It's been a year now

[BimmerFan]

So I am a notorious car flipper, as I believe the BW is #64 (this does not include motorcycles). Which is, yes, ridiculous and wasteful and has ben a very expensive hobby, but I've enjoyed many if not most of my cars. But I am quite famous - or infamous - among my friends and coworkers for being quite fickle and I'm always able to find something newer/shinier/different to buy.

This month is my one year anniversary for the mighty CT5-V Blackwing, properly equipped with three pedals. People ask me if I still like it, how do I like it, etc. and the answer is consistently, "yes" and "I love it". It is everything I've ever wanted in a car, all in one package. If I had to complain about anything, it would be the road noise, but I've had worse and it's not so bad that I'm actively looking for a solution, and really if the road surface is decent then the noise isn't so bad.

And I hate to write this for superstitious fear of it coming back to bite me, but this car has been basically trouble-free in the year that I've owned it. I've put a mere 5600 miles on it, because I work from home 2 days a week and we usually take the wife's SUV product on our road trips, simply because it can haul more crap. We (she) don't travel light.

Anyway... I probably would not have bought the car if not for the overall good responses from people on this forum, and so I thank you all for that. And unlike some other car forums (<cough>Porsche<cough>) you aren't a bunch of arrogant a-holes nor a group of (<cough>BMW<cough>) self-indulgent narcissistic pretentious yuppie larva.

I jest. There are plenty of fine people who own Porsches and BMW. And they are fine cars. They're just not Blackwings. As I frequently remind my wife (who is still amazed that I still love the car after all this time) it is the Cadillac of cars.

 

[shbox]

Sounds like quite an endorsement, based on your past experiences.

I'm getting ready for a 2 week trip in my regular 5V that is going to put more miles than you put in a year on your BW.

 

[BimmerFan]

I'm getting ready for a 2 week trip in my regular 5V that is going to put more miles than you put in a year on your BW.

That sounds epic! Are you planning to take pictures and/or post a thread after you return?

 

[rubberduck]

If this goes any further @BimmerFan a username change may be in the cards for you. I’m sure I gave you some shit when you joined, but it was in jest and I’m glad the car is working out for you.

 

[Roadhawk]

I understand the desire for the "next new thing" or what have you....and I'm often desirous of various cars I do not own....but I've actually never once in my life sold a car just to replace it with something newer and shinier - unless of course my old car was basically on its last legs. That being said I think you are right to hold on to your 5 V BW. It might not be easy to replace with a newer better car....at least performance and driving satisfaction wise.

We've had our 4 V BW only since December and already have nearly 8K miles on it....and neither my wife or I work....and we also own 3 other cars that we do drive on occasion. She still drives the BMW as her daily (which is perhaps once or twice a week) and I drive our GTI for around town errands and sometime just to get out and hoon on it.

Probably drive our Mustang once a month or less and usually just to cruise locally or to hit a winery or brew pub or to go out for lunch on a nice day. The BW is certainly our road trip and longer excursion car. Its mostly just the two of us so its roomy enough. Its amazing how many times I fully pack it though.

Most of the newer cars - even Porches and BMWs just don't do it for me. If I were to buy another car it would likely be an older MR2, or an older Caymen or Boxster or maybe an older BMW - like a 1 series....but as long as the cars we have are still drivable I doubt we'll be in the market anytime soon.

Enjoy what you got....I mean really now...

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

Anyway... I probably would not have bought the car if not for the overall good responses from people on this forum, and so I thank you all for that. And unlike some other car forums (<cough>Porsche<cough>) you aren't a bunch of arrogant a-holes nor a group of (<cough>BMW<cough>) self-indulgent narcissistic pretentious yuppie larva.

100% -- this forum is refreshingly awesome and welcoming, and the couple of Cadillac V events (e.g. the IMSA race at Laguna Seca) where I've met other owners have been the same.

I don't have a lot of experience with the BMW community but the gatekeeping and snobbery on the Porsche side can be a bit exhausting. I don't need to justify to anyone why I bought a Blackwing instead of a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz

 

[RDATLTE]

While this is a very strong endorsement, it could also be an indictment of the current car market.

 

[Finally-a-V]

@BimmerFan ...I could have written your exact comments. Well, maybe not the BMW/Porsche remarks. I too, have had so many cars, I can't count them. I too, tend to dump cars after a year, sometimes less, sometimes more. I'm a bit surprised at myself that I still have my 6 year old Expedition, but it's a great truck and has been very good to me....besides, I've looked and really don't like anything else as much as the Expy.

