Eunos Cosmo's Car Thread: Utility at long last.

So I'm in the early & rough stages of planning a trip to Japan. I've gotten into the habit of incorporating a car renting experience into my travels (see posts above about Hawaii and Austin) where I look for the most suitable & interesting car available for the type of trip and location.

With that being said, and ignoring concerns of availability (but staying reasonable....no unicorns), what would you try to rent if you were going to be touring 1,000+km, with another person, in Japan?

I think an R32 Skyline GT-R would be awesome for this task, but I don't know if I would be able to find one for hire. Maybe a Toyota Crown? Thoughts?
 
With that being said, and ignoring concerns of availability (but staying reasonable....no unicorns), what would you try to rent if you were going to be touring 1,000+km, with another person, in Japan?

Would depend entirely on gender of who I was traveling with....
 
So I'm in the early & rough stages of planning a trip to Japan. I've gotten into the habit of incorporating a car renting experience into my travels (see posts above about Hawaii and Austin) where I look for the most suitable & interesting car available for the type of trip and location.

With that being said, and ignoring concerns of availability (but staying reasonable....no unicorns), what would you try to rent if you were going to be touring 1,000+km, with another person, in Japan?

I think an R32 Skyline GT-R would be awesome for this task, but I don't know if I would be able to find one for hire. Maybe a Toyota Crown? Thoughts?

Why not a Celsior (Lexus LS)?
 
So I'm in the early & rough stages of planning a trip to Japan. I've gotten into the habit of incorporating a car renting experience into my travels (see posts above about Hawaii and Austin) where I look for the most suitable & interesting car available for the type of trip and location.

With that being said, and ignoring concerns of availability (but staying reasonable....no unicorns), what would you try to rent if you were going to be touring 1,000+km, with another person, in Japan?

I think an R32 Skyline GT-R would be awesome for this task, but I don't know if I would be able to find one for hire. Maybe a Toyota Crown? Thoughts?

I ended up with a Toyota Premio while I was in Japan.

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Although it cruised along well enough on the highways the gearbox was absolute arse in the hilly areas and it kept beeping at me to tell me I was going out of my lane because I was taking the racing line through corners.
 
My first thought would be a kei car. Can't get more Japanese than that...

But if you're thinking more "short term rental" to try something fun, give these guys a go. It's on my list whenever I next visit Japan.

Oh yes. I was hoping something like this existed. Might do something like make a day out of this and then have a more long-term (and cheaper :lol:) rental for the rest of trip.
 
My first thought would be a kei car. Can't get more Japanese than that...

But if you're thinking more "short term rental" to try something fun, give these guys a go. It's on my list whenever I next visit Japan.

Those prices are very, very reasonable! I'll be bookmarking that one for our next Japan trip.
 
So here's Porsche for you

The top mechanism consists of 3 or more microswitches (depending on the year) for determining the top position (all prone to failure), 2 fuses (both routinely fail), a complex control unit / mechanical relay (corrodes and fails internally or else the connection corrodes and fails - a new one costs $200), an electric motor (pretty reliable) connected to mechanical linkage systems (including plastic spur gears and plastic ball joints that, yep, are prone to failure. It also has to be synchronized perfectly left to right). If any one of these components fails the top will not operate, or worse, pretzel itself into oblivion. Oh, and if the top fails in the closed position, there is no normal way to manually lower the top, as there is nothing accessible.

Need I remind everyone that in order to access the engine, the top must be working. Y U DO THIS PORSCHE.

Also, the battery is in a compartment that is only accessible if the battery is charged. GREAT THINKING.
 
So here's Porsche for you

The top mechanism consists of 3 or more microswitches (depending on the year) for determining the top position (all prone to failure), 2 fuses (both routinely fail), a complex control unit / mechanical relay (corrodes and fails internally or else the connection corrodes and fails - a new one costs $200), an electric motor (pretty reliable) connected to mechanical linkage systems (including plastic spur gears and plastic ball joints that, yep, are prone to failure. It also has to be synchronized perfectly left to right). If any one of these components fails the top will not operate, or worse, pretzel itself into oblivion. Oh, and if the top fails in the closed position, there is no normal way to manually lower the top, as there is nothing accessible.

Need I remind everyone that in order to access the engine, the top must be working. Y U DO THIS PORSCHE.

Also, the battery is in a compartment that is only accessible if the battery is charged. GREAT THINKING.

There's an easy way to fix this.

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IIRC there's a pull cable under the dash to release the front trunk in case of battery failure. At least there was on my Carrera.
 
Well just about a month and a half later, it's fixed! It's a good thing I don't need a car, because this one wouldn't cut the mustard as "basic car that works".

Gave up trying to solve the top issue by myself, so I offloaded the problem on my mechanic. He soon offloaded the problem on another (more sophisticated?) mechanic. When all was said and done, I was out $700, but at least I had a functioning top! (and smogged, oil changed, ignition switch changed, new MAF - it's really not too bad.)

Oh, the top stopped working immediately when I got home. I had a hunch so I dismantled the windshield header / top latch assembly and pulled out the switch. After a 15 minute diagnosis, I determined the switch was bad and ordered a new one. Finally installed today and it's working perfectly.

