By Smokey Go To Postbut y
Can't you Z
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostJongkookie living up to his name.
Nice!!!
I have to credit an assist to reilo, as soon as I read the black cherries post, I knew it was the Z lol.
The car needs some love that I'll be squaring away.
The paint is pretty sorry, he took it to machine washes a lot. It's getting a detail very soon.
There is an axle click, a 45 minute fix that requires re-greasing the splines. Already have a shop lined up for it.
The volume knob and A/C temp knob don't work right (twist them and they'll spaz out, volume goes up and down without consistency). Both knobs need to be taken out and sprayed with an electrical cleaner solution and deoxidized.
The window moldings on the outside are ugly and need to be restored. I'll need to wipe them down with alcohol and apply GTechniq C4 to bring them back to life.
There is mild damage to the rear 1/4 panel. The polish during the detail will get rid of the marks. But there's a tiiiiiny little chip that I'll need to fill in.
He/some shop used an Armor All product inside the engine bay. I need to wipe all of that away.
Passenger side window doesn't auto-roll...it may just need a window reset. Very easy to do.
Key fob needs new battery...I have them at home. No biggie.
I'll probably detail all of this stuff with time, before and afters, etc.
The paint is pretty sorry, he took it to machine washes a lot. It's getting a detail very soon.
There is an axle click, a 45 minute fix that requires re-greasing the splines. Already have a shop lined up for it.
The volume knob and A/C temp knob don't work right (twist them and they'll spaz out, volume goes up and down without consistency). Both knobs need to be taken out and sprayed with an electrical cleaner solution and deoxidized.
The window moldings on the outside are ugly and need to be restored. I'll need to wipe them down with alcohol and apply GTechniq C4 to bring them back to life.
There is mild damage to the rear 1/4 panel. The polish during the detail will get rid of the marks. But there's a tiiiiiny little chip that I'll need to fill in.
He/some shop used an Armor All product inside the engine bay. I need to wipe all of that away.
Passenger side window doesn't auto-roll...it may just need a window reset. Very easy to do.
Key fob needs new battery...I have them at home. No biggie.
I'll probably detail all of this stuff with time, before and afters, etc.
So how did I get my 370Z back? Last year the itch for a 6MT toy became very...itchy. And I knew that my Z had ended up in Winter Park. And you guys know I Googled the VIN...and the owner's info came up. Through some quick work, I managed to get a hold of him and ask him if he wanted to sell it. He didn't. But we spoke about the car and I gave him its background.
I kept searching for the right car from Oct-Dec. And then my wife told me her company was ending Orlando operations. And she has 90 days to find a new job. So the search stopped. And just about 2 weeks ago, I started looking again. I was about to make a move on an M3 in nearby Winter Garden from the eBay listing, but I was too slow...the listing was gone. Car had sold. This was Sunday. I was a little bummed out, but whatever. Two hours later, I get a text message. It's the owner of my 370Z: second baby on the way, and he hasn't been driving the car much at all. And asked if I was still interested? 48 hours later...well.
She's back.
I kept searching for the right car from Oct-Dec. And then my wife told me her company was ending Orlando operations. And she has 90 days to find a new job. So the search stopped. And just about 2 weeks ago, I started looking again. I was about to make a move on an M3 in nearby Winter Garden from the eBay listing, but I was too slow...the listing was gone. Car had sold. This was Sunday. I was a little bummed out, but whatever. Two hours later, I get a text message. It's the owner of my 370Z: second baby on the way, and he hasn't been driving the car much at all. And asked if I was still interested? 48 hours later...well.
She's back.
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostSo how did I get my 370Z back? Last year the itch for a 6MT toy became very…itchy. And I knew that my Z had ended up in Winter Park. And you guys know I Googled the VIN…and the owner's info came up. Through some quick work, I managed to get a hold of him and ask him if he wanted to sell it. He didn't. But we spoke about the car and I gave him its background.
