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Aw man, I love the Caddy XLR with the hardtop up. So pretty.
See, now that would be a sweet hobby car. Not exactly fast, not like my G, but there are other things.
Something made me troll AutoTrader for a 1984 TransAm, and while I was eyeballs deep in nostolgia, even the 190 hp model was zero-to-60 in 17.5 seconds. Heck, my wife's Forester can beat that, LOL.
If I were in your position, I'd keep the Leaf that you love owning and driving, and look for an older hobby car. This instead of one brand new (expensive) car that tries to be all things all the time.
Granted, that VW probably succeeds quite well at being all things.
I am forcing myself to have one car that does everything well because I tried the 2 car thing once before, ironically the last time I had a Leaf in 2012. Many times I felt like I was driving the wrong car. I want one car that is fun to drive all the time.
So far the GTI seems to be the best bang for the buck and most well-rounded car for me that I have found so far. The Acura clearly takes the performance, styling, stereo, shifting, etc. to the next level, but it is at a substantial cost. Just like I did with my G37, I usually pick the cheaper car and then tune it to my liking so it is more unique and also because I love a good underdog story. In this case I am also leaning toward the GTI because the ride is a bit better. The things that gives me pause and make me consider the Type S are that it is so good to drive and I always get the cheaper car. Why not splurge once?
And @Rochester you must mean the Trans Am ran the 1/4 mile in 17.5, right?
Nostalgia is a weird thing, and with cars it's always better being remembered than the real thing. I mean, I get weak seeing a Firebird GTA, even though I know they were slow, crappy cars.
@4DRZ I hope you take lots of pictures and videos of this new VW and share them here. I'm looking forward to it.
Last edited by Rochester; Jun 26, 2023 at 07:26 PM.
Just like I did with my G37, I usually pick the cheaper car and then tune it to my liking so it is more unique and also because I love a good underdog story.
This is exactly why i love my G on track days. Only hp gains i have is cats and drop in filters, still stock exhaust, All handling mods + brake and tires. Shes pretty quiet which is funny (i know you had proper exhaust on yours), I love being the underdog on track days and driving the hell out of my car 10/10ths to play with the big boys aka toyota v8s lol. Btw i loved your g37, there something supercool about a huge 4 door g37 hauling *** at the track and taking names! It looked awesome in the pics.
Im guessing the love of underdogs is why you arent interested in a used m3?
Last edited by TheDevilsG; Jun 26, 2023 at 08:40 PM.
This is exactly why i love my G on track days. Only hp gains i have is cats and drop in filters, still stock exhaust, All handling mods + brake and tires. Shes pretty quiet which is funny (i know you had proper exhaust on yours), I love being the underdog on track days and driving the hell out of my car 10/10ths to play with the big boys aka toyota v8s lol. Btw i loved your g37, there something supercool about a huge 4 door g37 hauling *** at the track and taking names! It looked awesome in the pics.
Im guessing the love of underdogs is why you arent interested in a used m3?
Thanks! The G sounded pretty good with the exhaust and cats, but it really came to life with the headers. A pita to install and tune after the headers, but the sound was great. Which brings me to the E9X series M3. The V8 in that car also sounded great and I have thought many times about that, an E36, and especially the F80 M3 which is my favorite. I know the E9X series M3 was definitely in the running when I got the G, but it was heavy, had very little torque, and I really did not like the chunky interior design compared to my E46 M3. It always felt heavy driving it too. The F80 was such a huge step forward in terms of power, tuneability, styling, weight, etc. I just cannot believe they are getting close to 10 years old now. The F80 M3 and the 1st gen M2 (F87?) have always been on my short list.
Im guessing the love of underdogs is why you arent interested in a used m3?
My next (or additional) car will be an E90 M3! I'm just waiting a while for the economy to cool and interest rates / used car prices to normalize a bit more. Unsure if I'll be able to swing two cars for pleasure though. I don't want to sell the G, it's a great car, but the excitement of getting into an M3 may outweigh those feelings eventually.
I didn't realize the 0-60 time for the Golf R DSG is the same time as the Audi S3. Not a bad option if you prefer the sedan design and both cars can easily be tuned to over 450 hp just by switching to E85!?! The S3 does give up the torque vectoring rear differential for ultimate handling and is not available with a 6spd. But the Bang and Olufson stereo in the S3 is significantly better, you can get an exhaust resonator so it sounds better, and it also adds a number of other features. It does cost more, but for me it is actually cheaper than the Golf R with my employee discount since the Golf R (and Audi RS3) do not qualify. It would probably be the car I would get if I could not drive stick shift.
