Fantasy Garage: The Final Two

So what does one do for Christmas of the year he started his blog, but finish something?! Yes, after dropping off a cliff in mid-March the Garage will finally be completed, but not without some serious thought. You see, after including a sports car, a grand tourer, a roadster, a minivan, a bargain sports sedan, a muscle car, an entry luxury car, and a hot hatchback I honestly was at a loss as to what else I should include. I've hit almost everything that I would have wanted. I've satisfied almost all of my auto enthusiast buttons, so what is missing?

My favorite Porsche and a bionic cheetah.

Cars: Porsche Cayman and Infiniti FX50 AWD

Options:

Porsche (what isn't an option?): Red leather interior, sport exhaust, suspension upgrade (PASM), PDK shifting system, limited slip rear dif, sport chrono package plus, 18" wheels, sports bucket seats, nav system, and BOSE sound system.

Infiniti: sport package.

Prices after options:

Porsche: $75, 450

Infiniti: $62, 265

Of course there would be a Porsche! It is impossible to ignore the perfection that they have been building for decades (though it is very easy to overlook several other fine automobile makers). The 911 has long been considered the gold standard for performance even though it is the best engineered bad design ever. Who ever though it was a good idea to put the engine in the back of a car clearly missed a physics class or two.

None the less, I did not choose the ass-engined 911 for two reasons: 1) it's too damn expensive before options and 2) the mid-engined Cayman is better. For far too long the Cayman has been the talented little sibling that mommy and daddy have been trying to ignore. As the 911 moves past it's prime of the ultimate sports car, eyes focus on the beautiful little coupe: the Cayman.

I never liked the Boxter. I always thought the lines were funny and you lose stiffness when you chop the top off something, but in the Cayman you have that top and with it the performance of cars double its price.

A perfect mid-engine layout with the rear wheels chirping away at the road and it's just bliss. Porsche has perfected the ideal of a car being an extension of one's self. Plus, I just love the way it looks. The sheet metal from behind looks as if it was modeled after the small of a woman's back, which is one of the sexiest parts of any woman.

Now why the hell is there an SUV in a garage of an auto enthusiast?! Now, I have to explain: I love Infiniti, I feel that they are doing BMW better than BMW is doing BMW and with the FX50 they have something truly crazy, yet tame. 0-60 in 5 seconds flat. Sure a BMW X6 can do that...for $7K more. And that is what makes the Infiniti so appealing: it can do it for less and better.

Price doesn't have to factor in with a fantasy collection, but when it comes to ridiculousness I want mine without iDrive. I want it with speed and handling in mind. I don't care that the car will never see mud. I want to drive up to a traffic light next to a Mustang GT, rev my engine, and then look in my rear view mirror at the owner's face as an import SUV out runs him! That's what the FX50 is about: fast, handling, luxury.

Now there are some elephants in the room in the form of the latest Top Gear. Granted there are faster sleds out there, but why spend $100K when you can have just as much fun with less than $70?

As such the Garage is now full and I have enough left over for beer money (or something better)!

Money left over: $13, 504