10-16-2014, 12:05 PM
we sold the SL550 a few months back. its warranty had expired, and in the few years we had it, i had to replace 2 batteries, a computer, full brakes, both motor mounts and the trans mount. this car was clearly going to start costing me money, but more than that, it was going to start requiring "fleet management" time. we had replaced the denali with the new M series X5, so that was easier, but with the blue 968 always managing to take up my time, the white car taking up some time, and the triumph needed constant monitoring, the idea of another far more complicated car in the mix just wouldn't do. so, we sold it.
the idea was that i would drive the blue 968 for a while as a daily driver. this has turned out to be far less satisfying as i had hoped. i had driven it for a year every day, in fact, so much that i put 17k on it the first year i had it. now though, with the splitter and all that, coupled with the constant having to deal with traffic and the fact that it was a manual trans, it has turned out to be a lot less fun.
so, i started thinking about replacing it. this put me right back where i started 11 years ago. the needs were the same. it had to be a sporty front engine rear drive convertible that could carry 2 sets of golf clubs, 2 cases of wine, the weekend of luggage, and the wife. not a lot of cars out there that would do it.
then i started remembering the 3 series bmws we had. they were all nice cars, but no really sporty enough. even the E46 M3 manual trans fell short. but, i happened to be in the bmw showroom the other day, as i had to take the X5 up there for a carpet inspection, and i had a chance to poke around.
we had looked at the Z4, but it has no storage space whatsoever. a good replacement for the 968, but not for the SL550. i had already looked at the 435, and while i liked the improvement in body lines over the previous series, it just didn't have enough power. then i walked up to the M4. the extra width in the fenders and quarterpanels really gave the car some curves. the relocation of the front vents worked very nicely with the body lines. the more aggressive front and rear bumpercovers and lower panels really looked good. then i saw the specs on the car. 425hp and 406 lb/ft @ 1850, which pushed the car 0-60 in 4.2!!! that's faster than even my 968. now we're talking. fuel economy is on par with the SL550 too. the rear seat now folds down, giving you much better storage. the windscreen has a storage spot now. the convertible top is a hard top. all of the things i griped about in the E46 series had been addressed. now it was time for a test drive.
i didn't have to drive the car long to find out what i wanted to know. the steering was now electric, and the preset had very nice resistance, unlike the vague soft steering of the M3. cowl shake was all but non-existent. the car was very planted and solid, with none of the ambiguous feel of the E46. no longer did the car seem to pivot over front tires that seemed to stand up straight. the entire car felt like it was working together as a unit. it had much of what i liked about the 968. power is silly. the exhaust note opens up when you hop into sport mode and lets everybody know to get the heck out of your way. this was really a monster. bmw has outdone itself.
i don't know what the future will bring for my blue 968, but i do know that we are ordering this car in a few days. it will be:
deep sea blue metallic special order paint (an extra $5k and a couple of extra weeks)
silverstone grey full merino leather with a full leather dash and door panels (another $2500 but it sure looks great)
anthracite wood trim
driver assistance plus
lighting package
executive package
19" light alloy wheels
M double clutch transmission
adaptive M suspension
enhanced usb
harmon kardon system
side and top view cameras
i think the only thing i will have to add is the radar detector.
all in, the car will run a tick over $90k, but what a car. it has all of the things i looked for in features in the 968 and SL550, but better storage capacity, quieter, and most importantly, no maintenance for 4 years. woohoo!
unfortunately the car won't get here until february.
the idea was that i would drive the blue 968 for a while as a daily driver. this has turned out to be far less satisfying as i had hoped. i had driven it for a year every day, in fact, so much that i put 17k on it the first year i had it. now though, with the splitter and all that, coupled with the constant having to deal with traffic and the fact that it was a manual trans, it has turned out to be a lot less fun.
so, i started thinking about replacing it. this put me right back where i started 11 years ago. the needs were the same. it had to be a sporty front engine rear drive convertible that could carry 2 sets of golf clubs, 2 cases of wine, the weekend of luggage, and the wife. not a lot of cars out there that would do it.
then i started remembering the 3 series bmws we had. they were all nice cars, but no really sporty enough. even the E46 M3 manual trans fell short. but, i happened to be in the bmw showroom the other day, as i had to take the X5 up there for a carpet inspection, and i had a chance to poke around.
we had looked at the Z4, but it has no storage space whatsoever. a good replacement for the 968, but not for the SL550. i had already looked at the 435, and while i liked the improvement in body lines over the previous series, it just didn't have enough power. then i walked up to the M4. the extra width in the fenders and quarterpanels really gave the car some curves. the relocation of the front vents worked very nicely with the body lines. the more aggressive front and rear bumpercovers and lower panels really looked good. then i saw the specs on the car. 425hp and 406 lb/ft @ 1850, which pushed the car 0-60 in 4.2!!! that's faster than even my 968. now we're talking. fuel economy is on par with the SL550 too. the rear seat now folds down, giving you much better storage. the windscreen has a storage spot now. the convertible top is a hard top. all of the things i griped about in the E46 series had been addressed. now it was time for a test drive.
i didn't have to drive the car long to find out what i wanted to know. the steering was now electric, and the preset had very nice resistance, unlike the vague soft steering of the M3. cowl shake was all but non-existent. the car was very planted and solid, with none of the ambiguous feel of the E46. no longer did the car seem to pivot over front tires that seemed to stand up straight. the entire car felt like it was working together as a unit. it had much of what i liked about the 968. power is silly. the exhaust note opens up when you hop into sport mode and lets everybody know to get the heck out of your way. this was really a monster. bmw has outdone itself.
i don't know what the future will bring for my blue 968, but i do know that we are ordering this car in a few days. it will be:
deep sea blue metallic special order paint (an extra $5k and a couple of extra weeks)
silverstone grey full merino leather with a full leather dash and door panels (another $2500 but it sure looks great)
anthracite wood trim
driver assistance plus
lighting package
executive package
19" light alloy wheels
M double clutch transmission
adaptive M suspension
enhanced usb
harmon kardon system
side and top view cameras
i think the only thing i will have to add is the radar detector.
all in, the car will run a tick over $90k, but what a car. it has all of the things i looked for in features in the 968 and SL550, but better storage capacity, quieter, and most importantly, no maintenance for 4 years. woohoo!
unfortunately the car won't get here until february.
94 Midnight Metallic Blue Cab Porsche 968 w/deviating cashmere/black interior and WAY too many mods to list - thanks to eric for creating www.968forums.com
"It isn't nearly as expensive to do it right as it is to do it wrong."
(This post was last modified: 10-16-2014, 12:05 PM by flash.)