I kept searching for the right car from Oct-Dec. And then my wife told me her company was ending Orlando operations. And she has 90 days to find a new job. So the search stopped. And just about 2 weeks ago, I started looking again. I was about to make a move on an M3 in nearby Winter Garden from the eBay listing, but I was too slow…the listing was gone. Car had sold. This was Sunday. I was a little bummed out, but whatever. Two hours later, I get a text message. It's the owner of my 370Z: second baby on the way, and he hasn't been driving the car much at all. And asked if I was still interested? 48 hours later…well.
She's back.
wow. congrats my man.
i thought you were going back to audi for a second when you posted the lebron pic lol
S4s and S5s I had considered, but they're a bit dull and not nearly sporty enough. Plus...reliability. :|
But thank you. Yesterday was my 33rd birthday, and it was basically the gift I gave myself. I'll definitely never forget it.
But thank you. Yesterday was my 33rd birthday, and it was basically the gift I gave myself. I'll definitely never forget it.
That is an awesome color for a Z car, no doubt. Congrats on getting it back and Happy Birthday to you, sir. I've only had one test drive but I really came away impressed with the combination of capability and comfort (this was on a 370Z 6spd manual a few years back). Enjoy it!
Also, why the fuck do they keep tweaking the exterior so much? It's the one thing that they seemingly got right with the last two generations, but they've spent zero effort on that dreadful interior.
By reilo Go To PostAlso, why the fuck do they keep tweaking the exterior so much? It's the one thing that they seemingly got right with the last two generations, but they've spent zero effort on that dreadful interior.Plasticised leather is the new black.
You're not fooling anyone with that "stitching", Ford.
Congrats on the new(old) toy there, Alpha. Those are fun cars.
I've actually seen a couple new Mustangs tooling around, and they still look pretty great from the outside in person. Saw a blue-green one with a black roof a couple days ago that was a real head turner.
The inside is where it needs work though, rest of the car is just fine. That, and it needs a better clutch/shifter, which hopefully they fixed in the '18 but I'm not holding my breath.
I've actually seen a couple new Mustangs tooling around, and they still look pretty great from the outside in person. Saw a blue-green one with a black roof a couple days ago that was a real head turner.
The inside is where it needs work though, rest of the car is just fine. That, and it needs a better clutch/shifter, which hopefully they fixed in the '18 but I'm not holding my breath.
By Facism Go To Postjust remember she's had another man inside her whilst you took time off.
👀
Grats on the Z Alpha!!!!!! Modding plans? Or just restore it for now?
@matman you wanting new tech is what is preventing you from getting the right car. I think the Evora is probably as close as you can get in a new car. But, if you want a mechanical driver's experience, then you have to go used. If you want tech, you have to give way on the driver's experience.
Short of the Evora, the 987 is a perfect middle ground of some newish tech with proper driver's experience.
Though, I'd just get something older and stick an Android auto head unit in it. A friend of mine is obsessed with tech in cars, but is also an enthusiast. I think it's easy to get caught up in a consumer checklist sort of mindset where you convince yourself you need X or Y feature.
My M5 lacks heated steering wheel, air conditioned seats, Bluetooth, Nav, automatic lights, and a host of features I've had in my prior Ram and Infiniti. But I'm smiling every time I get behind the wheel, and my enjoyment of driving it has pushed the need for a new head unit way down on my priorities list.
For an enthusiast looking for an experience, tech is so fucking overrated. So are new cars.
@matman you wanting new tech is what is preventing you from getting the right car. I think the Evora is probably as close as you can get in a new car. But, if you want a mechanical driver's experience, then you have to go used. If you want tech, you have to give way on the driver's experience.
Short of the Evora, the 987 is a perfect middle ground of some newish tech with proper driver's experience.
Though, I'd just get something older and stick an Android auto head unit in it. A friend of mine is obsessed with tech in cars, but is also an enthusiast. I think it's easy to get caught up in a consumer checklist sort of mindset where you convince yourself you need X or Y feature.
