Automobiles

[Lionel]

These are very difficult parameters to match obviously. I thought it could be setup to have decent road manners given it is pretty much a Focus with a longer wheelbase. Doesn't it come with a more powerful 2.5L engine in the US ? 911 + seasucker seems fine to me.

It probably does come with a bigger engine in the US just because. The only “issue” with the sea sucker is that I know have an underground parking in my apartment in CA and you need to install and remove the bike and rack outside. Ok, not that big a deal....

[sk_tle]

It probably does come with a bigger engine in the US just because. The only “issue” with the sea sucker is that I know have an underground parking in my apartment in CA and you need to install and remove the bike and rack outside. Ok, not that big a deal....

The biggest issue is the risk to forget it and crunch the bike. Is the Golf Sportsvan still a thing ? It might be possible for a decent shop to convert one to Golf GTI or R specs. No idea about the regulations in CA on engine swaps though.

[sailor]

E46s are tiny, E90s are bigger and available at your price point. I have an e91 wagon that is nice and could work assuming 1 kid can sit in the front, 3 in back would be asking for fights. They are crap on gas and expensive to maintain. e60s have a lot more space and can be found in a stick but not as fun to drive. If you want better economy and can sacrifice the rwd, you can find an accord/mazda 6/passat in a stick. You can find stick subies but any one at 10k will need a head gasket job during your ownership.

Well it looks like I'm in the market for new wheels :-/

> $10K
Room for 3 kids
Manual Transmission
decent economy
preferably rear-wheel drive.

E46 maybe?

[dgaddis]

Per Lionel’s Q, Civic Type R.

I really like Hondas, had an '08 Civic Si, we bought an Accord a few years ago, and a Ridgeline a few months ago.

No way I'd buy the current Type R. Way too much Fast & Furious styling for me. I miss the days when the Type R's looked like the regular car other than badges and maybe a subtle lip kit and wing.

[thomas]

VW needs to make the awd golf wagon with the GTI engine. And a stick.

I thought the same thing. And realized it wasn't gonna happen. So I got an AWD wagon with a hotter engine than the GTI, but had to give up on the stick.

A 2015 BMW 328i xDrive wagon.

It's a lot like having a GTI wagon. It's almost an R wagon, actually.

[maunahaole]

Well it looks like I'm in the market for new wheels :-/

> $10K
Room for 3 kids
Manual Transmission
decent economy
preferably rear-wheel drive.

E46 maybe?

Although it only ticks one of the boxes, look at a Sienna or Odyssey with a v6. Plenty of room for gear and space enough to keep the kids from fighting/touching each other. Those things have some go in them.

[Britishbane]

Although it only ticks one of the boxes, look at a Sienna or Odyssey with a v6. Plenty of room for gear and space enough to keep the kids from fighting/touching each other. Those things have some go in them.

Not sexy. But the right answer. The Sienna was a game changer for our family and for our outdoor adventures. We can fit it all.

[Jason Musgrave]

We have a Sienna already. But yeah, considering another for the bike/gear hauling ability

[AngryScientist]

what happened to the LC?

[Mark Walberg]

If I was looking for a good car that is fun to drive and also practical to carry a bike inside (or outside in case of a pickup) what would you guys recommend ?

S2000. Comes with a built in bike rack. Truly FUN to drive.

I've since added a trailer hitch (easy) and a solid, easy to use 1-Up rack.

See pictures at the link below:

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/foru...tml#post866669

[nahtnoj]

I'm going to look at a 2002 S2000 on Friday. Stock, r-title, 120K, 8 grand. I give zero effs about title or mileage, I'm looking for a daily driver and am resistant to paying high teens for a pristine one.

[Mark Walberg]

I'm going to look at a 2002 S2000 on Friday. Stock, r-title, 120K, 8 grand. I give zero effs about title or mileage, I'm looking for a daily driver and am resistant to paying high teens for a pristine one.

My S is a hair short of 120K and runs great.
Change the oil, dif, trans and brake fluids on schedule.

[rwsaunders]

The max speed is only 186mph and it's a $2,900 upcharge for the paint...meh.

[Saab2000]

Well, the owner will likely never do 186 on a public road but at least s/he'll get to look at that ugly snout every day.

[chrisn]

I had a 2004 Honda S2000 from new for a couple of years - put about 60k miles on it in that time as a daily driver (before kids) Fabulous car, zero torque, a million revs, great brakes and world class gear change (often described by motor journo's as like a rifle bolt action).

Often think about getting a nice used one. As said above they are very practical:

[Mark Walberg]

I had a 2004 Honda S2000 from new for a couple of years - put about 60k miles on it in that time as a daily driver (before kids) Fabulous car, zero torque, a million revs, great brakes and world class gear change (often described by motor journo's as like a rifle bolt action).

