Cars & Motorcycles

[JohnVF]

Is it the 1.9L M44 4-cylinder motor, or the M50/M52 straight-six?

It's the M52. 2.5L (though it says 2.3). We drove a 1.9 last week and didn't like it. Plus that one smelled like pee despite being listed as "like new", so unfortunate all around. This car's big selling point was that it came from California, and is in really nice condition compared to the other ones we saw. Our original intention was to just have a convertible for the Covid-summer so we'd have something to distract us, then sell it ... but I can already tell that's probably not going to happen.

 

[djnagle]

Here is the pick up I really want.

 

[JP]

Zippy:

 

[MrEd]

This is one of my favorite car pics. This was at COTA vintage race last year

 

[airdronian]

This is one of my favorite car pics. This was at COTA vintage race last year
View attachment 24966

I thought that was a Lotus badge, and Google tells me this is a Lotus 11. Sweet !

 

[Thermionics]

It's the M52. 2.5L (though it says 2.3). We drove a 1.9 last week and didn't like it. Plus that one smelled like pee despite being listed as "like new", so unfortunate all around. This car's big selling point was that it came from California, and is in really nice condition compared to the other ones we saw. Our original intention was to just have a convertible for the Covid-summer so we'd have something to distract us, then sell it ... but I can already tell that's probably not going to happen.

Nice. The 2.5L M50 is a great motor.

(BMW gets creative with displacement numbers - I have a 3.0L N52 motor in my 128i)

 

[billfort]

This is one of my favorite car pics. This was at COTA vintage race last year

Lotus 11 - one of the prettiest racecars ever. Tiny, low, simple, light, small 4cyl engine; used to love watching these things blow away much larger (louder, more powerful and impressive) cars lap-for-lap at vintage races at Mosport and Watkins Glen. The poster-boy for Colin Chapman's "Simplify, then add lightness”.

 

[JohnVF]

Nice. The 2.5L M50 is a great motor.

(BMW gets creative with displacement numbers - I have a 3.0L N52 motor in my 128i)

Apparently they called it a 2.3 for two years as they had 1.9, 2.5 and 2.8L options and they didn't think many people would go for the 2.8 if it was only .3L bigger than the 2.5, so they called it a 2.3 to make the difference seem bigger. Silly.

We have a 2000 323i with roughly the same engine (I think, I'm not super well versed on the differences). The engine on that car has been bulletproof, even if everything else has begun to fall apart.

 

[fiddlefye]

Got this yesterday. View attachment 24944

Lovely! I saw a gorgeous one in black a couple of hours ago. Enjoy!

 

[JohnVF]

Lovely! I saw a gorgeous one in black a couple of hours ago. Enjoy!

Thank you. We just went for a long drive in it. There’s not as many around as there used to be.

 

[fiddlefye]

I'd like one of these someday.

 

[MrEd]

I had a 72 Europa, it was a pretty fun car.

 

[fiddlefye]

I had a 72 Europa, it was a pretty fun car.
View attachment 25037

I've driven a Europa and a couple of Elites, but never made it to ownership.

 

[MikeyFresh]

I noticed an Exige S looking rather setup for racing (interior was stripped bare) parked at my offices recently:

 

[MrEd]

I noticed an Exige S looking rather setup for racing (interior was stripped bare) parked at my offices recently:

View attachment 25052
View attachment 25053

Those are pretty fun to drive too.
I also driven a couple Ariel Atoms, you gotta be the Alfa dog and tell it who's in control or you can get in trouble fast.
I have always liked small fast cars, well and also big rumbling motors... I'm just a car nut since birth. 😎

 

[MikeyFresh]

Those are pretty fun to drive too.

I can imagine, 220hp in a car under 2,100 lbs, that sounds fun, and possibly dangerous for the inexperienced. I've never owned a car remotely that light.

 

[MrEd]

I can imagine, 220hp in a car under 2,100 lbs, that sounds fun, and possibly dangerous for the inexperienced. I've never owned a car remotely that light.

I raced an asphalt modified. 2500 lb and 485 hp at the wheels. That was fun 😊

 

[JohnVF]

Saw this Rezvani Beast parked near my magazine shop. A little (a lot) too loud for me but ... never saw one before.

 

[MrEd]

Saw this Rezvani Beast parked near my magazine shop. A little (a lot) too loud for me but ... never saw one before. View attachment 25081

Just looked that up on the web, looks pretty interesting.

 

[MWalt]

As much as I love cars and motorcycles of nearly any ilk, I also love Jeeps. The most fun you'll ever have at 5 mph and below...