My M5 lacks heated steering wheel, air conditioned seats, Bluetooth, Nav, automatic lights, and a host of features I've had in my prior Ram and Infiniti. But I'm smiling every time I get behind the wheel, and my enjoyment of driving it has pushed the need for a new head unit way down on my priorities list.
For an enthusiast looking for an experience, tech is so fucking overrated. So are new cars.
Too bad Porsche went and pumped the price of the 981 by releasing a 4 cylinder Cayman. Hopefully the new GT4 will provide relief in the market.
By zfzmikey Go To PostGrats on the Z Alpha!!!!!! Modding plans? Or just restore it for now?You may be right, on all accounts and I also might actually be looking for two cars, not one. I value the driving experience in the MX-5 and don't want to lose what it does so well but would like to have a seat/driving position that fits me correctly and less NVH. That's the ideal sports car for me and from all accounts the Evora 400 would fit the bill beautifully.
@matman you wanting new tech is what is preventing you from getting the right car. I think the Evora is probably as close as you can get in a new car. But, if you want a mechanical driver's experience, then you have to go used. If you want tech, you have to give way on the driver's experience.
Short of the Evora, the 987 is a perfect middle ground of some newish tech with proper driver's experience.
Though, I'd just get something older and stick an Android auto head unit in it. A friend of mine is obsessed with tech in cars, but is also an enthusiast. I think it's easy to get caught up in a consumer checklist sort of mindset where you convince yourself you need X or Y feature.
My M5 lacks heated steering wheel, air conditioned seats, Bluetooth, Nav, automatic lights, and a host of features I've had in my prior Ram and Infiniti. But I'm smiling every time I get behind the wheel, and my enjoyment of driving it has pushed the need for a new head unit way down on my priorities list.
For an enthusiast looking for an experience, tech is so fucking overrated. So are new cars.
But my wife and I do like to travel and I value a comfy cruiser with a great sound system for that purpose. Right now we're using the Lexus GX and it's adequate but the gas mileage is terrible and it is CD's only, no way to connect an external device for song playback.
Blending a great drivers car with the ability to be a comfy cruiser with decent gas mileage and a modern and great sounding stereo might be too much to ask and also might be too compromised. That is the question that I am currently trying to answer and once I ran the gamut of cars that I have picked out to test I will have a better idea of which way to go.
Next on the docket is a 2018 Audi TTRS that I have scheduled for a test drive Saturday morning at Audi Marietta. It is the poster child for "tech-laden sport's car" but we'll see if I find the driving experience to be entertaining.
By zfzmikey Go To PostGrats on the Z Alpha!!!!!! Modding plans? Or just restore it for now?
Thanks everyone.
Yeah, right now I just need to bring the car back to life. It's already fairly modded as is and all of my old mods are still on it (I sold the car with them, except the exhaust): suspension, spacers, modified OEM intakes, oil cooler, hood struts (yes I'm serious lol) and some other minor stuff. All it would need is a very mild exhaust and tune. Not looking for ridiculous power. I have the XKR for that, truth be told.
if I go beyond a small bolt on and tune, I'm doing lightweight rims. Sticking to 19s. I've always loved how much livelier a car feels when it has less mass to rotate.
Awesome news and congrats on reacquiring your black cherry 370z Alpha! That is a stunning color and I have no doubt you will have her looking great again in no time. Congrats to everyone else on their recent purchases as well! Shin, your Lambo is fucking sick.
I'm about to start going over my car to see what I want to add to the list or work on during down time after my job ends next month and we prep to move to San Antonio. Right now its...
Mechanical/Maintenance
- remove intake. replace coolant pipes, vacuum lines, and CCV system.
