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So... the COE made 3 trips out on the public streets last summer, but there was an issue. We timed it, and at about 6-7 minutes of running, an increasingly louder, quickly piercing whistling sound would appear. Initially I thought it was the generator, but figured out it was a vacuum leak in the carb. Very disconcerting. So I found a dedicated carb rebuilder in NY and sent it off, tho not until last month. Figured I wasn't going to be driving it in the winter... then it slipped thru the cracks. Got the carb back in a week's time, rebuilder said there was a number of bits incorrect inside, plus he milled all the mating surfaces and test ran it- said he got it running really well. Who knows how many people did what inside a 78 year old mechanical device. Hooked it back up yesterday and ran it in the garage, timing it (garage door open & exhaust fan ducting out behind truck). Went 11 minutes and zero whistling. Idles very smooth, tho it takes a good 5 minus before you can completely take it off of choke. Anyway, this represents the last component to address, so I can begin shake-down runs again; first in the driveway, then down my street, then in a wider & wider radius from home base. There's a semi-truck dealership about 3 miles from my house and there always seems to be 1 or 2 empty parking spaces on the front line- would be fun to slip the '40 in there as if it were for sale.

Original CTS and Lincoln LS were perfect size cars, but as you stated is correct. They were not as small as the 3 series and C of that time and thus the scorn. Funny you mentioned the ZDX. I parked next to a pristine one the other day and thought to myself it ended up being a bit ahead of its due time. Would be a good used vehicle to seek and find. The mistake on the ZDX was some things were proportioned a bit badly. If they had increased the wheelbase on that thing 6-8 inches and had a better balanced greenhouse , it may have come off a lot better.

Yep; she went out under the sky today. What a literal thrill for me. • Ground welds, wire wheeled & orbital sanded the trunk out- getting it ready for priming/painting inside there. Great progress.

No, it's as I said, it's their answer to Designo. Select a GLS550 and select Designo and all the options required to match what the XC90 Excellence has ($109k and a heated steering wheel is still optional on a GLS?) and you're up at $110k. That seems exactly right to me. Mercedes doesn't even offer you a Crystal gear selector knob, so clearly the Volvo is better. I'm not going to knock the E-class as it is clearly an excellent car. The S90 stands up well against it in interior comfort. It has some of the best contoured seats I've experienced. It isn't meant, in its current configuration, to be a sport sedan. It is clearly built for comfort. It also is larger than the E-Class like the CT6 is. So the fact that you cannot see value in that is unsurprising. The GLC has less interior room than my Encore or even the XC40 much less the XC60. You must be a shorter guy and pack light to always prefer these cramped German cars over their larger competition at the same price. Because of the airy feel of the cabin, the XC60 even feels bigger than it is inside. Cinderella, you've lost a shoe. Could you be any more of a brand whore? I don't need to explain my purchases to anyone... and if I did feel the need, the explanation is simple. I picked the better car. As far as the other Germans... I'd pick an Enclave or Nautilus or GLE or XC60 or QX50 or Grand Cherokee Summit or XT5 over a Q5 every day of the week.... don't be putting that pile up on a pedestal... and I don't even like the XT5. The newest X5 looks compelling, but BMW interiors are about as cheerful as a graveyard on a wet Sunday.

Totally agree, nice looking auto, but the 6 series is a flop, so I also wonder what business case they sold the board on to green light building this? ?

Mustang pretty much is writing the template for a successful GT, so it makes sense BMW would emulate some of that formula. But what's puzzling is BMW's recent entry with the very same vehicle, then called the 6-series, nobody bought, so I wonder what sort of business case they pitched to get a MORE expensive version of an unwanted coupe green-lighted? BTW; IMO the Mustang looks a lot more cohesive of a design.

I thought I would have been the only one...

Sharp. Strong Mustang vibe to the greenhouse and midsection...

Old pic, filtered ~