What made you choose a Blackwing and what else did you consider?

[techdude99]

@BW56M I would agree on all points and I'm in my 50's. Loved the '19 GT350. Almost bought it, but went with the a '19 ZLE since it was mostly going to be used for track days. The Ford was superior as a DD. The BMW grills are ridiculous. I really wanted an M3 CS with MT, but the BMW execs decided that wasn't going to be an option and then made the car ugly so here I am. CT4 to start and probably a CT5 if the wife allows me to add another MT lol

 

[RobC7]

@BW56M I would agree on all points and I'm in my 50's. Loved the '19 GT350. Almost bought it, but went with the a '19 ZLE since it was mostly going to be used for track days. The Ford was superior as a DD. The BMW grills are ridiculous. I really wanted an M3 CS with MT, but the BMW execs decided that wasn't going to be an option and then made the car ugly so here I am. CT4 to start and probably a CT5 if the wife allows me to add another MT lol

I saw a report recently that only 20% of M3/M4 were sold with MT vs. over 50% of M2s. I take the numbers as a grain of salt because if they offered the M3CS in MT the numbers would look much different.

 

[BW56M]

if they offered the M3CS in MT the numbers would look much different.

@techdude99

I agree with that statement 100%. IMO the M4 would sell in much larger numbers also.

 

[Professor Speed]

It's ironic that you mentioned Shelby GT350. I'm new to the forum and that's the car I just came from. Mine was a 2019 with only 9,100 easy miles, bought it new, but after enjoying it for 4-1/2 years it was time to move onto something else. I will say that it was by far the most engaging and fun car that I've driven in my life time.

The Shelby GT350, with its mesmerizing looks and flat-plane crank engine capable of revving over 8k RPMs, has held my attention since its 2016 debut. It's high revving engine takes me back to my college days, driving an RX8, which offered the joy of pushing a rotary engine to its limits despite its fair share of issues.

Here is the one I was checking before buying the 4BW. Performance blue with no stripes.

Deal fell through because I spotted damage on the passenger fender, with overspray and misaligned bumper gaps that spoke of a history the dealer's assurances and a clean CarFax couldn't mask. I trusted my gut and stepped away from the deal.

While the 4BW I ended up with has been a phenomenal car so far, the thought of the Shelby remains tantalizing. Maybe one day, I'll add it to the garage alongside the 4BW and finally satisfy that long-held desire.

 

[BW56M]

@ProfSpeed

Here's a couple teasers for you to chew on. I really hated to part with it, but it's just me and my wife. We already have two other vehicles beside the new 5BW, so we sure don't need four vehicles.

 

[FISH22]

The Shelby GT350, with its mesmerizing looks and flat-plane crank engine capable of revving over 8k RPMs, has held my attention since its 2016 debut. It's high revving engine takes me back to my college days, driving an RX8, which offered the joy of pushing a rotary engine to its limits despite its fair share of issues.

Here is the one I was checking before buying the 4BW. Performance blue with no stripes.

View attachment 23578

Deal fell through because I spotted damage on the passenger fender, with overspray and misaligned bumper gaps that spoke of a history the dealer's assurances and a clean CarFax couldn't mask. I trusted my gut and stepped away from the deal.

While the 4BW I ended up with has been a phenomenal car so far, the thought of the Shelby remains tantalizing. Maybe one day, I'll add it to the garage alongside the 4BW and finally satisfy that long-held desire.

The GT350 has probably held my attention longer than any other car, like you, since 2016. Took a good friend to pick up one of the first ones in our area back in 2015. Great experience, and I’ve been lusting them since.

Would love to put one next to my 5BW. The N/A flat plane has to be an incredible experience.

 

[Champale]

I am loving the fact that there are a lot of GT350 owners and admirers on this forum. They are both sort of left field choices compared to the usual suspects from BMW M, Porsche, etc, and I think that means a lot of us really do our homework and don't just default to those more common options.

 

[MookdocOE]

Really, really not a Ford fan at all but for some reason I really, really like this exact car!

 

[Roadhawk]

The Shelby GT350, with its mesmerizing looks and flat-plane crank engine capable of revving over 8k RPMs, has held my attention since its 2016 debut. It's high revving engine takes me back to my college days, driving an RX8, which offered the joy of pushing a rotary engine to its limits despite its fair share of issues.

Here is the one I was checking before buying the 4BW. Performance blue with no stripes.

View attachment 23578

Deal fell through because I spotted damage on the passenger fender, with overspray and misaligned bumper gaps that spoke of a history the dealer's assurances and a clean CarFax couldn't mask. I trusted my gut and stepped away from the deal.

