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Speaking of Fiat, I saw my first 500 earlier today. Then I saw another, and another. It was kind of uncanny, but regardless I'm gonna have to test one out on the weekend. They look pretty fun, and Fiat's definitely got some cache to it; for now anyhow. I guess that feeling will pass, much like the novelty of the Smart car. Also, strangely, I want to see the new Beetle in person. 
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May 12, 2011 23:13
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 17:59 |
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The more I read about the so-called "New Beetle", the less enthusiastic I am about it. It's more of a facelift than a redesign, nothing new on the engine front (2.5L I5 or 2.0T I4), and VW's own marketing seems to concentrate on ambient lighting, red brake calipers, Fender-branded sound system and stuff like that. If I'm ever in the market for a fashion accessory I'll keep it in mind...
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May 13, 2011 07:03
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el topo posted:The more I read about the so-called "New Beetle", the less enthusiastic I am about it. It's more of a facelift than a redesign, nothing new on the engine front (2.5L I5 or 2.0T I4), and VW's own marketing seems to concentrate on ambient lighting, red brake calipers, Fender-branded sound system and stuff like that. If I'm ever in the market for a fashion accessory I'll keep it in mind... The old Beetle never even got the 2.0T, did it?
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May 13, 2011 07:20
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The new one has IRS too I think.
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May 13, 2011 07:33
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Is the new one just a MKVI in a Beetle suit?
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May 13, 2011 07:40
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kimbo305 posted:The old Beetle never even got the 2.0T, did it? It got the 1.8T but not the 2.0T. 2ndclasscitizen posted:Is the new one just a MKVI in a Beetle suit? Yup. Then again, most of VW's current cars are based on that platform: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group_A_platform#A5_.28PQ35.29
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May 13, 2011 09:45
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Jezrael posted:Speaking of Fiat, I saw my first 500 earlier today. Then I saw another, and another. It was kind of uncanny, but regardless I'm gonna have to test one out on the weekend. They look pretty fun, and Fiat's definitely got some cache to it; for now anyhow. I guess that feeling will pass, much like the novelty of the Smart car. I test drove one about a month ago and it was a really fun car. Underpowered, slightly scary next to a semi, but overall really fun to drive. I can imagine that feeling waning the longer you own one, like you say, but easy parking and maneuvering is not to be overlooked.
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May 13, 2011 13:18
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Jezrael posted:Speaking of Fiat, I saw my first 500 earlier today. Then I saw another, and another. It was kind of uncanny, but regardless I'm gonna have to test one out on the weekend. They look pretty fun, and Fiat's definitely got some cache to it; for now anyhow. I guess that feeling will pass, much like the novelty of the Smart car. I got to ride in one at a Chrysler event and my boss (who was driving it) said the same as the poster above me: slightly under-powered but handles well and is really fun to drive. 50 more HP and it'd be perfect. Other than that, the rear seat is a complete joke.
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May 13, 2011 16:03
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Thwomp posted:50 more HP and it'd be perfect. Funny you should say that because in about 18 months this happens  Oh and it will have 75 more horsepower 
heat fucked around with this message at 16:36 on May 13, 2011 |
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May 13, 2011 16:11
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Thwomp posted:Other than that, the rear seat is a complete joke. Yeah, I saw one on the street the other day and couldn't help but think that it's really not suitable if you have, you know, legs. Not as bad as that convertible Lexus coupe (WTF was Lexus thinking), but not that much better. But then it IS a tiny city car sold for its maneuverability and ease of parking. OTOH yesterday I got in the back seat of a standard Mini along with a 6' tall coworker and we were both impressed. That car has more rear legroom than my A4.
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May 13, 2011 16:33
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el topo posted:Yeah, I saw one on the street the other day and couldn't help but think that it's really not suitable if you have, you know, legs. Not as bad as that convertible Lexus coupe (WTF was Lexus thinking), but not that much better. But then it IS a tiny city car sold for its maneuverability and ease of parking. We had 3 adults and all our luggage in the Fiat 500 I had in Europe a few weeks ago. And no, it was not comfortable. Thankfully, two of us packed light and just had our rollaboards, and we only had one "real" suitcase to jam in... and that took some doing! It was OK for a 15 minute drive to the airport; I wouldn't want to have tried to cross Europe like that. grover fucked around with this message at 17:13 on May 13, 2011 |
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May 13, 2011 17:07
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heat posted:Funny you should say that because in about 18 months this happens I don't see this being priced competively with the Cooper S. I dunno about other places, but in Boston, the S outnumbers the base Cooper about 4 to 1. Obviously there's saturation for the Mini, but if the Abarth SS is too expensive, it's not going to win many conquests.
