The Powerball Garage

I am not going to win the Powerball jackpot, and neither are any of you. But that’s okay. No one really plays the lotto to win big, they play to have fun thinking about what would happen if they did. Below is what my garage would eventually look like if I were $650 million richer tomorrow (a.k.a. $1.4 billion after upfront payout and taxes). What do you guys think?

TL;DR:
BMW E46 M3 + BMW S85 V10
AMS Alpha 9 Nissan GT-R
McLaren P1
Nissan S13 240sx + Toyota 1JZ-GTE
Nissan 350Z + Nismo CORR VK56 V8
Datsun 240Z + Nissan RB26DE
Audi B8/A4 2.0T Avant S-Line

BMW E46 M3 + BMW S85 V10 swap

Many consider the E46 M3 to be the best car ever made, and with good reason. Its chassis is stiff and light, and the trunk and rear seats make it an everyday practical car that still slays on the track. It’s a fantastic car stock, but my first project as a millionnaire would be to swap the stock inline-6 for the S85 V10 engine and manual transmission from the E60 M5. By itself the V10 is only 5kg heavier than the stock S54 (and it’s also shorter longitudinally and vertically), so in theory I would lose very little, if any of the M3’s legendary handling. What I would gain is an 8200rpm, 500+hp roadgoing rocket that can do it all: cruising, canyon runs, track days, and occasionally a little drifting. A true ultimate driving machine.

AMS Alpha 9 Nissan GT-R

This is a machine that needs no introduction here at CT. Even stock these things eat supercars for breakfast, so just imagine what 900hp could do. But despite the exotic-killing acceleration, GT-Rs make for surprisingly livable daily drivers. Ride quality is on the rougher side, but with an automatic transmission, decent trunk and usable-ish rear seats, it’s no surprise that GT-R owners put so many miles on their cars. KW V3 coilovers with the Hydraulic Lift System (HLS 2) would be a must if I want to get over speedbumps and parking lot ramps. I already have enough problems with a mildly lowered S197 Mustang… In addition to AMS Alpha 9 spec, I would add a Phoenix’s Power front bumper, Top Racing carbon hood, Zele carbon skirts (pictured), and BBS LMs (pictured), among other things.

McLaren P1

If I’m going to be a demi-billionaire I gotta have at least one piece of the Holy Trinity. But which one? All three are a masterclass in what is technically possible in road cars right now. However, I believe the McLaren P1 stands apart. The main reason (and most important reason to many of you) is that it has proven itself to be effectively the fastest of the three. The on-track tests we’ve seen so far almost unanimously place the P1 at the top of the board, and it has a lot to do with McLaren’s cutting-edge traction management and active suspension tech. Call it an offense to driver involvement if you will but, as Chris Harris says, the more difficult to manage LaFerrari can only potentially beat the P1 with a master Ferrari test driver behind the wheel (and that’s only if the P1 isn’t running the stickier optional tires). Furthermore, the Porsche 918’s high-grip combination of heavy curb weight and AWD layout seems to be superior in only certain tracks and situations (i.e. Mazda Laguna Seca & decreasing-radius corner exits). Combined with a face-melting twin-turbo V8 and 176hp of lag-reducing electric torque fill, the McLaren’s brilliant chassis and suspension solutions make it effectively the fastest car on the road. Ironically, the same active suspension, like the system in the 12C/650S, also makes the P1 surprisingly usable for a hypercar. Overall it is a technical masterpiece, and out of the big three I’d definitely get this one if I could… and definitely in silver.

(I know all 375 are taken, but I mean hey, money talks).

Nissan S13 240sx + single-turbo Toyota 1JZ-GTE swap

Yes, I want a drift car. And not just any “missile” drift car held together by zipties and bubble gum with a welded diff and 10 different-colored body panels. I certainly appreciate that type of build (and I’ll probably have one myself not too long from now), but on a millionnaire’s budget, this would be a clean, street-driven, track-capable drift car. I won’t go into detail here but there is good reason to choose the Toyota 1JZ over a Nissan RB25 or SR20, or an LS-swap (which is a nearly ideal motor for this type of build), or even the mighty 2JZ. I’d also add a full Koguchi Power GT1 body kit, 18” Work Meister S1s, and a 326 Power rear wing. Long story short, it would be a usable, lightweight, 450whp (~530bhp) purpose-built hooning machine with looks to match. So pretty much Ryan Tuerck’s old street car.

Nissan 350Z + Nismo CORR VK56 V8 swap

If you’re familiar with Chris Forsberg, you’re familiar with his 370Z’s insane 8000rpm quad-cam V8 soundtrack. I’ve been a fan of the Formula Drift double champ since he had an SR20 in his Z, but from the moment I heard his Titan truck-derived VK56 at FD Sonoma in 2005, I’ve (unrealistically) wanted that motor in a drift car of my own. His current 1000hp ntirous-boosted VK56 is derived from the race motor built by Nismo for the now-defunct CORR offroad truck racing series. Out of the box, this motor develops 715hp and redlines at 8200rpm… which is, you know, enough. I would then drop this monster into a gutted, caged, and most importantly slammed 350Z chassis. I would need custom conrol arms, steering knuckles, etc. (basically bespoke suspension) to keep proper geometry and provide plenty of steering lock, but in the spirit of Club FR’s Final Bout, this could win a car show and ProAm drift event in the same day.

Datsun 240Z + Nissan RB26DE

The 240Z followed a simple formula to produce one of the best-looking and best-driving cars of all time: a classically-proportioned sportscar body and nimble, lightweight chassis with an inline-6 driving the rear wheels. I would make thorough modifications to modernize handling and reliability, but the goal would be to retain the raw, analog feel of the original car. Suspension, steering, tires and brakes in particular would be updated to handle the power of the new motor: a modern Nissan RB26DE (with obligatory individual throttle-bodies). Hard choice between the RB26 and the 10,000rpm 420hp OS Giken TC24-B1Z, but I think I would prefer the low-end power of the RB. Basically, it would drive like this, and sound like this.

Audi B8/A4 2.0T Avant S-Line

Last but not least would be the car I would buy to be my people/stuff-mover (and my girlfriend’s daily driver). I absolutely love the low-slung, slender profile of the B8-generation wagon, especially in black. Full air suspension would get me the stance to go with that profile, but also allow the car to retain its versatility: stock ride height to slammed (or vice versa) at the touch of a button. Also with AWD and a huge amount of cargo space, it would make great runabout car. The finishing touch would be a set of gorgeous 19” Lamborghini Cordelia wheels from the Gallardo LP560-4, just to keep things in the VAG family.

So there you have it: the must-haves of my Powerball garage. Just something I wanted to put in writing for myself, but I hope I gave you guys some ideas for your own dream garage!

Honorable Mention:
Rocket Bunny Lexus RC350 F-Sport
Lexus LFA
GT3-spec widebody Ferrari 458 Italia
Mazda FD3S RX-7 + single-turbo extended street-port 13B-REW
Fiat 124 Spider + Alfa Romeo 1750 TBi (Alfa 4C swap)
Local Motors Rally Fighter (tow car lool)