I was missing your car reviews. Welcome back. And congrats on the purchase.
I was missing your car reviews. Welcome back. And congrats on the purchase.
Car: 2011 BMW 135i Convertible 7DCT
So, I'm not planning on writing a full review from this short test drive in this car- 2011 BMW 135i Convertible 7DCT, with around 74k miles on the clock. I own a 2008 128i coupe 6MT, which is the same car, but with a metal roof, less power and a manual transmission. A photo of the 135i in question:
I'll get this out of the way: my wife and I both thought my 128i seemed to be more fun to drive, while conceding that the 135i vert is certainly faster in a straight line.
After digging for specs, I believe my 128i is about ~500 lbs lighter than this car, and you can feel it. The steering feels a bit heavier, likely from the extra weight of the car. I would be lying if I started commenting on chassis rigidity, as I wasn't really pitching the car through corners- I thought that was an exercise in futility, as this car is a convertible and I was more focused on the difference in the motors and to some extent, the gearboxes.
I was really just trying to deduce if the turbocharged N55 motor was enough of a factor for me to ever consider trading my 128i in on a 135i... my conclusion? I have no idea.
I've searched hard to try and find a 135i coupe with a manual to drive, but they're elusive little buggers!
The 7-speed dual clutch in the 135i does a pretty good job of handling shifting, but it's not nearly as engaging as a good old fashioned manual. I did notice a bit of a delay on aggressive 1-2 shifts from the gearbox- not sluggish like an old school torque converter box, but it didn't seem as seamless/instantaneous as more modern VW/Audi dual clutch boxes. It's probably still quicker than I could shift myself, but not by as much as I would have thought.
For a dual clutch box from this era, it was actually fairly smooth driving around town. Coming to a stop at lights, I didn't notice any jerkiness from downshifts that were more prevalent in other dual clutches of the same era. This thing was smooth enough that it could probably fool most people into thinking it was a torque converter box. I felt a couple of minor shifts here or there that might suggest it was a dual clutch, but they were truly minor and nothing that would bother me on a daily commute.
While my wife and I agreed that the 135i vert is faster than my 128i, she didn't think it felt that much faster. I thought there was a pretty noticeable difference in torque and it seemed to have a fairly continuous pull in just about every gear. While it was quicker than my 128i, it didn't feel like it would hold a candle to the last M2 I drove. While the added torque from the N55 was a nice addition, it didn't add enough to the driving experience to ever make me consider actually buying one of these things (at least not in this trim/spec).
I honestly think the problem was the weight. The weight rating of a base 135i coupe is around ~3370 lbs, or around ~170 lbs more than a 128i (~3200 lbs). The convertible gains an extra ~300 lbs (around ~3650 lbs) and the 7DCT is also a good bit heavier than the 6MT (about an extra ~45 lbs). So, while the car certainly has more power, much of it is wasted due to the increased weight penalty. I'll say this: I don't think I would want to drive a 128i convertible. While the N52 is perfectly adequate for powering my manual coupe, I don't think I would want to saddle it with all this extra weight (translation: I think it would be a bit slug-ish).
If you're looking for an automatic convertible with enough power to get out of its own way and you don't mind the additional maintenance of the N55 motor, this isn't a bad car. For a Sunday cruising car, you could certainly do worse. But the extra weight, lack of rigidity and lack of a manual make for a less than engaging experience than someone like me would be looking for in a weekend sports car. The size of the 1-series makes it a much easier car to get through traffic in, compared to something like a Mustang or Camaro convertible, but this thing certainly isn't a Miata or a Boxster competitor.
So, I've learned absolutely nothing, other than I wouldn't be interested in this specific spec of car. I'll keep my eye out for a 135i coupe with a 6MT and buy a lotto ticket when I find one.
2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club 6MT w/Brembo/BBS/Recaro package
I know I've already driven an ND1 GT back to back with my S2000 and I remember it being a good time, but hurting my right knee just a bit... so, I've been on the lookout for an ND2/3 with the Recaro seats to see if I can drive the car without pain in my right knee. I happened to find a brand new one, Club package with Brembo brakes, BBS wheels and Recaro seats:
I've already written a full comparison review, so I'll try to keep this brief (no promises). I do need to make a few disclaimers:
-It was literally 100 degrees F outside today. I'm sure that's not a big deal if you live in Arizona, but here in Colorado, those days are few and far between. Translation: putting the top(s) down was uncomfortably hot, so we left the tops up and had the A/C on full blast.
-My S2000 has undergone a few minor changes since I last drove it back to back with an ND. I replaced a front endlink (I stripped it a bit the last time I swapped sway bars and finally got around to fixing it properly) and after years of running an SCCA C-Street autoX alignment, I finally went back to an OEM alignment. This was done to tone down on the car's tail-happiness, making it more confidence inspiring on the street. I'm happy to report it was an absolute success! IOver the past year or so, I've also modded the S2000 slightly, with OEM parts: I have a 2008 S2000, but I've swapped over to OEM 2006-2007 rear springs/shocks (2008= 294 lbs-in vs 2006/2007= 269 lbs-in) and I'm running an OEM S2000 CR front sway bar (2008 S2000 sway bar= 27.2mm vs CR= 28.6mm). The result? Rather than the tail kicking out if I cook a corner, the car now does a far more confidence inspiring 4-wheel drift! New vs old alignment, for reference:
The last time I drove both of these cars back to back, I thought I had a bit more fun in the ND... this time, I've reversed my decision.
Driving with the top up was truly eye opening in terms of passenger space. For the life of me, I just can't get comfortable in the ND, which takes away from the driving experience. I played with the seat multiple times, looking for that extra mm or 2, trying to find a position I could really spend some time in- which, it isn't terrible, but I never really got comfortable. The S2000 is certainly the heavier car, but it pays off for larger drivers such as myself- it literally feels like it has an extra 3/4" of extra space in every direction- more legroom, more headroom, more thigh room and more shoulder room. It's just a bigger car. The S2000 fits my large frame like a glove. The ND fit me like a shoe that's one size too small.
I drove the S2000 about ~45 minutes to get to the dealership, and spent about ~25 minutes driving the ND, following by another 45 minutes back in the S2000. There's no other way to say this: I had more fun in the S2000. It just feels like it has more character and fits me better.
-Steering: the ND's steering is a bit lighter. I can move the wheel with one finger at parking lot speeds. I prefer the weight of the S2000's steering- it loads up well in the corners and makes it feel like I'm actually doing something.
-Engine: it's not even close- I prefer the S2000's VTEC ripper. The ND has a bit more torque down low, but for some odd reason, the S2000 seems to have better throttle response- blipping the pedal in the S2000 is much sharper, whereas the ND feels like it was tuned to be a smoother driving experience. When you get into VTEC, there's no comparison. I don't care if spec sheets say they run similar acceleration numbers- the S2000 feels faster and is far more dramatic in the process. The engine notes don't even compare. The ND barely has an engine note, whereas the S2000 is the best sounding stock 4-cylinder on the planet. The F22C might be a dated motor, but it's just a gem of an engine! The ND's motor isn't bad at all- in lesser company, I would really enjoy it, but the F22C is just in a different league.
