Sold the 5. Getting another 5

Well, sort of.

The wife's Mazda5 gets picked up by new daddy tomorrow. She looked very hard at the CX5, the 6 and the possibility of adding another Volt to the family. Even with the Mazda S-Plan, she couldn't get a CX5 or a 6 to a price level where she'd be happy paying for it for five years. So she was ready to pull the trigger on a Volt, and she drove my car for a few days to finalize her opinion.

The day before she's ready to make the deal, she comes home and says "Honey, I love you, and I'm glad you like this thing, but it bores the E36 M3 out of me. I want something fun. I'm tired of making practical decisions all the time."

So, as a guy who works for a car magazine predicated on the concept that cars can be fun, I really couldn't argue with her. Of course, her idea of "fun" as a 47-year-old elementary school teacher is still a long was from a gutted C5 on R-Comps, but I thought I had the answer for her.

So I have a deposit, a plane ticket and a cashier's check to go collect this:

No, it's not a rotary Miata, but it's sure got a whole hell of a lot more personality than what she was looking at. And it's at a point in its depreciation curve that even if she hates it, she can probably bail out of it without much loss.

I think it's desperately in need of some black BBSs, but we can fix that at some point.

jg

Sorry.

PHeller wrote: Sorry.

There is so much right in that picture I can hardly stand it.

I'd ask why not a CTS-V wagon but it's probably an order of magnitude more expensive than that JG.

Also mmmmm Ford GTs.

JG Pasterjak wrote: The day before she's ready to make the deal, she comes home and says "Honey, I love you, and I'm glad you like this thing, but it bores the E36 M3 out of me. I want something fun. I'm tired of making practical decisions all the time."

She's a keeper! I can completely relate. My wife is similar, but still at the point of making practical decisions...current DD is a loaded Forte hatch...kinda fun but more practical. In a few years (when coincidentally she'll be the same age your wife is now), I'm betting she says the same thing...and goes for a wagon like that, except she'd probably go CTS

Sweet car! The ones in the background are meh... Personally, I'd be real careful with the rim selection. I think you can cross the line between sharp looking and pimped looking too easily on a car like that.

Do anything - anything - rather than put black wheels on a black car. So dull and lifeless. No detail, no shape to catch the eye. No highlights to punctuate the mass of the car. Just a black blob.

Please. I beg you. Stop the black-on-black violence.

Duke wrote: Do anything - *anything* - rather than put black wheels on a black car. *So* dull and lifeless. No detail, no shape to catch the eye. No highlights to punctuate the mass of the car. Just a black blob. Please. I beg you. Stop the black-on-black killing.

Black wheels on black car = bad

Black wheels with silver or polished lip on black car = bad ass.

jg

JG Pasterjak wrote: Black wheels on black car = beyond awful Black wheels with silver or polished lip on black car = minimum acceptable jg

OK, so we're in the same arena, just on different goal lines.

Oh, by the way, awesome car. I wish my wife liked wagons, but I think it will be me getting one when I replace the trusty E46.

PHeller wrote:

ALL THE WANT.

fwiw .. I like black wheels on black cars ...

JG Pasterjak wrote: I want something fun. I'm tired of making practical decisions all the time."

As a man cross-shopping a new GTI and a Minivan, I can totally relate.

I think I could talk her into something like this real easy.

jg

Gold, bronze, or grey spokes with polished lip on a black car FTW!

GOLDFTMFW...Some Volk TE37s or Gram lights over BBS in my opinion tho.

Duke wrote: Oh, by the way, awesome car. I wish my wife liked wagons, but I think it will be me getting one when I replace the trusty E46.

PHeller wrote:

ALL THE WANT.

i am convinced that these are the best wheels ever made. ever.

I remember in Gran Turismo 2 or 3 those wheels seemingly fitting every car.

PHeller wrote:

Holy moly, that is gorgeous. Wow! Much want now.

steelies. plain. black. steelies.

JG Pasterjak wrote:

Duke wrote: Do anything - *anything* - rather than put black wheels on a black car. *So* dull and lifeless. No detail, no shape to catch the eye. No highlights to punctuate the mass of the car. Just a black blob. Please. I beg you. Stop the black-on-black killing.

Black wheels on black car = bad Black wheels with silver or polished lip on black car = bad ass. jg

Black wheels with a polished lip on anything is j-

You know what? berkeley it. Black wheels with a polished lip are quite possibly the worst thing in the world. 1999 called and they want their wheels back.

These guys would totally rock black wheels with polished lips

jg

JG Pasterjak wrote: These guys would totally rock black wheels with polished lips jg

...I can see his nipple...

In reply to Swank Force One:

Disagree.

I always had a thing for black steel wheels with stainless trim rings. So if I wanted a light weight wheel in a size that I could fit a modern performance tire on and still keep the stainless trim ring look a polished lip on a black wheel it the only thing that will pass.

And I've been known to ruin perfectly fine factory wheels to achieve the look

I would avoid black wheel centers. I think a grey or silver wheel will look much better. My .02.

Nice looking car btw!

After she gets it challenge her to a 0-50 drag race in your boring car. I have an idea of how it will turn out, and it is comical to me.

AngryCorvair wrote:

I like this.. this is what you should do.