Fan and long time follower of Double Apex, Inez Valjee, had something to get off his chest. So he sent us this column titled The Purist’s Conundrum to explain his predicament.

I’ve been obsessed with sportscars ever since I heard a friend say “that’s 145 kilowatts” seconds after we drooled over a brilliant red BMW 325iS (Evo 1) passing by. I was 13 years old and had no interest in ‘real’ cars up to that point. I had no clue what he was talking about. But in that moment I knew that I wanted to feel whatever that driver might have felt. That was the end of toy cars and the beginning of a habitual fascination with ‘the ultimate drive’. I’ve been chasing cars ever since.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Serial Owner

It’s been a journey spanning 25 years of sportscar ownership. I’ve been trying to improve and refine that experience with every purchase, with what resources allow. I buy what my heart is drawn to and what experience directs. A car to me is about driver engagement. I have commuter cars that do the grocery runs. Special cars connect with you and make you smile, time after time. But I’ve come to quite a realisation: sometimes, in order to move forward in your quest, you need to go back.

Childhood Dream

My first real sportscar was an Evo1 BMW 325iS. It was white, with black leather Recaros. The inline-six provided 145 kW and aural pleasure. It was everything I expected and more. It was analogue and engaging. I could feel everything that was going on through the steering wheel, clutch pedal, accelerator, suspension, tyres and gear lever. I became ‘one with the machine’. It responded to my every input intuitively and responded accordingly. This was a very high benchmark and set the standard for my expectations going forward.

In The Family

Since then I had the privilege of owning almost every single BMW M3. This included an E36 M3, a SMG-fitted E46 M3 (with the fabled S54 screamer of a motor) and no less than three (E92) V8 M3s, both DCT and manual. It was only after the E46 M3 that I started to feel a slight change in the level of engagement of my drives. The E46 M3 was peak BMW in my opinion. Now, I cannot fault the E92, but something started to feel different, diluted in a way.

My better experiences seemed to be behind me, instead of improving as I moved forward in my sportscar journey. Not as raw. A bit heavy. Too capable. Not as pure. Then, after test driving the (turbocharged) F80 M3, I was completely disillusioned and disappointed. It felt uninspiring and lacked the same excitement and engagement. It felt… normal. BMW M had lost its hard edge for me and could no longer meet my demands. I was, yet again, searching and yearning for driver feel and for purity.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Looking Elsewhere

It was at this point that I researched, sought out and purchased my very first Porsche. It was a beautifully spec’d red, low mileage, 996.2 GT3. It was like what I felt with the 325iS but amplified in a way that I had not experienced before. If I felt one with the 325iS; this was like a real-life Iron Man suit. The love and passion for Porsche began and still holds strong.

Since then, I purchased a 997.2 GT3, which was absolute bliss and one I still regret selling. There was also an annoyingly long-geared, but superb handling 718 Cayman GT4. A 991 Carrera S followed, but it was too comfortable for my liking. One of my current cars is a mechanically-howling, nine thousand rpm 991.1 GT3. These cars are all capable, engaging and highly emotional, but I could never, on public roads anyway, fully utilise them as intended. It got me thinking that higher powered cars and all the headline numbers: zero to 100 times, kW, quarter mile times, downforce etc. may not be the secret to a pure drive – for me on public roads anyway.

Click here to read our driving review of a Porsche GT3 RS.

A Return

After my hiatus from the brand, I went back to BMW and purchased a 2024 G80 M3 almost blindly. Looking for that spark. There was a lot of hype around this car and I fell for all the YouTubers’ praises. Note to everyone: drive it and decide on your own. It was very capable, extremely punchy and supercar rapid, but to me it felt numb and lacked soul in most aspects.

It didn’t sound great and it felt like I was playing a video game. BMW moved away from a DCT and the ZF torque converter is, in my eyes, a mistake. Gear changes seem meshed together instead of snappy. I was not bonding with this car. It felt like a very fast M340i to me – a car that ticks all boxes and is trying to be everything to everyone. It’s nowhere near as focused as it should be, nor special and distinctive as M cars of old. I guess they sell well and have broader appeal, but I sold mine three months after taking delivery. It was part of the journey, an expensive lesson but a lesson learned nonetheless.

Rekindling Joy

Although, I still have my 991.1 GT3, which is motoring Nirvana in its mechanical feel. It’s near perfection with 350 kW, weighs less than 1 500 kg, makes all the right noises and is an absolute event every time I get into it. I can never fully exploit it though. I was looking for something to have fun in. Something to enjoy.

I wanted something that may not be the fastest, but will bring me the most smiles. I thought back on my experiences over the past few decades and tried to single out the best driver’s cars that I owned or drove. It was tough to figure out. In between, I also owned two Honda VTECs (a Civic and Ballade) and recall a blissful drive in a high-revving Honda S2000, as well.

Stepping Stones

They were, at the time, stepping stones but in hindsight, were the real gems in my journey. Ultimately, it was the memory of my E46 M3 that was the most standout drive. The ‘purest’ cars I have experienced have all been high revving, with racecar-like naturally aspirated engines mated with manual gearboxes, sporty suspensions and very importantly – tuneful and beautiful sounding exhaust notes.

Newer cars are muffled and monotonous in their sound delivery. They do it all too clinically. Emission controls, turbocharging, hybridisation and GP filters don’t allow them rev to a high pitched climax at red-line like they should. They are numb to me.

An Old Favourite

So, what did I eventually settle on ? This might be a surprise and a bit left field, but I chose a BMW Z4M roadster. Not a car I would have considered at the time of its production. However, knowing what I know now, knowing that it shared the same S54 motor as the E46 M3, it represents driving purity to me. I managed to find a pristine example earlier this year with less than 60 000 km on the clock and snatched it up. It cost me less than what a well spec’d brand-new VW Polo would cost.

Re-engaging

The Z4M sounds absolutely brilliant with that signature ‘tinny/raspy’ sound. It has a ‘knuckly’ short shifting snappy manual, hydraulic steering, handles well (albeit a bit playful) and is an absolute joy to drive. It is not the fastest by today’s standards but oh so much fun. The sounds are more amplified with the top down vs what I recall of my M3 E46, with a sonorous shriek as the revs build up and an occasional gas exchange burble on downshifts. I can drive it nearly 10/10ths. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a car in decades. Dare I say, it’s my favourite car. It’s the journey and experiences that have brought me to this peaceful, content place.

Not a Numbers Game

It has brought me here and I’ve come to the realisation that it’s not all about numbers, horsepower or outright speed. Some of the fastest cars are very efficient in what they do, very capable, but many lack engagement and feel. They may win you bragging rights from a numbers perspective but do not always guarantee driving pleasure.

The old argument of driving a slow car fast vs driving a fast car slow, comes to mind. The latest hypercar may decimate my little roadster in every conceivable way in terms of capability, but I know that my ‘fun factor’ wins in the smiles-per-mile department. I know that I have solved my own conundrum, finding the perfect balance between purity and capability.