What's the most consistently awesome car?

[wrx74]

Link

[goofygrin]

Evos




M3's
911's
I'd say Corvettes, but man the 70's and 80's were rough for them...

[OZMDD]

White Yaris'??

[altiain]

I have to say the 911 probably takes the cake. With the exception of switching to water-cooled motors for the 996 and later cars, the current 911 is a direct evolution of the original. You can put a new GT3RS next to a 1964 911 and see the obvious ancestry.

Honorable mentions:
Miata/MX-5
M3
RX7
Z car?
Evo
STi

[miataspeedracer]

Have to agree with the Miatas and M3s. Really want to add 911s to the list, but the 996s are not quite up to snuff. The VW GTI comes close, too.

[ken o]

Anything BMW (without a 6 in the name).

[goofygrin]

The 8 series?

The E46 non-m3 were basically trumped up Civics IMO. Other than the engine in the current E9x 335i, I don't find them to be all that compelling. The 5 series has been completely meh for the last two gens (I was really interested in getting one for the wife too, but came away thoroughly disappointed). The 7 series is just a barge...

[ken o]

Would you be happier with it if it had a GIANT wing?

The new 335iS looks interesting. 7 speed DCT, 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The addition of a unique ‘overboost’ feature enables the engine to attain a 10-second burst of up to 369 pound-feet of torque; with the car claiming a top speed of 150 mph.

[Miatamoto]

The E46 non-m3 were basically trumped up Civics IMO. Other than the engine in the current E9x 335i, I don't find them to be all that compelling.

Says the guy driving the trumped up Mitsubishi Mirage/Lancer

BMW straight sixs are fantastic engines even in non-M form.

[CosmosMpower]

The 8 series?

The E46 non-m3 were basically trumped up Civics IMO. Other than the engine in the current E9x 335i, I don't find them to be all that compelling. The 5 series has been completely meh for the last two gens (I was really interested in getting one for the wife too, but came away thoroughly disappointed). The 7 series is just a barge...

The 330 ZHP (performance package) was a pretty fun car. A lot of the goodies from the M3 without the motor and you could get a sedan. Pretty similar performance to the E36 M3 with a lot more luxury and modern features.

[trickyrix]

I think the 911 tops the list, with the little Miata a close second.

Others have had some ups and downs, but still managed to stay in the awesome plus column:

Corvette
Mustang (notice I didn't say Mustang II)
RX-7/RX-8
BMW 2002/3-series
Mini

[goofygrin]

I agree that the BMW engines are quite nice, but the driving experience between a E92 and an E36 is completely different. In some ways its good, in others not so much.

And I didn't put Lancer on the list, but Evo. I also put the specific M3. Ken claims that ALL BMWs are spectacular. I think he's gonna get an X6 next I hear they're really cheap!

[bnordin]

Porsche in any color

[altiain]

I agree that the BMW engines are quite nice, but the driving experience between a E92 and an E36 is completely different. In some ways its good, in others not so much.

And I didn't put Lancer on the list, but Evo. I also put the specific M3. Ken claims that ALL BMWs are spectacular. I think he's gonna get an X6 next I hear they're really cheap!

[off topic]

Y'know what really irks me about BMW? There is an M version of the X6 fer chrissakes, but not of the Z4 S-Drive 3.5is A-B-C-X-Y-Z (or whatever it's called), which is BMW's only 2-seater. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

[/off topic]

[Sharpie]

Jeep - CJ, Wrangler,

Even though the 87-96 wasn't the best

[ken o]

Porsche in any color

Typical Porsche owner, color over performance. Probably also concerned about heated seats. :)

[bnordin]

Typical Porsche owner, color over performance. Probably also concerned about heated seats. :)

OK, I won't use my heated seats for the rest of the winter.

[rfc]

C5 z06.

[CosmosMpower]

[off topic]

Y'know what really irks me about BMW? There is an M version of the X6 fer chrissakes, but not of the Z4 S-Drive 3.5is A-B-C-X-Y-Z (or whatever it's called), which is BMW's only 2-seater. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

[/off topic]

I'm sure there will be a new Z4M version soon using the V8 from the M3, traditionally there usually is.

[Dudley Dawson]

Nothing with strut suspension will ever qualify as "awesome" in my book. Well, unless it's awesome at being an economy car.

Frankly, I don't think any car has been consistently awesome, ever, except maybe the air-cooled Beetle, but those (finally) aren't made anymore. The classics from this country had a rough decade or so in the '70s. Too many of the European cars use strut-based suspensions to have ever been cool. And everything has gotten porky over the last decade.