(OT) Daily Driver Advice Needed - Under $60k

After a stimulating lunch at "Halloween at Hubbard's", Brian let me drive his XJR back to my office. It had great power in a luxury setting. I am now a convert on the R models only. My brother's old XJ6 and XKS ? (sports car) were pigs that couldn't get out of their own shadow. The Connally leather is nice, but the tranny tunnels are too big. You guys have me thinking.

 

A lot of interesting options. I was at a Dodge dealer saturday for a bad smell that ended up being a plastic bag melting on my exhaust pipe, I asked about the Challenger list, and promptly got on it for a refundable $500 fee. Worth keeping my options open, and it might be an easy flip to make a little pocket change. They don't have any info yet on pricing, engines, colors etc, but said the production model will be at car shows in February.

My highest interest so far is:
BMW 335
Corvette
Benz C350.
Challenger

Used high end vehicles scare me a little for out of warranty costs but the ones that sound good are.
Benz S-55 or S600
Benz E-55
***uar R Class
BMW M-5 new or older version.
Lexus LS460 probably too expensive and stodgy.

 

Update:
Drove a BMW 335 Convertible yesterday and came away quite impressed. Great low end grunt for a little engine. Found out the small twin turbo's are set to help the low end torque, and cut off as the revs rise. It was the sport addition, but the ride wasn't rough, and the sport seats were nice with side bolster adjustment too. List with nav would be in the $57k range. It was quicker than the C350 Benz I drove a few weeks ago. Then while getting the daughter's QX4 inspected saw a black one drive right up to me, and it looked good on the road. It is now the leader in the clubhouse. May drive the Vette next.

Got to see Lee Maas, the original owner of Classic BMW, and reminded him our our little office across 75 from him, and my dad buying a 1973 Bavaria from him. He said "was that a white one ?", which of course it was. A great saleman, cut from the same stock as a Stanley Marcus and Rodger Meier, he still comes in every day, and has a son in the business. The new facility at the Toll Road and Spring Creek is state of the art, but less convenient than the old Richardson spot. Took the 355 out there with the top down, and probably had 15+ salemen go out and check her out.

 

I saw it again at the fair and like the looks of it. They say 2009 model, so maybe late 2008? Probably too long a wait.

 

I have always been a big GM fan, but the late 70's and 80's were not good times for car enthusiasts. After my 1977 Delta 88 with the secret Chevy 350, to a couple of the pitiful X-cars. !980 4 speed Citation for Dale, and 1981 Buick Skylark for me. I had 911 Enterprises (still around today) put on a Bilstein Shock package, Recaro Seats and a Momo wheel. I then blacked out my fake aluminum wheel covers for the trim ring lug nut look. Then 1983 Pontiac STE 6000. An attempt at European, but only average. From that to 1986 190E , the "trainer Benz". At least the 90's and especially the 2000's have provided a renaissance in high performance street cars. GM needs to cut it down to 2 or 3 divisions, and bring up the quality.

 

Drove my neighbors new M-5 today, and it disappointed me. Great power, brakes, chubby steering wheel, and seating, but I could not live with the sequential transmission. It was outstanding on downshifts, but I had real trouble starting out smoothly in 1st, and the hesitation, while each shift is completed is too long for me. I would like to try the car in a manual, but I still have not found a F1 tranny I could live with. Full throttle shifts were quick, but even trying the, let off as you shift technique, I couldn't get smooth on the M5 during my 20 minute drive. The owner was behind me having a great time in the 355 Spider, doing a Medical City to Boedecker windy road run. The M5 was going to be a big stretch in the daily driver quest, so it's an easy one to eliminate. After liking the 335 I do plan to test drive the 535 to see how it feels. At least I traded one car nut neighbor (dryhole) for another.