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[33-Hit-Combo]

Don't have any great pics only these two recent ones. I'm waiting for the M performance diffuser and spoiler until I take some proper pics of the car. I also don't think the M235i is very photogenic, especially with the stock wheels which are very meh in my opinion. Makes the car look like those dogs with very short legs. Sorry for the bad parking, I just tquickly parked outside of the shop to take a pic of the 15mm spacers installed.

Looked great, is that Estoril Blue? Looks way deeper than EB? I really do like the way this looks.

I'm already looking at bits to buy, currently looking at black kidney surrounds and also some black gloss wing mirror aero caps from a company called AutoID. Will need gloss black fog wings to match though!

 

[SliChillax]

Looked great, is that Estoril Blue? Looks way deeper than EB? I really do like the way this looks.

I'm already looking at bits to buy, currently looking at black kidney surrounds and also some black gloss wing mirror aero caps from a company called AutoID. Will need gloss black fog wings to match though!

It is estoril blue 2. Color changes a lot depending on the light. It looks purple-ish at night and clear blue during the day. Reason why I haven't done the black kidneys yet is that if I do that, I'd have to paint the mirrors and badges in black too and I've been too lazy to do that. I also want to get proper 19 inch black wheels but getting a proper set is too expensive.

Here's two pics one under the light the other at night:

 

[matmanx1]

If things fall into place like they should, I will be looking at purchasing a Nissan Skyline R32 soon. More specifically, an R32 GTS-T Type M coupe. Has anyone imported a car to the States before? Would it be worth it to go through a company like Rivsu or should I save the money and do it "myself"? It would be loads cheaper to do it myself, of course.

If you are East Coast then Japanese Classics would be the way to go.

I imported an R32 gts-t in January of this year. Used PacificCoastAuto because it ended up being a couple of grand cheaper than going to rivsu or japanese classics and paying 13k/14k for a gtst coupe. Don't know if you live by a port or not, but I drove to Galveston to pick up my car from the port.

Had to take a day off from school because I could only do it on weekdays because the port of Galveston isn't opened on weekends I believe. Process that needed to get done in Houston was pretty much just going and picking up the car at the port and then taking it to customs to get the paper work filled out. Once I got back home I had to get it inspected by the police and then get it inspected at an inspection station just like any other car. I had a bit of trouble at the DMV, but we just went to another one and they were fine with the paper work.

If I were to do it again i'd go through rivsu or japanese classics since you'll get to actually see and test drive the cars and know exactly what you are getting. I'd probably lean rivsu more just because they have a location in Houston now. But going and picking it up at the port and going through the process of legalizing it does make for a nice story lol. If you have any questions feel free to ask.


Also haven't posted here in quite awhile, but Miata-GAF has lost a member. My 01 SE was damaged in the hail storms we had in Texas back in April. Car ended up being totaled but was fine other the cosmetic damage. Listed it on craigslist at 10pm for 4k and less than 12 hours later it sold and I got asking price for it. The dude that bought didn't care for the hail damage because he was gonna turn it into an exocet. Ended up getting an 05 S2000 in suzuka blue to replace it so I guess i'm back in a 2 seat roadster again even though I was looking for a car with more space like a brz/frs lol.

I'm sorry for your MX-5 loss but glad you were able to pick up an S2000. Once the lightweight roadster bug gets in your system it's tough to switch to a larger, heavier sports car. I'm pretty much in 100% agreement with Colin Chapman at this point in terms of sports car philosophy. Keep it light and fairy simple and you have the best recipe for a fun car.

 

[lem0n]

If you are East Coast then Japanese Classics would be the way to go.



I'm sorry for your MX-5 loss but glad you were able to pick up an S2000. Once the lightweight roadster bug gets in your system it's tough to switch to a larger, heavier sports car. I'm pretty much in 100% agreement with Colin Chapman at this point in terms of sports car philosophy. Keep it light and fairy simple and you have the best recipe for a fun car.

I'm in Arizona. Is there a decent one in SoCal at all? There must be! I'll have a look. Also, @Chiester, would you mind sharing some pics of your R32? I'd love to see it!

 

[golem]

I'm in Arizona. Is there a decent one in SoCal at all? There must be! I'll have a look. Also, @Chiester, would you mind sharing some pics of your R32? I'd love to see it!