While the 4BW I ended up with has been a phenomenal car so far, the thought of the Shelby remains tantalizing. Maybe one day, I'll add it to the garage alongside the 4BW and finally satisfy that long-held desire.

Sorry it didn't work out - its certainly a performance beast and would be great fun....maybe another opportunity will present...

Lol - I got banned from ever test driving cars at my local Mazda dealership after I took an RX8 out with a salesman in the passenger seat. He kept telling me to slow down...and I told him I'm buying a car to do the kind of things I want to do in it and I have to see if it can. He was screaming at me after we got out of the car. BTW both my boys were in the backseat (loving it)...car handled great BTW...but could have been a bit quicker...

 

[Badillac]

TBH, I never had an interest in (or knowledge of) cars, nor did I have the intention of buying a new additional one. It all started early 2022 when a friend was having a fundraiser track event. I looked for a "fast" car to rent on Turo & ended up getting a c7 for the day. Never did I see where that fateful day would take me.

I had a blast! My friend started whispering in my ear that I should buy a c8, convincing me of my need for speed. As cool as it would be to have a Corvette, to me, it was A LOT of money & I just dind't care that much to have one. He kept talking to me non-stop about cars & sent me an article that featured the Stingray among other cars, another fateful piece of my story.

The BW was also in the article and.... it was love at first sight! A Cadillac with that much hp?! Holy shit!! What a bad ass 'lac! Since I wasn't at all in the car world, I had never heard of the BW but knew right away that is one special car. (Coming from a GM family in MI, I've been limited to the GM brand so I naturally liked Cadillacs the best.) The rest is history. Never thought of the Stingray again. And, even though the BW would be more money, this one was somehow worth it to me.

Very spontaneously put my name on some waitlists. It would be quite an unexpected major splurge but I was sure I wouldn't get a call anyway. A few months later, I got an allocation! Told myself it was meant to be. Picked the MT even though I never drove one before b/c even my amateur self knew how extraordinary & fun that would be. Quickly dove into the car world & have spent a lot of time learning as much as I can (thanks to everyone on this forum who has shared knowledge & info). Now that I am more versed, I appreciate & love this car all the more. My instincts were right. I've always been known to have good taste.

Pretty sure this was the article that forever changed my life:

10Best Cars and Trucks for 2022

Our annual awards cut through the crowded market of more than 300 cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans to find the 10 that live up to their purpose while delivering incredible value and a great driving experience.

www.caranddriver.com

 

[rubberduck]

Lol - I got banned from ever test driving cars at my local Mazda dealership after I took an RX8 out with a salesman in the passenger seat. He kept telling me to slow down...and I told him I'm buying a car to do the kind of things I want to do in it and I have to see if it can. He was screaming at me after we got out of the car. BTW both my boys were in the backseat (loving it)...car handled great BTW...but could have been a bit quicker...

I have owned 4 RX cars, two first generation, one second generation, and one RX-8. The first one I drove was around 1979. The first gen is perhaps the most fun on the street, largely because they weigh next to nothing and don’t have much HP. They are easy to drift without worry of things getting out of control. The second gen was my favorite however as it had more HP and a more refined and comfortable car. The RX-8 was my least favorite and sold after a few years. It lost most of the original appeal to me when it got bigger and heavier.

 

[Champale]

Sorry it didn't work out - its certainly a performance beast and would be great fun....maybe another opportunity will present...

Lol - I got banned from ever test driving cars at my local Mazda dealership after I took an RX8 out with a salesman in the passenger seat. He kept telling me to slow down...and I told him I'm buying a car to do the kind of things I want to do in it and I have to see if it can. He was screaming at me after we got out of the car. BTW both my boys were in the backseat (loving it)...car handled great BTW...but could have been a bit quicker...

That's a great story! A true badge of honor. I was banned from a Triumph/BMW motorcycle dealership after a test drive of a Daytona 675 sportbike years ago. I honestly wasn't doing anything too stupid but took some corners on the edge of the tire and the salesman leading the ride (such a dumb rule) flipped out on me and that was that.

RX8s were such dogs! I remember testing one when they first came out. Lots of revs, no speed, decent steering and chassis, no thanks.

 

[raptor5244]

Sorry it didn't work out - its certainly a performance beast and would be great fun....maybe another opportunity will present...

Lol - I got banned from ever test driving cars at my local Mazda dealership after I took an RX8 out with a salesman in the passenger seat. He kept telling me to slow down...and I told him I'm buying a car to do the kind of things I want to do in it and I have to see if it can. He was screaming at me after we got out of the car. BTW both my boys were in the backseat (loving it)...car handled great BTW...but could have been a bit quicker...

