A month ago, Toyota was featured here, along with a chronicle of its enormous achievements in setting the modern standards of quality in automobiles. For car buffs, Toyota cars often come off as boring. This does not, however, pose a problem in the marketplace. The slightly irreverent automotive website Jalopnik.com reports that seventy-seven percent of car buyers consider their car “nothing more than a way to get around.” For seventy-seven percent then, Toyota has the right approach.
This month is for the other twenty-three percent—those of us who look to our cars as more than a means to an end. And for us, there are some spectacular options out there. If you already have your practical sedan, van, or station wagon, you’ll want a powerful, sexy coupe. Here are three.
Porsche Cayman
Porsche, one of the world’s smallest automakers (although it was recently absorbed by giant Volkswagen), is one of the most respected brand names in the automotive world. It has consistently built the highest quality, true drivers’ cars during its sixty-plus years in business.
Porsche Cayman
After some hard times in the early ’90s, Porsche was wise enough to bring in some Japanese production experts. The company kept its Germanic engineering, but rationalized production to ensure profitability. The lessons were well learned, and Porsche continues to produce highly desirable cars, while earning the highest profit margins of all auto producers.
The 2010 Porsche Cayman scores well on all fronts with its powerful engine and sleek appeal; the staid Consumer Reports rates it highly, as well. The J.D. Power surveys of Porsche owners generally rank Porsche near the top among all auto brands. And “buff” books, such as Road & Track love the make, generally deciding that, in spite of fairly high prices, no one offers an equivalent car for less money.
Unlike sports cars of the past, the Cayman has all the luxury one could desire, and is suitable for everyday use, thanks to its reliability, durability, and comfort for driver and passenger. At $50,000, it’s a worthy possession if you really like to drive.
Maserati Gran Turismo
If the only virtue of the Maserati was its delicately sculpted body, designed by Italian masters Pininfarina, you’d want one. If the interior is your primary concern, once you sat on the masterful Italian leather that covers the inside, you’d sign the order blank forthwith. If all you cared about was a spirited drive with power, precision, great mechanical noises, and all the speed you can handle, you’d write the check.
Maserati Gran Turismo
For years, Maserati has made significant cars, even if they weren’t always dependable. But within the last few years, as Maserati has been shepherded by Ferrari within the Fiat group, the cars have become genuinely reliable, able to meet the international competition face-to-face. This Maserati is somewhat of a bargain, at around $125,000, when you consider the fact that its mechanical elements are very similar to the $300,000 8c Alfa Romeo Competitrione and the $200,000 Ferraris. It’s also a four-seater, with a rear seat adequate for real people.
Infiniti G-37
Surprised to see a Japanese car in this trio? Don’t be. Forty years ago Nissan, when they were still called Datsun, redefined the sports car world with their 240Z. They offered Jaguar style at MG prices, and threw in unparalleled reliability. They followed up with their Model 510, a sort of half-price BMW that conquered the marketplace and the racetrack.
While Toyota produced a steady stream of dull but very high quality cars (chasing the seventy-seven percent), Nissan paid some attention to the rest of us. The Infiniti G-37 is an elegant coupe in the spirit of an Audi S-5 or BMW 335 coupe. Most road testers have concluded that Nissan has more-or-less matched the Germans at about seventy-five percent of the cost. Rating services such as Consumer Reports find that Infinitis outscore the Germans in reliability.
The leather interior is an example of Japanese contemporary design at its best. And in a rough parallel to the Maserati, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo trio of technically related cars, Nissan offers two other cars that could be seen as alternatives to the G-37. One is the Nissan 370Z at $30,000 plus—sort of a short wheelbase G-37. The other is the Nissan GT-R, a sports model that has had as much impact as the original 240Z. At under $80,000, it takes on cars costing far more.
Nissan ruffled some feathers when a GT-R lapped Germany’s Nürburgring racecourse quicker than the best Porsche. The British magazine Autocar recently pitted the GT-R against the Audi R-8 and the Porsche 911 at a U.K. race circuit. The Nissan was quickest!
The cars mentioned are by no means the only cars we twenty-three percenters will be drawn to. The entire range of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar will surely provide something that lights your fire. Enjoy your shopping!
Martin Swig is a former San Francisco new-car dealer who now presents the internationally-celebrated California Mille and other historic car events. As a free service to Gazette readers, he’ll offer suggestions on how to dispose of a cherished car. Call him at 415-479-9950.
