Hows it Going?

[vcash]

Hello All,
This is a pretty cool forum you guys have going. I have lived in India for most of my life but I have been Stateside for the past 5 years. I have had the opportunity to drive and own some wonderful automobiles in both countries and I look forward to sharing my experiences and hearing yours. Current rides (Family Included since most of us on this forum have a common pool of cars that are interchangeable)

India:
2002 Honda City
2004 Scorpio
2005 Indica
1998 Daewoo Cielo (Soon to be replaced)
1963 Mercedes 190c
Looking to add a Landrover Defender and a 60's Mustang GT (I'll probably reach out to you guys in this quest!)

US:
2007 BMW 530xi
2004 Lexus GX470
2005 Volvo S40 T5
2004 Mazda 6
Looking to add 1950's Jag XK150 Ragtop for the right price

Cool Rides Driven (I should be an auto journalist!):
Audi TT S-Line
Audi A6
BMW Z4 3.0i
BMW E46 M3
BMW 750Li
Bajaj Autorickshaw
MB S550 4MATIC
MB ML430
Hummer H2 / H3
Mazda 6 Speed
Mazda RX8
Mazda MX5
The new Lexus LS - It parallel parks itself!
Subaru WRX STI with over $30,000 in mods!
Corvette C6
Toyota Prius
Nissan 350Z
and many others but nothing as superlative as these.

[GTO]

Thats a pretty impressive auto-graph you got there. Generous friends or weekend testdrives? I spend a majority of my Boston weekends visiting showrooms and testdriving cars. Heck, some manufacturers (read Big 3) even paid me for it!

Welcome aboard. Please do go through the board rules and announcements section.

[vcash]

Thanks GTO. I have been fortunate enought to have many car enthusiast freinds. Most of my roomates from college and friends from home had these rides and when we go on short and long road trips (Did NY - Florida twice) - we took turns driving one of these beauties (Once the A6 and once Z4.) Some of the other cars have been through extensive test drives at dealers and accquaintences and some have been driven on a track. I will post pictures when I have the authorization to do so? If you are in Boston around May - I would encourage you to the Greenwich Concourse De Elegance - You can see and touch (literally!) the Veyron, Spykers, Phantoms, Maybachs (I sat in the 62 last time) and a host of rare and classic buggatis, jags, Pierce (etc).

[GTO]

Do you know theres a Mclaren F1 in Boston? Comes out on Newbury street only once in a blue moon, but its worth the wait.

Speaking of enthusiast friends, it reminds me of an incident where a classmate insists we took his car for lunch. I normally like to drive myself but gave in to his persistence. When we reached his car, I knew why : A blue dodge viper with silver racing stripes!!

I will post pictures when I have the authorization to do so?

You can post them right here using imageshack. Look at the announcements forum for instructions.

[vcash]

Its funny you mention the F1. This was about 8 months ago on a Sunday. I was going to lunch with on Greenwich Ave - the main strip here in CT and I couldnt find street parking so I pulled into the parking lot of this highend clothing retailer - Richards. The parking lot was empty except for one solitary navy Mclaren F1 with Mass. Dealer plates. Needless to say I was an hour late for lunch!

[vcash]

Hey GTO and rest of the crew,

Thought I'd kick the photo spree off with my current daily driver - the 6. Also posted pics in the classic car section of my 63 Benz.


PS. the custom plates a photoshop - I am not that into myself!

[Rehaan]

Hey Vcash,

Welcome aboard (though im a bit late).

Speaking of the guy in Boston who owns the F1, i seem to remember reading a forum where he posted that he actually owned TWO Mclarens, the other one being an orange LM !!! (completely legit..posted pics et al).

Also, boston was where i saw my first Mclaren F1, a silver one owned by Ralph Lauren at an exhibition of his cars at one of the museums there.

cya
R

[vcash]

Hey Rehaan,

Whats with Designers and super exotics in America? I saw T. Hillfiger in Greenwich last year in an Enzo - He picked it up from the local dealer and then stalled out twice - the stalling out was captured on MTV when they were doing a TV show based on his daughter's uneventful life!