Hold on, I just need to test a few things.

 

[bloominguez]

Sorry it didn't work out - its certainly a performance beast and would be great fun....maybe another opportunity will present...

Lol - I got banned from ever test driving cars at my local Mazda dealership after I took an RX8 out with a salesman in the passenger seat. He kept telling me to slow down...and I told him I'm buying a car to do the kind of things I want to do in it and I have to see if it can. He was screaming at me after we got out of the car. BTW both my boys were in the backseat (loving it)...car handled great BTW...but could have been a bit quicker...

Reminds me of the days when anti-lock brakes were still new, not available in many vehicles. The salesmen didn't seem to like me thoroughly testing them at the time, either.

 

[Roadhawk]

That's a great story! A true badge of honor. I was banned from a Triumph/BMW motorcycle dealership after a test drive of a Daytona 675 sportbike years ago. I honestly wasn't doing anything too stupid but took some corners on the edge of the tire and the salesman leading the ride (such a dumb rule) flipped out on me and that was that.

RX8s were such dogs! I remember testing one when they first came out. Lots of revs, no speed, decent steering and chassis, no thanks.

Agree for the most part on the RX-8....just a bit too slow...but still a nice car to drive.

I got kicked out of a Volvo event once - introducing the then new S-40. They were telling me over loudspeaker to slow down in the autocross and I ignored them driving the course as it should be driven. After the second or third time through (don't recall) and them becoming increasingly irate they made me get out of the car and escorted me off the grounds. I kept telling them that I never hit any cones so what was the problem.

 

[Roadhawk]

I have owned 4 RX cars, two first generation, one second generation, and one RX-8. The first one I drove was around 1979. The first gen is perhaps the most fun on the street, largely because they weigh next to nothing and don’t have much HP. They are easy to drift without worry of things getting out of control. The second gen was my favorite however as it had more HP and a more refined and comfortable car. The RX-8 was my least favorite and sold after a few years. It lost most of the original appeal to me when it got bigger and heavier.

I've driven each generation and always likes the first gen the best - lighter and quite nimble for the time. My sister had a second gen (non-turbo) that I drove pretty often and I loved the way it revved and was very practical but I wasn't overly enamored with it (besides I could beat the turbo in my supercharged MR2 at the time and it handled better too).

 

[Roadhawk]

I appreciate & love this car all the more. My instincts were right. I've always been known to have good taste.

Pretty sure this was the article that forever changed my life:

10Best Cars and Trucks for 2022

Our annual awards cut through the crowded market of more than 300 cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans to find the 10 that live up to their purpose while delivering incredible value and a great driving experience.

www.caranddriver.com

Congrats you did good!

I've always had a knack for picking good cars - starting with my first - a 1981 Toyota Starlet (RWD MT) which was a hoot to drive.

Everyone (friends and family) always loves my cars and are sometimes driven to buy what I got after driving with me....happened with both the Starlet and the MR2. Though a few of my friends refuse to ever get in a car with me driving...lol

One time I got introduced to a guy from France (friend of a friend) who had a reputation for fast cars and fast driving. He would come to the states and buy a few slightly used corvettes and ship them to France where he would sell them and double his money. He told me he loved driving fast and had fast corvettes and BMWs. Well I took him out in my MR2 and after a bit of screaming for me to slow down (possibly pissing his pants) and telling me he liked to go fast in a straight line only etc LOL - he said he was amazed how good the car was and he immediately went out and bought one.

 

[rubberduck]

I've driven each generation and always likes the first gen the best - lighter and quite nimble for the time. My sister had a second gen (non-turbo) that I drove pretty often and I loved the way it revved and was very practical but I wasn't overly enamored with it (besides I could beat the turbo in my supercharged MR2 at the time and it handled better too).

The RX-7 1st gen or almost any gen, except maybe modified 3rd (those had lots of issues) is not about speed. What I liked about them was they were inexpensive and you could drive them like a go-cart on the street. Something that is not possible with a 4BW or 5BW.

 

[Roadhawk]

The RX-7 1st gen or almost any gen, except maybe modified 3rd (those had lots of issues) is not about speed. What I liked about them was they were inexpensive and you could drive them like a go-cart on the street. Something that is not possible with a 4BW or 5BW.

This is what I miss about my old MR2...though our GTI does somewhat give me this.

 

[rubberduck]

This is what I miss about my old MR2...though our GTI does somewhat give me this.

GTI is a fun car but not quite the same fun factor as RWD.