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Yet another "which car" poll
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: MadScientistMatt

Same rules as John's posts - money is no object (although I've deliberately picked cars with fairly close value at today's prices) and consider it stock vs stock. Classic styling and brutality, or modern luxury and smoothness but with completely Bangled styling?

Posted by: John

UGH! This is tough!

The Charger is, well, A CHARGER! Hemi or not, Chargers are cool! But, they handle about as well as a pig on roller skates. Stopping is a non-issue because it just doesn't exist. Not to mention the technology is 40+ years old at this point. Then again, it is a Charger and it does have a HEMI. A REAL HEMI. Not this weak-nuts excuse they have out now.

But the BMW is a nice ride too. The M5 has all the luxo-barge options the typical 5 series has but it's still a BMW and it's "The ultimate driving machine." It's an M car though and it'll lay down 500 ponies with the flick of a switch or cruise with 400 some odd ponies all day. It also has a 6 speed "manu-matic" transmission. It makes just as much power as the Charger but weighs a bit more at about 4012 pounds. But even with the weight, it'll run circles around the Charger on a road course and probably beat it out at the dragstrip by virtue of it's better gearing, traction control and aerodynamics. It's also wrapped in leather and wood and quietly refined. It also has a V10 that has a redline somewhere north of 7500 RPM which is cool all by itself.

That Charger though! It's spartan comparativly. No power anything except maybe brakes and steering. It won't turn worth a damn and probably can't get to the 155 MPH that the BMW is limited to due to aero worse than your average brick. But it has styling panache over the BMW in droves! It has a Coke bottle figure just like the sexiest woman you could find! That front end is dark and menacing, like an FBI agent wearing his mirror black sunglasses. There's no given emotion in that front end, just a brooding anger belied only by that rumbling and popping exhaust note at idle. Yep, that Charger is all business and a rowdy business it is!

That BMW takes off and you get a nice, smooth growl, just like an F1 car. It runs all the way up through the gears clicking off each one with the accuracy, noise and distinguished elegance of a good sewing machine. The BMW's legs are long and power is in abundance. It has brakes that can stop the Earth on it's axis and it'll carve a corner so sharp you'll cut yourself when you're done. It does it all while pampering you like a baby.

The Charger though, it just sits there saying "When ever you're ready, sissy!" It grumbles and drones on idling away waiting for your chikenshit ass to sit behind the wheel and strap in. When you finally do, you're met with tuck and roll vinyl with a T-handle shifter and chrome and faux wood accents on the dash. It's uncivilized, unrefined and unabashed and fucking happy about it! It's also an old salt. There's history, character and attitude there. Way more than any BMW has ever had. This is a car that makes grown men cry in not only longing but fear. This car has beaten many foes, both man and machine and continues to do so. It has a reputation of being the baddest of the bad and it deserves every sentence of that rep! Don't know why? Push that pedal to the floor already you sissy and hold on for you life!

You stomp that pedal to the floor and that HEMI shouts, roars, screams, howls and yells to life! The tires go up in a hail of smoke and noise and those 3 inch exhaust pipes are spewing hot exhaust at rates that can kill a baby seal faster than you could club it! Sure, the rear end is all over the road and yeah, the nose is up so high that you are having a hard time seeing the road. It wouldn't be so bad if you could actually pick your head up off of the seat back and you weren't streching so far just to hang on to the steering wheel. Finally, everything starts to settle in and you start eating up the road and taching it up to redline in the blink of an eye!

Then you slam the shifter into second and it does it all over again!

That is a visceral experience that you just don't get in the BMW. Then again, every monkey with a Dodge Ram HEMI and aftermarket cat-back exhausts won't be trying to race you at every stop light in the BMW.

UGH, which to choose? Which to choose?

I'll have to decide later! Gotta go to a meeting now. BLAH.

Posted by: No Rice Allowed

Easy, Choice, The Charger....You can keep the Easter Egg lookin' yupmobile....

