Best Completely Impractical Car?
I think quarantine is driving most of us crazy. (myself included) I'm considering moving out to the boonies and buying a house. Yes it'll add two hours to my daily commute (on top of the 1 hour I already deal with) but will give me significantly more space.
I'm a bit of a car guy. I already own a Miata, and a sh*tty old truck is probably also in the cards. (I'm thinking a B2000/Ranger manual if I can find one--Never buy a nice truck. They're for posers)
This is probably going to leave me with garage space for one more toy. Assuming there is zero need for practicality, (I've got snow tires for the Miata) What would the hivemind suggest? I'm thinking a late 90s Viper GTS.
Finally, a topic I can really get into. Also, I second the Viper. Are you looking more for muscle cars or imports?
Let me list a few: 1) Factory Five Racing mk5 roadster (Shelby Replica) 2) Factory Five Racing Type 65 coupe 3) Ferrari 348 4) any old Porsche 911 5) BMW m3 (e92) 6) ‘68 Chevy Nova 7) ‘69 Ford Mustang fastback 8) Ford Mustang GT350 or GT500 (the new ones)
Also, I’d suggest browsing www.bringatrailer.com for some unique and impractical cars. That’s where I spend 60% of my time each day.
I love the E92 M3, especially ones equipped with the competition package. However I've conducted extensive research on reliability and pretty much from a long term ownership point of view the F8x M3/M4 are the ones to go for. The S55 motor is pretty much bulletproof. The only issue that arises is the spun-crank-hub issue, which only plagues the DCT models, often cars that have been tuned. You can fix that by opting for a 6-speed manual.
F8x M3/M4s are ballistically quick. Comp pack ones sound good too.
I actually have an e92 M3 and it’s been pretty damn reliable knocks on wood and one hell of a fun car. The s65 is a solid motor if you do the maintenance, which I do myself. Highly recommend.
I'm not sure what sort of research you've done, but the F8X are not very happy with repeated abuse at the track.
E9X has two issues: rod bearings and throttle actuators. Total cost to fix both is like $5-7K and then they're good for life. Can't beat 8,300RPM either.
I Just picked up one!
Love the old porsches
M4 Competition or a 911.....can't go wrong either way.
If you have a relatively big budget: 488 Pista, 458 Speciale, F12 TDF....or a GT2 RS (interestingly none of these cars lose value....investments? yes)
Vipers are sick - do it!!!
I like Lotuses - so Elise, Exige, Evora.
Elise is pretty cheap. Evora 400 is sick. I've read most car testers love to drive the Evora over many other cars in its category as its a fun drive.
I like Lotuses as well. The issues there are that the Miata is like a more drivable Elise, and anything that's not parts-bin costs an arm and a leg with them, especially with their shrinking US presence. There are stories about running over a piece of wood on the highway totaling them. The Exige is just the same thing but faster and less carefree with the hardtop. I don't think the ladies dress shop suits my needs either, as it's not 'completely impractical.' A nice item about the Viper is that while a couple things like the front clamshell are bespoke, with almost anything else you can pop down to the local Chrysler dealership and just pickup a part that's shared with the 90s Caravan or something similar.
As to cost, I'm thinking that you're in the right ballpark though. (another poster asked) I'm really not looking to spend more than one annual bonus on this which puts me at around ~$30k out the door. (assuming our stock price and profitability improve a bit)
E92 m3 is extremely drivable, less than $30k, and easy to fix should something go wrong. It’s got a high revving, naturally aspirated V8 that really kicks ass if you supercharge it.
I've been in an accident in an Elise. The dealer crashed it trying to show off on the test drive. Smashed the whole front end, we could barely drive it back to the dealership and had to toss the front bumper in the back. They brought out another new Elise and I test drove it and had a lot of fun. Its like a go kart. Actually, it was one of the most memorable driving experiences I have had, but I haven't driven a lot of cars.
Look at this Evora - 2010 - $36,499 - 43,800mi
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=535914122&zip=90210&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D90210%26city%3DBeverly%2BHills%26sortBy%3DderivedpriceASC%26location%3D%255Bobject%2BObject%255D%26incremental%3Dall%26state%3DCA%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26modelCodeList%3DEVORA%26makeCodeList%3DLOTUS%26searchRadius%3D0%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&modelCodeList=EVORA&makeCodeList=LOTUS&searchRadius=0&makeCode1=LOTUS&modelCode1=EVORA&clickType=listing
M2 Competition
M2 does look pretty fun to drive
A used Charger/Challenger Hellcat or Scat pack would be cooler and more comfy, but more practical. I'd say an Ariel Atom would be the most impractical for sure lol
I would love to have an Atom or a Morgan 3 wheeler.
100% Charger's may seem like floaty boats to you, but they definitely have some good driving character if you get into the higher trims like the Scat Pack. If you have kids, get a Charger. Basically a rough-around-the-edges M5.
Chargers are fun to drive. OP rent a Charger for the weekend...
Just get a car that screams "I AM AN ASSHOLE!"
(Translation: BMW, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, Challenger, Hummer, BMW, Mustang, or a BMW)
BMW thrice? Bimmers on your mind.
No, BMW drivers are the worst. Look it up- scientifically proven.
99.99% of Asshole Drivers drive a Prius
I drive a BMW and I don’t sit in the left lane going 55 with a line of cars behind me like the Prius assholes do. Just my 2 cents ;)
97 Viper GTS or Ferrari 360 Coupe
pretty sick
Surprised no one has mentioned the V10 E60 M5
might as well throw in the Audi RS6 V10 as well - absolutely bonkers car
M5 v10 is sick and complete headache to maintain, but it’s a sedan so it’s still pretty practical.
