Categories
Luxury Off-Road

2011 Mercedes G55 AMG Wagon: Bad-Ass, Old-School German Engineering

LOCATION SPOTTED: Elie Tahari (East Hampton Village)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Elie Tahari (East Hampton Village)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 5.3 sec
  • Braking 70 to 0: 183 ft
  • Quarter Mile: 14.0 sec
  • Slalom: TBD
  • Skidpad: 0.65 g

Most of the postings thus far on Drivehamptons have primarily focused on dealing with the car’s qualities and features, and not so much on their connection to the Hamptons car scene. This posting shall elaborate on the G55 and why it’s so popular in the Hamptons.

It doesn’t matter that the G55 has an extremely outdated infotainment system, or that the interior is so compact that only the smallest and skinniest of pretty Hamptons girls can squeeze themselves into it’s backseat. The G55 has the traditional, rugged, “tough-guy” looks that are continuously fading away in modern SUV design. That is it’s main selling point for the wealthy Hampton’s aristocrat.

For those of you who don’t know, the Hamptons is a resort community that receives a heavy influx of wealth during the summer season. The wealthy people who come out to the Hamptons often pretend to be weekend warriors (a very select few actually are, but those people wouldn’t ever buy a G55, they’d go for a REAL pick-up truck or something). These pretenders feel that they would look the part if they drove in a tough pseudo military-looking vehicle, enter the G55.

Underneath it has a ladder chassis with two solid axles front and rear, with a 5.5 liter supercharged V8 producing about 500 horsepower. This truck is really too powerful and fast for it’s own good. It also has the dynamic properties of an antiquated American muscle car to boot, which is to say it can’t go around corners with any sense of high speed. However, the G55 is tremendously rugged and good off-road. It’s wide tires, relatively high ground clearance, and locking front, mid, and rear differentials make it very good at traversing rugged terrain. But then again, there aren’t any off-roading trails in the Hamptons that I know of, rendering all of the truck’s off-road cred useless, unless taken on the beach.

If anything, the G55 is all show and go, but the go part is never relevant in the Hamptons, because whoever the owner is probably doesn’t even know what a locking differential is. The only thing that “pretend weekend warriors” care about is looking like a weekend warrior, and the G55 facilitates that image in spades.

Personally, I just think it looks bad-ass, but it’s way too impractical. Oh, I forgot to mention that it costs $124,000 new. Fortunately, an all-new 2013 model is just arriving for sale in the States, but that one costs even more, at $135,000. Madness.

Categories
Exotic

2005 Ferrari 575M Superamerica: Ultra-Rare, only 559 ever made

LOCATION SPOTTED: True Value Hardware (East Hampton Village)
LOCATION SPOTTED: True Value Hardware (East Hampton Village)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 3.9 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: TBD
  • Quarter Mile: 12.3 sec
  • Slalom: 68.0 mph
  • Skidpad: 0.93 g

The Ferrari 575M Superamerica. How does one analyze a limited production version of a limited production car? Well, cars like this are significant for different reasons than your typical production sports car. The Superamerica is characterized by its high revving engine, exhaust note and styling more than even it’s straight-line speed and handling (even though it is still very fast). Much of the problems associated with this car, like its dated electronic interface and imperfect ergonomics, are over-looked by a quality called pantomime.

When I refer to pantomime, I immediately think of the Pagani Zonda, A classically exotic car that wasn’t necessarily the fastest (especially for the $1,000,000-plus price-tag), but was insanely unique and very very stylish. Similar characteristics apply to the Ferrari Superamerica, though on a much less expensive and less impressive level. The Ferrari is definitely unique though. It features a photochromic roof that rotates 180 degrees, (both production car firsts). Do these qualities make it faster? No. Do they make it handle better? Do they add pantomime? YES.

The Superamerica is not the kind of Ferrari that will attract a hardcore Ferrari enthusiast who is looking for the best handling Italian sports car, if that’s the case, then go buy a used Ferrari F430 Scuderia or something. This 575M Superamerica will wind up being either owned by a wealthy person who doesn’t bother to research all the Ferraris available in the U.S., or an enthusiast who just wants an extra toy in his 20-car garage, that doesn’t look quite like any of the others.

Categories
Performance

2011 BMW M3 Frozen Black Convertible: Smoked Out, High-Revving… but What Else?

LOCATION SPOTTED: World Pie (Bridgehampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: World Pie Restaurant (Bridgehampton)

*Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 4.8 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: 108 feet
  • Quarter Mile: 13.0 sec
  • Skidpad: 0.86 g
  • Slalom: 67.8 mph

*These times are reflective of only the convertible E93 M3 with DCT trans. They are way  slower than those of the coupe and sedan because the E93 has around 441 pounds of extra weight to lug around, with no extra power to compensate.

The M3 is, in my opinion, the best all around sportscar currently made. It wins alll of the performance tests, has outstanding numbers for the price and luxury. It is the best combination of luxury and sport handling currently on the market today.

Now that that’s out of the way, I can identitfy a few cons of the current generation M3, There aren’t many, but it does have a somewhat awkward DCT shifter, and lousy fuel economy. Fortunately, the E90 and E92 M3 could be forgiven for their gas guzzling motors, because they both handle, and go very fast. Sadly, this is not true for the convertible M3.

The convertible M3 has a much much heavier curb weight, (4,145 pounds, vs. 3,704 pounds). Pretty much all of the plus points of the normal M3, are now compromised. Performance stats are lower across the board, including fuel economy. The already dismal reatings of 14 city and 20 highway miles per gallon, are now decreased by 1 on both counts. The BMW M3 is not worth it, unless you only want the V8 soundtrack and the looks, because the handling credentials just aren’t there, not anymore.

The lesser BMW 335i, makes more sense to purchase as a convertible. This is due to the fact, that the twin turbo 3.0 liter motor can be tuned (via Cobb AccessPort, Burger Tuning JB4 chip, Dinan ECU, etc.) to match or outperform the M3 and all it’s 414 horsepower glory. All for about 15 grand less. So, If you want an M3, get a coupe (or sedan predating 2012 model year). If you need a convertible, than just buy a 335i or 335is (which shares that wonderfully quick, though awkward looking DCT trans from the M3) and strap a JB4 chip to it for $500, you won’t be disappointed.

Categories
Luxury Performance

2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon: Damn Quick Station-Wagon

LOCATION SPOTTED: a side-street off of East Hampton Village
LOCATION SPOTTED: a side-street off of East Hampton Village

Performance:

  • 0 to 60: 4.0 sec
  • 60 to 0: 108 feet
  • Quarter Mile: 12.2 sec
  • Slalom: 70.4 mph
  • Skidpad: 0.94 g

The Cadillac CTS-V is a sledgehammer to the BMW M5 at 40 grand less money. It’s an American Eagle shooting the aristocratic European in the face. However, with a new M5 finally here, I am sad to report that the winning streak may in fact be over for the Cadillac.

Well, that’s not actually true at all. The Cadillac CTS-V is still a very competent performer in the high-performance mid-size sedan category, It’s just that it’s competition, like the new Mercedes E63 Biturbo and M5, have finally come to battle with their guns up. Needless to say, the brand new European cars are doing to the CTS-V, what the CTS-V did a while ago. No matter what people say about the BMW M5.