The 7 year itch

I think I've found my new favourite. It's not so much an emotional attachment but it's never been such a obvious choice to keep a car since my first car which lasted me 8 years and saw many driveway-mates come and go in that time. I was pretty attached to the Cougar though, but when it came down to trading one car in to let Gill have her Mazda it was never really a question of which car to part-ex.

Most of my cars I could have happily taken or left. I've never bought anything I didn't actually like, but some cars I bought thinking I'd really like them but our relationship didn't quite gell for whatever reason. We keep thinking we could swap one of our current cars for an early 2000s XKR, but then Gill keeps reminding me that her's is the AWD and it's mine which would have to go for winter months. So we haven't done it because we like mine :LOL: There aren't really any 4 wheel drive cars I'd been seen dead in these days so maybe when we've moved house and have more space I'll get an old Defender or similar for winter and then get the XKR.
 
You seen the mini jag coupe coming out next year jamie?
Audi and Land Rover are the only main stream 4x4 manufacturers these days (like my Audi's and the new Evoque) you have to go the upgraded market for something better with four wheel drive like say a Bentley or a Lambo (still Vw like the audi) or the land of the rising sun, Subaru or the "Godzilla" the Nissan GtR
(they are making two Nissan Juke GTR's both with the engine, running gear, dash etc. From the gtr's)
 
Thing is though I just don't like Audis and the Japanese cars just aren't my scene at all - no offence intended to anyone who likes them - they're just aren't for me. I'd have a Land Rover but I don't really think of those as "cars" but more utility vehicles, even the nicer end which people use as Chelsea Tractors :)

That C-X16 is looking great. I was at an evening presentation/talk/champers and buffett thing at Jaguar recently where the guy talked about it for a while. Looks great! Very fast, very economical, sounds great and by all accounts a car that handles as well as it looks. Got to have a poke around the XKR-S they brought up for the event too. It looks much better in the flesh than on camera and sounds awesome too :)
 
Oh trust me they do sound as good as they look :LOL: seen one on the road and it sounded a real beast.
Jap cars are usualy spoilt by their interiors, after all people forget it may look good outside but most of the time your inside so it has to look good inside too (one reason I like the Cougar) something the top marques understand, the new dealership over the road from the pub has some Bentley Gt's and the interior is to die for (the Rolls Royces look a bit dated compared to them) like a jag but posher :LOL: and who can complain about a twin turbo W12 with 4wheel drive and a 200mph top speed in a four seater coupe?
 
Yeah I've always kinda thought Japanese cars are most at home on the bedroom walls of teenagers. I can't deny their very good reliability but they're always let down by a) styling unless they copied something European - whenever they go off on their own it comes back looking like a Nissan Cube and b) interior quality - but I think that's because the Yewwwsayyyy is their biggest market and Hank just doesn't have the ability to see the value of high quality materials or even the value of an intelligent layout inside, so low cost is the primary concern to compete with American built cars which are of diabolical quality inside but perfectly up to expectations on that side of the pond. They just see European cars as expensive and "luxury" (what we'd all call quality) as something that nobody wants to pay for.
 
I would like a convertible next as you maybe aware, but I also want some kind of luxury and refinement hence why my choices have steered clear of the obvious examples like the MX-5 etc. Also i'm not a fan of RwD after watching the exploits of people this winter in the extream weather conditions and thinking to myself
not for me thanks
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which also limits my choice to either Fwd or 4 wheel drive hence AUDI (I prefer the Audi convertibles over the other german marques with their folding hard-tops....except maybe the Merc SL) but i've always liked the Range Rover too, especialy since the sport came out and now even more with the Evoque (the 3 door coupe version looks geat) so thats another option (and I here they may even build a drop-top version)

so my choices are limited to the following (in order of price and practicality)

Convertibles
Focus CC 3
ALFA Spyder (new one)
Audi A4
Audi A5
Audi TT (in standard or TT-s or TT-Rs guise)
Porsche 911 Carerra 4 (or Carerra-4S)
(being silly now) ;)
Audi R8 spyder
Lambo Galardo spyder
Bentley Continental GTs

Non convertible
Focus ST
Focus RS (RS500 if possible with the red leather interior)
VW Golf R (270bhp 2.oL turbo 4wd)
VW Sirocco R (as above)
Audi A5 (S5 or Rs5 if I had the cash)
Audi TT (as above)
Range Rover Sport
Range Rover Evoque (too expensive right now)
Porsche 911 Carrera 4
(BEING SILLY AGAIN)
Nissan GTR
Lambo Galardo
Audi R8
Bentley Continental GT

All either front wheel drive or four wheel drive.

Mind you if money wasn't an option then a Hummer on 24's would suit me fine :LOL:
 
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