Autumn, my favorite time of year. The crisp cool air, changing leaves, and the opportunity for awesome dates. Spending the afternoon on the bank of a pond for a picnic or at a vineyard for a wine tasting or at a park to toss around a football or Frisbee are all great ways to pass time; especially if you take a winding road peppered with orange, brown, and red leaves along the way. Below are some suggestions for the ideal conveyance to a perfect autumn day. Each of these cars are convertibles to maximize exposure to the lovely scenery and fresh air of autumn. Don a sweater, clear the golf clubs out of your trunk and prepare to roll your way to the perfect afternoon.
The Car For Autumn
Winner: Aston Martin DBS Volante with 510hp/430 foot pounds of torque a top speed of 190 and a scant 4.2 second sprint to sixty off the line she’ll get you to whichever destination you chose quickly enough to take a windy, wood lined detour and still arrive fashionably early. Between the trunk and “back seat” there should be enough room for your picnic baskets and a few bottles of your favorite wines. As far as looks go think Kate Bekinsale mixed with Alice Eve, a little Maria Sharapova for athleticism and a sprinkling of Blake Lively as a brunette like in Green Lantern, you know what I mean. The interior is luxurious and elegant while not making you think you took your grandparents car by mistake. Finally, driving one of these things you get to drop your name like Kerry Collins dropped balls in 2001; Enomics, Hunch Enomics.
Engine: V12, 510 bhp @ 6500 rpm, 420 ft./lb. @ 5750 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 < 4.3 seconds, Top 191 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 107.9 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
Second Choice: Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 with impressive sports car credentials and all wheel drive, she’ll hold the road tight and let you get an early start on those frosty mornings.
Engine: V10, 525 bhp @ 8000 rpm, 391 ft./lb. @ 6500 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 4.0 seconds, Top 194 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 104.3 in.
Engine Mount: Mid
Drive Wheels: All
The See The Leaves Change As A Blur Car
Winner: Ferrari SA Aperta a limited edition of 80 will be produced. If that doesn’t sell you then consider the rich racing heritage of Ferrari, the absolutely stunning lines of the car inside and out. While you won’t exactly see things as a blur, that would be an unsafe driving condition anyway, others might see you as one. I could write reams about the unmitigated awesomeness of this car but it speaks for itself so in rare form I’ll shut up now.
Engine: V12, 661 bhp @ 8250 rpm, 457 ft./lb. @ 6500 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 < 3.6 seconds, Top 202 mph
Gearbox: Paddles 6sp
Wheelbase: 108.3 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
Second Choice: Spyker C8 Spyder a 2009 model that is still available new from dealers. While there are several other exotic supercars I could have chosen, the lines on this model flow better and don’t make it look like a wedge of cheese on wheels.
Engine: V8, 400 bhp, 354 ft./lb.
Acceleration: 0-60 < 4.5 seconds, Top 187 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 101 in.
Engine Mount: Rear
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Does The Road Bend You Or Do You Bend The Road Car
Winner: Porsche Boxster S/Boxster Spyder have mid engine designs that can magically transform the most winding roads into smooth paved straight-aways. These cars are so customizable they can rival the amount of exotic wood found in a Rolls Royce or the Leather in an Aston Martin. The Spyder offers a few less refinements and customizable options to cut weight. Unfortunately, neither the rear nor front trunks allow for much in the way of carrying picnic baskets or wine cases. The best part is that while few cars in the world can keep pace with these sisters, in a slalom their light weight and relatively small engines produce excellent fuel economy.
Engine: Boxster 6, 310/320 bhp @ 6400/7200 rpm, 266/273 ft./lb. @ 6400/7200 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 5.0/4.9 seconds, Top 170/166 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 95.1 in.
Engine Mount: Mid
Drive Wheels: Rear
Second Choice: Lotus Elise similar to the Boxsters in performance but with less customability and interior room suitable for an accordion. While the thrill of the drive might be worth wrinkling yourself and your suit your lady love might not feel the same.