Anyway, I still love my 5BW. Yes, I paid too much, but I don't care. It's just a fun, fantastic car with no issues. I'd love to pick up another one, that's how awesome it is, especially with prices coming down.

 

[Atemoya]

OP, since you change cars so often, do you lease them short term, like maybe 24 months? Or do you purchase? I would think I purchase would be very costly because the sales tax is lost when you sell the car, unlike the lease where you don't pay tax on the entire price of the car. Thanks,

 

[shbox]

That sounds epic! Are you planning to take pictures and/or post a thread after you return?

There will be many pics, but what I may post is TBD. Uh, there may be a pic of my Cadillac at Cadillac Mtn at Acadia NP.

I'll be doing an oil change right before I leave and immediately when I return. Gonna be 6k+ miles as calculated so far.

 

[MookdocOE]

100% -- this forum is refreshingly awesome and welcoming, and the couple of Cadillac V events (e.g. the IMSA race at Laguna Seca) where I've met other owners have been the same.

I don't have a lot of experience with the BMW community but the gatekeeping and snobbery on the Porsche side can be a bit exhausting. I don't need to justify to anyone why I bought a Blackwing instead of a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz

Woo..man! Hold up? The 59 Eldo Biarritz is about the most beautifully crafted hunk of metal ever! My CT5 V BW interior pales to that sexy beast!

 

[CBH]

Congratulations @BimmerFan !!

I hope the love affair continues.

The 59 Eldo is one of the greatest styling accomplishments in automotive history. And certainly the most excessive.

 

[ukcats12]

And unlike some other car forums (<cough>Porsche<cough>) you aren't a bunch of arrogant a-holes

I see you don't know me very well.

 

[5VBW Nick]

TL-DR - I am torn between buying a brand new CT5V Blackwing that is 100% owned/spec'd by me and no one else, or a different luxury V8 cruising GT car.

Well, this is an interesting post. While I am not at your level of car trading (yet), I did go through 6 cars in the last 2 years . My wife just cannot understand it, as she is very dedicated to the car she buys and likes to keep them for a long time. I told her recently that I considered it "speed-dating" with cars, just trying to find a match for me as perfect as her .

I purchase my cars outright, and I have lost money on every transaction so far, so it's a really terrible financial decision, but I keep doing it regardless. I think with all of the changes happening so quickly, I became worried about ICE cars being over with and missing out on a lot of different and interesting cars that, once gone, are never coming back.

Lately the pressure is decreasing since most EV cars are not being very successful and manufacturers are pulling back some of their thoughts that they would go 100% electric in the next 5 to 10 years. My wife drives a Tesla model Y, so I'm not against them, and they do have impressive torque and acceleration.

I'm actually on my fourth car since January of this year, and it got a little bit exhausting. Where I live there's very, very little car culture and I don't get to share my lavish purchases with my extended family or co-workers since they would not understand or would have a lot of jealousy that I don't have time for. This means that I have to enjoy the car by myself, for myself, or with my wife. She's not into going fast around corners and being stupid on the road. This leaves me to go driving by myself most of the time, and it leaves very little purpose other than driving around in a circle and coming back home in 45 minutes. I don't live in California where we have winding, canyon roads everywhere. I live in a more rural area; most of our roads are fairly straight and driving the same one or two decent roads gets kind of boring.

All this to say, I've kind of narrowed things down to realize that I think I prefer a really good GT car; something that is comfortable, quiet and luxurious, enjoyable by both her and myself, but still able to accelerate well and have a really good exhaust note. A manual transmission is a bonus for sure. I currently have a 2020 Lotus Evora GT. While it does have GT in the name, it's still a small, back roads carving, not terribly quiet sports car. We did take it on a 3-hour road trip and it was okay, but nothing like the Blackwing.

So, I'm down to trying to decide about whether to buy a 2025 Blackwing that is custom to my specs and brand new, never driven or modified by somebody else, like the one that I sold recently, or a custom ordered Lexus LC 500. I told myself that I didn't want a black car because they are so hard to keep clean, and I always have a thing about buying a used car not knowing how it was broken in, driven, or modified. I would like to buy something that lasts me a very, very long time in my garage stable. The Cadillac was fun to drive and very impressive, and comfortable. I have yet to drive an LC 500, but 99% of reviews I have seen can't say enough good things about it, despite it not being a super fast accelerating car. The exhaust note of the Lexus is amazing, which is important to me, but I'm just not sure if I would feel a little bit put off by the fact that my wife's boring Tesla has faster acceleration.