- replace all the vacuum lines
- drain and flush transmission fluid, coolant, diff fluid
- replace fuel filter
- clean and inspect throttle body, idle air control valve and DISA
- adjust parking brake
Body/Cosmetic
- replace passenger side quarter window lower trim and both quarter window seals
- sand, clear and polish headlight lenses
- remove and replastidip my side mirror trim (lasted for 5 years without developing holes and it hasn't faded)
- paint or plastidip the plastic roof rail trim pieces that have been chipping and fading
I'll probably be able to find more to do (detailing!) with my free time but that should keep me busy for a while.
My wife (we got married on 5/11!) is going to start looking for work in San Antonio at the beginning of June and we will start apartment hunting as soon as she or I finds a job. We stop processing for our last 2 customers today and tomorrow and I should have them out of my hair by the end of next week and I can chill.
I'm about to start going over my car to see what I want to add to the list or work on during down time after my job ends next month and we prep to move to San Antonio. Right now its...
Mechanical/Maintenance
- remove intake. replace coolant pipes, vacuum lines, and CCV system.
- replace all the vacuum lines
- drain and flush transmission fluid, coolant, diff fluid
- replace fuel filter
- clean and inspect throttle body, idle air control valve and DISA
- adjust parking brake
Body/Cosmetic
- replace passenger side quarter window lower trim and both quarter window seals
- sand, clear and polish headlight lenses
- remove and replastidip my side mirror trim (lasted for 5 years without developing holes and it hasn't faded)
- paint or plastidip the plastic roof rail trim pieces that have been chipping and fading
I'll probably be able to find more to do (detailing!) with my free time but that should keep me busy for a while.
My wife (we got married on 5/11!) is going to start looking for work in San Antonio at the beginning of June and we will start apartment hunting as soon as she or I finds a job. We stop processing for our last 2 customers today and tomorrow and I should have them out of my hair by the end of next week and I can chill.
By reilo Go To PostFishner, buy the fucking F-Type alreadyI'mma go test driving first, fool.
By reilo Go To PostWhat are you waiting on 😩Learning how to drive a manual. Pestering friends and family that have one or may know someone who has access to one I can learn on.
I tried looking for professional teaching in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans and it doesn't look like anyone does. So, it's down to friends and family, who can be flaky if I don't bother them all the time!
e: i actually sent a reminder to a friend an hour ago asking him if he's found anything
By Kibner Go To PostCongrats on the marriage and best of luck on the move and job hunting!
Thank you! We had a small family only courthouse wedding and then we are doing a symbolic ceremony for 2 in the Dominican Republic with professional photo and video services in July and having a big reception in September at our favorite restaurant here.
Learning and being able to drive a manual is pretty rewarding. I'm glad I learned early on. It gives you the opportunity and ability to drive any car that anyone offers up to try.
I learned how to drive a manual atv as a kid but that is obviously way different (manual shifting but no clutch, unless you count letting go of the throttle while shifting).
Damn, I need to gooblegobbleoneofus some more peeps into Caymans instead of F-types. Guess I'm too old to be a good salesman or something.
981 all day erryday. Light + manual + 300 or so HP = perfect hooncar
981 all day erryday. Light + manual + 300 or so HP = perfect hooncar
By Kibner Go To PostI'mma go test driving first, fool.
Test drive is overrated! Do what I did and let Auto-Slaent decide lol..
By Christberg Go To PostDamn, I need to gooblegobbleoneofus some more peeps into Caymans instead of F-types. Guess I'm too old to be a good salesman or something.While I agree with you on the light + manual + 300hp I don't think the recent F-Type converts are necessarily a bad thing. Now that I've driven one I can safely say that it is a very different animal (pun intended) versus any Cayman or Boxster. They Cayman and Boxsters of the world are much closer to pure sports cars while the F-Type is squarely in the "GT" camp.
981 all day erryday. Light + manual + 300 or so HP = perfect hooncar
Someone who's looking for a beautiful, comfortable, amazing sounding land-missle would probably be better served by the F-Type while the chassis and handling folks will definitely favor the Cayman/Boxster. Fortunately, there's room for both types in the world.
