Cars We Drive!

[RFX45]

I got to disagree too, there are certainly a demographic that buys it only for the name.

 

[JayJay]

I also disagree.

 

[shadesofbeige]

That's what I mean you may have in US more young rich people rappers or whatever coming out from a ferrari with adidas clothes. Then a ''business man'' with a nice suit? I think the older classy people in US drive like a fine BMW or something like that?

Because here in Sweden you often have older people who dress nice and drive nice cars as Ferrari or something like that.

I see maybe four Ferraris on a semi-regular basis. One is owned by a rapper, the others are white guys between 40 and 60

 

[jet]



I don't think anyone who isn't really into cars will ever buy a AMG, M or RS car, as most people don't get them, unless you are a ballplayer etc. and you just go into the dealer ship and buys the most expensive thing they have.
When ever I stop and look at one or point one out, to someone who isn't in to cars, they just look at me like idiot and walk away.

In newport beach if you don't have at bare minimum any amg 63 you ain't ****. The old people just want the top of the line even if they'll never hit the throttle.

Also the new cls is leagues nicer than the old one though it is just ok overall, those hre wheels look ****.

Also f430 is a goddam 4x4 **** is so high I'd put it on the ground and wear my cap backward to piss off jealous dbags with car control skills they wish they had.

Also 135 is not very fast.

 

[impolyt_one]

lots of housewives in Tokyo drive the E55/63T wagons or various AMGs that aren't the roadsters, like C's and sometimes S classes rarely. Really funny because Americans on the MB forums go crazy about the idea of the AMG wagons and they really are quite rare (like double digit production per year in US spec) but over here if you were out for a day you'd see double digits of them per day. White used to be the color of choice but I think they've gone back to black in recent years. There's a couple supermarkets up my street where all the rich housewives line up outside in their cars and put the blinkers on while they run in to buy something; it's almost invariably a lineup of Mercedes wagons. Have hardly ever seen women driving BMW M cars here, I guess a) because they don't make a wagon of the M3 or M5 (didn't import the M5T here) and b) getting into an SMG car might require a different mentality than a posh MB with an auto.

 

[KurtS90]

I really love "hot" station wagons, sleepers. In high school I almost bought a 63 Ford Falcon Wagon to march my 63 Ford Falcon Convertible. Wanted to make matching hot rods... But I would love a AMG Wagon.

 

[A Y]

The trophy wives around here (Santa Barbara) drive AMG mobiles of various sizes and the higher powered larger BMWs (V8 5s) mostly. 911 S and Panamera S and Turbos are next. I think I've seen 2 drive an M5 (E39, E60). Old, white wrinkley dudes drive the Ferraris, 7 series, and S classes. //M cars are like upscale Civics in terms of the demographics.

 

[Huntsman]

Quote:
It's kind of stretching credulity to compare the base model to the full-house AMG, but I realize you have a point. With hp, as you start out with low hp and begin to increase, there is a definite correlation between hp and better driving experience: You can merge well, you can climb hills with alacrity, you can exit corners adding power and you're actually adding power. You have enough power that there are few (if any) legal needs for more on the street (with more power, sure, you could pull out in front of that guy and be fine, but you are probably also going to scare the crap out of him, which isn't nice). About the mid-300s I think you reach a point where the increase in positive experience tends to be not as steep for increasing hp. Much beyond that probably does not add very much for a vast majority of drivers behaving reasonably legally. So, yes, the SL 65 AMG may be so far down the path of diminishing returns that the SL 55 AMG provides just as good a general experience. But I don't think the base SL will provide as good an experience as the 55, even for reasonable drivers behaving reasonably legally on normal roads.Of course, curb weight, torque and gearing all factor into this (as does the utter joy that the incredibly smooth power delivery of a V-12 provides).

Quote:

Quote:
Yeah, lots of people (likely most? or at least break even?) just buy it for the badge, prestige, and exclusivity.

 

[sonick]



The trophy wives around here (Santa Barbara) drive AMG mobiles of various sizes and the higher powered larger BMWs (V8 5s) mostly. 911 S and Panamera S and Turbos are next. I think I've seen 2 drive an M5 (E39, E60). Old, white wrinkley dudes drive the Ferraris, 7 series, and S classes. //M cars are like upscale Civics in terms of the demographics.

Pretty much the same here. Everybody who drives AMG or M's are mostly 50+ year old Chinese ladies or 20 year old Chinese children. They don't give a **** that it's an AMG or M. They just care that it's the most expensive of that particular line just to have the status of owning one. I don't know how much either costs nowadays, but a base 7 series would be less impressive than a fully loaded and modded M3 for the same price.

