From Bruisers to Beauties: What’s Your Dream Car?
Whether it started with the nearly imperceptible shape and accompanying wail of a passing Italian exotic, hours spent staring down the lines of a German poster car, or your first time slogging through mud that no machine should be able to transverse — all the cars of our dreams have their origins. My first dream car — and most car people will have at least a few in their life time — began to take form upon hearing my first burbley V8. It was a passing sound that is attached to no vehicle in my memory, but it stuck with me. It wasn’t until I saw the lines of a 1966 Pontiac Tempest GTO that the form took shape. When I heard that boisterous engine while staring at a GTO, I knew that car had worked itself into my mind forever. Since that time, there have been other vehicles that have gotten lodged in my brain. They have included slinky numbers from Italy, brutal turbocharged beasts from Japan and more than a few cheeky British roadsters. In the end, the Pontiac remains. On so many levels it doesn’t make sense as a car to own. It is from a completely different time when safety was secondary and horsepower was taking its thrown as king in America. To me, part of the point of dream cars is for them to remain just that — an untainted dream. We want to hear from you. What is your dream car? What caused it to become lodged in your mind? Have you ever owned your dream car? Let us know in the comments below. South End Patch
Five Dream Cars You Would Love to Drive
There are thousands of cars available in the countless dealerships that dot the highways of Eastern Massachusetts, but there aren’t a lot of cars like these vehicles. Here are five dream cars that you would love to have in your garage, but they will cost you a lot of money (in some cases, as much as a house): 1. 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT, $ 220,055 The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT is a 7-speed automatic with auto-shift transmission with a 6.2L V8 32V MPFI DOHC engine. The exterior color is obsidian black and the interior color black. The car has 25 miles on it. Mercedes Benz of Boston in Somerville is selling the vehicle, according to cars.com. 2. 2010 Ferrari California, $ 199,900 The Ferrari California convertible is a 7-speed automatic with auto-shift transmission with a 4.3L V8 engine. The exterior color is rosso corsa and interior color is beige. The car has 7,650 miles. It’s being sold by Ferrari-Maserati of New England in Norwood, according to cars.com. 3. 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Base, $ 507,800 The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is an 8-speed automatic transmission with a 6.8L V12 48V GDI DOHC engine. The exterior color is midnight sapphire and the interior color is seashell. The car has 23 miles. It’s being sold by Herb Chambers Rolls Royce Motor Cars of New England in Wayland, according to cars.com. 4. 2008 Bentley Continental GTC, $ 129,700 The Bentley Continental is an automatic transmission with a 12-cylinder engine. The car has 30,005 miles. The car is being sold by Lawless Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Woburn, according to AOL Autos. 5. 2012 Audi R8 4.2 quattro, $ 149,174 The Audi is a six-speed manual transmission with a 4.2L V8 32V GDI DOHC engine. The exterior color is ibis white and the interior color is black. Tracy Audi VW in Hyannis is selling the vehicle, according to cars.com. South End Patch
Do You Want ‘Roadrunner’ or ‘Dream On’ for State Rock Song?
A little more than a week after a bill was filed to make “Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers the state’s official rock song, two legislators responded by filing their own bill to make Aerosmith’s “Dream On” the anthem. “(“Dream On” is a) classic ballad that’s all about holding on to your dreams and seizing opportunity,” Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury) said. Cutler is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. James Cantwell (D-Marshfield). The two songs represent very different stories, both about rock and roll, and about Massachusetts. One is a buoyant tribute to the thrill of being young in Massachusetts, speeding down Route 128. The other is a wistful look back by a Boston band that was just at its beginnings as one of the most famous in rock history. When asked, Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters Monday that he hasn’t considered which song, if any, he prefers for the state rock song. What do you think? Should “Roadrunner” become the state rock song, should “Dream On,” or should neither? South End Patch