Wow...

[jsbowden]

I've burned up over one hundred hours of vacation over the course of the last six months. Good thing I start earning four weeks per annum as of next week, I haven't had less than two weeks vacation sitting there doing nothing in several years now. I'm down to thirty one hours of vacation and twenty four hours of sick leave. Woe is me; whatever shall I do?

robeli and I took a BMW convertable out for a test drive the weekend before last. After taking a test drive, she says she's a majority of the way to being convinced. Excellent.

And yes dear, of course I know you're reading this.

All I can say is holy shit. It drove wonderfully; stuck to the road like it was superglued down, has a nice responsive 235bhp 3.0L inline 6 for an engine, and a 6 speed manual tranny mated up to 18"F/18.5"R low profile tires with big GIANT ventilated rotors on all four (ABS of course) that stop like it was free and corner like being on rails. I'm in lust.

Oh yeah, and the roof disappears at the touch of a button. We had to test drive the M3, as they didn't have any 330ci models with the Performance option and the manual tranny (the engine in the M3 has slightly more power than the straight 330(c)i w/Perf. pkg (and the dual exhaust on the M3 is a little more throaty sounding, but I prefer quieter anyway...the 330i is 225, w/perf is 235, I think the M3 might be 240 or 245 (I was wrong, it's 333bhp), but it's not much different), but not enough that it'll make any real world difference). Anyone who'd buy that car with an automatic transmission deserves to be taken out back and shot.

All the other shit that BMW throws on a car is just icing. There are better performing cars out there, but not with 4 seats and a roof that retracts.

If money didn't matter and I didn't need room for a carseat, I'd hunt down a 1989 930 (911s haven't been 911s internally since the 70s, it's a marketing number these days) Turbo Carrera conv. and ask that nice Mr. Ruf to work his magic. I'd kill for a 911 chassis that did 206mph. and still managed to be street legal, and that's what Ruf does to Porsches.

I love this disc, but I'd make one change to make it really ideal; I'd drop "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" and put "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" on it instead.

Comments

[montoya.livejournal.com]

The M3 is souped up in a whole lot of ways beyond just the engine. I'd expect the 330 to be similar, but definitely not as sporty.

Also, pfft to the manual fetishism. Modern automatics are great, and if you're not blowing out your clutch on purpose, the performance difference is negligible. The only reason to get an automatic is if you like the psychology of doing something with your right hand while driving.

[larabeaton.livejournal.com]

The only reason to get an automatic is if you like the psychology of doing something with your right hand while driving.

Strike that, reverse it.

Personally, I prefer to drive a manual. I feel more in control, and mroe connected to the driving, and I get better gas mileage, too.

Shifty types.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

In the Caravan, I know the stick is an option, but I wouldn't consider putting it in there unless you go all crazy and get the Grand Caravan with the V10 and the 4WD option. And only maybe even then. For the most part, the minivan is a great vehicle, but it's not exactly something you take out to Skyline Drive for fun.

When I drive for fun, I want a stick. I want to be able to park the tranny in 3rd and wind it up around the curves and let the engine limit the speed on the downside of the hills. It's about control, and you don't get that with an automatic; it shifts when it wants to. It lets gravity accelerate you when you're doing just fine, thanks. It makes you wait when you floor it halfway through a curve while it decides to shift, and then takes its time to get around to doing it.

Screw that.

The final drive in the 6spd is also nice and high so it gets better mileage out of the 3.3L on the highway than the 2.5L in the 325 (which doesn't even have the 6spd. tranny as an option).

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

The performance package with the 330 puts the same suspension, transmission, steering and tires on the car as the M3. The M3 is a little more souped up engine wise (dual exhaust, a few extra horsepower, different front/rear apron, some other cosmetic changes, and about 15k extra on the price).

[carpone.livejournal.com]

The only reason to get an automatic is if you like the psychology of doing something with your right hand while driving.

If I lived in a time when I could actually drive on the roads, I'd drive a manual transmission in a heartbeat. I don't know about you, but I crawl through stop-and-go traffic 5 days a week. Dealing with a clutch for all that bullshit when you don't have to -- why?

I'm sure I'll get lambasted for this as well, but I like using my free hand for a cell phone when I need it.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

I've adjusted my schedule such that I don't actually spend that much time just sitting in traffic. Yeah, it means I get to work a little before 7am, but I leave at 3, so I generally get on the road then just as things start to backup, and while I may have to slow down, I'm rarely just sitting.

[carpone.livejournal.com]

On a related note..

"The average U.S. motorist spends 46 hours each year or nearly two full days stuck in rush-hour traffic jams."

http://news1.iwon.com/odd/article/id/425790|oddlyenough|09-07-2004::14:29|reuters.html

Fucking time murderers. I want those two days back!