New Car Time.

In less than 12 hours I'll be picking up my first BMW.

It is amazing I have been driving a variety of cars over the years but until I tried this BMW I though I knew what road feel and attachment to the road was. Then I found out that even the best of my other cars has a detachment compared to this BMW. Yes I have a fancy North American car sporty and corners very well but even that pales in comparison; when they say the Ultimate driving machine, they mean it. I always dismissed this as a marketing ploy but that all changed last week.

As for features I gave up when I hit 50 advantages. Everything that a car can have it has. Smaller on the outside but bigger inside, heavier, bigger V8, faster and quicker but it also gets better MPG, although given how little I drive it really doesn't matter.

Time to enjoy the good life.

Lord Skimper wrote:In less than 12 hours I'll be picking up my first BMW.

It is amazing I have been driving a variety of cars over the years but until I tried this BMW I though I knew what road feel and attachment to the road was. Then I found out that even the best of my other cars has a detachment compared to this BMW. Yes I have a fancy North American car sporty and corners very well but even that pales in comparison; when they say the Ultimate driving machine, they mean it. I always dismissed this as a marketing ploy but that all changed last week.

As for features I gave up when I hit 50 advantages. Everything that a car can have it has. Smaller on the outside but bigger inside, heavier, bigger V8, faster and quicker but it also gets better MPG, although given how little I drive it really doesn't matter.

Time to enjoy the good life.

Congradulations!

Given how much I drive, cars are disposable to me. My VW Jetta diesel just hit 200,000 miles.

Lord Skimper wrote:In less than 12 hours I'll be picking up my first BMW.

It is amazing I have been driving a variety of cars over the years but until I tried this BMW I though I knew what road feel and attachment to the road was. Then I found out that even the best of my other cars has a detachment compared to this BMW. Yes I have a fancy North American car sporty and corners very well but even that pales in comparison; when they say the Ultimate driving machine, they mean it. I always dismissed this as a marketing ploy but that all changed last week.

As for features I gave up when I hit 50 advantages. Everything that a car can have it has. Smaller on the outside but bigger inside, heavier, bigger V8, faster and quicker but it also gets better MPG, although given how little I drive it really doesn't matter.

Time to enjoy the good life.

Congrats on the new ride. Just out of curiosity you say it is better than your current sporty North American car. What were you driving before the BMW?

I'm currently driving a Citroen C1 that I've had since new (70K miles) perfect for what I need (cheap to run, easy to drive, can fit 4 adults if pushed)

But what I want (and heading my list of Lottery win cars) is a '67 GT500

DTR Marauder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp9cn2s ... ata_player

DTR means red. This is not Lord Skimper, this is a police escort for the Louisville Marauder Meet.

Lord Skimper wrote:DTR Marauder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp9cn2s ... ata_player

DTR means red. This is not Lord Skimper, this is a police escort for the Louisville Marauder Meet.

The only American car named Marauder in recent memory I am familiar with is the Mercury Marauder. Is that what you are talking about?

Best wishes for your new car experience. BMWs are usually good cars, and fun to drive. I have fond memories of sitting at the speed limiter at 250kmph for some time in Europe in an M3.

I too love the 67 GT500 for its ultimate muscle car experience, mind you in club circuit work it is woefully slow if entertaining nowadays. My Westfield Clubman was very much quicker, although not being sideways in a cloud of tyre smoke all the time made it look slower.
Looking at a new car for my wife at present and am considering the Mazda 3 - 2.5GT. Comes with a 6 speed manual here unlike in the US.

Daryl wrote:*SNIP*
Looking at a new car for my wife at present and am considering the Mazda 3 - 2.5GT. Comes with a 6 speed manual here unlike in the US.

One of the best compact cars around. Though if you are considering a manual, you might want to cross shop either/or the Ford Fiesta ST or the Focus ST. With the turbocharged engines, I believe they outperform the Mazda 3, even with the bigger 2.5 engine.

I AM jealous you have a manual option there for the Mazda 3 with the bigger engine. Not only is the 2.5 not offered with a manual here in the US, it is also only offered with the upper trim levels. A pity. If it was offered here with a manual and a base level interior, it might be economical enough to try as a tuner.

The hot Focus here is the expensive ($39k) ST - 2ltr 184kw Turbo, but the warm version is the 2ltr 120kw, the Fiesta ST 1.6 T is fast and affordable but a bit small.
Last year I drove a 1.6 T Focus in the UK and was impressed but that model is not available here. Another contender is the VW Golf 1.4 T, but they have a dreadful reputation for unreliability here.
We can get the 2.5 Mazda at three trim levels, medium, upper and top. Manual tested at 7 sec for 100kph, and low 15s for qtr. Tops out at 223kph.

Henry Brown wrote:

Daryl wrote:*SNIP*
Looking at a new car for my wife at present and am considering the Mazda 3 - 2.5GT. Comes with a 6 speed manual here unlike in the US.

One of the best compact cars around. Though if you are considering a manual, you might want to cross shop either/or the Ford Fiesta ST or the Focus ST. With the turbocharged engines, I believe they outperform the Mazda 3, even with the bigger 2.5 engine.

I AM jealous you have a manual option there for the Mazda 3 with the bigger engine. Not only is the 2.5 not offered with a manual here in the US, it is also only offered with the upper trim levels. A pity. If it was offered here with a manual and a base level interior, it might be economical enough to try as a tuner.

Henry Brown wrote:

Lord Skimper wrote:DTR Marauder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp9cn2s ... ata_player

DTR means red. This is not Lord Skimper, this is a police escort for the Louisville Marauder Meet.

The only American car named Marauder in recent memory I am familiar with is the Mercury Marauder. Is that what you are talking about?

Yes. Mine being a Canadian market DTR is one of 13 sold in Canada. 980 were sold world wide.