What’s next?

[GoldfishTX]

Considering switching over to the M3 xdrive.

This is what I currently drive, and I'm looking to get into a manual 5BW. The M3 is a great car, but I miss rowing the gears and V8 noises.

 

[668LT4]

Considering switching over to the M3 xdrive.

I don't recall if your Blackwing is a 4 or 5. Regardless, you will lose all of the driving character you are accustomed to in a Blackwing.

I had a 2022 M4 Comp xDrive for 2 months. I really wanted a 2 door instead of a 4 door, and "hoped" the BMW could fill the need. But I never smiled driving that car. It does not make you do that. Blackwing certainly does. The BMW was great in straight line acceleration. Cornering and steering - not at all my cup of tea.

Of course, you do gain other things over Blackwing, specifically material quality and fit / finish. Did I like my M4 Full Tartufo leather seats more than my Caddy semi aniline? No, but it is as good, and easily better than the Caddy mid grade. Steering wheel better on the Blackwing. BMW aluminum is nice. I loved the dash, although mine had the built-in screens, not the ridiculous stuck on tv screen. I liked the metal control wheel, and found myself fiddling with screens and options every time I drove the car. In my Blackwing, I just drive. I hardly even look at the center screen.

So very different machines overall, The BMW is maybe a "better car", but the Blacking is absolutely a "better driver's car".

 

[Roadhawk]

So very different machines overall, The BMW is maybe a "better car", but the Blacking is absolutely a "better driver's car".

Remember back in the day when BMW drivers made the opposite comparison?

I've never adjusted to BMWs not being what they originally were - drivers cars first and foremost with all else being secondary. For those of us who care this is what matters...

 

[Seth]

If Mazda were to make an inline 6 competitor to the Supra with a manual transmission I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But, that's not going to happen.

So, I don't know. Not going to be car shopping for a while hopefully. Maybe Porsche.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

...and sticks in cockpit or a passthrough. Love the hockey requirements. 5BW fits two bags in the trunk.

I’m pretty sure a hockey bag won’t fit in the LC convertible’s trunk but someday I’ll take a look at one to see if it might be possible to put one on top of it’s vestigial rear seats.
Likely not, which is too bad because I think it’s one of the best looking cars out there at any price and, according to the boys at Throttle House and others, an absolute joy to drive:

 

[Roadhawk]

I’m pretty sure a hockey bag won’t fit in the LC convertible’s trunk but someday I’ll take a look at one to see if it might be possible to put one on top of it’s vestigial rear seats.
Likely not, which is too bad because I think it’s one of the best looking cars out there at any price and, according to the boys at Throttle House and others, an absolute joy to drive:

Always a very intriguing car. I've never driven one...but have sat in it...wasn't a fan of the interior per se....and no MT...but yeah I can see it...

 

[CBH]

No plans to ever replace the 5BW.

I'm also thinking of bikes. The Aprilia Tuono is what I'm currently longing for. The V4 soundtrack is the most menacing thing on 2 wheels. I plan to rent one for the day to see if I can handle the ergonomics.

I've always wanted to build a Cobra kit car. The perfect engine would be the LT6 from the new Z06. Not for sale as a crate engine yet, but maybe one day.........

 

[BimmerFan]

I had a 2022 M4 Comp xDrive for 2 months. . . . The BMW is maybe a "better car", but the Blacking is absolutely a "better driver's car".

I also had an M4, but properly equipped with three pedals. I was going to add my comments, but @668LT4 did such a good job, I'll say "ditto".

I plan to rent one for the day to see if I can handle the ergonomics.

I've always wanted to build a Cobra kit car. The perfect engine would be the LT6 from the new Z06. Not for sale as a crate engine yet, but maybe one day.........

I wanted to get back on a bike, recently borrowed a BMW K1600GTL for a nice ride, the ergonomics were great but everything else kind of sucked (for what it costs - $32K) and so I guess I'll stick with cages. I'm short, otherwise I'd buy another RT.

I've always wanted to do a kit car. I'd be OK with putting in a Coyote engine in it, since they're cheap and plenty powerful (don't really need killer horsepower in a 2000 lb. car). Maybe when I retire?

 

[1Evil55]

My search is narrowed down now to either a BW4 or a 392 Jeep mall crawler. Yes, polar opposites. The upside to a Jeep is that I don't think or have to worry about where I park or where I drive it to. Chicago has pot holes and salt. Neither of which are an issue when you're a half mile off the ground. The BW4 has the power and fun factor beyond the 392 capabilities. Most of my driving is highway in Chicago traffic. The 4 gives me the power to merge easy as well as skirt some traffic. I do enjoy to be topless over the summer. Either of the two options will be a 3.6 Jeep replacement. The BW5 isn't going anywhere.

