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Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

The Third Man posted:

You can't be serious. That's roughly the difference between a 3 and 5 series BMW, and those cars handle very differently. I mean, it's not night and day, but it's certainly not insignificant enough to just lump them into the same category.

This is apropos of nothing, but is there really a huge difference in handling between a E90 and a E60? I ask because on paper, the difference in weight between them is only ~60 lbs if they have the NA I6 or at best ~140lbs with the turbo engine. The V8 would be different obviously but it seems to me that the I6 would be very similar. Is the difference in steering/suspension that much?

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grover
Jan 23, 2002

PEW PEW PEW
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
:circlefap::circlefap::circlefap:
The new CEO of Porsche has put the brakes on the cajun and baby boxster, and may kill both.

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6719643/news/report-new-porsche-ceo-may-scrap-cajun-suv-baby-boxster/index.html

travisray2004
Dec 2, 2004
SuprMan

grover posted:

The new CEO of Porsche has put the brakes on the cajun and baby boxster, and may kill both.

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6719643/news/report-new-porsche-ceo-may-scrap-cajun-suv-baby-boxster/index.html

:( A baby boxster would have been sick. Never really cared for the idea of the Cajun but if it'd help them prosper then so be it.

The Third Man
Nov 5, 2005

I know how much you like ponies so I got you a ponies avatar bro

Mr. Apollo posted:

I wasn't talking about handling or anything. The original post commented that the GT-R was a huge car, and I just said it wasn't that big it was about the same size as the Corvette and Mustang which are similiar in size. I don't deny they're different cars with different characteristics, I was only commenting on their exterior dimensions.

But nearly all commuter cars are relatively similar, so a difference of a foot is quite large. Calling the GTR huge is hyperbolic to a degree, but I've watched one drive past in close proximity, and it is a big car. It's much more imposing than a mustang even though the physical dimensions might not be that much larger.

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane
How the gently caress would Porsche make a car smaller than the Boxster? I already can't fit comfortably in the Boxster by a few inches at least, and I'm far from huge (only 6'1").

Blocko
Jul 12, 2008

Spoiler alert: Blood Ravens are actually Hiigarans who got sucked into the warp, were sent back in time to fight in WWII against the Panzer Elite, then stole a nazi time machine to go into the future and save mankind from an army of Lobster-Elephants and other impossible creatures.

Rated R.

grover posted:

The new CEO of Porsche has put the brakes on the cajun and baby boxster, and may kill both.

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/6719643/news/report-new-porsche-ceo-may-scrap-cajun-suv-baby-boxster/index.html

quote:

Earlier this year, reports suggested the new model could be powered by a 250-horsepower, forced-induction flat-four-cylinder, and share an architecture with its Volkswagen and Audi corporate siblings.

Wasn't this tried once before already?



Oh right.

Russian Bear
Dec 26, 2007


http://green.autoblog.com/2010/10/21/la-auto-show-design-challenge-entrants-reveal-1-000-pound-car-co/

Check out these zany drawings of the future:

Apparently the big RIMZZZZ will catch on and you'll be able to say "Hay bro check out deez 48ssss"
Nissan

Click here for the full 1280x684 image.


the car that future hairdressers take to the salon:
(MX-0)


Click here for the full 1280x576 image.


Maybach, now making gyro things instead of million dollar chauffeur driven land luxoyachts


Click here for the full 1280x905 image.


Russian Bear fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Oct 24, 2010

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad
Kind of a pricey way to do 0-60 in 4s, but what about 0-1000m above sea level times?
http://jalopnik.com/5674887/subaru+powered-jesus+supporting-flying-car-gets-faa-approval

PeterWeller
Apr 21, 2003

I told you that story so I could tell you this one.

kimbo305 posted:

I think both look great (well, the Civic sedan is not that great), but there's no accounting for taste.

I'm in the same boat, except I prefer the current Civic sedan to the coupe.

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad
Ford and M-Sport are putting out a rally kit for the Fiesta. Team O'Neil will be the only licensed dealer of it.