Speaking of fast cars, I got to ride (not drive) in our first Acura Integra Type S yesterday. What a car! It is expensive, but it is definitely worth the $16k over a regular Integra. It is just a completely different animal. My only gripe is the rough ride on bumpy roads. On regular roads it is ok and it might be worth the sacrifice just for that absolutely direct connection to the road and organic feel of the car. It felt like a race car with the rough edges polished so it could work as a daily driver, if that makes sense. I think that is a tough feeling to attain in a street car and I totally love it. I don't think I have felt that since I got done tuning my G37. The STI Type RA took it one click too far on the dial of "race car mode" to be a good daily driver. The Type S just felt so connected to the road and the responses from the steering and shifting seemed extremely precise without being too much. That is a really fine line to straddle and Acura completely nailed it.
The Type S is an absolute looker too. I don't think there is a bad angle on this entire car. It just looks so purposeful, sporty, and aggressive. It looks very mature for the astonishing amount of performance capability that lies beneath. The inside looks very nice too. However, the one I rode in had the red accents and they just didn't look right to me. At least the seats had suede-ish inserts to keep you planted in corners and cooler in the summer as well as warmer in the winter. The only thing I think they changed from the Civic Type R interior that is not an improvement is the vent in the dash that is continuous in the Civic. It looks ok in the Acura, but I think it looks more cohesive in the Type R.
Ok so we better address the elephant in the room and compare it to the Civic Type R, because the Acura Integra Type S is a whopping $8,000 more and $16,000 more than a 6 sped Integra that is not a Type S. First off, yes I think the Type S is actually worth the money over a regular Integra. It is just a completely different animal. Initially, I was also thinking the Acura was worth the extra money over the Civic Type R because I knew the stereo was better, it had more features, and it is a bit more of a sleeper in the styling department. But now that I think more about it, I'm not so sure. If the Civic's ride was not too much bumpier than the Acura, it might be the way to go. Especially since the Bose stereo in the Type R is still pretty good. The Civic seats might be a bit tiresome getting into and out of every day, but once you get in they are like a warm hug. Just great seats in that car! I think the Acura would also benefit from the F1 type shift lights in the Honda.
If it came with an automatic and a sunroof this is something I would look at getting. Plus I wouldn't mind having those wheels on my IPL.
I know the E9X series M3 was definitely in the running when I got the G, but it was heavy, had very little torque, and I really did not like the chunky interior design compared to my E46 M3. It always felt heavy driving it too.
It's about the same weight as a G isn't it? Around 3,600-3,700? And it actually has a bit more torque. I guess if you compare it to other V8's though, yeah the torque is bad. I wouldn't be buying the car for it's torque though.
As far as interior goes, I haven't had a chance to sit in an M3 so can't compare it to the G, but I do know that the G sport seats are pretty tight on my butt/thighs, it's like they were made for skinny people.
@backman_66 m3 seems to be an absolute monster at the track! I'd love to have one to even the odds against faster cars lol. Its such a well rounded car for that even stock, I bet a 200 treadwire tire is the only mod needed to throw down some impressive lap times. I would love to take an m3 or m2 for a few laps!
If it came with an automatic and a sunroof this is something I would look at getting. Plus I wouldn't mind having those wheels on my IPL.
No shortage of automatic transmission cars with a sunroof that offer similar or better performance and are RWD or AWD TLX Type S if you want an Acura, Lexus IS, Q50, M340, S4/5, S3, RS3, etc.
It's about the same weight as a G isn't it? Around 3,600-3,700? And it actually has a bit more torque. I guess if you compare it to other V8's though, yeah the torque is bad. I wouldn't be buying the car for it's torque though.
As far as interior goes, I haven't had a chance to sit in an M3 so can't compare it to the G, but I do know that the G sport seats are pretty tight on my butt/thighs, it's like they were made for skinny people.
I meant it was heavy for an M3 at the time and the next generation was actually lighter with loads more torque, tuneability, better brakes, etc, etc. Basically, the rest of my post about the F80 that you clipped.
TLX Type S if you want an Acura, Lexus IS, Q50, M340, S4/5, S3, RS3, etc.