My Three Absolute Favorite Autos

May 2006

Recently, I took a drive in each of my three very most favorite automobiles. These are motor cars that really deliver the stuff that I love, all the time. Cars that are great to walk up to, sit in, spark up the engine, accelerate, turn, stop, and go – whether that’s going to work, or going out to jam through your favorite set of twisties – day-to-day usable performance cars that can be thoroughly appreciated every time you drive, without looking like too much of a jackhole. If you need more specific criteria: rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission are no-brainers; six or eight cylinders and sub-11 lbs. per horsepower do the trick; a reasonable level of refinement and some semblance of heritage contribute to the good stuff; and the coupe/GT body style works best for these full-time pleasure contraptions.

The Porsche 911 forges on as perhaps the most iconic sports car of all time. Though the last version, the 996 platform of 1998 to 2004, disappointed some Porschephiles with its Toyota-esque styling and anesthetized control feel; the 997 platform car that came to us for 2005 gives back much of what Porsche took away and presents it in an extremely good-looking package, while staying true to the rear-engined phenomenon. In Carrera S guise, this car is also seriously quick and is a nice return to the fantastic driver entertainment that made the 911 famous in the first place.

The BMW M3 became a legend during its first two iterations; though the third version that went on sale here in 2001 (E46 platform) has been a mild disappointment, particularly to steering/handling fetishists like me, due to its detached steering feel. The M3 CS (available as 2005 and 2006 M3 coupes) has more than alleviated that criticism, giving the M3 a quicker, more feelsome steering rack in combination with a fat Alcantara steering wheel. The CS also gets some serious-looking forged 19” wheels, a more slide-tolerant M-Track mode for the stability control program, larger cross-drilled floating compound brakes, and some special aluminum trim inside. The result is simply the best M3 ever.

It’s been a long while since an Aston Martin has been near the top of any true driving enthusiast’s wish list. Providing wealthy James Bond wanna-bes with gentlemanly-though-sometimes-gawky muscle cars has been Aston’s tiny niche of late. The new-for-2006 V8 Vantage has changed all that. This is a tight, compact Aston Martin (3 inches shorter and 2 inches lower than the 911) that harkens back to Aston’s legendary models of the 1960s and 70s, achieving a balanced and agile handling feel that few cars today can match. Combine this newfound dynamic excellence with rarity (1,000 per year for North America) and an achingly gorgeous body and swank interior, and you’ve got one of the most desirable cars on the planet.

So the stage is set. You might think these cars are a bit mismatched given the fairly wide price range, but these are three of the best coupe/GTs on the market, and they are simply my three favorite cars. Choosing a winner amongst these three superb cars is a very challenging task, but one that I tackle with massive enthusiasm.


3rd place
Porsche 911 Carrera S
How can the quickest car, and the icon, finish last? Well, these are my three favorite cars, so it was nearly a three way tie for first. But the competition is continually gunning for the huge selling 911, and in this group, with this driver; it just came up a teeny bit short. Don’t get me wrong, I love this car. The wailing 3.8 liter flat-6 delivers the biggest kick of the trio, always feeling and sounding awesome. Squeezing on the throttle brings on that spectacular Porsche burble and throaty roar that every car guy knows and loves. Midrange punch is intoxicating, and the noise-level-to-forward-thrust ratio is perfect. The 6-speed transmission is also danged near perfect, with ultra-slick precise shift action and short throws. The steering is very quick, tight and direct – a vast improvement over the last generation and a big contributor to the twisties-jamming joy that this car can provide. Likewise, the standard brakes are excellent and take off speed with the same aplomb with which the engine piles it on. This combination of virtues makes for a massively entertaining drive.

Yet at times the ride was choppy. Mid-corner corrections were necessitated by small pavement irregularities that the other two cars could just hammer right through un-phased. At one point during some late braking followed by hard cornering, the tires and ABS were gawking and the whole car just felt upset – the 911 stayed very close to the intended line, just not very happily. I suspect these criticisms stem from the car’s original design - nothing can quite overcome the inherent weaknesses of a short wheelbase and tail-heavy balance in this rear-engined sports car.

The new exterior styling, however, is spot-on. The beetle-back shape has never looked better according to many folks. The headlamps have returned to a more classic round-oval shape, and the Coke bottle shape of the body is very alluring with just the right amount of rear fender flare. Inside, the unique curve of the dashboard harkens back to early 911s, but looks thoroughly current. The trick Tire Pressure Monitoring System allows you to see, in an electronic diagram on the dash, any little changes that might impact the handling potential – very cool. Yet the two tones of metal-colored plastic used throughout the interior look downright cheap, the mandatory computer screen control center looks wrong in a performance car, and the vast number of tiny little plastic buttons all over the center console and front part of the roof liner is ridiculous. I also found the steering wheel rim to be a bit thin, the seats to be slightly under-bolstered, the wheels to be somewhat boring-looking, and the tailpipes to be slightly cheap-looking. These last four items can be upgraded via extra-cost optional equipment, but none were included on this lightly-optioned test car. The options list is extremely long and pricey, topping out with the desirable Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes.