The size of those lightweight doorcard replacements look like they're for a 3 door hatch, not the 5-door that we get. Can anyone confirm/deny? mobby_6kl, you up for a graphical analysis?

Simkin
May 18, 2007

"He says he's going to be number one!"
Any idea what that sort of thing would cost?

DJ Commie
Feb 29, 2004

Stupid drivers always breaking car, Gronk fix car...

Blocko posted:

Wasn't this tried once before already?



Oh right.

You mean the one that sold almost 120,000 cars in 7 years? The one that oustold the 911 every year it was made? The favorite of club racers and probably the best early 70s Porsche that you could actually drive?

Blocko
Jul 12, 2008

Spoiler alert: Blood Ravens are actually Hiigarans who got sucked into the warp, were sent back in time to fight in WWII against the Panzer Elite, then stole a nazi time machine to go into the future and save mankind from an army of Lobster-Elephants and other impossible creatures.

Rated R.
Yes, that one.

Seat Safety Switch
May 27, 2008

MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.

Pillbug


Hell loving yes.

Blooot
Mar 19, 2001

Seat Safety Switch posted:



Hell loving yes.

I love this too -- finally the right sized tires on a new small car.

I'm guessing this is to become the SEMA thread.

Oh hay what's this now? (scroll down)

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=934071

CR-Z race car with push-to-pass IMA/turbo boost. HPD will be running 2 of these at the 25h of Thunderhill.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2010/11/sema-2010-honda-hpd-cr-z-racer-gets-a-turbo-and-push-to-pass-hybrid-boost.html

Blooot fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Nov 3, 2010

DJ Commie
Feb 29, 2004

Stupid drivers always breaking car, Gronk fix car...

Blocko posted:

Yes, that one.

Only 911 purists hate it. And the 912. And the 1976 912E.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Seat Safety Switch posted:



Hell loving yes.

I would buy either of the Mazda2 concepts they threw out there in a loving heartbeat, especially if they throw a bit more power underhood. The stock 2 is a riot (but a bit of a slug on the freeway) with 100hp, something with 140hp-200hp would be perfect.

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad

Simkin posted:

Any idea what that sort of thing would cost?

If I had to guess, I'd say $6,000 to $8,000. Depending on what scale Ford and M-Sport want to make the kits. The most expensive items would be the tranny and the seats.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Those engine internals won't be cheap either, nor is the labor to put them in if you're not building the engine yourself.

c355n4
Jan 3, 2007

Simkin posted:

Any idea what that sort of thing would cost?

I heard some rumors of $15k for the base car and ~$30k for the Stage 2 kit and ~$10k for the Stage 1 kit. (That is installed)

Don't quote or hold me to this rumor though.

GOD IS BED
Jun 17, 2010

ALL HAIL GOD MAMMON
:minnie:

College Slice

Seat Safety Switch posted:



Hell loving yes.

drat, I love Mazda.

2ndclasscitizen
Jan 2, 2009

by Y Kant Ozma Post

IOwnCalculus posted:

I would buy either of the Mazda2 concepts they threw out there in a loving heartbeat, especially if they throw a bit more power underhood. The stock 2 is a riot (but a bit of a slug on the freeway) with 100hp, something with 140hp-200hp would be perfect.

Since the old Fiesta ST is no more why they haven't shoe-horned a 2-litre in the front of the 2 is a mystery to me.

Blocko
Jul 12, 2008

Spoiler alert: Blood Ravens are actually Hiigarans who got sucked into the warp, were sent back in time to fight in WWII against the Panzer Elite, then stole a nazi time machine to go into the future and save mankind from an army of Lobster-Elephants and other impossible creatures.

Rated R.

Baby Hitler posted:

Only 911 purists hate it. And the 912. And the 1976 912E.

:smug:: Hello, I'd like to buy a Porsche-ah
:smugdog:: Certainately sir! What colour would you like your 911?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





2ndclasscitizen posted:

Since the old Fiesta ST is no more why they haven't shoe-horned a 2-litre in the front of the 2 is a mystery to me.