 

[division]

Sad Story. What is a car's purpose....#DRIVEIT

Ha!

I too was of the same mindset until I got a boat. Never could figure out how someone could have a car in the garage, drive it rarely, only to put it back on a trickle charger until the next time. However, 1.5 years of ownership later and only 56 hours on the boat when I sold it, I now understood how someone could do that.

The difference is that I'm not a boat guy and if it came to taking a boat out for a couple/few hours or driving a Blackwing/Porsche/Fill-In-With-Whatever-Fancy-Car-You-Want for a couple of hours, I can justify that for a car. You're not taking the boat to Costco or taking the kids to school, and if you're not stoked to captain a boat, it's work. However, you can always drive a car whenever.

I had 4500 miles on my Blackwing when I traded it in, and 1500 of it was driving it back from Sewell in Dallas to Miami, with another 1000 driving to-and-fro our beach house. So in the eight months I owned it, I put on a grand total of 2000 miles of driving. Because of that I had a pretty good resale amount, which would have been killed if I had 15,000 miles on it (keeping the miles off, thanks to the Jeep and motorcycle).

And those 2000 miles weren't the most enjoyable because 5 mile trips in the CT5-V Blackwing isn't what the car was designed for. Well, that and the couldn't-be-diagnosed chirping/ticking sound (which was present and obvious when brought in to the dealer on two separate occasions [and none of the cars at Spring Mountain made that noise]) really harshed my mellow on the car. In order to not hear it at low RPMs, I had to give it enough throttle drown out the sound, and I felt like a jackass seeking attention.

Ironically, the Integra Type S is suffering the same fate as my Blackwing! I've had it a few weeks now, and just passed 100 miles when I took the kids to Costco a couple of days ago. As soon as I get my check from FCA for my buyback Wrangler and it goes back, the Integra will pull daily driver duty, but until then, it's on a trickle charger in my garage until the next time I drive it.

 

[bloominguez]

...and sticks in cockpit or a passthrough. Love the hockey requirements. 5BW fits two bags in the trunk.

I find it easier to just put my hockey bag in the back seat anyway. Benefits of a 4-door. Easier to get the bag in and out of the back seat than the trunk for sure, since the trunk opening isn't very large for the car the size of the 5BW. Plus it's easier to just throw the sticks in from the back seat area, between the two front seats, so I have to open the rear door anyway. Wouldn't be ideal if you want to take other people, but if just me that's the easier approach, my opinion.

 

[Roadhawk]

Ha!

Never could figure out how someone could have a car in the garage, drive it rarely, only to put it back on a trickle charger until the next time.

Our 64 1/2 Mustang has 56K original miles. Probably only drive it 10-12 times a year....maybe a bit more. Mostly just out to wineries or country drives...sometimes to the beach or up to our vineyard. Just perfect for all of that...

 

[Deneed4spd]

Ha!

I too was of the same mindset until I got a boat. Never could figure out how someone could have a car in the garage, drive it rarely, only to put it back on a trickle charger until the next time. However, 1.5 years of ownership later and only 56 hours on the boat when I sold it, I now understood how someone could do that.

The difference is that I'm not a boat guy and if it came to taking a boat out for a couple/few hours or driving a Blackwing/Porsche/Fill-In-With-Whatever-Fancy-Car-You-Want for a couple of hours, I can justify that for a car. You're not taking the boat to Costco or taking the kids to school, and if you're not stoked to captain a boat, it's work. However, you can always drive a car whenever.

I had 4500 miles on my Blackwing when I traded it in, and 1500 of it was driving it back from Sewell in Dallas to Miami, with another 1000 driving to-and-fro our beach house. So in the eight months I owned it, I put on a grand total of 2000 miles of driving. Because of that I had a pretty good resale amount, which would have been killed if I had 15,000 miles on it (keeping the miles off, thanks to the Jeep and motorcycle).

And those 2000 miles weren't the most enjoyable because 5 mile trips in the CT5-V Blackwing isn't what the car was designed for. Well, that and the couldn't-be-diagnosed chirping/ticking sound (which was present and obvious when brought in to the dealer on two separate occasions [and none of the cars at Spring Mountain made that noise]) really harshed my mellow on the car. In order to not hear it at low RPMs, I had to give it enough throttle drown out the sound, and I felt like a jackass seeking attention.