Oh well.

What do you guys think about a Fiat 124 Spider? Perhaps and Abarth but really a Lusso would probably suit my needs just fine.
 
I prefer the mx-5, and it's naturally aspirated. Maybe there are some extra horses from a tune on the Fiat?

The MX-5 is a good car. The 2 liter is great match for such a light car, even in the 155hp ND1. The thrusty nature of the 1.4T in the Fiat is just as good though, just in a different way - I really liked the Abarth 124 powertrain (however, I hate the 1.4T paired with the 6 speed automatic, the 2 liter is marginally better with the auto). I like that the Fiat can be driven a touch more lazily, just ride that mid-range torque with the caveat that it's a bit less engaging than the 2 liter. The styling too, is a tossup. The Mazda looks more contemporary but the Fiat looks a bit more handsome. It's weird...at various times I can convince myself that one or the other is better looking. I have a decent amount of experience with every variation of the two cars (except the 181hp MX5 which is a bit out of my arbitrary price range) and the 6M 124 and 6M MX5 are both just such compelling cars...I guess that means I couldn't really go wrong with either.
 
I've been pleasure driving the Boxster a lot more lately, now that it has passed smog and is legal to drive. It's just so good. Perfect steering and great controls. The engine sound is also just so lovely above 4,000rpm. It's not fast (I'd say it's somewhere between a BRZ & an ND1 MX-5 in terms of speed) but the engine is better than the ones in both of those cars - it's just smooth and linear. But the part I've been enjoying most is the feeling of corner exit under full throttle out of low speed and medium speed corners. The dynamics are just so superior* to any FR car I've ever driven that it's made me feel like that if/when I do replace the Boxster, I would really miss the midship layout.

So naturally I've set my eyes on the newer versions of the Boxster/Cayman. For those who have driven them, care to offer any insight on the 986/987 vs 981/982 divide? As I don't track my cars and probably won't (maybe a little bit if I get a newer car...) how the car performs on the street is most critical. With that criteria, the turbo-4 982 (718) with a 6 speed manual just seems like such a good combination. I actually really like how they sound and turbo power delivery on the street has really grown on me in recent years. I'm not a big fan of the front or rear styling of the 981 (the rear, especially looks a little cheap) but they can be had for a lot less money than the 718s. Finally, the 987.2 cars seem to be the best combination of old(er) Porsche and modern, DFI-era Porsche. So hydraulic steering (I think) but also no IMS bearing. The issue is that I don't think the 987 is that good looking and the interior isn't really exciting either. My Mazda2 had electric steering and I didn't think it was that bad. I think my preference would be:

718 (Base, probably)
981 (S, probably)
987.2 (S, probably)

I still don't know if I would prefer the Cayman or not, for any of the above options. I think across the board, the Boxster is better looking (from some angles, all Caymans look a bit weird to me) but I imagine the Cayman feels more buttoned down. Is the difference in driving feel dramatic or subtle?

*for me. I think on the street the way an MR corner claws it's rear end into the corner is more fun and less risky than the yawing nature of an FR car
 
Does anyone have experience with SeaSucker mounts? @homeforsummer surely you've used suction mounts for camera equipment, right?

I've been thinking about getting the Talon bike rack for my Boxster - mounting the rear wheel mount to the clamshell and the front to the trunk - it appears to work out dimensionally and seems like the best way to carry my bike. I'm a little wary about relying on suction cups, but people seem to swear by them. It would end up being a little like this, but flipped the other way and without the Yakima component.

5VeDklV.jpg


Front wheel would probably fit in the frunk, but definitely in the passenger seat if not.
 
Does anyone have experience with SeaSucker mounts? @homeforsummer surely you've used suction mounts for camera equipment, right?
Could've sworn I responded to this at some point but apparently not. Not that it'd have done any good as I don't have much first-hand experience - photographers use similar for their kit but I've no idea what company makes what they've been using.

I can possibly offer some insight into your 986/987 and 981/982 question though. The models I've driven have been quite disparate - most of the 982 range, but from 981 only a Cayman GT4 I think and from 987 just the Spyder.

From that small selection what I can confirm is that the 987 is so much more of an "intimate" feeling car than the 981/982 - while the current Boxster and Cayman are hardly huge, the older ones are more like the difference between the jump from 997 and before, to later 911s in terms of how compact they feel on the road. It may not bother some but for me I just prefer the smaller feel, it just instantly feels like more of a sports car than a luxury car.

The other thing is the older Boxster/Cayman engine, at least on the basis of the Spyder, feels much more raw than the later cars. The later ones still sound great and feel responsive, but it's almost like a digitally enhanced version with the rough edges selectively removed. Again for me that's not quite as exciting as the older engine which actually has a bit more of the character of the old aircooled cars.

The steering in the later cars is very good... but again, it just doesn't have that natural feel and detail of the older models. If just one of the above was different then I'd happily go for a later car, but given the choice I just want an earlier one even more now.