-Handling: the ND rolls more, even with the Club package. It's just not as precise. The 500 lbs weight advantage is great- it definitely feels like the lighter car, but the S2000 just feels like a hyper-active mongoose by comparison. I'm sure the ND rides a bit better, but I've honestly never really complained about the S2000's ride- I find it's just about ideal for a street car. The S2000 is certainly the more serious car. In an ND, with the top down, it's just a joyful playtoy experience... but driving around with the top up forced me to focus less on the environment and more on driving dynamics, in which I can't help but notice how much sharper and more precise the S2000 is. As a result, I have more fun in the S2000.
-Drivetrain: I never thought the S2000's clutch was "heavy"... but getting back into the S2000 after driving the ND around, the S2000's clutch actually felt a bit heavy for the first ~5 minutes. The Miata's clutch feels almost too light- I found myself revving it a bit too much coming away from lights for the first few minutes, but it's certainly easy to drive. The S2000's clutch has never been bad, but the Miata's is smoother and softer. They both have excellent shifters, but the S2000's is just a bit more precise and engaging (but honestly, it's pretty close).
-The ND is the easier car to heel/toe. For whatever reason, Honda chose poor pedal spacing in the S2000- I can successfully heel/toe pretty consistently if I'm pressing the brake pedal pretty hard, but I miss more often when driving at lower speeds. The ND is a cinch to heel/toe by comparison- no thought needed!
-The Recaro seats hold you in really well in the ND, but the lower bolsters are a little confining, pinching my thighs together. I never had any knee pain, but it wasn't exactly what I would call comfortable. By comparison, the S2000's seats just fit me like a well worn-in glove.
The Miata does feel like the lighter car, but the extra weight in the S2000 actually gives everything just a bit more feedback.
At the end of the day, I feel like the ND is designed for someone smaller than me. I know seat lowering brackets can give me some extra headroom (although it's not really necessary in the soft top), but it wouldn't give me the extra legroom that I most desire/need to be comfortable.
If I was a bit smaller, I would consider buying an ND, but only with a few caveats: the OEM suspension would be removed and replaced with something more engaging/flatter! I don't care what Keith says. I don't care what Dave Coleman says. I know my own preferences and I would prefer something with quicker reactions and more body control... and I would also prefer a sports car with a bit more noise. Some flavor of aftermarket intake and exhaust would likely also find their way onto the car, not necessarily for more power, but for a sense of theater.
With that said, I likely won't drive another ND. It's just a bit too small... but regardless of it's size, I still had more fun in the S2000. YMMV.
Also, on the way home, the wife and I stopped to grab lunch. When we came outside, we found this giant lifted truck parked next to my S2000 and I couldn't help but giggle and take a photo. While the S2000 might be "larger" when compared to an ND, at the end of the day, it's still a pretty small little roadster!
Car: 2003 Mini Cooper S 6MT hardtop
Pros: The seats were seemingly a good blend of comfort and sportiness. The car had plenty of room (including legroom) for taller drivers. It changes directions quickly.
Cons: Well, most of the other things. Stiff clutch. Stiff shifter. Steering was heavier than expected. Motor wasn't impressive. This thing rides harsh!
Today, I had some time to take out a 2003 Mini Cooper S 6MT hardtop. I've been wanting to drive an R53 Mini for a while now- I've always enjoyed the idea of owning one of these things. As it turns out, I think I enjoy the idea of this little car more than I actually like the car itself.
This example has 81k miles on the clock and seemed to be pretty close to stock. I'm sure it's been in an accident at some point, but seemed very well cared for. We were told that it was a 1-owner vehicle and I believed it. It appeared to have an aftermarket set of wheels that might have been just a tad bit bigger than stock- I think a bit more tire side wall from the OEM setup likely would have been helpful, but I didn't note any other mods to the car.
Disclaimer: we were driving this thing around in a fairly rough neighborhood... translation: the roads looked like something straight out of a warzone! I got back from my last tour in Iraq in 2006- while driving this thing, I couldn't but help make comments to my wife about feeling like I was back in Ramadi again! I was waiting for the mortars and small arms fire to start coming at any moment! It was also hotter than the Devil's fast food kitchen today!
Getting into the Mini, I found it pretty easy to find a decent driving position, even if the seat levers made me scratch my head a time or 3. I didn't even have to put the seat all the way back- this thing has plenty of driver legroom! It also has more than enough headroom for my lanky frame, despite having a moonroof. Although I should mention I would have preferred a real moonroof cover rather than this slidy mesh nonsense (it was 100 degrees outside today!). I enjoyed the seats- they were comfortable while being a bit on the sporty side. The seating position was fairly high and with the seat as low as it could go, it had a bit of a rake to it, which I thought would bother my knee, but oddly enough, I never felt any pain.
Setting off in the little Mini, I couldn't help but notice, this clutch is rough! I'm not sure if it was aftermarket, but man, talk about a left leg workout! I drove my 128i up there and noted my BMW's clutch felt like a feather in comparison.
Pushing the clutch in, I give the Mini some revs to get her going... only, this little 1.6L doesn't seem to like to rev, even in neutral. Which, given the tiny nature of the engine, was shocking to me. The engine seemed healthy- no stutter or hesitation, no CEL's, nothing that would indicate something was wrong... but it just didn't want to spin freely. Like the flywheel was made from left over cast iron skillets.
I put the little car in gear and was amazed at just how heavy the gearbox feels. For such a little car with such a little motor, this was not what I was expecting. I suppose I've just spent too much time in Honda's and didn't think such a little car would require this much effort to get into gear. Again, no grinds, nothing to suggest something was wrong, it just seemed heavier than expected. It's the exact opposite of what I generally expect from a BMW product. Even the gear spacing felt a bit wonky. I had to check the gear lever multiple times to make sure I was putting it in the correct gear.
So, we set off. I get some heat in the motor (it didn't take long- we're having a heat wave and it was 100 degrees F outside again today) and go to give it the beans... which, its revs out and seems to make decent power, nothing impressive, but not terribly slow... the sensation of speed when hooning on it is fairly high, but the car seems disconcerting. Oddly enough, I also found the gearing to be a bit taller than I was expecting for such a short wheelbased little go-kart of a car.
This is likely the stiffest, most bouncy OEM car I think I've ever driven. Trying to push the car resulted in it bouncing all over the road, like a nervous skipping stone on the top of the water. Trying to haul the small thing down also wasn't very confidence inspiring- maybe it was just the pads, but the brakes didn't feel terribly strong. So, when attempting to push the car, it made for an exciting experience, but not exactly the kind of excitement I was looking for.
