clutchcargo

Ooh, you found a Rapide, I'm liking it!!

mosesbotbol

Yes, it's really awesome. Does it all. Quiet and easy to drive around town. Brilliant engine sounds, suspension and steering when you get on it. Looks like a space ship in person! V8 and V12 are so different as is the style of car vs. my Vantage. Yet they both feel very Aston Martin. Especially in the steering.

cbehney

Congrats! It's a stunning car. Even better looking in person than in photos.

ChiHonda

mosesbotbol

I have never driven the Panamera. I can't get beyond the looks. Rapide is real dual personality. It's very much like a regular car in normal mode, and just like a sports car in Sports Mode & Adaptive Suspension. Very dramatic change. Sports mode is almost as dramatic as it was in the Evora, way more so than Jaguar's sport mode. Adaptive mode you feel instantly, unlike Jaguar's Dynamic mode which does stuff, but nothing to wake you up on. Rapide really needs to be driven with paddles (which are not so fast) because the auto wants to be in 5 gear at 40 mph. Above 4k RPM, the wail from the V12 is just incredible. Has active exhaust that I may try to disable. I hate racing the engine to hear the sound; I want it all the time. Rapide is well insulated with double pane glass. Like vault inside. As cool as the B&O stereo looks and all that, the sound is nothing to write home about. Natural sounding, but I like Meridian in our Jag better. Over all the Rapide is nice car that does bit of everything and looks stunning. Back seat is roomier than what most journalists say. Haven't tried the rear DVD yet. The dog likes the front seat; she hasn't sat in back yet. I think this weekend she will.

fusionchickenleg

There are a lot of choices, I will only comment on the E63 vs E-chassis M5/M6 comparo, having driven a few of these cars in anger

Their transmissions are all kinda "crappy" compared to what we have access to now in the new car market IMO. The SMG isn't very smooth at upshifting even in the quickest shift mode; and is a bit jerky in automatic mode.

The AMG trans is smooth in auto mode, and upshifts quickly / smoothly but only if you leave it in Sport+ and automatic mode. The steering wheel paddles respond pretty slowly to inputs especially for a 1st to 2nd upshift. The new AMG cars are much better but those aren't $50k

I would take an M5 over an M6 personally as well. I love the E60 chassis and the big rear seats are pretty comfy, especially when the car has a 500hp V10.

For $50k you can easily get into an AMG with the bi-turbo V8 - these are ridiculously torquey and sound epic - it has the turbo whistle + the classic AMG V8 staccato exhaust note. The AMG will feel much more torquey at normal speeds on local roads, though ringing it out isn't as satisfying as redlining a V10 that really wakes up at around 6k RPM.

For $50k there are plenty of other sedans with turbo power you can get - I personally love the new Q50 as well, Red Sport trim has 400hp stock, the trans in manual mode is kinda meh, but for a new car with warranty and NIssan reliability and better MPG than the candidates above it may be a more logical choice. The 3.0TT powerplant responds well to basic plug and play chips like the JB4 as well; add in E85 if you really want to party.

If you don't need a sedan then the choices are limitless. I would save up a bit more and get into a 997 Turbo with a 6mt...I've been itching for one for so long sigh

mosesbotbol

A couple of friends have the Biturbo V8; one a CLS 65 AMG-S and the other Renntech E550 Cabrio. Both have huge horsepower numbers and accelerate like no tomorrow. The AMG has great brakes, but both have numb steering. Yes, it goes where pointed, but feels disconnected from the road. Maybe that's better for commuting or by design? I am not fan for the super low rumble of the Mercedes engines, but there's no question on the power! Even the AMG GT is not my sound preference.

fusionchickenleg

Yes sir, exhaust note preference is such a subjective thing. Looking at your sig I've driven a 6mt Vantage V8 in the canyons for a few days in a row, and I have to way that exhaust note is absolutely insane, coming out of such an elegant car. I can't imagine a V12. I need so many cars it's painful.

mosesbotbol

On my Vantage, I had VelocityAP decats installed and the fuse removed for the exhaust flaps. Sounded insane you are right. V12 sounds different, and perhaps not as vicious (except at start up). I think that is more of a V12 vs. V8 from any manufacturer. V12 is a smoother revving design. I may go for the decats on the V12 when I do my annual oil change this fall.

ChiHonda

BMW 1 Series M. Its the same size as the E46. There's decent storage--it has fold down rear seats. I took my 135i to Costco and my wife and I did car camping. You could drive it every day and have not a lot of depreciation. If you want more zing, a few thousand on a tune, and full bolt-ons: intake, downpipes, intercooler, exhault and you are at 450 whp and more torque in a 3400 lbs car. Having said I'd suggest to try it at stock for a while. Its underrated from the factory and the twin turbo torque makes it seem a lot powerful than 300 crank hp. The inline 6 is smooth when you want it to be and beast when you are going for it. The N54 engine has some issues and the rest is BMW but its not less reliable or costly to maintain than anything else mentioned here. The interior is good BMW but don't expect 6-series materials. 6-speed only. If you want modern interior tech, look for a non i-drive version. Replace the "BWM Business" stereo with a double din unit with CarPlay or Android Auto. I did that and its as good as any new "infotainment" system. I miss my 135i a bit. If I could do it over again I might have kept it and put on some 1M/M3 suspension bits. It would be a good complement to my S2000.

Reliablity aside my only complaint about the engine is that it runs out of breath at 5500 rpm. There's not much satisfaction in winding it out. The gearing is long too. First isn't much fun and the top of 3rd is jail time.

Of course, if you want brand new or barely used M2.