Sports car dreams

[Diogenes]

Lots of folks yearn to retire to travel, to spend more time with family, etc. But not all of us have family, and some of us have burned out on travel. It's all good, right?

My dream is to own, maintain and daily drive (within reason) a brutally powerful car. It's been a lifelong dream, really... now going on 40 years. What kind? Rear wheel drive, light-weight (maybe 2500 pounds or less), 500+ cubic inch V8 if possible, and just ferocious low-end torque. Yes, low-end torque. I don't want anything peaky, anything with turbo lag or lazy throttle response, but something that slams the driver into the seat, if the throttle is so much as teasingly tapped. Something raw, something that would fit in Hot Rod Magazine's "drag week".

So, what's the problem? What's the impediment? I don't own a house, let alone something with a garage. Everything is "paper assets".... numbers in a computer. It takes verve and aplomb, to build one's material footprint... and that's just getting started, before acquiring the tools, the facilities, the... well, the everything. And I've always been a theoretician, the sort of engineer who slings equations and maybe tinkers in the lab... not a welder, not a fabricator, not a mechanic per se. Thus, the dream.

How do we chase our dreams? Or do we take the sober and prudent path, surrendering them? What is the "golden mean"?

And what are other folks' automotive dreams?

 

[RetiredHappy]

Tesla Model S Plaid, 0-60mph in under 2 seconds. Plenty of Tesla chargers around and you don't need to set up an electric charger in your garage.

I used to dream of owning a Ferrari. That passion just faded away as I get older.

 

[COcheesehead]

A have a three car garage with an open bay. Right now it’s filled with bikes, but if I pursued a hobby car, it would be this or a variation of a BMW 2002.

 

[TheWizard]

Your silly dreams are unrealistic.
Along with my F-150, I have a 2024 Mustang Ecoboost, 315 HP.
Most of the time when on ramping, I punch the ACC up to 75 mph and let it gradually take me up to cruising speed.

Infrequently when there's something coming up fast behind me I'll punch it. No problem...

 

[silvor]

Don’t give up on the dream. Make it happen. The worst thing that’ll happen is you’ll “get it out of your system”as Mamma Silvor would say.

 

[freedomatlast]

Well, you have start somewhere, so start by test driving potential candidates and see what you like. Keep going till you find "the one".
No time like the present. I understand the urge. I bought a heated garage separate from my house to keep all my toys in.

 

[COcheesehead]

Never compromise your dreams

 

[Car-Guy]

My dream is to own, maintain and daily drive (within reason) a brutally powerful car. It's been a lifelong dream, really... now going on 40 years. What kind? Rear wheel drive, light-weight (maybe 2500 pounds or less), 500+ cubic inch V8

500+ cubic inch? Really? I've had several Vettes and even more Hellcat power vehicles and none were anywhere near 500 cubic inch.

Maybe you mean 500+ horsepower? Lot's of those.

 

[TheWizard]

500+ cubic inch? Really? I've had several Vettes and even more Hellcat power vehicles and none were anywhere near 500 cubic inch.

CarGuy is a Dodge Hemi fan, so you need to understand that...

 

[Al18]

Before you invest bucks, you may want to drive a few exotics at a local track at Drive Exotic Cars – Exotic Car Racing Experience with Xtreme Xperience

No long term commitment, and no worries about where to park it.

I would like to find a local track where I could keep an Ariel Atom, but none around me. The car doesn’t meet your specs, but it’s very fast and affordable. Top Gear tested them more than once - the video’s are hilarious!

 

[Aerides]

Your silly dreams are unrealistic.
Along with my F-150, I have a 2024 Mustang Ecoboost, 315 HP.
Most of the time when on ramping, I punch the ACC up to 75 mph and let it gradually take me up to cruising speed.

Infrequently when there's something coming up fast behind me I'll punch it. No problem...

No one's dreams are silly or unrealistic, or if they are, who cares? That's what dreaming is for.

 

[Pointby2]

I love the dream. But step one has to be a place with a garage.

Then Shelby Cobra replica.

 

[Ronstar]

Car weight and engine cubic inch numbers aside, OP’s dream is certainly doable. Just do the research, find what you want, and go get it.

I always wanted a corvette when I was younger. In 2001, I walked from my office to White Castle for lunch. On the way back to the office, I walked into a Chevy dealer and bought a corvette. Pursuing dreams is easy if you put your mind to it. I enjoyed that car for 20 years.

 

[Diogenes]

Your silly dreams are unrealistic.

Thanks. I expected to hear something like this.

500+ cubic inch? Really?...

Yes. Something like this: Naturally Aspirated 598 cid Big Block Chevy Engine - Engine Builder Magazine but with much milder cam, smaller head-ports, dual-plane intake, smaller carb and so on.

I want 600 ft-lbs of torque at 2000 rpm (or even lower), even if that means a 4500 rpm redline. Top-end hp isn't a priority. And something like this: https://www.moderndriveline.com/shop/package-tkx-five-speed-chevy-sbcbbc/ behind the engine. In a car like this: 1964 Cheetah GT V8, maybe with a Ford 9" rear end center section but independent rear suspension... or a shortened Ford 9" hung from a 4-link (having trouble deciding).

Dreams, right?

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^You got to have dreams...

Believe it or not, the most slam your a** in the back of the seat daily driver car I've every owned was a Jeep with a 378 ci V8 engine. It was a lot more than 2500 lbs and was AWD, but it would out run anything I've owned to 0-100, including my Vettes. The launch was absolutely brutal and throttle response amazing.