Posted by: The OLE MAN

Take a guess which one I voted for

MOPAR HEMI

The OLE MAN

Posted by: LS1 Mopar Turbo

Duh, the Charger!

Posted by: 65fairlane

Charger no contest. It isn't like I would be driving it everyday. I think when viewing it from a car for fun viewpoint the charger makes more sense to me. The only thing changing my opinion would be if the car has to be driven frequently or daily.

Posted by: bigjhaire

uuuuuuum whats a bmw?

Posted by: MadScientistMatt

It wasn't an easy call for me. I've ridden in a previous generation M5 on race tires with a very skilled driver at the wheels. That thing not only had a lot of horsepower, but it stuck to the road like it had glue on its tires. It was like riding an asphault roller coaster. The biggest problem with it is Chris Bangle - and I've often said that any fast car looks good when viewed from the driver's seat. Probably the most fun I've had riding as a passenger in anything.

On the other hand, the Charger is not only brutal, but gorgeous. Crank up an old muscle car and it feels more alive. It doesn't isolate you from the driving experience like a BMW does (except there is no isolating you from cornering at over 1 g like that one could on race tires!).

The BMW has more luxury items. Realistically, though, about the only thing that the BMW has that wouldn't have come on a Charger is a good stereo. On a Charger, I'd have to make due with an AM radio (maybe FM was an option, not sure about that). I can't remember if they were standard equipment, but I know you could equip a Charger with remote controlled mirrors, power windows, and air conditioning. And no iDrive either - although I've heard BMW has at least realized that the stereo and climate controls need their own buttons.

In the end, I voted for the Charger. But it wasn't an easy call for me.

Posted by: Giz

I would have to go with the charger on looks alone since one of my dream cars is a 68 super bee but not with the hemi

Giz

Posted by: John

I don't know about "isolating you from the driving experience". I've had the opportunity to drive in just a regular 5 series and it was very responsive and I didn't feel isolated from the road at all. I didn't feel every freaking bump but I always knew what the tires were doing in relation to the asphalt. If the regular 5 series was that good, I can only imagine the M5 being better at it.

Also, I think that the M5 would have many more "luxury" options than the Charger. Sure, you have the typical power windows, mirrors and locks but the BMW is also able to be outfitted with heated seats, remote trunk entry, keyless entry, automated headlights, traction control, cruise control, all kinds of stability control, sunroof, tilt wheel, telescoping wheel...the list goes on and on and doesn't even include the safety features.

It's hard to forsake a Charger but if I gotta live with it everyday, I'm taking the BMW.

Posted by: MadScientistMatt

Should have revised that - the only luxury item that the BMW has that's a big selling point for me would be the stereo.

Posted by: 3SuperSports

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjhaire


	uuuuuuum whats a bmw?

A wheel chock for a 1968 Charger with a HEMI!

Posted by: bigjsgirl

I'll take the Charger please.No BMWs for me!!Muscle cars rule!!

Posted by: skeezix

68 hemi charger

I'd sell it barrett jackson and buy an ls-6 chevelle.

Posted by: formerice

My brother once owned a beautiful metalic blue with black vinyl topped 383 Charger. That car was awesome.With good tires and shocks and a hot cam and a holley 750 4v it was very fast. I thought for that period it was a fine handeling car, on par with a Vette. Only drove one car with a 426 Hemi, a 69 Hemi Cuda and as long as it was tuned, it was BRUTAL. BMW's may be fast and handle great, but they do nothing for me, hell you gotta look close to tell one from a Hyundae. In 10 yrs the BMW will be worth $5,000 and the Hemi?

Posted by: bl3wbyu

I would chose the Charger, absolutely no thought required. If this were a few years ago...when the BMW's were still pretty, then I'd have to give it just a little thought.

You just HAVE to watch the Top Gear episode on the M5. I thought it was hilarious!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tS5znezR3tg

Posted by: Tang

Can I have an M3 insteads ?

Posted by: bl3wbyu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tang


	Can I have an M3 insteads ?

There you go! Problem solved! Get a previous generation M3 in any color, and call it a day.

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