[craigawoodman]

A friend of ours recently took the plunge and bought a second hand Cayman S. He had been waiting around 5 years for Ford Australia to bring out the Falcon GTHO tribute car (a Falcon GTHO was a race car special built in the late 60's and in its time was the fastest 4 door car in the world) - it won numerous races, etc.



Anyway - back on topic. A 2007 Cayman S in exceptional condition, manual, etc. Have to say, everything felt a lot tighter, the gearshift slicker, etc. It would be an easy car to live with on a daily basis and shows how much car design and manufacturing has progressed since my 968 was made in late 1994. However, this is not to say it is as lively or as raw (as much as one quick drive can tell you).



It is similar to the 968 in that it is practical and makes good noises as well.



So with the 968 supercharged and at the mechanic getting more tweaks to hopefully make it the car it deserves to be, the desire for a newer car should be put to rest for a while.



Anyone else driven anything interesting lately?

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[ds968]

Not yet, but I might have an opportunity to report soon on one of two extraordinary cars ; my boss's boss ( our CEO ) is contemplating buying either a Veyron ( used ) or the new McLaren ; huge price between the two cars , and totally " apples to oranges" in every respect so not sure what exactly his thinking is, but that aside since he let me test drive his Vanquish after he bought it a couple of years ago, I'm hoping he'll feel as "free" letting me take whatever he ends up with for a spin. I don't like the looks of either car, but definitely appereciate what must be absolute engineering marvels and practically rockets on wheels.

Incidentally, one of our members ( Trevor ) and I went yesterday to the new MCLaren and Fisker dealerships which opened nearby ; McLaren had one of the new models there ( M4P) , as well as an F1, the owner's car , according to the sales mgr. While I would not call the new M4 model ugly, I can't honestly say that I like either. I do like the rear end a lot, the nose looks like the new Ferrari and O'm not that impressed with it, but those gigantic creature from the black lagoon gills on the sides just destroy the car for me. Secondly, it's way to small for my taste. Even if I had money to burn, I would not choose it. Appearance alone, all of these cars look too similar IMO ; Tesla, McLaren, Lotus Elise or Exige, etc.. toys, really..

The Fisker Karma on the other hand, I thought was a far more interesting and better looking car , but 1) it' s IMMENSE ! You'd think it,s sitting on a 60s-70s Cadillac frame , lol, and 2) they were driving it into it's parking space when we got there, and of course it's completely silent. I hate that. Not sure if when at <acronym title='wide open throttle'><acronym title='wide open throttle'>WOT</acronym></acronym>, there is some dynamic that opens up a different exhaust system and it produces a respectable roar , but it would be a pity if it did not - the car looks super fast innspite of its size and the four doors , so the sound should match that and not make one feel as if you're driving a sewing machine

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[Cloud9...68]

Yeah, I'm not sure I get high-dollar (but come to think of it, is there any other kind?) electric cars. Anybody who car afford one of these can surely afford $4 (or even $10)/gallon gas. They're purely statement cars, I suppose, but the lack on interesting sounds would definitely dampen the fun factor for those who can afford these types of cars, so I imagine new owners may quickly tire of them. But they do serve the purpose of being technology leaders, to hopefully help work out the issues and someday help make them affordable for the masses who could really use them.

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[tamathumper]

Maybe there's a CD you can put in that makes exhaust noises!

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[craigawoodman]

I am not sure who it was, but someone (Porsche for their Boxster electric car) actually had speakers and played simulated engine noises for pedestrians to warn them of the car approaching.



All you would have to do was have this played internally.



I also think there was a gadget available that you plugged into your cigarette lighter to "simulate" the sound of a V8 or V10, V12 (depending on which one you got). I got one of those joke emails that had the link to the video clip.

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[bombfactory]

Saw a Fisker Karma for the first time outside of a car show on the freeway this morning. Really cool looking in motion - very futuristic - and yes, big! But it's really eye-catching and looks high end, on par with a Quattroport or Panamera. It'll be the 'prius' of choice for the CEO set.

