The GT3 all the way!

 

Before I can give you my opinion I would like to know why going from a 2 door coupe(2 seater) to a 2 door 2+2 to a sedan (5 seater).
You are also not including the Cadillac CTS-V which undeniably has a spot on this sport car group.

In my honest opinion the S4 and S5 stock are one step below the reason? look at the power(333hp and 354hp.
The GT3 is a beautiful car but there is a lot of compromise... lots! do you have a family or is this car going to be your toy car?.That leaves you the C63 AMG and the ISF which I consider just marvellous cars, they offer sport looks, luxury, comfort, room with just the penalty of gas mileage and perhaps maintenance but all the cars that you listed above will cost you some significant maintenance money except the BMW with its 4 year free maintenance.

I personally drive an 09 C63 AMG. Love every aspect of it except the gas mileage and maybe the maintenance but I am now netting 10,000 miles city driving per year and is an awesome car in and out. I have an avalanche or torque at the simple touch of the drive by wire throtle.

Please read more about the current ISF, they tweaked many many suspension components and is a delight to drive, smooth as hell.

If you have the money to buy the M-5 you are now obligated to look at the CLS 63 twin-turbo. Initial testing reveals that the engine is under rated around 100hp or more. It is already trapping low 120's on its very bare factory set up. A future tune could turn this car into an absolute rocket...




The M-5 is not even here yet. Wait and see. I highly suggest you "expand" your car search criteria and look at other details. For instance, why not a used Z06 for less money than a GT3?
Why is not the M-3 coupe or sedan included? Help me help you!

Here is one last comment from me that will make you scratch your head, I got $12,000 off the MSRP on my C63 AMG. BMW would only give me $4500 disccount for a M-3. Audi would give me $0(zero) when I when to test drive the S4. Like I said before, expand your search, often other details and aspects is what really makes the difference. Good luck!


Carlos

 

First let me start off by thanking you for putting together well written paragraphs with appropriate questions. I should then go onto say that I am not necessarily buying this car solely for performance but based on what I have driven in the past and how much pleasure each drive has brought me. Before I get into my reasoning please do not take offense to my responses as they are personal opinions of my own.

I do not have a family so this car is more for daily commuting day in and day out. Likely I'll be taking the train to work and using this for weekend drives, road-trips, going to the grocery store, taking the dog out, shooting in the dessert, etc. etc.

My range is so wide because other than the M5 I've driven all of these car's predecessor and could see myself owning each one on a daily basis in some shape or form. Not having kids makes it a lot easier to do so and realistically this would be an addition to the S2K. Both the Evo X and Evo IX (will be gone soon) will no longer be in the stable.

Every car that I have listed above I either like or love the external looks of it with performance being a close second and interior consideration being third. To start with the CTS-V, while I like the performance I think the looks of the interior and exterior are absolutely horrid. The interior to me is a little too racy for the type of car it is supposed to be. I also do not like the bulky dimensions of the nav, shifter, and dash layout. I like an interior that flows and is delicate, I've discovered this whilst driving the car's listed (excluding the M5).

So why the Audi's? I had one for four months and absolutely adored the drive. The interior is PERFECT as in I had zero pet peeves with it and it was quiet enough. The ride was nice, the clutch in the 6-speed is nice, and performance wise it's good enough for government work. I've never been in an S5 but presumably it's the same with V8 rumble and a little less speed. Looks wise I love the way the B8 Audi's look, they're sleek and the line's flow well. Audi is not going to give you a discount because, well, fully loaded the S4 is only $60k and that's optioned out. A well optioned M3 will be $70k so there may be wiggle room.

The C63, well I've actually ruled that one out for the time being. I decided to spend one week in my friend's C63 and while it is a hoot to drive I can't live with the interior. It feels plastiky and cheap for a car of that caliber. I walk to the car with this face because it looks badass, then I have to drive it stop light to stop light and I'm like this , then I floor it and back to this . It's not a car I could turn the radio up, drive slow, and just be serene in.

I'll look into the CLS63. The one thing about MB and BMW is that when it comes time to have a little twisty fun (for what the car is) the MB dances like a rave-crazed 19 year old, the BMW's tend to be a lot more ballerina and precise.

The GT3/GT3RS. I love every thing about this car; except it being 2-doors. That's the only thing and I mean the ONLY thing. The interior A+, stiffness of the clutch A+, sound A+, ride comfort? almost non-existent, but I get lost in every other thing that this car has to offer, and the jittering ride quality turns into a subconscious back massage. It's also a great car to just drive, you don't have to beat it, but just drive. Performance wise, well it's a GT model so it performs better than most cars as to be expected. The 2-doors kills me, but human nature is to be ignorant and choose lust of sense and that's the kind of car that is which is why it's been taken into consideration.

