Quote: (11-16-2011 01:50 PM)Donnington93 Wrote:  

Guys, I am a professional test driver. If you have any questions or want car advice, I've driven 99% of what's out there.

My first question is how the hell do I get job like this??

Quote: (11-16-2011 02:39 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

Quote: (11-16-2011 01:50 PM)Donnington93 Wrote:  

Guys, I am a professional test driver. If you have any questions or want car advice, I've driven 99% of what's out there.

My first question is how the hell do I get job like this??

Ok, here's my first (hopefully only) caveat. This is a REALLY small world, so I want to keep identifying details to a minimum - and my story would do so . Let's just say it was a combination of luck and knowing the right people, like many things in life.

And by the way: the answer to any "what car..." question is always "Porsche"

Quote: (11-14-2011 11:52 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

Might be over your price requirement but I'm fond of the Jaguar XF:



I also like the Audi R8.

As for drives, one of my fav drives ever is on Hwy 23 between Thousand Oaks and Malibu. It's about a 30 minute drive of pure hairpin twists and turns with spectacular canyon and ocean views. And also nearby that is short but gorgeous drive through Hidden Valley in Ventura County. Within the city itself, going from the 405 west on Sunset Blvd to PCH 1 is an awesome drive on a nice day. I'll add Palos Verdes Drive to the list of nice drives within city limits too. For long distance, the PCH 1 to SF is great, but also highway 395 heading toward Mammoth. The view the whole way is a solid wall of snow-capped towering Sierras. I also did an amazing drive once over the coastal range between Santa Cruz and the central valley. Can't remember the name of the highway, but it was really scenic.

If you like those drives, I highly recommend getting your ass back to Scottsdale and driving east to Roosevelt Lake. Man, that is a religious experience.

You guys are right, the Maserati Quattroporte is definitely one special car.





Here's a video for your enjoyment:

I drive a Grand Cherokee limited right now..
but ive always been a fan of BMW..once the money starts flowing in a couple years Ill be riding somethin with class

Some of my highschool rides
[attachment=3584]
Same color and mint
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I've owned five of these. I'm trying to buy one back
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Got this same color/steel flares/wheels at 16 for 2k
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I drive this now. my kid likes it
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I love these. I want to do a Rover V8 in one soon
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Alpina B-6 I had this car when I first moved to Fl

Whats not to love about supercars, but on the road you can only do so much with them and they are a depreciating asset.

So I look for a few simple things in a car: bang for your buck, fun factor, head turn factor, usable performance (700hp is not usable performance, 300hp with nimble handling is).

My current fun road car:


In its previous life as a race car, with myself at the wheel:

Here's the baby I like...

LEXUS LFA

http://www.lexus.com/LFA/

Mixx

My toy car is one of these, except it looks like a bucket. And Iron-Man colour-schemed bucket.


Accelerates like a go-kart in any gear, breaks necks (lol), and will swallow most cars in traffic. With typical early 90's boring Japanese econocar styling, it is very much a wolf in sheep's clothing. Unfortunately, it also has the appetite of a wolf, and only likes high octane.

This stuff I like:






New cars well out of my present-day reality... Nissan GT-R, Mercedes SLKs, all Porsches (and even though in Miami Cayennes and Panameras are abundant, they always seem to make my head swivel), Konesssesssessiegs, all those thangs.

Another unsuspecting car, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8


But I'm a ricer, for sure.

any of you guys ever supe up a jeep, something like this, I'd do it a little differently but I've always been a sports car guy and never got into the off roading and all the toys that go with that, any idea how much it costs to make the cosmetic mods, lifts big ass tires etc? I know you can spend infinitely improving the guts but might be fun having something like this to tool around

2009- 2012 nissan gtr

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl...42l1.5l6l0

not sure how to add a photo

I saw a Datsun Z the other day that was in fantastic shape. I've always been into the old school Zs. I wonder if they're a bitch to deal with at their age. They are classy looking sonsabitches.

Recommended for maximum vagina:

Yes!

See also: Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade.

Sports cars don't do it for a lot of women. Ferraris and the like are total dude magnets, a lot of girls see them like we see expensive shoes - stupid, waste of money, indulgence etc.