I basically want something that will age very well, be reliable for 20 years when maintained properly (zero issue for the Lexus), and have all of the modern amenities and technologies that make the car very usable and not seem dated the way 99% of cars do that are currently 8 to 10 years old. I had myself about 90% convinced to go for the Lexus and do some tasteful notifications and just enjoy it.

However, this post by bimmerfan has kind of pulled me back in and made me think again about it. I currently have a dealer in my state that is taking orders for 5V black wings and I could be second on their list. I am also considering keeping the Lotus to have with the Cadillac, because they are an amazing two car combination. However, with my work and the climate we have around here (Northern NY) is very limiting to when you can drive a nice, performance car. I basically have from May until November when the roads are not covered in salt or snow. I will sometimes go two weeks without even finding the time, or weather to take my car out for a drive, and it also feels kind of silly to just go drive around in a circle by myself with the Lotus when I could be spending time doing something with my wife, who I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with due to our work schedules.

So, my apologies for the extra, extra long-winded post, but I had a lot of feelings get stirred up after reading this thread last night. I would like something that has purpose to own and I can put some miles on doing road trips, but is also comfortable, luxurious, beautiful to look at, and fun to drive. The other factor is that I am approximately 2 hours away from any major dealerships, so driving something that is finicky that might have regular problems is a bad idea and makes me look a little pretentious or stupid, wasting time bringing it to get repairs done. This is why the Maserati MC20 or an Aston Martin Vantage are kind of ruled out.

I have to decide if I want to put in an order for a new CT5V, or LC 500. I would like a chance to drive the Lexus before making my decision, but the nearest dealership that has one is 4 hours away Thank you for listening to my ramblings.

 

[Champale]

I have a 2017 Evora 400 6sp and a 2024 5BW 6sp. If you enjoy your Evora, you will love the 5BW. The Evoras are raw and rowdy while the 5BW seems a little calm and aloof when you first start driving it. Put it in the sportier modes and drive it harder, though, and you start realizing the engineering brilliance. I haven't driven the LC500 but I have driven a GS-F (same engine) and LOVED that car. The 5BW is a whole level or two higher in terms of performance and the Tremec 6sp puts it way above in terms of driving enjoyment for me.

 

[5VBW Nick]

Yeah, I only had my 5V BW for about 4 months, and I might have kept it if it didn't have previous modifications and paint chips and things because it was not taken care of as well as I would have. I'm very much on the fence, but I'd like to not keep switching cars at this point and just have something that I will enjoy for a long period of time.

 

[bloominguez]

TL-DR - I am torn between buying a brand new CT5V Blackwing that is 100% owned/spec'd by me and no one else, or a different luxury V8 cruising GT car.

Well, this is an interesting post. While I am not at your level of car trading (yet), I did go through 6 cars in the last 2 years . My wife just cannot understand it, as she is very dedicated to the car she buys and likes to keep them for a long time. I told her recently that I considered it "speed-dating" with cars, just trying to find a match for me as perfect as her .

I purchase my cars outright, and I have lost money on every transaction so far, so it's a really terrible financial decision, but I keep doing it regardless. I think with all of the changes happening so quickly, I became worried about ICE cars being over with and missing out on a lot of different and interesting cars that, once gone, are never coming back.

Lately the pressure is decreasing since most EV cars are not being very successful and manufacturers are pulling back some of their thoughts that they would go 100% electric in the next 5 to 10 years. My wife drives a Tesla model Y, so I'm not against them, and they do have impressive torque and acceleration.

I'm actually on my fourth car since January of this year, and it got a little bit exhausting. Where I live there's very, very little car culture and I don't get to share my lavish purchases with my extended family or co-workers since they would not understand or would have a lot of jealousy that I don't have time for. This means that I have to enjoy the car by myself, for myself, or with my wife. She's not into going fast around corners and being stupid on the road. This leaves me to go driving by myself most of the time, and it leaves very little purpose other than driving around in a circle and coming back home in 45 minutes. I don't live in California where we have winding, canyon roads everywhere. I live in a more rural area; most of our roads are fairly straight and driving the same one or two decent roads gets kind of boring.

All this to say, I've kind of narrowed things down to realize that I think I prefer a really good GT car; something that is comfortable, quiet and luxurious, enjoyable by both her and myself, but still able to accelerate well and have a really good exhaust note. A manual transmission is a bonus for sure. I currently have a 2020 Lotus Evora GT. While it does have GT in the name, it's still a small, back roads carving, not terribly quiet sports car. We did take it on a 3-hour road trip and it was okay, but nothing like the Blackwing.

