HemiSam

I like the B&R's, but they are WAY to big for me. It's the square dimensions one needs to account for so seeing it in the metal is critical. I'd love to have a Tag Monaco, but it'd have to be an older one or the new retro one coming out...and even then it's a bit on the large side for my wrist. The Zenith is interesting. Looks nice with either the rubber strap or stainless. There's a lot going on in the face so keeping it simple for some balance would be my only suggestion. HS

Oh no....major loss!!!! Godspeed Dr.... HS

I've been wearing my Speedy a good bit since the alligator strap upgrade. Really pleased with that upgrade. HS

And they can drive. Very cool, Hop! Thanks for sharing. I received an invite from a friend today to join him on the road course this coming Saturday. If weather holds, he'll have a Cayman GT4 he'll drive there and back home. Offered it up to me for a test drive (off track...which is the only way I would take advantage of such a generous offer). I might get lucky... If so I'll post some pics. vroom vroom... HS

As much as I love the look of the Audi's, and pretty spectacular transmissions, I'm not big on the electronics' reliability. No used Audis for this camper. HS

Yesterday was a good day despite too much work stuff nagging. Managed to blow off some steam driving my car, other's Germanic offerings and then hit a pool shindig for college like antics...feeling it a bit this morning...LOL Anyhoo, I managed to find a 2012 Carrera with a stick not too far off. 40 some odd thousand on the odometer. Not much luck locating a Carrera S like I was hoping to anywhere reputable so I took what I could get. The young salesman and I went for a spin. The manager I had spoken with departed as I arrived, so me and my young victim got in it as much as the car was willing to part with. Very much a naturally aspirated power delivery from a 3.4L six cylinder and, hopefully without insulting anyone, it was a bit dull for me. It felt slow. Handled fine...pretty nicely, but just didn't move me. Manager gets back and walks up to me....big man. Shakes my hand and asks if that's my Demon in the lot...yes, sir. Tells me he just bought a Challenger Hellcat and loves it. Compliments the Demon and tells me, this is your playground. Make yourself at home and tell me if my team doesn't take good care of you. Thank you... So out come the keys to a 2018 Cayman GTS that's sitting there when I pull up in the 911. I hadn't considered one, but that's what this journey is about so off we go.... This is MUCH better. Lovely engine sounds in the cabin...the mid-engined turbocharged four banger sounds much better than I would have thought. I'm not accustomed to four cylinders and did not expect so much from a 2.5L motor. The car handled really nicely....very much closer to what I'm searching for, I think. Lots of good feedback, the option to dial it into S mode and S Plus mode with a dial on the steering wheel makes it peppier. I have always pictured in my mind's eye the 911 as THE Porsche...it being so iconic and a good bit of what I've seen and loved over the years. This Cayman has me thinking... HS

Wow...that vid flashes me back. RIP, Leon. RIP, Roky and Mssr's Daryoush and Gell-Mann... HS

MD, Appreciate all the input. I've had my nose buried deep in going straight a long while. I'd occasionally read MotorTrend article on a Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, etc... but not that much. I also read a lot about fast SUV's as I've grown fond of something with some height and size for my daily. Something has been missing, though, and I think it's rowing the gears. Fast but friendly...for example the sport buckets in the Carrera T are great for a track car but not one for going out for a spin on the weekend, etc... So no DCT for this camper...yet. I've been reading and the new motor and the M2's Competition designation came in 2019. It's the motor and carbon fibre cross brace from the M4 amongst some other bits. The M2 pictured here and the only one I've driven is a 2018. Interestingly, no change in times to speak of between the two motors despite a not insubstantial increase in power. Also, despite the size difference between the M4 and the M2, the weights and times don't reflect it so much. Also, the M2 is taller...go figure. Driving the 911's did me wrong in the head...really nice. Would like to see if I can find a 2008 - 2012 for a test drive.... HS

Fun....nice recommendation, MD! Peppy...good power to weight. More tossable than the M4 IMO. Very easy to drive...the rev matching on shifts is spoon feeding which isn't all bad. A bit snug but not terrible. The M4 is definitely more comfortable. Interestingly, they both weigh about the same so times are not as different as one would think. Felt surprisingly planted and tracked very straight for a smallish vehicle. Nowhere near the road feel of the Porsche, but that's not surprising to me or most enthusiasts I expect. I need some seat time with a 911 with some years on it and a more comparable price point to get more context. vroom vroom... HS

MD, I have not. That could be a good call. I had it in my head it would likely be too smallish for my tastes hence the M4, but after driving a couple of 911’s yesterday, I’m more open minded. I didn’t post a pic, but I drove a new 2018 Carrera S that they had on the lot with comfy sport seats...pretty much fully loaded but a PDK transmission. That was fun. That transmission will make most any driver better than they are. Fun car. Just don’t think I need another automatic. HS