Agreed. Two totally different things, really. I actually think the F-Type is a damned gorgeous car, great date night type of unit for sure.
Please be kind. My first published GoPro video in the POV style in my MX-5. The A-pillar blocks part of the view but the reason I recorded in the first place was to answer the question "why would you own and commute to work in a small sports car when you could be driving something larger and more comfortable?" The short answer is, the roads nearby nearly demand this type of car and that still comes across even with the imperfect recording.
The length of the video up to where I reach civilization (the first traffic light on the 4 lane into town) is about 15 minutes but honestly even the first 5 to 7 would give you a very good idea of the roads I enjoy driving on every day. It isn't necessarily scenic but it is rural, curvy and with plenty of elevation changes. https://youtu.be/7YZOzA1F_t0
The length of the video up to where I reach civilization (the first traffic light on the 4 lane into town) is about 15 minutes but honestly even the first 5 to 7 would give you a very good idea of the roads I enjoy driving on every day. It isn't necessarily scenic but it is rural, curvy and with plenty of elevation changes. https://youtu.be/7YZOzA1F_t0
Nice video and I envy you commute.
What's you gopro set up?
When I use my gopro it's all muddy sounding.
What's you gopro set up?
When I use my gopro it's all muddy sounding.
Idk if any of y'all are willing to watch another Cars and Coffee video, but I put together another one recently mostly because I got some cool new effects to play with and I wanted to see how color-grading iPhone footage would work lol. I called it the Faves Edition coz it's just a bunch of my favorite cars I saw that day lol.
Dang that's a nice commute.
Try putting the GoPro on the passenger side window next time, sorta like this but higher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU2EGL6lG3c
I've done all sorts of setups back when I had my NC and having it on the passenger side seems to be the best setup that I've found. I've even tried using a GoPro headband and even with my short self, the area with the latch and sun visors covered up at least a third of the view lol.
What kind of GoPro do you have?
A muddy sounding GoPro is usually coz it's inside the underwater casing... but then again GoPro's don't really have the best sound recording capabilities lol. I've found that if you mount it inside the car and have the windows up, it usually captures sound a lot better but if you have even just a tiny bit of window open, the windrush is gonna start screwing up your sound.
If you really want to capture great sound though, get a small recorder(Tascam DR-05, Zoom H1 or an iPhone with a headphone jack) and a lavalier mic... stick the recorder in your trunk then run the lavalier mic to the exhaust and then tape it down. A lot of high-end productions use this method and it's actually damn cheap($150 for the recorder, mic and microSD).
By matmanx1 Go To PostPlease be kind. My first published GoPro video in the POV style in my MX-5. The A-pillar blocks part of the view but the reason I recorded in the first place was to answer the question "why would you own and commute to work in a small sports car when you could be driving something larger and more comfortable?" The short answer is, the roads nearby nearly demand this type of car and that still comes across even with the imperfect recording.
The length of the video up to where I reach civilization (the first traffic light on the 4 lane into town) is about 15 minutes but honestly even the first 5 to 7 would give you a very good idea of the roads I enjoy driving on every day. It isn't necessarily scenic but it is rural, curvy and with plenty of elevation changes. https://youtu.be/7YZOzA1F_t0
Dang that's a nice commute.
Try putting the GoPro on the passenger side window next time, sorta like this but higher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU2EGL6lG3c
I've done all sorts of setups back when I had my NC and having it on the passenger side seems to be the best setup that I've found. I've even tried using a GoPro headband and even with my short self, the area with the latch and sun visors covered up at least a third of the view lol.
By shinshoryuken Go To PostNice video and I envy you commute.
What's you gopro set up?
When I use my gopro it's all muddy sounding.
What kind of GoPro do you have?