No kidding. The lunatic in me would love the 2.3 turbo MZR from the MS3, but I know that's all but certainly a pipe dream. I suspect even the base 2.0 MZR from practically every other non-RX8 in the lineup would be a goddamn riot in a hypothetical MS2.

2ndclasscitizen
Jan 2, 2009

by Y Kant Ozma Post

IOwnCalculus posted:

No kidding. The lunatic in me would love the 2.3 turbo MZR from the MS3, but I know that's all but certainly a pipe dream. I suspect even the base 2.0 MZR from practically every other non-RX8 in the lineup would be a goddamn riot in a hypothetical MS2.

If they got a 200hp 2 litre in it, why would you buy a Clio Sport?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





2ndclasscitizen posted:

If they got a 200hp 2 litre in it, why would you buy a Clio Sport?

Well living in the US, a Clio Sport isn't exactly an option since we ran all those drat Frenchie cars off of our soil decades ago :v:

Mazda could make a MS2 a direct competitor to whatever hopped up Fiat 500 they bring to the US, and/or a Mini Cooper S, without the ridiculous purchase and ongoing maintenance costs of either.

Elephanthead
Sep 11, 2008


Toilet Rascal
I am so tempted to sperg all over a 912E on craigslist for $7,500 bucks but it is missing its fuel injection which probably makes it better anyway. I can then be shunned by both the VW club and the porsche club. It is a double fudge with sunroof and ac.

Anyway I came on here to post this:

http://www.panozauto.com/

At first I thought it was a miata body kit but what the hell how do they stay in business.

ozziegt
Jul 8, 2005

cool under pressure

Elephanthead posted:

http://www.panozauto.com/

At first I thought it was a miata body kit but what the hell how do they stay in business.

They are a race team. I think the production cars are just a formality.

kill me now
Sep 14, 2003

Why's Hank crying?

'CUZ HE JUST GOT DUNKED ON!

ozziegt posted:

They are a race team. I think the production cars are just a formality.

They also make customer race cars. Ive seen a hand full of Esperante GTS's a club level race days.

Now they make the batmobile (abruzzi) which is enormous for what it is

Their best looking car was the esperante GT1
Race car

Street car

kill me now fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Nov 4, 2010

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

kill me now posted:

Their best looking car was the esperante GT1

Wrong.

http://www.endurancesportscar.com/alms2002cars/panoz02moqual.jpg

Spirit of America.

Hermansen
Sep 2, 2006

Breaker, Breaker,
High Ball, Ten Ten,
Till We Do It Again,
Captain Slow.
New VW Golf Cabrio to arrive after xmas.


Click here for the full 1280x853 image.

VW posted:

Good future prospects for Volkswagen Osnabrück

Minister President McAllister pays first visit
1,800 jobs at Volkswagen Osnabrück by end of 2011
Wolfsburg / Osnabrück, 29 October 2010 - David McAllister, Lower Saxony's Minister President and Volkswagen Supervisory Board member, visited the Volkswagen site in Osnabrück on Friday. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, updated McAllister on preparations for the start of production of the Golf Cabrio in spring 2011.

"Over the decades, some of the most beautiful models in the automobile world have left the assembly line in Osnabrück. We will be carrying on this tradition from 2011 with the new Golf Cabrio," Winterkorn said during the tour of the site. "The capacities and specialist skills available here are very valuable for our Group. We will be creating a total of 1,800 jobs at Volkswagen Osnabrück by the end of 2011. Osnabrück will therefore remain a high-performance automobile location in our Group alliance going forward.

The management board of Volkswagen Osnabrück informed the guests about present activities at the site. Apart from a tour of the Golf Cabrio body shop and assembly hall, the delegation also paid a visit to the training workshop, where 75 apprentices are currently undertaking their vocational training. A guided tour of Osnabrück's collection of unique Group models rich in history and tradition rounded off the program.

