The Enthusaist "Runner Up" Rule

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 09/09/2016 at 19:10 • Filed to: Rants

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When a vehicle has three or more performance levels, enthusiasts will deify the top spec but praise the second to top level as the perfect driver’s car. The base spec...you don’t want the base spec.

Ford releases the Mustang with a V6, I4, and V8. The Ecoboost gets lifted up by the community while the V6 is trampled. Camaro releases the range as I4, V6, and V8. The V6 is now the car that gets praise and I can almost guarantee that the reviews of the 1LE Camaros will say the V6 version is the perfect enthusiast car while the V8 1LE is a bit too “hard-edged” for street duty. The turbo 4-cyl Camaro...nah, you don’t want that, have you heard the V6?

But you know what happens when you actually buy the “driver’s car?” All the enthusiasts ask why you didn’t get the higher spec, I mean if you have $30k why not spend $34k? What’s another $4,000?! Like $100 more a month...psh! What, you’re paying $700 a month for a car?! I’d never pay over $600... You got a Cayman? I’d have gone for a Cayman S at least...wait there’s a GTS and a GT4 above it? The GTS is perfect, the gearing in the GT4 is so long it might as well not have a clutch. Oh you got a GTS? Did you look into a GT4 before getting it?

You know the M3 is overkill, have you checked out the 340i? Love the M2 but really the M240i is all the car you need. Oh you’re looking at a Dodge Charger SRT 392? You know the R/T Scat Pack is plenty of car for public streets. Oh wait, there’s a Hellcat now?! That’s way too much power to ever be usuable, get an SRT 392, it’s the perfect amount of power for the street!

Chiron can go 261 mph? When are you ever going to go fast?! What’s that, you can pay to have it go 285 mph? Why would you pay for that when 261 mph is far more usuable? Wait a second, someone actually bought a Chiron and did NOT option it to go 285 mph? That’s the point of the car! I mean if you’re going to spend $2.7 Million then you have another $300k, right?! What’s that, like an extra $7,000 a month? Psh, why cheap out?!

I swear anytime a vehicle gets a new performance variant added to the top end the rule is that we glorify the top spec but make sure the penultimate trim is known to be the real enthusiast choice. You know, for more refined drivers that appreciate a more nuanced and articulated level of engagement. But once someone actually buys that second-to-top level version, we then say that we would have gone for the next one up!

Just buy whatever the Hey Arnold you want. Buy it exactly the way you want it, with no more and no less than how you want it ! You want a V6 Stang, get a V6 Stang. You want a Porsche model BELOW the “S, ” then get it because it’s a great car! You want your Chiron to go 261 mph instead of 285 mph...well you’re a dumb wad . You just killed your resale value by about $1.125 Million since these are going to appreciate into $4.3 Million cars. Stop trying to save money on a $3 Million assest, ya cheap bastard !

Honeybunchesofgoats > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:14

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With the ZHP and other trims, I feel like BMW should be the honorary king of this rule.

EL_ULY > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:18

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Buy a Panther and boost it. That is better than anything ever!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:21

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A long time ago, someone on here asked “What’s the slowest car you’d DD?” I replied that I probably wouldn’t want anything that did 0-60 in more than 8 seconds. I was immediately inundated with people saying that was a ridiculous standard, that they had never owned a car that fast, that nobody they new had a car that fast, and that I must be a rich, spoiled individual.

Fast forward less than a week, I post an ad for a 2005 BMW X5 4.8si, make a remark about it having a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds which I thought was reasonably brisk (especially for a 10y/o SUV), and I’ve got half a dozen comments asking me if I seriously consider that to be quick, and reminding me that a V6 camry is quicker.

95% of the time I love Oppo. The remaining 5% is almost always to to hypocrisy or some other wealth of contradiction.

FromCanadaWithLove > Honeybunchesofgoats 09/09/2016 at 19:22

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Especially with the M Performance line. We’re going to get the M340i soon, which sounds cool to me, but people will complain.

Wobbles the Mind > EL_ULY 09/09/2016 at 19:23

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Let’s see, so Crown Vic, Grand Marq, or Town Car? The Runner Up Rule says boost the Grand Marq!

“Sick Grand Marquis! I would have done a Marauder though...”

DAMMIT!!

Honeybunchesofgoats > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2016 at 19:24

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That's about the acceleration my Jag has. I'm not ready to live in a world where that isn't still considered quick.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:25

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Hereafter known as, “Wobbles’ Rule.”

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:25

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Get a NISMO rs. It has all the goodies: 6spd manual w/short gears, helical geared LSD, nasty recaro seats, and the best part; it is a Juke.

Honeybunchesofgoats > FromCanadaWithLove 09/09/2016 at 19:26

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I was thinking exactly of those M lines. Everyone seems to have forgotten about the M240(?) in light of the M2, but you just know that it’ll become a favorite in a few years.

Wobbles the Mind > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 09/09/2016 at 19:26

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Just a reminder that there is a difference between getting to 60 mph briskly and getting there responsively. I test drove a Kia Cadenza this past weekend and was brutally disappointed how lazy that 6 second 0-60 time was. Learned my lesson!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Honeybunchesofgoats 09/09/2016 at 19:26

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Same for my Audi. Then again they are direct competitors.

