I havent been around much the last few months, mostly due to work. I have had some time to do some car shopping.
After my wife got her new Mazda CX-7, I really started noticing just how worn the mini had become. I still loved driving the car, but the interior seemed a bit worn, and the numerous rattles were getting on my last nerves.
We decided to go out and do a preliminary look at cars. I only had a few on my list to look at, so it was pretty easy. My qualifications were a rear wheel drive, manual, sporty car, with a back seat, trunk, and the possibility of hauling around little Me's in the semi-near future, yet still capable of going out AutoXing on occasion. I didnt want a V8 with the price of gas doing what it's doing, but i also didnt want something that would be under powered at all. Not least of all, I wanted it to be nice inside.
That left me with few choices. The idea of a BMW 3 series was tempting, but those that have been around for a while know I have a bit of a curse with the Bimmers. I love the new C class MB, but I really dont see myself as the guy that woudl drive a MB, not to mention the fact that the cheapest/slowest is the only one really within my price range.
That left me with the Mazda RX-8, which would sit very nicely beside my RX-7 and CX-7, and the Infiniti G35/37. I test drove the G35 sedan, with the automatic transmission, and the RX-8 40th Anniversay edition back to back. It ended up being no competition at all. The G was exactly what I wanted, with several notable exceptions, the rear doors for one, the lack of a manual transmission in stock, for another, and of course, the price, which was considerable.
2 days later the salesman from Infiniti called me up and said that they had my car in stock. A 2006 G35 coupe, 6spd, with only 14k miles, that had just come in for trade. I went down to look at it and ended up driving it home.
It was a sad day getting rid of the Mini. I had it since the day before I proposed to my wife, and we just had our 3 year anniversary last thursday. It was a good car, but it was time to move on.
This is the car to do it in. It is a fantastic drive, with plenty of horsepower. 297 to be specific, a Viscous LSD in the back, 19 inch wheels, and the uprated suspension that comes with the 6MT package. It is an absolute riot, and I can guess I will be changing rear tires frequently.
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