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

Fantasy Garage: GTI

Car: Volkswagen GTI

Options: Six-Speed Automatic DSG with Tiptronic

Price after options: $24, 930

So, it's Sunday.  Not Friday.  Which means...another "regular car", but don't get me wrong.  This is by far not just some ordinary car.  The VW GTI is legend as the hot-hatch of hot-hatches.

Now if someone were to ask me which hot-hatch I would've said the Mazda MazdaSpeed3, no questions asked.  And even today it was difficult to choose which one to put in the garage, but one thing changed my opinion: actually sitting in the current generation Rabbit.  My friend The Car Girl has one and it is so roomy inside that you have a clown car feeling when you get out.  The car looks smaller than it is, plus it has the functionality of a hatchback.

Did I mention that it's fast and handles great?  Oh, can't forget the one option: DSG transmission.  This transmission has become the gold standard for what a performance dual-clutch should be.  And it should since VW owns Bugatti, which also has a similar transmission.

Plus it is affordable, proving that you don't need to spend $50K to get a performance car.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $151, 219

Fantasy Garage: A4

Car: Audi A4

Options: Premium Plus Trim line, manual, quattro 

Price after options: $35, 850

So maybe yesterday was very busy, but here it is!  Two days late and my choice of new car for the garage is: a simple Audi A4.  My mother has wanted one of these for ever and once my brother goes to college there is now doubt in my mind that she will dump the crossover she has now and get her beloved Audi with quattro all wheel drive.

And what a model to get.  Freshly redesigned off of the same styling cues that have made the R8 and (more importantly) the A5 so drop dead gorgeous, the new A4 is a sight to see.  From its clean styling to its new LED running lights, the new A4 is divine.

I could have gone up market with it, getting the 3.2 liter V6 or the S-line's V8 (or is it a twin turbo charged V6?), but this is a car for my mom.  She doesn't need the frills, just the car.

So this one's for you mom.  You couldn't have picked a more beautiful car.  I got it in white, cause black is silly, silver is over done, and Audis just look so pretty in white.  I did cave for the very Germanic black on black interior.  

But just looking at the car, one can't help but think: god that's beautiful.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $176, 149

Fantasy Garage: Challenger SRT8

Car: Dodge Challenger SRT8

Options: 6-Speed Manual Transmission

Price after options: $41, 940

I wanted this to be my first car, to own.  I had it all planned out: how much it would cost, how I would make it work, when I would buy it.  And then the starting price was a few grand higher than I had expected and reality set in.  So I had to scrap the dreams of owning one.  That plus the less than stellar reviews made me hold back even more...until now!

This is Steve's Fantasy Garage!  And here, fantasy is reality!  So what if the interior is made of Chrysler crap-tastic-plastc?  It's got the looks, the big HEMI V8, and can run from 0-60 in under five seconds!

The Corvette had Americana written all over it, but you cannot deny the very retro American muscle car styling and attitude that the Challenger just exudes from every angle.  This car is all about straight roads, tire smoke, and American Muscle!

Money left in the "Fantasy Garage Account": $211, 999

Fantasy Garage: G8 GXP

Car: Pontiac G8 GXP

Options: None (even though I should pony up the cash for the manual, I won't)

Price After Options: $35, 295 (this includes a $3, 000 discount that is stated on GM's website)

This week has been an epic fail for GM.  They have shut down their performance division, they have decided to end Saturn, Saab is filing for bankruptcy in Sweden, Pontiac is being shrunk to a niche brand, and they still need more money from the government.

In light of all this I have been trying to decide what car I should add to the Garage this week.  My thoughts have run from Subaru to Cadillac to BMW, but what I really wanted was the BMW M5 without the iDrive or the Cadillac CTS-V without the "look at me" grill.  And then I remembered the bargain G8 GXP or the poor man's M5.

Now, before I decided on the G8 GXP I did consider the last generation Pontiac GTO, which was not a huge success, but was fast.  And in considering this I thought about what the garage was: was it a collection of awesome cars that can be purchased or a collection of new cars.  I think we all know which one I chose (new).

So here we have the best Pontiac turned out since the GTO and it comes just as the brand and the platform it is based on is discontinued.  But let us for a second pretend this isn't happening.

The car corners like the best German sports cars and is blisteringly fast.  Plus it doesn't break the bank, and in this economy they can be had for real cheap.

The interior is upscale for GM, which isn't saying much, but is a step up and almost par for the price range.  This car is the one I would drive to have fun when the time called for 4 doors and the mini-van was just too big.

If you are in the market for a large sports sedan on a budget, the G8 should be on your list.  If it is not, test drive it to humor me and then reconsider your short list.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Mine would be in red, cause grey/silver is just too damn boring.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $253, 939

Fantasy Garage: Odyssey EX

Car: 2009 Honda Odyssey EX

Options: Fog lights

Price after options: $30, 436

Yeah baby!  After 3 sweet coupes I chose a mini-van.  

Now, let me explain this because it is something that requires some explaining, to be sure.  All auto enthusiasts understand or should understand that SUVs are stupid.  They are large, gas guzzlers that have worse mileage, cost more, and carry less than mini-vans.  Mini-vans can carry an absolutely ridiculous amount of people and stuff.  They comfortably have three rows rather than 2 with a tiny third row.  I would buy a mini-van and you should too.

