///M5

If Ford GT's would drop that would do it even more for me...but we all know that ain't happenin'. Gotta love the Brits stupid marketing move to let 1G Racing rebadge and modify. REALLY helped the car.

This is a nice perspective:

It out Lotus's the lotus and outruns everything else.

Sat in a Noble M400 almost 8 years ago and thought about it. Didn't quite do it for me though as it needed almost all the same love that the Pantera did to be comfy and nice on the inside. Then Rossion came along and fixed most of that in the Q1. Then my dumbass drove one.

And who else do you know with a Rossion?

Sub 3.4sec to 60, 11.6 125mph in the quarter, 1.09g in 300' skid, and I am real comfortable in it. Good spots for stereo improvements too

Plus it is faster and handles better. Duratec V6, lol.

...but it requires no work and I have no time so

Never said it was better.

Or I lease a newer car and turn it back in and in 3 years do the same.

If I kept them both for 9 years work would have paid for them both completely. I like that.

Can get a VERY clean one right now for $60k which I'd EASILY get to in the Pantera. Figure in 3 years, I can find one for $50k and have no problems leasing it. By then I'll have a garage and if I "build" the truck I want now I'll still have a way of towing stuff.

I like the shit. Pretty sure my soccer mom choice shocked everyone when I made it last time, I'll probably do something similar this time too. Although you've all seen the thought process typed out.Until you mentioned the house sale thing I thought your reluctance to just buy either the speedy whip or the truck and make work pay for the other was nonsensical. You have worked hard and it is a reasonable indulgence to finally get a truck for what you need and a dream car for what you want. My guess is you work a good triple the hours most of us do. And unbeknownst to the forum, the Pantera has been usurped. Still oval powered, but exactly somewhat the plan with the cheaper car. In 3 years, I'd "lease" a Q1.

I like the shit. Pretty sure my soccer mom choice shocked everyone when I made it last time, I'll probably do something similar this time too. Although you've all seen the thought process typed out.

Find the break room at your work, and start talking about your problems. Funny since I work from home

And yeah, I know. Problems and me bitching. Pretty superficial, but you are the only people in the world I can actually express it with and not feel like a bigger ass. Amazing what keyboard separation does.

Money doesn't go as far 2 years later though. When I bought the ML I could have gotten a Cayenne Turbo, X5M, or the ML all certified and covered for the whole period. Now that is tough. Really have to find an exception and probably use a third party warranty or get something cheaper. Spending limit CAN be stretched, but then it is out of my pocket. Sort of defeats the purpose of a free car if I pay for it. Of course, I paid for brakes, tires, rims, and other stuff on the ML to the tune of around $125/mo which isn't quite free either. I'd love to remove the expense.

Perhaps you need to lower your expectations to equal your spending limit. Sounds like a buy the jeep recommendation.

Just call me Captain Overboard

My head hurts as well, appreciate the thoughts and you guys letting me "abuse" the hop with my ramblings. Typing shit helps me.

Seriously contemplating a custom dash and seats in an already built TBSS. I can imagine I'll drive one again and it will be so loud and unrefined I'll puke and no longer want to. Going to drive a 5.3l Saab 9-7x later this week as there are no Aero's anywhere near me. I don't actually like the body style as much but am hoping that the interior has more hope. Envisioning a 10" touchscreen in the dash, some 8's in the doors and some 3's in the pillars. Little 8 or 10 in the side cubby, a single 5 chn amp, and M6 seats. Custom console, dash, and seats and it would be a completely different vehicle. Of course, with the reliability woes I had with my Chevy I am a bit scared to rely on a 550+hp LS to drive me around. More worried about the rest of the car than the motor, but am sure I'll make ghosts appear.

And I know the Jeep is just a more raw version of the ML I already have. Exact same chassis, similar tuning of the chassis, and an inferior motor. Just as quick though and feels completely different so I'd actually prefer it to another ML. If I could afford the newer body style ML63 then it would win although it really isn't so different either.

All repairs on are my dime too so in an effort to minimize those it either has to be cheap to fix or certified.

And of course that isn't completely fair, my ML63 is $662/mo + $53 in insurance. I pretty much can work with the same, but it is supposed to be $650. Sort of trims the choices a bit. I am sure I can probably even negotiate $100 more as I am kicking ass, but that really doesn't help. Open ended private party leases are fine, but fundamentally this means whatever I buy can only depreciate ~$19k in 45k mi and 3 years.

At this point, my ML feels slow. Tell you what. Ryan1 or I will switch you vehicles for a month, then when you get it back, it'll feel like a fricking rocket ship. I can just run the wives for a bit and get the same feeling. Last GL I drove was slower and handled way worse than her car too.