What car made an impression on you as a kid?

[GenXer]

Impression vs. reality.

Magnum P.I. Ferrari 328 GTSi

Impression:
Super cool Italian sports car that looks good even today.
Great for picking up a hot date and driving around open top on a tropical island.

Reality:
It's underpowered, unreliable and not very fast. (A Toyota Corolla could beat it) It has major electronic issues and a horrible air conditioner. This meant you would be hot all the time while fighting through those beautiful shift gate. Your left leg would be sore from depressing the heavy clutch because you're not driving around on a beautiful island.

It's also a rust bucket. The carpeting and leather would smell bad if it's not kept constantly garaged because the Targa roof doesn't seal all that well.

It costs like a new house even back then when they were "only" $50K
You can buy a Hyundai more expensive than that these day.

If you were tall like Tom Selleck, the top needs to be open all the time because the windshield and roof was too short and your head would stick out. This is why he wore a baseball cap while driving.

I had an opportunity to buy one for $30K back in the 90's. Mint condition with 12K miles. The owner owns several large car dealerships across the state and this was in his collection. He bought it new but it was constantly in the shop. I was too chicken to deal with the myriad of issues.

This goes to show that you should never meet your hero!

[ASAP]

Oh this is a great thread... for me it was the mid 90s Mitsubishi Eclipse... low and behold outside of one model (the GSX) which was AWD and made a whopping 210 HP... they were all FWD 140 HP monsters lol. Those cars were ultimately junk but looked so cool at the time and had very few "sports car" qualities... by the time, the third gen came, it was almost irrelevant.

[eforty6_m3]

For me, a child of the 80s (born in '83), I had a poster of a Lamborghini Countach above my bed. That was one of the first cars that stopped me dead in my tracks and really got me into cars.

But the car that really got me into cars in terms of wanting to own and drive one was an E30. I've owned two in my life and my goal is to own an E30 touring in the near future.

[GERMAN M3]

Great Thread... For me it was actually three cars that had an impact on me. The first being the e30 ///M3, the second being the BMW 635csi, and lastly the Ferrari F40! Three very different cars, but all having a lasting impact.
Apologies....couldn't just chose ONE!

https://petrolicious.com/films/1989-...ed-lucky-charm

That sound is intoxicating!!

[evil-G-nius]

Hmm...for me it has always been the 911! My Godbrother's dad had a little green Carerra that reminded me of a frog. He used to take us to school in it from time to time and that was the first car I ever rode in that pinned me to the seat under acceleration and I was in love!

Another one was the E30 M3. A family friend who was a computer guy in the 80's came over in his Sterling Silver Metallic M3 and I was just floored. I thought it was one of the coolest cars I had ever seen. The fender flares, the shape...the shine. It was just so cool and still is imo.

Lastly was the Dodge Conquest TSi/ Mitsubishi Starion. Those were some of the most unusually cool cars I had seen back in the day. My cousin had a Conquest and much like the E30 M3, I was seduced by the wide fender flares!

[GERMAN M3]

Originally Posted by evil-G-nius

Hmm...for me it has always been the 911! My Godbrother's dad had a little green Carerra that reminded me of a frog. He used to take us to school in it from time to time and that was the first car I ever rode in that pinned me to the seat under acceleration and I was in love!

Another one was the E30 M3. A family friend who was a computer guy in the 80's came over in his Sterling Silver Metallic M3 and I was just floored. I thought it was one of the coolest cars I had ever seen. The fender flares, the shape...the shine. It was just so cool and still is imo.

Lastly was the Dodge Conquest TSi/ Mitsubishi Starion. Those were some of the most unusually cool cars I had seen back in the day. My cousin had a Conquest and much like the E30 M3, I was seduced by the wide fender flares!

Yes sir....Dodge Conquest and Mitsubishi Starion were great looking vehicles as well.

[evil-G-nius]

Originally Posted by GERMAN M3

Yes sir....Dodge Conquest and Mitsubishi Starion were great looking vehicles as well.

Still are honestly! My buddy in LA has 2 of them...one of which he has had since he was in high school

[Efthreeoh]

Batman...

Mobile.