I havent done any business with them but they seem legit: http://www.importavehicle.com/

 

[Chiester]

I actually prefer it, believe it or not. GTR is wonderful! It's a legend to me! But I'm partial to the simple, narrow body and RWD. When I have the place to work on it, the RB20DET will be swapped out with an RB30DE. Preferably with ITBs and cams. N/A power!



Wow, thanks for the reply! Good to know, I think I'll stick with Japanese Classics or Rivsu, I just don't want to deal with that hassle. Do you happen to know of those prices on Japanese Classics are before or after fees and all that? I don't want to save $14k for my GTS-T only to find its $16k after fees etc.

The only fees you'll deal with if you use a company like rivsu/japanese classics are just the sale taxes on the car. It's just like buying a car from a dealer if you use them.

And sure heres some pics from when I picked it up

 

[lem0n]

The only fees you'll deal with if you use a company like rivsu/japanese classics are just the sale taxes on the car. It's just like buying a car from a dealer if you use them.


And sure heres some pics from when I picked it up

Ah okay, makes sense. I just wasn't sure! Thank you!

That thing is rad. Looks like fun. How is driving it around? Does anyone actually know what it is? Or do you just get swarmed at gas stations by people who played with one in Gran Turismo lmao

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

It is estoril blue 2. Color changes a lot depending on the light. It looks purple-ish at night and clear blue during the day. Reason why I haven't done the black kidneys yet is that if I do that, I'd have to paint the mirrors and badges in black too and I've been too lazy to do that. I also want to get proper 19 inch black wheels but getting a proper set is too expensive.

Here's two pics one under the light the other at night:

Colour looks absolutely amazing! I've gone for Mineral Grey myself, with red leather interior. I'm so torn between blue and also orange though!

 

[Fallout-NL]

It is estoril blue 2. Color changes a lot depending on the light. It looks purple-ish at night and clear blue during the day. Reason why I haven't done the black kidneys yet is that if I do that, I'd have to paint the mirrors and badges in black too and I've been too lazy to do that. I also want to get proper 19 inch black wheels but getting a proper set is too expensive.

Here's two pics one under the light the other at night:

Nice ride man, love the color.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I'm looking to trade my current car (Mazda 2) in for a compact sporting sedan. I'm looking at either the Mazda 3 SP25, Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo or the current Civic. I spend the majority of time commuting to work, so good city economy would be preferable. I have driven the Mazda, so I'm leaning towards that, but I want to know if poorAutoGAF have driven the others.

 

[Chiester]

Ah okay, makes sense. I just wasn't sure! Thank you!

That thing is rad. Looks like fun. How is driving it around? Does anyone actually know what it is? Or do you just get swarmed at gas stations by people who played with one in Gran Turismo lmao

Drives real nice and smooth on the highway. RHD isn't hard at all to get used to. Turning left at stoplights on a yellow can be a pain though. Also at the start i would slowly drift towards the middle because i'm so used to having the center line of the road right to the left of me. I don't reverse through drive-thrus anymore after a chick-fil-a manager got mad at me lol. Unbuckling your seat belt and leaning over to get your food isn't bad.

You are spot on with the Gran Turismo line lol. You get a ton of people that come up and know exactly what it is. I'd say that 1/2 of my gas stops i have someone come up to me, but in every gas stop I always have someone stare at the car. The only people that don't know what it is are the old and middle age people that notice you're on the right side at a stop light and ask "oh is that a british car" or "why are you on the wrong side" lol.

 

[FStop7]

Fucked up thing happened just now. I was on my way home and saw an i8 in traffic. We ended side by side at a stoplight. I'm not stupid enough to get into a race on a very busy street so I just drove normally and so did he. We came up to a second light and he stopped about 10 feet short of the intersection. I knew exactly what he was gonna do: a flyby. Sure enough, the light turned and a few seconds later i8 guy flew past me. Very lame, but whatever. But then he started to swerve into my lane, right in front of me. I was pretty pissed off by that but I still kept driving like normal. Then he tried to punch it again but there was a car in front of him and I ended up casually passing him as I was about to enter a left turn lane. And as I rolled past him I looked over and shouted "Nice Prius!"

Dude did NOT react well. He went around the car in front of him, ran a red light, cut a U-turn in the middle of traffic, turned onto the street I was waiting to turn onto, and sat there as if he was waiting for me while making all kinds of crazy arm gestures. After about 10 seconds of my wondering if I was about to get shot he took off, entered a supermarket parking lot, floored it again, then I lost sight of him.