One thing the R53 does well is transition. This thing changes direction with the subtlety of a lightning bolt. On a smooth, twisty mountain road, this might have been a high point... but on rough roads in town, I didn't get much of a chance to exploit this trait.
The wheel has decent feedback for a 20 year old FWD European car, but again, the wheel was a bit heavier than I would have expected for such a light car.
The problem is, when applying go-now throttle or steering inputs, this car was jumping all over the road and not in a pleasant way. It just seemed nervous and was absolutely not something I would want to live with. Add that to the fact that I didn't find it to be enough fun for a weekend car and it left me scratching my head, trying to figure out who this car was made for? It's not terribly practical- the back seats are useless for humans and the trunk area (with the seats up) is dwarfed by even the smallest of Miata's... it doesn't have that light, nimble feeling of a true gutless city car like the Honda Fit... yet it doesn't have the power, handling prowess or sports car feel of many other comparable cars... unless you just like the looks of this car, I am having a hard time understanding why you would buy one? Maybe this was just a rough example and they drove better when new? All I know is that my dreams of tinkering with an R53 Mini just came to an end.
If I was shopping in this segment and era of cars, I don't think I would waste my time. If you're looking for a fun, FWD car, that's 20 years old or less, with an available manual for under $10,000, just buy a Honda- namely the Acura RSX Type S, Honda Fit or a well cared for wishbone car. I haven't driven the 8th Gen Civic Si, but I would assume it's a better car to drive than the R53 Mini, even if it doesn't look nearly as cool.
I know there are some folks that love these little things, but apparently they're just not quite my tempo.
Today's test drive: 2019 Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti Sport (AWD)
Pros: seats, balance, response, peppy motor and my goodness, this thing is gorgeous!
Cons: I wish the seat was just a tad bit lower, there's a bit of turbo lag, and it's Italian, so I feel like repair bills might be on the higher side.
Verdict: if the driver's seat was about 0.5"-1" lower, I would spend my own money on this car!
So, today, on the way back from the dyno, we decided to stop by and take a look at this beautiful Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti Sport (AWD) with only 19k miles on the clock! No accidents, no real blemishes- someone took very good care of this car. It was marked at $27k. I get it, it's Italian, so the depreciation is pretty steep- for a car in this condition, with only 19k miles on the clock, this is a LOT of car for the money!
Getting into the driver's seat, it had all the adjustments, to include the thigh extender. The seats are just about perfect- a great mix of having enough bolstering to keep you in place, while still remaining comfortable. They are about on par with BMW's sports seats- which, that's about the highest compliment I can give this car. Unfortunately, they sit just ever so slightly higher than I would like. I never felt any knee pain, but there was some discomfort, which I feel would have been alleviated if the seat sat just slightly lower. I feel that 98% of sporty car drivers would otherwise enjoy the seating position and overall ergonomics, as they were very good for someone of my size.
Setting away, the car is just easy to drive. It feels like a slightly sportier 3-series competitor; which, it is. I'm pretty sure it has an 8-speed ZF auto. I'm not sure if it comes in a manual, but honestly, for a daily, the ZF 8-speed works great.
If you try to punch the go-pedal from a stop, you'll find just a bit of turbo-lag... for the first 5-10mph, it is building pressure and doesn't supply you with much go power... but immediately afterwards, it pulls strong all the way to it's relatively low redline! The 8-speed shifts fairly quickly for a torque converter box and if you keep it in "d" mode and start to play with it, it will hold a lower gear to supply you with ample power for sporty driving.
The motor is rated at 280hp out of a turbo 2.0L. I enjoyed the peppy little engine, even if it feels very different from my Mazda 3 Turbo. My Mazda's 2.5T has more power right off the line, but falls off hard up top; whereas the Alfa has the opposite feel- it takes a second longer for boost to kick in, but never lacks for power after that. After those first few MPH rolling away from a light, honestly, the ZF gearbox does a very good job of keeping the car in it's sweet spot, minimizing turbo lag in the process.
I took it on a few twisty back roads, and for a relatively heavy AWD luxury sedan, this girl can dance! The steering was electric, but a well-tuned rack nonetheless. Not a ton of feel, but not completely lifeless like most of the EPS racks I've driven over the years.
Turn-in is quick without feeling darty, as though whoever tuned it knew what they were doing. Start pitching it around and the Alfa feels very balanced, poised and intuitive. The car feels like it will rotate on command without ever really scaring you. Some AWD cars seem to rotate due to the rear axle being part of the equation, as they push like front heavy pigs when you're off throttle, whereas the Guilia felt like it wanted to rotate due to better balance and/or good chassis tuning.
I don't know if the car had adjustable suspension or not (I kept it in "d" mode on the "d-n-a" selector wheel pretty much the whole time), but I enjoyed the balance of handling and ride compliance. It wasn't old school Caddy comfy, it was certainly a bit firm- but perfectly so, for someone like myself, as the suspension was still stiff enough to help it transition quickly and feel sporty without beating me up on rough back roads. Firm, not harsh, but certainly planted.
This particular car also came with big, meaty, Alfa labeled Brembo's! Again, the brake pedal was well tuned- plenty of stopping power, easy to modulate and it felt in step with the rest of the car.
Overall, I was grinning for most of the drive.
I haven't been in the newest generation German cars to compare, but I found the Alfa's interior to be very elegant and lovely to look at. I didn't spent much time playing with infotainment or features, so I can't comment, except to say that it seemed like an enjoyable place to spend time in.
The visibility was good, everything I touched felt well-made and the car had an eager pleasantness to it that is hard for a lot of manufacturers to emulate. Yet, in regular commuting in traffic (we did a bit of that), it calmed down and felt like it would be the exact opposite of stressful. Overall, this seems like a lovely package! And don't get me started on the looks... I could look at this car all day! One of the best looking sedans left on the market!
The million dollar question: would I spend my own money on it? Actually yes, but only if I could get the driver's seat to just sit a bit power to avoid discomfort in my right knee. I enjoyed this car thoroughly! I'm not sure if I would enjoy the impending maintenance bills of an Italian sports sedan, but it was enjoyable enough that I would certainly consider putting up with the costs of ownership!
Today's spicy pickle: 2015 Chevy Corvette (C7) Z51 package with a 7-speed manual.
Oh my word, this thing is a lot of car for the money:
I've been meaning to drive another one of these for a while now. The last time I drove a lightly modded C6 Z06 I was grinning ear to ear and I've been wanting to get another hit of that sweet LS-juice for a while now. This particular example has 39k miles on the clock, the Z51 package (this thing has a dry sump!!!) and an honest to goodness manual transmission. Let me save you the long-winded rant I'm about to go on: I liked this car. A lot. I don't know if I want to buy one (at least not right now), but more on that in a moment.
