Ferrari Mailing List: Re: German Cars

[kjtar (kjtar]

Sounds like you and I are kindred spirits, Michael.  I would just love to get a 
sports car with roll down windows, rear wheel drive, targa or convertible top 
with no appreciable cowl shake, around 20 mpg "around town" and enough umph to 
get from 0-60 in around 7 seconds.  Maybe even a sports sedan with AWD, but 
then of course the weight goes up, the handling would suffer in comparison to 
the "sports car" and mpg would suffer as well. I think, really, that the W124 
Mercedes-Benz 300E might be the best "all around" car ever made. And the 
Sportline model is a great handler, just doesn't have a manual transmission, 
which would pretty much be a requirement for me.

Kind regards,
Tom in Tulsa
---- Michael James <cavallino_rapante [at] yahoo.com> wrote: 
> I was hoping of getting-into a German car in the next month or two - I 
> actually like the MB C280 4Matic or a 5-speed manual 3-Series BMW.  I think 
> either car would be practical and a good 'snow-car' with Blizzacks on the 
> rims.  I'm not looking to 'make statements' per se, or drive a land-yaht (I 
> don't know any fat people who need seat-space defined in cubic yards) - I 
> just want a 4-door car that is well-built, great in the snow, some Cache', 
> some modern/modest luxury, and can run for 100K miles trouble-free.  I'm 
> finding LOTS of C280s and 3-Series BMWs with sub-30K miles for around $20K, 
> cars that would appear to be leased vehicles that were gently-used.  
>  
> Keep in mind, my 'current' car is a 1996 stripped Ford Ranger with 250,000+ 
> miles on it.  A five-year-old Honda would be luxurious in comparison - I'm 
> not a 'bells-and-whistles' guy.  If the heater and A/C work, and there's a 
> radio, I'm pretty happy.  
>  
> M
>  
> P.S. - the Head work on my 308 is going well, I should have those finished in 
> January.  The Transfer Case and associated bearings will also be done by 
> spring.  Having a great deal of difficulty finding the correct Cylinder 
> Liners at an affordable price, though.
>  
>  
> 
> 
> --- On Wed, 12/23/09, TheMightyToe <themightytoe [at] gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: TheMightyToe <themightytoe [at] gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Michael Schumacher
> To: "Michael" <Cavallino_Rapante [at] yahoo.com>
> Cc: "The FerrariList" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
> Date: Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 10:02 AM
> 
> 
> KR says:
> But fear not; the German cars  have video cameras to use backing up until 
> mirrors are invented. They have vibrators in the steering wheel that chide 
> you when you prove incapable of staying in your lane. They have 
> forward-looking xray lasers to part the waters when the road floods. And the 
> tires are good for 10,000 miles. Unless you get the run-flat option which 
> rides like Flintstone Rocktreads and cannot be fixed when punctured.
> 
> Ken, you do realize that these exact "advances" are specifically 
> targetting the Houston area driver?  Flat perfect roads, occasional 
> floods mixed with year round perfect conditions, and the worst 
> collective driving ability on the planet?  Seriously last time I drove 
> there I saw some poor bastard on a Harley get taken out by a lady in an 
> SUV on her cell phone, leaving a tollbooth.  Last time I saw something 
> that horrible was on trip to India (where I imagine driver training is 
> marginally better than Houston's).
> 
> But on BMW's I agree, that company jumped the Shark back in 2000.  My 
> E46 M3 was probably my last BMW, they just don't make a cool car 
> anymore.   MB has never appealed to me in any way, not even their 
> "classics" which are below any standard set by their contemporaries in 
> both looks and performance.  Who wants a car that lasts forever if its 
> hideous and you have to look at it forever?  They drive very solidly, 
> but have no soul whatsoever and really belong only in the hands of a 
> retiree.  Porsche and Audi are about the only German car companies 
> making interesting rides these days (I do like my VW GTI a lot, but it 
> is a standout for VW's line of cars I think). 
> 
> Now here is something I pondered a few nights ago at the movie 
> theaters...   They played an add for Kia, and the ad was not for a car 
> but for the company.  The pitch was how great and modern their 
> manufacturing plant in the southern US was and how it provided jobs for 
> American workers...  So if I analyze this?  What they are actually 
> saying is it is cheaper for them to make cars in the deep south of the 
> US than in Korea?  Wow.  Just wow and how sad for us to be practically a 
