twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Dat 440 horsepower V8. 😎
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Automotive Discussion Thread | OT2 | Zero to pointless fighting faster than a GT86
- Thread starter AlphaSnake
- Start date
I did a 82 mile single way commute in my Focus for about 18 months. In the end, as long as your seats are comfortable and you have Bluetooth, you can make a long commute fine in a compact. And if you are on cruise control most of the time, it makes performance a moot point.
I'm hoping that it weighs no more than the current V8 Mustang. (about 3500 pounds for the coupe) The independent rear suspension might add weight, but if it's not a porker, the Nissan GT-R is going on the "on notice" board.
:^)
Everyone has different priorities and expectations for comfort though. Smokey is coming from a BMW, and is the type that changes out SLI top of the line video cards every 2 years. He'll be fine but I would guess he won't enjoy it much!
lem0n
Member
Why is stepping down from a 3 Series "terrible"? Is he commuting on the Nurburgring? More than likely he's going to be on the highway with cruise set to 80mph. Any V6 for a long commute is going to be more thirsty, and Infiniti and Acura are going to be a little more expensive to fix when/if they go wrong. I get it, get something he won't hate for a daily because there are more compelling options out there to daily, but who's to say he'll hate it? He's had a Corolla before, and he's considering another. He knows what he'll be getting into.
lem0n
Member
Right, but to be fair, it's temporary. He's not hanging up the gloves and getting an appliance for the rest of his life. The whole reason he's trying to ditch his Bimmer is to simplify and not worry about a car for about 6 months. This is why I've been adamant about this car in the thread, because a Corolla is a perfect car for not giving a shit and saving money. If this is his gateway to a Z06, then so be it. Nothing will be more stress-free and cheap to run.
I rented one and it was WRETCHED.
I literally didn't feel safe at Freeway speeds and I was scared to attempt overtaking maneuvers with the insipid torque.
Darth Pinche
Member
An Abarth or just one of the weak regular 500's? There is a big difference. The Abarth makes about 175 ft/lbs, in a small car it is not bad.
lem0n
Member
If you're implying I called the BMW a V6, I was referring to the Acura/Honda V6s that were suggested
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Better to be an evolution of the 5th gen than a throwback to the 4th gen
Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and the Camaro has outsold the Mustang throughout the entire fifth gen, so...
Definitely. Now, the interior, on the other hand, that could use some improvement. That's what I'm most interested in seeing.
I like some of the questions in this memo
http://jalopnik.com/leaked-memo-answers-all-the-2016-camaro-questions-gms-a-1704765341
Not sure about this though
Ok, sorry. It just looks like you're referring back to it.
I don't get this either. I've seen others referred to the Aparth 500 as underpowered which I guess is true if you want power, but in normal driving (including overtaking) it seems more than ample unless you're in the wrong gear.
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Everybody says that GM stepped up their interior game on the C7 Corvette, so I'm hopeful in that area. I don't mind the A/C controls that were described, but that's just me.
I just want those Recaro seats, and I'm good to go.
Stupid car owner question time!
New house has an oil change pit in the garage which has inspired me to do more of my families car maintenance on my own. Oil changes are a piece of cake, but what else should I be checking on a regular or semi regular basis, particularly with my new evo x?
New house has an oil change pit in the garage which has inspired me to do more of my families car maintenance on my own. Oil changes are a piece of cake, but what else should I be checking on a regular or semi regular basis, particularly with my new evo x?
lem0n
Member
Nice choice. Mustang > Camaro as far as I'm concerned. What trim/color/options etc?
Oil change pit in your garage? Holy shit, am I jealous. I'm not too sure what else you could check routinely while in that pit, though. I guess I would check condition of the trans/diff fluids.
what the hell man...
Got my car back from the shop. Got my lights fixed and some other minor issues taken care of. Had them do a check out so I could see where my car stood in terms of maintenance and any other issues. They said overall the car was in pretty good condition. It does need some maintenance on it (spark plugs, fluids, fix some leaks etc). Parts came out to $486, but labor is $821. $1,307 in total. Dat labor :x .
Thinking I'll get that taken care of next month. Doesn't seem that much in the big picture and it would've been much worse.
Driving it today I think I don't know if I can really go through with getting rid of it. My mind says yes but my heart says nooooooo
Thinking I'll get that taken care of next month. Doesn't seem that much in the big picture and it would've been much worse.
Driving it today I think I don't know if I can really go through with getting rid of it. My mind says yes but my heart says nooooooo
lem0n
Member
Your other option is to future-proof the Bimmer for the time being. All new fluids, radiator hoses, belts, timing belt (not sure if this is a belt or chain, hopefully chain in which case, leave it), plugs, tires etc... Also trans/diff fluid changes. You would probably be a couple grand deep into it but at least you know it should be set for another 50k miles.
jongkookie
Member
This is also a great idea.