 

[Trompe le Monde]

from what i've seen
bmw M, and audi S are more enthusiast cars = people know what theyre buying into
audi RS ..... especially.... theyre also incredibly rare
mbz AMG .... a dime a dozen. there's just so many variants of it, they seem to be less "special" in terms of a niche trim. these are driven by tons of women and men who buy it because they can

 

[JuyLe]

Audi's S don't seem to me like enthusiast cars, they fall in the same category as AMG's. RS' maybe, especially the sleepers.

But most expensive, recent, widely available powerful cars are owned by people who either want to show that they can afford it or old rich dudes slightly into cars. If you romanticize a bit, I think that actual car enthusiast drive different cars, whether they are rarer, more track oriented (cars with compromises) or cheaper because if you're a car freak chances are that you have time to do your research and work on your car as opposed to a 80hrs/week working salarymen driving his M5 to work at 6am.

 

[impolyt_one]

I think you guys are counting out the simple fact that the high-spec cars like AMGs, M cars, etc just look cool and most anyone can appreciate that, and if they have the kind of money to buy one, they do. My old parents don't care about cars but can go to a lot and appreciate the car with the big factory rims and brakes, aero kit, nice exhaust note, etc. The cars are impressive just standing still oft times, especially when sitting next to the lower spec versions of the same bodies.

AMGs seem pretty easy to burble around in at low speeds, that E55 I drove just plods down the road pretty casually and without drama - they're just like a lot of the high-powered German cars with lots of torquey push, except that when you really give it your right foot, the thing truly flies if it can get traction. I don't know if it has that little button under the gas pedal that engages WOT like automatic BMWs have when you get all the way to the carpet, the E55 was so fast and there wasn't any room to find out.

 

[EMY]



In newport beach if you don't have at bare minimum any amg 63 you ain't ****. The old people just want the top of the line even if they'll never hit the throttle.
Also the new cls is leagues nicer than the old one though it is just ok overall, those hre wheels look ****.
Also f430 is a goddam 4x4 **** is so high I'd put it on the ground and wear my cap backward to piss off jealous dbags with car control skills they wish they had.
Also 135 is not very fast.

When I was living in the area, I would always see old guys right cornering hard from PCH to Newport Coast, then flooring it up to their Pelican Hill mansion.

BTW, for some reason I keep imagining you as the Persian dude who drives the matte white widebody e92 M3 around the area.

 

[JayJay]



Old, white wrinkley dudes drive the Ferraris...

I saw a couple of gray-haired wrinkley dudes driving red Ferraris in town last weekend, one behind the other. The cars looked sharp, and drew lots of attention, but those dudes looked out of place in them. I don't want to be that guy when I grow old; I'd buy something more stately for my senior years.

 

[joonian]



I have actually looked at the Mito and Giuletta multiple times, and from what I have been able to find out, they should be great cars.
The only let down was interior quality wasn't up to Golf standard and the TCT is rubbish.
Regarding the reliability I don't think there's any problems on new alfa, unlike the old ones and hopefully they wont depreciate like falling rocks, like the 147 etc. did.

I own a 2010 Mito with the 1.4 turbo petrol engine, without multi-air. It's the first-generation Mito, basically. Fantastically flexible engine, great torque all the way through and very smooth power. All of this is in 'D' mode, of course. All new Alfas come with the 'DNA' switch that modifies throttle response, steering weight, and a few other things depending on the model. So, the power is great (155bhp on 1.4 litre engine), traction and handling is fantastic on the stock Bridgestone Potenzas, fuel economy is ridiculous (about 14km/l on highway driving, about 11.5km/l in the city -- and I am not a gentle driver), cabin is well screwed together with great looks.

I got stock red Poltrona Frau leather and red carbon-fibre-looking trim, with black paint. Absolutely gorgeous combination. I didn't pick it though because I got mine lightly used from a Maser owner.

Stuck to the servicing schedule and absolutely no problems so far. I have plenty of friends with VAG cars who have sent their Sciroccos, GTIs and A4s back to the workshop for major electronics issues who have had their cars for the same time I've had mine.

Oh, it also seats four adults comfortably and has plenty of space in the boot.

In terms of negatives, the stock Blaupunkt headunit is terrible, the stock speakers are terrible, and the steering is quite numb.

The new Alfas are very reliable, great engines and great styling. I cannot wait for the 4C and the Giulia. Although I must own a GT first. One of Bertone's great works, IMO.