Where do I start? I've driven C5's and C6's in the past and had a good time in them. How do I feel about the C7? It's almost like Chevy listened to every complaint about the C5 and C6 and actually fixed them all with the C7. I've never driven the C8, but if I was shopping for a Vette, you can bet I would go back a generation and start looking mighty hard at either a C7 Z51 or C7 Grand Sport. Honestly, as wonderful as the Grand Sport is, depending on your purposes, I might lean towards the Z51. I'll detail my rationale on that below.
Getting into the big Vette, as everyone and their mother has written, the cabin truly feels like a substantial upgrade over the C5 and C6. I drove my lowly 128i to the dealership today and honestly, there's not many cars I've gotten out of lately that made my 128i feel like a cheap pile of bolts- but the C7 did. Most of the things you interact with inside the C7 feel solid and fairly well screwed together. I only have a couple of complaints with the interior space:
-The touchscreen audio system is a bit confusing and a pain in the neck to operate while trying to drive. Although Chevy did see fit to put in an actual volume knob that's close to the steering wheel and easy to use- so bonus points for that.
-Those buttons you have to use to open the door are stupid and annoying. I know, how very articulate of me. But really, they are. Having to hit the unlock button to get out of the car is a bit of a head scratcher. What if there's a fire? Maybe there's something I'm missing here, but I would have preferred some good, old fashioned mechanical door handles.
The seats are mounted low, giving me enough headroom for a helmet. After playing with the seat to try and maximize legroom, I was able to find a very good driving position (albeit with the seat all the way back). The seats themselves are comfortable, adding enough bolstering to feel sporty without feeling constricted and the small steering wheel comes back far enough to make me feel like I'm really in control of the car. For a guy my size, this car fits me pretty well, even if it is a bit of a pain in the neck to get out of.
Setting off I found a very well-tuned clutch. It has a bit of heft to it, but is not what I would call heavy- it was pretty easy to modulate and never wore my left leg out. It actually has pretty good feedback and is softer than you would expect for a car with this much torque. There were a couple of times where pulling away from a stoplight felt a bit lurchy, but for the most part, driving this thing around town was pretty easy.
The shifter felt much better than I thought it would. The previous owner put one of those pool-ball shaped shift knobs on it that looked pretty low. I thought this would lead to being very high effort, but was shocked to find out it slotted into pretty much all gears with just about the right amount of effort. It didn't feel like an ultra-lightweight effortless shifter (I'm looking at you, BMW) and it didn't require so much effort that shifting into 2nd was a bicep workout (like the last modded/short shifted C5 Z06 I drove). The effort felt correct- gears 1-4 were easy to find repeatedly and I received decent feedback from the gearbox, letting me know I was in gear for the most part, or at least it felt rewarding getting in a solid 1-2 or 2-3 shift when playing around with it. My only complaint was the lack of definition when going into 5th, as it's hard to tell if it wants to slip into 5th or 7th. Overall though, no complaints with the drivetrain.
Oh the engine. That sweet, glorious engine. Torque. Torque everywhere! In typical LS fashion, that motor pulls like a freight-train, pretty much everywhere. This one also had a nice sounding exhaust on it (not sure of the brand) that gave a throaty roar in the mid to upper RPM's. This isn't some crazy Japanese or European screamer, but it's hard to argue with a motor that will throw your passenger back in the seat at will, even at partial throttle, while still wanting to keep pulling all the way to redline! There's a reason so many people love the LS. The engine is this beaut is satisfying, making you wonder: "why don't all cars come with this motor?", but honestly, it never felt intimidating either. Even with all the power, I never felt like the car was going to bite me. I'll tell you what though: on the trip there, my 3SIM swapped & tuned 128i felt peppy and downright quick... on the way back, I couldn't hardly believe how slow my 128i felt in comparison. The C7 gets up and moves!
Although there's 1 downside to this motor: in the bit over an hour I drove this car, I think I burned through about a 1/4 tank of gas... those V8 noises are addicting, but you can almost watch the gas needle drain itself before your eyes. It's also not a terribly refined motor- with the A/C on there was quite a bit of vibration at idle, considerably more than I'm used to in the E82's admittedly less burly inline-6.
I took this big girl on a back road and honestly, it really does feel like a big Miata. Lots of grip from the summer Michelin rubber someone put on it. It transitions well- you move the wheel and the car obeys without scaring you (honestly: big Miata). I'm pretty sure the steering is electric assisted, which, honestly, it's not bad for an electric rack. At low speeds it's very light, easy to move around in a parking lot, but at high speeds, it adds the right amount of weight back in, to keep the car feeling very planted and stable. The feedback isn't that bad either, pretty good for an EPS setup. Good steering tuning overall.
There's a very slight amount of body roll, but it's pretty minimal for a street car that rides this well. The suspension is firm, but not at all what I would consider harsh. In the hour I drove it around, I didn't feel worn out or beat up, so I think they tuned it correctly for a sporty street car. When pitching it around, the C7 Z51 feels planted, confidence inspiring... almost too confidence inspiring...
While I didn't work the brakes much, the big Brembo's (I'm pretty sure they were Brembo's?) also felt confidence inspiring. Easy to modulate- not jerky, but with good stopping power. If you accidentally come in a bit too hot and need to scrub some speed, it's not terrifying- the big girl just hauls back down to whatever speed you need, without drama.
Honestly, this wouldn't be a bad car to daily for the right person. Assuming you usually drive alone, don't need much storage space and don't give a damn about in-town gas mileage. I know the car can get much better fuel economy, but man, it's hard to stay away from the go-pedal...
But I did have a few complaints about the car overall:
-The visibility isn't what I would call "good". I mean, it's not the worst I've ever driven, but don't expect to see all the things at all times. Forward visibility isn't great- the hood goes on for miles and you need to stay low to give yourself enough headroom... rear visibility is compromised with the sloping glass, but the backup camera worked great, so I suppose that's not a big deal... C-pillar visibility is also not good- especially the blindspot on the driver's side.
-While not a huge car, the C7 is pretty wide. I didn't find this to be much of a problem until I got into a tighter construction zone with lots of cones on the side. Not a deal breaker, but the C7 certainly feels much wider than the Japanese and German cars I'm used to.
-I had just a tinge of knee discomfort in my right knee. Not much and it took ~30 minutes to notice it, so, not terrible. I might have been able to alleviate it if I played a bit more with the seat, I'm not sure. I don't know if this is a deal-breaker or not.
But I have to address the biggest reason that I'm not lusting after this car right now: I liked it. I mean I really, really liked it. I think it's a great car and the most sports car you can buy for the money. I would recommend this car to just about anyone... but I never fell in love with it and it took me a while to understand why: the limits in this car, they're just too high.
