Oh, no- this is an area of interest that made hi-fi seem reasonable by comparsion. I quit driving for about 20 years when I lived in NYC. No need to have a car, or to drive. When we finally got a car for weekend trips (a new E class MB, which frankly, was more 'japanese' than german in steering characteristics, although it was comfortable), my long dormant car genes reactivated. I went out and bought a Ferrari (348 spider). Fun.
Then I bought another one (355 GTS). More fun. Got rid of both. Bought another(328 GTS). Sold that, got another one. (512 BBi).Wished I wouldn't have sold that one. Bought a Maranello. Drove the hell out of that. Got rid of it for a 550 Barchetta. (Car was featured in the January 2002 issue of R & T). Drove the hell out of that, but the lack of a real roof made me wet and nuts. Got rid of it. Bought a Porsche GT2, set up as a club sport. Very silly. Made a wonderful commuter car, faster than most Ferraris, and you could park it anywhere. Got rid of that. Now have a 6.0 Diablo, very old school. Along with an assortment of more useful German cars. And the odd motorcycle or 4. And you think this hobby is silly. :) |
The reason why you seldom see a rude Alfa driver is that so few of them can make it out of the driveway as their cars molder into rust/dust. :) I have been looking for a clean Duetto. But, make no mistake- the M3 is a great car for that vicious fight we call the morning commute to NYC. |
Just bought a close to mint 96' 993 C4 cab- it is a car an analog lover would enjoy. Still a little primitive, but modern enough to function as a daily. I don't consider myself a Porsche guy at all- this is my second one, though (I had a 996 GT2 that was a complete animal)- and cannot speak highly enough of the virtues of the older, air-cooled platform. Build quality is superb, car is relatively small and tossable, certainly not about brute force, or straightline performance, but it captures the essence of the driving experience in a way more modern sports cars do not. (In those, you have to go so fast to get to the sensation that it is not fun, at least on the street, where you put lives at risk). |
I really liked the Phaeton, and the only reason I didn't buy one (well, there were several) was that the dealers were totally clueless and the wait for one in that piano black with the fitted rear seats was long- they were not stocking the best ones near me (go figure, I'm near NYC, you'd think they would);
second, I just didn't need to be driving a limo as my daily- right now, using a 993 to bob and weave. Three, they gave no price incentives, and by the time they figured out that they might need to, I had moved on, and the car was a dead letter.
Too bad, it was a nicely built car, and the reverse chic thing of a VW badge on an over the top car was appealing to me. I guess I was in the vast minority though. They must be absolute bargains now. Enjoy. |
Cars can make hi-fi seem downright cheap. |
Doug: The Phaeton was a passing fancy. I don't need a big car (no kids, wife and I often drive separate cars to the city) and frankly, I don't like to drive big sedans. I have also never bonded with the Audis for some reason- great cars, but leave me uninspired. Current daily is a 96 993 C4 Cabrio, which I picked up in December, 2006. I love its old school character and its litheness. (I also like top down motoring). When I was looking at the VW, it was to replace a 2001 740iSport. I bought an M3 cabrio instead, which I recently replaced with the Porsche. Oh, and I tend to go through cars.... |
A new GT3 would be happenin'. The RS version is a bit of a rip-off stateside, given that all the goodies have to be done aftermarket. I had a 996 GT2, set up with all the goods, which was an animal, but honestly, it lacked the charisma of the older Porsches. The 993 and earlier platforms are, in my estimation, the ticket, even though the real RS cars are, like today, largely non-US,Euro models.
To me, despite the fact that Porsche has gone water-cooled, built an SUV, and now threatens to introduce a sedan, it is a company to be admired. The cars are fun to drive, competitive as racing tools, largely bulletproof, and far more reasonable, used or new, than comparable cars from other manufacturers. Granted, the Porsches do not have the 'panache' of a Ferrari, but having owned 6 Ferraris, I could care less. |
Rugyb- a 1973 RS is a holy grail type of 911, surely you bought it opportunistically- today, the price is astronomical for a factory RS of that vintage. |
judging by the range of vehicles, from exotic to utilitarian, to everything in between, I'd say that the vehicle of an audiophile is no more 'typical' than the audiophiles themselves, that is, a diverse group of people with different tastes, interests, disposable incomes and priorities.
I have owned my share of cars at all levels of the spectrum. Still humming along in an older air-cooled P car and use a MiniCooperS as a daily. That new Morgan 3 wheeler looks pretty cool, but then, I'd love to own a decaptitated Citroen 'D' and a Tatra.
Love cars as much as I love Hi-Fi.
Best, |
Funny, although i care about hi-fi quite a bit, I've gotten to the point where I rarely listen to music in the car. Yes, on a long monotonous highway drive, but in daily driving, I want to hear what's going on around me, including what the car is doing, particularly if it is a sporting type car.
And, after quite a few so-called supercars, which have evolved to the point where they are far too fast and cosseting for the street, I've become much more interested in older cars, whether vintage or simply more primitive.
Thankfully, my wife prefers a manual transmission too, so all of our cars are sticks. My list of 'dream' cars these days would include the odd, the arcane and the truly ugly, rather than the latest uber-car. I doubt it's a sign of maturity. Probably more a sign of insanity. Like this hi-fi "thing" we share.
:) |
Next on my list is a Morgan 3 wheeler. |
Because folks that are passionate about one pursuit are often passionate about others. At one point, I had a picture of one of my exotic Italian cars posted to my system page and a user here asked my why I was posting a picture of my Corvette. :)
I've owned everything from pre-war roadsters to the latest uber cars and have now sold off pretty much everything exotic or collectible. I still love the vintage, the quirky and the raw- before everything got electronic and heavy. I see an analogy to some extent with audio- as the 'technology' has improved, the involvement in the experience has diminished. |
You can own a cool, collectible car without being rich.
Or you can spend money lavishly, without regard to what makes sense.
Same thing in audio. |