But these criticisms don’t really amount to a hill of beans because the 911 Carrera S can pull it off – it is such a special and fantastically charismatic car. There is nothing else like it. And if objective performance is what you’re after – it wins. It out-accelerates the other two cars here and, driven well, it can beat them around road courses such as the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany and Bedford Autodrome West Circuit in England. Adapting to and mastering this wonderfully unique and supremely capable sports car could provide decades of gigantic satisfaction. Nevertheless, two phantasmagorically good cars have bewitched me even more.


2nd place
Aston Martin V8 Vantage
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage seduces the eye from every angle. Wow, is it ever good lookin’. Other recent Aston Martins have been problematic. The Vanquish looks overwrought with its silly, giant creased fender flares; and the DB9 looks somewhat flaccid, like the massaged Jaguar that it is. And they’re both a bit heavy and a bit underperforming; and when enthusiasts scrutinize their dynamics, the criticisms flow freely. But this V8 Vantage hits the bulls-eye - a notch less flashy and ostentatious, yet even more magnetic for the eye of the car-loving guy (or girl). It looks tight, right, and purposeful while at the same time looking elegant, decadent, and sexy. How did they pull this off? Classic sports car proportions, for starters: long, sloping hood and two-placer cabin tapering back to a short hatch. Add perfect sized/shaped rear fender flares and exquisite Aston detailing like the classic grill, the sleek headlamps and tail lights, and the simplistically elegant 7-spoke 19” wheels – all in a smaller, more driver-focused-looking package. Anyhow, it just looks wicked good. Or perhaps you disagree? No, that could not possibly be.

Open the door via the slick push-in/pull-out tongue-depressor style handles, and you notice that the door angles up as it opens (reportedly so as not to hit curbs) and that it has no stop détentes. Instead, the high-grade hydraulics allow it to stop and stay anywhere along its travel. A beautifully thick aluminum door sill welcomes you to the decadence inside. Smooth leather and prominent stitching all over the place, instrumentation with dials that appear to be made of real metal, three simple machined alloy knobs for the HVAC controls, an elegantly uncluttered center stack, and tubular brushed aluminum braces behind the seats (that match three more braces under the hood) let you know that you’ve arrived. Strangely though, the background material for the center stack looks a little bit cheap, appearing to be metal-colored plastic (reportedly other finishes can be ordered); and the cross beams on the inside of the doors appear to have some sort of paint or coating on them that already had two chips out of it on the driver’s side of the test car. The seats could use a little more lateral support too. It appears to me that Aston cut some small corners, when just a few more bucks could have made it perfect. Disappointing.

But spark the ignition and you may forget all about any quibbles you might have. The engine ignites with sweet sounds and a little shudder that runs through the entire vehicle - lovely. The sonics are top-tier as you accelerate - the growling German-made V8 sounding oh-so-eager. The sound level in the cockpit grows with revs, and by 4,500 rpm, the thing is screaming at you. This gem is seriously loud. The accompanying thrust is very good, but not quite awesome enough to warrant the big noises. Given how loud it is, I’d expect the Vantage to be rocketing forward with 911 Turbo-like ferocity; but it’s more like a Carrera, and not the S. And for a V8 the low-end does not quite have the grunt I would expect - the flat-6-powered Carrera S actually bettering the Vantage in this arena. I’d really prefer a scoonch more oomph and a tiny bit less racket. Similarly, the Italian-made gearbox has short throws and easy-to-find gears, albeit with a slightly rubbery feel.

Nevertheless, mid-to-high rpm throttle response is extremely good, and steer the car into some bends and you’ll find a remarkably gifted chassis. Small throttle or steering inputs give glorious results, slightly rebalancing the car as you execute a delightful pivot-and-rail-style dance. The ever-so-slightly tail-heavy Vantage provides the ability to swing the tail out a hair with the throttle to tighten up your line before the rear tires actually break loose – a trait that I find nearly as seductive as the styling. But the car can easily be kept clean and tidy, and makes short work of turns of all radii. I love this car. The brakes feel strong and bring the speeds quickly back to reasonable levels should you get over-zealous on public roads, as you certainly oftentimes would.

So the V8 Vantage is very close to being every bit as gorgeous and capable as I hoped it would be. The gigantic charms and allure of this superb motor car make up for any minor criticisms. The overall wonderment of looking-at, being in, and driving the V8 Vantage is a rare and ultra-special treat – incredibly balanced, poised, and polished; yet ferocious. But for me, another company has pulled-off an even more mind-boggling trick with its automotive engineering magic.