 

[mkenyon]

Chillax, that blue looks amazing. I don't typically like blues, but goddamn that is hot. TY for sharing.

 

[Gen X]

I'm sorry for your MX-5 loss but glad you were able to pick up an S2000. Once the lightweight roadster bug gets in your system it's tough to switch to a larger, heavier sports car.

This is true. Took me a while to get used to my VZ SV6 Commodore after I sold my MX5. Granted it's not exactly a sports car, although went well it was twice the weight of the MX5 and vastly noticeable.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Fucked up thing happened just now. I was on my way home and saw an i8 in traffic. We ended side by side at a stoplight. I'm not stupid enough to get into a race on a very busy street so I just drove normally and so did he. We came up to a second light and he stopped about 10 feet short of the intersection. I knew exactly what he was gonna do: a flyby. Sure enough, the light turned and a few seconds later i8 guy flew past me. Very lame, but whatever. But then he started to swerve into my lane, right in front of me. I was pretty pissed off by that but I still kept driving like normal. Then he tried to punch it again but there was a car in front of him and I ended up casually passing him as I was about to enter a left turn lane. And as I rolled past him I looked over and shouted "Nice Prius!"

Dude did NOT react well. He went around the car in front of him, ran a red light, cut a U-turn in the middle of traffic, turned onto the street I was waiting to turn onto, and sat there as if he was waiting for me while making all kinds of crazy arm gestures. After about 10 seconds of my wondering if I was about to get shot he took off, entered a supermarket parking lot, floored it again, then I lost sight of him.

Hehe. I like your choice of insult though. Struck a nerve

What car were you in?

 

[Cowie]

Question: Anyone familiar with the ins and outs of CPO programs? Maybe more to the point, if a car looks like it should be eligible for CPO and isn't, is that a red flag?
For example:
http://www.rockville-audi.com/used/...ville+MD-b619a5820a0e0a1701d2b54a8d343915.htm

S6 at an Audi dealer, 2016, 15k miles, offered as regular pre-owned instead of certified. They've got a whole gaggle of 2016 cars with <10k miles that are certified, so it's not like they're just assuming the factory warranty is enough. Carfax looks clean, for whatever that's worth.

I'm not going to buy this particular car so it's not that big of a deal, but curious if this is something that should raise an eyebrow.

 

[Ace 8095]

The dealer has to buy the CPO, which is probably pretty pricey for an S6. Maybe the dealer thought he would have no trouble selling the car without it.

 

[SliChillax]

Colour looks absolutely amazing! I've gone for Mineral Grey myself, with red leather interior. I'm so torn between blue and also orange though!

Mineral grey with red interior is an amazing combo, you'll love it!

Nice ride man, love the color.

Thanks a lot

Chillax, that blue looks amazing. I don't typically like blues, but goddamn that is hot. TY for sharing.

Thanks a lot man, appreciate it.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Question: Anyone familiar with the ins and outs of CPO programs? Maybe more to the point, if a car looks like it should be eligible for CPO and isn't, is that a red flag?
For example:
http://www.rockville-audi.com/used/...ville+MD-b619a5820a0e0a1701d2b54a8d343915.htm

S6 at an Audi dealer, 2016, 15k miles, offered as regular pre-owned instead of certified. They've got a whole gaggle of 2016 cars with <10k miles that are certified, so it's not like they're just assuming the factory warranty is enough. Carfax looks clean, for whatever that's worth.

I'm not going to buy this particular car so it's not that big of a deal, but curious if this is something that should raise an eyebrow.

Sort of yeah. Look at the CarFax first. My concerns start there...in the 16K miles of ownership there is no trail of it being serviced? 10K requires the first service for Audi. I suspect this was a manager's car that was leased for 18 months. You can buy a CPO at the dealer, but it usually costs the dealer less to buy it though. But know that Audi's CPO coverage is balls. It excludes a lot of stuff, including electrical related issues, sensors, and other bits like that - shit that basically always fails on them. My Audi dealer always gave me headaches about my wife's A4, which we ultimately sold for a CPO BMW 335i...and then BMW started giving me shit about a water pump not being covered (uhh...what?). So we sold that and got our first Jaguar back in 2012. Which leads me to my example of the CPO process:

My 2012 Jaguar XF was in a side-swipe that was fixed back in NYC for $30K covered by the asshole's insurance (I had a Lambo shop do all the work, thus the cost ). And then again a scooter dented my passenger's side front quarter, which I popped out for next to nothing. So the car had two accidents on CarFax. But it ran like a beast and never had any mechanical failures.

