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[No Love]

Added another car to the collection (for my son's mom to drive):

2001 E46 330i 5spd with Sport Package + Premium Package, 1 owner (55 year old Vietnamese engineer that lives in La Jolla so it was BABIED...). Didn't have time to take pics of the interior, just took a couple outside shots real quick. Lol when I took it for a test drive, I took it to about 3/10ths as I went downhill on a twisty road and he was like "Whoa slow down, I've never driven it that fast!" LMAO

 

[AlphaSnake]

and mirrored climate control buttons so your passenger has their very own set of buttons was just beyond pointless to me.

wut? That's dual zone climate control. It's one of the most demanded features in cars and is standard on many now

 

[Jackson]

wut? That's dual zone climate control. It's one of the most demanded features in cars and is standard on many now

Nah I agree. I never use it, passenger/wife/friends ain't rockin' 80 while Im 68. It's standard, but silly. I keep mine to sync always.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Nah I agree. I never use it, passenger/wife/friends ain't rockin' 80 while Im 68. It's standard, but silly. I keep mine to sync always.

I do too. But there's nothing confusing about it and nothing to blame Ford for having it. All cars have it now.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Added another car to the collection (for my son's mom to drive):

Acceptable answers include:

Baby Mama
Girlfriend
Wifey-boo
Bae

Why "son's mom"? Hahaha

 

[No Love]

Acceptable answers include:

Baby Mama
Girlfriend
Wifey-boo
Bae

Why "son's mom"? Hahaha

I was being polite. And we're not together so it only made sense.

But yeah, baby mama. lmao

 

[juliushandle]

looking to buy a BMW 328 sedan myself. a used one for $25-28k, 2012-2013, certified, hopefully under 30k miles. I was looking at a new Mazda6 but after test driving both, I'd much rather have a 2 yr old 328. beyond impressed with the 328, so much so that i'm kinda upset at myself that it took me so long to hop on the 3 series bandwagon. oh, and considering that a brand new fully loaded 328 with every bell and whistle can cost $50k, a 2-3 yr old 328 for $25k is a damn steal.

anyone have a Carfax code I can use?

 

[Gritesh]

Lately I've been tossing around the idea of buying an s2000 I live in Canada where I could only drive it like 5 months a year but I kinda wanna buy one and build one up.

 

[SummitAve]

I do too. But there's nothing confusing about it and nothing to blame Ford for having it. All cars have it now.

I kept thinking the passenger climate knob was fan control...

 

[Jackson]

Test drove a 2016 S3 and S4 today for funsies.

S3 interior is great, exterior is nice too, but dat turbo lag is brutal. S4's supercharger gets the job done, I enjoyed it, but I'd wait for the refresh so it's up to par in the looks department.

 

[Bandit1]

Just finished flipping through the latest issue of Motor Trend where they were doing their yearly "best driver's car" comparison at Laguna Seca.

Top 3:

3. 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata - 1:50.68 - The comparison wasn't about lap times, the Miata was actually the slowest in the competition, but as Motor Trend stated, "The Miata is proof you don't need a lot of power to make a great driver's car."

2. 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 - 1:37.43. - The GT4 received a lot of praise, especially for the brakes and the six-speed manual, but ultimately long gear ratios and understeer kept it from the top spot. The understeer was troublesome enough that they sent the car to Porsche for a realignment, and adjusted the anti-roll bars to favor oversteer and lapped the car again to little effect. The magazine believes there was still something off with their test car.

1. 2016 Mercedes AMG GT S - 1:35.57 - The fastest car in this year's comparison, race car driver and Motor Trend hot-lapper Randy Pobst said, "I don't know if I have ever driven a better-handling car. I love it that much." And also stressed how much grip the car had, "like it was all-wheel drive."


Ah, but what of the Corvette Z06?

Wait for it..


Wait for iiiiitttt.....


Officially listed as a DNF due to mechanical issues, though the car still managed a 1:38.60 on the track.

 

[nabe_shogun]

Lately I've been tossing around the idea of buying an s2000 I live in Canada where I could only drive it like 5 months a year but I kinda wanna buy one and build one up.

Do it. They're good cars.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I keep on hearing about weird understeer issues with the GT4 reviews. I wonder what's going on there.

 

[No Love]

^From what I know, the GT4 traction control systems cannot be fully disabled unlike the GT3... that seems to be causing the issue.