The Honda Odyssey has been consistently one of the best, mostly because of its driving performance.  Of course saying that it is the best of the losers doesn't say much, but in a group of vehicles where every car is as boring as the next, it is enough to make it standout.

It is the car to have if you need more space than a hatch-back.  You could get a crossover, but you could also get a large sedan that has equal space and trunk room.  In the car wars this is one segment that is to often overlooked for all the wrong reasons.  Once people get over the soccer mom stigma of the mini-van, I am sure they will love it.

Also, this is the only car in which I have spun the drive wheels at every take off, which makes me giggle.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $289, 234

Fantasy Garage: MX-5 Miata

Car: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Options: Touring trim, Suspension Package

Price after options: $25, 100

Ah yes, a third coupe for my fantasy garage.  The Miata has been one of the all time bench marks for superb handling.  The only company that comes close to matching the sublime Miata is Porsche, and I would be remiss to not mention Lotus here as well.  But the cheapest cars from both of those companies start at double the price of the Miata.  This makes the Miata not only a handling gem, but a smiles-per-dollar satisfier!

I will admit that I was tempted to choose the RX-8 over the Miata here, but there are a few things that held me back and one was NOT price.  The RX-8 uses a rotary engine, allowing it to rev higher than most cars ever feel comfortable.  This however comes with a few draw backs: reduced fuel economy and increase oil thirst.  Those aside, it might have made its way into the garage, and it still might, but for now the spot goes to the Miata.

Something else that I should mention since I have been in one of these: the top.  The convertible top on the Miata is so easy to put up and take down.  One arm reaches back and pulls it up, done.  Latches and such, but that's it!  And to make matters better, the top folds right behind the seats, so there is no loss of trunk space!  Though the twins from GM might go faster and look cooler (Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky) they have no trunk, top up or down.  I know.  I've seen it.  I wouldn't store a sandwich in one of their trunks, but I would put luggage in the back of a Miata.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $319, 670

Fantasy Garage: M6

Car: 2009 BMW M6

Options: none

Price after options: $102, 925

I've been in love with this car ever since I first heard of it as a concept: sport tuned, V-10 engine, coupe, 2+2, BMW.  It was love at first sight.  Though it may not be the prettiest of all the BMWs on the road today, it certainly is one of the best and the GT car I would want to have...well, let's not get too far ahead of our selves.  

But this is still a great car!  Big engine, fast, German engineering.  Clearly I have so much to say about this particular vehicle.

I will say that to me what really sets the M6 apart from the rest is the complete disregard for engine size.  Sure there are other cars zipping around with turbo'd V8s and biturbo V12 (Mercedes I'm looking at you and all your ridiculousness), but the only popular cars to sport the nice round ten cylinder number are Lamborghini, BMW...and after searching everyone else the Porsche GT, which is no longer in production, comes to mind.  So when I was young and feeble minded I thought this was cool and unique.  500 hp and room for 4?  That's crazy I thought, I must have one.

So it stands that the M6 is the newest entry into my Fantasy garage: perfect handling, big engine, and two doors = fun times.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $344, 770

Fanatsy Garage: Corvette

Car: 2009 Corvette

Options: Z51 Performance Package, Dual Mode Exhaust

Price after options: $52, 305

First car in the garage is American!  Who woulda guessed?  But seriously folks, the Corvette is the real deal.  In terms of bang for your buck, a phrase that is used world over to describe the Corvette, you can't do much better.  436 hp and 428 lb-feet of torque for around 50k, and probably less in this economy.

I admit I was tempted to go with the Z06 model, but with the two option boxes I checked, the extra expense just didn't make sense.  This car turns my head every time I see it on the highway or around town.  I feel it is such an improvement, design wise, over the C5 Corvette.  It was, is, and will always be one of the most iconic American sports cars ever.

Not to mention that I would totally use it as a daily driver.  Sporting the most advanced Chevy small block V8 in history, this car will easily return mpg's in the mid-twenties and still tear it up on the track during the day and cruise the main drive at night.

Money left in "Fantasy Garage Account": $447, 695

Fantasy Garage

The folks over at Jalopnik have for some time now been running a "Fantasy Garage."  It seems that any self-proclaimed car nut has one in their head, and it is through these that we start to get a picture of each other.  Some go for vintage German cars like the first Prosche 911 model, others classic pre-War cars of the 30's and 20's, and still others will fill their chock full of every exotic that has been on the market for the last decade.

I'm going to take a slightly different approch.  Though these lists always have excellent cars, they tend to lean heavy on the "fantasy" side of the spectrum.  For example: sure everyone would have a Mclaren F1 LM in their fantasy garage, but how would one go about doing that?  As such, I am going to bring the fantasy a little bit closer to earth by placing a total price cap for the garage.

Let us say...$500,000.00?  A nice round number, but then i could have two quarter million dollar cars and call it a day...so the additional catch is that there always has to be at least 10 cars in the garage (the magic number for all lists).  To make sure I don't cheat I'll pull prices direct from the company websites and I will be honest with my self and get the options I want, because no one needs matching lugage with their Bentley Continental Flying Spur, but you sure do want them!

I'll pick the cars on Fridays and after ten weeks...well, let's get there first!