1st place
BMW M3 CS
To guide the BMW M3 CS through fast corners is to achieve Nirvana. Steering feel and chassis dynamics sent straight from Heaven – that is what I have found here. Given my disappointment with the regular E46 platform M3, I find the CS to be transformational, making it an absolute revelation and a complete steal. I wouldn’t even think about pitting a regular M3 against the Carrera S or Vantage, but this CS variant catapults the M3 up into the realms of the Great Ones. The fat-without-getting-ridiculous-about-it Alcantara steering wheel feels like it was made for my hands and delivers information to my finger tips that even the lovely V8 Vantage can’t match. The suspension provides the smoothest ride of this bunch and soaks-up mid-corner pavement irregularities, allowing the driver to enjoy every corner – not what I expected from a more track-day-focused M3. The thing calmly and precisely devours turns at 8/10ths – the composure is miraculous. Push harder to find superb balance, with small throttle or steering inputs rewarding the driver with newfound alacrity and fascinating stories about the extreme talents of this chassis. The perfect 50/50 weight distribution certainly contributes to this greatness. Clean-and-tidy, hints of tail-sliding, or lurid oversteer (so I’ve heard) can all be executed with equal exuberance. The big new brakes feel strong and authoritatively keep the party in check. The CS magically paints a picture in my mind of what the four wheels are doing. It’s an other-worldly experience. I love this car.

The engine too, sounds superb and responds magnificently. From spark-up, you can hear the seriousness in the metallic rumble coming from under the hood. At lower engine speeds, the thing sounds great, but somewhat hushed in the vault-like cabin, allowing me to enjoy the decent-sounding Harmon-Kardon stereo. The whirring metallic sounds of the engine’s racing heritage become more prominent as revs rise, and above 4,500 rpm the car urgently scoots forward accompanied by a sweet song of exhaust roar and high-tech metallic fizz that never quite gets overwhelming like in the Aston – yum-o. High-rev shifts from first to second can produce a hint of unintentional rear-wheel spin, just to let you know that this beast means business. Torque delivery is the typically creamy-smooth BMW I-6 affair – bringing it on like a quick-but-smooth flowing river – perfect for using the right foot to dial-up just the right amount of oomph to the rear wheels to achieve just the right cornering attitude.

The M3 CS also provides an extremely nice place in which to partake of your passion for driving. Unlike the other two more expensive vehicles, I have no complaints about the interior design or materials. I still love the old tilted-toward-the-driver BMW cockpit design; and in this M3 it is executed flawlessly with simple control layouts, soft Nappa leather, real aluminum trim, high quality plastics and buttons, and a little Alcantara – a swell place for all occupants to hang out. This wicked little coupe even has a usable rear seat that folds down and a decent trunk with a ski/snowboard pass-through bag. The fronts seats’ power width-adjustable side bolsters are especially to my liking, allowing me to squeeze my torso in for aggressive stints or give my rib cage some breathing room for cruising. The exterior too provides that square-jawed classic BMW industrial design, sweetly pumped-up by the Motorsports Division. In the CS, the upgrade to beautifully serious-looking forged 19” wheels makes it even hotter. Some may feel that this design is looking dated; but if you like it (I love it), the M3 will be the last Bimmer to get restyled in the new “flame-surfacing” motif (I hate it), aka “Bangled”, after design chief Chris Bangle who I feel is destroying the brand’s styling identity and differentiation.

So it’s perfect then? Well, not for everyone. This car will nearly disappear in many environments because to many people’s eyes it’s just another 3-series. I love that, perhaps you hate it. The V8 Vantage is certainly the much better choice if getting noticed is your #1 criteria. And if you’ve just climbed out of the Carrera S, you may find yourself longing for a little more low-to-mid rpm poke from the gas pedal - the CS equals the Aston on this front (and betters the more like-priced Porsche Boxster S and Cayman S) and allows confident drivers a grand potential for controlled oversteer, but some drivers may want a bit more grunt. And the wonderfully precise and mechanical feeling gearshift does have slightly longer throws than the other two cars – no worries here, but maybe worries for you.

That’s it. The M3 CS receives the least amount of specific criticism of this trio; and it provides so much to savor, at every speed. BMW’s searing baby is just cataclysmically good. It’s even somewhat rare, as only about 2,000 total samples of the CS are expected to make it to North America across the 2005 and 2006 model years, then it’s all over. You could wait for the V8-powered, Bangle-styled, E90-platform M3 due within a couple of years, but there’s no guarantee that it will possess this car’s exquisitely zingy deftness. As a thing, the M3 CS is superbly solid and well-built as evidenced by its composure and ability to cruise with relative serenity. As a performance car, it responds enthusiastically to your every input, allowing you to enjoy every moment of every drive. For me, that’s what it’s all about. I love this car. Gigantically.