 

[Fried Food]

Bought a 2009 Volvo s40 T5 AWD R-Design. 77,000 miles 12,000. Single owner car. Took it to a trusted mechanic for inspection prior to buy. Hope it works out well for at least a few years.

Nice car, fun to drive.

 

[jongkookie]

Just finished flipping through the latest issue of Motor Trend where they were doing their yearly "best driver's car" comparison at Laguna Seca.

3. 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata - 1:50.68 - The comparison wasn't about lap times, the Miata was actually the slowest in the competition, but as Motor Trend stated, "The Miata is proof you don't need a lot of power to make a great driver's car."

Either Randy Pobst is a god or I fncking suck at Forza 6...

I literally just bought a stock ND in the game and took it to Laguna Seca and my best time is a 2:02.52.

It doesn't help that Forza's handling physics favor oversteer so the tires light up immediately the moment you gas out of the corner.

But still... that's a 12 second difference. Did they use stickier tires on the real life test? I'm gonna see what mods I'm gonna need to achieve that time in Forza coz that's pretty crazy.

 

[No Love]

Either Randy Pobst is a god or I fncking suck at Forza 6...

I literally just bought a stock ND in the game and took it to Laguna Seca and my best time is a 2:02.52.

It doesn't help that Forza's handling physics favor oversteer so the tires light up immediately the moment you gas out of the corner.

But still... that's a 12 second difference. Did they use stickier tires on the real life test? I'm gonna see what mods I'm gonna need to achieve that time in Forza coz that's pretty crazy.

Randy is a god. You could fully mod that Miata and still be 8-10 seconds slower than him... if he's still using a stock ND.

 

[Bandit1]

Either Randy Pobst is a god or I fncking suck at Forza 6...

I literally just bought a stock ND in the game and took it to Laguna Seca and my best time is a 2:02.52.

It doesn't help that Forza's handling physics favor oversteer so the tires light up immediately the moment you gas out of the corner.

But still... that's a 12 second difference. Did they use stickier tires on the real life test? I'm gonna see what mods I'm gonna need to achieve that time in Forza coz that's pretty crazy.

From what I've read, Randy Pobst is pretty talented, but you may suck at Forza also

As far as I know they tested the cars just as they came from the factory. There was no mention of fitting the cars with different tires, but it does tell what tires were on the cars. Bridgestone Potenza S001 for the Miata.


The car I was perhaps most impressed with was the new CTS-V. 640 hp but weighing in at a little over 4,100 pounds, the Caddy was third fastest this year, lapping Laguna in 1:38.52. 1.09 seconds off the Cayman GT4. Looking back to previous years, it was less than a half a second off the Ferarri F12, and faster than the Audi R8 V10 and Mercedes SLS AMG...

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Test drove a 2016 S3 and S4 today for funsies.

S3 interior is great, exterior is nice too, but dat turbo lag is brutal. S4's supercharger gets the job done, I enjoyed it, but I'd wait for the refresh so it's up to par in the looks department.

I fucking love the interior of the upcoming S4 refresh. Really, really like that car. Hate that it doesn't seem like it's gonna offer a manual.

 

[Evo X]

Either Randy Pobst is a god or I fncking suck at Forza 6...

I literally just bought a stock ND in the game and took it to Laguna Seca and my best time is a 2:02.52.

It doesn't help that Forza's handling physics favor oversteer so the tires light up immediately the moment you gas out of the corner.

But still... that's a 12 second difference. Did they use stickier tires on the real life test? I'm gonna see what mods I'm gonna need to achieve that time in Forza coz that's pretty crazy.

First off, you can't really compare real driving to a game. Not like you're getting much feedback through a controller.

Second, when it comes to track driving, skill takes precedence over pretty much everything else.

For example, here is a Koenigsegg test driver running a 7:58 on the Nurburgring with traffic in his Miata. He outdrove a fucking GT3RS 45 seconds into the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ3x462rlmg

And, in the video description, you can see that it's not crazy modded or anything. Probably making 160HP. That's why I laugh when I hear dumbasses with no experience say that they need a 600HP Viper or Corvette to be fast on the track.

Modifications:
- ECU Remap
- Exhaust and a CAI
- 225/45 16 track tyres, road legal.
- Coilovers with 10/7 Springs
- Mazda RX-8 ARB f/r
- Uprated Brake Pads and fluid
- Carbon fibre seat
- Aftermarket Steering wheel
- Approx 1175kg incl ½tank and driver.

