Famous Amos

Anyone that knows me knows that I love cars. I'm always talking about them, test driving them, and dreaming of the day when I get my next one. I have been thinking about my next car for about 10 months now, and haven't gotten any closer to picking what I want. There's really only two categories of vehicles that I want and are considering getting; one being convertibles and the other being hatchbacks/sportbacks. So let's begin...

Convertibles:

Jaguar XK8


The 1997 XK8 (project code X100) was available in coupé or convertible body styles and with either a supercharged or naturally aspirated 290 horsepower (220 kW) 4.0 litre AJ26 engine. From 2003 the engines were replaced by the 4.2 litre AJ34 engines in both the normally aspirated and supercharged versions. The first-generation XK series shares its platform with the Aston Martin DB7. Both cars are derived from the Jaguar XJS, though the platform has been extensively changed.

Jaguar XJS

The Jaguar XJ-S (later the Jaguar XJS) is a luxury grand tourer produced by the British manufacturer Jaguar. The car was re-engineered in 1991 and renamed XJS. All XJSs from this time are referred to as "facelift" models. The rear side windows appeared enlarged (although the body glass aperture was actually the same size as the earlier car), and the flying buttresses stayed, as designer Geoff Lawson argued that they were part of the car's character.

Audi A4 Cabriolet

The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi AGA.The all-new A4, internally designated Typ 8E, debuted in late 2000, now riding on the all-new Volkswagen Group B6 (PL46) platform. Audi reintroduced the S4, now powered by a 344 PS (253 kW; 339 bhp) 4.2 L V8 engine, as well as an A4 Cabriolet convertible variant (Typ 8H), finally replacing the 80-based Audi Cabriolet which had been discontinued in 1998. It included an electro-hydraulic operated roof, which lowered in under 30 seconds, and incorporated some styling changes which eventually found their way to the saloon version (such as body-colored lower bumper and sill panels).

Nissan 300ZX

The Nissan 300ZX (called the Fairlady Z in Japan) is a sports car that was produced by Nissan. It comprises the third and fourth generations of the Z-car line-up, respectively given the chassis designations Z31 and Z32. The Z31 and Z32 feature a 3.0 litre, V6 naturally-aspirated and single (Z31) or twin (Z32) turbocharged engine. The convertible option became available in 1993, just three years before import to North America ceased.

Nissan 350Z

The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan Motor Co, LTD. The 350Z is the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line, originally introduced in 1969 (as a 1970 model year) as the Datsun 240Z. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. It was available in several trim packages and is sold as both a coupé and roadster before being succeeded by the 370Z for the 2009 model year.

BMW 3 series


The BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. The E46 is the fourth generation of BMW's 3 Series entry-level luxury car / compact executive car. The sedan was introduced in 1998 and replaced the E36 sedan the same year. The smaller-engined version, despite having a 2.5L engine, was designated "323," not "325," to increase the apparent spread between it and the correctly-numbered (to purists) 328. The touring and coupé models appeared in 1999 with BMW's newly designed steptronicsemi-automatic transmissions (available in all 3 series models), and the convertible and M3 later in 2000.



Hatchbacks/Sportbacks:


BMW M Coupe

The BMW M Coupe is a Shooting-brake styled high-performance automobile produced by BMW. Due to the unique styling of the M Coupe, dealer sales were slow, and dealerships sidestepped the M Coupe to sell the more practical and more profitable M3 models to performance enthusiasts. As a result of their relative rarity, M Coupes retain more of their value than any other BMW since the E30 M3. Only 2,461 of these vehicles were made for the US market.

Volvo C30

The Volvo C30 is a small car produced by Volvo Cars. The C30 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback powered by straight-4 and straight-5 engines. The C30 went on sale in Canada in March 2007 as a 2007 model, and in October 2007 in the United States as a 2008 model.

MazdaSpeed 3


The Mazdaspeed3 is a sport compact hatchback introduced by Mazdaspeed for the 2007 model year, as a performance-enhanced version of the Mazda3. The Mazdaspeed3 features the same turbocharged 2.3-litre DISI MZR I4 engine from the Mazda6 MPS/Mazdaspeed 6. In this application, it produces 263 hp (196 kW) and 280 ft·lbf (380 N·m) when running on 91 octane gasoline ((R+M)/2). This is routed through the front wheels rather than the complex all-wheel drive system found on its big brother (Mazdaspeed6).

Mazda6 Sport Wagon

The Mazda6 or Mazda 6 (known as the Mazda Atenza in Japan) is a mid-size car produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Mazda since 2002. The Mazda6 was the first example of the company's new Stylish', Insightful, and Spirited design philosophy. The model lineup consists of a four-door sedan, a five-door liftback and a five-door station wagon, marketed in North America as the "Sport Sedan", "5-Door" and "Sport Wagon", respectively.

Audi A3 Sportback

The Audi A3 is a compact car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1996. In 2005, the "S line" trim level, with new sporty decorative elements, became available in certain models, and the 3-door received the same frontend as the Sportback. For the first time, the A3 became available in the North American market, exclusively with the Sportback body, with the base 2.0 straight-4 TFSI introduced in 2005 as a 2006 model, and the 3.2 VR6 quattro following in 2006.

Audi A4 Avant

The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi AGA since late 1994. The all-new A4, internally designated Typ 8E, debuted in late 2000, now riding on the all-new Volkswagen Group B6 (PL46) platform. The Avant arrived in mid 2001.