That said, as you've pointed out, with the later cars you do avoid IMS-related issues (though I've no idea whether later cars have their own characteristic issues), and if you're not bothered by the sound (I really can't get on with it - after the six it just sounds so rough and uncultured) then there are definitely benefits, those turbo fours in particular have a really strong mid-range that makes up somewhat for the typically tall Porsche gearing.

I've posted this photo elsewhere, but for me the 987 Spyder isn't just the most I've liked a Boxster/Cayman, but probably the most I've liked any Porsche. It was great fun on a circuit, but flowed down a local bumpy road so much more naturally than any other model I've tried, GT3s and the like included. And the performance was ideal for the road too. I know a regular early 986 Boxster isn't that quick but driving the Spyder made me really want one, as I reckon it'd be spot-on.

IMG_4038 (7).JPG
 
I've posted this photo elsewhere, but for me the 987 Spyder isn't just the most I've liked a Boxster/Cayman, but probably the most I've liked any Porsche. It was great fun on a circuit, but flowed down a local bumpy road so much more naturally than any other model I've tried, GT3s and the like included. And the performance was ideal for the road too. I know a regular early 986 Boxster isn't that quick but driving the Spyder made me really want one, as I reckon it'd be spot-on.


If you go into a 986 expecting something akin to a BRZ/GT86 in terms of performance, you won't be disappointed. Heads up, there probably isn't much between them, but that M96 engine (despite it's faults) is miles better than the FA20 in the BRZ. I really want to upgrade my suspension to the M030 sports setup (or an aftermarket equivalent) because I think the car would feel a little more buttoned down closer to the limit. Unfortunately, my current driveway is so steep that even my big ground clearance stock USA-spec suspension has issues navigating it from some angles...
 
As someone who isn't that fussed about outright performance, something around the 86 would be absolutely fine by me.

You should try and have a go in one of the turbo four models though, it'd be interesting to hear what you think. I suspect compared to your car they'd feel very different indeed in some ways, not least performance because even the 2-litre feels pretty brisk.

I just wish they'd stuck with sixes. I love the idea of the Cayman T at the moment - that slightly more focused setup but with the "basic" engine, but the sound and feel of the four just lets it down so much for me even though the performance is more than I'd ever need.
 
As someone who isn't that fussed about outright performance, something around the 86 would be absolutely fine by me.

You should try and have a go in one of the turbo four models though, it'd be interesting to hear what you think. I suspect compared to your car they'd feel very different indeed in some ways, not least performance because even the 2-litre feels pretty brisk.

I just wish they'd stuck with sixes. I love the idea of the Cayman T at the moment - that slightly more focused setup but with the "basic" engine, but the sound and feel of the four just lets it down so much for me even though the performance is more than I'd ever need.

Typically, I prefer a larger N/A engine over a smaller turbo one. And I also happen to think that the flat six configuration is as good as it gets (sound, smoothness, powerband, "x-factor" etc) - but I can't help but think about how genuinely fun a Fiat 500 Abarth is - not in spite of it's turbo 4, but because of it. The turbo lag, the ferocious (well, relatively :lol:) mid-range grunt, the turbo spool noise overlayed on the gruff exhaust note. That little Abarth was one of the most exotic and fun feeling cars I've ever driven - almost intoxicating which is completely ridiculous for such a modest car. N/A engines, particularly peaky ones, are great fun when you are winding them out and notably less enjoyable when you are driving around like a normal person. With a fun turbo engine, like with the Abarth, you can ride the mid range boost, short shift, not really go that fast, and still really enjoy the experience. But does that engine characteristic translate to such a fine an instrument as a Cayman/Boxster? I'm not sure, but I'd like to drive one. What makes the mid engine Porsches so damn good is the way the powertrain combines with the chassis. Like when I'm at midcorner in the Porsche, the accelerator pedal feels "heavy" in that I know that minute changes in it's position will immediately result in meaningful changes in torque output, and you can use that precision to confidently power out of the corner with the center of mass seemingly at your inside elbow, it's just such a harmonious experience - you lose that in a turbo engine as you feel like it's you, the car, and the engine. I guess if I'm getting in a car to explicitly go for a drive, I think the n/a MR platform is gonna be tough to beat. If I'm getting in the car to go do something else (like, get groceries) than I think the experience of a turbo engine is honestly more fun. But why would you buy a Boxster or Cayman if not to do the former even if it also inevitably gets used for the latter perhaps even more often? It's a mind twister. I think what I need to do is keep the Boxster and get an Abarth. But that puts me at 3 cars (including the RX-7) with still 1 parking space. :lol:

I really need to buy a house. I could buy a Veyron for the prices of houses I've been looking at. :nervous:
 
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I really need to buy a house. I could buy a Veyron for the prices of houses I've been looking at. :nervous:


If interested in moving to Florida, I've got a fixxer-upper I'd take as little as 230K for... :lol:

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Roof is only two years old, coinciding with Hurricane Michael, oddly enough, and electrical rough-in is complete to bring it up to code. Needs... everything else.

C'mon, whattya say? :D
 
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but I can't help but think about how genuinely fun a Fiat 500 Abarth is - not in spite of it's turbo 4, but because of it.
The interesting thing about this comment is that the Abarth's engine sounds way better than the Porsche one :lol: It certainly suits the car better.
 
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