Thanks guys for kicking this can around with me a bit. Interesting comments.

Normy, My take is that the Mosler and especially the Nobles are the way to get into that mid engined supercar for the street at a reasonable price. And end up with a car that you can keep running with out breaking the bank.

Paul , I am interested to be hearing your thoughts about moving on from your sweet longhood
into your mustang. Some of the resent models of stang are eye candy to be sure, and seem to perform well. But here on Kauai there are so many mustang convertible rentals, and I do mean lots. that one would be lost in the crowd. But I guess that is part of the appeal for you?

Danny Ocean, What is that car your neighbor has? It looks somewhat like the Daytona Prototypes that run in Grand Am. But nicer. Is it a road going car?

Art, have to agree that we are lucky that Porsche does so well blending performance, looks and quality. some of the best of all worlds.:-)

Cheers Richard

Form follows Function..
I remeber the 1st Moslers and the The Mosler TwinStar (push/pull Caddy)
Mosler TwinStar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and ZAMIRZ and Richard are correct, they have come along way..
And I too like the Nobles..:cool:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316406818.jpg

Yeah yeah yeah- that thing still has NOTHING on my 928. That car is a heinous war-pig compared to my 928-

N!

A BIG part of the appeal. A mustang is a common car...tho you don't find many ragtops of any make it Western Oregon. (it rains here a bit. ;)) I chose the Bullitt model because of it's understated look...no stripes, spoilers, scoops, emblems. The salesman tried to steer me into a striped and spoilered GT...he finally got it when I told him if he couldn't find a Bullitt, I wasn't going to buy a Mustang. I LOVE it's anonyminity, it's lack of attention from others.

Kind of Ironic that I just found out about the number of '09 Bullitts produced.
629 in Green, 181 in Black. Oh well, it's still just a well balanced, low key driver to me.

I'd had it up to my eyebrows with owning a "special" car...The more valued it became to others, people who subscribed to the "image is everything" krap, the less I enjoyed it. It was a much more enjoyable car for me before the early cars became "image" cars.

I can't be arsed much with looks but i have made money as a model

(when i was 8 and my mum made me do fashion shows, i have an excuse : she bribed me with big Lego boxes..)

Amateur psychologist here.

1. You have been rather insistent in seeking attention for your car here, which tells me that you don't really love it's anonymity on the road. I think you miss having a car that is "special". That's why you keep flogging this dead horse (mustang) of yours.

2. I don't think you were fed up with having a special car that people admired. I think you got sucked into the whole "Q-tips-and-toothbrush-concours-scene" and stopped driving the car like God intended. And that made you miserable. BTDT.

No charge for this advice!

Well put, Dottore, well put.

I loved my 914 but a lot of folks thought it was funny looking or ugly. I did not care. I guess I have never cared what others think of my "style" even in high school. That is one reason I drove a 1960 VW bug when most of the other kids were into Mustangs, Camaros, Road Runners and the other muscle cars.

I love the looks of my 911. But performance wise there are TONS of cars today with more HP and pickups and minivans can out run me 0-60.

The top gear hated the looks of the Gumpert:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316437213.jpg

But it it finished at the top of the speed board.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wZkgTL18Qh...apier-sl-c.jpg

Nobles (now Roisson) can be had used for $40k. The latest version of the Mosler starts around $250k.

My neighbor's car is a Rapier. They had been designed/raced on the track, but just recently started producing for the street. They start around $115k.

New Mustangs are for teen fanboys.

Car choices are sooo individual. Not only are their looks, build quality, utility, performance, fun and prestige.....there is what Clarkson calls the "x-factor". I interpret the x-factor to mean how all of those other items mesh. There are a huge block of enthusiasts that only look at the number of air scoops and performance numbers, those people usually will only be interested in the latest, and greatest, current benchmark cars. I wouldn't own a 27 year old 911 if I was solely interested in numbers, and although I'm sure there are many extraordinarily fast 911's on this board, most of us are running stock (or close to stock) Porsches of their period. Put me down as an X-factor guy, since I only have time, money and space for one, (non-appliance). Cheers

Cheap and fast, full of curves and can go down on a moments notice...oh, cars....hmmm...yup, same applies

And rightfully so.

If I had a dog that looked like that, I'd shave his ass and teach him to walk backwards.

It looks like her face caught on fire and they put it out with an ice-pick.

She could make a freight train take a dirt road. Or knock the buzzards off a schit wagon.

Those Gumperts look a lot like the Bugatti Veyron IMO.

Fugly, but the shape seems to work.

Another ass-ugly car.

The Gumpert has that appliance of the supercars look. This was a bit of Clarkson's criticism of the McLaren. That the looks were dictated by the areo guys only with no sense of style considered. The 458 is beautiful to me other than those ridiculous head lights that seem to be the it thing these days.

Also Clarkson really seems to like that tail out, all most drifting style of cornering which the Mclaren didn't do with it's four wheel drive as it as it passed the 458 rather easily.
He also said that the interior fit and finish, and quitness of the engine just didn't comunicate the right rough and rowdy feel he would prefer.

These very qualities would go toward making the McLaren the rare bird of this type of car. One that would be a pleasure to drive on the road, and possible to enjoy for more than an hour once in a while

That Rapier looks great to me. Could do with out some of those indented faux vents on the side tho. Makes me think that the 458 could improve the headlight look with some tinting.

Cheers Richard

You touched on somethig here. A friend descibed this as wanting a "500 mile car".
I've stolen that term because it makes such sense.

A "500 mile car" should be able to carry 2 people and their luggage rapidly, yet in comfort, for a single 500 mile drive. Upon arriving at their destination, these people should be able to enjoy a few hours of planned activity before retiring.

Any car that does this is a good design, In my opinion.

I'm a form follows function guy.

My fun weekend car that I have always dreamed of owning is to me one of the most beautiful cars ever made (944)

My DD is truly an invisible appliance car (Elantra).

Sorry Paul, I'm not buying the Mustang as a invisible car... I know I look at them when I see them out and about... they are a performance automobile after all.


I good thing to think about would be old English and Italian sports cars from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Arguable some of the most beautiful cars ever made... however reported to be quite a handful to drive.

Performance automobile? Some are...most aren't. Ford sells more v-6/automatic Mustangs than any other version. Pretty damned invisible...

For some reason, they are everywhere here in NC. I can't explain why, but it is what it is. So they're probably invisible due to being so common, but I notice them because I am a fan. As far as performance automobile goes...I sort of agree; but they've always had good bang for the buck even in V6 trim. The '11 V6 - definitely a performance-oriented car. Would love to get one, but my next purchase is another air-cooler or a 996.