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[tim944s]

I just test drove a 2011 Mercedes C63 AMG recently. Much fun. Love the engine and exhaust note. So good.

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[blau]

Got to drive the Audi R8 GT a few months ago. It's a supercar that you can easily live with on the road, and a beast on the track. An extra 42HP over the R8 V10, and 200lbs less weight (3350lbs). Only 333 being made, 90 of them coming to the US with a sticker price of $196,000....

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[craigawoodman]

Blau,



So would you trade the 968 for one?

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[ds968]

I don't know about Blau, but on an even trade, I'd take the R8 in a New York minute. Make that a New York second. No wait, make it a New York nano-second ! However to keep this in perspective , the ONLY cars I would consider an even-trade for the 968 are Ferrari Dino, Ferrari Maranello 575, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin Vantage S , Ford GT, and the R8 ( even the "poor man's " version of it..)

So if anyone out here wants to trade any of the aforementioned for a classic 968, contact me : Dan@yeahrightlikethatsgonnahappen.com.

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[Cloud9...68]

Too funny <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/biggrin.png" class="smilie" alt="" />



Don't know about the R8, though. A fantastic car, no doubt, but I think the styling is just a mess, especially with those ludicrous non-body-color strakes on the side. It manages to look OK from certain angles, but overall I find it too blocky, and just non- harmonious. The anti-Dino, imho.

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[craigawoodman]

I was talking to a crash repairer over here who went to the factory to be trained on how to repair the R8. Apparently, if you have any rear impact at all - you need to have the who rear end removed and inspected, as the heat shielding is critical to preventing the thing catching on fire. As much as I like the performance, I too am not convinced on the styling. Will an R8 be a classic like a 430 or 458 Ferrari? - I doubt it.

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[lbpesq]

Personally, I'd trade my 968 for any car worth $196,000! Of course, I'd then promptly sell it, buy another 968 Cab, a Series 1 E-type, and still pocket some cash!



Bill

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[ds968]

Oh not that easy..rules are you cannot sell that car and then buy another 968..have to drive that forever instead ( wait, who made that rule again ? , lol.. ) but that's what I meant when I said I would not trade the 968 for anything other that those handful of car's. If I could trade and sell, a $ 2million Veyron would be a perfect choice to imediately sell aftrer the trade and buy over 100 968s in every combo. Never have to worry about NLA parts at that time...

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[bombfactory]

While I do love my 968, I guess I'm not THAT in love with it, as there are probably dozens of cars I'd trade it for: E30 M3, E90 M3, the new Boss 302 Mustang, pretty much any Aston Martin, 997 GT3...



Hey, my car is a near 20 year old, 123K mile survivor. If we were talking a hypothetical brand spanking new 968 fresh from the factory, my trade list would probably be a lot shorter.

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[jimmywhisker]

Hi Craig,



I am very keen on the cayman s. Purchased second hand they seem like excellent value in aus. I also love the look of the s on the road and the practicality of the car if you can live with 2 seats. It will most likely be my change-over from the 968 when the rattles and clunks finally get the better of me. I still like the vantage but the cayman s is half the price and not so obvious.



Cheers,



Peter

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[Cloud9...68]

Yeah, I'm a fan of the Cayman as well. Never driven one, but it seems like a well-executed car. I wouldn't call it a beauty, but it's a well-integrated design that works. It definitely has the Porsche heritage written all over it, which may or may not be a good thing in everybody's eyes.

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[Rap]

Prices seem reasonable but I must confess to not having researched it enough to speak intelligently on it. Thought I would drive one and check it out.

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[lbpesq]

For me, a huge factor that limits the list of cars I'd trade for is rarity. I LOVE that I drive all over California with millions and millions of cars on the road, and only see another like mine 2 or 3 times a year! (And I've NEVER seen one in the same color). There aren't many cars you can say that about.



Bill

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[Rap]

Good point, that's why you don't trade or sell the 968. Just select another car and add it too your stable. Delusional huh! I know we are waiting for the map but aren't there more 968's in Ca. than elsewhere?

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