> third world country in many respects... 
> 
> That said, a neighbor of mine has a Hyundai Genesis Sedan, and it is 
> every bit as nice as a Merc S class.  Even looks like one a bit.
> 
> Now what I really do not get, is how ANY car company could link F1 to 
> their product line?  When have we seen any F1 tech in a Mercedes if 
> ever?  Or a Renault, or a Toyota road car?
> 
> BR,
> Mike
> 
> 
> Ken Rentiers wrote:
> > Fellippe always enjoy your messages, but I have to disagree with this one. 
> >
> > It's certainly true that many of the old garden variety Benz's were slow, 
> > and about as exciting to drive as, well, a bank vault which is what they 
> > were built like. It is also true that many of the latest iteration of MB 
> > and BMW products are crap. 
> >
> > Due to the pressures of the Deutschland greenies much of the current BMW 
> > line is now made of recycled plastic. This includes the radiator. Given 
> > enough heat/cool cycles (oh say 50,000 miles worth) the eco-plastic becomes 
> > as brittle as the peanut variety of same, and cracks. Usually at the most 
> > inopportune time, giving you about 30 seconds to shut down before the head 
> > warps. 
> >
> > Did I mention they were as ugly as moose butts? Did I mention they had no 
> > dipsticks? Onliest way you can check the oil level is to drain it out and 
> > measure it! 
> >
> > Crap. Idiocy. Obergruppenarrogance!
> >
> > But fear not; the German cars  have video cameras to use backing up until 
> > mirrors are invented. They have vibrators in the steering wheel that chide 
> > you when you prove incapable of staying in your lane. They have 
> > forward-looking xray lasers to part the waters when the road floods. And 
> > the tires are good for 10,000 miles. Unless you get the run-flat option 
> > which rides like Flintstone Rocktreads and cannot be fixed when punctured.
> >
> > Crap!!! - gimme the older, simpler cars that you drove instead of rode in. 
> > The ones without bulbous snouts to meet new Euro-regs about not hitting 
> > below the pedestrians' knees. Like the ugly new 5 series. Don't cry for me 
> > Pininfarina - I got some nice old iron I shall keep forever. 
> >
> > Screw progress and while I'm at it HUMBUG! 
> >
> > Except for you Fellippe - you're a good guy even if you do latch on to a 
> > little misdirected opinion at times. My best to you and yours and have a 
> > wonderful Christmas. All the rest of you too, except those taken in by the 
> > Hollywood crap machine now showing "Eco-smurfs v The US Marines" (Avatar). 
> > ##$%^&* tree-hugging commies every one of them. 
> >
> > :-)
> > love and kisses
> > the kenverine
> >
> >
> > On Dec 22, 2009, at 10:14 PM, Fellippe Galletta wrote:
> >
> >   
> >> On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 8:46 AM, LS <lashdeep [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>     
> >>> Roger that...before they became plastic toasters?
> >>>
> >>> I'll take a 190E 2.3 16v and an AMG Hammer.
> >>>
> >>> LS
> >>>
> >>>       
> >> Oh man.
> >>
> >> With some of you guys on here, it's like every civilian brand needs to
> >> maintain a 250 GTO like aura around their cars....ugh.
> >>
> >> Sure, MB of new isn't quite like MB of old but who seriously wants a 190E
> >> over a new E, S, CL, CLK, SL or CLS? LOL.
> >>
> >> A vintage Gullwing is a different story of course, and a genuine AMG Hammer
> >> or Porsche built E500 is worthy of consideration, but not all garden
> >> variety Benzes made between 1980-1999. You seriously want bulletproof, buy 
> >> a
> >> new Japanese car...done, end of story.
> >>
> >> I'll play along and be a good sport and say the '90s S Class was the last 
> >> of
> >> the uber Mercedes Benz elite class. When comparing each respective
> >> generation of S, this was easily the best, from the look, the armored car
> >> like construction, those dual pane windows, and the first big HP V12 in the
> >> 600...the quintessential Benz.
> >>
> >> Still wouldn't get it over the newer S's. You're buying an
> >> expensive prestige sedan for the cachet/style/keeping up with the
> >> joneses/etc first, everything else comes second. Anyone who says otherwise
> >> is clearly lying to himself or others!
> >>
> >> The '90s S or Miami Vice era S's no longer fit the bill....so no point in
> >> owning these maintenance nightmares unless it's for the novelty factor and
> >> short term. For that LS, you did it right with those BMWs!
> >>
> >> It's time to expose the (forty) 800 pound gorilla for what it is! I don't
> >> hate those older Benzes...still respect them....but to act like they were
> >> the only good cars from the factory is silly.
> >>
> >> FG
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