I know, what a cop-out, right? But honestly, this car has so much power and so much grip, I never came close to it's limits on the street. I felt like I would need a race track to really see what this thing can do. While the steering feel wasn't bad at ~6/10ths, I never pushed the car hard enough to actually get the steering to feel like it was loading up. Mostly for fear of losing my license or going fast enough that I might endanger others.
That is my biggest complaint with this car: it's so good that it's too much for a street car. The motor, the drivetrain, the brakes, suspension, chassis- you name it, they're all tuned very well. This is one hell of a sports car!
The only problem is, since I can't push it anywhere near its limits on the street, I don't feel like I'm really pushing myself as a driver, which results in my hair not exactly being lit on fire. I can't imagine how hard I would need to push it to get those big, meaty tires to start making some noise! That's a lie- I know exactly how hard I would need to push it, and I wouldn't want to go that fast on a public road. To really see what this thing is made of, I would want to take it out to HPR.
Sadly enough, the Grand Sport has even wider fenders, with stiffer suspension and wider tires... which, I think would be a waste on the street. If I was going to buy a C7, and only use it on the street, or maybe the occasional open lapping day, I would save my money and buy the Z51. In a competitive track environment, I would snag the keys to a C7 Grand Sport in a heartbeat.
Overall, I thought this was a great car. I was very impressed. The only thing holding me back from buying one is I actually think it's super high limits make it slightly less fun to pitch around than a lighter, thinner-tire'd car. It truly is a case of "it's more fun to drive a slow car, fast, than it is a fast car, slow."
Oh. My. Word. I can't believe I found one locally and they actually let me drive this thing around!
2011 Lotus Evora with 26k miles on the clock:
Let me start off by saying this was one of the most interesting, comical driving experiences I've ever had. I'll explain my "would I spend my own money on it?" rationale at the end.
What can I say? This thing is like a miniature supercar! Driving it around for about ~30 minutes resulted in everyone and their mother craning their necks to stare at it. It looks The Business! It handles like nothing I've ever driven! And yet, I'm pretty sure it's held together with chicken wire, sheet-metal screws and duct tape.
I'm not much of an interior guy. Normally, I could care less about the look and feel of the interior if the car drives well. This might actually be somewhat of an exception. This is, no joke, the most poorly put together car I think I've ever driven. My 1998 Honda Civic hatchback had far superior build quality. That's not hyperbole.
Getting inside the car requires a bit of creativity. Not as much as the last Elise I sat in, but those super wide floor sills make for an interesting entry and an even more interesting exit. I'm used to getting in and out of small roadsters- this is another level entirely. If I owned this thing, I would need to spend less time at Dairy Queen and more time on a yoga mat.
Once inside, the OEM Recaro seats are fairly comfortable for what they are. The car has plenty of legroom, enough headroom for a helmet and a just about perfect seating position. The lower bolsters are a bit confining and I was waiting for the knee pain to come, but it managed to never show up for whatever reason.
The pedal box is incredibly tight. Those wide sills protrude into your pedal space like nothing I've ever seen. There's literally no place to rest your left leg. A lot of people say that about a lot of vehicles- this is literal. There's literally body structure directly to the left of the clutch pedal. Like, no space. At all.
I have never seen such a poorly assembled production vehicle in my life. It felt more like a kit car that was assembled in a shed. Shutting the doors resulted in the door locks jiggling like a frightened chihuahua. Touching the parking brake felt like it was going to fall off, threatening to break into multiple pieces at any time. I've heard of interior panel gaps, but this is ridiculous- the leather-like material (I can't tell if it was real leather, it was flaking off) on the center console and dashboard literally stuck away from the rest of the surface(s) by nearly a 1/2 inch. The rear seat (they're not real seats- no human on earth would fit back there) headrests were laying on the seat and in the space where they were supposed to be had a couple of cut-up coat hanger wires running across it... you can't make this stuff up!
On the the exterior, things didn't get much better... the interior door area was black while the rest of the body panels were white... almost like the body panels were glued on?!? I'm not sure if this was something to do with this particular vehicle, or if they're all like this.
The rear air intake grills look like spray painted chicken wire and the air intake hose is literally a piece of dryer vent hose that came from Home Depot.
In the "trunk", there appears to be an area for some things, but the "heat protection" padding (presumably to keep your things from being melted by the engine) was essentially falling off. Also, my wife and I couldn't find a button in the interior to actually open the trunk/engine cover. There's an unlabeled button on the key-fob that worked, but we never found a physical control.
I cannot stress just how piss poor the build quality of this car was. The door handle trim was falling off on both sides, as was the center console trim. If you choose to buy one of these cars, be prepared to invest in Elmer's glue or have a large supply of 3M products sitting around.
I cannot believe that such an expensive, seemingly garage kept car with only 26k miles on the clock was this worn down.
The key to the car is something else entirely. It looks more like a metal toothpick. I understand Lotus has an obsession with lightness- they've really taken it to the extreme with the thinness of this key.
Turning the car on, you realize the air intake is directly behind your head! The entire drive is littered with a symphony of glorious induction noises! I've had a lot of open filter intakes on a lot of cars over the years- I've never heard anything like this! The engine was nothing to write home about- a basic old-school Toyota V6, putting out a not-terribly-impressive ~276hp- but having the induction tube (made out of a dryer vent) piped right behind the driver's head made for a hilarious experience, with a ton of aural drama!
After firing the car up, it took me a minute to realize that the little spots of reddish-orange on either side of the tach/speedo were actually gauges. They looked more like something you would see in a Russian submarine during the Cold War. The penny-pinching is strong with this one!
Setting off, the clutch is actually a bit on the heavy side. Certainly heavier than I would have thought necessary in an NA V6... not quite old-school V8 heavy, but it had some weight to it. However, it was incredibly easy to modulate with excellent pedal feedback. I was able to drive this car smoothly from every light I pulled away from without hardly thinking about it.
Putting the car into gear, well, the shifter isn't bad. I couldn't tell if it was a cable shifter or not. It wasn't terribly smooth, it required a moderate amount of effort and the lever was a bit further from me than I would have liked (probably a better fit for a shorter driver that's closer to the wheel), but I never actually missed a gear. So, subjectively, it wasn't terribly impressive, but objectively, it got the job done without issue.
The first time I went full throttle in 1st gear in this car, my wife and I both started giggling like school girls! It's not terribly fast, but feels very quick. If I'm being honest, in 1st gear, I think it likely feels much faster than it actually is. My wife did comment on feeling pinned to the seat and it felt like a proper sports car, but that's not why we were giggling per se... with what looked like some type of aftermarket muffler, plus the induction noise right behind your head, the motor sounded hilarious! It's not a very impressive engine per se, but there was just so much drama- I felt like everyone was likely staring and I was waiting to be pulled over at any second, even when we weren't breaking the law! You can hear every little sucking noise from the burly V6, which made for an addicting throttle pedal.
