Any manual, charismatic touring car?
05-01-2014, 12:53 PM
#1
Any manual, charismatic touring car?
Going to need a company car in the future, and I've been looking as to what I could put those funds towards.
Looking for a four door, four seater, but I can't find anything that's really, really interesting.
Panamera: Heavy, ugly, almost always AWD, small displacement to weight naturally aspirated RWD option... still automatic.
BMW M3 E90/92: Manual, but has the S2000/RX8 problem of only being fun at high RPM, which means massively speeding which I don't do. Boring at actual driving speeds.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage/2006ish DB9: Manual, good interior if dated, pretty, but two doors. Two seats for adults.
Right now the winner is the C63, which while it has a horribly slow automatic, it's charismatic. It's fun. It has great steering feedback, and it always seems to be prompting you to go sideways with that amazing, great sounding engine. But it's an automatic. And I'd feel endlessly guilty if I got one.
Test drove the V10 M5, but it has the same problem as the V8 M3. Boring boring boring 150 mph. Same issue the GT-R had and the new Porsche Cayman S.
Any ideas?
Looking for a four door, four seater, but I can't find anything that's really, really interesting.
Panamera: Heavy, ugly, almost always AWD, small displacement to weight naturally aspirated RWD option... still automatic.
BMW M3 E90/92: Manual, but has the S2000/RX8 problem of only being fun at high RPM, which means massively speeding which I don't do. Boring at actual driving speeds.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage/2006ish DB9: Manual, good interior if dated, pretty, but two doors. Two seats for adults.
Right now the winner is the C63, which while it has a horribly slow automatic, it's charismatic. It's fun. It has great steering feedback, and it always seems to be prompting you to go sideways with that amazing, great sounding engine. But it's an automatic. And I'd feel endlessly guilty if I got one.
Test drove the V10 M5, but it has the same problem as the V8 M3. Boring boring boring 150 mph. Same issue the GT-R had and the new Porsche Cayman S.
Any ideas?
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05-01-2014, 02:33 PM
#10
Cpt. Slow
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Have you considered an Evo or STI? I think they're semi fun at lower speeds, manual, and fast. Interior quality really leaves something to be desired against the other mentioned cars, but they're fun.
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05-01-2014, 03:29 PM
#12
Driven the STI. Put the DCCD in full rear and tossed it around corners. Good fun. It was an 06 IIRC. It was rough and fun in a hoon fashion. The GTR was so smooth it felt like twenty miles per hour at one hundred. No reward until you're at lose your license speeds. Rather different feeling cars, in my experience.
The tuned up rally cars aren't the best at touring though.
The tuned up rally cars aren't the best at touring though.
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05-01-2014, 03:46 PM
#13
Supporting Vendor
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If you like the BMW but want more torque, buy a 335i and put a couple bolt-ons on it. Tons of torque.
Otherwise, newer Audi S4 with the supercharged V6?
...Porsche Cayman?
Otherwise, newer Audi S4 with the supercharged V6?
...Porsche Cayman?
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05-01-2014, 04:07 PM
#14
Can't help you on the manual - best I could recommend would be a 535i - 3.0L twin turbocharged inline 6. Alternatively, have you considered an Equus Ultimate?
If you're looking for a luxury car, boring is the status quo. The masses do not buy a high end luxury sedan to hit the twisties. The high end luxury sedan is intended to isolate the occupants from the environment.
If you're looking for a luxury car, boring is the status quo. The masses do not buy a high end luxury sedan to hit the twisties. The high end luxury sedan is intended to isolate the occupants from the environment.
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05-01-2014, 04:31 PM
#15
I admit, haven't looked at the B8 S4.
Mainly because I've never driven an Audi that didn't plow, given that the S4 is still AWD on a fwd designed chassis I'd be interested in if that could change, especially since it has less of a rear bias than the STI that I drove.
Mainly because I've never driven an Audi that didn't plow, given that the S4 is still AWD on a fwd designed chassis I'd be interested in if that could change, especially since it has less of a rear bias than the STI that I drove.
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05-01-2014, 06:14 PM
#16
I think you are looking for a contradiction.
Luxury GT car means autobahn in Europe. It should feel like 50mph at 130mph.
If you want luxury that makes 90mph feel like 150mph, look at the American offerings. Look at the CTS-V. I think the next best thing would be anything new with an AMG badge.
Just get a Tesla. They are all I see anymore.
Luxury GT car means autobahn in Europe. It should feel like 50mph at 130mph.
If you want luxury that makes 90mph feel like 150mph, look at the American offerings. Look at the CTS-V. I think the next best thing would be anything new with an AMG badge.
Just get a Tesla. They are all I see anymore.
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05-01-2014, 06:22 PM
#18
How's that? The DB9 is universally known as a very nice grand touring car that has a lot of charisma, as one example. Old Mercedes had a wonderful sense of occasion to them, from the mid eighties to early nineties, while being very comfortable. The C63 does well at cruising (just needs a KW suspension, or whatever is like a XIDA to make it more comfortable, to me, and a TCU/ECU tune for faster manual shifts). All good examples. The first is only two door though, the middle ones are somewhat old for cross country trips, and the third is amazingly close, but automatic. Tons of charisma though.
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