Torque gets you there, horsepower keeps you there. I look at torque and where is it produced before I look at horsepower.
I say torque and how the HP is delivered (at what RPM, tire grip) also matters! Though I, personally, couldn't care less about how it sounds. I've never understood people's fascination with that. Some sound better than others, but I don't actually care.
Torque gets you there, horsepower keeps you there. I look at torque and where is it produced before I look at horsepower.
This is where a Miata Is Always The Answer. Even as prices of used cars have escalated, Miatas didn't go up at the same pace.<- grew up in the buy price, drive momentum school
Well, then, to each his own. Ran into a friend over the weekend at a restaurant; he brought his '19 Ferrari 488. 661 hp of twin turbo goodness. Let me drive it and, frankly, the aural sensation was the best part, even better than the acceleration and handling.I, personally, couldn't care less about how it sounds. I've never understood people's fascination with that. Some sound better than others, but I don't actually care.
See... that seems weird to me. Back in college (mid-'90s), before electric cars were common, one of my friends was talking about how the Virginia Tech solar car didn't make much noise, and how terrible that was in comparison to, say, a 911. And I basically said "I think that's awesome... a silent 911 with current performance would be amazing." I still think that I guess.Let me drive it and, frankly, the aural sensation was the best part
But the loud part always bugged me.
Straight pipes?!? Ugh...I am with your way of thinking - but only on Harleys
It's not all that matters, but it does matter. If you added another 136 HP to that toyota, and made it rear-wheel drive, it would qualify as a fun car.HP is all that matters!
That's why you have to be more nuanced. Loud for loud's sake (like a Harley on straight pipes) is not so good. Adding an Italian and German flair to the exhaust note can be the cat's meow. Like the Ferrari I mentioned above, or an NA flat six in a GT3. Aural orgasms.But the loud part always bugged me.
Traction management can certainly make driving a fun car dead easy. Back in the day you had to be delicate with your right foot; now you can just floor it and not worry about managing traction, and you get to keep your rear tires. However, I aspire to regain my ability to do without it.Never thought you'd be in the 'No Replacement for Displacement' camp
Are you also in the traction management camp?
It's primal. If you don't get it now, there's little chance you ever will - though I do think people who work on cars are more conditioned to listen to them.
- I too think it's awesome, in theroy, until you're riding along in the non-divided bicycle lane (approaching a funky storm drain taking up 3/4 of the bike lane), or you're the pedestrian crossing a street (and there is a buss stopped at the buss stop creating a blind spot)See... that seems weird to me. Back in college (mid-'90s), before electric cars were common, one of my friends was talking about how the Virginia Tech solar car didn't make much noise, and how terrible that was in comparison to, say, a 911. And I basically said "I think that's awesome... a silent 911 with current performance would be amazing." I still think that I guess.
That generation M5 is still considered the pinnacle of sport sedans by many. Every generation since has gotten duller and more numb even if the performance numbers went up.I once lucked out and bought a 2003 E39 M5 stuck-shift from literally “ the little old lady who had an M5 “. She had an AMG M-B as well. I had a Volvo V70 wagon at the time, not looking for a sports sedan , but then a friend mentioned a women in his parents’ condo building was looking to sell one. I went for look, looked great with very low mileage, the asked her how much. Had to have my best poker-face on when she mentioned her low price, containing my excitement. I got it so cheap that I immediately dropped big money on Supersprint headers, Remus exhaust, Shark tune, under-drive pulleys, and some NOS wheels to replace the heavily curb-rashes wheels. That car sounded phenomenal without being garish ! Loved that car, and racked up an additional 120,000 km on it, with no mechanical surprises other than a $600 charge for some ignition wiring that was tucked between the V. Older 5 series were relatively small cars, compared to a current 3 or 5 series.
Did a 21 Macan GTS the other day and it’s the customer’s “fun car” to his cottage/chalet in Collingwood. Do 6 plus cars for his family every year and has offered his cottage back bunkie/nanny suite whenever I’m in the area for skiing at Blue Mountain. Will maybe even have parking space in his large heated garage up there!
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