A muddy sounding GoPro is usually coz it's inside the underwater casing... but then again GoPro's don't really have the best sound recording capabilities lol. I've found that if you mount it inside the car and have the windows up, it usually captures sound a lot better but if you have even just a tiny bit of window open, the windrush is gonna start screwing up your sound.
If you really want to capture great sound though, get a small recorder(Tascam DR-05, Zoom H1 or an iPhone with a headphone jack) and a lavalier mic... stick the recorder in your trunk then run the lavalier mic to the exhaust and then tape it down. A lot of high-end productions use this method and it's actually damn cheap($150 for the recorder, mic and microSD).
By matmanx1 Go To PostPlease be kind. My first published GoPro video in the POV style in my MX-5. The A-pillar blocks part of the view but the reason I recorded in the first place was to answer the question "why would you own and commute to work in a small sports car when you could be driving something larger and more comfortable?" The short answer is, the roads nearby nearly demand this type of car and that still comes across even with the imperfect recording.
The length of the video up to where I reach civilization (the first traffic light on the 4 lane into town) is about 15 minutes but honestly even the first 5 to 7 would give you a very good idea of the roads I enjoy driving on every day. It isn't necessarily scenic but it is rural, curvy and with plenty of elevation changes. https://youtu.be/7YZOzA1F_t0
Super jealous of your commute, wow
By jongkookie Go To PostWhat kind of GoPro do you have?
A muddy sounding GoPro is usually coz it's inside the underwater casing… but then again GoPro's don't really have the best sound recording capabilities lol. I've found that if you mount it inside the car and have the windows up, it usually captures sound a lot better but if you have even just a tiny bit of window open, the windrush is gonna start screwing up your sound.
If you really want to capture great sound though, get a small recorder(Tascam DR-05, Zoom H1 or an iPhone with a headphone jack) and a lavalier mic… stick the recorder in your trunk then run the lavalier mic to the exhaust and then tape it down. A lot of high-end productions use this method and it's actually damn cheap($150 for the recorder, mic and microSD).
I got a gopro hero 4 . Yeah I used the underwater housing. I think a Sony action cam or Canon might work better.
One issue with sticking a recorder in the trunk is that my mine is in front.
I use a GoPro Hero 5 Session. I haven't had it long but I am very pleased with the overall quality considering it only cost $199. I spent another $40 on the official suction cup mount. Now that I have that route recorded I will play around with some passenger window mounting and try to angle the GoPro over towards the center of the car to alleviate that A-pillar problem.
And yeah I did the head mount and you are right, the top 3rd of the image becomes the visors in the MX-5. I'll say it again, POV style is difficult in that car which is a shame.
On the upside most all of the roads around my house are like that. I have a plethora of great little back roads and once I am comfortable with the process and mounting location will try to get more recorded. Funnily enough even though I am the one driving I can go back and watch my own video and have fun just watching it, lol.
And yeah I did the head mount and you are right, the top 3rd of the image becomes the visors in the MX-5. I'll say it again, POV style is difficult in that car which is a shame.
On the upside most all of the roads around my house are like that. I have a plethora of great little back roads and once I am comfortable with the process and mounting location will try to get more recorded. Funnily enough even though I am the one driving I can go back and watch my own video and have fun just watching it, lol.
By reilo Go To PostMat, if you get a new F-Type you get GoPro capabilities built-in ;)Subtle encouragement? ;-) I think GM is doing something like that with their Camaro and Corvette track apps as well. Honestly it's a fantastic idea for enthusiast drivers that more automakers should copy. I endorse this move!
Hey guys, Porsche finally gave me an allocation for the 2019 911 Carrera T!
I've decided to lease one as a daily driver. Go on their website and help me configure it. My only requirement is It has the be a manual transmission. Otherwise go nuts, but try to keep it under $120k.
I have two weeks until the build locks. It's being built in July so hopefully should have it before the end of August. It is not a replacement for the GT4. Still keeping that for the time being until a perfect spec 458 catches my eye.
