So the XK is so gorgeous and was such a beast it lured me in. I decided to try a GT and see if it could be a keeper as a do-it-all sort of toy. Beast when I wanted it to be yet luxury for wife and me to go on dates etc.

Trouble is that: as my dedicated toy, it really only gets fun when you're on it. It is so quiet, big, no manual gearbox etc that just puttering around town isn't involving like it would be in a GT3 or even an S2000 at the other end of the spectrum. This not a ding against the car because it truly is one of the great GT's.

It is more of an observation about me. That I think I still need a full on sports car like Gallardo, GT3, R8, new Viper etc. And that no matter how much I try to give it a harder edge so it is a little closer to the sporty side (springs, exhaust) it will never deliver that experience. Have any of you ever felt this way? Did you get over it and keep long term or did you jettison, go to something else and come back?

 

It sounds like an R is a better fit for you.

Opps. I see you already have an R. Now what?

 

I agree completely. My last car was a G35 coupe, completely modded with forged engine, turbo, LSD, suspension, etc. with over 450whp. I bought it new and kept it 8 years before selling it and buying my Jag. I wanted something more GT to serve many purposes. I kinda miss the roughness and involvement that my G had. I can only imagine the feeling of an R8 or GT3 but I'm sure they would be even more involving. Don't get me wrong, I knew what this car was about when I bought it but if I had the funds, I would get an additional car for play time...

 

Well, yes!!!

I've been saying the same thing here over and over. The XK or the XKR are large, heavy GT cars and they will never deliver that razor edge agility, handling or overall performance when compared to a light weight dedicated canyon racer. Precisely why I purchased the XK over the XKR and did not even think of modifying it.

If you'd like that canyon racer, you should have it in your quiver but, don't get into the habit of taking it on longer and more regular trips where comfort would be the primary issue. I am happy to take out my canyon racer and carve up the local winding roads at insane speeds, enjoying the explosive power, the razor sharp response and handling but, I would not take it for my 300 miles commute. It would simply beat me to death with its harshness and sounds. The XK(R) is a near perfect GT delivering good comfort and exceptional looks that I admire every time I approach my car.

Albert

 

Maybe you should try the new F-Type Coupe when it is available supposedly with manual trans option and 550HP.

 

Anyone Ever Long for More Involvement?

Yes...and I scratch that itch successfully with the XKR at the track.

I do like your list, but after a few months I'd be a little disatisfied with all of them if I couldn't actually enjoy their performance potential, and you just can't do that on the street which pretty much means sentencing them to a life of cruising looking for admiring stares. And going for a date in a bone jarring GT3...better ask your date about that first

But all the cars on your list are desirable, they're all more exotic and harder edged, and they're probably a better fit for you. Maybe drive them and see what you think.

Bruce

 

Another great way to increase involvement in your fair weather toy is to drop the top. While I almost never open the sunroof on my daily driver, I almost always remove the T-tops, targa roof, and drop the convertible roof in the toys. Much more involving with the feeling of freedom and wind in your hair, and the exhaust note is waaay more easily appreciated. Our favorite memories of driving the XKE were on balmy evenings with the top down, so choosing the XKR vert was a no brainer for me and the wife.

What are some of the special memory cars you've had in the past, were any of them drop tops, and would one make sense for you in the future?

Btw, a friend purchased a Gallardo and within a few months sold it to buy the Murcielago. He felt the Gallardo was too refined and wanted the harder edged Murc...go figure! Another friend that drove Ferraris for years now drives and loves his GT-R. Yet another GT-R track friend that eats every GT3 and GT3RS he dices it up with on track prefers to drive his wife's C350 sedan or his NSX everywhere else because they're a lot more comfortable.

So I guess about the only thing you can learn from other's experiences is that you need to figure out exactly what's important to you...or you could be changing cars on a regular basis looking for "the one". And then again, maybe that's not such a bad way to go!!!

Bruce

 

I agree!

 

Having owned a GT3 it is indeed more purposeful. But, it's not a comfortable touring sports car. Great on the track or for a spirited drive. I think the XKR is such a refined piece of art that it does everything well. You can drive it to work, run errands, take the wife to dinner or hit the back roads for some spirited driving. It's more refined than the M5 I had and not so kick in the pants beastly. I really do love all this car offers!

 

Bruce, I have have had 5 open air cars that I can think of.

88 Supra Targa - shook like MC Hammer on crack
300Z 2+2 T-tops - fun but I was still a kid so driving feel wasn't as important
300Z Twin Turbo T-tops - fun
95 SL500 - shake rattle and roll. So much I'd rather keep hardtop on
00' Z3M Roadster - Fun little torque monster. The German Shelby Cobra. Didn't like cowl shake - even with strut brace added
S2000 - fun little car. Even with no torque it was lots of fun to drive. Bolt action rifle shifter, great steering and the nose drops out of site so feels like go-cart. Decently rigid for a cab but still felt cowl shake.
NSX Targa - Love NSX's . Targa was great for cruising but hated the cowl shake when off
Lotus Elise Targa - completely rigid and lots of fun with no power steering and only 2000lbs. No sound deadening, tough to get in and out of cancels it for date nights. Even a GT3 would be better for dates I think!

There are definitely some benefits to open air. But as you can also see... a common issue at least to me is cowl shake. I hate the experience of an otherwise nice car to be hampered by the feeling of low build quality via twist or "the shakes" over bumps.

Also, there is a cruiser-like appearance of a convertible car. I generally like my toys to lean toward the "bruiser" appearance if you know what I mean. Cars like the Ferrari 458 Spyder are perfect because it's more of a targa than a true convertible with ragtop. The Ferrari California is hardtop droptop but isn't exactly a looker to me. I think more toys will go this route as they learn to keep weight down because it definitely offers the best of both worlds! Meantime, it's a coupe for me.

Co-worker has had 2 355's, 360, 430, Gallardo, GTR and Ford GT. He loves the GT best of them all if you can believe that! GTR had too much drivetrain noise compared to the other supercars he had. I feel the GTR is just too big and doesn't give that purpose-built feeling of a racecar - although it delivers the goods at the track without doubt! NSX was the perfect compromise. All it needed was a little more power which a supercharger provides. I'm just trying not to get a 4th one and keep moving forward to try new stuff.

Another answer may be to get a cheap focused toy under $30k like a 993, high mileage NSX etc. But I fear doing so would cause me to drive the toy all the time and then when I drove the XKR I'd wonder why I tie up so much $ just to cruise around. Also, I usually like 1 coupe, 1 luxury sedan, 1 SUV in the house.

 

I have 2 track buddies with deposits down on the new NSX when it comes out, and it's waay different from the previous gen. I think I lean towards the Infiniti E-merge styling because I'm more into curvacious bodywork, and the F-Type is definitely also in the running. I really wanted my next toy to incorporate some sort of hybrid power as part of a blistering performance setup, and I'm disappointed that the F-Type won't have it as that was part of the C-X16 appeal for me.

Thankfully the XKR doesn't suffer from cowl shake like so many other convertibles and targas have in the past. But you know you want a coupe which at least helps narrow the field...but not by much. Good luck keeping the household vehicle count down to 3 including toys. It's an interesting and challenging concept I'll have to consider...one day!

Bruce