Ironically, the Integra Type S is suffering the same fate as my Blackwing! I've had it a few weeks now, and just passed 100 miles when I took the kids to Costco a couple of days ago. As soon as I get my check from FCA for my buyback Wrangler and it goes back, the Integra will pull daily driver duty, but until then, it's on a trickle charger in my garage until the next time I drive it.

What type of ticking noise do you have. I also have a ticking noise and I think it comes from my hvac. Sounds like a loud hand clock. When I turn off hvac especially on a cold day, it stop. Is driving me nuts.

 

[rubberduck]

What type of ticking noise do you have. I also have a ticking noise and I think it comes from my hvac. Sounds like a loud hand clock. When I turn off hvac especially on a cold day, it stop. Is driving me nuts.

My Jeep has done that with the AC since day one and it’s nearly 10 years old now. Doesn’t bother me since the tire noise overwhelms everything else, but if my Blackwing did that I would find it annoying.

 

[668LT4]

I also had an M4, but properly equipped with three pedals. I was going to add my comments, but @668LT4 did such a good job, I'll say "ditto".

Thank you. I was certainly not trying to be a BMW basher. The car felt super solid, and again, the build quality was impeccable. Sexy interior. It felt awesome to sit in that car, more enjoyable than the Blackwing. But once driving, I enjoyed it a lot less. And that is what it comes down to. I daily drive a truck and the car is extra, used when I want to enjoy driving. That is what Blackwing is all about, IMO.

 

[division]

What type of ticking noise do you have. I also have a ticking noise and I think it comes from my hvac. Sounds like a loud hand clock. When I turn off hvac especially on a cold day, it stop. Is driving me nuts.

It was a rhythmic ticking that sounded to me like a small exhaust leak, supercharger pulley tick, or something like that (maybe something in the engine if I wanted to be completely irrational and drive myself crazy). All I know is none of the CT5-V Blackwings at Spring Mountain made that sound, and it was the first thing I noticed when I picked it up the car new. Very rarely would you not hear it, which led me to believe it had to have some sort of remedy, but after two dealer visits with ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ as the solution, I chalked it up to the GM dealership experience.

One quick sidenote- the selling dealer was fantastic. The issue was a GM manufacturing/assembly one, and any Cadillac dealership should have been able to diagnose and fix it. My local dealer is who gave me the "the tech can't find anything out of spec" schpiel. Such is life.

 

[theprototype]

What type of ticking noise do you have. I also have a ticking noise and I think it comes from my hvac. Sounds like a loud hand clock. When I turn off hvac especially on a cold day, it stop. Is driving me nuts.

My car does this too. I’ve found out that holding onto the shifter seems to dull it. No idea what the connection is as the sound seems to come from the dash somewhere but it’s starting to get on my nerves too

 

[DonD]

I know we all love our cars and are going to hold on to them forever but we’re also compulsive car shoppers and some folks here must be coming up on 3 years with their cars. What’s next for you folks?

Personally for me the ct4 v blackwing is so good it has ruled out a lot of cars I thought I might get in the future( c7/c8 corvette, Camaros(ss), even a base/s 718)

The only cars I consider upgrades now are the c8 z06, a 911, cayman gts/gt4 and of course the ct5 blackwing.

It’s a good problem to have but the damn blackwing has spoilt me for future cars.

I had a C7 Corvette. The BW4 is far superior in my estimation. Don

 

[savethemanual]

I had a C7 Corvette. The BW4 is far superior in my estimation. Don

I agree. Even a non z06 c8 might not be enough of an “upgrade”. Especially because I would lose the manual.

 

[BimmerFan]

It was a rhythmic ticking that sounded to me like a small exhaust leak, supercharger pulley tick, or something like that (maybe something in the engine if I wanted to be completely irrational and drive myself crazy).

My Z06 (C5) did that as well. I assumed (right or wrong) that it was piston slap, and it always bothered me too.

I had a C7 Corvette. The BW4 is far superior in my estimation. Don

Ditto, had a C7, it was kind of sterile and lacked character (not unlike the BMW, I suppose). Fantastic car, as far as being capable, bang-for-the-buck and all that, but even so, a bit of a yawn.

I have bought (it's on the way) a nice used C6, hoping that it will be what I remember (I had one in 2012) as a bit more visceral. And yes, of course, I'm keeping the Blackwing. The Chevy is for the track.