Lower Saxony's Minister President David McAllister underscored the particular efforts of former Minister President Christian Wulff to support Osnabrück as an automobile location. "Many people dreamt of the Beetle Cabrio, the Karmann Ghia or the Scirocco. It is wonderful to see this tradition being continued now and to know that automobile production in Osnabrück has a future. The new Golf Cabrio will be a great car. The extensive expertise in cabriolet construction that is available here is being harnessed."

Volkswagen Osnabrück was set up in early 2010 on the former site of the Karmann holding company. Just a few days ago, Volkswagen Osnabrück announced it would be integrating the technical development and metal units of the insolvent Wilhelm Karmann GmbH i. I. The Osnabrück plant with its workforce of over 1,000 will commence production of the Golf Cabrio in spring 2011.

I think it looks better than the Eos (which I'm guessing will be leaving the lineup now?)

kill me now
Sep 14, 2003

Why's Hank crying?

'CUZ HE JUST GOT DUNKED ON!

Wrong.

Closed top prototypes > open top prototypes

oxbrain
Aug 18, 2005

Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on up to the mothership.

MSNBC posted:

Meet Natalie McVeigh, the auto industry’s latest headache.

At 25 years old, McVeigh lives in Denver and has two good jobs, as a research analyst and an adjunct professor of philosophy. What she doesn’t have — or want — is a car.

A confluence of events — environmental worries, a preference for gadgets over wheels and the yearslong economic doldrums — is pushing some teens and twentysomethings to opt out of what has traditionally been considered an American rite of passage: Owning a car.

“There’s kind of almost every force working against the young driver right now,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst and editor-at-large at Edmunds.com, an automotive research website.

That could be a problem for automakers, which are still reeling from the Great Recession that sorely damaged their industry. Now, they may find that their youngest generation of potential customers will either purchase fewer cars, put off buying cars until later in life — or they won’t end up buying cars at all.

“That’s definitely a concern,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, an automotive market research firm that has been tracking young car buyers for 20 years. “They are not as engaged with cars and trucks as Gen X or Boomers before them.”

The percentage of new cars sold to 21- to 34-year-olds hit a high of nearly 38 percent in 1985 but stands at around 27 percent today, according to CNW research. Over that same period, the percentage of new car buyers who are 55 or older has generally been trending up, according to the vehicle research group.

The prognosis isn't necessarily encouraging, either. In 2008, 82 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds had their driver’s license, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Although that’s gone up a tiny bit in the past few years, it’s down from more than 87 percent in 1994.

People in their late twenties and early thirties are also slightly less likely to have a driver’s license than in 1994, and it appears that more people are at least delaying getting their license. Just 31 percent of 16-year-olds had their license in 2008, down from about 42 percent in 1994, according to government data.

Brauer said one issue is economic: A combination of high unemployment among young people and economic troubles for their parents is making it harder for younger people to afford to drive.

But there are also other, longer-term issues at work, he said.

For one thing, many young consumers care more about new technologies, such as the latest phone, than about the latest car.

That may be for good reason — thanks to the Internet and social media, more people can connect with friends, work or even hand in schoolwork without ever leaving the house, potentially making them less dependent on cars but more dependent on gadgets.

Brauer said this generation also is thinking more than any other about the repercussions of driving, both in terms of the environment and our dependence on oil.

“They don’t just wholeheartedly see a car as this cool thing to go get,” he said. “There’s actually some caveats.”

Gadgets and gas mileage
Brauer, the Edmunds.com analyst, says carmakers are thinking about what it will take to get people like McVeigh into the showroom.

Many analysts credit Ford with doing the best job so far. The company recently released a new version of the Fiesta that has plenty to appeal to Generation Y: A sticker price starting at $13,320, combined gas mileage of around 33 miles per gallon and, perhaps most important, up-to-date technology for things like voice-activated music search and audible text messages.

Peterson, of AutoPacific, said Hyundai and Kia also are starting to offer appealing gadgetry for young car buyers, while Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota and Honda are still playing catch-up.

