I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

kyfdx

stickguy said:

A few new Ioniqs. Look sharp in person. I like them. also a couple new Tiquans. Look so much bigger than the old model (which makes sense, since it is!) but very attractive, classy styling. Sadly that sticks out now in a sea of overwrought, Japanese oragami styling.

Are you sure that wasn't the new Atlas?

Mr_Shiftright

explorerx4 said:

The local dealer VW had a big ad in the paper yesterday saying all 2015 diesels are on sale.

My friends went to check out one of those 2015 VW diesels--the pricing was RIDICULOUS. They passed. Apparently the wagons are a hot ticket item.

Michaell

There was an Atlas and the new Tiguan at the Denver Auto Show. The Tiguan is certainly bigger than the previous version, but the Atlas is the size of a Pilot or Explorer.

Mr_Shiftright

From photos, the Atlas looks rather blah. Late to the game, I would say.

stickguy

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

A few new Ioniqs. Look sharp in person. I like them. also a couple new Tiquans. Look so much bigger than the old model (which makes sense, since it is!) but very attractive, classy styling. Sadly that sticks out now in a sea of overwrought, Japanese oragami styling.

Are you sure that wasn't the new Atlas?

Well, it was in Ireland, so I assume it just arrived there first. Pretty sure it was a Tiguan based on the size. An Atlas really would have looked out of place (being so huge).

kyfdx

stickguy said:

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

A few new Ioniqs. Look sharp in person. I like them. also a couple new Tiquans. Look so much bigger than the old model (which makes sense, since it is!) but very attractive, classy styling. Sadly that sticks out now in a sea of overwrought, Japanese oragami styling.

Are you sure that wasn't the new Atlas?

Well, it was in Ireland, so I assume it just arrived there first. Pretty sure it was a Tiguan based on the size. An Atlas really would have looked out of place (being so huge).

Ah... I thought of that, after I posted.

fintail

Saw a Bentayga today, let them eat cake.

laurasdada

Saw my first Bentayga in the wild, too. To each, but so many better ways to spend $200+k.

Mr_Shiftright

Did you read that Car and Driver article about the guy in the UK that has driven his Lamborghini Murciélago 250,000 miles? Total cost to get that far----$640,000 (including depreciation, gas@ $6 a gallon, insurance, an accident, track time, etc). Still, that does make one's socks roll up and down.....

I especially liked the cost of headlights---$7700 apiece, and total cost of feul @ $162,000.

stickguy

If he had bought a pedestrian car, say an S class MB, or big engined BMW coupe, would not have been that much lower.

Mr_Shiftright

You mean like an S65 AMG or some such? Yeah, it's going to cost you a lot to get to 250,000 on one of those as well. Of course fuel in the USA is much cheaper than UK, so that will cut costs considerably, and I would hope that an MB or BMW is at least somewhat more reliable than a Lambo.

fintail

I think a W221 or newer S65 would be worlds better for high mileages than a W220S65. Maintenance will still be enormous, but it shouldn't have constant system failures.

andres3

There isn't much data on supercar reliability is there? CR only reports if they get enough responses, so I never do hear much about Lambo, Ferrari, or other such ultra-expensive sports cars.

Part of the problem is many of the owners probably don't daily drive them. I think the R8 was really the first daily drive-able supercar. I suppose there are some that did so with the Acura NSX.

I know of a couple people racking up major miles on their R8's; I'll have to ask them about any unexpected repairs outside of normal maintenance.

I do know they seem to be holding their value really well.

I think a statistic that tracks % of MSRP it typically takes to reach 250,000 miles would be a great data point for consumers. After all, even a $15,000 Corolla probably takes a fair percentage of its original MSRP to get there.

fushigi

The cheapest new Corolla is $21,665. It gets a city/highway combined of 30MPG so 8,333 gallons to drive a quarter million miles. At $2.50/gallon that's almost another $21K in fuel. BTW it only has a 13.2 gallon tank so assuming you used 90% of the tank before filling up you'd have 701 stops for fuel.

Add your other operating expenses & you'd be well over MSRP again in operating costs. Probably 5 sets of tires, numerous oil changes, a few brake jobs, etc.

kyfdx

At 250K miles, depreciation is 99%, no matter what the car. That's pretty brutal when you start out over $200K

Mr_Shiftright

Unless it's a pickup truck, it seems. You can sell someone a pickup no matter how many miles on it.

explorerx4

In the parking lot at work, a white Honda Accord coupe and a Mercedes GLK.
The GLK has got to be one of the ugliest Mercedes ever designed, although there was that C class with the hatch that was no prize either.

qbrozen

I always liked the GLK design.

And certainly you are forgetting the current GLC coupe for the ugly Benz award.

fintail

GLK was at least unique, and had a Tonka like charm to it. GLC coupe is a BMW copy, and not in a good way. Kind of funny, as the normal GLC is also quite decent, somewhat close to a lifted C wagon.

tifighter

My wife loved the GLK. Especially in red. She still points them out on the road, and frowns on the GLC.

fintail

Saw a C cabrio on the road today, still pretty uncommon.

fintail

Saw a new E wagon at the MB dealer this morning, along with some usual exotica - S65 cabrio, AMG GT. Most amusing was a C-cabrio that stickered for 60K on the nose, not a penny more or less.

laurasdada

Haven't seen one, but apparently a Jaguar XF Shooting SportBrake is in the works! Bound for Los Estados Unidos?

kyfdx

Mercedes AMG GT S.. with temporary tags.