I would beleive the guy with the 2 McLarens considering that the Northeast has so much money and good taste to boot. Case in point - Miller Motorcars Greenwich CT - Dealers for Aston Martin Bentley Ferrari Rolls Royce and Maserati and CONTACT CARRIAGE HOUSE MOTORS Greenwich Ct. - Check out the marques they carry - and they are both in the same town!!!

[vcash]

Hey Guys,
Thought I would throw up some more pics. Enjoy Guys!

1. Indica V2 that replaced the 1st Gen One.

2. Garage in India

3. City Limited

4. Old ML320 - Sold

5. Old E320 4 Matic Sold

6. Lexus GX470

The Beast of a 4.7L V8


7. GX470 Playing in the Snow

8. The new 530 Xi

The Sweet 3.0L that BMW does so well

9. 6 in the snow


10. Me in the Mazdas on the Track

RX-8 on the Speed Track


11. Volvo S40 T5 AWD

[GTO]

Oh boy, track racing on the east coast....there were like endless events! More competitive than drag racing, safer and whole lot more fun.

I only drove on the track in my friends cars, since my own steed was a humble '93 Accord.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by vcash

Hey Rehaan,

Whats with Designers and super exotics in America? I saw T. Hillfiger in Greenwich last year in an Enzo - He picked it up from the local dealer and then stalled out twice

I think they are (and have to be) so image conscious being clothing designers that they have to have the most fashionable everything.....even though they dont know a prancing horse from a dancing donkey.

Ralph Laurens collection was very very well maintained. I did not feel bad looking at the cars, like i might have if i was if they were owned by some status symbol acquiring clueless multi-millionaire !

See this thread -

cya
R

[iraghava]

Welcome to the Forum Vcash (Again!)

Just noticed one thing you owned two of the Merc's which had the most problems & horrid Build Quality in their time. Did your cars give you trouble too?

Originally Posted by Rehaan

H the other one being an orange LM !!! (completely legit..posted pics et al).

Rehaan I have pics of these two cars saved with me! I too saw that thread!

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Rehaan I have pics of these two cars saved with me! I too saw that thread!

I have a few pics saved as well...but only of the LM ; )
A few pics of the LM in the snow as well !!!

Do you happen to have / be able to find the link to that thread?

cya
R

[GTO]

A few pics of the LM in the snow as well !!!

680 BHP + RWD + Snow? Must have played a merry-go-round cos I doubt he would ever move straight.

[vcash]

Originally Posted by iraghava

Welcome to the Forum Vcash (Again!)

Just noticed one thing you owned two of the Merc's which had the most problems & horrid Build Quality in their time. Did your cars give you trouble too?



Rehaan I have pics of these two cars saved with me! I too saw that thread!

Ishan - the ML320 was deplorable - thank god that was a lease and we were able to get rid of it in 2 years. It was in the garage every other week - If the aircon was on for an extened period - the dash would get wet! I would expect these problems in an Ambasador from the 1980s and not in a Benz!

The E320 on the other hand was not that bad - She only started to get tempremental in her 6th year. The build quality was pretty solid and I never had issues till recently. And the interior was pretty nice with good used of fake trims and leather - I cant however say the same for the 2007 E350. Drove that and it was very plasticy and had a cheap feel to it (Maybe this is exclusive to the US built cars?) Also in terms of design and functionality it felt more evolutinary than revolutionary. On the other hand the BMW felt like a much more exciting car with better build quality, use of materials and design.

Rehan - Nice shots of RLs collection. I think going by his acquisition's - he seems more of a connosiuer. I think Hilfiger is a poser though - he just looks at the the more status oriented cars. Seen him in a Range Rover as well and just goes for what's in at the moment.

GTO - What tracks did you drive on. The one with the Mazda's is in NJ near Marlboro - New track but hell of a facility. Have you driven at Limerock in CT? I really want to attend Skip Barber or BMW or something time and money permitting. Maserati sent me an invite once (I think it was a mass mailing!) to attend a 2 day school in Atlanta - but it was $3 Grand so I passed on that.