When the lease ended, the dealer bought it from the bank. Honestly, it was a stupid move on their part, imo, only because of that CarFax. But hey...they actually also CPO'd the car. When I asked why, they said that the inspection on the car was pristine and the pictures of the accident that I provided showed minimal overall damage and no frontal impact. Admittedly, I took good care of the car: new brakes 7 months prior to return. New tires a year before. Kept the interior spotless. And I serviced it every 5K miles. Jaguar needs to CPO cars, though, because they have an unfair reputation for still being unreliable, which just isn't the case today. Also, their CPO is the best program in the business. Damn near covers everything besides a few rubber engine/trans mounts & wear and tear.

My XKR is covered under the Jaguar CPO and I've brought the car in for a cold start transmission issue and they didn't charge me a cent. They even had a ZF rep/tech come in while in Florida, he drove the car and determined it wasn't valve body. Told the dealer to check fluid levels. Sure enough, my trans fluid was a bit low. They refilled the transmission with all new fluid and the issue went away. This would normally be a $300-500 job (only because trans fluid is so damn expensive for ZFs) and they covered it under CPO. They also inspected the diff at no charge, and so forth. When I had issues with my BMW and Audi, the dealers always wanted to charge me labor because nothing was covered under their CPO.

So keep this kind of stuff in mind with CPO warranties. Audi and BMW don't offer the best coverages on theirs.

/Rant

 

[Futaba]

Fucked up thing happened just now. I was on my way home and saw an i8 in traffic. We ended side by side at a stoplight. I'm not stupid enough to get into a race on a very busy street so I just drove normally and so did he. We came up to a second light and he stopped about 10 feet short of the intersection. I knew exactly what he was gonna do: a flyby. Sure enough, the light turned and a few seconds later i8 guy flew past me. Very lame, but whatever. But then he started to swerve into my lane, right in front of me. I was pretty pissed off by that but I still kept driving like normal. Then he tried to punch it again but there was a car in front of him and I ended up casually passing him as I was about to enter a left turn lane. And as I rolled past him I looked over and shouted "Nice Prius!"

Dude did NOT react well. He went around the car in front of him, ran a red light, cut a U-turn in the middle of traffic, turned onto the street I was waiting to turn onto, and sat there as if he was waiting for me while making all kinds of crazy arm gestures. After about 10 seconds of my wondering if I was about to get shot he took off, entered a supermarket parking lot, floored it again, then I lost sight of him.

"Hey dude what car is that?"
"I8"
"Oh, uh, okay but what car is it?"
"I8!!!"
"That's nice but I'm asking what car you're driving..."
"I told you! I8"
"Fine, fine, what did you eat?"

 

[m_shortpants]

I'm looking to trade my current car (Mazda 2) in for a compact sporting sedan. I'm looking at either the Mazda 3 SP25, Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo or the current Civic. I spend the majority of time commuting to work, so good city economy would be preferable. I have driven the Mazda, so I'm leaning towards that, but I want to know if poorAutoGAF have driven the others.

I've heard great things about the new Civic, particularly the turbo model.

 

[Bandit1]

Picking it up on the 26th...

Congrats! Looks really mean in black.

Traded in my 2016 Tech Shelby GT350 for the 2017. Ford combined the track and tech together and I want to track this car more. Main difference is the transmission/axle coolers and few other suspension things. Such a fun car to drive, just picked it up Saturday so it is at my PPF person getting a full wrap then Flight Shield Sapphire V1 nano coating on top. Usually do CQuartz/Opticoat, but this stuff is crazy good. It was mainly used on private jets and is now becoming more available for cars. It can withstand up to 1200 degrees so will not break down around the hood area of the engine.

As a bonus, almost done with my restore of very first car in high school. 1966 C10 with AC from the factory. Now has tube suspension, 373 posi, Crate kit 383 Stroker/700R4 Trans with computer adjustments, pushing 475HP, lowered about 6in.

Shelby looks great, but I wanna see the truck when it's done!