The first time I went to wrap it out to redline, I realized there is no redline indicated on the tach... you read that correctly. Those cheap limey bastards couldn't be bothered to throw a splotch of red paint on the tach! WTF?!? I think it bounced off the rev limiter somewhere around 6500rpm, which was lower than I had expected, given the car's supercar looks.
Shifting into 2nd gear, power felt like it dropped off more than I expected. It still didn't feel slow, but I felt like 2nd was a bit too tall. I would have preferred a closer ratio transmission- too many years of driving VTEC Honda's and Miata's has resulted in me expecting to really row through some gears quickly. Again, at no time did the car feel slow- it still felt sports car quick- but I would have just preferred the ratios to be closer, to make it easier to keep the 3.5L V6 on boil.
I found a few twisty, relatively unpopulated roads in an area I wasn't terribly familiar with... oh my word. This car is nothing short of absolutely brilliant! Modded track cars notwithstanding, for a street car, cornering this car is the closest thing to automotive nirvana that I think I've ever reached! Body roll? What body roll? Lack of grip? Where? The steering has more feel than pretty much any machine I've ever driven. It responds to whatever input you give it, immediately. This car corners with more confidence than any street car I think I've ever driven. I haven't laughed this much while pitching a car around in a very long time.
What's nuts is that I felt like the ride was reasonably compliant. I've never seen a car that rides this well, corner like this. Again, not counting fully modded track cars- I think this is the best handling stock car I've ever driven. Unbelievably good.
Start pitching this thing around and you'll forget all about the fact that the rest of the car feels like it's going to rattle it's interior bits off at any minute. Speaking of rattling- I don't think I noticed any in the chassis. This chassis feels STIFF! Every movement is smooth and cohesive.
Getting into this car, it's hard to see how it cost ~$65k new (before inflation) in 2011... but starting pitching this thing around and it becomes very clear where the money was spent- this chassis is phenomenal.
When you combine a clutch with solid feedback, with a manual transmission, the world's most communicative steering, an outstanding chassis, an incredibly well-sorted suspension and all the induction noise a man could ever ask for, you end up with a machine that's an absolute riot to pitch around! All I could think of is: "man, this is what canyon carving dreams are made of!"
Unfortunately, after sitting in a bit of light traffic with the A/C on, I noticed the (uber-cheap) temp gauge going up a bit past the 1/2 mark. This is with temps in the mid 80's. We turned off the A/C, which seemed to help a bit, but it never got back below 1/2 way. I don't think it was overheating and I am not sure if it's normal for this car or not, but it was concerning to say the least.
Driving this thing around town was an interesting experience. Forward visibility is outstanding. Dodging cones in this car would be a blast! Rearward visibility? What rearward visibility? Blindspots? Yeah, they're pretty massive. A legitimate supercar experience!
This thing is low. Low enough that my paranoia set in during every turn into a street or into a parking lot where the pavement wasn't perfectly level, of which there were many in this area.
So, overall, would I buy one? Probably not. Before I drove it, I was considering selling both my S2000 and my 128i to buy one... when I finished driving it, I decided to pass. Allow me to explain.
This is one of the most fun cars I've ever pitched around on a twisty road. If I lived on the side of a mountain, with a plethora of perfectly paved canyon roads running all over, I would be very tempted by the Evora. It's very very good to drive in anger.
As it sits, I live 45-60 minutes from the mountains and don't head that direction nearly as much as I used to. Would I want to drive this car around town? Probably not. I can already see my own fears and anxieties building pulling into uneven/steeped parking lots. Would I be comfortable enough to track it? Nope, not on my own dime. Is it a nice place to spend in the highway? I will repeat: this is NOT a nice, comfortable GT car. It's not big enough to carry more than 1 additional human. The interior falling apart would grate on my nerves. The engine bay looks painfully cramped and I don't own a lift. Outside of the mass produced Toyota engine, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to source parts for this thing. The roof doesn't come off (I'm a sucker for a roadster on a beautiful summer night), etc... I leave myself with the question: what in the world would I use this car for? After giving that question some thought, the only things I could come up with were 1. Looking cool. 2. Cars and Coffee (see #1). 3. Staring at how beautiful it looked in my garage. 4. Occasionally braving the outside world to try and pitch it around on the great roads, hoping it doesn't result in my license being taken away.
After much consideration, I decided I wouldn't want to own this car, mostly because I just don't think I would use it and when I did use it, I feel like my anxiety at trying to keep it from scraping or falling apart would outweigh the fun of owning it for me.
With that said, on the perfect road, on the perfect day, I would be hard pressed to find a car I would rather pitch around. What an amazing machine.
In reply to roninsoldier83 :
As always, a page turner of a review of both the Vette and Evora! Do you have a review of an Elise in this thread? I'd love to know your thoughts on those. Am I right to assume they were better stitched together because of your surprise at this one's shoddy work?
In reply to P3PPY :
Thank you!
I've actually never driven an Elise. I've sat in a couple of them (on both the driver and passenger sides) and I've rode shotgun in a supercharged Exige years ago, but I've never actually drove one. It's been a few years, but since I wasn't driving, I don't believe I spent much (any?) time touching/interacting with the interior- translation: I didn't pay close attention.
I've wanted to drive an Elise for years- they're just a pain in the neck to find! The last one that popped up locally, I called the dealership immediately and someone had already put a deposit on it. It's one of the few cars I was considering buying before I bought my first S2000, but I never found one locally to drive and didn't want to buy something without driving it first.
When I rode in that Exige, I remember it being the most uncomfortable car I've ever been in lol. I believe the passenger seat has less room than the driver and I was shoehorned in an awkward position (I felt like my knees were in my chest) that was painful after just a few minutes. My relatively tiny wife would have likely been fine, but man, the passenger side with the fixed roof was absolutely not designed for a man my size.
If I can find one locally, I would absolutely try to drive it and write down my impressions.
Well, well, well, if it isn't a another lowly Subaru making it's way onto my review list. This time in the form of a 2019 Subaru BRZ Series.Gray 6MT with 44k miles on the clock.
I won't bore you all with the intimate details of my plebeian 128i, except to say that before turning it into a full blown track car, I want to explore some comparable options. These first gen twins are now getting to the poor-man's-racecar level of cash that I can start justifying to my constantly overexerted wallet.
This car is a "Series.Gray" car. I won't pretend to know what that means, other than it comes in a very pretty gray color and has a set of snazzy red Brembo brake calipers. I suspect there's also some form of suspension upgrade, but I apparently can't be bothered to go on a Googling frenzy at this time of night.
Getting into the driver's seat, I immediately love how low you sit in these cars. Slide the seat back, drop it to the floor, stretch the steering wheel as close as it will come and this thing feels like an honest-to-goodness racecar for the street.
