I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...

[dubois]

see I been trying to determine, explain, rationalize, why my E36 M3 sits in the garage whereas I naturally gravitate towards my 2002's as the ride of choice. If I go by the numbers alone, it just doesn't make any sense, unless it is a real hot day, I would drive my 2002''s. Granted I don't have a long commute. I really needed to find out, in order to get to that simple element that would define the word fun for me.

I have come to the conclusion - at least in my personal world - that I look forward to drive my 2002's because the fun starts as soon as I turn on the key. It is fun at 10, 20, 30,....100 mph. The shifting, sound, steering is so inmidiate at just any speed. The E36 is just boring until you get past 60, then you can reach 100 in a blink of an eye, and then you are scared. So the window of fun (unless you have a death wish) is very narrow.

It is for this reason, that like a golfer walking to the first tee, I look forward to drive my 2002. The E36 just doesn't do it -sorry... and it is a problem that more hp could not fix, on the contrary it would only make it worse. So I made up my mind, it is going to go...

I look forward to own a modern car with a/c that would thrill me at 10 mph and thereafter.

[74tiiGolf]

If it's so boring I guess I could find room for it in my (limited) stable. I'll even give you $20 for your trouble....

Matthew

[neanderthal]

nail, meet hammer head.

the 02 is fun at any speed. something ive tried again and again to explain to people, but most people dont get it. then again, most people are perfectly content driving a maytag, erm camry, so that explains it.

for those of us who revel in the feedback, the tactility, the responses, the communication, the back and forth between man and machine, we will always choose the slightly unconventional, and be hard pressed to explain to the masses exactly what it is that dives our choices. our responses will be met with blank stares.

"but it doesnt have any chrome/ stereo/ navigation/ some other useless doodad"

"its ugly/ old/ wierd looking"

"its not even fast!!!!" true, but how much fun is an E36 at 40mph? a camaro? a vette? an S2000?

these are the typical responses.

congratulations my brother, you are a driver.

[jerry]

contentment is a higher gift. glad you are able to recognize it and embrace it. i too enjoy the holy begeezus out of my poorly painted single-barrel solex run-of-the-mill 02 like no other.

more important than horsepower i think is good mechanicals that work as they were intended. it's all the little things as discussed in another thread. perhaps you may have saved someone from an impulse buy....

[DavinSF]

(nt)

[74tiiGolf]

(nt)

[MAD02]

Or a V8 Miata!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsh4cEhEWlg&feature=related

[ray_]

Sounds like a good reason to sell one (not).

;-)

Cheers,

Ray

see I been trying to determine, explain, rationalize, why my E36 M3 sits in the garage whereas I naturally gravitate towards my 2002's as the ride of choice. If I go by the numbers alone, it just doesn't make any sense, unless it is a real hot day, I would drive my 2002''s. Granted I don't have a long commute. I really needed to find out, in order to get to that simple element that would define the word fun for me.

I have come to the conclusion - at least in my personal world - that I look forward to drive my 2002's because the fun starts as soon as I turn on the key. It is fun at 10, 20, 30,....100 mph. The shifting, sound, steering is so inmidiate at just any speed. The E36 is just boring until you get past 60, then you can reach 100 in a blink of an eye, and then you are scared. So the window of fun (unless you have a death wish) is very narrow.

It is for this reason, that like a golfer walking to the first tee, I look forward to drive my 2002. The E36 just doesn't do it -sorry... and it is a problem that more hp could not fix, on the contrary it would only make it worse. So I made up my mind, it is going to go...

I look forward to own a modern car with a/c that would thrill me at 10 mph and thereafter.

[Ian]

I know what you mean. The car that gets closest to the fun experience of a 2002 for me is our Mini Cooper S. I think of it as a "2002 with a/c that works".

Ian

'76 M2

'02 MCS

[saaron]

What you're saying is why I've kept my '02 since the '80s. No other car I've found is quite that good. People ask me if it's fast, and I usually say something like "not really, it's just fun to drive. It's really fun".

Super powerful cars are fun, but the fun for most people is limited. I mean, you can't really commute at 100mph. You'll kill someone or just plain old lose your license after a while.

The '02 has a sense of purpose about it. It's like the people that created it weren't messing around. You can feel that, I think.

In the last few years I've noticed when I drive my '02 it gets a lot of looks, and people pointing, that sort of thing. In these parts, I think it is officially a car you never really see. So it has that aspect to the fun now, too.

My wife's Mini Cooper S is great, too. It has that feeling - as if the people creating it were thinking "we are going to make a fun car - a car that will be people's favorite car they've ever had". It has shortcomings, but it is pretty cool.

Scott in Cincy

[Mike_R]

I love driving my car. If it did have a/c I might sell one of the others, but in Florida I need 2 good Hondas, one for me and one for my wife.

I can drive a whole year and if I am not at a show I wont see another 2002. And EVERYONE likes it. 24 mpg, rides great, runs fabulous, what more could a guy ask for from a car?

Plus they can draw $32K on Ebay!!!!

[NickVyse]

With you all the way - which is why my Audi RS2 is up for grabs. Quattro plus 315bhp don't equal as many smiles as the puny 1600-2

[jgerry2002]

I must be weird, I love getting into my E36M3 every once in awhile and going for a drive.

It must be because I have a rollbar, harnesses, and a slightly impractical/stiff suspension in both the M3 and my tii.

I'll keep 'em all thank you very much.

[Harv]

I have the same feeling (but not as bad) with my WRX. Like what Michael said, if I play with the car I'm going big speed.

However it's the funnest thing in the world when there is a serious snow storm!

John

[Gordon]

I like driving my 91 318i just as much as I do my tii. I love the M42 motor in the E30 (91 was the only year the M42 motor came in a E30). It's a poor man's E30 M3.

G-Man