The SMG transmission in that car kills it for me. Unless youre going WOT the SMG couldnt find the right gear to save its life. Such a jerky and unpleasant ride.
'69 Charger with Hellcat motor swap. Put a 150 shot of nitrous on it and just burn rubber on 3rd gear all day long.
'68 Camaro with LSX454R FI N/A screamer (9000 RPM redline). Love N/A screamer sound, if money is no object i'll go with a Pro Stock motor
You'll have to update us on your decision - I'm really interested.
Agreed - curious what OP settles on
You're probably going to have to wait until February. This will be my bonus--Or I may torture you all by just buying a Rolex.
If it's in the budget, the latest GT350Rs seem unlikely to depreciate very much.
Partial to 90s Lotus Esprits personally.
If impractical is the criterion, then a (somehow) street legal version of basically any GT1 class car has to be up there: 911 GT1, MC12 Corsa, 550 GTC etc. Imagine trying to get around city roads in something like this
Pagani Zonda R.
Ford GT has the rawest drive out of all of them though
The new mid-engine Corvette or E60 M5 for the performance. 2017 Ghibli for the flex (sell for like $30k). 911 Turbo (996) for the fun. 2015 BMW i8 for the value. Although an Alfa 4c would be my personal favorite.
I second the 2017 Ghibli. That's a sexy car.
Drop an LS3 in that Miata!
1960s Rolls Royce Silver Cloud
OP, I think you need to give us some more criteria to suggest: ie, how will you drive the car (long drives on public roads, tracking, saturday morning cruiser, etc), what's your budget, and what's your tolerance for reliability.
If you're going to beat the shit out a car at the track, just get a Porsche 911 GT3 RS and be done with it (steel brakes too). C6 Z06 is a good alternative for something cheaper.
For something more road focused, M3 is a solid choice. Mustang GT350 is also pretty great, as are Caymans, base-model 911s, etc.
Cruiser would suggest Aston Martin, Maserati, or any other GT-style coupe. You'll need a good local mechanic though.
Viper is a good idea if you like making every drive an exercise in survival. Old ones especially have a reputation for ending up in walls whenever it rains (lots of torque, light weight, and no traction control = lots of surprise spins.)
I apologize. I thought that things were good from my first posts, but I'll hit up things question by question. (sorry for not quoting--the new software is still glitchy for me)
I have zero rational use for this car. I'm not going to DD it or anything. The Miata is still likely going to handle the DD duties with backup from the pickup, and a potential Honda sedan for road trips if I get back with my SO. (and honestly, a momentum racer might be safer on the track too)
As to usability: No.
Expense was mentioned earlier: Maybe $40k max?
Re. Isaiah: I will keep updating this thread. I'm still in the crazy idea phase, and need to see how WFH keeps going. When one of your job responsibilities is preparing "reputational risk playbooks" you plan ahead. This is the throw-in in 6-ish months for moving further from NYC.
ok cool
Smart Choices: BMW M3, Porsche Cayman, Mercedes C63 AMG, BMW Z4M Coupe, Honda S2000, Mercedes SL, Jaguar F-Type, Lexus ISF
Best Bang for Buck: Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06, Acura NSX, Porsche 911, Mustang GT350, Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio,
Bonkers: Maserati Gran Turismo, Dodge Viper, BMW M5 (V10 model), Ariel Atom, Caterham Super Seven
Weird: Nissan Skyline GT-R (JDM import, 15+ years old), Lotus Elise or Esprit V8, BMW 8-series (early 90s), Shelby Cobra replica
Under $40k puts the WRX or WRX STI under consideration in my opinion...both very fun all wheel drive.
If you want impractical, anything with a rotary will do (however, I would absolutely kill for an FD RX-7). Otherwise, at some track days, I've seen some crazy fast turbo K-swapped Exige/Elises that are so sketchy to drive.
Hm 40K could get you a 2016 alfa 4c if you're really down for the impractical but beautiful aspect and same goes for an '06-08 AM Vantage.
GTR underdog
range rover classic
Audi RS7
If you want to get hella impractical, buy a motorcycle. My vote is for a Ducati or an Indian FTR.
On cars, I love some of the classics. They certainly aren't a good every day car but damn can you have some fun. I was looking around a bit at some old GTOs, Mustangs, Camaros, etc. They aren't super cheap but not egregious unless you want a very specific rare model (like a 67 GT500 or a Yenko Camaro / Nova).
Dad's midlife crisis was a 95 900 SS/CR. I'd buy one again in a heartbeat. The good Doctor cannot be wrong.
That's a gnarly move by your dad! I'm all about it.
Buy my Alfa 4C. That'll fit your "completely impractical" category perfectly, and she's for sale!
Gotta ask - why'd you buy it (kinda obvious its a beautiful driver's car) and why are you selling?
Reason you mentioned; if you're a proper car guy this car is like nothing you've ever experienced, I'll never forget this ownership experience. That and a pretty simple lifestyle that didn't require a car as a car (2 miles from office, groceries delivered, etc.). It's been an awesome ~ 2 years now, just looking to step into something else (probably equally stupid impracticality wise)
Not a completely impractical car, but how about a 1986 Buick Grand National.
how about a 700-HP 1994 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon
(Dax Shepard's)
Fuck the grand national, that is what a man drives.
Ha! This is literally the car and color combo my father drove when I grew up. I believe it was a 1995 Buick Roadmaster. It was a very comfortable vehicle but it handled like a boat.
Pass. I want my Roadmaster in baby blue.
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