I will say, the seats are a bit of a mixed bag. While pitching the car around, they held me in place very well while remaining fairly comfortable. I also liked how they didn't have pinchy lower bolsters (like the later, 2nd gen 2022+ cars received). For most people, I think these seats are great, but I would have preferred a bit more seat bottom length, as I could almost fit a fist between the seat and the back of my knees. I wouldn't say the seats/seating position hurt my right knee while driving, but it didn't feel good and left me walking a bit off-kilter for a while after our 30-40 minute test drive.
Pressing the clutch to the floor gives an inaccurate impression of what the car is like to drive. At first, it seems like it might be a heavy proposition that ends abruptly, with a short travel that gave me the impression it would have a narrow engagement point and wear out my left leg. Setting off, nothing could be further from the truth. I actually really enjoyed the weight of the clutch and didn't think it was heavy in the least while driving. I also found it very easy to modulate and drive smoothly.
Working the shifter was nothing worth writing home about. It's not bad- yes, that's probably the nicest thing I could say about it. It's fairly easy to work and reasonably accurate. It's not terribly engaging, a bit on the notchy side, but it's certainly not as burly and demanding as the last 6th Gen Camaro SS I drove.
I would like to tell you that this is an easy car to drive in traffic... I mean, easy to use clutch/shifter, outstanding frontward visibility, reasonably small footprint in traffic, extremely agile... it sound like a solid recipe for a great city car, right? Well, all is well until you have to look to the left to change lanes- this thing has a blindspot big enough to hide the Titanic! Changing lanes to merge onto the freeway is less of a traffic maneuver and more of a leap of faith! All I can think of is the famous line from Family Guy: "I change lanes now, good luck everybody else!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLuaPZWkvZ0
Getting this car up to speed is somewhat interesting. Now, this car had a fairly aggressive cat-back exhaust, but that's not the car's fault, so I'll try not to hold the decisions of the previous owner(s) against the twins. For the record, I popped the hood and the rest of the car appeared to be stock.
If you plant your right foot and keeping it up until the red shift light on the tach starts flashing, this thing isn't bad. It feels fairly peppy, having just enough power to be fun. Yes, we've all read about the obnoxious mid-range torque dip these cars are known for. Yes, it still exists, but it's not terribly hard to drive around it, assuming you don't mind being in a lower gear at pretty much all times. I noticed while driving this car that I was at least 1 gear lower pretty much everywhere than I would have been in my BMW.
Let's be clear here: this is not a fast car. It's just not painfully slow. It's kind of peppy and the engine made enough noise and vibration to feel like it was doing something. If you get caught trying to pass at a low RPM, you should rethink your course of action and just downshift, otherwise, hopefully you have the room you need to get up to speed.
When it comes to slowing, this car has those sweet looking Brembo's that I expected to rip my face off... that didn't quite happen. They seem to have ample stopping power and I'm sure with the right set of pads, you can improve them, but pressing the pedal felt a lot like pressing on a block of wood. They stopped just fine, but the pedal feel wasn't terribly progressive to say the least. I have no idea if the pads were still stock, all I know is that while the car stopped just fine, I didn't walk away impressed by that aspect of the car.
But oh boy was there an area I did walk away impressed by! I brought this car to a few of my favorite local twisty back roads- this car can dance! You turn the wheel and the car goes in any direction it's pointed! You can feel the low center of gravity- there's a distinct lack of body roll (impressive for a car that rides this well!) combined with the ability to change directions while giving a metric ton of confidence to the driver. The steering and responsiveness are just so sharp that I can see why so many people love to track these cars.
With that said, despite the traction control light coming on a time or 2, the steering wheel never really loaded up while pitching it down a back road. I don't want to judge the car too harshly, as it was seemingly on a set of cheap (Nexen?) tires, but there wasn't a lot of feedback coming through the steering wheel. It's an EPS rack that feels like, well, an EPS rack. The wheel was also fairly light- not quite floating-feather in the wind light, but certainly much lighter than the cars I'm used to.
With that said, I didn't require much feedback from the steering, as the chassis did a very good job communicating what it was doing, allowing me to pitch the car around with abandon like I had been doing it for years! This is a very easy car to jump into and start pushing it towards its limits. The car felt balanced, well-tuned and easy to exploit, seemingly without punishing the driver for minor errors. Again, I can see why so many people love to track these cars.
So, the million dollar question is: would I spend my own money on one of these cars? Well, it's complicated.
If I could only have 1 car that had to serve as both a daily and a track car, for a reasonable price, assuming you don't have a family/need much storage space, this car is a no-brainer!
As a dedicated daily driver? Nope, I'm not terribly interested. It's not a bad car, but there are other nicer, faster, easier to live with cars for the money.
As a dedicated track car? Yes, I can absolutely see owning one of these cars to setup as a dedicated track car. It's reflexes and driving characteristics suit that job perfectly.
Would I sell my S2000 to buy one? Hell no! Are you out of your mind?!? Why would you even think that?!? While the twins are fun cars, they can't match the smiles-per-hour of my torqueless little Honda!
Would I sell the 128i to buy one? Ahhh, now there's a question. It depends on what you're looking for. As of right now, I'm leaning towards no, I'll keep my 128i, but only partially because I've invested so much time, effort and money into it... if I was shopping for similarly priced Toyabaru's and 128i's to use as a dedicated track car, well, that is a question I would have to really ponder. Coming from me, I suppose that's a pretty decent compliment. On the street, 128i without hesitation, but on track, I suspect the little Subaru-that-could might be a riot to pitch around.
In a previous thread I discovered the recent(ish) creation of the SCCA's Club Spec Mustang class, wherein you can compete in a built-to-spec 2005 to 2009 S197 4.6L GT:
https://www.scca.com/pages/club-spec-csm
Out of sheer morbid curiosity, I sought one of these cars out today, if for no other reason than to say I did. So, on today's chopping block we have a fairly well-kept, seemingly stock 2006 Ford Mustang GT Deluxe Coupe 5MT with only 94k miles on the clock:
Getting into the S197, probably the first thing I noticed was that the visibility was better than I thought it would be- specifically the rear visibility. This car was seemingly from an era where roll over safety was more of an after-thought, not obstructing my rearward view with oversized rear pillars- to which, I salute you, Ford! Even forward and right/passenger side visibility was very good for a coupe, with a driver's side blindspot being present, but not nearly as obstructive as quite a few of the sports cars I've driven in the past year.
We're going to address the elephant in the room: this is not a luxury car. The fit, finish and materials are not what you would normally see in the interior of let's say, the German cars that were built around this time frame. Everything is made from cheap, hard plastics that look the opposite of fancy. You are not going to impress anyone getting into the inside of this old beaut. And you know what? I don't give a damn. Here's a shocking feature: those old, hard plastics inside this car- none of them were coming loose, and they showed almost no signs of wear after almost 2 decades and 94k miles. Now, that could just be because the previous owner(s) took great care of the car (they did), but I was shocked at the lack of wear inside this car- despite being a "cheap" interior, everything still appeared to be in place and it gave me the impression it would hold up well over time, which is certainly not something I can say about most of the similarly aged German cars I've driven in recent years.