EDIT: I also confirmed that you suck at Forza. I just ran a 1:53.6 at Laguna Seca in a 108HP 1956 Lotus Eleven. Lol.

 

[juliushandle]

I fucking love the interior of the upcoming S4 refresh. Really, really like that car. Hate that it doesn't seem like it's gonna offer a manual.

audis have always been the leaders of interior design.

 

[jongkookie]

Randy is a god. You could fully mod that Miata and still be 8-10 seconds slower than him... if he's still using a stock ND.

You're right... I just used my NC Miata in game that's modded to 230HP/191ft-lb torques and sport tires(so summers maybe IRL?) and at best I'm able to get it down to 1:55.778.

I think this might be attributed to a Forza problem though, as I've been saying before, the cars just tend to oversteer like crazy for some reason, plus, and this is something I've noticed after jumping around Horizon 2 and FM6, is that the brakes feel weaker in FM6. On FH2, the brakes just bite immediately the moment you hit the LT, but here, it's feels like mush.

But challenge accepted... I don't have time now so I'll mod and tune an ND in FM6 tomorrow and see what kind of mods I'd need in order to achieve that time.

As far as I know they tested the cars just as they came from the factory. There was no mention of fitting the cars with different tires, but it does tell what tires were on the cars. Bridgestone Potenza S001 for the Miata.

That's the stock tires of the ND Miata I think... got damn lol.

First off, you can't really compare real driving to a game. Not like you're getting much feedback through a controller.

Second, when it comes to track driving, skill takes precedence over pretty much everything else.

For example, here is a Koenigsegg test driver running a 7:58 on the Nurburgring with traffic in his Miata. He outdrove a fucking GT3RS 45 seconds into the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ3x462rlmg

And, in the video description, you can see that it's not crazy modded or anything. Probably making 160HP. That's why I laugh when I hear dumbasses with no experience say that they need a 600HP Viper or Corvette to be fast on the track.

I've seen that video way too many times lol. It's freakin' great...

Spoiler

and another proof that drifting a stock NC Miata is difficult.

I'm not even gonna mention my complaints as I've done it before but yeah I agree. Hell, I'm pretty sure even an average skilled driver can get under 2:00 in a stock ND... in real life of course.

Anyway enough video games...

What battery brands do y'all use?

The battery in my sis' Mazda3 crapped out yesterday, took it Autozone to get it replaced but they tested it and it had like 50% charge so they recharged it and it seems like it's working. Last time we replaced the battery on it was January 2014 so it's been about 20 months and I don't think this battery is gonna last any longer so I'm thinking of swapping it out next weekend(besides the warranty ends soon anyway).

The battery is your bog-standard Autozone Duralast battery btw. I've had a good experience with their Duralast Gold as that's the battery in my Miata, but it seems like their cheapo batteries are utter trash.

I wanna get an Optima Yellowtop but that shit is just too damn expensive for a regular car so I'm thinking of DieHard or Interstate instead.

 

[Evo X]

You're right... I just used my NC Miata in game that's modded to 230HP/191ft-lb torques and sport tires(so summers maybe IRL?) and at best I'm able to get it down to 1:55.778.

I think this might be attributed to a Forza problem though, as I've been saying before, the cars just tend to oversteer like crazy for some reason, plus, and this is something I've noticed after jumping around Horizon 2 and FM6, is that the brakes feel weaker in FM6. On FH2, the brakes just bite immediately the moment you hit the LT, but here, it's feels like mush.

But challenge accepted... I don't have time now so I'll mod and tune an ND in FM6 tomorrow and see what kind of mods I'd need in order to achieve that time.

Not sure you caught my edit at the end of the last post, but to test it for sure, I bought a stock 2016 Miata and took it to Laguna Seca. Managed to run a 1:55.7 on my 3rd lap. Not quite as fast as Pobst, but a good bit quicker than your 2:02.5.

And I don't even claim to be that great at Forza, so you definitely have some room to grow. My advice is to turn off the dead zones in the control settings. You'll have more instantaneous response, and will be able to modulate the throttle more with the greater range of movement.

Also, turn off assists and use manual transmission so you're always in peak powerband, and can hold gears when necessary to shave off tenths wasted on needless shifts.

 

[jongkookie]

Not sure you caught my edit at the end of the last post, but to test it for sure, I bought a stock 2016 Miata and took it to Laguna Seca. Managed to run a 1:55.7 on my 3rd lap. Not quite as fast as Pobst, but a good bit quicker than your 2:02.5.

