Fast cars and cool guns? They will be a thing of the past if . . .

My blog can now b found at http://fatherof10.com

New format and a different take on things. I will not be posting here any more.

Fast cars are hated by certain elements of our society. Interestingly enough, the same kind of people that hate fast cars also hate cool guns. In fact, I am pretty sure they hate all guns in the hands of the common people.

P. J. O'Rourke said it best in his book Driving Like Crazy: Watch out for the Fun-suckers. No, the American car industry was not destroyed by its cars. The American car industry was destroyed by the Fun-Suckers. You know the Fun-Suckers. You may be married to one. The Fun-Suckers go around saying how unsafe this fun thing is and how unhealthy that fun thing is and how unfair, unjust, uncaring, insensitive, divisive, contagious, and fattening every other thing that's fun is.The Fun-Suckers are a bit too careful, a bit too concerned, a bit too scrupulous. That's bullshit. They're evil and they hate us. The motive behind spoiling things for others and then throwing a wet blanket over the rained-on parade is a matter of neither caution nor morals. The Fun-Suckers suck the fun out of life in order to gain control. They've found a way to achieve power without merit. Nothing requires less information, education, or accomplishment than saying that everything's wrong. It's wrong to risk lives, wrong to use up earth's resources, wrong to pollute air, wrong to support an economic system that heightens income inequalities, wrong to own a big, expensive car, drive it fast, and vote Republican. The Fun-Suckers have been around forever. But they didn't used to have the influence they have now. The ruling class of yore was too fond of its dangerous fun. The nobility was having a ball (and PETA be damned) chasing game animals through the serfs' standing corn and chasing serfs as well if any buxom serf lasses were spied. Dukes and princes spent their days warring with infidels and each other and their nights feasting themselves into oblivion. The Fun-Suckers had to rely on religious zealotry to make others miserable and themselves important. Fun-Suckers were reduced to burning a few books and witches, pestering Copernicus and Galileo, and making everyone eat carp pie on Fridays.

If I Had to Replace My Mercedes

So, if I had to replace my 1997 Mercedes SL600, what would I get? The other day my wife asked me if I had thought about how long I was going to keep my roadster and I honestly told her that I was so satisfied with it that I hadn't thought about what next. With my previous cars, I was on to thinking about what next fairly quickly. I like the M-B SL600 so much that I am not looking for the next best thing. At least, not yet.

But since she mentioned it, I started to look around just a little. I don't like to buy brand new cars for myself because I find I can get so much more car for the money if I buy used or vintage. That tactic has enabled me to own a 2001 Cadillac STS, a 2001 M-B CLK55 AMG and a 1997 M-B SL600 . . . all together for less than the price of a Cadillac STS. That is over $265,000 worth of cars for less than $60,000.

In response to my looking around, here is what I have come up with as a nice replacement for the Benz:


A 2001 Ferrari 456M (GT)


Here is some info:
The 456M GT is a 2+2 berlinetta coupe, which means it has a snug two-place rear seat in addition to the customary front buckets. As the company puts it, this is “the evolution of a very popular concept amongst Ferrari clients who want a real Ferrari with the practicality of rear seats for two additional passengers.” In contrast to the mid-engine 360 Modena, Ferrari’s least costly model that is equipped with a V-8 behind the seats, the 456M GT has a V-12 engine mounted up front. The list price for the 456M GT is (in 2001) $226,975, while the automatic-transmission GTA goes for $232,170. That makes the 456M Ferrari’s most expensive model in the U.S. market — at least until the 550 Barchetta goes on sale in spring 2001.

MPG City: 10 Highway: 15 – 16
Available Engines
442-hp, 5.5-liter V-12 (premium)

Transmissions
6-speed manual w/OD
4-speed automatic w/OD

0 to 60 time is about 5 seconds, which is about the same as my M-B SL600. The top end is faster and the quarter mile time is close to the same. Maintenance costs are higher than the Mercedes and insurance costs are probably just a little higher, but probably not much.



All in all, I would say it would be a nice upgrade. I think I could stroke my ego just a bit with this car!

Mitsubishi 3000GT

Driving down the road the other day I pulled up next to a bright red Mitsubishi 3000GT. My window was down and so was his. I tapped my horn and he looked over at me and I told him that he had one of the coolest cars on the road. I think he liked that.

Prime examples of the VR4 version can be found for under $10,000. See HERE.

It never hurts to pay compliments. The 3000GT is a great car. When it first arrived in 1990 I saw it as a foreshadow of what Japan was going to be sending to the US in the future. I hope to see one at the next car show.

Cars and Coffee - Tucson

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