vowe dot net :: Is it love?

Is it love?

by Volker Weber

My car is six years old now. Still going strong but I started looking. Saturday we drove a Mini Cooper. Tres spacieuse.. :-)

2003-08-25 :: email :: bookmark :: digg

Comments

Here's my dream car....

http://members.fortunecity.com/freecarwallpapers/images/nissan_z350_13.jpg

Gayle, 2003-08-25 22:13

[The link does not work because they check the referrer]

Yes, that is a nice car and it is on my list. It won't be available in Germany before October though. I have seen it in the US already and I liked the exterior design. Not the interior however. Also, Nissan has an image problem here. A Nissan sportscar is as desirable as a Firebird. It attracts certain people but not everyone. The 240 was never a success here.

Volker Weber, 2003-08-25 22:34

Very interesting...didn't know it had an image problem there. The interior isn't bad..I've seen better...but for the price...it's still pretty nice.

Also on my wish list of cars are a Mercede's convertable (of any sort) and possibly a BMW...

Gayle, 2003-08-25 23:13

When I was 17 I learned to drive in my Dad's 1969 MKII Mini Cooper S.

He still has it 17 years later! It's been his only car since I was young.

Andrew Tetlaw, 2003-08-25 23:16

Volker is not one of the regular Benz or BMW guys. It should be a little different to get him attracted ;-)

@Volker, Philipp would agree as much with that choice as he does with your current one :-)

ciao tpk

Thomas Köster, 2003-08-25 23:19

Uhhhh, yes, the BMW Z4 is a real pretty one and with the 3.0 engine it sure is a nice piece to cruise around with...

Ragnar Schierholz, 2003-08-25 23:19

if it's about design, and especially interior, Alfa Romeo would be my choice. And if it's about power, the Alfa GTA as 147 or 156 is really impressive.
And if it's about sound, the GTA is just... whow!!!

So my personal recommendation: for reasonable power, try the 147 or 156 2.0 Selespeed (with that formula-1-style gearbox).
For a real sportscar, try the GTA.

And don't bother with quality, I'm driving Alfa for five years now, and the quality is superb.

Julian Buss, 2003-08-26 13:39

I know your craze about Alfa, but they are not on my list, as much as I like the design of the 147. The GTAs are out of the question anyway.

As for quality: A friend had a 3 litre 166, no problems in 4 years, 100000 kms. Then he got a 2 litre 147. First engine failure after two weeks. Now he has had three failures already.

Your mileage may vary.

Volker Weber, 2003-08-26 14:28

I like the exterior of the mini, but I think the instruments are horrible!

Who wants big plastic dials stuck on as afterthought in a car which lets face it, is in a different price class to the original mini?

(Ok - that was a retorical question - obviously vowe and I have different tastes :-)

John Keys, 2003-08-26 15:45

Yes, the interior design is "overdone". Especially if you see how they force a 16by9 display for the nav into the space for the huge speedometer. (OK, I am not going to buy that anyway).

But I do have a very particular idea about driving. It has to be very direct. The Mini can do that (as a number of other cars that are even more weird like the Lotus Elise).

And you are absolutely right: You are much more grown up than I am. :-)

Volker Weber, 2003-08-26 15:54

that's the whole problem with BMW/Mini; Mini is beautiful from the outside, as the Z4 or 5er are. But the interior is the pure horror. Ugly plastic wherever the eye may look. I don't understand that; take the new 5er BMW: excellent technology (f.g. steer-by-wire), excellent machine, nice exterior... but the interior is a good reason not to buy that car.

If it would not be this expensive, the Austin Martin Vanquish is nice :-)

Julian Buss, 2003-08-26 16:42

Volker, ever thought of an Audi A2? (http://www.audi.de/a2/). One car that perfectly fits to the Apple Design, IMHO.

Dirk, 2003-08-26 22:10

Certainly. Good car. But too sensible.

Volker Weber, 2003-08-26 22:18

how bout waiting for the bmw 1 series... nice from outside AND insde *gg*

http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/gallery/photos/photos-05-2002/8226.jpg

http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/gallery/photos/photos-05-2002/7827.jpg

http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/gallery/photos/photos-05-2002/7816.jpg

toby, 2003-08-27 13:20

Good choice! MuX always point at this car "Dead, look, a small MINI!" It was the first model name the knew when they were 2 yrs. old... Now they know additionally AUDI (only mine), KÄFER and TRIUMPH! The prefer definitely cruising with the last one... :-)))

Greetz from Munich
Schweppes

Schweppes, 2003-08-28 01:36