Twenty years ago, long before Sabine Schmitz became a Top Gear host, she was my driver.

It was 1998, and I had stopped by the Nurburgring for a lap in the Ring Taxi—a service in which a pro driver will let you ride along for a blistering trip through "Green Hell." Schmitz drove a BMW 540i with the sport package, and she drove it like a madwoman. During our 13-mile lap, we were passed only once, by a psycho on a bullet bike. We hit 144 mph on the straight. Schmitz was four-wheel-drifting though every corner, with the big BMW digging in and showing its humble rear bumper (no quad exhaust howitzers on the 540) to many a Porsche. From my seat, the 540i seemed like the business.

This was the 90s, and the term FOMO had yet to be coined.

For Schmitz, though, it was simply not enough. As she blasted from corner to corner, passing everyone while I tried to act unterrified, she critiqued her assigned ride. The BMW 540i was too soft and lacked the power of the old M5. That’s what she wanted. This was the 90s, and the term FOMO had yet to be coined. But Schmitz clearly suffered from FOMOOAM5: Fear of Missing Out On An M5.

I don’t blame her. But I'm here to tell you: For must of us, the second-fastest car is the one you actually want.

Top-dog factory hot rods get all the glory. Think of cars like the BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V, and Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. But most companies also offer a model just shy of the performance summit, something cheaper and probably easier to live with on a daily basis. That car doesn’t get as much love or attention. But it’s the one you want.

2018 BMW M550i BMW

Sure, a CTS-V is a 640-horsepower thrill, rocking back and forth at idle like a boxer preparing to storm out of his corner. But the 420-horsepower CTS V-Sport hauls ass and sounds downright feral with the performance exhaust. We’re talking about the difference between going 0 to 60 in the 4-second range and 0 to 60 in the 3s, and if you can live without the V8 thump and bragging rights, you can save yourself about $25,000 while dusting most other cars on the road. Ditto at the BMW camp, where the 456-horsepower M550i feels like all the car you’d ever need, and at Ford, where a smooth-revving Mustang GT goes almost as fast as a GT350.

The second-best cars often feel more harmonious, better balanced, at ease with real life rather than 200-mph autobahn fantasies. When you stop chasing the biggest number, you just might get the most enjoyable vehicle. Consider the C6 Corvette Z06 versus the “King of the Hill” ZR1. The ZR1 had an extra 133 hp. But it did not have a 7,000-rpm 7.0-liter V8. The Z06 was actually more difficult to drive. But also more fun, overflowing with naturally aspirated soul.

Car and Driver/MARC URBANO

This theory doesn’t end with sports cars, either. Unless your commute includes the actual Rubicon Trail, I will be happy to talk you out of a Wrangler Rubicon, with its noisy mud tires and clumsy heavy-duty axles. A humble Wrangler Sport will fulfill most of your wildest off-road fantasies while being much more pleasant to drive to your Zumba class. And if you’re thinking about getting a Ford F-350, try driving an F-250. Or even an F-150.

Trust me. Sometimes, less is best.

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