MotorWeek proves '90s were awesome w/ Supra, Stealth, RX-7, Corvette, 968, 300ZX ...

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

2014 Porsche Cayman: 30-40 mpg on the freeway
1993 RX-7: <15mpg?

LOL

We haven't gotten to estimated time before engine rebuild yet.

Sorry I didn't consider factors that you did not mention in your post.

Of course a 20 year old car has issues that a new car doesn't have, much less one with a radically different engine design. Personally I'll take a rotary rebuild or two over Porsche maintenance costs for a toy car:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2014/..._of_ownership/

2014 Cayman rated at 32 mpg freeway
Practical average is in the low 20's:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/porsche/cayman
Practical RX-7 average is high teens:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/mazda/rx-7


I'm not here to make the argument that the RX-7 is somehow better from my armchair quarterbacking paper comparisons, only that those cars are still damn competitive and $53k today is not exactly going to blow a lot of those cars away if you're buying a new car (since that's the only reason to adjust for inflation for a comparison).

Throw whatever salvo you want with costs and numbers and reviews we're in agreement that it's an awesome time to be an enthusiast no matter what you're into (unless it's old Porsche's, yikes on those prices).

Edit: @Rampage Agreed, which is why I'm driving a Toyobaru and not a Mazda today. And dollar for dollar pound for pound many cars surpass the Toyobaru like Focus ST (more conventional engine, better fuel economy, cheaper to buy/insure/run, 'amenities') Mustang V6/GT (performance/$, 'amenities') but here we are. And maybe in a few years I'll have my dorito powered sports car, apex seals and all.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Sorry I didn't consider factors that you did not mention in your post.

Of course a 20 year old car has issues that a new car doesn't have, much less one with a radically different engine design. Personally I'll take a rotary rebuild or two over Porsche maintenance costs for a toy car:

I said freeway for a reason, a Cayman will actually get 40mpg if you are just cruising at 60. An RX-7 can never dream of a number that high under any situation, it probably doesn't do 40mpg if you are rolling along in 5th gear at 20mph. Naturally the Cayman guzzles gas in city driving but what 6 cylinder car doesn't. Also let's be real here, 17mpg vs 22mpg is still 30% more fuel usage.

Also a rotary rebuild or 2? I dunno man, Porsche maintenance especially with the newer DFI engines doesn't sound as bad as blowing engines and topping oil off all the time. Engine remove and replace is a lot of money.

[chrisl]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

2014 Cayman rated at 32 mpg freeway
Practical average is in the low 20's:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/porsche/cayman

Fuelly doesn't distinguish between base Cayman and S, nor does it distinguish between manual and PDK. Both of those factors can make a significant difference. It also only has 2 cars listed that are 981s, which isn't really a representative sample. For what it's worth, my 06 S with the manual gets about 21mpg mixed, and I would expect a PDK base 981 to get substantially better than that (maybe 25-26 mixed, and probably well into the 30s on the highway). Sure, you could make it get less by driving like an idiot, but that's true of any car.

[strat61caster]

@serialk11r
@chrisl

Whoosh.

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I'm not here to make the argument that the RX-7 is somehow better from my armchair quarterbacking paper comparisons, only that those cars are still damn competitive...

Throw whatever salvo you want with costs and numbers and reviews we're in agreement that it's an awesome time to be an enthusiast no matter what you're into.