And I don't even claim to be that great at Forza, so you definitely have some room to grow. My advice is to turn off the dead zones in the control settings. You'll have more instantaneous response, and will be able to modulate the throttle more with the greater range of movement.

Also, turn off assists and use manual transmission so you're always in peak powerband, and can hold gears when necessary to shave off tenths wasted on needless shifts.

Yep, manual/no clutch and no TCS or STM either, the only thing I've got on is ABS and corner braking lines, although I'm on normal steering as I don't use a wheel obviously.

I think my biggest issue is the oversteer I keep talking about. I'm tired of talking about it myself tbh, but the fact that the tires just light up as you're exiting a corner kills me and obviously kills my time, and I'm guessing by a huge huge margin seeing our differences in time. I also believe it's a habit I've carried over from Gran Turismo as IIRC, the tires don't immediately light up upon corner exit like in FM6.

Interestingly enough, disabling the dead zones as much as possible looks like it helped.

1:57.429

Why the fuck isn't this the default setting???

 

[Jackson]

I fucking love the interior of the upcoming S4 refresh. Really, really like that car. Hate that it doesn't seem like it's gonna offer a manual.

Ya, that's super hot! But isn't the 2016 S4 turboed and not supercharged? I hope the turbo it doesn't ruin the feel with the lag like the S3... I could take a course on thermodynamics between the time it takes when I mash the pedal and when the engine gets into the power curve on the S3.

 

[Evo X]

Yep, manual/no clutch and no TCS or STM either, the only thing I've got on is ABS and corner braking lines, although I'm on normal steering as I don't use a wheel obviously.

I think my biggest issue is the oversteer I keep talking about. I'm tired of talking about it myself tbh, but the fact that the tires just light up as you're exiting a corner kills me and obviously kills my time, and I'm guessing by a huge huge margin seeing our differences in time. I also believe it's a habit I've carried over from Gran Turismo as IIRC, the tires don't immediately light up upon corner exit like in FM6.

Interestingly enough, disabling the dead zones as much as possible looks like it helped.

1:57.429

Why the fuck isn't this the default setting???

I think they have default deadzones because they assume you will be playing on a worn controller with loose sticks and triggers.

There is a way to mitigate the oversteer. It's either caused by throttle lift off mid corner or full throttle application before you have straightened out the car. Tr being more gentle and progressive with it. You can't mash it like Gran Turismo. Try to get most of your braking done before the turn, then keep an even throttle throughout, gradually flowing from the apex to the outside. Make sure your car is pointed straight before giving it full gas.

There's also a few ways to tune the car to help stop oversteer if it's still too much.

Lower front tire pressure.
Raise rear tire pressure.

Stiffen front shocks/springs.
Soften rear shocks/springs.

Raise front end.
Lower rear end.

Install wider rear tires.

Stiffen front sway bar.
Soften rear sway bar.

Increase rear toe in.

Reduce front negative camber.
Reduce positive caster.

You can test drive and tune in real time, so make some changes and see how the car reacts.


One last thing. I've noticed that the brake lines are geared towards safety. Use it as a guideline, but don't rely on it too heavily. You can almost always take turns a little faster than it suggests. Every little bit adds up.

 

[LucidMomentum]

What battery brands do y'all use?

I wanna get an Optima Yellowtop but that shit is just too damn expensive for a regular car so I'm thinking of DieHard or Interstate instead.

I'd go Interstate. I went with Duralast on my 4Runner out of sheer lack of financial options, but I've never had issues when I used Interstate. Getting an Optima for someone who probably won't even realize the difference seems like overkill.

Also one of the best things about Cars & Coffee is all the photographers who try to make a few bucks selling prints of the photos they take. Someone got a really nice shot of the engine bay:

And for $2 it's now mine to stare at forever. I think between the 3 really nice shots I have of my car I've spent $10 total.

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

^^ Awesome pictures!

Lately I've been tossing around the idea of buying an s2000 I live in Canada where I could only drive it like 5 months a year but I kinda wanna buy one and build one up.

I say that you should do it! Building a car over the winter is half of the fun!

 

[mkenyon]

 

[ameratsu]

^ Thanks for making me burst out laughing at work

 

[FStop7]

I wonder what GAF OT regular created that

 

[kharma45]

What a cunt

 

[Jackson]

Really? Nazis? Yo...

