Good Night, Oppo

"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7) 12/06/2015 at 02:07 • Filed to: None

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No content, just my favourite photo of each of the cars I’ve had.

OK, I guess I should still say something: I will never, ever own another Volkswagen.

TheHondaBro > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 02:16

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AMG or not, these are still sexy.

PushToStart > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 02:18

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I dig the 355, manual or F1?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > TheHondaBro 12/06/2015 at 02:23

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For the US market, the CLK430 came standard with the AMG body kit and wheels. I liked that car, great cruiser and even greater depreciation.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > PushToStart 12/06/2015 at 02:25

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F1. I had wanted a manual but could not find the right car. Have come to accept and even like the F1. It works very well for something out of the 90s. The paddle response is instant, although clutch action takes time.

Steve in Manhattan > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 02:30

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One VW in my ‘collection’ - an ‘84 Jetta Turbodiesel. Not the most reliable car.

And I only wish I had a photo of everything I’ve owned. Just one crap photo of my ‘97 SHO - no photo of my ‘87 300D or my ‘91 CRX Si.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Steve in Manhattan 12/06/2015 at 03:50

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Not even on film? -5 Oppo points.

Actually, I had to dig a little to find a decent picture of my Passat. That car did not deserve glamour shots, anyway. What a hunk of good-looking junk.

pjhusa > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 11:20

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Never?!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > pjhusa 12/06/2015 at 14:04

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Never again. I cannot identify with a company who ostensibly makes cars “for the people” yet employs such questionable engineering principles. I feel sorry for owners of any modern non-diesel Volkswagen who rely on them to get to their jobs and their families every day.

Aside from all the leaks and premature wear in the powertrain and suspension, a bunch of interior and exterior trim on my car would fall apart for no reason. Including front lights.

pjhusa > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 14:21

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Hmm... my uncle’s 2013 Passat is fine for now. Do they get worse as they age?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > pjhusa 12/06/2015 at 14:48

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He should hope not. VWs look great at first, down the road is another story and depends on model, rigorous maintenance and luck.

Chasaboo > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/06/2015 at 18:39

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Well said. I owned a Golf and it was brutal on my wallet.

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/07/2015 at 06:55

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Tell us, how does the Ferrari comare to the Cayman compare to the Merc? As a current MR2 owner I could aspire to any of these. What do you think?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Nauraushaun 12/07/2015 at 13:28

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They are not really comparable, especially the CLK. I bought the Benz specifically because of what it was—a cheap old Benz and I thought it would be interesting to own one. It’s a great cruiser, endless V8 torque and relatively light weight. However the ride quality is marred by those AMG wheels and thin tires. I could tell the wheels did not belong on that car. It enjoys highways and taking it easy, knowing that it could pass almost anything else on the road with ease. Maintenance is still up there at Mercedes-Benz levels, i.e. not cheap. At 100k miles, you have to leave a four-digit allowance for its mid-life crisis, and by four digits I don’t mean $1200. Suspension, steering, etc. components start to wear out. Once sorted, it’s a pleasure to cruise as with any V8 Benz.

The Cayman fits best with what we would describe as an all-around modern sports car. We all know modern Porsches are among the most well-built sports cars available. The chassis setup and steering are faultless; you really feel one with the car. It makes you want to use all of the power wherever you can, and of course the flat-six sounds very unique. What impresses me most is the throttle response, just...wow.

The F355 is best described as a project. It’s an “ownership experience” and that includes a lot of maintenance and restoration. Its driving experience is old-school and the suspension is pretty soft by modern sports car standards. The steering is a little overboosted as many journalists have reported in the past. That said, it’s still nimble and tons of fun, the car feels responsive and the flat-plane crank V8 is rightly famous. Surprisingly, the cable throttle is not as instant as the Porsche’s DBW, but I will accept that as appropriate for its age. But all the problems are just part of the experience.

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/07/2015 at 21:03

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I see. Thanks!

I can see the point of owning all of them. The idea of a big powerhouse coupe interests me as much as the perfection of the Porsche, and I think we all understand the appeal of the prancing horse even with its troubles.

I’d probably stick with the Porsche given the choice (though I’d prefer one with a targa top...somewhere between crappy soft top and fixed roof). It sounds better than the rest, and even if I’m able to afford it, the expenses of the other two are hard to overlook.

What do you have at the moment?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Nauraushaun 12/07/2015 at 22:28

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At the moment I only have the Fezza out of those.

The Cayman is the easiest car to recommend. Its appeal is universal to any sports car lover, and as a modern car it provides a nearly hassle-free ownership experience with relatively few compromises.

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 12/08/2015 at 01:03

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But that also makes it one of the blander choices doesn’t it? The Ferrari or Merc, for all their flaws, are pretty awesome. The Cayman is good, but is it awesome?

Interesting that the Fezza is the only one you kept. Is that because it’s the most recent acquisition? Or other reasons?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Nauraushaun 12/08/2015 at 14:38

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Don’t get me wrong; the Cayman (or any other modern Porsche sports car) is absolutely awesome. They offer a near-exotic driving experience with jump-in-and-drive practicality and reliability. Just thinking of it makes me miss the flat-six with the burbling, popping Carnewal exhaust mod.

Before the F355, all my cars were daily drivers and each was my only car in succession to the previous. I now have a dedicated commute car (Hawwwnda yeah!), so I can let the weekend car sit around. The Cayman had to go in order to partially fund the Fezza. While I liked everything about it, it was an impulse buy and it was easy to let it go to acquire a childhood dream car.