It’s the final four!
The editors and the readers differed twice among the four matchups, allowing the Miata and the Porsche to make the Final Four. Now it’s serious business as we move to the final two pairings for the editors’ and the people’s pick for the Future Collector Car Tournament of Champions.
Here’s how it went down, with our explanations and reader polls:
Matchup #25: Ferrari 599 vs. Taurus SHO
Tom Stahler: I love the SHO, However I’m going with the beloved front engine Ferrari.
Larry Edsall: Ferrari 599 — I’ve been faithful to SHOtime, but at this stage things get real so the Ferrari is my pick.
Bob Golfen: Sure, the Taurus SHO was a cool exercise in bringing a hot setup to an ordinary front-drive family sedan, but c’mon, the Ferrari beats it out in every possible way.
Readers’ Pick
Ferrari 599 (75.53%) vs. Taurus SHO (24.47%)
Winner
Ferrari 599
Matchup #26: R35 GTR vs. Mazda MX-5 Miata
Tom Stahler: Still love the Miata as the perfect classic sportscar.
Larry Edsall: Mazda MX-5 — The last of the Davids advances into a Final Four against the high-horsepower Goliaths.
Bob Golfen: The Japanese muscle car has it all, style, power and agility, and while the Miata has become a modern classic, the GT-R swirls right past it and into the future.
Readers’ Pick
R35 GTR (56.52%) vs. Mazda MX-5 Miata (43.48%)
Winner
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Matchup #27: Porsche GT2 RS vs. McLaren 620R
Tom Stahler: The GT2 in its original air-cooled 993 trim still remains one of the hottest cars – EVER! I know it’s a repeat of what I have said previously, but I really love the car.
Larry Edsall: GT2 RS — I have to go with the car that has horsepower and handling.
Bob Golfen: The Porsche and the McLaren are two of the greatest sports/track cars of the modern day, each of them aggressively powerful and awesome-looking. But the Porsche is the one that does it for me.
Readers’ Pick
McLaren 620R (54.35%) vs. Porsche GT2 RS (45.65%)
Winner
Porsche GT2 RS
Matchup #28: Corvette ZR-1 vs. Cadillac CTS-V
Tom Stahler: Tough pick, but realizing that the 1990 ZR-1 was one of the cars that rescued us from the hum-drum cars of the late 70s and 80s, gotta take the ZR-1. Sorry Cadillac.
Larry Edsall: Sedans drool, sports cars rule! ZR-1!
Bob Golfen: Although it’s part of the much-maligned C4 generation, the ZR-1 with its Lotus V8 infusion was a terrific example of sport tuning with a purpose. The CTS might drive great, but it’s gaudy and ugly.
Readers’ Pick
Corvette ZR-1 (64.21%) vs. Cadillac CTS-V (35.79%)
Winner
Corvette ZR-1
Here are your final four matchups. Don’t forget to vote …
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Check back on Wednesday, March 25th, to vote for the championship matchup.
Hi Tom, unfortunately I do not know how the first 32 cars were chosen. I agree on that all 32 are worth of the “future collector category” , but I miss some cars, like the Mercedes SL; R129 produce from 1989 to 2002 or the W124 E500.
Not disagreeing with you Martin. My daily is a CLK350 drop top. Initially, we collectively came up with the list in a ‘spitballing’ session with a few younger ‘car people’ in the office. When you edit and manage a sizable online publication for a living (like I do), there are always the reader comments and letters to the editor calling my staff and me out on one thing or another. A long time ago, I decided I cannot be all things to everyone in life. That carries over into the gig. Perhaps I will have a collective of readers pick the next list we do… Then no one can complain. Right? (starts laughing hysterically)
Martin, we appreciate you being a reader and reaching out with your comments.