It's hard to get something for nothing but my guess is that some of the cost will come out of better manufacturing efficiencies (simplify the pack) and some will come from better energy density (fewer cells). You won't see an aluminum hood or suspension components, no super light wheels, etc. 7-10k sound impossibly…

I don't recall a single post to the gm-volt forum regarding a failure of the center stack. The cars, particularly the early ones apparently (and surprisingly) have been incredibly reliable. In contrast, the BMW i3 w/Range Extender has been a headache for the first owners. Extra special German engineering, I guess.

Weaksauce. It can drive exclusively on electric power THAT DID NOT COME FROM GASOLINE. Call it whatever keeps your panties untwisted but it is obviously NOT the same as a traditional "hybrid" which uses a battery only to store some energy that came from burning gasoline.

So it gets 10% better economy for the 10% of the time you're running it? It just doesn't pencil out.

I parked mine next to a Factory Five Cobra and a 360. There are plenty of Volt owners like that. The total hands-off appliance-ness of it is a perfect counterpoint to needy project cars. One oil change and tire rotations was my only maintenance over 3 years.

GM actually calls it an Extended Range Electric Vehicle which describes it quite well.

It's also Internet based, giving you access to far more computing power than exists in your car.

It works well (amazingly so IMHO) because it uses the Internet to reach back to a computer far more powerful than the one in your car, accessing an system that's constantly being updated.

Volvo offered an updated bracket that mounted behind the resonator. My '04 V70R came with it installed. I still got a bit of squeal when hitting big piles of slush at very cold temps though not as bad as other people described.

The best way to go about these buy-depreciated-insanely-expensive-cars plans, IMHO, is to get something with an enthusiast following. Ferraris, BMWs, and Porsches are great because you have a wealth of info available on the Internet as well as 3rd party suppliers for some parts and extensive cross references for…

Corvette was my first thought too. I'm embarrassed to admit that my friends and I mocked a mutual friend (~30 yo at the time) mercilessly when he bought a C5 Z06 years ago. Then I drove it. Sure, the interior sucked but it absolutely hauled ass and was as reliable as a hammer. He cycled through a 996 TT and a…

Apparently I drove my buddy's '88 years ago while he drove the Lotus Esprit S4s I had at the time. He tells me my only comment when I got out of it was "huh, it's not really very fast". I honestly don't remember it. :) I guess they're kind of like 996 GT3s: awesome when driven in a manner inappropriate for polite…

You can still buy "decent" for <20k if you're not afraid of miles. Cars like the one linked did not just jump from $20-60k. Russo&Steele auctions saw clean low mile E30M3s in 2012 & 2013. They sold for $40,700 and $44k, respectively.

2nd gear in transaxle = Lotus Esprit with Renault gearbox. AMIRIGHT? EDIT: NM. Looks like a later Pantera in your avatar. ZF transaxle IIRC.

You missed it. :) "About a year ago, he crashed his Lamborghini, but got it fixed with willpower, determination, and about $26,000 from some kind-hearted insurance adjusters."

996 GT3s could have RMS leaks. Mine did anyway. No IMS though, as you say.

Somewhat higher but not proportionally, if that makes sense. As far as anyone knows, I'm a responsible adult, so that factors in. To the best of my recollection, my rarely driven 360 insurance is about 20% more than my daily driver new Chevy Volt was.

$160k retail is a LOT lower: http://www.catsexotics.com/web/used/Lambo…

Uncle: I was responding to your earlier post -"that Tav's example is likely worth double the purchase cost fairly soon after he bought it". That's just not true. Pre-crash, it *might* have appreciated a bit but the linked ebay car is a limited edition that has always commanded a premium and appears to have recently…

That happens less often than you think AND you're neglecting the frictional costs of the transaction. Your analysis of the imaginary F430 neglected the $8,400 in sales tax I would have to pay in NJ. My own used 996 GT3, reasonably well bought in 2007, cost $6k to register and depreciated $24k in 2.5 years. That's…