nice couple that owned a ‘14 or ‘15 and JP had his ridiculous 09 Cayman S. I never got the chance to ride in JP’s, but I’d very much like to at least ride in a 06-12 Cayman S to see what it’s like.

Surprisingly, there haven’t been any around town, even at dealerships, to test drive.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jay Lauer
05/20/2015 at 11:13

A couple points for you.

1. if you put a meta-tag like “SATIRE” or “SARCASM” people will know it’s in good fun.

2. buy a C6 - Porsche’s are stupid.

3. if you want something different - buy a Shelby Mustang or maybe a Boss/Laguna Seca Mustang because it sounds like autocross is important.

Jay Lauer > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
05/20/2015 at 12:42

Eh, my dad has Shelbys. I’ve had 2 Mustangs already, so I’ve somewhat moved on.

It’s been a while since I wrote this. I sold the Corvette and my Scion already. I’m just going to buy a 1st Gen Mazdaspeed 3 or Mazda 3 and call it good. I’ll save the extra money and invest it and wait til my post grad work/living situation is figured out.

I liked the Porsche simply cause I don’t like buying the same car twice. Whether I’ll think the same way in a year’s time is a complete toss-up. The C6 is a damn good car though. I wouldn’t be disappointed.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jay Lauer
05/20/2015 at 13:52

It’s pretty hard to be disappointed in a C6 driver seat.