What are your realistic dream cars/realistic perfect next cars?

". ." (xllx) 01/22/2015 at 15:52 • Filed to: None

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With my CLK possibly shitting the bed I started thinking about what I'd like to replace it with. There are a few cars I'd like to try but my perfect next car would be

Either a Mercedes-Benz SL R129

I've loved the R129 since I got a 1:24 scale die cast model of an SL500. I still really like its classic lines and favour the softer and more luxurious approach to roadsters that MB took with it. Prices are an issue, over where I live you can start shopping with around 8-9 thousand dollars, but in general the quality of the second hand SL market is terrible. Most cheaper cars are from the early years and are powered by 6 cylinder engines which I'd probably find inadequate. It's rare to find an SL500 in good shape for less than about 15 grand.

or a Mercedes-Benz CL500 C140

I know that this generation of the largest MB coupe is genrally disliked for its looks and overal slab-sidedness, but that doesn't bother me at all. The design has really grown on me and underneath the body it's still an excellen W140 S-class. I think the 5.0l V8 is the sweet spot in terms of engines. The 4.2 V8 would also be adequate (I'd take the plunge if I found an excellent CL420), but since there is barely any difference in fuel consumption you might as well go for the 5l. The V12 isn't really a good choice for a daily driver for someone like me. The second hand market isn't bad for early C140s. They can be found for reasonable prices, however finding a facelifted one (96-98) in good nick, without and LPG conversion and for a reasonable price is a big challenge. They usually go for more than early C215s.

I think that out of those two the CL is more realistic for me, but I'd love to own either one.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > . . 01/22/2015 at 15:57

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*raises hand* Question: what if my next car isn't realistic but I'm doing it anyway?

. . > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/22/2015 at 15:58

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Then you're a goddamn loony but please share anyway.

CalzoneGolem > . . 01/22/2015 at 15:58

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My dream car is my avatar. Model A roadster truck on a modern chassis. Now I just need to put it all back together and fix the crap the original builder didn't see fit to.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:00

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My current "next car" is my project, the fuel-injected rover V8 Ford compact pickup with... too many things going on to list. My next next car will hopefully be a 48-50 Packard.

ranwhenparked > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:00

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Lately, I've been on a Forward Look kick. Maybe a '57 or '57 Plymouth Savoy sedan. The money isn't the problem, I need to move some place where I have space for more than one car.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:02

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Realistic dream car: NSX

Realistic next car: I plan to get a 22RE Toyota pickup or 4Runner in the next year or so, to serve as a camping vehicle, hauler, and winter beater (so I can store the FR-S)

Realistic next fun car: rally project of some kind, thinking either a Foxbody or a Z.

SVTyler > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:02

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Based on average starting salary in my field, and if I get creative with my budget, I worked out I can afford an Exige immediately after I graduate from college. I'll take one in Aubergine Purple, please.

Kate's Dirty Sister > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:03

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In a not so long future, maybe 10 or 15 years, I want to be able to buy a less than 5 years old Porsche 911. It will probably look not much different than this one.

DrScientist > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:07

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realistic next car... as soon as i get my other overly complex 80's big coupe to stop spilling fluids long enough to sell it.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:08

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Honda NSX. Or a CLS550, the very new one. I'm thinking of leasing one of those, since i never buy a brand new car.

Justin Hughes > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:09

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Honestly, I'm already driving it - my BRZ. It's everything I want in a car.

Jayhawk Jake > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:14

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I fully intend to purchase a C5 Corvette to pair with my Sonic by the end of this year.

I don't plan on getting rid of the Sonic anytime soon, though if someone were to total it I'd be fine with that

djmt1 > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:19

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I hope to get a car later in the year with these two being the main contenders.

EP3 Civic Type R

MK1 Audi S3

I'm more inclined to the Civic but I've never driven a AWD car before and the Audi is widely available in yellow and I do like a yellow car.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:22

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If you so want a MB I can throw you my 2006 CLK 280, with a manual(very important to note).