Fun... The "bucket" seats, although wrapped in a nice alcantara, were a bit much. Think bucket stuck to arse in and ingress and egress requires olympic technique...LOL. Good for a track car. The door release is basically seat belt material for weight savings. Otherwise, pretty bad ass. HS

LOL. I'm not that big a guy. It's a comfort thing. It'll either work for me or it won't, but I'm used to going fast in something that has room in it. We'll see how it goes. There's a lot to like in a 911 aesthetically and performance wise. Pricing...gotten a bit frothy especially given how many were produced. TBD for me... HS

I was surprised how much I liked the newer bezel. Darker / deeper colors made it more approachable for my taste. Different strokes... HS

I agree. I was going to test drive a 911 Carrera S six-speed coupe yesterday but the shop wasn't open. Having stated that, the primary reason for wanting to drive it was to see how I felt about the size of the car. My gut tells me it might be too small for my tastes these days. The older I've gotten the more I appreciate a bit of room. I know the newer 911's have gotten a bit bigger, but still looks to be a pretty tight space. I need to drive to know so it's on the agenda. I did like the size, generally speaking, of the cabin in the 2-door couple BMW's. They did not feel too small to me. I'm not married to getting one, but there was a lot I liked about the two I drove. HS

I'm looking for a 6-speed and if you see a 2012 -2013 M3 pop up I'd love to know. No more black for me, though...LOL. I have a black race car now and it's a PITA. I might hit you up. I've been doing some reading on known issues, etc... I like the idea of the V8 but I've decided I don't want it to be too much of a project car. Just something to have fun in and typical maintenance. The F82 was more fun to drive than I expected. Not quite as sexy to my senses as the 2012 E92 I drove but still a hoot. It was pretty darn nice too... HS

So I've been missing a stick car of late. Trying to decide what if anything I should acquire. Wife will likely strangle me unless I sell something, but I'll cross that bridge assuming I survive...LOL Test drove a 2012 BMW M3 with a 6-speed. Fun car although it was a bit of a rough condition. They are difficult to locate and it was just down the road so I went for a spin. Overall, worth the time but it wasn't a keeper. Car out of Quebec that had made its way to TX. They weren't ask kind to it as it deserved. Today I test drove an M4. For whatever reason BMW designated the M3's sedans beginning in 2014 and the M4's the coupes. Again, I was looking for a stick car. Easier to locate M4's than M3's so that part was good. The M3 has a naturally aspirated V8....pretty cool to see that in a 2-door BMW. The M4 has their straight line 6 cylinder twin turbo. Not a bad little motor that makes more power than the V8 thanks to forced induction, but not as visceral as the V8. It's also a bit lighter than the M3's were thanks to more extensive use of carbon fiber and the like. I'm not sure how I feel about the color (it is a bit more metallic orange than it appears in the pics although it very much depends on lighting), but I the interior was very tasteful (it is darker than the images suggest...think a tobacco). I sure did have fun driving it... HS

Yes you did! HS

Bart Starr....wow. An amazing quarterback and all around player. Pads weren't all that great back then.... RIP, sir. RIP, Mr. Buckner. HS

LOL. You buy something as high tech and hand made as the spring drive and you'll have to deal with some up keep even if it is Japanese made... I want to love the GS's but I'm not there. They sure are working hard to progress the value of the brand...can't take that away from them. HS

The craftsmanship from GS is superb. I want to love these watches. There is something clinical about them that has kept me from acquiring one thus far. The colored dials on the Elegance Collection helped warm things up for me. Stunning work and aesthetics. Not enough to make me what to take the leap, but a much needed foray IMO. HS

My experience thus far, Rossliew, has been very good. No drama unless I forget to wind it when swapping between watches. I had the seconds timer running for several weeks just to see the movement. Seems to use up the battery a bit more quickly, but again...accurate. Note I've only been wearing the watch since X-mas. Overall, super pleased with it especially now that I have the alligator on deployant clasp I always pictured it with. HS

Oh NO!!!! What a will of heart the man possessed. Not too many more accomplished in open wheel racing. Godspeed, Niki... HS

Alligator deployant strap for me Omega. Pleased with the craftsmanship and customer service from Jean Rousseau. HS

RIP, Mr. Conway....you made me laugh more times than I can thank you for. HS

RIP, Chewy... May the fur be strong in the afterlife. RIP, Mr. Hernke. RIP, Ms. Lipton... A true beauty. HS