There is plenty of room for a helmet in the S197 and while legroom was adequate, I felt it could have used an extra 1/2 inch or so. It left my right knee in a bit of discomfort, but no real pain. I feel like just a tad bit more legroom would alleviated any knee discomfort at all. The steering wheel tilts, but does not telescope, which, even with the slightly limited legroom, I was still able to find a fairly comfortable driving position. The seats themselves could use a bit more lower seat length and they lacked any real amount of lateral support, but they were couch cushion comfortable, certainly more suitable for a road trip rather than a road course.
Due to this being an early S197, there is no screaming, furious Coyote V8 under the hood... instead, you get the earlier 300hp 4.6L SOHC 3V modular V8. Turn the key and like all of the old Ford modular V8's, she sounds pretty good! No, this car won't hold a candle to the Coyote in a straight line, but the noises she makes sure gives you a feeling of "this is a Mustang!"
Pushing the clutch in is a bit of an odd sensation. It's not really harsh, I probably wouldn't complain driving it around in traffic, but the pedal throw is a bit shorter than I was expecting (everything is shorter than my E82) and the bite window is a bit on the narrow side. It has some weight to it, but nothing I felt was problematic (I'm looking at you, 6th Gen Camaro SS 6MT). Trying to drive it like a featherweight results in the car feeling a bit like a bucking Bronco (pun intended) pulling away from a stoplight, but if you just give it a bit of thought/attention, for the most part, I was still able to drive away from a light smoothly.
It's been a very long time since I've driven the old 5-speed manual in a Stang. Honestly, it held up to time better than I expected it to. I had fun shifting the 5MT! To overuse the phrase, yes, it's a bit on the notchy side, but I never came close to missing a gear as it slotted into every sequential gear intuitively (except for Reverse, which, we won't get bogged down with that one). No one will ever confuse this with a Honda gearbox, but the effort and shifter throws felt about right. Not a bad gearbox to work in traffic and it gave good positive feedback on a couple of more aggressive 1-2 shifts.
Back in 2005 when the S197 was launched, this thing was considered a pretty quick car. How does it hold up today? Peppy, but nothing to write home about. At sea level, I believe most of the automotive journalists ran the 1/4 mile in these cars in the mid-high 13's, around ~102mph, which sounds about right to me. It did feel just a couple of ticks quicker than my 3SIM swapped 128i, while certainly having considerably more torque throughout the entire RPM range. The powerband, while not overwhelming (you'll have to work to get it to chirp a tire, at least at my elevation) is very broad, making for an easy car to put around in, at nearly any RPM.
Most importantly, was it fun? Hell yeah! This old E36 M3box put a smile on my face, running it up to it's 6000rpm redline! It's not scary fast (not even close), but quick enough and goofy enough to warm my cold, dead heart. Surprisingly, the 4.6L seemed to pick up the pace the closer it got to 6000rpm. I was expecting it to fall off up top, but experienced no such thing. I felt like the gearing was pretty decent for a 5-speed, helping to keep the car in it's powerband without issue- although to be fair, the car's powerband is, well, pretty much everywhere, with just a bit of a surge up top.
Now, if you asked me how fast I was going while driving this car, I couldn't tell you. Not because of some extra-legal, super high velocity speeds that warped my mind in the process... no, no, it was because of the "I-have-to-squint-to-see-how-fast-I'm-going" on the world's smallest, hardest to read, speed-O. They have those large numbers on the speedometer that only indicate every 20mph. I can tell you if I'm going under 40mph or over 60mph, but anything in between? Forget about it.
While I wasn't too terribly familiar with the area we were driving in, I did try to seek out some type of slight bends in the road. I tried my best to muster the courage to turn the wheel at speed, but I could almost feel the crowd-killing-meme's coming through the steering wheel! If we're being honest, that's the only thing I felt coming through the steering wheel- there's not much (any?) in the way of feedback, but to give Ford credit, the weight and steering ratio felt about right for a car of this size.
To say it's not a terribly confidence inspiring car to pitch around corners on a public road would be accurate. It would also be accurate to say that all the Internet lore about old Mustangs handling like a shaking loaf of bread aren't too far off. I think this car could be made to be a good time with the right suspension setup, but in stock form, the car is fun, but not because of it's acute precision handling- it's more or less fun in the same way a roller coaster is fun- you feel like the reaper might try to take you at any moment, every time you turn the wheel!
Driving in a straight line, while not track car harsh, going over bumpy roads (of which we found plenty in this part of town), the solid-rear axle makes itself known. On smoother roads it makes for a pretty good GT car, but otherwise, I hope you don't mind a bit of action you can really feel coming from the rear of the car.
Come into a corner a bit too hot? Don't rely on the brakes! I'm pretty sure throwing a boat anchor out the window will slow you down faster than this car's OEM brakes. I have no idea what pads were used, or if they just needed a refresh, but they lacked confidence when pressing them in anything other than a very gentle manner! I get it- Ford had to cut corners to make an affordable V8- but these brakes feel like they were lifted from a 1972 F-150.
Did I enjoy driving this car? Absolutely! If I ever bought one, would I just drive it in stock form? Hell no! I see this car as a blank canvass that could be turned into a far more fun, competent car. The mods prescribed in the SCCA's new Spec class actually sound like they would take the goofy early S197 and turn it into a less-goofy, but potentially more fun pony.
Would I recommend this car to someone? Absolutely. For the money they're going for lately (we have a couple decent ones locally going for under $7000), well, they're a lot of car for the money and I can see why so many people are now recommending them.
Would I buy one as a fun street car? Well, it depends on who you are and what you're looking for. If I just wanted a fun hoon machine that would be a dedicated street car, I might be tempted to save up some extra cash for the later 2011-2014 5.0 Coyote version, as that motor really transforms this car from a peppy machine into something that feels akin to a live-rear axle having badass! Although I should note, I've driven more than 1 Coyote powered S197- the version I drove with the Track package was substantially more fun than the more vanilla version I drove with the California package (translation: seek out the track package and hoon to your heart's content!).
Would I trade my BMW 128i in on this car? No. I liked the S197. I had fun in it, but I still prefer my little Bimmer.
Would I buy one of these cars to run the SCCA's new Club Spec Mustang class? Yes. Will I actually buy one? Probably, eventually. My wife and I have always owned our own, separate cars. On our drive back home, we were actually talking about going halfsies on a 2005-2009 S197 GT to build for CSM. She's been to a couple track events and an autoX school with me over the years, but this was the first time she's actually agreed to run a whole season with me. So, don't be too shocked if I end up bringing one of these chariots home with me sometime in the future... but it might be a while- so many projects I still need to complete...
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