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May 13, 2011 17:27
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kimbo305 posted:I don't see this being priced competively with the Cooper S. I dunno about other places, but in Boston, the S outnumbers the base Cooper about 4 to 1. Obviously there's saturation for the Mini, but if the Abarth SS is too expensive, it's not going to win many conquests. It will almost certainly be cheaper than a Cooper S. The base 500 is almost $5k cheaper than a base Cooper.
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May 13, 2011 17:34
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kimbo305 posted:I don't see this being priced competively with the Cooper S. I dunno about other places, but in Boston, the S outnumbers the base Cooper about 4 to 1. Obviously there's saturation for the Mini, but if the Abarth SS is too expensive, it's not going to win many conquests.
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May 13, 2011 17:36
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heat posted:It will almost certainly be cheaper than a Cooper S. The base 500 is almost $5k cheaper than a base Cooper. It's $4000 for Base vs Cooper, although the base model is reasonably well equipped and not just a get-them-in-the-door model. InitialDave posted:The 500 SS is just under 10% cheaper than the Cooper S in the UK, so there isn't really much in it. I'd choose the Fiat, even if they cost the same. There's no way the SS won't come with a markup over here. The first 1000 or so SS are essentially spoken for no matter what the price, simply because of the image the car will afford. After that first push, I hope they lower the price quite a bit, because it'll really need some help getting traction in a still pretty small market. e: KozmoNaut posted:It got the 1.8T but not the 2.0T. In the US, it hasn't even had the turbo since 2005, so the new Beetle at least is getting some performance back. I think it's legit to call it a new model, not a mere facelift. kimbo305 fucked around with this message at 17:59 on May 13, 2011 |
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May 13, 2011 17:56
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kimbo305 posted:I think it's legit to call it a new model, not a mere facelift. New chassis, new body, new engines, new interior, new wheels... What more does it need to have to call it a new model?
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May 13, 2011 18:36
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Keep in mind that the SS kit will add an additional couple thousand bucks on top of the regular Abarth (which is what I'm talking about)
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May 13, 2011 18:39
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el topo posted:If I'm ever in the market for a fashion accessory I'll keep it in mind... How is this any different than the previous model?
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May 13, 2011 21:29
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Are they actually going to bother with the base abarth here? Everything I've seen so far seems to indicate the SS model is what is coming. If they price it a few thousand less than the cooper S (29k CAD with garbage options) I'd be seriously considering it. I can see it selling a lot by being unique, since you can't throw a rock without hitting a Cooper S anymore. Crustashio fucked around with this message at 22:12 on May 13, 2011 |
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May 13, 2011 22:04
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D C posted:New chassis, new body, new engines, new interior, new wheels... BUT IT'S NOT RWD & AIR-COOLED! I'm looking forward to the new Beetle, it'll be nice to see what people do with it. It's already getting a decent reception among the VW Scene (which I do not claim to be a part of), so I think it'll do pretty well. It sounds like more guys will be owning the new model than the outgoing one.
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May 15, 2011 07:18
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I just don't see why you'd buy one over VWs other offerings. If you want a less practical Golf you already have the Scirroco afterall.
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May 15, 2011 09:21
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dissss posted:I just don't see why you'd buy one over VWs other offerings. If you want a less practical Golf you already have the Scirroco afterall. We don't have the Scirocco in the U.S., but that's fine with me since I'm not a fan of it. And yes, the Beetle is, for all intents and purposes, a less-practical Golf, but practicality is not the priority of someone who is considering a Beetle.
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May 15, 2011 09:28
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DropShadow posted:BUT IT'S NOT RWD & AIR-COOLED! Ugh, countdown to first hellaflush new beetle
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May 15, 2011 14:45
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dissss posted:I just don't see why you'd buy one over VWs other offerings. If you want a less practical Golf you already have the Scirroco afterall. But the Scirroco looks so good, I wish we got it over here  They might have a base abarth here, kind of like Cooper has the S model and the JCW one.
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May 15, 2011 18:00
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The HP gain just comes from the addition of the Multiair cams. More likely that by the time the US Abarth plops the ROW Abarth models will already be upgraded to 175hp.