Start looking at what could fail in the next two years, see how much the repair(plus labor of course) would cost and run those numbers. Cross check them with how much the new car would be versus to how much it would cost you to fix the car within those 2 years.
There's a really good chance it'll be cheaper for you to fix the issues as they pop up instead of solely relying on the new car to fix all your troubles.
Well, this assumes the Bimmer is fully paid off. Otherwise, the chances of this working might be pretty low.
Right
It was encouraging that the car was in good condition. Tires are in good shape. I dont have anything that's really a showstopper.
lem0n
Member
Well if she's got a good bill of health, just fix what needs attention and keep it going. I'm not entirely sure your model of Bimmer (E93, correct?) has many inherent issues like my old E38 740iL had, such as timing guides failing, or the Nikasil block eroding, so you should be safe if you just do a full 100k mile inspection and repair. This way, you can still save money every month on a car payment.. This is all assuming it's paid off, of course.
Gonna get a Magnetic Prem GT with Black premier trim and performance pack.
Plan on doing intake/tune and full ARH exhaust around 5k miles.
Have 230k on my 98 accord so will be a good upgrade.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Make friends with the service advisor or find a good one on the BMW forums who hooks people up in your area.
Also, 8/10 times your dealership can apply a 20% discount on either parts or labor. Always ask for it. Make a face like 'bruhhh, can you help a bruva out"?
lem0n
Member
Hell yeah, pretty much what I would do
Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the new Z06 and absolutely torched it.
Keep in mind, he loved the Stingray and even named it 2014 Top Gear Car of the Year.
http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/the-clarkson-review-chevrolet-corvette-z06-2015/
Keep in mind, he loved the Stingray and even named it 2014 Top Gear Car of the Year.
http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/the-clarkson-review-chevrolet-corvette-z06-2015/
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Clarkson gonna Clarkson, maybe he's pissed that Chevy could come up with a world-beater like the C7 Z06.
Or maybe he understands that there is more to a car than just numbers in a magazine.
The Z06 may be fast as hell, but its definitely unrefined. Of course, you can't expect an $80K car to be as good as an overall package to cars costing 2-3X as much. To get the performance that it does, sacrifices were made in other regards such as quality of engineering, materials, and driving feel.
It's crazy numbers are all but useless for the street, where you could never come close to it's potential without going to jail or dying, and the heat soak issues mean that it will never be a consistent track car.
So, what is it good for exactly? Showing off and bragging rights at car meets?
lem0n
Member
Thank you. It's the best bang for buck as far as raw speed, but you, like always, get what you pay for. That's not saying I wouldn't love to drive one! I'd just rather own something else.
Oh yeah, I would love to tear up the track in one for a day, but no way would I spend my own money and buy one to live with on a daily basis.
Also, another thing to keep in mind for the Clarkson review. A Z06 with Z07 package in the UK costs the equivalent of $180,000. It's a hell of a lot harder to look past its shortcomings at that price. I mean, it's actually more expensive than a GT3 and almost as much as a 991 Turbo over there, and if you've been in any of these cars, you can feel the difference even before starting the ignition.
Sit inside a new Porsche, and it smells like a leather factory,
Sit inside a new Chevy, and it smells like a glue factory.
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Well, Car and Driver calls the Z06 civil, and so did Motor Trend. Clarkson's being Clarkson.
Yeah, "civil". That's exactly the image that comes to mind when I picture an American car with 650HP and TQ. I'm sure it can be if you keep it under 2K RPMs in comfort mode, in which case what's the fucking point. The car is a handful anytime you try to approach the limit, even for professional drivers.
First, both Motor Trend and C&D have every reason to be tooting their "America, Fuck Yeah!" horn. The Z06 is just as much of an achievement of American engineering as things like the Hellcat and Tesla.
Second, it costs HALF as much in the USA as it does overseas. I am sure that plays a part as how the car is perceived by journalists from their respective region.
Couldn't you say the same for a lot of other performance cars though? Cars like the STI, Evo, and GT-R sacrifice refinement and interior quality for performance. If a car's potential translates into merging onto the freeway faster or doing passing maneuvers that I couldn't do in other cars, I'd be fine with that.
Yeah, but the STI and Evo are between $30-$40K depending on options, not $80-$100K. They also only have ~300HP. Fast, but still perfectly manageable. You can go afford to go WOT once in a while, especially with the AWD grip.
Try going WOT in the new Z06 without spinning out or alerting every cop within a 2 block radius. The horsepower wars of the past decade or so have turned a lot of sports cars into overkill machines. There is more to the art of driving than brute force acceleration.
I'd bet that a majority of the people on this forum would be find it far more comfortable/enjoyable and far less nerve racking to go through the Tail of the Dragon in a Miata instead of a Z06.
whatsinaname
Member
Holy shit, $800 labour! Were they rebuilding your transmission or something?
Yes, E93. It's not paid off yet, but in the home stretch.
Hmm. Didn't got to my dealership. Went to an BMW indy shop. A link to the forums with hook ups that you speak of plsss?
maint said:
parts said:
That's everything that was quoted to me from the check out inspection.
