Quote:
Originally posted by LarryBible
As you have learned, it is a great car and the manual makes it faster and MUCH more fun to drive. Yes, the top speed is listed as 144 and I feel quite sure that my car will go that fast as I have had it near there with plenty more left.
My friend Paul (Suginami) has a two cam 124. That engine has about 15% more power than our single cam engines, but of course, has an automatic. After riding in mine he commented that the manual makes it come alive.
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I wasn't so optimistic at first
after all it was a heavy car, not a Porsche, and torque was pretty high placed, at over 4000rpm... yet my 260E was pretty lively (to my sheer dumb luck, it's a Sportline in mint condition, from 1990, with slightly over 60k miles on it). My uncle has a 300E from '87, still a manual - maybe I should take it to a quick tour on the highway. The difference is 20hp, and I wonder...
Quote:
Originally posted by LarryBible
IMHO, with every passing year there are fewer and fewer people that can even drive a car with a manual transmission. Of that number there are fewer that are competent doing it. Of that number there is a smaller number that truly ENJOY driving a manual.
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Obviously this is true for US only :p
I wouldn't trade my 5-speed for any automatic(or my Sportline suspension for a softer one, and keep in mind my city has the worst roads ever seen in Europe).
Would my car be a collector's item in the next 10-15 years? don't know. Yet it's damn fun. I'd take a six-cylinder + manual over a V8 + automatic anytime (OK, I wouldn't reject a 500E altogether.... dream on)
My advice for rstallings would be to not butcher the car - better enjoy it.
~Good luck
Nautilus