Tales of Two Dream Rides

SIMON: I wanted to talk about dream cars today, but I wanted to put a twist on it. Instead of asking everyone about their dream car they'll never own, I want to soften it slightly. I want to know which car you'd like to own if money were no object and which car could you potentially own if you saved all your pennies and made a few sacrifices, such moved into a shed and gave your children away.

For me, my ultimate-money-no-object-ride would be the latest Aston Martin Vanquish. It’s around $300,000. Not totally outrageous in the money stakes. I’m not that kind of guy, but certainly out of my reach. So why the Vanquish? I know it’s not the fastest or the quickest, but c'mon, just look at it. It’s just so damn pretty.

But for my with-a-bit-of-luck-I-could-afford-one-of-these, I would choose the Porsche Cayman S. With a price tag around $60,000, I could pull this off. So why the Cayman? It’s a pretty car and looks more exclusive than its price portrays, but more importantly, it’s a car that you can live with. It’ll fit in a parking lot and it won’t ground out over speed bumps. But more importantly, I think Porsche came up with a nicely designed pocket rocket that’s easy on the bank account. I could see one in my future.

How about you, Tammy?

TAMMY:  I suppose I have less grandiose tastes than you, Simon. Thinking of "what would I go buy right now if money were no object," my thoughts go immediately to a car I've loved since I first saw it, sat in it, and got a hot lap around a track in it: the Audi R8. At only about $177,000, I could have my very own. I just think they look fantastic.

For my slightly more within reach dream car, I'd have to go more with pretty than a real driving car. Face it, I don't drive all that much these days (1.5 miles to work and 0.5 to the grocery store), but starting with my father's 1957 Thunderbird (yes, I grew up with that car), I've loved cars of the 1940s and 1950s. So with my $60,000 or so, I'd track down a classic 1957 Corvette. I would look kick-ass in that car.

So what about the rest of you? What are your dream purchases?