MalcQV
Senior Member
The only car I have with any half decent power is the Ferrari. The Z3 is a lowly 1.9 with just 140bhp (at least when new) and the CLA is just a 1.6 with about 156bhp.rappey69 said:
It’s a Ferrari, so I know it’s capabilities are impressive
(relative to the era of the car). It never phased me, although I appreciate that some are all caught
up in power and speed. To me, Ferrari ownership is an appreciation of beauty, design, scents, sounds
(real engine sounds, not contrived sounds by tacking on after market exhausts). It’s a pure visceral
experience. Also, it’s about being part (albeit a small part) of the great heritage and
legacy of the brand, it’s models, it’s racing and it’s personalities.
The people I have met through owning this marque is one of the best parts about ownership.
Not my words exactly but it sums up Ferrari for me. Honestly I love how it sounds. When I lower myself in (you should see how tiny my garage is) and wait for the Check OK to extinguish and fire it up, my heart races, it does that every single time. It has a unique smell which is leather and carpet I think. It has Carbon Fibre low slung seats, you sit or at least feel you sit on the floor.
When you stop it there are fans slowing stopping and other things, it sounds like a jet on the runway as the engines are turned off (as I said some ancillary stuff slowing), it's how my Fiancee describes it.
It's not for everyone and I know there are people here who feel the same about V8 Mercedes and such.
The BMW is really about open top driving. In many ways it is better than the Alfa Spider I had before but then it is not. The BMW lacks a little of the character my Alfa had. That said I have just fixed the viscous fan and replaced the cat back exhaust and all home DIY. It's a peach to work on and rather simple, still drives lovely and feels tight. The exhaust I bought (cheap) actually has a bass like tone to it and sounds OK, not sure at speed because it drones a little.
It's purpose was to be a summer use commuter as well as fun.
The CLA is just a neat economical car and does sound OK when you push it.
So no, it is not really about power it is simply how the cars make me feel. I may well buy an EV next or a hybrid (I do like i8's but that would mean selling my 360). In fact regarding the i8; if the government said we could only have one car/person and it had to be recognised as environmentally good then I would ditch them all for a secondhand i8.
The only EV I think I would enjoy is a Rimac, it has a supercharger like whine to it. I could do that but for the cost. However if I had that kind of money there would be other ICE/Hybrid hypercars I'd have.
"There is a feel good factor when your in the quickest car around !"
I'm always humbled by the cars around me. You never really know what they're capable of and as such I rarely challenge anything from rest. I will have fun on one of those A-Road drives and regularly do in all of them.
There is always something faster, always and you just never know.