 

[FStop7]

Hehe. I like your choice of insult though. Struck a nerve

What car were you in?

2010 M6. The whole thing was dumb, I shouldn't have said anything but when he started cutting into my lane it went from being amusing to irritating.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeh, the road rage is real. I try to, but don't always manage to be above it.

 

[jongkookie]

2010 M6. The whole thing was dumb, I shouldn't have said anything but when he started cutting into my lane it went from being amusing to irritating.

Dude must've had the i8's charger stuck up his ass to be an asshole to a fellow BMW driver lol.

This is why I carry a crowbar in my trunk lol. I thought about getting a CHL and keeping a 9mm in my glovebox but the Miata's glovebox is ridiculously tiny so it'd be useless haha.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Dude must've had the i8's charger stuck up his ass to be an asshole to a fellow BMW driver lol.

This is why I carry a crowbar in my trunk lol. I thought about getting a CHL and keeping a 9mm in my glovebox but the Miata's glovebox is ridiculously tiny so it'd be useless haha.

Sometimes I'm so, so very glad I live in The Netherlands

 

[Evo X]

So many sexy rides posted on the last page. God damn.

Also, i8 dude is a tool for trying to race his econocar, especially against an M6.

 

[AlphaSnake]

2010 M6. The whole thing was dumb, I shouldn't have said anything but when he started cutting into my lane it went from being amusing to irritating.

Idc what anyone says. LCI M6s look pretty decent to me. :|

And dat sound.

I miss my brother's E63 M6 quite a lot.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I'm surprised that dude actually dared fuck with a guy in an M6.

Always seems to me like the type of car a hitman or a badass bagman would drive.

 

[jongkookie]

Sometimes I'm so, so very glad I live in The Netherlands

Lmao, it's a Texas thing.

Most people aren't really that dumb to brandish their gun towards some dipshit on the road, but admittedly it would be a nice piece of mind to have.

Then again, my weapon of choice is a video camera tbh, that way it's not an instant death rather it's long lasting thanks to the power of social media lol.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah, shit, I admit I'd be down with owning a nice pistol if I was the only one allowed to have one .

 

[Cowie]

The dealer has to buy the CPO, which is probably pretty pricey for an S6. Maybe the dealer thought he would have no trouble selling the car without it.

Sort of yeah. Look at the CarFax first. My concerns start there...in the 16K miles of ownership there is no trail of it being serviced? 10K requires the first service for Audi. I suspect this was a manager's car that was leased for 18 months. You can buy a CPO at the dealer, but it usually costs the dealer less to buy it though. But know that Audi's CPO coverage is balls. It excludes a lot of stuff, including electrical related issues, sensors, and other bits like that - shit that basically always fails on them. My Audi dealer always gave me headaches about my wife's A4, which we ultimately sold for a CPO BMW 335i...and then BMW started giving me shit about a water pump not being covered (uhh...what?). So we sold that and got our first Jaguar back in 2012. Which leads me to my example of the CPO process:

My 2012 Jaguar XF was in a side-swipe that was fixed back in NYC for $30K covered by the asshole's insurance (I had a Lambo shop do all the work, thus the cost ). And then again a scooter dented my passenger's side front quarter, which I popped out for next to nothing. So the car had two accidents on CarFax. But it ran like a beast and never had any mechanical failures.

When the lease ended, the dealer bought it from the bank. Honestly, it was a stupid move on their part, imo, only because of that CarFax. But hey...they actually also CPO'd the car. When I asked why, they said that the inspection on the car was pristine and the pictures of the accident that I provided showed minimal overall damage and no frontal impact. Admittedly, I took good care of the car: new brakes 7 months prior to return. New tires a year before. Kept the interior spotless. And I serviced it every 5K miles. Jaguar needs to CPO cars, though, because they have an unfair reputation for still being unreliable, which just isn't the case today. Also, their CPO is the best program in the business. Damn near covers everything besides a few rubber engine/trans mounts & wear and tear.

My XKR is covered under the Jaguar CPO and I've brought the car in for a cold start transmission issue and they didn't charge me a cent. They even had a ZF rep/tech come in while in Florida, he drove the car and determined it wasn't valve body. Told the dealer to check fluid levels. Sure enough, my trans fluid was a bit low. They refilled the transmission with all new fluid and the issue went away. This would normally be a $300-500 job (only because trans fluid is so damn expensive for ZFs) and they covered it under CPO. They also inspected the diff at no charge, and so forth. When I had issues with my BMW and Audi, the dealers always wanted to charge me labor because nothing was covered under their CPO.

