Automobiles

[Too Tall]

No comparison in my opinion yo. The 911S is a BA automobile. There are things about the Cayman that don't make sense to me like hearing every piece of dirt thrown by the tires into the wheel wells among other things. These silly 911s are so wrong they are right, get one.

Funny how things move in the orbits of the zeitgeist around here, I've been debating the pros/cons of Cayman S (2009-2012) as compared to a 997 Carrera 2 S (probably a 2008; don't think I want to fork over the extra coin for a 2009) and keep coming up with it being a push. All considered have 6 speed MT. All come in at roughly the same price. I've considered the earlier 911's but this car needs will be a daily driver that goes to the track occasionally. Put gas in it and go. Change the oil. Rinse and repeat.

I'm still doing a lot of reading and talking but the best advice came from a car-nut colleague who has a 997 cabriolet in his lineup, "Go drive them both and decide. One has more horsepower, one has more neutral handling. One has more space inside. The other doesn't. Really can't make a wrong decision with either."

[ned]

Boxster is the new 914 and Cayman is the new 944. Incredibly balanced and precise but an afterthought in Zuffenhausen. The 911 has always been, and always will be, the real deal. If you're going to own only one Porsche in your life, get thee a 911. (I have only owned one Porsche (944S2), but have every intention of owning another one of these days...911 RS America.)

[sine]

Talked with a sales guy the other day when I saw the new Allroad siting on the lot. Based now off the A4 platform. No body armor. Asked him if they were still using the air suspension and he laughed and said noooooooo. Was told that basically every allroad that had over 100k on it were driving around on either a new air suspension or retrofit to standard issue stuff. I still watch for the first year model that was offered with the 6spd manual, but damn hard to find.

Recently replaced air shocks on our Mercedes wagon. Purchased rebuilt units from Arnott which comes with a lifetime warranty. Half the price of oem 'benz parts too.

I don't know much about Audi's suspension design, but the 500 wagon has adjustable ride height (handy when driving on rough gravel roads and gets pretty low at 70+mph) and firmness adjustment. It's a nice system.

[werksmini]

Disregard the 968 at the head....

Real men drive the 911.

5495213562_e51657902b.jpg

[rmplum]

I just spent 2-3 days chasing a bunch of small little turbocharged cars through some pretty twisty stuff in northern CA in a Panamera. Holy smokes - nothing that big and long has any right to handle as well as that thing does. It was damn fun to drive. The V6 is quite overmatched and the steering wheel shift buttons are really poorly done (I gave up trying to shift myself and just left it in D after a while) but I was blown away by it. Expectations were high based on everything I had read, and it didn't disappoint.

And you can get them from Hertz now too (my team drove it up from LAX), for really reasonable money.

[72gmc]

It says a lot to me that you would think so little of their shift buttons. What it says sounds like, "I guess it's more important to have shift buttons than to execute them well" and "Wonder if they could relocate them to a single lever between the front seats."

[Crashburn]

I just spent 2-3 days chasing a bunch of small little turbocharged cars through some pretty twisty stuff in northern CA in a Panamera. Holy smokes - nothing that big and long has any right to handle as well as that thing does. It was damn fun to drive. The V6 is quite overmatched and the steering wheel shift buttons are really poorly done (I gave up trying to shift myself and just left it in D after a while) but I was blown away by it. Expectations were high based on everything I had read, and it didn't disappoint.

And you can get them from Hertz now too (my team drove it up from LAX), for really reasonable money.

Well the Panamera does have a more sophisticated suspension and huge tires so maybe it shouldn't be too surprising that it could hang on public roads where unless they're blocked off one shouldn't be driving at 10/10th's. I suspect on a track where one could be completely committed whatever Subarus you were developing would be faster than the Porsche. In case you didn't know a few years ago EVO compared an Elise to a Cayenne Turbo S and Mercedes G class AMG and the poor little Lotus got destroyed so Porsche has an idea on how to make hulking vehicles handle.

[nahtnoj]

And you can get them from Hertz now too (my team drove it up from LAX), for really reasonable money.

$350 a day if anyone is curious. $500 for a 911. This is at LAX.

I saw a lease deal not so long ago for the 911 for $599 a month, 5K miles a year.

[Too Tall]

$350 a day if anyone is curious. $500 for a 911. This is at LAX.

I saw a lease deal not so long ago for the 911 for $599 a month, 5K miles a year.

If I lived in Manhattan, well, I'd join A Morning at the Classic Car Club of Manhattan for the privileged of unapologetic flogging of awesome cars.

Panameras are just terrific if you want to get carjacked I guess ;) Kidding, they look amazing.

[funcrusher]

pan turbo will absolutely blow your mind

I just spent 2-3 days chasing a bunch of small little turbocharged cars through some pretty twisty stuff in northern CA in a Panamera. Holy smokes - nothing that big and long has any right to handle as well as that thing does. It was damn fun to drive. The V6 is quite overmatched and the steering wheel shift buttons are really poorly done (I gave up trying to shift myself and just left it in D after a while) but I was blown away by it. Expectations were high based on everything I had read, and it didn't disappoint.

And you can get them from Hertz now too (my team drove it up from LAX), for really reasonable money.

[bbattle]

I plan to keep driving my ten year old Honda Element for many more years. I love being able to just roll my bikes into the back or put them on the hitch rack. Too bad they didn't put in a 6-speed overdrive.

If I had to buy a new car today I'd probably get the Honda Fit or a small station wagon like the Jetta or Audi.

My first car was a 1969 Firebird but it sucked all of my stockboy earnings and when it was running on 7 cylinders I sold it and bought an econobox.

With two buddies, some rope and a come-along, I could take that car anywhere. An oddball, rear wheel drive hatchback, a Toyota Starlet. Put 200k miles on that thing; sold it to the welder that had put some new steel on the floor pan so I wouldn't fall through. He drove it for another three years.

A friend of my wife sold his GT to make room for a Panamera next to his Cayenne. For his style of driving, a Buick would have been a better buy but I reckon the Porsches help with scoring at the clubs.

For white-knuckle excitement, I drag my self up Skyline or Keel Mt. and then blast down at 60mph on my bicycle.

[christian]

An oddball, rear wheel drive hatchback, a Toyota Starlet.

Finland's favorite rally car! Youtube "starlet rally" for hours of entertainment.

[ned]

The legend, in his briefs.

[nrs5000]

I want one:
autoleftside-final11-600x406.jpg

More here.

[Jason Musgrave]

An oddball, rear wheel drive hatchback, a Toyota Starlet.

I love those things! Err...I love most vintage JDM autos.

[nahtnoj]

Did 700+ miles in the LX470 this weekend. Totally awesome highway cruiser, even if the mileage makes me cringe. A lot.

[maunahaole]

For the wagon lovers. The rest of you, move along.

http://http://jalopnik.com/whats-the-fastest-station-wagon-of-all-time-1471924799

[Matthew Strongin]

For the wagon lovers. The rest of you, move along.

http://http://jalopnik.com/whats-the-fastest-station-wagon-of-all-time-1471924799

Oh my. I do love me some wagons.

[Jason Musgrave]

wagon-mafia forevah!

[Cookietruck]

not even sure what this is
i'm guess late 90s audi and probably europe only model
but fuck this is awesome