Tag Archives: Boxster
I know that the original Ricardo Montalban/Herve Villichez “Fantasy Island” used modified Dodge Aspen station wagons for their island runabouts, but every time I see a VW Thing that’s what I think of. They probably really wanted something like the Thing for the TV show, but got too much pressure from Chrysler. Could it perhaps have had anything to do with Montalban’s role promoting “rich Corinthian leather” for the Chrysler folks? Who can say? Regardless, the Thing would have been a far superior island car right up until it rusted out from under Montalban’s leather-loving hindquarters. But seriously: VW reliability, economy, and ruggedness instead of, well, Dodge? PLUS, the VW wouldn’t have required the extensive modifications that the Aspens did: door removal, funny, fringy roofs, and so on. The Thing was perfect right out of the box – just pick your color. Suffice it to say, I’m a Thing fan.
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Leave a comment | tags: Boxster, German Cars, Jeep Willys, Karmann Ghia, Kubelwagen, S-Type, Subaru Boxer, Thing, Type 1, Type 4, Type 82, Volkswagen Golf GTI, VW, World War II | posted in Totally That Stupid
Regular readers will have sorted that I’ve bought a Porsche. It was not a move that I took lightly, nor was it a spur of the moment thing predicated by my recent sojourn to California to spend 3.5 glorious days in Porsche heaven. Nor was it related to the 50th anniversary of the 911, which car journalists everywhere seem to be squeezing the absolute life out of. The fact is, I’ve always, always wanted a Porsche, and I’ve been a fan of the Boxster since the first one I ever saw – a 1997 model in Orient Red metallic with Savanna Beige leather. I was at our local German Car Show with my Dad, who was struck by this particular car. We must have talked to the owner for over 20 minutes about his Boxster and what a great driver it was. I was smitten, but filed the thought away for future reference should I find myself in the right place at the right time and in the right mood. I don’t know if I’m presently in the right place or the right time, but I am definitely in the mood.
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17 Comments | tags: 986, 991, Base, Boxster, German Cars, Manual Transmission, Porsche | posted in Fleet Update, Totally That Stupid
I can think of a LOT of things to do with $110,000. I could put my kids through a year or two of college, I could pay off part of my mortgage and build equity, heck, I could buy something like 50 NA Miatas. But that’s not what this is about. For people like me who habitually buy cars way farther down on the depreciation scale, someone has to pony up either the lease payment or financing for the new cars. And I appreciate that they do that. The 2014 Porsche 911 Carrera S is one of those cars that I hope a lot of people buy so that 10 or 15 years down the road I might be able to afford one. It’s a fabulous car – and for the price it should be – but it’s not without its flaws.
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3 Comments | tags: 986, 991, 997, auto stop, Boxster, Cars and Coffee Irvine, German Cars, IMS Bearing, Magnus Walker, Porsche, RMS | posted in Dealer's Lot, Totally That Stupid
It is no secret to my friends, family, and readers that I am a Mercedes Geek. It goes back to my youth when my Dad – Dr. Mechanical Engineer – regaled me with stories of the overengineering wonders that Mercedes cars were (it should be noted that a few short years after I started driving he changed alliances to Lexus). The first new car I am old enough to remember my parents buying was a Mercedes, I learned to drive on a Mercedes, and when I was finally married and on my own, I bought my first. I have since owned about fifty of them from across the range. Suffice it to say that I have a passion for Mercedes cars, especially the classics. So after a couple of days of Porsche immersion, meeting up with the good folks at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA for some Benz time was like putting on your favorite pair of shoes. And then driving them.
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Leave a comment | tags: 230SL, 560SL, 911 Carrera S, 986, 991, Boxster, Cars & Coffee Irvine, German Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Porsche, R-Class, R107, R129, R63, Silver Arrow, SL500, W113 | posted in Totally That Stupid
So it wasn’t just happenstance that I recently started looking at Boxsters. In truth, besides wanting to buy a convertible in the cold months and sell it on when the weather turns warm, I have also been in the process of planning a trip to Los Angeles with my good friend and editor of the UK’s Pistonheads website, Dan Trent. There were (and still are) a lot of question marks around what we would do when we were out here, but we knew two things: first, the good people at Porsche kindly agreed to loan us a 2014 911 Carrera S for the duration of the trip, and second, we were going to explore the local Porsche culture that is really second to none anywhere in the world – including Germany.
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1 Comment | tags: 901, 911, 911 Carrera S, 986, 991, Boxster, German Cars, Magnus Walker, Porsche, RS, The Car Brewery, TRE Motorsports | posted in Commentary, Totally That Stupid
As you my have ascertained from my last post, I have the itch something awful. Not THAT, no, the itch for a car. The theory I am specifically looking to put into practice is the old “buy cold, sell warm” convertible theory. I don’t know about where you are, but it has been butt cold here, and is looking to only continue down that wintry road. What better time to buy a droptop, right??
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4 Comments | tags: 911, 914, 924, 928, 944, 986, 993, boxer engine, Boxster, cheap convertibles, flat 6, German Cars, IMS, Miata, Porsche | posted in Totally That Stupid
Trip Notes: California Dreaming Porsche-style
So it wasn’t just happenstance that I recently started looking at Boxsters. In truth, besides wanting to buy a convertible in the cold months and sell it on when the weather turns warm, I have also been in the process of planning a trip to Los Angeles with my good friend and editor of the UK’s Pistonheads website, Dan Trent. There were (and still are) a lot of question marks around what we would do when we were out here, but we knew two things: first, the good people at Porsche kindly agreed to loan us a 2014 911 Carrera S for the duration of the trip, and second, we were going to explore the local Porsche culture that is really second to none anywhere in the world – including Germany.
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1 Comment | tags: 901, 911, 911 Carrera S, 986, 991, Boxster, German Cars, Magnus Walker, Porsche, RS, The Car Brewery, TRE Motorsports | posted in Commentary, Totally That Stupid