I test drove a Ferrari California yesterday. Woohoo! What a blast. It was the first time I've ever driven a Ferrari and the first time I've ever used paddle shifters.
What an experience that was. I love Benzes, but I must say that listening to the roar of the 430 engine and the whine of the gearbox was a pretty heady experience. The salesman did not do any of the typical "salesman-like" things. He basically explained how the car worked and talked me through the various functions as I drove, pointed out the uniquely Ferrari features, and let me go.
This was the first salesman I've ever heard say "Get on it!" during a test drive . . .





If I'd had $230,000 with me, I'd have bought the damned thing.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

There are those "lux car" clubs and events where you pay a fee and get to drive a supercar on the open road, swapping rides along some predetermined road trip.

The things you get to do when you pull up in a CLS500...

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

He called me about this last night and I had to slap him around a bit to bring him out of it. I looked at the same car and it is a beaut!

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

Maybe its one of those secret shopper things?

I once had a 360 Spyder for 24 hours. That was a fun rental.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

A friend of mine came by my house last Thanksgiving weekend in his 2009. Great cars. He couldn't wait for the factory delivery via ship, so he threw another $10k at the price and had it flown over. At that price I would hope that it didn't fly coach.

It is. I have to test drive the new Rolls Royce Ghost Friday.

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

That sucks. Can't you get out of it?

Buy it, buy it!


I don't test drive cars because then I want to buy them. The Range Rover Sport had me when the super charger kicked in.


These days I just avoid car dealerships.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I was just in one of them today, to pay off my new '09 Grand Marquis.

I'd brought along a date, and of course they pounced on her, but I told them she was only interested in a magic carpet.

But my salesman told me they had just sold the last one.

It's a nice dealership, a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury one with a great selection in such a small town (5,307 people). I know most of them by their first name, they even gave me a 3 day extension to pay off the car, and took a personal check for almost $5,000. They gave me a handwritten receipt for it from an old ledger !!

Such a level of trust in a small town dealer, was wonderful to experience. It was really fun to deal with them. Nice friendly, honest decent people.

And in modern day 21st century California. Just imagine that.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

For me buying cars is like pulling teeth. I have a billion things I rather do.

I bought my truck wholesale from my uncles friend who sells them on the side. I went to his house, handed him a wad of $100 bills and it was mine. When I decide I want a vehical I just go and buy it, I don't want to look around, or do the salesmen dance.

If I buy a new truck I'll order it from Ford direct, led the dealers bid on it, than when it arrives go in and write a check for it. I don't need a test drive, I know what they drive like, I don't want to do the dance either.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

All the way out to the dealership I was enjoying the ride in my CLS. On the way home I kept thinking, "This car SUCKS!"

I probably would have been better off NOT driving the Ferrari . . . .


Hey, there's a mystery shop for a Bugatti next week . . . .

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles