The MW Automotive Thread 5.0 GT

[spanner]

1 hour ago, sqidd said:

You need to drive one of the newer transmissions. The 6 speed auto in my F-150 is pretty nice. That was until my wife just picked up a 19' Mustang GT with the 10 speed auto. Hooooleeeee crap. That trans is awesome. You can drive around like an old lady when you want to. Or if you want to blast off in a straight line you put it in drag race mode and it shifts crazy fast. They even built in some wheel spin on the first three shifts to keep wheel speed up (drag race trick). Then there is road course mode and you use the p[addles. It's not quite as good as a DCT, but it's pretty damn good for an auto. Certainly better than anything you can do on public roads.

 

The gearing is so short it only drops 750rpm between shifts. It's like a 80cc dirt bike. But you can still cruise down the freeway at 80mph turning 2100rpm.

 Yeah an older model Commodore slush box probably isn't the best thing to use as an example but it ain't all bad. It still has firmer shifts than my misses 6 speed auto in the Cruze yet it has more than double the mileage on it and it hasn't been rebuilt yet. 

I have driven many new cars and many with Autos and yes they have made huge progress with them but they still don't impress me much at all. I get the feeling that its missing something or im getting short changed. When Im driving I want to be in control over as much as I can, gearbox included. 

[sqidd]

17 minutes ago, spanner said:

progress with them but they still don't impress me much at all. I get the feeling that its missing something or im getting short changed. When Im driving I want to be in control over as much as I can, gearbox included. 

You need to drive something with a good DCT. You have the same control you do with a manual, with shifts that takes 80 milliseconds! 

A good DCT doesn't give you the same "immersion" that you get with a manual. But you do get 100% of the control. I get the control thing. I'm a "hang the car out sideways with the tires smoking" kind of guy. I won't pull that crap in an auto.

I don't think there is anything with a good DCT under $60K though.

[spanner]

2 hours ago, sqidd said:

I don't think there is anything with a good DCT under $60K though.

Yeah and thats about the money I spent on my SS (Aussie dollars anyways but the same deal)

When I was in the market for a new car I drove a lot of things and nothing at that price range in an automatic or dct felt good enough to buy.

Yes what ever it was had to be a manual but my curiosity had to be satisfied. The only thing I would have seriously considered was a 3 series BMW (330 or 340). But the model I wanted was over 100k.

People do bag the Holden's but for the money they are outstanding value. Yes they aren't perfect but nothing else is either.

Even driving my cousins HSV VF GTS (auto) with 130kw more power, yeah it goes hard but just doesn't have the same appeal and I couldn't justify the extra 40k price premium. If it was a manual then yes any day of the week! 

Edited October 8, 2019 by spanner

[vlenhoff]

4 hours ago, spanner said:

My current daily is an auto and to be honest I hate it. Well I dont hate the car, its actually fairly nice to drive but the fact its auto makes it sluggish as its an older 4speed.. Before we purchased this car I drove a couple others in manual but we wanted a wagon so our options were then limited and the only wagon manual they were asking ridiculous money for.. maybe one the auto burns up I'll do a manual conversion. 

One of my previous daily's was a manual a 2003 Mazda 6 and I loved it! And I really didn't mind stop go traffic. Had that for about 3 years and only sold it as I wanted a Holden V8 again. Regrets doing that as I should have kept it.

My current manual SS isn't a daily but I did cop a little flak for not going with an auto.. Oh the auto is a faster car, oh they are easier to drive and paddle shifters are cool and it auto blips etc etc All good points yes but they lack that engagement you get with a manual. And I have learnt how to heal n toe and properly blip on down shifts and its such a satisfying feeling getting it right. Also impresses others when I take them for a spin in it! 

My misses owns a 2012 Holden (Chevy) Cruze and its an ok car. Feels solid and finished well but its an auto. But the gearbox is indecisive and  constantly hunts around for the right gear and its not a nice experience. Definitely not a good combination with the 1.4 Turbo engine. The manual version of the very same car is something else! Like a completely different car! I considered getting one before the wagon and took a couple for a test drive. So much nicer and more fun experience. Yeah it was a tad notchy and the bite point was a tad high on the pedal but nothing a little getting use to wouldn't fix.

When she drove it her first words were.. I should have got the manual eh! But her concerns were the daily stop go traffic commute to work.

Not bashing autos as a whole and yes there are some amazing auto (dct) only cars out there which are insane but for me the driving experience just isn't the same. I don't like being denied the feeling of full control. 

i have to agree with this. I have tried several automatic transmissions and only one came close to a decent experience. My ex GF had an Infinity G37, and that automatic held gears, downshifted when slowing down, and it seems to almost know what gear was next, but it did hunt or hesitated around a bit. I agree, it is not the same or as satisfying of an experience.  I guess involvement, is a big part of it. 

[spanner]

 

[Nightbat]

On 10/8/2019 at 3:10 AM, vlenhoff said:

I guess involvement, is a big part of it. 

 

That's the reason why I chose a motorcycle as my mode of transportation and haven't regretted it a single day

Contrary to popular belief, there is no "Sightseeing" on bikes, not on the move there isn't. What you're doing when touring is enjoying the bike, the way it handles

The only scenery you can ponder is the sky ahead, but even that you can chalk up to being aware and preparing for any weather changes

You're busy mentally and physically every time, all the time, regardless of the level at which our moving, a short trip to the store, a steady commute, a leisurely tour, balls to the wall track day or highway hooliganism

You're always estimating corners, feeling the traction, spotting the dangers, all senses are working

Hell, even in a group, it still boils down to just "You and your bike", impressing your buddies leaves no time to enjoy their reactions while you're doing it

And admiring your buddies merely morphs unnoticed in a split second into them being objects on the road you need to keep an eye out for
 

 

Even while I was doing my lessons, I found out a 'bad day' immediately showed itself in the way I was riding

There is no room to be preoccupied or distracted

In mornings, when I turn the ignition and the bike wakes up, 'I' wake up, fatigue only returns when I switch it off again

And if I keep the same level of fatigue after starting, I call my boss that I'll be late, since I'm busy chugging down a bucket of coffee before I venture out on 2 wheels

^{And that's no joke, although rare, I actually called my boss with this exact reason a few times}

There is a level of focus necessary to ride, which is higher than you can get away with on 4 wheels

 

....And I love it

Which makes the implementation of all these "Rider Aids" sad, a motorcycle should be ridden first and foremost for the challenge it brings

Comfort, safety, practicality, ease of use, if you want that, are found, and should be taken from other forms of transportation

[sqidd]

4 hours ago, Nightbat said:

 

That's the reason why I chose a motorcycle as my mode of transportation and haven't regretted it a single day

Contrary to popular belief, there is no "Sightseeing" on bikes, not on the move there isn't. What you're doing when touring is enjoying the bike, the way it handles

The only scenery you can ponder is the sky ahead, but even that you can chalk up to being aware and preparing for any weather changes

You're busy mentally and physically every time, all the time, regardless of the level at which our moving, a short trip to the store, a steady commute, a leisurely tour, balls to the wall track day or highway hooliganism

You're always estimating corners, feeling the traction, spotting the dangers, all senses are working

Hell, even in a group, it still boils down to just "You and your bike", impressing your buddies leaves no time to enjoy their reactions while you're doing it

And admiring your buddies merely morphs unnoticed in a split second into them being objects on the road you need to keep an eye out for
 

 

Even while I was doing my lessons, I found out a 'bad day' immediately showed itself in the way I was riding

There is no room to be preoccupied or distracted

In mornings, when I turn the ignition and the bike wakes up, 'I' wake up, fatigue only returns when I switch it off again

And if I keep the same level of fatigue after starting, I call my boss that I'll be late, since I'm busy chugging down a bucket of coffee before I venture out on 2 wheels

^{And that's no joke, although rare, I actually called my boss with this exact reason a few times}

There is a level of focus necessary to ride, which is higher than you can get away with on 4 wheels

 

....And I love it

Which makes the implementation of all these "Rider Aids" sad, a motorcycle should be ridden first and foremost for the challenge it brings

Comfort, safety, practicality, ease of use, if you want that, are found, and should be taken from other forms of transportation

I remember when I felt that way about motorcycles. I miss it.

[vlenhoff]

I did ride a bike a few years, but in Houston, you have to have 6 eyes on your head, and trust that everyone around you is an idiot. You have to assume no one saw you, and that everyone will get in your way, because no one saw you.

I did get rid of my bike, but the feeling is like no other, you and your engine, and all of the dangers of the road, you body will face, since you have no safety cage around you. One thing i loved was getting to 70 mph in the blink of an eye, which is still exhilarating!

Now i am just into light and nimble cars. While the WRX is not the lightest of them all, a curb weight of 3152 lb is still on the lightish side. I do want to get mea miata, just to ride around. Miatas have no power, but they do turn and drive very crisply. Maybe get into a racing series later on. It is all about carrying the speed through the corners, and that's so much much. 

If you still drive a motorcycle today, the only thing i can say is, just assume no one know you are there. That's why i tell my friends to ALWAYS use turn signals. You might be saving a motorcyclist's life. 

[sqidd]

I rode motorcycles almost exclusively (many time I didn't have a car) in my late teens/ early 20's. When I started racing everyone told me I would stop riding on the street. I didn't believe them. They wee right. Within two years I wasn't riding them on the street anymore. After 10yrs of racing, 7 championships, 6 outright two wheeled lap records and I don;t know how many wins I was over that too. Mortality crept into my conscious and that was the end of me running up front. If I wasn't going to be up front, I wasn't going to race anymore. And I have enough 120-200mph crashes under my belt. I don't want to do that anymore.

I absolutely miss everything about motorcycles.  Not enough to take the risks anymore though. It kills me a little every day.

 

[vlenhoff]

Wow @sqidd that's some great run you had there! I have never seen the world at 200mph in a land vehicle, it must be crazy fun... and scary, lol. Specially in a motorcycle. I love riding bikes too, but sadly you can't predict everything on the road. I am personally done with motorcycles, TBH. Not only everyone around  you is too distracted or not paying attention, it is also the elements that take the fun out of it. It was always too hot, or too cold, or too rainy. Or the rocks and hitting your skin and making you bleed. Or the feeling of rain needling your skin at 60 or 70 MPH. Or the time a Styrofoam cooler flew off a truck's bed, and it went up in the air spinning, only to suddenly land on my front tire, exploding instantly in a million tiny bitty pieces. Chances are if i tried to avoid it, I would have killed myself in dense rush traffic. Or the time this car cut right in front of me, and it almost made me crash. I caught up immediately to give the driver a piece of my mind, only to discover it was a actually a Nun. I said nothing, I just looked at her angrily, and went on my way. She definitely didn't see me, or it was a motorcycle hating nun, who knows. Or the time there was oil in front of the gas station i was arriving at. It was night time and it was rainy, so no chance see it was there. A truck had just left that gas station and it was leaking massive amounts of oil. Or at least that's what the gas station attendant said as a defense, while i was nearly yelling at him, for having such a nasty spill all over the station.  I loss control of the bike, only to regain it as i nearly crashed. Cars are my thing now, i am not going back to bikes. 

Honestly i felt like i was paying for the darn thing, and i was using it too little. It is an unforgettable feeling of freedom and near immediate speed, while you are holding for dear life, and i'll never forget that. Honestly I don't feel my life is worth someone else's addiction to texting.

[ErikElvis]

Finally picked up my new turbo outback.  Acceleration much more acceptable then my fit. 

[vlenhoff]

SUBBIE-ROO!

Congratulations!

[ErikElvis]

Thanks!  Really like it so far. Super smooth and quiet on the highway. Has a bigger trunk and hood then my fit but overall not much more room if any for passengers. 

[spanner]

 

[spanner]

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by spanner

[spanner]

 

[spanner]

 

[AN/ALQ128]

What the hell is Ford thinking?

https://www.motor1.com/news/382779/2020-ford-mustang-mach-e-details/

[sqidd]

6 hours ago, AN/ALQ128 said:

What the hell is Ford thinking?

https://www.motor1.com/news/382779/2020-ford-mustang-mach-e-details/

Yuuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk! That's a Fusion

Sincerely

The guy with two Mustangs, a F-150 and a Fusion.

Edited November 21, 2019 by sqidd

[Seto Kaiba]

8 hours ago, AN/ALQ128 said:

What the hell is Ford thinking?

https://www.motor1.com/news/382779/2020-ford-mustang-mach-e-details/

According to my friends and one family member who work in the Ford Product Development Center:

They're not thinking... like, at all.  Because Jim Hackett is a drooling idiot who's destroying the company from the inside-out with his incompetent efforts to reorganize Ford Motor.

OR

They've forgotten the important lesson about brand dilution that the Porsche Cayenne taught the industry, and genuinely believe a "premium" SUV is a good idea that won't hurt the Mustang line's image.

 

My own suspicion, based on my own experiences at Ford and FCA, is that Ford has lately come to the unavoidable realization that the current administration's efforts to roll back the Obama-era CAFE requirements, emissions regulations, and abolish CARB are going to be reversed in fairly short order.  There's no way Ford's truck-heavy lineup can keep pace with tightening government fuel efficiency and emissions requirements around the world, and Ford lags well behind other major automakers in development and deployment of hybrid and full-electric powertrain technologies.  I strongly suspect this ill-advised branding choice was an attempt to work around the public perception that hybrid and electric cars offer more anemic performance than conventional ones, by rebadging what was almost certainly intended to be a BEV variant of the 4th Gen Ford Escape to associate it with Mustang's reputation for high performance and escape association with the Ford Escape's poorly-received 2nd and 3rd Gen Hybrid variants.  I'm also inclined to suspect Ford's choice of a C2 SUV to launch their next-gen electrification architecture is an attempt to get out ahead of its rivals by launching a fully-electric SUV while Jeep is still ramping up its Hybrid and full electric lineup Segrio teased shortly before his passing.

 

 

2 hours ago, sqidd said:

Yuuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk! [...]

Yeah, that's what they said too.  I've been hearing what a turd this design was for a while now, and after clapping eyes on the un-camo'd version I have to admit they undersold the design's ugliness.

 

[jenius]

Yes, calling it a Mustang was stupid... especially when they have "GT" to indicate a performance package. They could have named it anything "GT" and it would have worked. There are also like a hundred other horse names out there if they wanted to pick up some of the Mustang vibe and create a whole new "stable" of vehicles. Seriously, WTF Ford...

That said, I haven't seen it in person but the pictures look like an electric Mazda CX-9 (and I think the CX-9 is a decently attractive SUV). It's certainly much better looking (IMHO) than the Tesla Model X, which I still think looks like someone took a Model S balloon and over-inflated it . 

[spanner]

 

[Seto Kaiba]

Ford: Let's ruin an iconic brand with an ugly AF electric SUV.

Tesla: HOLD. MY. BEER.

 

Look at this f*cking thing.  It looks like a graphical glitch in a twenty year old video game.  It's like we found a glitch in The Matrix and the textures failed to load on a low-poly collision detection model.

Edited November 22, 2019 by Seto Kaiba

[sqidd]

I think Musk saw this (Damnation Alley) and said "Yes, that!".

[electric indigo]

Is stealth an issue for land vehicles now?

[sqidd]

2 minutes ago, electric indigo said:

Is stealth an issue for land vehicles now?

Well, if you're going to make electric cars THAT WILL NEVER WORK, may as well add other useless features.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Cybertruck looks like a 5 yr old's drawing of a Lamborghini come to life.

[AN/ALQ128]

This week is just filled with fugly new cars.

 

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I had to look at my calendar and make sure it wasn't April 1.  It looks like a joke to me. Who designed that Tesla.

[Seto Kaiba]

12 minutes ago, Hikaru Ichijo SL said:

I had to look at my calendar and make sure it wasn't April 1.  It looks like a joke to me. Who designed that Tesla.

I know the feeling.  I wasn't ready to believe it was actually Tesla's real design until I looked up the presentation and discovered it wasn't an elaborate prank.

 

Entertainingly enough, it already doesn't live up to the Elongated Muskrat's promises... while bragging about how bulletproof it is, they managed to break its windows during the demo complete with a "oh my f*cking god" from the Muskrat himself.

Quite a few auto engineers out here are talking about investigating whether we can buy Tesla a gift license to AutoCAD or 3DS MAX so they can design something that doesn't look like it's from a late 90's console video game.

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, Seto Kaiba said:

 

Quite a few auto engineers out here are talking about investigating whether we can buy Tesla a gift license to AutoCAD or 3DS MAX so they can design something that doesn't look like it's from a late 90's console video game.

LOL

[anime52k8]

I'm 100% convinced that the Cyber Truck isn't an actual product but a really elaborate bit of teaser marketing for an as yet unannounced Back to the Future reboot.

[Mazinger]

Cyber Truck looks awesome.  Mean that un-ironically.  I love the design and yes I also loved Robocop and Back to the Future.

[sqidd]

23 minutes ago, Mazinger said:

Cyber Truck looks awesome.  Mean that un-ironically.  I love the design and yes I also loved Robocop and Back to the Future.

[TangledThorns]

Yeah, the Cybertruck looks odd but I like it. Full disclaimer, I currently drive a Nissan Juke so I do like different. I also really like the Mustang Mach-E, my second car was a 1997 Mustang GT convertible so Ford gets my approval.

That being said, I plan on keeping my Juke till 2023 and hope to replace it with a AWD electric vehicle. Don't know if it'll be the Tesla Cybertruck or Mustang Mach-E but I'm glad there is more choice in the future.