Also way to victim blame... If you only weren't so gullible they wouldn't have lied to you! Hey buy a new car cause ya know, that's easy to financially do!

 

[Cow Mengde]

I fucking love the interior of the upcoming S4 refresh. Really, really like that car. Hate that it doesn't seem like it's gonna offer a manual.

That is sexy! It's clean and not cluttered.

 

[FStop7]

Really? Nazis? Yo...

Also way to victim blame... If you only weren't so gullible they wouldn't have lied to you! Hey buy a new car cause ya know, that's easy to financially do!

It's Portland. Nice place but... well.

 

[mkenyon]

It's Portland. Nice place but... well.

Exactly.

Gonna be some rather disconnected people, but that's also what makes it great.

 

[theSlacker]

It's Portland. Nice place but... well.

I like the part at the end. I'm sure they were beaming with extra smug the entire day they got those printed out.

 

[Evo X]

Went shopping for a new luxobarge for the family. Drove a Bentley GT V8S Concours, Benz S63 AMG Coupe, and Audi S6. Will be going back later to test a Rolls Royce Wraith and Audi RS7 Prestige.

First up, the Bentley. First one I've driven and wow, this threw my preconceptions of the brand right out the window. I mean that in a good way. I always knew they were exquisitely build, but holy shit was this fun to drive. Steering felt great and had a surprising amount of feedback. It also handled way better than any vehicle that weighs 5,000lbs has a right to. Immense grip through the turns. Never felt like it was out of your control.

The TT V8 was also beastly. Torque for days. Accelerates smooth and hard. People GTFO of your way when they see it coming.

Bentley say this is the sportiest car they make other than the GT3R and I believe them. This one was a cool color and had the "Porsche GTS" treatment; all the sports options and blacked out trim & wheels instead of the standard chrome. Optional Sports Exhaust sounded badass too.

Excellent dealer experience as well. They treat you like royalty. I've noticed that the higher up you go on the food chain, your car buying experience just gets exponentially better. They also have demo vehicles they loan out for 48 hour periods so you can get a feel for living with the car. Awesome.

Next was the S63 AMG. Honestly, one of the sexiest cars I've ever laid eyes on. Despite being huge, it looks so damn sleek. The tech was pretty crazy too. Everyone knows about the automatic parking party trick, but this also had another cool feature. It can drive itself in cruise control, and by that I mean totally autonomous driving.

We tested this by getting up to speed on a fairly busy highway, then taking my hands/feet off all the controls. It steered itself around bends and automatically slowed down and sped up based on the surrounding traffic. Straight up fucking wizardry.

The Burmester sound system was also fantastic. Unfortunately, the drive left something to be desired. The engine was great, but despite being 400lbs lighter than the Bentley, the steering was super light and the car pushed wide in the curves. I understand it's made that way on purpose for it's intended audience, but still a bit disappointing for a car enthusiast like me, and with a sticker of $185K, I expected more.

Finally, checked out the S6. Significantly cheaper than the other 2 cars(this one was very well optioned at $80K), but pretty great from a price/performance aspect. It has the same 4.0TT V8 as the Bentley, although it's detuned to 450HP. Still fast as hell being the lightest of the bunch. Very nice leather interior with diamond quilted seats and doors and decent room for 4 people.

Best transmission out of the bunch by far in terms of smoothness as speed, attributed to it being the latest revision of S Tronic dual clutch, compared to the ZF 8 speed auto in the Bentley and 7 speed AMG MCT auto in the Benz. Very subtle styling compared to most sports sedans. Great year round sleeper if you prefer flying under the radar. Honestly preferred the driving dynamics to my BMW 550i M-Sport.

Finally, 0-60 in 3.7s with launch control! Pretty crazy for a comfy sport sedan.

A few teaser pics of the Rolls and RS7. Should be unique experiences as well.

 

[jongkookie]

I think they have default deadzones because they assume you will be playing on a worn controller with loose sticks and triggers.

There is a way to mitigate the oversteer. It's either caused by throttle lift off mid corner or full throttle application before you have straightened out the car. Tr being more gentle and progressive with it. You can't mash it like Gran Turismo. Try to get most of your braking done before the turn, then keep an even throttle throughout, gradually flowing from the apex to the outside. Make sure your car is pointed straight before giving it full gas.

There's also a few ways to tune the car to help stop oversteer if it's still too much.

