Car Talk

[Asomer]

This was my bike before I totaled her in the NC mountains in 2010. Riding fatigued and one small error...bam! The 6 plates and 7 screws in my collarbone remind me everyday. I gave it up after that...but I do miss it sometimes.

Lol, well if it makes you feel any better sstarrx2, I've ridden hunter/jumper horses since I was 7...always had falls(that's inevitable,) but NEVER injured myself much past a bruise or so until 2010. Was casually riding on a normal day, only going over nothing more than 2.5' fences in an arena & my right foot came outta the stirrup. While I was attempting to get it back in, I lost my balance & softly feel off. BUT, I landed wrong & broke my left shoulder & humerus bone. Had to have surgery & now I have a metal plate with 11 screws in my left arm.

Thank God I'm a righty & never have really any issues with residual pain in the winter or when it rains! Lol, bikes aren't the only dangerous sport out there

[drcollie]

Yesterday as I'm going into the Hancock and Moore / Taylor King / Jessica Charles showroom at High Point through the 'secret' back way which is through the garage, I notice in the VIP parking area among the silver and white Lexus and Acuras and BMW's , a brand new sunshine yellow Lotus Evora. It literally jumps out at you, even when parked.



Now I know a lot of people in this building (but not all, of course) and am trying to think who might own this? Mostly the owners of these companies are conservative and like their luxury cars but they buy mainstream sedans, the garage is aswash is Lexus 400 series in neutral colors. I know Alan Price (one of H&M's best designers and fellow gearhead) would be up for it, but he'd be more inclined to get an old Alfa Romeo from the 60's and fix it up. Not a new one. hmmmmm.....as I make my way around the showroom Jimmy Moore spots me and bee-lines right to me, big smile on his face. He says "I got something in the garage to show you" and I start laughing and say "IS THAT YELLOW LOTUS EVORA YOURS?" And indeed it was. What a character....79-years-old and he's buying a Lotus that is so low to the ground it makes my 911 seem like an SUV. And of course, he and I and Alan get to talking cars for over an hour which is why I can never get out of the H&M Showroom on a Sunday.....Good on ya Jimmy! When most men your age are piloting a walker, you're buying a new Lotus. if you're ever driving around Hickory NC and see this car, its a pretty sure bet Jimmy has the only one in town.

[sstarrx2]

Pretty cool!! People always make comments when middle age men to elderly men drive expensive sport cars...they always make comments about "Mid Life Crisis" or in Jimmies case "Late Life Crisis" . There is no crisis! I would venture to say most men would love to drive these cars! Most men cannot afford to drive these cars until they are older and can afford nicer toys! Did you take the 911 down to NC? Yesterday was a beautiful day in NC to go topless!!!

[Asomer]

Yesterday as I'm going into the Hancock and Moore / Taylor King / Jessica Charles showroom at High Point through the 'secret' back way which is through the garage, I notice in the VIP parking area among the silver and white Lexus and Acuras and BMW's , a brand new sunshine yellow Lotus Evora. It literally jumps out at you, even when parked.



Now I know a lot of people in this building (but not all, of course) and am trying to think who might own this? Mostly the owners of these companies are conservative and like their luxury cars but they buy mainstream sedans, the garage is aswash is Lexus 400 series in neutral colors. I know Alan Price (one of H&M's best designers and fellow gearhead) would be up for it, but he'd be more inclined to get an old Alfa Romeo from the 60's and fix it up. Not a new one. hmmmmm.....as I make my way around the showroom Jimmy Moore spots me and bee-lines right to me, big smile on his face. He says "I got something in the garage to show you" and I start laughing and say "IS THAT YELLOW LOTUS EVORA YOURS?" And indeed it was. What a character....79-years-old and he's buying a Lotus that is so low to the ground it makes my 911 seem like an SUV. And of course, he and I and Alan get to talking cars for over an hour which is why I can never get out of the H&M Showroom on a Sunday.....Good on ya Jimmy! When most men your age are piloting a walker, you're buying a new Lotus. if you're ever driving around Hickory NC and see this car, its a pretty sure bet Jimmy has the only one in town.

That's a seriously gorgeous car!! I LOVE an exotic sports car in a bright, "taxi cab" yellow. Did he take you for a spin, or let you test drive it around the block??

Never paid all that much attention to the Lotus(always see a few driving around here.) I never went cuckoo for Lambos, either...but, find me an older Ferrari, like the '62 250 GTO & I go weak in the knees
Very weak in the knees...especially since the last one that was up for sale sold for $38M!!

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is one of the best looking cars to have come out in the past 10 years, I think. It's a classic, beautifully designed car...and, is it not downright stunning, or what?! Check out that swoon worthy interior...



Now...if someday, I just so happen to find myself in an "I just won the lottery!!" situation; I'd immediately buy a dream classic, like the '67 Aston Martin DB5. I don't even care if it's in the famous James Bond silver or not, I just NEED that car!! Lol

I'd follow that [major]purchase with something a bit more low key for a daily driver: an all blacked out Mercedes G 65 AMG...because what's NOT practical & low key about a 603hp SUV?!

Lol, oh & somehow manage to squeeze in a new BMW 650i convert in there too

[drcollie]

Oh no, we didn't have time to go play with cars, I was the last person out of the H&M showroom at 6:30 p.m like it was. Its a VERY busy day.

