Republished with permission from the Summer 2016 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine.

Have you ever seen that ‘Friends’ episode, where Ross see’s Isabella Rossellini in the coffee shop? She’s one of the potential ‘affairs’ he’s allowed to have, if the opportunity ever presents itself. It’s kinda like that with me and cars. While I own a 914, there are other cars that I wouldn’t kick out of bed for eating crackers. From talking with other 914 owners, it seems that I’m not alone in this respect. Car folks have wandering eyes, and almost without exception, we probably all have a list. Is it something fast, or something rare, or something seductive? Is it fragile and high strung – a car that requires a steady hand on the wrench, or the check book? It’s probably a car that made an impression on you when you were younger. Whatever the criteria, we all have a list. So yes, I have a list…

If I had to categorize my desire, it would be: Coupe, Manual Transmission, Rear Wheel Drive. However between those broad categories there are a number of different Makes and Models that I find myself drawn to.  It’s easy to have a bias towards mid-engine cars, but let’s not limit ourselves.

If I’m being totally honest, I’m getting old (er..) and when I think of another car that I could own and enjoy, in my time left before autonomous vehicles relegate “Pilot in Command” to the history books, I keep coming back to a short list of cars that could reasonably try to replace the current mistress.

The Porsche Cayman. It’s an obvious option to most any 914 owner, in that it’s a mid-engine, two seater, with two trunks. But it is so much more. At the risk of being another of the million or so voices to sing its praises, the car is a drivers dream. Balanced, stylish, driver centric and easy to live with.  I could see myself being very happy as a long term owner of a Cayman. I think also that I could be satisfied with any trim level of the car. Sure I’d love the GT4, but really, let’s be realistic, an S or base, and an early one at that, are much more likely for a guy like me.

The down side is that it only has two seats, the same issue I have with the 914. I have two sons, and a wife, so sometimes I am forced to leave the 914 in the garage. On the flip side, 90% of the time, I’m driving by myself, and quickly approaching empty nester status, so two seats isn’t a deal breaker. As long as I can get the golf clubs in the back, I’ll be fine. One other issue that I can see is the difficulty of maintaining the car myself.  To be honest, I’d deal with any inconvenience of owning it.

The E46-M3. I can’t explain it, but I love this car, and I have only had the opportunity to drive a couple of them. In the words of Lou Reed “Man I swear I’d give the whole thing up for you.” I’ve found the car to be a complete joy to drive, and consistently satisfying, even when just driving around town. The styling is timeless, very few cars of that vintage look so good, and it has consistently turned my head whenever I’ve seen it. It’s about as practical a car as you will find given the criteria, when you consider that it can easily accommodate my entire family….and my golf clubs. It’s also got as avid an online community as our cars, and I could live with the car a long time. The 6 speed manual trans cars seem to be going up in value, while the SMG-paddle shift automatics seem to be dropping. I’m not viewing it as an investment, but understanding where the value trends are heading is not something to overlook.

The Nissan 300zx. Another car that I’ve always been attracted to, but have little experience with. When the body style changed in 1990, I had just sold my first 914, and had moved to Cincinnati, and I was immediately drawn to this car’s curves. It was way out of my league at that time, financially. Even now, 15 years later, the car looks great, and has maintained its good looks, much better than I have over the last 15 years. I love the hatchback design, I think it helps the cars lines, and is incredibly practical. Although a 2 or 2+2 seater, it has a fairly generous cargo area. Low mileage examples are hard to find, and when you do, they command a premium, but they are out there.

There are a lot of pretty faces out there, but like the saying goes, no matter how good looking they are, somebody is already tired of them… . And like any mistress, its likely they are high maintenance and full of drama. I’m not sure what it would take for me to act on any of these “urges.” I suspect it would involve a late night alone, alcohol, and an aggressive mistress opportunity… but let’s keep it between us, no need rocking the boat with Betty.