First drive - new 2005 Maserati Coupe with F1 trans

I must say they did a nice mild re-fresh of the bumpers and grille area's ......very luxorious with much a improved suspension and throttle response then previous ones I have driven...car was quick, great Itlaian sound and reeked italian luxury. Fit and finish was fantastic and the car handled much better than I exected ...

MSRP was 100k - give it 1 year and the car is an amazing buy in the 70's

Second car - now this car is very exciting to look at alone...the new aston db9

Wow the doors open at a 45 deg angle and the lines were breath taking in person. The interior was amazing as well...felt like a space ship with stunning wood trim around the doors and center console. To start the car - yep a push botton starter in the das center - love that

The car had f1 paddles but is really an automatic and will override you if need be. Engine had an amazing growl that was very addictive. I did feel for this type of car the maserati handled better .....msrp was $170 ouchy Very stunning car never the less and makes a statement standing still....

3rd car - yep a 997 S with all options - ceramics - sport chrono - ect

I have driven this before but I just wanted to proove to myself that these cars are so vastly different then porsches that these magazine comparisons are just silly and make no sense to me...

Then got back in my TT and realized there was still no better everyday super-car

These cars the maserati's - the amg benzes and new aston's are amazing pieces of modern machinery all satisfying differnet needs and senses but should not be compared to porsches - it makes no sense ....

Besides Ferrari's .....the Modern day porsches are the only real street legal sports cars that provide the thrill of a car that can be used on the street and on a local track.

Porsche - yep still there is no substitue

 

Nice write up Darren,

I agree, Ferrari's and Porsches are the only real street legal sports cars that are usable, even Lambo's are to much.

 

you should really have tried the grand sport version of the maserati coupe.....makes a huge difference in sound, handling and shifting over the coupe you drove. the gran sport's tranny speed up shifts by over 30%, and even feels like more...amazing-driving car! it has 19's stndrd, lowered, carbon fiber on interior...really a beast of a car w/ a v8 stuffed in it!

 

I second gt2next's suggestion. The GS is a huge improvment over the regular coupe. But you are right Darren, there is no beating the 996 turbo for everyday usability while,still, retaining power and poise.

 

I'm in no way suggesting that it matches the quality of a TT, but you have enjoy this video of the fat man pushing the Lambo to the brink...

The link:

http://forums.evolutionm.net/showthr...light=top+gear

 

i would hardly call a 996 turbo or any 911 turbo a supercar

i personally prefer the 997 s > 996 turbo

 

Ben - how can you not call a car that is 4wd, does almost 200 mph and does 0-60 in 4 secs anyting else......

The 996 TT is the only everyday supercar in the world as of now in my opinion

To prefer a 997 S over a 996 TT implies you have never driven both back to back....there is no contest b/w them

 

The fact that there's XX,XXX 996 Turbos out on the street today. Stats-wise, it's solid. Looks-wise and driving experience wise, a bit boring. F430 has everything. i call that a supercar.

I'm not even going to begin to address your other point. A bit "blinders on"

 

yes the F430 is a super car, but if/when the F430 exceeds 10,000 units like the 360 then it no longer is a supercar according to your definition?

"Looks-wise and driving experience wise, a bit boring." - sort of subjective, one of porsche's key features is the evolutionary styling as opposed to revolutionary, therefore the older models still can look fresh. And the 911 has won plenty of design awards, even recently.

as for "driving experience" being boring, again depends on the driver don't you think.

 

Tell me this: How many 996 Turbos out on the streets today? That's my point.

996 Turbo just does not turn heads like a supercar should. It's more than performance numbers is my point. It doesn't evoke the emotion like a Ferrari does (exempli gratia). It does it's job well. It's all business. and for that i can appreciate it but to call a pagani zonda a supercar and call a 996 turbo a supercar because it has similar performance numbers... just not at equal levels. 996 turbo is a great sports car. in fact, i'll go back and correct myself and say the F430 is not a supercar, but a great sports car. but the F430 most deifnitely evokes more of a response than a porsche turbo ever could.

alamein, you have a great looking Turbo btw

and it's all subjective, opinion... that's what this board is for and why it's so entertaining to participate. let's not forget this.

 

Ben, by your subjective rating system, it seems only high style Italian sports cars are supercars.

Styling is subjective. Performance is not.
The Turbo has always been a supercar since day one. It ridicules other supercars that require so much displacement to accomplish the same thing, and they're not always successful either.

 

C5 Z06 a supercar? No. Competes with 996 Turbo? Most definitely and arguably a better handling car.

But to keep it simple here, supercar, to me, can't be bifurcated into performance and styling. It's one in the same.

And it's not just about Italy. The Carrera GT is an outright ubercar.

 

Ben... over 17,000 Ferrari 360s were built, and everyone would consider it a supercar. Your definition of a supercar is whack, but then again, you like the Pontiac M6 better than a Turbo

 

Z06 does not compete with the Turbo for the most part...

 

I actually think the CGT is a bit of a disappointment as an ubercar compared to the enzo. The CGT is like coming in second in the summer box office.