'Coffe & Cars'

What more money? You should see he Rocket one - solid metal of some kind with Rocket stamped on top. It is nice. They used to come with a cheap piece of plastic.

I've just tried to remove the water reservoir and.... and... I can't get it out! It appears jammed. Mind you I'm really tired but there appears to be no mention of a locking bolt or mech. Tomozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

User211 said:

Merc is getting long in the tooth. Quite fancy this espresso Boxster in the exact same finish... fits the thread nicely Those wheels in the flesh are drool worthy. They have a car with them on at the local dealer.

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I really like the looks of the new Boxster, even more than the new Cayman. Last generation, I preferred the Cayman. Well, this isn't a new Boxster, but I just bought it yesterday. Now I've got the Cayman when I want to go out and play and the BMW for daily driving.:rocker:

nice ride Steve !

Thanks Dave. It's now covered in bug guts, big time! I've already put about 400 miles on it. It's really quite amazing in that when in comfort mode it feels like a nice sedan, but when in Sport or Sport+ mode it feels like a smaller sports car with a bigger engine!

Now that I've got over 800 miles on the new BMW, I thought I'd compare somewhat the handling/performance of my two cars. The BMW is easily the more comfortable car. It is a much quieter ride, as it should be, being a sedan and all. I am surprised at the handling capabilities of the BMW, as they are very high. There definitely is more body roll, but the steering is spot-on neutral, with very little understeer. The difference in handling characteristics between the BMW's "Comfort" mode and "Sport" mode is greater than I thought it would be. In "C" mode, it handles like a nice sporty sedan, but in "S" mode, it really does handle more like a true sports car. When you take a curve at speed, it does so with confidence. All in all, a very good handling package. Well, you may have noticed I said it handled "like" a true sports car, but of course, not quite. You get a satisfaction when you negotiate a curve well, but you just don't get the same feeling that you do when you do the same with the Porsche. After completing a curve at speed in the Porsche, it says to you, "Is that all you've got?". It is always ready to go faster than you think you can go. Mid corner changes are effortless in the Cayman, as it seems to easily go where you point it, without delay or even thinking about it. I think the Cayman balances the compromises between a dedicated track car and a sporty car perfectly on the sport side of comfort, while the BMW is just on the comfort side of sport. The Porsche is comfortable enough for day long trips, but I'd take the BMW for the longer rides! I'm very lucky to be able to have the choice.

The boys...

The Boxster I test drove is like driving on rails. It just goes where you point it. It was also more comfortable than my SLK which surprised me. At speed with the roof down it makes you feel like a hero. An odd sensation to say the least

But they are noisy. Then again they are proper sports cars. I nearly bought a Mercedes GLA instead for comfort but my wife owns a SUV as a company car. So there wasn't much logic to it.

Looks like we pay in pounds what you guys pay in dollars for Porsches. Fair? No. Annoying? Very.

Dodge Challenger with 707HP "Hellcat" Engine

"Chrysler Group is taking muscle cars to steroid-crazed levels with its new V8 engine. The Dodge Challenger SRT with the optional Hellcat engine, available starting in the fall, will put out a total of 707 horsepower.

This will be "the most powerful muscle car ever," according to Chrysler."
http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/02/autos/dodge-challenger-hellcat/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Crikey!

Ken, while attending the six hour race this past weekend @ Watkins Glen SRT had one on display. While mean and menacing looking it's still waaaaay overweight. I suspect it will win it's share of drag races but rest assured it will be no match for the Z-28 Camaro (200hp less) on a road course !

I was going to say you guys have an enormous rep for building powerful cars that don't handle anything but going straight. No offense intended, of course. I guess you get Top Gear so you know what they think.

Well, that particular chassis is the old Merc E Class, so it'll handle pretty well, although weight is always an issue.

But it's no Bugatti Veyron, that's certain. This thread is funny for me. All of these fast, beautiful cars, and I'm a guy who's contemplating the adoption of a 1956 Land Rover Series 1 pick up truck for daily use. That would sure be a great ride

twich54 said:

Ken, while attending the six hour race this past weekend @ Watkins Glen SRT had one on display. While mean and menacing looking it's still waaaaay overweight. I suspect it will win it's share of drag races but rest assured it will be no match for the Z-28 Camaro (200hp less) on a road course !

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I know, Dave, but if I were running a road course, I'd be using something really light, like an Ariel Atom or Lotus 340R.

User211 said:

I was going to say you guys have an enormous rep for building powerful cars that don't handle anything but going straight. No offense intended, of course. I guess you get Top Gear so you know what they think.

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Justin, having just gotten back from Watkins Glen this past weekend, the only 'British' running was an Aston Martin that couldn't keep up with anything. Corvette won both Prototype and GTLM, trust me we can build cars that make HP and can handle with the best of 'em !!

InterMechanico said:

Well, that particular chassis is the old Merc E Class, so it'll handle pretty well, although weight is always an issue.

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I don't care what chassis it's derived from, the new Z-28 Camaro is in a totally different league when it comes to handling. If you haven't read the recent articles you'd be surprised at all the high dollar Europeon rides that it's beaten.

The E Class I was referring to was discontinued in the early 2000's, so I meant handling is Good, not Above Reproach.lol. I would be more interested in what level of traction control it has, because 707 HP is very hard to control, with only RWD to boot (Canadian Term? Don't know a Synonym)
I think the reputation for poor handling is due to the incredibly long time it took for American cars to ditch the solid rear axle for independent suspension. I have no doubt that current American cars (some of them) handle extremely well. However, a lot of them have mushy 3-ply comfo-ride suspension, which is great for those old country roads, but no fun in the corners. I have the smallest car Ford sells (Fiesta 5 speed), and drive the Baggins off it. It's a lot of fun. BTW, Rallying is my very favorite form of racing. That takes Skill AND Baggins.

Julian, I understand the great fun factor of a lightweight good handling car, I once owned a Honda S2000. My point was that right now arguably the best combination of power and handling is in the Chevrolet barn…….Z28 Camaro and Corvette. At their respective price point (and beyond for that matter) they truly excel !

Actually you guys don't get as good a deal on Porsches as I thought.

Anyway, the Camaro is pretty close to the Boxster in terms of pricing. Sure ain't as pretty, though, with a styling that just won't appeal to Europeans. Fuel consumption is dreadful, Dave - it'd cost a fortune to run over here. Only 0.2 secs quicker than a PDK Boxster for a 6 litre engine. It just won't sell here.

User211 said:

Actually you guys don't get as good a deal on Porsches as I thought.

Anyway, the Camaro is pretty close to the Boxster in terms of pricing. Sure ain't as pretty, though, with a styling that just won't appeal to Europeans. Fuel consumption is dreadful, Dave - it'd cost a fortune to run over here. Only 0.2 secs quicker than a PDK Boxster for a 6 litre engine. It just won't sell here.

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The boxster is a pseudo sports car. It is not on the same planet as a Z28. Comparing fuel economy is laughable - you're comparing completely different classes of cars.

Tell me more Hocky. Just why is it better?

Have you checked out UK gas prices?

User211 said:

Tell me more Hocky. Just why is it better?

Have you checked out UK gas prices?

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Because it outperforms it in every way by a massive margin. Gas prices are high? OK... if that is a concern, then maybe you want to stick to something else. But at the end of the day, the Boxster is not comparable to a Z28 at all.

Doing some research it is quick... no question - even on a track it does much better than even a Boxster S. Surprisingly it is even really good value for money here for the performance on offer.

No one owns one though. I think I have told you why to an extent.