Engine: I4, 189 bhp @ 7800 rpm, 133 ft./lb. @ 6800 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 < 4.9 seconds, Top 148 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 90.5 in.
Engine Mount: Mid
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Where’s My Pickinick Basket Boo-Boo Car
Winner: Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe with an available bespoke picnic basket, decades ago all Rolls models were sold with picnic baskets, makes this the clear choice for some fine field dining even if Rolls aren’t handmade anymore.
Engine: V12, 453 bhp @ 5350 rpm, 531 ft./lb. @ 3500 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 5.6 seconds, Top 150 mph (governed)
Gearbox: Automatic 6sp
Wheelbase: 130.7 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
Second Choice: Morgan Aero SuperSports a classic British car for a classic British past time. Morgan and Lotus are two manufacturers that use sophisticated technology to make their cars fast and safe but little to change the driver interface making them some of the purest drives around. If you’re not familiar with this brand rectify that immediately.
Engine: V8, 367 bhp, 370 ft./lb.
Acceleration: 0-60 < 4.5 seconds, Top 170 mph
Gearbox: Manual 6sp
Wheelbase: 100 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Swirl, Sniff, Slurp, Spit Car
Winner: Bentley Continental GTC Speed is refined, elegant and powerful just like avid wine enthusiasts. This isn’t your grandfather’s Bentley; sacrificing none of the luxury or burl this Bentley delivers a youthful and powerful interior, exterior and power plant.
Engine: V8, 600 bhp @ 6000 rpm, 553 ft./lb. @ 5600 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 < 4.5 seconds, Top 195/200 mph top down/top up
Gearbox: Automatic 6sp
Wheelbase: 108.1 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: All
Second Choice: Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG provides Mercedes luxury under a hard top convertible with sport tuned AMG brakes, engine, and suspension.
Engine: V8, 518 bhp @ 6800 rpm, 465 ft./lb. @ 5200 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 4.5 seconds, Top N/A mph
Gearbox: Automatic 7sp
Wheelbase: 94.5 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Bonus Three
The Wish It Was State Side Car: Alfa Romeo 8C Spider awesome brand, awesome car; bring me one now.
Engine: V8, 444 bhp @ 7000 rpm, 350 ft./lb. @ 4750 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 4.2 seconds, Top 292 mph
Gearbox: Paddles 6sp
Wheelbase: 104.2 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Green Car: Tesla Roadster Sport technological marvel and fun to drive just stay close to home. Tesla is discontinuing the roadster to pursue a less costly sedan. Get this front-running, trend-setting collectible before they’re all gone so you can have some fun and save the planet too.
Engine: Electric Motor, 288 bhp @ 4400 – 6000 rpm, 295 ft./lb. @ 0 – 5000 rpm
Acceleration: 0-60 3.7 seconds, Top 125 mph
Gearbox: Fixed Gear 1sp
Wheelbase: 92.6 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
The Red White and Blue Car: Cadillac XLR-V discontinued in 2009 has traditional Cadillac luxury and power covering a Corvette racing pedigree and finished with Bvlgari accents and a hardtop. A perfect car to help revive the SUV heavy brand, bring it back and add a manual option please.
Engine: V8, 443 bhp, 414 ft./lb.
Acceleration: 0-60 4.6 seconds, Top 155 mph (governed)
Gearbox: Automatic 6sp
Wheelbase: 105.7 in.
Engine Mount: Front
Drive Wheels: Rear
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Editorial Note: The Merritt Parkway is an excellent road to drive for fun and to see the leaves change; just try to avoid traffic that can sometimes be crippling.
my choice for a fall (not “autumn”) vehicle – the 2000 Toyota Corrolla.
a vast 1.8 liter engine packing 130 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm. an incredible 125 ft/lb of torque @ 4,200 rpm. all contained within a mighty 4 cylinders.
wheelbase – 102.4 in.
drive wheels – front
engine type – automatic (for those times you are too drunk to pay attention to switching gears)
acceleration – 0 to 60 in 10+ seconds
top speed – theoretical of about 120 mph. actual of about 95 mph before shaking violently. flies apart at 100-105.
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