But if you are going to build you own, lot of things are possible I guess.

 

[aaronc879]

Sounds like a vehicle that would have to be towed to the track and only used there. If you drive it safely on city streets it probably wouldn't be much fun and would pi$$ off your neighbors due to the likely excessive noise.

 

[Diogenes]

Believe it or not, the most slam your a** in the back of the seat daily driver car I've every owned was a Jeep with a 378 ci V8 engine. It was a lot more than 2500 lbs and was AWD, but it would out run anything I've owned to 0-100, including my Vettes. The launch was absolutely brutal and throttle response amazing.

I am intrigued! Details?

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

OP, I am with you on your dream. I have drooled over some of your suggestions. And I agree: I want the low-end grunt, not the high-end HP. But, as a point of reference, can you let us know what the most "brutal" car you have owned or driven was? I.e., what is the bar here? What are you trying to beat?

 

[Car-Guy]

I am intrigued! Details?

Jeep Trackhawk. (You can google it) I had two to them. Sort of wish I had kept one of them.

 

[Diogenes]

OP, I am with you on your dream. I have drooled over some of your suggestions. And I agree: I want the low-end grunt, not the high-end HP. But, as a point of reference, can you let us know what the most "brutal" car you have owned or driven was? I.e., what is the bar here? What are you trying to beat?

For internal combustion, the one to beat would probably be a C6 Corvette with a centrifugal supercharger... not sure of the actual power levels. Otherwise the bogey is the current generation of Tesla Model 3 performance. I love the seamless power delivery and the immediate "throttle" response of the Tesla, but am disaffected by the weight and the electronics. Ideally, the dream car wouldn't have any technologies that weren't already operative (if perhaps not common) in the 1970s. This means roller cam, 4-wheel disc brakes and unequal-length A-arm suspension on all four corners. But no fuel injection and certainly no engine computer.

BTW I drove a Model-S Plaid right after the M3P, but the Plaid was down to some 28% state of charge. It didn't feel any more vigorous than the M3P (which was nearly fully charged)... just felt heavier and more ponderous.

For additional reference, my daily driver is a 1991 Miata, with some minor modifications, like a swap to a later-generation 1.8L engine and some suspension bits. I love the handling, but am arrantly frustrated with the lack of power. I'm tired of having to wring it out to 6000 rpm just to get any "oomph". It's been my daily driver for the better part of a decade, including stop-and-go Los Angeles traffic, rain or shine.

Another data point is a Caterham kit car. It had I believe a 2.3L Ford 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated. That is about the right level of "raw" for me, in terms of the car's layout, but it just lacked punch.

For more reference, recently I test drove a 2026 Mustang GT, and was... disappointed. Completely the opposite from my preferred kind of car. I'd much rather have a gutted 1980s Fox-Body with firewall setback, the aforementioned large displacement engine and so on... assuming that there's enough surgery and sheet metal replaced with chromoly tubes to keep the weight down.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Back in the late 70's a friend of mine had a Chevy Vega with a highly modified 350 Chevy V8. I had a couple of rides in it and it scared the crap out of me. The horsepower to weight ratio was off the charts. Gobs of low end torque. While not a sports car I think it would meet most of your criteria.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

But no fuel injection and certainly no engine computer.

Wow, you really lost me here.

My fun car is a BMW 3-series, with an LS1 swap. I haven't done anything to speak of on the engine, so it is still ~350 HP/~350 ft-lb. Certainly not "brutal," but still pleasing. Plenty of room available for "power adders," if I ever feel the need. But I couldn't imagine going back to carburation.

 

[dmpi]

Always wanted a 911. High initial cost, sales tax, annual license fees, and insurance just doesn't make sense for a car I'd rarely drive. I can now afford one, but why? It just wasn't meant to be.

 

[Texas Proud]

The problem with a high HP ICE engine is that it does not do that well in normal driving...

As someone put down, an EV will do push you in your seat acceleration but will drive normally when you use as a daily driver...

My quick (and recent) knowledge on EVs is to go 800V vs 400V of Tesla.. I have read that they do not lose power when low on charge... there is a Porsche that has gobs of power... plus and Audi...

From the web: (the name has Turbo in it but it is an EV)...

The new top-dog Turbo GT model offers a mind-blowing 1019 horsepower when using the launch-control feature and 777 ponies in normal driving.
The top-dog Turbo GT is the quickest though, and got to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds;

 

[Diogenes]

My fun car is a BMW 3-series, with an LS1 swap. I haven't done anything to speak of on the engine, so it is still ~350 HP/~350 ft-lb. Certainly not "brutal," but still pleasing. Plenty of room available for "power adders," if I ever feel the need. But I couldn't imagine going back to carburation.

Swaps might be an exception, since you have a standalone ECU. I'm just befuddled and frustrated with electronics in general, and especially modern nanny electronics. Mechanical things are just more intuitive. But I suppose that if you're good at fiddling with air and fuel tables, EFI has its merits (again, as stand-alone).

Always wanted a 911. High initial cost, sales tax, annual license fees, and insurance just doesn't make sense for a car I'd rarely drive. I can now afford one, but why? It just wasn't meant to be.

Understandable, but this is precisely the predicament that I'd seek to avoid. If one's dreams, long-delayed, become obviated by unfolding circumstances, then a little something dies within us, does it not?