On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 7:54 AM, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > I know that there is a percentage of the populace who view cars as they
> do
> > a toaster - it's an appliance to serve a function, and if they could get
> a
> > toaster that would also grab the bread and butter it when it was done,
> > they'd be happy.
>
> Careful, we have a few of the "toaster" crowd here. But there are more
> of us on this list who are much happier with the BMWs we ENJOY
> driving. Again, the toaster crowd is usually pretty self-righteous.
>
> I have no problem with the "toaster" crowd as long as they don't try to
tell ME that I can't enjoy driving.
> This is also why you'll never see me in the same room as myself at the
> same time. The imbalance would be rather disturbing.
>
>
And entertaining.
> Having ridden in Joel's 2002, I have to say that there is something
> strangely wonderful about that car. In this day and age, it is
> downright primitive, but with a cultured crispness that tells you that
> somebody got the engineering on it just right. But I can tell that the
> best seat in the house is the one right behind the steering wheel.
> Sadly, (wisely), he never let me enjoy that seat. And then there is
> Tom Scales, who showed up to one of our Iowa get-togethers with his
> AMG station wagon that has steam-roller tires and a pair of exhaust
> pipes the size of my legs...
A kid who used to work for me a loooong time ago had a 2002. I rode in it
a couple of times - I remember it being rather fun. It struck me that BMW
and Mercedes seemed to have followed the same track - they were always
well-engineered, solid German cars before they suddenly became a fashion
accessory for the wealthy.
I remember when the very first AMG Hammer came out (I think this was before
they became an official part of Mercedes). That thing just looked evil.
>
>
My 2004 X5 is a strange beast. It is as agile and fast as just about
> any sport sedan, but has a heavy feel that wears you out. The newer
> ones lightened up in controls, but then took away some of the
> performance. The newest ones now have it all--feel and performance.
> While I really enjoy driving it and traveling in it, I do have a
> longing for a Z4 or something "tossable". I like cars that you can
> throw into the corner, get all four wheels drifting a bit and steer
> with the throttle. The X5 will let you throw it into the corner, but
> once the wheels start to drift, the stability control nanny steps in
> and takes your fun away. But when your speedometer is well north of
> the triple-digit threshold, that vehicle is the most solid and stable
> I've ever driven.
>
My 2.5RS was amazing. This was right before the WRX came out... Daphne was
light, nimble, and sure-footed as hell. Felt like an extension of me. Never
once stepped out on me and did something stupid that I wasn't expecting -
in fact, that low CoG and AWD saved my bacon on several occasions. One of
the main disappointments in the current barge is just how much heavier it
is (and feels) than my beloved RS.
The 2017's (and then going forwards) are built on a brand-new platform,
supposedly the basis for Subaru's "world car" (whatever the heck that is).
It's supposed to be much lighter and stiffer in general. The Sport bumps
the shoes up to 18" (that will make new shoes more expensive, but not
nearly as much as the 19" ones on the new Ford Focus RS, a car I was
briefly considering as an alternative). Everything I'm reading about the
new Sport makes it sound like Subaru's engineers finally had heard enough
of my bitching and just made a modern RS. What's irritating is that when I
asked the factory rep at the Chicago show about the possibility, he told me
that while the RS was a rather magical car, it was gone and if I didn't
want to pony up for a WRX, then I should probably start looking at a
different manufacturer. And then in NYC a month later.... BAM!!! A
brand-new car.
The fastest I ever had Daph was 110mph, for a short period. Felt wonderful.
Also, felt like a reeeealllllllllly expensive ticket was on the horizon, so
I backed it down. At one point a long time ago, one of my bosses had a Ford
Taurus SHO (with the Yamaha V6). On the way home from a meeting one night,
he let me drive. We got onto a stretch of highway by us that was almost
finished, but not open to the public yet. 125MPH felt really, really
good... :-)
--
Paul Braun WD9GCO
Certified Music Junkie
"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." -- Berthold Auerbach
--
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