So keep this kind of stuff in mind with CPO warranties. Audi and BMW don't offer the best coverages on theirs.

/Rant

Ah, thanks for the input. So more or less a 'dig deeper' situation, but maybe not the end of the world in all cases.

Of course, this week I want an S6, who knows where I'll be next. With the buzz of a US-bound XF Wagon, patience may serve me well.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Ah, thanks for the input. So more or less a 'dig deeper' situation, but maybe not the end of the world in all cases.

Of course, this week I want an S6, who knows where I'll be next. With the buzz of a US-bound XF Wagon, patience may serve me well.

If that's your cup of tea, take a look at the F-Pace. It's basically an XF wagon, with only a minimal difference inside. Admittedly, the material quality is quite a bit better on the XF. But the F-Pace starts at $40K, which is still a bargain.

 

[matmanx1]

Speaking of the F-Pace, I think a *realistic* dream garage for me in 5 years time would have an F-Pace or Macan sitting next to an ND Miata or Fiat 124 Abarth.

Obviously you never know what's going to happen but looking around at what's available right now and lining that up with my own preferences and financial outlook I believe I could make it work.

 

[Stinkles]

Speaking of the F-Pace, I think a *realistic* dream garage for me in 5 years time would have an F-Pace or Macan sitting next to an ND Miata or Fiat 124 Abarth.

Obviously you never know what's going to happen but looking around at what's available right now and lining that up with my own preferences and financial outlook I believe I could make it work.

F Pace and Abarth would make you that kid with a Vectrex and an Oric Atmos while everyone else had a Colecovision and a Vic 20. Not in a bad way.

 

[lem0n]

Speaking of the F-Pace, I think a *realistic* dream garage for me in 5 years time would have an F-Pace or Macan sitting next to an ND Miata or Fiat 124 Abarth.

Obviously you never know what's going to happen but looking around at what's available right now and lining that up with my own preferences and financial outlook I believe I could make it work.

Macan and 124 Abby would be an amazing 2 car garage! My personal realistic two car garage is a Tacoma TRD-Pro 6MT and R32 GTS-T... one of which I'm working on now.

Now that I'm thinking, ultimate 2 car dream garage would be E39 528iT (with S85 and 6MT swap) and F40. You could switch the supercar with LFA, Carrera GT, 911 R, McLaren P1, EB110SS or Isdera Commendatore 112i and I would be just as happy, lmao.

 

[Cowie]

If that's your cup of tea, take a look at the F-Pace. It's basically an XF wagon, with only a minimal difference inside. Admittedly, the material quality is quite a bit better on the XF. But the F-Pace starts at $40K, which is still a bargain.

The F-Pace is really enticing, honestly. I don't generally like the ride height on most crossovers (too high for my taste), but for as many good impressions as the thing gets I should probably give it a test drive.

 

[AlphaSnake]

The F-Pace is really enticing, honestly. I don't generally like the ride height on most crossovers (too high for my taste), but for as many good impressions as the thing gets I should probably give it a test drive.

Yeah, definitely do it. You'll also love how they sound inside. No fake piped in or audio noise either. And if you find it a little raunchy sometimes, there's a sliding boot cover that you can slide in or out to minimize the exhaust noise from the hatch area. I wouldn't ever use it, tbh. Hahaha.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Wtf video of the day:

Is someone blocking your exit out of a parking lot? Smash them the fuck out of the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJkmy0KQqI

 

[boltz]

I'm looking to trade my current car (Mazda 2) in for a compact sporting sedan. I'm looking at either the Mazda 3 SP25, Hyundai Elantra SR Turbo or the current Civic. I spend the majority of time commuting to work, so good city economy would be preferable. I have driven the Mazda, so I'm leaning towards that, but I want to know if poorAutoGAF have driven the others.

I haven't driven any of those vehicles, but I'm a fan of the new Civic hatchback design, although it seems to have drawn a lot of hate. Not to mention you can get it in stick in not just the base trim level and the 1.5L turbo motor has been getting good reviews. I also like the awesome built-in retracting cargo cover in the hatch.