I've decided to lease one as a daily driver. Go on their website and help me configure it. My only requirement is It has the be a manual transmission. Otherwise go nuts, but try to keep it under $120k.
I have two weeks until the build locks. It's being built in July so hopefully should have it before the end of August. It is not a replacement for the GT4. Still keeping that for the time being until a perfect spec 458 catches my eye.
By Evo X Go To PostHey guys, Porsche finally gave me an allocation for the 2019 911 Carrera T!
I've decided to lease one as a daily driver. Go on their website and help me configure it. My only requirement is It has the be a manual transmission. Otherwise go nuts, but try to keep it under $120k.
I have two weeks until the build locks. It's being built in July so hopefully should have it before the end of August. It is not a replacement for the GT4. Still keeping that for the time being until a perfect spec 458 catches my eye.
Congrats! What a daily driver!!
Go for metallic white!!
By Evo X Go To PostHey guys, Porsche finally gave me an allocation for the 2019 911 Carrera T!Here's my quick attempt. Being a daily I tried to put some comfort options in there while also keeping the 7 speed manual and the rear-wheel steering. Congrats on the allocation btw and keep us up to date with your build. http://www.porsche-code.com/PKIUW371
I've decided to lease one as a daily driver. Go on their website and help me configure it. My only requirement is It has the be a manual transmission. Otherwise go nuts, but try to keep it under $120k.
I have two weeks until the build locks. It's being built in July so hopefully should have it before the end of August. It is not a replacement for the GT4. Still keeping that for the time being until a perfect spec 458 catches my eye.
I just got back from test driving a TT-RS at my local Audi dealership.
What a great car! It might be the best all around sports car that I have yet driven in terms of having a lot of practicality to go with its performance and attitude. I was a little bit worried going in that it might be too diluted and too filtered of an experience to really be fun (because Audi, right?) but I am happy to say that was not the case here, at least in my opinion.
Compared to my previous two test drives in the F-type R and LC500 the TT-RS has much more of that light-weight, go-cart type feel that my MX-5 has and felt much more "me" than those two big GT cars, as good as they were. The TT-RS has super quick steering, at least as much road feel through the steering wheel as my MX-5 and a similar type of short-wheelbase agility and dartiness and it is a feeling that I am at home with. At 3300lbs it is 1000lbs less than the LC500 and at least 500lbs less than the F-Type and because of that I felt more connected to the car and to the road. And, Audi lets a surprising amount of engine and exhaust noise into the car (but almost no wind noise, hooray!) and I absolutely love the way it sounds at full boil. Despite having listened to a ton of exhaust clips of that 5 cylinder online there is nothing like hearing it in person, both in and out of the car. The real thing is fantastic.
There was some road noise but certainly no more than my MX-5 and even in dynamic mode (harshest ride / most aggressive mode) the ride was better and more composed than I am used to. And then that interior and those seats! Extremely high quality, very well built and super comfortable. I also tested the sound system with a USB drive that I brought and I put three different music file types in three different folders and the MMI located them immediately, loaded all of the album artwork and performed seamlessly and flawlessly for all three file types. Audi's tech and virtual cockpit is excellent and does more than I would ever need it to do but I am pleased to say it does the things that are important to me.
The dealership was extremely nice although the sales manager did tell me they dont allow test drives in brand new TTRS's (this one had 6k miles on it) and even though allocations were few and far between they would be glad to order me one to my specifications. For that reason, I am glad I took the opportunity to schedule the test drive on the used one. Wait time on the special orders would probably be 5 - 6 months and I am absolutely ok with that. I have some more thinking and driving to do but it could happen.
Edit - Random thoughts I forgot with the initial posting:
1) The TT-RS is silly fast, as expected. Taking the on-ramp to the Interstate and merging with traffic I was playing with the paddles and busy locating the car and looked down and I was doing 96mph. The shove-into-the-seat power is very strong, especially above 4k rpm which is that motor's happy place.