On the question I am looking at something fun but sensible, like an Octavia vRS or an Fiesta ST, even if the importer of Fords in my country is hell-bent of not sell me one for whatever reasons.

There is also a sweeet Opel Speedster(Opel Elise) for a nice price, but I am not sure I want a German car, built and engineered in England.

44444444444 > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:23

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Land Rover Defender.

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > djmt1 01/22/2015 at 16:24

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That S3 is quaintly beautiful.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > djmt1 01/22/2015 at 16:25

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Except for the somewhat interesting bodykit and the slight bump in power which you can do yourself, I will recommend going with the 1.8T Quattro. It is just not worth it enough for me me to get the first gen S3. Also Haldex, it is a FWD car, which can send some power to the back wheels if you loose traction.

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > Kate's Dirty Sister 01/22/2015 at 16:26

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No, it will certainly look almost exactly the same is that one!

beautimouse > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:29

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A 560SEC or a 635CSi are my realistic dream cars.
An F150 to tow them with and carry parts for them in is the perfect realistic choice.

3.14 rad/s > SVTyler 01/22/2015 at 16:31

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A Lotus Exige or Elise is my dream car too. I currently own an AW11 Toyota MR2, so at least I have something that's a lightweight 2 seater with a mid-mounted Toyota 4 cylinder engine.

TotallyThatStupid > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:33

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Realistic fun car... got it last summer. Our 1985 BMW 323i Baur TC2. I've wanted one forever, and this one needs enough love to be interesting but is solid enough to be a nice-weather driver.

The wheels are on loan since the stock 14-inch bottlecaps were not as round as one might hope. Also, these wheels don't look as big in person as they do in this photo. Make no mistake, however - they are big for an E30.

Next realistic driver? I'm torn between several likely unreasonable cars as daily drivers. Well, unreasonable for Minnesota anyway.

Land Rover Discovery II:

Nissan R32 Skyline sedan, preferably a GTS-T or a GTS-4:

A not-buggered first-gen Infiniti Q45:

And probably some others I can't think of right now.

djmt1 > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa 01/22/2015 at 16:34

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Thought about it especially since they offer it as a 5 door but they are hard to find with quattro unlike the S3 which are available in spades.

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:39

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Realistic first car, when I can afford it:

After that, this:

And at some point a 2-door one of these:

Later, I'm thinking some old Saabs and Volvos, though I'm not sure what particular ones.

rotundapig > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:42

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I've been scheming on an AMG for my next car. Either a C32 AMG or maybe a CL55 AMG (w/blower, obviously). I've also had the terrible idea of looking into CL600s with the turbos.

I've never had a Mercedes, and I think it's high time. If I didn't live a t such a high altitude, I'd be looking into the NA versions, too.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > DrScientist 01/22/2015 at 16:46

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Can we be friends, i have loved the 928 since I was but a wee lad.

SVTyler > 3.14 rad/s 01/22/2015 at 16:46

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You have my envy, I love AW11's! Both it and the Exige are like my perfect idea of a car, congrats on owning something so cool.

Andrew Robertson > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:47

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Hoping to expand my small collection of M cars with an E46 M3 sometime in the near future. Its just hard to find a really good one for the right price

Captain of the Enterprise > . . 01/22/2015 at 16:48

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Realistic dream cars include

2008 Mustang Bullitt

Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with Shaker hood

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X

DrScientist > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 01/22/2015 at 17:14

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me too my friend. me too. i've narrowed it down to an 89-92 S4: bigger engines, more power etc, than the S2/3 (i know i know they're not called that, but you know what i mean), safety updates including airbags, updated interior over the 87-88 S4, going with the buy the newest you can afford approach, but not sure if that is just going to mean more complex stuff to break down. can't say i'm a fan of the wing, but i've seen wing deletes, and think they look awesome.

not going after a GTS or GT even, as they're being way over valued compared to the S4s. it would be ideal, but not for $50k+.

i'm guessing for a reasonable driver i'll probably be in the 10-14k range. unless these bubble up in the next 12-18 months.

in other news, you know anyone interested in a somewhat solid driver, but far from perfect, 5.3L v12 jaguar XJS?

