[GT11]

A lot of people PM instead of replying to the thread and one of the questions I get is "have you spent time riding in/driving everything on your list?" When I say I haven't, the follow up is directed at the fact that the Cobra will be a much different car to drive from a comfort standpoint. Since I don't feel like searching much this morning, I thought I would give a little background that got me to this point.

First, my undergrad degree is engineering and I got there like a lot of the other engineers. We grew up tinkering, taking apart the lawn mower then cars when old enough. I restored a few cars and have always loved cars in general. Probably like the rest of you, something always pushes you to a specific genre related to your interest. Being the technical type, I was always intrigued by the technical complexity of the European cars and the engineering that went into them.

I probably started like everyone else with US steel. My first vehicle was a 1970 Ford truck that I rebuilt, then restored a 1953 Ford truck, followed by a 1970 Camaro. Everything had solid axles, leaf springs and ran well in a straight line. A neighbor introduced me to his Fiat X1/9 and his Porsche 911 and I have to say, I was hooked. They didn't have a lot of power but they handled like a dream and would stop on a dime. They were a blast to drive on winding, hilly roads.

My first European car was a 1975 Alfa Romeo Spider. It had a 2.0L engine, four wheel disc brakes, mechanical fuel injection and four wheel independent suspension. I was in college at the time and the car was a blast. You didn't really have a need to go fast but taking a date for a long drive on river road at night with the top down was beyond description. The little double overhead cam two liter engine would purr through the night and the car would sway through the sharp turns as the road followed the river. I developed a deep appreciation for the driving experience during that time.

After the Alfa, I had a 240 Volvo Sedan and was impressed with the performance of what was really a family car. After the Volvo, I went into my dark years....specifically power from the dark side with Lucas electrics. I had several Triumphs, two TR7's, a Spitfire, a GT6 and two Bonneville motorcycles, follow up with a Maserati then finally a couple of Porsche's. I made my way back to an Alfa Spider, then a Volvo XC90, Audi A6, a BMW 328, X3.5 and finally my ML350. I probably missed a few in there but you get the picture.

There was another side of my car experience that may seem out of place with the above mentioned cars. I love certain 4x4's. I always have an SUV as my primary vehicle but I also have them as toys. I had a couple of full size Ford Bronco's. They are such brutes and a blast to drive. My real 4x4 passion is Jeep Wranglers. I am on my 7th Wrangler and currently have one as my fun weekend car. I don't know why I have such a fondness for the Jeep. It is rough and tippy with so so performance, etc. but when I climb in a Jeep and head for the hills, the world just seems to be at peace.

That brings us to today. The last sports car I had was a Porsche Boxster. The Boxster is a great handling car but leaves a lot to be desired in the power department. That would have been OK if I didn't buy the BMW X3.5 a few vehicles back. The X3.5 had a twin turbo 3.0L engine with a 0-60 time of 5.5 sec which is not bad for an SUV. Let's just say the power corrupted me!

I knew I wanted a lot of power but wanted the handling of the European suspension. I also wanted something that was somewhat reliable and was pleasing to look at. In my first or second post, I listed a few that made the short list and the Cobra is at the top. BDR is at the top of the cobra list because it will give me the power of the 427 and the suspension of the BMW. I guess I have become very partial to German engineering after spending a lot of time running a company there.

So for now, the search continues. I may pull the Jeep out of the garage today and head for the hills if the weather allows. I may also swing by and see James Yale on the way back. The search has been fun but I know the catch will be even more fun.