A nice luxury car or SUV on the other hand and their eyes light up.

lexus cars, buicks, cadillacs, and classic cars from the 70's and before. lowriders are nice also. i've never been a fan of suv's and trucks to much. you really dont have to touch a lexus besides some dark ass tint if you have black leather and clean rims. they do look juicy when dropped and dipped in candy paint though mmmmm. texas, california and asia with their lexus have the car game on lock.

Some cars I like are the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and the E46 M3. If I ever got a sedan it would be the 06 Infiniti M..real classy

Quote: (11-14-2011 10:07 PM)kerouac Wrote:  

This is for all of you car guys out there.

What are some of your favorite cars you've driven?
What would be your choice of a car in the under $50k range?
Where are some nice drives you would recommend?

I'll start.

The latest nice car I've driven is a Porsche 911. It was stick, thank god, and remembering how fast I was going on the 2nd or 3rd gear in the middle of some streets in Hollywood still brings butterflies to my stomach. That car is a beast. I think highly of the BMW 3 series (as it's the only model BMW I've spent a lot of time with) and think it's a capable and fun car to drive.

I have always been into the Acura NSX, but I've never had the luxury of driving one. I think it's one of the nicest cars of its time, and for the price you can get one used now (around $20k) I think it's something I would like to convince a friend to get (and let me drive).

For under $50k, I would say I'd either get a pre-owned BMW M3, or an NSX, although the NSX's look is just a tad-outdated for me now.

Some of the nicest drives I've been on:
1) Most Beautiful: Driving up the PCH (that's Pacific Coast Highway for you non-West Coast folk) to San Francisco.
2) Most fun: The Ortega Highway (goes from San Juan Capistrano in OC to Lake Elsinore/Temecula). It's a really fun and windy road.

The most enjoyable car I've ridden in is is a C5 Z06, but the 05 STi I test drove a few years ago was probably the most enjoyable car I've personally driven...

Best ride under $50K Hmmm....So many options, but probably a used Elise or Exige. Maybe a Cayman.

Blasting down Rt. 83 South going into Baltimore City is my preferred ride

When are they going to bring Supras back?

I'll sell you my NSX

I just bought a 2012 Nissan GTR Black Edition last year and it was a really good purchase all in all. This car gave and still gives me serious wood. Now that I've been driving it for a while I will say while performance wise it hits it out the park, Audi has a superior audio/video setup. Their MMI is better than anything out there as it relies on the internet and not preloaded maps for navi which is important for guys that drive internationally. I've taken my car between the EU and US and having to not use your phone for Navi is awesome. Plus it lets you dump all kinds of video and audio files into the HDD to watch while you're stuck in traffic. The GTR only lets you watch them off DVD's and usb sticks. Their HDD is basically used to rip cd's.



If I had to choose any other car, I'd probably go with something German like an Audi R8, a Merc E63 AMG or an M5. My GTR can keep up with all of them, but German car companies really just go the extra mile on the tech stuff. Not to mention their warranty's are awesome.

Del boy's Reliant Robin
Aston Martin DB5
Bristol Fighter (Top speed 200mph)

Great car AIE, can definitely understand what you meant when girls in USA commented on your clothes being 'non-American."

Quote: (02-10-2012 11:40 AM)americanInEurope Wrote:  



I just bought a 2012 Nissan GTR Black Edition last year and it was a really good purchase all in all. This car gave and still gives me serious wood. Now that I've been driving it for a while I will say while performance wise it hits it out the park, Audi has a superior audio/video setup. Their MMI is better than anything out there as it relies on the internet and not preloaded maps for navi which is important for guys that drive internationally. I've taken my car between the EU and US and having to not use your phone for Navi is awesome. Plus it lets you dump all kinds of video and audio files into the HDD to watch while you're stuck in traffic. The GTR only lets you watch them off DVD's and usb sticks. Their HDD is basically used to rip cd's.



If I had to choose any other car, I'd probably go with something German like an Audi R8, a Merc E63 AMG or an M5. My GTR can keep up with all of them, but German car companies really just go the extra mile on the tech stuff. Not to mention their warranty's are awesome.

Very good car for the money. They made some changes in the last year or two to it which makes the car even quicker, in the corners and in straight line, and they will bump up the power again next year.