What car to get ?

Soon I will need a trusty steed to bring me places. Just like Gandalf had Shadowfax and Takumi had his AE86 Trueno I need something that I can really enjoy driving in. I tried imagining myself driving a Kancil and I realised that I'll just end up regretting getting one ... it's just so counter to what I want in a car that I'll never be satisfied driving it around (yes, i've driven Kancils before and I know how much fuel they save).

Driving my dad's Iswara is ok, I've grown to love the car a lot as it has teached me lots of things about driving .. it's amazing the things that you learn when you drive for a long time using manual gear transmission without using ABS, TCS, LSD and the whole shebang .. heck since the Iswara uses drum brakes instead of disc brakes a lot of finesse has to go into braking especially when it is raining or you have to stop suddenly, you'll realise that ABS is actually a computer controlled way of braking which is actually the CORRECT way to brake .. braking isn't about putting your feet down until the car stops. I shudder to think of all the people who get their license and immediately jump into a fully auto car with ABS, TCS and LSD ... man, what can you really learn about the basics ? I guess they will be able to drive ok but I feel that the fun of driving is gone without the challange.

No offence to the people who only drive auto cars, I'm not saying you are bad drivers, just that you would be better drivers and have more fun if you had more manual driving experience. I know that auto gear shifts makes your life easier when you are stuck in a jam but somehow I prefer manual transmission.

I still remember the fear of driving that I developed when I first started driving .. I get shit scared whenever my dad asks me to drive. Everytime I made a mistake or my shifting was not smooth he'll yell at me :) , thanks dad if you weren't tough with me then I would never have improved my driving. One day after gaining enough confidence I decided to drive alone and just drive in my own style ... i came back smiling. That was the day I discovered the joy of driving, it's the small challanges that gets me exited like trying to smoothly accellerate from a complete stop to maximum legal speed without stressing the engines too much but still staying in the power band or to corner the car while balancing the load so it doesn't skid in the rain.

In an old car like the Isware throttle control is more important for comfort since the absorbers and suspension are like shit. Of course I'm nowhere near good enough to ensure a comfortable ride but in the process of learning I am pretty sure that driving that underpowered Iswara with it's 1 ton 'impossible to turn' steering wheel made me a much better driver than I would have if I had jumped straight into an auto car.

So what car will I get once I get a job and start earning some big moolah ? Well it's got to be FR (front engine mounting but rear traction) and since every single Proton car so far are FF (Front engine, front traction) I am not going to get one. Next point would be the transmissions, though I am ok with quasi-auto shifting gears I would still like a fully manual car with a clutch .. call me old style. Auto cars are a big no no for me. That would mean most of the new cars like the Honda City , Honda Civic , Vios and the usual mid-tier cars are out of the picture. As much as I would like a monster like the R34 Skyline, Nissan Z or the RX-8 Mazda with a price tag of between RM 300,000 to RM 500,000 (half a mil !) they are out of the picture also.

I would like a car with some power and performance , it's not a requirement for it to have a monster engine since I have no intention to race. It would be nice if it can be set up to drift since there are drift parks opening in Malaysia (thus the requirement for FR cars and not FF). After thinking a lot I've come to realise that the only solution would be to get a second hand car (oooh, my dad will so disagree). Better a second hand sport car that can make me love it than a practical car which I don't love .. it's something like finding a wife i guess. So to hell with practicallity I'll get something I can fall in love with.

After a lot of thinking and soul searching I've thought of a car that has piqued my interest ..

This is the Mazda RX-7 FC3S . A classic example of no-compromise driving fun. With it's sports-coupe design and it's perfect 50:50 balance ration it is a car that boasts of excellent handling if not horsepower. This car came out around 1985 - 1992 making even the latest model 14 years old. Hopefully I can find one in ok condition and then recon it.

One unique thing about this car is it's engine. Unlike the standard engines the RX series uses a Wankell Rotary Engine which means it gets 3 power strokes per revolution instead of the usual 1. Added advantage to these kind of engines is that it is lighter than usual so this helps increase the car's handling. According to reviews the FC for a sports car with turbo the handling is as good as any other naturally aspirated cars. Ah , sweet ..

The only problem with this car is that since it is a good car even though it is 14 years old the resale value is still high , it's about RM 35,000 - 45,000. Still compared to a Kancil or Wira I would prefer this car even though it's 14 years old. Sigh .. nothing is perfect I guess. Did I mention that this car is wonderful for drifting by the way ? :P