One last thing. I've noticed that the brake lines are geared towards safety. Use it as a guideline, but don't rely on it too heavily. You can almost always take turns a little faster than it suggests. Every little bit adds up.

Here's Pobst's lap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYQWsdvnEQ&feature=youtu.be

A couple of things stood out: his gears are totally different than where I have it in game. The corkscrew for example, my speed drops all the way down to 30-ish mph so I have to go down to 2nd gear, whereas Pobst keeps it in 3rd and above 40mph. That's amazing.

I've lapped around Laguna Seca way too many times in GT or anywhere it shows up that I've memorized the racing line already and interestingly enough, it's very similar. The biggest difference is the first corner, the hairpin, I always go wide coming in and out of that corner, but he just places the car on the curb and accelerates out of it. I need to see where he brakes for the corner and try to imitate that.

Finally, what the fnck kind of magic is going on with the final corner???? He brakes way later, gasses it and somehow doesn't go off track. There's a moment where he countersteers, but other than that, he's in perfect control of the car.

I'm firing FM6 as I type lol. We'll see if I can apply his comments about being light on the pedals and steering.

Edit: Nope lol. I was fighting understeer at the first corner and the corkscrew is still a huge challenge so eh... I'll pass lol.

I'd go Interstate. I went with Duralast on my 4Runner out of sheer lack of financial options, but I've never had issues when I used Interstate. Getting an Optima for someone who probably won't even realize the difference seems like overkill.

Yeah... the next battery on my Miata is definitely gonna be an Optima. But for a regular car and a driver, I'd say the Duralast would've been fine too, but something about the cheapo versions doesn't feel right so I'm out.

Now I need to find an Interstate retailer here in DFW lol.

 

[Evo X]

Bro, Pobst has been racing longer than you've been alive and has literally thousands of laps of Laguna Seca under his belt. It's not the end of the world if you can't match him in Forza. lol

 

[AlphaSnake]

Why are we comparing a videogame to real life?

Forza's physics aren't even that good, imo....and never had been.

 

[jongkookie]

Bro, Pobst has been racing longer than you've been alive and has literally thousands of laps of Laguna Seca under his belt. It's not the end of the world if you can't match him in Forza. lol

Oh I know.

I just find this "challenge" more fun than going through the super grindy career mode... I got bored of it really quick tbh. It's actually funny now that I think about it. I'd rather spend 20 minutes trying to master a specific track in a specific car than progressing through the career mode.

Then again, I've done this same exact thing in Gran Turismo before. Me and my brother would send each other lap times and pretty much beat the other as much as possible. You should've seen one challenge we had... a stock VW SambaBus in the Nordschleife lol. It's the only challenge he's won against me haha.

 

[FStop7]

Wild color for a Bentley.

If it were my money I'd get something extravagant because I'm dumb like that but I think realistically the S6 is the best choice.

Super jealous of the toys you're testing out.

Have you considered the Panamara? It's ugly on the outside but it's got a great interior and it drives the way you'd expect from a Porsche.

 

[Evo X]

Oh I know.

I just find this "challenge" more fun than going through the super grindy career mode... I got bored of it really quick tbh. It's actually funny now that I think about it. I'd rather spend 20 minutes trying to master a specific track in a specific car than progressing through the career mode.

Then again, I've done this same exact thing in Gran Turismo before. Me and my brother would send each other lap times and pretty much beat the other as much as possible. You should've seen one challenge we had... a stock VW SambaBus in the Nordschleife lol. It's the only challenge he's won against me haha.

The career is what you make of it. I like to pick the weirdest car I can and just try and have fun. The later races in the career are a lot more fun than the beginning. The older cars are a blast to drive. Stuff like the 1960s GP cars and 1939 Auto Union Type-D.

We can also get a challenge going if you want. Let me know when you beat my 1:55.7s on the Miata, so I can get serious.

Wild color for a Bentley.

If it were my money I'd get something extravagant because I'm dumb like that but I think realistically the S6 is the best choice.

Super jealous of the toys you're testing out.

Have you considered the Panamara? It's ugly on the outside but it's got a great interior and it drives the way you'd expect from a Porsche.

Yeah, the color is what first drew me to the car. I love ones that are a bit unique and different. Definitely stands out more than the typical silver or black most get.