I love the Z06's, but not enough to pay money for them. I'd rather have the Porsche and not for the name, but simply because I like them more. However, a friend owned modded Z06 and I creamed my pants every time I looked at it and he got on the throttle. It is the car to buy if you want to go fast often.

The IS-F: I like the lexus it's a fairly decent car. I've only had a day of seat time in one but it was really fun to drive. Do you know what it's missing though? Features and I can't tell if I love it or hate it. I walked out to it and though damn that's a sexy car, but then there would be times where I'd think it's ok. I just don't know. At the end of the day it's still a Lexus and it's nowhere near a hardcore performer in my opinion. It's a like a pretty girl at a symphony, you respect her because she's proper, she's dressed up and beautiful, she claims to be a singer and has the voice of a goddess, you get her home and while she rocked your bed, she was nowhere near as fun as the dressed up sorostitutes you took home in your college undergrad days. There's a void that needs to be filled, and even when she's not banging your brain's out it's hard to find her interesting when you take her out for a stroll.

Arrive at the M5. BMW has great support for their vehicles (at least the dealer in this area). I had two e36 M3's and an E46 M3 and if ever I had a problem the dealership treated me WELL. The car's had minimal problems and I beat the living **** out of them. The M5 is also speculated to come in a 6 speed manual, if that is true I'm even more in love. The gadgets, I don't know if you've looked at the new M5 but it comes with some pretty neat features and the interior is 2nd to Audi/Porsche. I can't compare the CLS to the M5 because I've driven neither, but presumably when they launch I will drive both until then BMW has my deposit.

I could go on for days about what I want in a car, but to sum it up I want passion. I don't just want engine noise and performance passion I want the entire driving experience. I want to smile at my interior, I want to look out of the window and be thrilled that the car is sitting there, I want it to sound nice and play nice, I want a car that I look back at...three times, I want one that couples calm music and a nice drive and then instills in me the adrenaline of a British rioter when I press the gas pedal and turn the wheel. Thus far I've come to find that there are three cars that do this for me: The M5, the S4, and the GT3/3-RS.

Then to narrow it down. The M5 has a V8 with two turbo's which is pretty much the motor of an X6M that is currently making 700hp on only exhaust and a reflash. Then I think to myself "It's no Prius but 30MPG combined sounds good for that much power." It hits me that I've been on a track zero times in the last year and I'm content with that. Lastly it punches me in the face that I can just own the M5 for a few years then buy a dedicated track-car like a stock engine, stock tranny NSX with lots of suspension, or a GT3. Right now it seems like the M5 makes sense. I'm tired of buying a car and wanting a LOT more. This is what happened with the Evo, I bought a car that I was not satisfied with and tried to turn it into something that it wasn't. At the end of the day I end up with a close to $70,000 (car included) experience that I was not happy with. I am now a true believe in purpose-built vehicles and for each one of the top three cars in consideration they suit my purposes to some extent; one more than the others.

 

I think you made the right choice. Personally I don't like MB's designs. I don't think they've made a really timeless design since the 50s. Can you think of any previous gen MB that still looks good? Me neither.

BMWs however still look great even several generations old. I think Lexus IS also has that quality and definitely Porsche does as well.

Remember to post some picks once you take delivery of that M5.

 

I can, but not at this point in my life am I able to afford a $200,000 car. The SLS will prove to be a timeless design. I agree with you on the rest of the Merc's though, they are nothing special. Time ages them rather well and it has been hard for me to tell the dated models from the newer ones.

I've yet to sit in a Merc that has made me feel special. The quality material one's make me feel like I'm 70, and the sporty one's make me feel like I'm 16 again. They've yet to perfect the art of an interior.

Will do.

 

gt3

 

M5, but Panemera Turbo over that.

 

No CTS-V?

 

weird list... u have 2-seater track cars and family sedans. $50-$100k prices...

M5 will be extremely overpriced when it first arrives.
GT3 will be a money pit, if abused (and most of them are).
S5 is way behind the others on the list, on performance

I say get the new C63 coupe (coming out soon)

 

I'm an Audi guy and I prefer 4 doors so I voted S4. M5 is my second choice.

 

Gt3!

 

I think I clearly explained myself. I don't see the GT3 being anymore of a money pit than my evo. The fact that I've been around two that are "abused" as you put it and they're holding up just fine I think they're really stout cars. Not to be an *** but I only listed one 2-seater "track" car. I don't consider it to be a track car from my experience alone.

Doesn't matter my mind is made up.



To the CTS-V response again, it's in the above post why it's not on my list of cars to consider. The C63 coupe is bound to have the same terrible interior as the C63 sedan.

 

How bout 2012 GT-R or ZR-1 ?