Convertibles….
What is it about the allure of a convertible? I’ve owned a motorcycle or two. OK exactly two. And you can’t get much more open air than that, so is it the open air that I crave? I guess I should back up. For about the last year or so I’ve been craving a toy. And more often than not that craving leads me to the convertible ads on the Cars.com app on my iPhone. I thought about getting another motorcycle, and maybe someday I will. But for now my focus has been on a convertible. Something sporty, something sleek. Fast would be nice. Although at 42 I’m probably more concerned about my insurance than I should be. But the sound of something with four wheels going from 0-60 in four point something seconds or having three hundred and some horse power brings up a Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunt.
I figured when I was looking at motorcycles, I’d probably spend somewhere between 7 and 10 thousand dollars on something that I wanted. I was leaning towards something in the sport touring category after such a lovely time with my ZZR-1200 that would do zero to sixty in three point something seconds and I can’t ever remember having it over about one hundred and sixty six miles per hour . . . or there about. Getting off track again . . . SQUIRREL! . . . so something in the sport touring category. Like a Yamaha FJR-1300, a Kawasaki Concours 14, something in that category. I wouldn’t mind a BMW, but really, who has that much money to spend on a motorcycle? But one night looking around at motorcycles and not really being inspired by anything, I switched to cages. (That’s biker talk for cars, I’m bad @$$ right? Anyone?)
It turns out you can get some pretty decent convertibles for around $10K. BMW Z3’s and Z4’s . . . Porsche Boxters . . . Nissan 350ZX . . . all kinds of luxury brands and imports can be had for $10K or listed just over. Now most of them have an ungodly amount of miles and the few of them that I looked at needed some serious detailing work, but hey for a “Sunday driver” I almost feel like you can’t go wrong. Even if they have a ton of miles now, they would be a second car for me and maybe get driven once a week on average.
Of course, I also did find a nice used Audi R8 Spyder for $159,000, a bargain considering new they’re almost $200K. And don’t miss the Lambo’s and Ferraris that approach $300K . . . I did find a nice used Ferrari 360 Spyder today for $60K that would look really sweet in the garage.
But really what is it that is drawing me to toys? Bikes, Cars, fancy things. Is this the proverbial mid-life crisis? I jokingly refer to my hair as my mid-life crisis hair, but really maybe that’s what it is.
If anyone has a nice convertible they want to sell or loan to me for awhile, let me know. I’m sure this mid-life crisis thing won’t last long.