Surprised it didn’t get more power. I figured Ferrari would take the chance to one-up the 720S’s power output, similar to how the 488 one-upped the 650S. Regardless, 30 more horsepower won’t impact the driving experience. Should be a monster if its predecessors are anything to go by.

NASCAR cares about the general public because there aren’t THAT many committed racing fans out there. It sucks as a car enthusiast to admit it, but it’s true. I know plenty of people who know what the Daytona 500 is and don’t mind going to a race once a year (mostly to get hammered in the parking lot), but couldn’t…

I love the 2-series. It’s the most fun BMW in their lineup IMHO. And i can attest first hand that WRX / STi interior quality is dodgy at best. My center console glovebox literally fell apart a few months ago.

IMHO their mainstream models peaked with the 4th-gen Legacy and associated Outback models. Those cars looked as good or better as any mainstream sedans/wagons on the road. They also offered a driving experience that was refined and even sporty in the case of certain Legacy models. Ditto for the second and third gen…

If someone wrote a book about NASCAR management over the past decade, it would go like this:

It’s a question that’s almost impossible to answer, partly because the luxury brands (BMW, M-B, etc.) continue pushing themselves downmarket with cheaper vehicles. In terms of what is traditionally considered a luxury car - build quality, fine interior materials, comfort, a refined driving experience. tech/safety…

Am I the only current Subie owner who finds their lineup outside the WRX and BRZ to be a whole bunch of “meh”?

A mechanic who specializes in Ferraris, Lambos, and other exotics told me something interesting a few years ago - he recommends that people buying performance cars target well-cared-for, higher-mileage examples.

Damn straight. Keep up the good fight everyday, and don’t make excuses. Dealt with some of this stuff myself. It’s not easy, but we can’t blame society for our choices!

You know being “oppressed” or “discriminated against” is the new cultural status symbol when alcoholics with multiple DUIs try to use it. Identity politics and the victimhood culture can both go to hell.

I have a hard time swallowing markups in a new car, particularly since speculators are often wrong about which cars end up appreciating or depreciating in a the long run (certain limited-run Ferraris and Porsches excluded). I’d love a GT350R for example, but screw paying $100k for one. For every speculated-upon car…

And in the 488's case, the road car was developed alongside the GTE, GT3, and Challenge cars. Engineers for the race car worked alongside engineers for the road car, per an Autoweek story I read a few months ago. This wasn’t a case where a manufacturer decided to go racing with an existing road car.

Given the requirements for fielding in FIA GTE, it could very well be a “GTO” if you want to get technical....

It hasn’t, because it hasn’t been a priority. Our mantra since the Cold War started has always been to pursue the next generation of technology, cost be damned. Running costs and ease of maintenance haven’t been a priority with our top-end weapons systems for decades. This, along with constant turbulence from…

Another great point. The car industry is hardly the only one being pulled in multiple directions by the government, who is notorious for these things. I’m in healthcare - try to balance patient safety, government reimbursement cuts, preventive health incentives, and inducement penalties at the same time >:(

I’m shocked. We’ve found a rational comment in this discussion, rather than profane, demented anti-Trump resistance rage.

Congress and the admin would be better off scrapping CAFE laws altogether and raising the gas tax.

Part of the motivation behind the B-21 program is to field a bomber with lower running costs, less maintenance, and higher uptime. The B-2 is a PITA to keep in the air.

Thanks for the input. Agreed re: the brakes. I’ve induced fade on runs over mountain passes here in VA, never mind the track. They’re crying out for good pads, fluid, and brake lines.

Never understood the “tail-happy” complaint either. I’ve driven the FR-S/86 and the BRZ hard. The 86 is much more likely to rotate due to its suspension setup, and even then its pretty predictable. It’s allergic to understeer, but not in a scary way because the car is never going very fast. The BRZ is neutral; you…