612's are sweet, but I'll take a 599. Same drivetrain, the 599 is the smaller 2 seater and loads of fun. I rented this one in Maranello Italy last June. Big power, but a Porsche is a better driver. Also, the transmission shifts are hard and abrupt, and nearly ruin the driving fun as they snap so hard. They are gorgeous cars though....

[Asomer]

Oh no, we didn't have time to go play with cars, I was the last person out of the H&M showroom at 6:30 p.m like it was. Its a VERY busy day.

612's are sweet, but I'll take a 599. Same drivetrain, the 599 is the smaller 2 seater and loads of fun. I rented this one in Maranello Italy last June. Big power, but a Porsche is a better driver. Also, the transmission shifts are hard and abrupt, and nearly ruin the driving fun as they snap so hard. They are gorgeous cars though....

Really? It was THAT jerky of a drive? That's disappointing, since anyone who'd own a 599 I'm thinking would want to go for those long, weekend joy rides & actually enjoy themselves. Won't deny the 599 is a beauty, all the way

[drcollie]

Yes, they use a first generation SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) called the F1 in the 599 and 612, as well as the 355 and 430's. And BMW used these in their ///M cars as did Aston Martin. They confuse a lot of people who buy this class of car, as they look like an automatic and even have P R N D on the buttons, but they're not. People drive them like they are an automatic transmission then burn up the clutch to the tune of $ 10K for a replacement in under 20K miles. An SMG trans is an automated clutch, not an automated transmission. There is no torque convertor - its a manual transmission with no clutch pedal. Where owners get into trouble with these is when they creep the car, either in traffic or going in and out of parking lots, or slow cruises at Cars N Coffee. The computer is slipping the clutch like a madman, and the wear on the friction disc accelerates through the roof on them. If you ever own an SMG car, remember that!

Because its an automated clutch, the shifts are hard and abrupt, there is no torque convertor to smooth them out. They're fine if you are 'on the gas' but for just a casual drive you will notice each time it shifts, its abrupt. Ferrari brought only 33 of the 599's with a proper three-pedal manual transmission into the USA and they were largely panned as the clutch has a high engagement point. However, at the Amelia Island Auction in 2015 one of those 33 came up and two knuckleheads with more money than brains bid the car to over $ 600,000 (it was a 2007). So now the three pedal 599's command $ 600K while you can get the one like in the photo with the F1 trans for around $ 150K as a 2007 model.

As you can tell, I have a keen interest in 599's and have come really close to buying one, but the cost of the clutch, shocks and other items on the car keep me into Porsches.

Newer Ferraris, Astons and the like have a much better transmission, but the King of all these hyper-automatics is still the PDK trans that Porsche offers. Lightening fast, smooth and near perfect. I'm still a 3-pedal guy, though.

[Asomer]

Yes, they use a first generation SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) called the F1 in the 599 and 612, as well as the 355 and 430's. And BMW used these in their ///M cars as did Aston Martin. They confuse a lot of people who buy this class of car, as they look like an automatic and even have P R N D on the buttons, but they're not. People drive them like they are an automatic transmission then burn up the clutch to the tune of $ 10K for a replacement in under 20K miles. An SMG trans is an automated clutch, not an automated transmission. There is no torque convertor - its a manual transmission with no clutch pedal. Where owners get into trouble with these is when they creep the car, either in traffic or going in and out of parking lots, or slow cruises at Cars N Coffee. The computer is slipping the clutch like a madman, and the wear on the friction disc accelerates through the roof on them. If you ever own an SMG car, remember that!

Because its an automated clutch, the shifts are hard and abrupt, there is no torque convertor to smooth them out. They're fine if you are 'on the gas' but for just a casual drive you will notice each time it shifts, its abrupt. Ferrari brought only 33 of the 599's with a proper three-pedal manual transmission into the USA and they were largely panned as the clutch has a high engagement point. However, at the Amelia Island Auction in 2015 one of those 33 came up and two knuckleheads with more money than brains bid the car to over $ 600,000 (it was a 2007). So now the three pedal 599's command $ 600K while you can get the one like in the photo with the F1 trans for around $ 150K as a 2007 model.

As you can tell, I have a keen interest in 599's and have come really close to buying one, but the cost of the clutch, shocks and other items on the car keep me into Porsches.

Newer Ferraris, Astons and the like have a much better transmission, but the King of all these hyper-automatics is still the PDK trans that Porsche offers. Lightening fast, smooth and near perfect. I'm still a 3-pedal guy, though.

Lol, ok here's where I'm gonna lose all credibility as a "car fanatic:" I hate stick shifts & my knowledge of driving 1 dates back almost 10 years...so, I haven't practiced in awhile. I prob would need a freshening up course on driving one

I've never seriously looked at Ferraris enough to option one out, etc. But, have read many articles & test drive reviews on them...I wouldn't know if you CAN even find a 612 or 599 optioned with an automatic transmission? Ahhh NO...that'd be almost sacrilege on a car like this!!

Haha, I know, I know...it's either do that & let me just drive the car & enjoy MY experience with it. Or, continue throwing $10K down the toilet in repairs every 20,000 miles?

Has Ferrari traditionally been accommodating with custom requests like outfitting some models with an automatic transmission? Or, is that a standard option on most oftheir vehicles?

Lol, I can't possibly be the ONLY woman in the world that abhors driving a manual & that includes automatic manuals!!