Often think about getting a nice used one. As said above they are very practical:

Very nice S.
Regarding practical, a bike front wheel doesn't fit in the trunk !
However, there are creative solutions to this.

[jerk]

i like that maserati. you don't often see them in colors other than silver or black which is too bad. they're shit boxes. depreciate like crazy, and they've wasted a sublime engine with meh chassis dynamics and a horrible transmission.

that thing is a set of Koni Yellows and a gated six speed manual transmission away from being potentially the best car in the world- instead- it's not even in the top 25 of cars available now.

speaking of weird Fiat group shit- that new Alfa GTV is going to be great i think and i'm super excited about the bat shit crazy stuff Dodge is doing with the Challengers. they've got a Scat Pack with all the drag strip beef it up stuff off the Hellcat. The car is basically WAY overbuilt for the 485 horsepower it comes with- it's got a transmission, drivetrain, suspension and rubber for 1000hp. it's pretty much just begging you to put a supercharger in it and make yourself a Demon for half the price.

the new 392 T/A is awesome too- i've always loved trans-am cars and bringing back the t/a complete with the graphics package is super awesome. i had a scatpack that i loved- 6 speed manual and drag radials on the back and some giant gig welded strut tower braces in Petty Blue and it was the most fun car in a straight line or cruising down the highway you could have. someday- i'll relive it by buying a used Hellcat...

honestly, it'd be great to have a car that i could lug bikes around with. i love my GT500 and have way too much money tied up in it so i can never in good conscience sell it.... it's literally a $50,000 $15,000 car. i love it- it's got all the power you'd ever need. (the road race/canyon carving tune we did is putting a legitimate 570 horsepower to the wheels and just as much torque on a dyno that reads really low. the car is putting out probably 650-700 horsepower at the crank and it is drivable all day everyday. the tune is super conservative.

the boost-a-pump, the giant heat exchanger, the Macleod RXT 1200hp clutch, the giant cold air intake, $1000 injectors and of course the giant TVS Trinity Supercharger all means the car is not taxed at all despite putting out all that power. it runs cooler than stock and honestly it feels even more powerful than the numbers indicate- because the torque and horsepower curves basically look like a table. it has all the power all the time regardless of engine RPM. it's insane.

i have two sets of wheels for it now. the daily drivers are these 18x10 black GT500 knock-off wheels that I have at all four corners with 275/40r18 Nitto NT01 tires. the other wheels i have are really special: they're Forgestar CF5s in silver with these weird
"Continental" slicks. The tires are actually made by Hoosier and are 305/685r18 slicks that were designed for 12-24 hours super speedway racing. what this means is that unlike most slicks they have super stiff sidewalls for dealing with the forces on a banked oval at 250mph and they wear like iron. they're not going to be as grippy as your normal Hoosier slick- but they were also $100 a tire, look really cool, and it's pretty bad ass to drive them on the track. i know i shouldn't do it- but i want to put them on the car and use them on the street...it never rains here right? :)

so now that i just talked about how much i love my GT500....of course i won't sell it. but if anyone has $38k they don't need and want the most badass mustang in the world-get at me before I gut the interior and install a roll cage and race seats!

the dream work "truck" is get this.....

a first generation Porsche Cayenne GTS with a manual. they're as rare as hen's teeth but they do exist. if i ever find one- i'm going to set it up full on whacked out Paris-Dakar/weird pre-runner/rally bike transport truck. we'll lift it a bit- put rally wheels and tires on it- a big roof basket, gut the interior and add skid plates and see what can be done to make it more offered capable. god this is the stupidest idea ever....

[chrisn]

the dream work "truck" is get this.....

a first generation Porsche Cayenne GTS with a manual. they're as rare as hen's teeth but they do exist. if i ever find one- i'm going to set it up full on whacked out Paris-Dakar/weird pre-runner/rally bike transport truck. we'll lift it a bit- put rally wheels and tires on it- a big roof basket, gut the interior and add skid plates and see what can be done to make it more offered capable. god this is the stupidest idea ever....

You mean a bit like this? Not sure who's it is but lots of pics on Instagram lately.

[rmplum]

I was doing some "business" yesterday at a place dirty with old Skylines.

IMG_2703.jpg

These two were both 5-speeds (GTS-T and a GT-R), but there was another black R32 GT-R in back with a 6-speed transplant from an R34 - that would be the one to have for US highway speeds. Certainly would have been more fun to drive that back instead of my plane flight.

[Brian E Hammer]

A delightful Autumn day here in the PNW. Packed up and headed back to the barn following 35 miles on a club spin. Hope more of this weather continues...