I wonder how many cows died to make that interior. lol

The only experience I have with the Panamera is the GTS I drove on the track a few months ago. Car handled worse than the Macan Turbo. Felt super heavy and the brakes were faded to hell because a lot of folks drove it before me. I might give it another shot on the street, but was kind of avoiding it because

1) I think that rear end looks atrocious

2) I don't want to get pigeonholed as "the Porsche guy"

and

3) A comparably optioned Panamera is a helluva lot more expensive. I mean, that balls to the walls loaded RS7 has a sticker of $142K, whereas that's the STARTING price for a base Panamera Turbo ($180K base for the Turbo S)

 

[Jackson]

I thought we was car bros... how you gonna have no love for the Rapide S EVO? But ya I love the Bentley GTCSpeed. So hawt. But as a 2 door its useless to me, if I get a 2 door its gotta be a knife-edge sports car. As a 4 door I can make all kinds of excuses though.

 

[GHG]

Went shopping for a new luxobarge for the family. Drove a Bentley GT V8S Concours, Benz S63 AMG Coupe, and Audi S6. Will be going back later to test a Rolls Royce Wraith and Audi RS7 Prestige.

First up, the Bentley. First one I've driven and wow, this threw my preconceptions of the brand right out the window. I mean that in a good way. I always knew they were exquisitely build, but holy shit was this fun to drive. Steering felt great and had a surprising amount of feedback. It also handled way better than any vehicle that weighs 5,000lbs has a right to. Immense grip through the turns. Never felt like it was out of your control.

The TT V8 was also beastly. Torque for days. Accelerates smooth and hard. People GTFO of your way when they see it coming.

Bentley say this is the sportiest car they make other than the GT3R and I believe them. This one was a cool color and had the "Porsche GTS" treatment; all the sports options and blacked out trim & wheels instead of the standard chrome. Optional Sports Exhaust sounded badass too.

Excellent dealer experience as well. They treat you like royalty. I've noticed that the higher up you go on the food chain, your car buying experience just gets exponentially better. They also have demo vehicles they loan out for 48 hour periods so you can get a feel for living with the car. Awesome.

Next was the S63 AMG. Honestly, one of the sexiest cars I've ever laid eyes on. Despite being huge, it looks so damn sleek. The tech was pretty crazy too. Everyone knows about the automatic parking party trick, but this also had another cool feature. It can drive itself in cruise control, and by that I mean totally autonomous driving.

We tested this by getting up to speed on a fairly busy highway, then taking my hands/feet off all the controls. It steered itself around bends and automatically slowed down and sped up based on the surrounding traffic. Straight up fucking wizardry.

The Burmester sound system was also fantastic. Unfortunately, the drive left something to be desired. The engine was great, but despite being 400lbs lighter than the Bentley, the steering was super light and the car pushed wide in the curves. I understand it's made that way on purpose for it's intended audience, but still a bit disappointing for a car enthusiast like me, and with a sticker of $185K, I expected more.

Finally, checked out the S6. Significantly cheaper than the other 2 cars(this one was very well optioned at $80K), but pretty great from a price/performance aspect. It has the same 4.0TT V8 as the Bentley, although it's detuned to 450HP. Still fast as hell being the lightest of the bunch. Very nice leather interior with diamond quilted seats and doors and decent room for 4 people.

Best transmission out of the bunch by far in terms of smoothness as speed, attributed to it being the latest revision of S Tronic dual clutch, compared to the ZF 8 speed auto in the Bentley and 7 speed AMG MCT auto in the Benz. Very subtle styling compared to most sports sedans. Great year round sleeper if you prefer flying under the radar. Honestly preferred the driving dynamics to my BMW 550i M-Sport.

Finally, 0-60 in 3.7s with launch control! Pretty crazy for a comfy sport sedan.

A few teaser pics of the Rolls and RS7. Should be unique experiences as well.

Nice write up. Super jealous of the top 2 options but I'm eyeing up the s6 at the moment. What was the steering like?

Basically I'm I'm a bit of a dilemma at the moment and feel like I'm reaching a "crossroad" point in my life. Either I trade my x6 in for an s6 or m5 towards the end of this year, or... I sell it altogether and start my own business.

Classic case of head vs heart. Head says start my own business - I'm 27, no kids about to be debt free pretty soon and in a strong enough position overall to do it. However I also want some new wheels many and doing this will mean no car at all until I'm up and running which might not be for another 6 months to a year.

But then the freedom of doing my own shit is better than a shiny new car right?