[GERMAN M3]

Originally Posted by evil-G-nius

Still are honestly! My buddy in LA has 2 of them...one of which he has had since he was in high school

Totally agree!! I wouldn't mind having one myself. Definitely a head turner.

[VisualEcho]

As a kid?

The first car I can remember truly falling in love with was a silver '67 Corvette hard-top convertible. It sat behind a house up the street from mine. It was parked the year I was born, and sat there until I was 19. I wanted it more than anything. Years later when I got the opportunity to drive one I was heartbroken that it was terrible, having been jaded by the 80's cars ergonomics. I'm automotively sad about it to this day.

This is the actual car.

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by GERMAN M3

Great Thread... For me it was actually three cars that had an impact on me. The first being the e30 ///M3, the second being the BMW 635csi, and lastly the Ferrari F40! Three very different cars, but all having a lasting impact.
Apologies....couldn't just chose ONE!

https://petrolicious.com/films/1989-...ed-lucky-charm

That sound is intoxicating!!

Great video, loved how passionate he was with the car, looking at it as a masterpiece and an emotional and sentimental aspect of his life rather than an investment. And from the looks, to the sound, the gated gearbox and the way the front and rear open up to expose different parts is just beautiful.

[evil-G-nius]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

As a kid?

The first car I can remember truly falling in love with was a silver '67 Corvette hard-top convertible. It sat behind a house up the street from mine. It was parked the year I was born, and sat there until I was 19. I wanted it more than anything. Years later when I got the opportunity to drive one I was heartbroken that it was terrible, having been jaded by the 80's cars ergonomics. I'm automotively sad about it to this day.

This is the actual car.

Cool. I have always loved the '63 Split Window. But that bodystyle Vette has pretty much been my favorite since forever

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by evil-G-nius

Cool. I have always loved the '63 Split Window. But that bodystyle Vette has pretty much been my favorite since forever

I don't think I ever really noticed this style of Corvette when I was a kid, until this one. Something about the shape with that hard top on. Even to this day if I was going to have one, it'd have to be a hardtop convertible. Same with a 335i. They never struck me until I saw the hardtop convertible. Weird, that.

[383vett]

Musclecars of the late 60's. When I was in high school, one of my classmates had a brand new, blue 69 Mustang Mach 1. My buddy had a 69 RoadRunner he used to race. Don't hear those sounds any more.

[psuibmw]

A neighbor down the road from us used to have this one, same color and I used to walk by dreaming of owning one

[strohw]

I was never a car guy or kid. It was motorcycles for me. There are multiple motorcycles I would buy right now that fall in the iconic status for me but this one is by far at the top of the list.

[irunalot]

911s, M cars, Corvettes, Vector, Ferrari, Countach, and Kitt

[Jbrown7403]

Cool thread! For me, it was my uncle’s light blue 260Z when I was a kid! He knew I loved it and after I learned how to drive in 1983, he gave it to me when he moved to japan for work.......loved that car!

[KennyFSU]

These 2 were my childhood dream cars.

[rowdydaoudy]

Growing up, my dad had a Mitsubishi Starion. I was destined to be a car guy.

Fast forward, when I was 14 years old Mischief 3000 came out. I remember going to the local Best Buy to buy the DVD with Dado's dakar yellow M3 on it. Didn't know a thing about M3's at that time. That started my fascination and so I started working my ass off, saving up, and when I was 18 I bought my first E36 M3 (95 Cosmos). Ever since that first M3, I have never not owned an M3 and will forever own one. I've lost count at 30+ M3's over the last 14 years of owning them.

My dream over the last 10 years or so has been a GT3 RS.

[Germanauto]

Diablo, Countach - coolest cars ever

BMW - very business-like, handsome, masculine, somewhat snobby

[GenXer]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Diablo, Countach - coolest cars ever

BMW - very business-like, handsome, masculine, somewhat snobby

Bertone is an amazing design company. Lambo of yesteryear was like a car from a dream.

Just don't try to back up or parallel park with one especially before the invention of back up cameras. The rear spoiler made the car even slower and more difficult to see.

They never even test the spoiler in a wind tunnel. It was just for esthetic reason. Now, how cool was that!