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May 15, 2011 18:07
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I feel like the C30 or the upcoming Veloster is the only real competition in the US market to the Scirocco. Looking again, the Veloster doesn't look as offensive as I originally thought.  http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2011/04/07/hyundai-1-6l-t-gdi-turbo-engine-packs-208-horsepower/ They just announced a 1.6L 208 hp turbo version of the Veloster is coming later. 208 hp in a car that weighs between 2584 and 2657 pounds in NA trim sounds pretty drat good, actually, with power to weight comparable if not superior to the Scirocco. 12.5 lb/hp. They even have a six-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission available in the Hyundai, too, in addition to a six-speed manual. I'll admit it. I'm impressed. OXBALLS DOT COM fucked around with this message at 18:21 on May 15, 2011 |
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May 15, 2011 18:18
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C&D says there is a small Buick hatch in the pipe, since the sedan version is already confirmed. http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/11q2/buick_getting_a_version_of_the_opel_astra_gtc_may_get_astra-based_convertible_-car_news Which nameplate will they ressurect? I hope it's Skyhawk, but Skylark or Century will also be acceptable.
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May 15, 2011 18:28
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That Hyundai looks a lot like a more awkward Megane III. Nice to see some more interesting designs outside of Europe though.DropShadow posted:We don't have the Scirocco in the U.S., but that's fine with me since I'm not a fan of it. And yes, the Beetle is, for all intents and purposes, a less-practical Golf, but practicality is not the priority of someone who is considering a Beetle. Ahh I didn't realise that. So the Beetle is basically a Scirocco alternative for the US market?
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May 15, 2011 23:36
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dissss posted:Ahh I didn't realise that. So the Beetle is basically a Scirocco alternative for the US market? I wouldn't necessarily say that. Americans just don't buy hatchbacks in the numbers that Europeans do, so car manufacturers are less likely to bring over multiple models when each one has to be crash tested and certified for sale here. In the case of the Scirocco, VW decided that it wasn't worth the money since the Golf and GTI are already outsold by their sedan counterparts here. I don't think the Beetle appeals to the same demographic that buys a Golf or GTI, so they don't compete with each other for sales.
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May 16, 2011 02:12
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dissss posted:Ahh I didn't realise that. So the Beetle is basically a Scirocco alternative for the US market? Oh it's an "alternative", all right.  EDIT: There's a mile long traffic jam in Texas because In-and-out just opened a location. http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/15/texas-motorists-a-little-overexcited-about-first-in-n-out-burger/ I wish they would come here, InO is delicious. 
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May 16, 2011 02:16
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Throatwarbler posted:Oh it's an "alternative", all right. It's just a hamburger. Can't you people wait a few days? or just go once the hype has died down?
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May 16, 2011 06:33
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Holy crap! Reminds me of the first McDonalds opening in Moscow back in 1990. At least in that case you could understand why people would want to see something so alien to them. I've heard that In-n-out is good, but wtf is wrong with people.
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May 16, 2011 14:31
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When they opened the first Krispy Kreme in the Seattle area I worked with someone who waited over 24 hours to get some. People are dumb.
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May 16, 2011 17:24
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/\/\ And they promptly went out of business hahaThroatwarbler posted:Oh it's an "alternative", all right. loving kidding me? They finally franchised outside of California? And it's Texas? Fuucck. Texas is too lovely for such delicious burgers.
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May 16, 2011 17:41
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I saw my first new Focus today. Front looks great, interior looks great, but I saw it first from the rear and thought it was a new Hyundai.
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May 16, 2011 17:44
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Dd you notice how big the fucker is? In and Out isnt that great you freaks. Its good, but Skyway is much better (Akron, OH)
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May 16, 2011 18:02
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Autoblog posted a few shots of what they call the FR-S, but the comments point out that those are subaru wheels on it.   http://www.autoblog.com/photos/scion-fr-s-spy-shots/
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May 16, 2011 21:03
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It definitely looks like Toyota's body though, if you compare it to the concept that was shown recently. The wheels just look like any multispoke alloy to me.
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May 16, 2011 21:28
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I really like the proportions. Camoing the C-pillar window makes a little more hunched and lends the illusion of being shorter, though. Makes me think it could almost be midengined.
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May 16, 2011 21:30
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Crustashio posted:This guy is the worst pedophile ever. Parks next to an empty playground in the most conspicuous car ever. Where's your windowless van? I'd still ask him for a ride though 
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May 16, 2011 21:31
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