One big question for carmakers — and these young not-drivers — is how far public transportation will take them. Americans can get by fairly well in large cities, where buses and subways can be combined with cabs and car loan services like Zipcar. But it’s a tougher slog in parts of the country better known for long stretches of highways than gleaming rail lines.

Dave Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research, said Generation Y may never be as excited about things like horsepower and styling as generations past. But he thinks that as this generation gets older and starts buying homes and having kids, they’ll eventually buy a car, out of necessity if nothing else.

I wonder how much of the ambivalence towards cars is the fact that nothing really exciting has come out of the industry since GenY became old enough to think about driving.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
I'm a car guy living in Boston working in automotive with a not-particularly-bad -but-has-to-be-by-car-commute and I would definitely rather not own a car right now. It's a hell of a lot of trouble for something that doesn't bring me a whole lot of joy. There's nowhere to drive that's nice and it's expensive as gently caress to have the car in the city. If it was not a literal necessity for my commute and job I wouldn't have one.

Of course I might try to have a project car or something stupid like that, but I don't think that quite counts.

Sehnsucht
Aug 2, 2003
Damn you and your daily doubles you brigand!

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I'm a car guy living in Boston working in automotive with a not-particularly-bad -but-has-to-be-by-car-commute and I would definitely rather not own a car right now. It's a hell of a lot of trouble for something that doesn't bring me a whole lot of joy. There's nowhere to drive that's nice and it's expensive as gently caress to have the car in the city. If it was not a literal necessity for my commute and job I wouldn't have one.

Of course I might try to have a project car or something stupid like that, but I don't think that quite counts.

I'm in 100% the exact same situation, and I'm getting destroyed by North End parking tickets. :/

Muffinpox
Sep 7, 2004

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I'm a car guy living in Boston working in automotive with a not-particularly-bad -but-has-to-be-by-car-commute and I would definitely rather not own a car right now. It's a hell of a lot of trouble for something that doesn't bring me a whole lot of joy. There's nowhere to drive that's nice and it's expensive as gently caress to have the car in the city. If it was not a literal necessity for my commute and job I wouldn't have one.

Of course I might try to have a project car or something stupid like that, but I don't think that quite counts.

I kept a car just because Brookline has some fun roads to drive in, but I just started taking the T and I'm ditching the car and not planning on replacing it. The hour I save commuting by car isn't worth wanting to murder almost every other driver and spending 4x+ what a monthly T pass costs. It also helps to have a best friend with an S2000 who lives 5 minutes away.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

kill me now posted:

Wrong.

Closed top prototypes > open top prototypes

Front engined P1 < *

kimbo305
Jun 9, 2007

actually, yeah, I am a little mad

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Of course I might try to have a project car or something stupid like that, but I don't think that quite counts.

If you don't have a good garage situation, yes, that is very stupid. I should know, having tried to maintain a rally car with just an off-street parking spot. Also, driving a nice stiff car around these bullshit roads is not fun at all.

I know it's come up before, but maybe the Boston folks should go togue somewhere out of the city.

AtomicBomber
Aug 13, 2005

oink

Faerunner posted:

Yeah, but the current generation Mustang is hideous, and the Genesis is sexy as hell.

Think so ... ?
No. There is no ugly in this car... in fact you yourself, are most likely ugly.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

AtomicBomber fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Nov 6, 2010

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Finger Prince
Jan 5, 2007


re: city car ownership, I live in London and as much as I love cars and considering how many mouth watering euro-only cars there are available here that I never had access to growing up, I just simply wouldn't own a car here. I've got my motorbike and legal filtering and honestly it's the only way to get around. And on the days that it's too crap out to ride, I've got the underground. I've got StreetCar (ZipCar) for when I need a car or van for something specific. I'd love to indulge myself in car ownership, but a parking permit that lets me park two, three blocks away on the street, not seeing the car for days, or paying £120/mo for a garage, congestion charge, and brutal traffic, it just doesn't make sense.

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