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Boat = Hole in the water that you throw money into. My son is a chief engineer on mega yachts. The denomination of money that he works with is mind boggling.
The impression that I have gathered from this thread is the only car that Mercedes makes that would be considered a grand touring car as defined by long distance comfort and refinement is a S Class coupe.
'17 SL450, '17 Volt, '17 Malibu Hybrid, '96 Corvette GS coupe
Originally Posted by Streamliner
...I had a 2009 Carrera coupe. It was a fairly basic car with a manual transmission. Driving it was quite enjoyable and I never experienced any really loud tire or road noise. Of course, I opted for the smallest wheels, which I believe were 18’s.. I had the car at the same time I had my 2004 SL500. Once the newness wore off the 911, I found myself opting more and more for the SL when I wanted to have fun, so I sold the Porsche after only a year or so. I will say that driving a late model Porsche with a manual transmission is one of the great joys to those who appreciate mechanical excellence. I miss that particular thing about the 911, but I much prefer my SL450 in every other regard. Sporting cars really should have a retractable top, in my opinion.
Before buying my SL, I spent an awful lot of time on Porsche's website building the ideal (for me) 911. One thing that drew me to the base Carrera over the S model was that the base car came with 18" wheels. Those 18s were the same width as the optional 19s, but they weighed less and gave up nothing in handling to the optional wagon wheels. I assumed that they would only improve the ride quality and avoid the common cracked wheel complaints by those who opted for the "biggies". An added benefit, at least to my eyes, was that they just look better (not necessarily their styling, but rather their proportion) on the car than the rather extreme-looking 19s did. Your car is pretty much what I ended up with in the builds I ran. When I started looking for actual used versions, I ran into the same problem that I did when looking for an ABC-equipped SL 450...Carreras with 18s are hens teeth. Nobody ordered or leased a Carrera with 18s on it. So I finally threw in the towel and went and drove that Carrera with 19s on it. As you say you had no noise issue with your 18s, I have to assume that those silly 19" sidewalls may have been the culprit...
Last edited by Dr. Manhattan; 12-16-2023 at 04:44 PM.
I guess. Every time I drive it, which has been averaging about every two weeks, I fall in love with it all over again. The car just drives so great. But the fact still remains that we have three cars and a two car garage and my daily driver S560 is always soaking wet every morning and I hate that. Perhaps one day someone will make me the right offer and I’ll sell it or we’ll buy a house with more garage space. Or maybe I’ll just give it to my granddaughter!
I
Before purchasing the SL as my current Sunday driver, this 2017 911 Turbo was my Sunday therapy session.
Still have the Dinan 7 series in the garage!
The seats in the Porsche were great, however on long journeys and trips, I developed back pain.
The unfortunate fact about this car was everyone (from Ferrari’s to Ford Diesel Trucks) wanted to race, challenge drive on the highway, or talk to me about it, constantly. Too much attention.
The SL is a lot more comfortable and my girlfriend seems to enjoy the car
better than the 911.
'17 SL450, '17 Volt, '17 Malibu Hybrid, '96 Corvette GS coupe
I saw a Chris Harris YT video comparing the R231 SL63 to the M6 coupe. One of his comments that pertains to this discussion was that the SL63, when its top was up, was quieter inside than the M6 was.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by Dr. Manhattan
I saw a Chris Harris YT video comparing the R231 SL63 to the M6 coupe. One of his comments that pertains to this discussion was that the SL63, when its top was up, was quieter inside than the M6 was.
To me, one of the most amazing things about the R231 is how mild the cabin turbulence is with the top, windows & wind screen all DOWN. Of all the convertibles I have had, nothing comes close to the top down comfort of the R231.
'17 SL450, '17 Volt, '17 Malibu Hybrid, '96 Corvette GS coupe
Originally Posted by MichaelRPack
I
Before purchasing the SL as my current Sunday driver, this 2017 911 Turbo was my Sunday therapy session.
Still have the Dinan 7 series in the garage!
The seats in the Porsche were great, however on long journeys and trips, I developed back pain.
The unfortunate fact about this car was everyone (from Ferrari’s to Ford Diesel Trucks) wanted to race, challenge drive on the highway, or talk to me about it, constantly. Too much attention...
I'm a little surprised that more people ordering these do not exercise the "badge delete" option. It would be the first box I would check when ordering...
12-15-2023, 12:52 PM
