2004.02.11 2004 Portland International Auto Show
Once again it was time to give into my rabid compulsions, and obsess over some mechanical steeds.
Let's just cut to chase: I went to see the Ferraris. This year, they had three - a Maranello, a Modena, and an Enzo.
First, the Enzo. The thing has 666 horsepower; the Number of the Beast. Also, I'd sell my soul just to drive it once, really hard. Coincidence?
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Next, the 360-Modena. This happens to be the exact car that S arranged for me to be taken for a ride in on my birthday last year. Aesthetically-speaking, I think that this is officially my favourite Ferrari. There's just something about the simple-yet-exotic shape of the Modena that pleases the part of my soul that exists behind my eyes. Personally, I would not get the F1-shifters that this car is equipped with, because I like wearing out clutches in person - and I'd want to be able to let the engine sing freely at any given moment, without necessarily catapulting forward.
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I didn't snap a picture of the Maranello. It's too dignified anyway, so perhaps it will appeal to me more when I get old and boring. Besides, it was a fairly major effort to clear sufficient gaps in the crowds squeezing in around the Prancing Horse cars in order to take pictures.
After the Ferraris, the experience was only minorly visual - I spent most of my time sitting in the lesser sports cars. I contemplated giving the whole world wide web a Clayton's-butt-impression of all the cars, but I don't think I can quite pull it off. Let me just say that the Nissan 350-Z convertible surprised me by having the absolutely no-holds-barred best drivers seat of the whole sampling. Additionally, the direct comparison of feel has buoyed the M3 back into top spot over the Porsche. Don't get me wrong, the Porsche is nice inside. But it lacked the robust "do your worst - I can take it" feel of the BMW, and I appreciate that in a car that I intend to spend a lot of time driving.
Of note is that they were displaying the new Acura NSX. Virtually identical to the previous edition, but with some improvements - namely larger wheels, non-tilting headlights, and some minor aesthetic reworking. I can't afford this car either, so I'd be looking for used versions, but they're definitely being contemplated.
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The final shot is a little disturbing. Macroscopically, it's a picture of the front of the current-model BMW M3 - the prime contender for the position of "Clayton's next steed". If you look closer, you'll see S assuming an appropriately intense-looking driving pose. So far, so good. The problem is that the car was swarmed by some rugrats just before I managed to assume the picture-capture position, and was unable to shoo them away. The resulting picture might be interpreted as an ominous harbinger...