Traded in my 2016 Tech Shelby GT350 for the 2017. Ford combined the track and tech together and I want to track this car more. Main difference is the transmission/axle coolers and few other suspension things. Such a fun car to drive, just picked it up Saturday so it is at my PPF person getting a full wrap then Flight Shield Sapphire V1 nano coating on top. Usually do CQuartz/Opticoat, but this stuff is crazy good. It was mainly used on private jets and is now becoming more available for cars. It can withstand up to 1200 degrees so will not break down around the hood area of the engine.

Congrats - Ford should have not made those packages mutually exclusive in the first place. I would assume that due to demand for the GT350, that you didn't take much of a financial hit, if any at all, for that trade in?

As far as where Maseratis fall in terms of performance and luxury? Nowhere, really. They may be the very definition of buying a car for its badge. At base it's $20,000 more expensive than a BMW 528i or Jaguar XF 35t, yet offers a fraction of the equipment. For 71K you could be driving an optioned out XF R-Sport or a 550i or a fucking Audi S6. Or, you can step up an entire class and buy a fucking Jaguar XJ for the same cost as a stripped out Ghibli with an interior from the mid-2000s.

The first time I sat inside a Ghibli I thought the interior was really nice. Pretty gauges, decent steering wheel, liked the familiar ZF shifter, the center con--wtf...who slapped an Etch-a-Sketch on the center console? It's so, so garish. A salesman came up and laughed that I wasn't the only one who touched and fiddled with that piece in amazement. He didn't give a shit telling me that, he only sold the Ferraris on the lot. LOL. It's just such an ugly afterthought. Throw a veneer on that bitch or some shit. Ugh.

Also, I always reference this hilarious article about why the Ghibli sucks.

http://jalopnik.com/the-maserati-ghibli-is-a-luxury-sedan-that-sucks-at-lux-1714664806

Ok, that's the feeling I got from Maseratis. And from the Jalopnik article, I wonder if Maserati hit their 2015 sales goal of 50k vehicles. I mean if you want growth like Maserati is wanting, you've gotta be reaching down market and then your exclusive vehicles won't be so exclusive anymore.

Ouch, that's "normal shift rpm" for a bog standard gt86 if you want to avoid the ball-bearings-in-a-tube laboring sounds xD

Damn, and I thought that my normal shifting at about 4k rpm in my Evo was a bit much. I've been driving non-performance cars all my life and so normal shifting to me was always 2-3k rpm. Then I quickly found out that would be driving like a granny (maybe even slower) in an Evo.

 

[Futaba]

Damn, and I thought that my normal shifting at about 4k rpm in my Evo was a bit much. I've been driving non-performance cars all my life and so normal shifting to me was always 2-3k rpm. Then I quickly found out that would be driving like a granny (maybe even slower) in an Evo.

To be fair most Japanese made engines prefer higher RPM, even a lot of the standard road cars

Wtf video of the day:

Is someone blocking your exit out of a parking lot? Smash them the fuck out of the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJkmy0KQqI

Saw this om imgur this morning, no matter how pissy i was with someones parking i'd never mess up my own car like that D:

 

[SliChillax]

Wtf video of the day:

Is someone blocking your exit out of a parking lot? Smash them the fuck out of the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJkmy0KQqI

Living in Albania people have this I don't give a fuck mentality about everything so my driveway is always blocked and they usually park just in front of my garage door because there's a fast food place right next to my garage. You have no idea how much I'd want a Benz G63 6x6 to drive off without giving a fuck. Almost everyday I have to deal with this shit.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

How does AutoGAF feel about the upcoming Mercedes Benz pick-up?

 

[matmanx1]

F Pace and Abarth would make you that kid with a Vectrex and an Oric Atmos while everyone else had a Colecovision and a Vic 20. Not in a bad way.

Haha, I love this comparison. Thank you.

How does AutoGAF feel about the upcoming Mercedes Benz pick-up?

As an auto enthusiast I think it's cool. I respect a lot of what MB does in terms of engineering and interior design so it will be interesting to see how all of that pans out in their truck.

 

[Futaba]

How does AutoGAF feel about the upcoming Mercedes Benz pick-up?

Number of people going to actually put stuff in the back that could scratch the paint: 0

 

[ascii42]

Number of people King to actually put stuff in the back that could scratch the paint: 0

Haha, pretty much.