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > DrScientist 01/22/2015 at 17:22

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Lol, no, but this is Oppo-Land there is bound to be one of us weirdos who fancies something like that.

qbeezy > . . 01/22/2015 at 17:29

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I'd say mine is the redesigned Genesis sedan. I sat in one, oh boy was it a keeper. And that glorious v8

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > . . 01/22/2015 at 17:49

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Realistic next car would be a MX-5 or a Mercedes 190e

If I'm lucky and have some money, I would go for a Silvia, any generation.

Funktheduck > . . 01/22/2015 at 17:50

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Don't lie to us. Tavarish says that used luxury cars don't die they just need replacement parts from junk yards that you can trade for a stick or two of gum and after that it's only $5 oil changes and gas because German engineering.

. . > Funktheduck 01/22/2015 at 17:52

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Hopefully he turns out to be right. :P

Klaus Schmoll > . . 01/22/2015 at 18:27

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Realistic dream car? I'm making progress in the job world, so if my Honda lives on a while longer, I might have saved enough to buy a good used one of these outright (not a big fan of car loans/leasing).

Noah - Now with more boost. > . . 01/22/2015 at 18:49

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Always love this question. I just graduated, and I'm planning on picking up a 2006 330i/6 speed as my next DD. The perfect combination of fun/responsibility for me I think. A nice interior to sit in, 260 horsepower to play with, and consumer reports even recommends the 328i of the same generation (e90) as a smart used buy. Supposedly very DIY-able too! Though I totally support the V8 merc idea. What about a 560SEC for you? They can look so good with subtle mods!

. . > Noah - Now with more boost. 01/22/2015 at 18:52

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With a 560SEC age would start to be a rather big problem. No matter how low mileage it would be some things would just start falling apart due to age. I love how they look though.

Noah - Now with more boost. > . . 01/22/2015 at 18:55

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very true. It's easy to forget how far away the early 90s were at this point.

Conan > . . 01/22/2015 at 19:21

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2003 E55 AMG

2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8

Jaguar X308 XJR

2015 Jeep Renegade Manual 4x4

190E (Cosworth or not, if I end up in Europe)

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Conan 01/22/2015 at 19:27

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I agree with all of those except your jeep choices, but to each his own!

Conan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2015 at 19:31

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One has a Mercedes transmission!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Conan 01/22/2015 at 20:54

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Lol. I would still swap out your jeep choices for an ML63 and a Defender.

Conan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2015 at 21:00

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Totally valid choices. I dunno why I'm not so much on ML looks. My girlfriend digs them. You're obviously better at wrenching that I am and I have students in Mopar mechanic certification courses (but not Land Rover).

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Conan 01/22/2015 at 21:07

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I'm not too big on ML looks either, it's everything else about it that I like. That SRT8 looks great, but I don't like jeeps. That XJR will probably cause you more headaches than anything else on your list. That being said, X308 XJR is one of my favorite cars of all time.

Conan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/22/2015 at 21:21

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Yeah, I can totally see it on the ML internals. Gloriousness. I imagine the XJR would give me more trouble than anything else too. My old Ford mechanic claims to be able to work on them really well though. Mechanics make the world go around when you can't do much non electrical work on cars. I did my own circuit board soldering to fix my Crossfire, which I was proud of. The Crossfire Forum people helped.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Conan 01/22/2015 at 21:34

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I'm sure a decent Ford mechanic could handle that jaguar just fine, there's an unfortunate amount of crossover there. Even mechanical things on modern cars are getting quite complicated in some instances. No shame getting help and very rewarding when you manage yourself, even for guys like me. Every once in a while I'll have to call engineering for help on a problem car, no one can know everything.