Roude Leiw
Member
GHG
Gold Member
Ask how the labour rate is calculated. They should usually charge per hour, not based one how difficult/easy a job is to do if it's a good garage.
The guys who are saying find a good indie are bang on IMO. It will cost you, but not as much as you might think and will make your maintenance schedule a lot more predictable and manageable in the long run. You get to keep the car you've grown to love.
I was in a similar situation to you when my vanos went a few months back but found a really good indie round the corner from me and they sorted my car out. It's now running better than it's ever been since I've had it. They told me my rear brake pads will need doing in about 6 months which helps because I can now factor that into my finances. They also told me my injectors are the old spec ones and can be changed to the new spec but it's not crucial as the ones I have now are performing well, so it's up to me.
That level of service is something BMW never gave me and that's what you need to find in order to be comfortable in keeping your car beyond the 100k mark. Whenever I took my car there since I was out of warranty they would just produce a bill and be like "surprise motherfucker!".
Edit: looking at the list of parts and maintenance that you posted again there is no way it should cost $800... It cost me roughly $500 in labour to get my whole vanos unit replaced (including lines and seals) and my engine oil completely cleaned out and replaced. The Vanos on the N63 engines is a BIG job as well as you need to do the cam timing etc after the new unit is on.
You need to ask questions/ find a different garage IMO.
whatsinaname
Member
Nothing too out of place there. (Except for maybe that engine power wash). They charged you about how much they would have billed BMW for those repairs under warranty, with a little part and labor markup..
Do you not have an independent shop around you? BMW dealer repair hours are usually inflated and a some good independent repair shops pass on some labor savings to you.
Good advice. This is a indy BMW shop btw, but is rather close to me. Able to drop it off and still get a shuttle ride to and from work. Convenient. The part prices are ok with me, but I agree about the labor costs. Seems way to high. I took it here mainly for their checkout program (and to get my lights fixed), and now that I have an idea on costs I can cross check with others. I am going to follow up with them though and see how they came to that labor number.
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
You'll just have to search the regional sections of E90 Post and BimmerForums. I don't really know who it would be in your area.
In my pursuit of a non-common weekend car I'm starting to fall in love with these steet legal track day cars.
They are surprisingly affordable. But I would look silly taking using this to go anywhere with my wife on during the weekend other than heading straight to a race track.
Speaking of my wife... She is dead set on getting an X4. I've been looking at used prices for 2015s and I really feel like BMW dealerships are trying to rob people of their money. They are charging new car prices on used cars and quoting new car MSRP for them, and those figures look a little bloated as well. Been looking at the Range Rover Evoques and feel they give you way more in their packages at up to $10,000 less. But she has some kind of dying NEED to have a BMW X4.
The Ariel Atom
KTM X Bow
BAC Mono
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Donto P1
They are surprisingly affordable. But I would look silly taking using this to go anywhere with my wife on during the weekend other than heading straight to a race track.
Speaking of my wife... She is dead set on getting an X4. I've been looking at used prices for 2015s and I really feel like BMW dealerships are trying to rob people of their money. They are charging new car prices on used cars and quoting new car MSRP for them, and those figures look a little bloated as well. Been looking at the Range Rover Evoques and feel they give you way more in their packages at up to $10,000 less. But she has some kind of dying NEED to have a BMW X4.
whatsinaname
Member
The repairs they quoted you add up to 6.9 hours labour. So they charged you about $120/hr for a total of $828 labour. That is about the correct labor rate for BMW dealers.
Independents in my area (Michigan) charge $80-$90/hr for BMWs.
As for whether the repairs actually take 6.9 hrs, that is a whole another conversation.
GHG
Gold Member
The x4 is just a baby x6, but it's inferior in every way. From the interior trim down to the engine options.
You'd be far better off getting a 2/3 year old x6 to be honest, you'll get a lot more car for your money. Even if it's just the 35i version, it will perform similarly to the x4 35i despite the extra weight and you'll get a much nicer interior provided you can find one with the executive trim.
But why not a Macan if you are in that price range? Not a fan of the Evoque... Again, you're not getting much car for the money, but that's more on the powertrain/chasis side of things. The macan is just a well balanced all round car. It's hard to fault it for what it is.
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
What time is the Camaro getting officially unveiled today? I've seen the leaks, but am looking forward to product shots (and shots of the interior).
My next car had been between (if I don't end up with a wrangler) the Camaro SS or Challenger RT, and the 2015 Dodge's updated interior put it way ahead of the Chevy option. I'd love a Camaro, and think it's a great car... But the 5th gen has one of the worst interiors I've sat in.
My next car had been between (if I don't end up with a wrangler) the Camaro SS or Challenger RT, and the 2015 Dodge's updated interior put it way ahead of the Chevy option. I'd love a Camaro, and think it's a great car... But the 5th gen has one of the worst interiors I've sat in.