The unofficial what’s your favorite car(s) RIGHT NOW thread(besides MN12s!!!)

[XR7-4.6]

I thought this might be fun, don’t feel pressure to pick your all time favorites(mine change daily), just what you think is interesting RIGHT NOW. New, old, late model exotic, whatever.

Here’s a few of mine at the moment to start

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

I’m a simple man.

 

[Jae 'Bird]

Been watching a bunch of Tinkerer's Adventure recently and am really liking the second gen tundra he's building, I love his methodology of a very scientific approach to choosing mods so he doesn't ruin the functionality of the truck.

 

[Little Ice-Cable]

I've been very close to buying all of these cars (outside of the countach)

 

[MadMikeyL]

A few of my favorites.

 

[97 30th]

I thought this might be fun, don’t feel pressure to pick your all time favorites(mine change daily), just what you think is interesting RIGHT NOW. New, old, late model exotic, whatever.

Here’s a few of mine at the moment to start

View attachment 16673View attachment 16674View attachment 16675View attachment 16676View attachment 16677

My second car while still in high school was a 58 bird. My dad has a couple Avantis

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

There's a theme here:


One car never offered here:



And one brand new car that I pick specifically for value per dollar:



Finally, a car that I would seriously consider next:

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

View attachment 16705

Took my road test, and eventually got my license in my mom’s old 2000 Lincoln LS.

 

[Irv]

There's no difference between right now and all-time for me because this list doesn't change anymore. No contemporary car has my attention because a lot of them have soulless drivetrains and they're all loaded with bullshit computers that nanny you and/or aggressively phone home.


2004 Mystichrome SVT Mustang Cobra Coupe
The legendary Terminator with my favorite paint job of all time.




In some form or another for the last couple of decades, it's also been the theme of my Windows desktop and case that I custom-painted some years ago.


2009-14 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan
Hot lapping the sedan and the coupe at Road Atlanta in 2011 is still one of my favorite driving experiences ever. I considered buying one about 10 years ago, but they were more than I wanted to pay in cash, and I'm not so sure I would have liked its interior ergonomics as a car I'd drive regularly.


2000-01 Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0
I used to prefer other models of the Diablo, but that was before I learned how finicky they were in both build quality and reliability. The outgoing refinements in power, build quality, and driveability are often attributed to Audi taking ownership and they did a fine job on the VT 6.0. I don't think it's the best looking version of the Diablo, but I consider this to be the greatest Lamborghini ever, and everything that has followed has been a slow decline in good taste because they became increasingly obsessed with hexagons.


1989-90 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary
Countach purists don't really like this model because it looks bloated and chunky compared to the earlier models, but I like the color-keying of all the black trim, and like the Diablo, the most well-refined and fastest model was saved for last.

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

No contemporary car has my attention because a lot of them have soulless drivetrains and they're all loaded with bullshit computers that nanny you and/or aggressively phone home.

Couldn’t agree more!

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

No contemporary car has my attention because a lot of them have soulless drivetrains and they're all loaded with bullshit computers that nanny you and/or aggressively phone home.

I wouldn't go that far, though I understand your sentiment. What turns me off more about new cars is that:
A. It's an endless cycle. I used to buy brand new cars, and I got bored so quickly, because something better came along. The Thunderbird, I've owned longer than any other car, and I still love it.
B. The most recent generations of cars are noticeably getting worse in terms of trim and interior materials, because funds are redirected to the aforementioned nanny computers as well as EV R&D.

 

[SnowyOwl]

I was looking for one of these before I stumbled on my TBird, but they were all too expensive and rare here:

This one would just be cool:


If I were to buy a new car for daily family driving, I would really consider the upcoming Toyota bz4x touring. Ford isn't unfortunately making any more estates nowadays, so changing brand is necessary anyhow:

 

[White Lincoln]

It's a toss up... any one of the 3...

 

[Kenz]

Besides hyper cars and heavy modded vehicles, it's pretty much the fastest vehicle on the road. It will drive itself if you don't feel like it or want to relax. Comfortable ride and seating for 4 adults. At the end of the day plug it in at home, and it's fully charged in the morning.



Being cancelled soon, so I want one even more.... Wish I had a spare $100,000

 

[KevinVarnes]

I'm not much into supercars or really even sportscars for that matter. If I can't drive it to the store without fear of it getting stolen or damaged and/or if I can't fit anything in it, it isn't much use to me.

I've never even sat in one of these things, but I've seen a few for sale recently. I think one of these with an SRT4 engine would be pretty awesome.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Any Panther is a favorite of mine, especially 2007 Town Car "Designer". I didn't include one on my list because I already owned a Crown Vic; I was thinking more about future purchases.