Impressive looking. And, not as expensive as I would have guessed.

fintail

Not brand new, but I talked to the guy who lives in my building and has an F-Pace. He's very pleased with it, no issues.

fintail

I expected something a little more daring for the new Tesla pickup:



(joke from my brother, who parked his S10 at the newly installed charging stations in the small town where he lives. No doubt catering to travelers, I seriously doubt anyone who lives there drives a Tesla).

qbrozen

What we need is a video of the owner trying to insert the plug into his gas filler neck

stickguy

Another new pilot in my neighborhood. In the very common dark gray. Next door to someone else that bough one, but blue. There are at least 2 others in my neighborhood that I know of

andres3

There's a E55 AMG on my street, but I didn't photo it. However, I did photo these Benz's:

fintail

250SE cabrio would be model years 1966-68, I think. Fairly desirable car, I don't know about those grille badges, but probably just a well-loved car. The SL has side markers, so likely 1968+, probably a 280SL.

Mr_Shiftright

Good lord! Who tinted the windows? Well, easily corrected at least.

ab348

A 250SL that I really liked, a nice preserved but unrestored car (but as usual was picked to death by the aficionados) sold last week on BaT for $66K. Yikes.

Mr_Shiftright

That's a risky purchase sight unseen. They are very rust-prone and a devil to put right. But top-notch show quality ones are in the 130K range now. Last year I saw the best one in the world, E-V-E-R, and it sold quickly at $145K and probably could be flipped for another $10K.

People will pay for the very best.

Personally I like the early 230SLs with manual transmission. Much closer to what we might call "a sports car".

fintail

I think I'd rather have the cabrio. It's basically a fintail, so I would be familiar with it, and it has a timeless class to it that few cars can match. Good solid long term values on those, too (where Pagodas have tripled in 20 years).

tifighter

I went to high school with a kid that had a 230SL with the 4 speed manual. White. Hand me down from the parents. Early nineties. Extra cringe-worthy now.

Mr_Shiftright

Which? The car or the kid?

berri

I like that rather rich looking sort of cream color and it actually stands out as a MB. That's why I like Fin's Fintail too.

fintail

A lot of earlier W113s were white on blue or white on red. White was big for MB then. I've seen an early 230SL in the same color as my fintail.

laurasdada

At the Acura dealer, on my "Automile," a new, white NSX.

fintail

Saw a white NSX in traffic today, also a new silver C63

ab348

Saw a Tesla Model X on the road yesterday, a first for me in these parts. Teslas are pretty thin on the ground here anyway but I have seen a few sedans over the last couple of years. I never knew they even made a SUV-type vehicle. Wasn't nearly as good-looking as the sedan to me, looked rather turtle-ish.

fintail

I call the Tesla design language "egg". I wish I didn't see so many of them, I probably see 10 Model X a day now. Worst use of private vehicle tax incentives ever.

kyfdx

Mercedes E550 convertible... in red, with the top down.

andres3

fintail said:

I call the Tesla design language "egg". I wish I didn't see so many of them, I probably see 10 Model X a day now. Worst use of private vehicle tax incentives ever.

In strong competition for the Cash4Clunkers debacle I'm sure. Arguable which one was a greater waste. I'll go with your call only because at least the Cash4Clunkers horrible idea helped some of the masses in general, while Tesla's are aimed at the 1%. Maybe top 5% given the incentives.

andres3

Saw a large bunch of Dodge Viper ACR's at the local Cars N' Coffee Saturday. Apparently they have a Southern CA club. Audi made the strongest showing though, with RS7, RS4, S6, Allroad, A4, S3, A3, TT, and of course my TTS all represented.

The sponsoring "car wrap" company had one of those 200+ MPH Bugatti's being wrapped in a combo of blue and very reflective polished aluminum/chrome look.

qbrozen

I wonder what happens to vinyl wrap at 200mph

fintail

The thing that gets me about C4C is that some nice old cars (quite a few MB 124/126/140, I think) were lost, but hopefully were parted out before they were crushed. It also inflated used car values, at least for a time.

The socio-economic part of the Tesla break is what I find cringeworthy, yes. How there is no MSRP cap is both amazing and not surprising at the same time.

andres3 said:

In strong competition for the Cash4Clunkers debacle I'm sure. Arguable which one was a greater waste. I'll go with your call only because at least the Cash4Clunkers horrible idea helped some of the masses in general, while Tesla's are aimed at the 1%. Maybe top 5% given the incentives.

berri

Tesla and Tesla stock = Bubble???

Mr_Shiftright

Can't make sense out of Tesla---don't try.

kyfdx

I wouldn't bet against the stock. Not as long as they have no trouble raising all the money they need. Doesn't matter if you are right, if everyone else keeps buying.