Top Ten Cars - Dream Garage.

Okay, so I was looking at some guy's resume (that's my job) and he lists "car building" as one of his interests. Ok, whatev, he likes to wrench right? Nope, he's building a locost 7!

One of his links is to DP's page. Apparently DP1 is now running! I haven't had time to read/view it yet, but the pictures look awesome. And he's also got a Ariel Atom. With TWO Hayabusa motors in it. Wow.

I send the above to my car buddies, my brother D, and my buddy P. They like to stay anonymous on the net...

P sends me this blog post, titled "Daydream" (he likes one word titles). That started the discussion, of which I'm properly calling, my dream garage.

Cost no object, top ten cars you would see in your (10 car) garage. I'm too lazy to link them like P, so too bad if you don't know the car. You should be ashamed of yourself.

1) Exige S, or regular Exige and swap in a K20a Honda motor. I'm a former Toyota owner, but the 2ZZ-GE just doesn't cut it. It was high tech for it's day, made with just enough oomph and tech to beat the B18. Then Honda drops the K20 and it's game over. Exige is just the best darn Lotus street car ever. Dead sexy with the moves to match. Elise is similar, but gimme the hardtop!

2) Cayman S, or regular Cayman w/3.8l swap. Yeah, another "S' car and another swap candidate. Putting the bigger 911 motor will give the Cayman "just enough" horsepower to match the outstanding chassis. Sticks like an Elise, but WAY more comfy. I dig the leather and luxo-car goodies and would much prefer this day to day. Stock engine was just okay in the S and likely dreadful in the non-S.

3) Z4 M Coupe. I love the way this car looks. While the Cayman and Elise are sexy, the MC is just a ugly bloke. And the drive should be similarly thuggish. 330hp motor from the E46 M3 is superb. Having sampled it in the larger car, I can only imagine how it would be with 200 (?) lbs less to pull along. Love the rear 3/4 view of this car.

4) RS6 Avant. Love fast wagons, but the WRX doesn't have enough comfort. With the heftier Audi build and luxobarge accouterments, I would want the RS version and not just a regular S6, though those are nice enough. For most people.

5) Rolls Royce Phantom. Baller status. P already picked the Audi counterpart (Bentley Continental), but I prefer the Roller and it's BMW parents. Jay Z, Diddy, Fat Joe and me. Rolls is a legendary nameplate, but I like modern cars, so the hip hop Phantom is the one.

6) Ferrari - seems to be required on any top ten list, but which one? Classics are great to look at, but less so to drive. F430's are playboy cars and a dime a dozen around these parts. Enzo is stupendous, but seem to have a penchant for crashing. I'll take new over old, so the 599 GTB is the one for me. Beautiful lines, flying buttress c-pillars. 612hp V-12 motor up front, classic stance. Doesn't hurt that I saw one in the Ferrari parking lot in Maranello a few months before it's official release. Amazing performance with some roomy comfort to boot. Will be the first Ferrari in a Gran Turismo game, and I love that series.

7) Pagani Zonda F. Another car seen up close in Italy, at San Cesario (which is kinda hard to find). Even saw the man himself, Horacio Pagani, though it was inside the build area, so no cameras were allowed. Love this car. Company started when I graduated from HS, but it is a legitimate "supercar". Way more soul than your Lambo or Audi (do they really make supercars?). The "F" is for Fangio, one of the greatest drivers of all time.


My wife suggested these first 7 cars on my list.

8) Mercedes Benz CLS63, oh heck, it's a dream list right? Brabus Rocket. Fastest Sedan in the world, and I bet it's pretty quick too. This is a love it or hate it design, and I personally love it. Brabus just takes it to the next level, though the MB 6.2l motor is pretty sweet too.

9) Impreza 22B. First of the true rally car super specials. Okay, maybe the first that I remembered. Still an amazing car 10 years later. Must be blue (before it was called WRB) with gold wheels.

10) This is where the low powered sissy hairdresser's car goes. And the story is something like, "it was my first real sports car, and I really love it, even though it is underpowered, it is pure and handles and is the essence of sportscar-y-ness." MR2 Spyder (MR-S). I would replace the Corolla motor with a K20 (gasp! blashphemy! - yeah, get over it) for 200 reliable HP and 8000 rpms of fun. 10:1 weight to power ratio is plenty for the streets.

That's my ten, and a majority of them are real life attainable. Now if only I could afford a garage to put them in!

-Hong