 

[Irv]

I wouldn't go that far, though I understand your sentiment. What turns me off more about new cars is that:
A. It's an endless cycle. I used to buy brand new cars, and I got bored so quickly, because something better came along. The Thunderbird, I've owned longer than any other car, and I still love it.
B. The most recent generations of cars are noticeably getting worse in terms of trim and interior materials, because funds are redirected to the aforementioned nanny computers as well as EV R&D.

I think it was a couple of weeks ago that I was reading about 2026 being the last year of the current Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and there was some curiosity about what would come next for Cadillac and the V series. Aside from the entire package of a luxury performance sedan with a V8 becoming increasingly rare, in general, there's less aura in the cars that are on the market now.

If it isn't the drivetrain, then it's a fleeting feeling of true ownership, whether that's because they're riddled with computer systems that remind you that you don't have full agency of the car, or the runaway pricing which makes them incredibly unaffordable and in some cases, a bad value for the money compared to what you could get 15-20 years ago. Social engineering plays a role too as newer cars continue to be treated as status symbols even though the veil is lifting for some because the actual product has certainly seen corners cut.

 

[White Lincoln]

I'm not much into supercars or really even sportscars for that matter. If I can't drive it to the store without fear of it getting stolen or damaged and/or if I can't fit anything in it, it isn't much use to me.

I've never even sat in one of these things, but I've seen a few for sale recently. I think one of these with an SRT4 engine would be pretty awesome.
View attachment 16716

A Practical Man.

 

[White Lincoln]

I wouldn't go that far, though I understand your sentiment. What turns me off more about new cars is that:
A. It's an endless cycle. I used to buy brand new cars, and I got bored so quickly, because something better came along. The Thunderbird, I've owned longer than any other car, and I still love it.
B. The most recent generations of cars are noticeably getting worse in terms of trim and interior materials, because funds are redirected to the aforementioned nanny computers as well as EV R&D.

....and
C. The new cars are getting a reputation as "un-reliable" and the customer service is rapidly gone down hill. This seems to apply to dodge, chevy, ford, Hyndai (shock) and several other manufactors from other countries.

That is what I have been hearing. For every one person that reports a lemon, there are 10 others with the same complaint that don't say anything. Like I told my wife "if you're going to buy a new car that may break down and has a good possibility of it, keep the cars we have, they "may" break down, but at least I can fix it."

 

[White Lincoln]

Oh, and if I could ever find one in excellent condition, I would buy it:
1992 Lincoln Mark 7 white on white

I had an 88 and I loved the way it drove. Not a lot of power, but it was luxory.

 

[MadMikeyL]

....and
C. The new cars are getting a reputation as "un-reliable" and the customer service is rapidly gone down hill. This seems to apply to dodge, chevy, ford, Hyndai (shock) and several other manufactors from other countries.

That is what I have been hearing. For every one person that reports a lemon, there are 10 others with the same complaint that don't say anything. Like I told my wife "if you're going to buy a new car that may break down and has a good possibility of it, keep the cars we have, they "may" break down, but at least I can fix it."

I’ve been working on cars for 25 years, and have run my own repair shop for the last 12, and I can confirm that the newer cars are absolute junk, across the board, in a way that I’ve never seen before. It isn’t just that they are unreliable, it’s that they are unfixable! Engines are no longer designed to last 300k miles, you’re lucky if you can get 100k out of them. When the engine does fail, it can’t be rebuilt, so your only option is a used engine that has the same problems. None of the newer transmissions are rebuildable! Trans shops just swap them out for a new or used unit. Computers in everything all communicating over can-bus means not only more likelihood of failure, but when it does fail, it has to be done by the dealer cause it has to be programmed, and installing a used module will often brick the car because it goes into theft mode and won’t start the engine. Combine that with manufacturers not wanting to release proper information like wiring diagrams, and now Chrysler and Ford locking out aftermarket scan tools unless you pay for a monthly subscription (which I’m sure the other manufacturers will follow suit shortly), it is just a disaster every way you look at it. Unfortunately I think it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. One thing they have gotten very good at is making cars last just till the warranty runs out with minimal service. So if someone buys a new car, and in 3-5 years they have a catastrophic unfixable failure, they’ll think it’s a fluke, and just buy another one. When that happens, they’ll switch to another brand, and maybe another, so you probably have a good 15-20 years where the manufacturers can saddle the public with this junk before people start figuring it out, and by that time, they may have forgotten what it was like to have a car that lasted for 20 years and 300k miles.