 

[Evo X]

I thought we was car bros... how you gonna have no love for the Rapide S EVO? But ya I love the Bentley GTCSpeed. So hawt. But as a 2 door its useless to me, if I get a 2 door its gotta be a knife-edge sports car. As a 4 door I can make all kinds of excuses though.

Completely forgot about the Rapide S, probably because they are so damn rare. There are only 5 available for sale within a 250mi radius of me.

But yeah, agreed on the other points. These 4 seater coupes are pretty damn useless. The only one that had comfortable seating in the back was the Rolls, and that thing is a fucking behemoth.

No wife or kids at the moment, so not like I have to worry about this anyway. Mainly, I just had some free time and the weather was nice, so decided to go check out some badass rides. lol

These cars are more for my parents. If I was to buy a car for myself tomorrow, it would probably be a 650S Spider. Gonna go drive one sometime soon.

Nice write up. Super jealous of the top 2 options but I'm eyeing up the s6 at the moment. What was the steering like?

Basically I'm I'm a bit of a dilemma at the moment and feel like I'm reaching a "crossroad" point in my life. Either I trade my x6 in for an s6 or m5 towards the end of this year, or... I sell it altogether and start my own business.

Classic case of head vs heart. Head says start my own business - I'm 27, no kids about to be debt free pretty soon and in a strong enough position overall to do it. However I also want some new wheels many and doing this will mean no car at all until I'm up and running which might not be for another 6 months to a year.

But then the freedom of doing my own shit is better than a shiny new car right?

I didn't get to take the S6 through a series of twisties like I did with the other cars, so I can't offer the best impressions of the handling. Steering had decent weight in Dynamic mode and was precise in the few maneuvers I tried. I'd say it was better than the Benz, but not as good as the Bentley. At sane street speeds, the car felt planted, but I do know Quattro cars have a tendency to under steer at the limit. But, you don't buy any of these cars to track, so that shouldn't weigh heavily in your decision.

In terms of whether to buy the car or start a business, I'd recommend investing in your future. No car feels as great as the freedom you have working for yourself. You're only a little bit older than I am, and being young and single gives you the opportunity to put everything you have on the line without having to worry about dependents. Delaying the satisfaction of a new car might seem bitter now, but making some smart career moves instead will allow you to buy cars way better than an S6 later in the future. Besides, you don't have to spend big bucks to have fun. You could always take the middle ground and pick up a cheap motorcycle or used sports car in the mean time. Something that you can trade in a year later and barely lose money on.

Just my 2c. Feel free to say "Fuck it, YOLO" and do as you wish. lol

 

[jongkookie]

The career is what you make of it. I like to pick the weirdest car I can and just try and have fun. The later races in the career are a lot more fun than the beginning. The older cars are a blast to drive. Stuff like the 1960s GP cars and 1939 Auto Union Type-D.

We can also get a challenge going if you want. Let me know when you beat my 1:55.7s on the Miata, so I can get serious.

Yeah, I've heard that the later races are interesting so I might have to take a page from you and use quirky cars lol.

And yes, challenge accepted! I'll let you know when I get it done.

Anyway, battery died on my sis' Mazda3. I knew I couldn't trust the Autozone guy when he "tested" the battery.

Car is in the Mazda dealer right now to get diagnosed and make sure there's nothing draining the battery coz it honestly seems like that's the case. Bad thing is, now I can't drop an Interstate battery in it. So hopefully they figure it out and all that.

 

[LucidMomentum]

Anyway, battery died on my sis' Mazda3. I knew I couldn't trust the Autozone guy when he "tested" the battery.

Car is in the Mazda dealer right now to get diagnosed and make sure there's nothing draining the battery coz it honestly seems like that's the case. Bad thing is, now I can't drop an Interstate battery in it. So hopefully they figure it out and all that.

Dumb question, but does she leave anything plugged into any USB / OBDII ports? I had a friend forget that his ScanGauge would draw power when the car wasn't running and he had to charge his battery constantly.

Sounds like it could be a short though - either that or the battery is just too old and worn to hold a charge for long.

 

[Bandit1]

Yeah, the color is what first drew me to the car. I love ones that are a bit unique and different. Definitely stands out more than the typical silver or black most get.

I wonder how many cows died to make that interior. lol

That Bentley... I've never been anywhere near the cars you're looking at so you don't want to take advice from me, but I'd have to have the Bentley. Gorgeous.