Wobbles the Mind > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 09/09/2016 at 19:29

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Those are fun! Personally I would have gone for a Juke-R and got the GT-R powertrain...plus exclusivity!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Honeybunchesofgoats 09/09/2016 at 19:30

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My FiST is around that, and jail time speeds can happen quite quickly.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:30

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Enthusiasts don’t know what the hell we collectively want. We’re always going to complain about every car ever produced so why would automakers ever bother.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 09/09/2016 at 19:31

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It should be. Because opinions wobble and change.

Stephenson Valve Gear > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:35

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Preach on, brother. I own a ‘14 V6 Mustang w/ the Performance Package. It spends a tiny, tiny fraction of its life at Wide Open Throttle... I tend to live my life in increments that are considerably longer than a 1/4 mile at a time. The extra oomph of the V8 would rarely get used, so the V6 suits my purposes just fine. Plus, it gets better mileage than the V8 even at *ahem* “enthusiastic” highway speeds. But, that is just me - I don’t begrudge anyone a V8 or Turbo 4 if that’s what they prefer. Drive what you love, love what you drive.

Wobbles the Mind > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 09/09/2016 at 19:37

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Because we are the word of mouth which gets people to go look at a car! People only go to one, maybe two dealerships for a car so it’s our reactions as the designated “friend that’s a gearhead” that gets the butt into the seats. Someone says, “Have you seen the new Camaro?!!!” You say “Yeah, it looks like shit but drives great! I would go with a Mustang, probaby the Ecoboost since it’s lighter...” Boom, friend went from excited about the new Camaro to sitting in a 4-cyl Mustang because you said something about it. Next thing their showing you pictures of the EcoBeast...

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:37

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Cars are so individual that you can never satisfy enthusiasts as a group.

Why buy a Cayman GT4 if you can track-mod a CS?

Why mod a CS if you’re going to spend GT4 money?

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:39

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I have a SV and lust to own a NISMO rs, but in no spot financially to trade up. I’ve only made 2 payments so far on my SV. Even the non-NISMO is still very fun.

Wobbles the Mind > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 09/09/2016 at 19:42

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The Juke is a clever car and is to Nissan what the Soul is for Kia. The face, personality, and modern youthfulness of the brand. You say draw a Nissan and regular people will draw the front of the Juke while enthusiasts will draw the rear of a GT-R. Everything said about the CX-3 is what is said about the Juke (excluding style though all if us have grown to appreciate it).

Honeybunchesofgoats > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/09/2016 at 19:48

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Can confirm—I recently had to plea down to 89 MPH and take a 15 day suspension.

Gamecat235 > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 19:50

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In the case of the V6 stang, they nerfed the options list so you can’t spec it out to be a more driver centric car. That was intentional.

It’s also why I am not even vaguely considering a Mustang for my next car. (I really wanted a V6 stang with the handling package last gen, but they dropped it for this generation).

But I’m still DD’ing an ‘02 Rav4 and a ‘00 New Beetle, so... Slow car fast less slow.

Gamecat235 > Stephenson Valve Gear 09/09/2016 at 19:51

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You have the car I wish I bought. (Almost did, but then life happened, and then they dropped the perf pack on the V6 for this generation... now I’m just gonna drive my cars until they die).

Ssfancyfresh > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 20:57

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It’s part of the insanity of being a car enthusiast.

Not gonna lie, I'm starting to fancy a used V8 R8.

Stephenson Valve Gear > Gamecat235 09/09/2016 at 21:00

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I really enjoy the car. The PP’s 3:31 gears are a nice balance for a bit livelier acceleration compared to the base 2.73's, yet the engine still only turns 3000 RPM at 100 MPH in 6th (it has a manual transmission). The only mechanical change I’ve made is an aftermarket aluminum driveshaft to eliminate the high speed vibration of the OEM unit. It does annoy me that Ford dropped the perf pack on 15+ V6 Mustangs... the Turbo 4 just doesn’t appeal to me, I would rather have another V6. Thankfully it will be a while before I need to replace the ‘14.

Axial > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 09/09/2016 at 22:28

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I like the Juke but, seriously, it is very cramped on the inside compared to how big it is on the outside.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Axial 09/09/2016 at 22:31

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For sure, the sloping back glass really limits the rear trunk space. I’m still single so interior space is not a big concern right now.

wafflesnfalafel > Wobbles the Mind 09/09/2016 at 22:34

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I think there is something to that - kind of a human nature thing. It’s kind of the “this porridge is too cold, and this porridge is too hot” theory of human behavior.

Axial > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 09/09/2016 at 22:35

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I was actually thinking of the driver’s position. I’m not a big person; less than 5' 9" and only 140 lbs, and it was not a comfortable space. =/

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Axial 09/09/2016 at 22:55

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I’m a bit bigger (6', 230lbs), lots of my hight is my legs & with the steering non-telescoping I found it hard to find a comfortable position. I found one after a few weeks into owner ship. It ain’t no Volvo seat.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Wobbles the Mind 09/21/2016 at 21:22

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Power outputs are crazy even in the base model sports cars. Unless the higher trims have some special feature (flat plane V8 for example), I try and go for the lightest one. Losing weight off of a car is far harder than adding power.