So, I'm down to trying to decide about whether to buy a 2025 Blackwing that is custom to my specs and brand new, never driven or modified by somebody else, like the one that I sold recently, or a custom ordered Lexus LC 500. I told myself that I didn't want a black car because they are so hard to keep clean, and I always have a thing about buying a used car not knowing how it was broken in, driven, or modified. I would like to buy something that lasts me a very, very long time in my garage stable. The Cadillac was fun to drive and very impressive, and comfortable. I have yet to drive an LC 500, but 99% of reviews I have seen can't say enough good things about it, despite it not being a super fast accelerating car. The exhaust note of the Lexus is amazing, which is important to me, but I'm just not sure if I would feel a little bit put off by the fact that my wife's boring Tesla has faster acceleration.

I basically want something that will age very well, be reliable for 20 years when maintained properly (zero issue for the Lexus), and have all of the modern amenities and technologies that make the car very usable and not seem dated the way 99% of cars do that are currently 8 to 10 years old. I had myself about 90% convinced to go for the Lexus and do some tasteful notifications and just enjoy it.

However, this post by bimmerfan has kind of pulled me back in and made me think again about it. I currently have a dealer in my state that is taking orders for 5V black wings and I could be second on their list. I am also considering keeping the Lotus to have with the Cadillac, because they are an amazing two car combination. However, with my work and the climate we have around here (Northern NY) is very limiting to when you can drive a nice, performance car. I basically have from May until November when the roads are not covered in salt or snow. I will sometimes go two weeks without even finding the time, or weather to take my car out for a drive, and it also feels kind of silly to just go drive around in a circle by myself with the Lotus when I could be spending time doing something with my wife, who I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with due to our work schedules.

So, my apologies for the extra, extra long-winded post, but I had a lot of feelings get stirred up after reading this thread last night. I would like something that has purpose to own and I can put some miles on doing road trips, but is also comfortable, luxurious, beautiful to look at, and fun to drive. The other factor is that I am approximately 2 hours away from any major dealerships, so driving something that is finicky that might have regular problems is a bad idea and makes me look a little pretentious or stupid, wasting time bringing it to get repairs done. This is why the Maserati MC20 or an Aston Martin Vantage are kind of ruled out.

I have to decide if I want to put in an order for a new CT5V, or LC 500. I would like a chance to drive the Lexus before making my decision, but the nearest dealership that has one is 4 hours away Thank you for listening to my ramblings.

If you want a convertible, get the Lexus. If you want a manual transmission, get the 5BW--it's really good. If you want an automatic I don't have any advice, other than to say that I've driven that same Toyota V8/auto combination in a different model and, while the engine itself is fantastic, I thought the transmission was rather bad, even compared to other automatic transmissions. It really sucked the joy out of the car.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

However, with my work and the climate we have around here (Northern NY) is very limiting to when you can drive a nice, performance car. I basically have from May until November when the roads are not covered in salt or snow. I will sometimes go two weeks without even finding the time, or weather to take my car out for a drive, and it also feels kind of silly to just go drive around in a circle by myself with the Lotus when I could be spending time doing something with my wife, who I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with due to our work schedules.

If you have a 5BW now I'm curious how you get on in winter. Reading the threads about Winter Tires for the 5BW, it seems like there aren't really any great options, and the factory tires are fairly sketchy below ~40degF. I know that may seem like a trivial thing to focus on, but if I lived somewhere that had an actual winter it would be a pain.

 

[5VBW Nick]

I have a 2022 F350 diesel with four wheel drive

 

[BimmerFan]

OP, since you change cars so often, do you lease them short term, like maybe 24 months? Or do you purchase? I would think I purchase would be very costly because the sales tax is lost when you sell the car, unlike the lease where you don't pay tax on the entire price of the car. Thanks,

I have leased, but 24 months is very expensive so I usually do 36 and just deal with the financial disaster that follows. Generally though, leases are not the best way to get out of a car early, so I just buy them. Many years ago the sales tax here in NC was capped at only ... well, I can't remember, but it was a mere few thousand. Now it's not capped, but the tax on cars is only 3%, which helps.

My most recent lease I was able to use SwapALease.com to get out of it early with no financial penalty, which was nice. Largely because I had done very well when I bought it, and it had plenty of miles left on the lease when I got out of it. The dude that took it over was also very happy. Win-win.

But yes, it's all very costly, and with the exception of a couple of cars bought during the pandemic and sold afterwards when the market was crazy, I lose a lot of money. But I budget for it, it's just part of the cost of living the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed.