Here at Topspeed, we love to keep our readers as involved in our pieces as possible and we figured there was no better way to do that than by engaging in a good ’ol hypothetical game of "Car-In-Your-Garage." Okay, so the game is completely made up, but it’s still something that gets us in the mood to think of five cars we’d love to have in our garages. As with any other game of this magnitude, though, there are some rules that we need to follow:
First, the price total of all five cars combined should not exceed $500,000.
Second, at most you can only pick up to two supercars. Third, you need to have FIVE cars on your list in the interest of variety and back-and-forth discussion. Fourth, you don’t have to hit the $500,000 limit exactly. If you’re happy with $300,000 worth, then that’s your call. You’ll be wasting $200 grand in fake money, but who’s really counting, right?
Once you’ve figured out your list, indulge all of us and put it down in the comments section below. If you feel the need to explain why you picked the car, feel free to elaborate.
Happy fake car shopping everyone!
Check out my list after the jump.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage (Price: $180,000)
It’s easy to pick a Ferrari or a Lamborghini for your supercar because, well, they’re Ferraris and Lamborghinis. But in my case, I’ll trade those two Italian stallions for this Aston Martin V12 Vantage any day of the week.
It’s classy, sexy, sporty, and powerful at the same time. Plus, it makes me feel like a British spy/debonair. The car’s 6.0-liter 510-horsepower engine and 190-mph top speed is plenty enough for me to satiate my speed fix.
Above all else, though, is that there’s something about sitting behind the wheel of an Aston Martin that makes you feel like you’re driving the very best of what British automotive has to offer.
Chevrolet Camaro SS (Price: $31,000)
My list should have one muscle car on it. After all, it’s my list. While it’s extremely tempting to pick a Ford Mustang in this spot, I instead chose the Camaro SS because it looks great and at this price, the car’s 6.2-liter V8 engine with 426 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque is a pretty good bargain.
Sure, the Ford Mustang GT 5.0 is a little cheaper ($29,995) than the Camaro SS, but with such a slight difference in sticker price, it becomes a matter of preference.
Aesthetics and performance aside, the Camaro SS also offers plenty to play around with as far as upgrades are concerned. And just to be clear: Even if Bumblebee turned out to be a Mustang instead of a Camaro, I’m still sticking with the Chevrolet muscle.
Jaguar XJL Supersport (Price $113,00)
Complementing my choice of the V12 Vantage and the Camaro SS is another British import: the Jaguar XJ.
If I had played this game a few years earlier, Jaguar wouldn’t be anywhere on my list, but ever since they went on a different design direction, the British Cat has become the fierce feline I hoped it would be.
While a base model is a tempting choice because it saves some cash, what’s the point of owning a luxury car if you don’t go all-out on the luxury? So with that in mind, I opted for the tricked-out, all-options-included Supersport version, one that hits a price of $113,200 while coming with a 5.0-liter V8 supercharged engine that produces 510 horsepower and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
And hey, if this car can have all that and still offer plenty of luxury amenities, then sign me up.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo ($104,000)
Isn’t it obvious by now that my garage has imposed a "no wimps allowed" sign?
The trend continues with my SUV choice, the smooth yet imposing Porsche Cayenne Turbo. For the weekend treks to the country with the family, this 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 500 horsepower and 516 lb/ft torque and a top speed of 172 mph is the answer. I could have opted for something like the beastly Audi Q7 V12 TDI, but there’s a certain limit to bulkiness and the Audi SUV is just way too big to fit in my garage. While it does offer a higher peak torque than the Cayenne Turbo, it’s not lost on me that I can have the Porsche SUV at a significantly lower cost than the price of owning the most powerful Q7 ($160,000) on the market.
Mercedes C63 AMG (Price $58,000)
This German testament to power and ingenuity is my everyday car. Yeah, it’s a Mercedes C63 AMG and I’m head-over-heels in love with one. The fact that it has a price of only $58,000 makes me love it even more.
It combines the unmistakable Mercedes stamp of sporty luxury with an AMG-sourced 6.3-liter V8 engine that produces 451 horsepower and 443 lb/ft of torque with a top speed of 155 mph. Top quality German design and engineering to go with a powerful engine.
Yeah, what’s not to love?
TOTAL AMOUNT: $486,000.
Posted on
09.12.2011 @ 08:40