2) Accordingly, I like the fact that the motor "wakes up" above 4k rpm. Like the rest of the car, it has a bit of a dual personality. Docile and approachable down low but really, really angry and rapid up top.
3) The shifts with the S-Tronic make the motor give a bit of a "chuff" between gear changes when there's a lot of throttle and that also sounds fantastic. The S-Tronic in manual mode was great, which is really what I was testing. Left to its own devices it isn't as predictive or as keen as the Porsche PDK but then again, nothing else is either.
4) Light cars with high-horsepower is a winning recipe and it really shows here. Accordingly tires and brakes will last longer on the roads that I drive (and if you saw the video then you know those things will get a work-out on a daily basis) and cost to own and service will be much lower on the Audi than on a comparable Porsche car and that is something I have to take into consideration.
What a great car! It might be the best all around sports car that I have yet driven in terms of having a lot of practicality to go with its performance and attitude. I was a little bit worried going in that it might be too diluted and too filtered of an experience to really be fun (because Audi, right?) but I am happy to say that was not the case here, at least in my opinion.
Compared to my previous two test drives in the F-type R and LC500 the TT-RS has much more of that light-weight, go-cart type feel that my MX-5 has and felt much more "me" than those two big GT cars, as good as they were. The TT-RS has super quick steering, at least as much road feel through the steering wheel as my MX-5 and a similar type of short-wheelbase agility and dartiness and it is a feeling that I am at home with. At 3300lbs it is 1000lbs less than the LC500 and at least 500lbs less than the F-Type and because of that I felt more connected to the car and to the road. And, Audi lets a surprising amount of engine and exhaust noise into the car (but almost no wind noise, hooray!) and I absolutely love the way it sounds at full boil. Despite having listened to a ton of exhaust clips of that 5 cylinder online there is nothing like hearing it in person, both in and out of the car. The real thing is fantastic.
There was some road noise but certainly no more than my MX-5 and even in dynamic mode (harshest ride / most aggressive mode) the ride was better and more composed than I am used to. And then that interior and those seats! Extremely high quality, very well built and super comfortable. I also tested the sound system with a USB drive that I brought and I put three different music file types in three different folders and the MMI located them immediately, loaded all of the album artwork and performed seamlessly and flawlessly for all three file types. Audi's tech and virtual cockpit is excellent and does more than I would ever need it to do but I am pleased to say it does the things that are important to me.
The dealership was extremely nice although the sales manager did tell me they dont allow test drives in brand new TTRS's (this one had 6k miles on it) and even though allocations were few and far between they would be glad to order me one to my specifications. For that reason, I am glad I took the opportunity to schedule the test drive on the used one. Wait time on the special orders would probably be 5 - 6 months and I am absolutely ok with that. I have some more thinking and driving to do but it could happen.
Edit - Random thoughts I forgot with the initial posting:
1) The TT-RS is silly fast, as expected. Taking the on-ramp to the Interstate and merging with traffic I was playing with the paddles and busy locating the car and looked down and I was doing 96mph. The shove-into-the-seat power is very strong, especially above 4k rpm which is that motor's happy place.
2) Accordingly, I like the fact that the motor "wakes up" above 4k rpm. Like the rest of the car, it has a bit of a dual personality. Docile and approachable down low but really, really angry and rapid up top.
3) The shifts with the S-Tronic make the motor give a bit of a "chuff" between gear changes when there's a lot of throttle and that also sounds fantastic. The S-Tronic in manual mode was great, which is really what I was testing. Left to its own devices it isn't as predictive or as keen as the Porsche PDK but then again, nothing else is either.
4) Light cars with high-horsepower is a winning recipe and it really shows here. Accordingly tires and brakes will last longer on the roads that I drive (and if you saw the video then you know those things will get a work-out on a daily basis) and cost to own and service will be much lower on the Audi than on a comparable Porsche car and that is something I have to take into consideration.