I'm interested in seeing it, though. Luxury pickups are somewhat bizarre, in a sense, so I've got an odd fascination with them.

 

[jongkookie]

How does AutoGAF feel about the upcoming Mercedes Benz pick-up?

I'm in 100% mainly because that means job security since I live in Texas lol.

But I'm curious to see if they can perfectly replicate the feel of their interiors as this is basically a rebadged Nissan/Renault.

IMO the current GL line has one of the best interiors you could ever have in an SUV. I feel like a king sitting in it lol.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I'm in 100% mainly because that means job security since I live in Texas lol.

But I'm curious to see if they can perfectly replicate the feel of their interiors as this is basically a rebadged Nissan/Renault.

IMO the current GL line has one of the best interiors you could ever have in an SUV. I feel like a king sitting in it lol.

Ooof, idk, man. Gonna have to seriously disagree with you. My brother has a GL550 and the interior has a lot of cheap bits. The GLS' interior is improved, but all they really did was do the whole giant tablet screen thing (which I don't mind). The buttons and the center console are still 8 years old and out of the C-Class. :\ Quite frankly, the fact that the interior is such a mish-mash of old and new hardware really distorts the whole feeling of the car feeling premium inside.

It's a mess in there, imo.

The current gen Volvo XC90 may have the most beautiful interior of that class. But it's pretty gutless. The Audi Q7 may be a great mix of both, though.

 

[boltz]

How does AutoGAF feel about the upcoming Mercedes Benz pick-up?

I'm not sure what kind of market exists for a pickup truck from a luxury nameplate, but I'm guessing that it'll be a status symbol for the folks who want to stand out from the sea of luxury SUVs.

 

[jongkookie]

So I got my tow hook license plate mount in the mail yesterday and installed it today. The thing is surprisingly rock solid, the piece of metal that connects to the tow hitch is pretty dang sturdy and the mount itself feels pretty solid but there's a problem.

It just didn't look good no matter what way I set it, here's 4 pictures and y'all tell me which one y'all prefer:

I dunno if y'all can see it from those pics so lemme illustrate the problem:

Yeah, it's too far from the bumper so it looks obvious as hell from all angles except the front that it ain't sitting flush so it doesn't really look that good in person.

So now I'm thinking of either cutting the metal bar by half maybe so it'll be more flush with the body and look better. Thankfully, I didn't pay $90 or whatever bullshit RHO plae or Cravenspeed was charging for their tow hook mounts... this shit was an eBay special haha.

On the other hand, I had some time to play around and hooked up a mic right next to my muffler to capture some good sounds instead: http://vocaroo.com/i/s1r4BQJvKbFw

Nothing special here though, the only thing fancy is my GWR Race Muffler(which is the loudest and lightest muffler you can get for an NC Miata).

Ooof, idk, man. Gonna have to seriously disagree with you. My brother has a GL550 and the interior has a lot of cheap bits. The GLS' interior is improved, but all they really did was do the whole giant tablet screen thing (which I don't mind). The buttons and the center console are still 8 years old and out of the C-Class. :\ Quite frankly, the fact that the interior is such a mish-mash of old and new hardware really distorts the whole feeling of the car feeling premium inside.

It's a mess in there, imo.

The current gen Volvo XC90 may have the most beautiful interior of that class. But it's pretty gutless. The Audi Q7 may be a great mix of both, though.

Oh yeah the buttons and center console is still shit but the way the steering wheel controls are laid out, their iDrive copy(COMAND) and the way the seats just envelope you in a cocoon is amazing to me. Also the user interface of their media/tablet thing is fantastic. Like a lot of shit is still buried under so the likes of Richie McRichmann can't fuck it up and complain to the dealer but the layout makes perfect sense.

Audi to me has the next best UI but I hate the lack of separation between the buttons for example. Like why do I need to press the fan button then turn the dial just to control the AC fan? That's adding an extra and unnecessary step imo. It feels counter intuitive especially because even shitboxes have separate controls for the temperature and the fan. Feels like they just added it because "hurrdurr I'm a luxury car" lol.

Meanwhile BMW has the perfect placement for their controls but the UI is trash. Did Microsoft's Xbone division design this shit?? It's slow and overwhelming to use.

Unfortunately those 3 are the only ones we really deal with at work so I haven't really had proper seat time in a Volvo or any other brand so I don't have any opinions on those whatsoever.