The MW Automotive Thread 5.0 GT

[areaseven]

As much as I like the Countach, I would never own one even if I won the lottery. Sure, it's one of the most exotic-looking cars ever designed, but it has more wrongs than rights - as demonstrated by Jeremy Clarkson in these two videos:

Also, while you may be amazed by the Diablo, you have to admit that it was a corporate product, as Chrysler funded its development and tinkered with Marcello Gandini's original design (which eventually became the Cizeta-Moroder 16T). So complaining about Lamborghini being corporate or mainstream is pointless, as it's done that nearly three decades ago.

And kids these days don't buy posters anymore. They download wallpapers, and I'm sure thousands of them have Gallardo wallpapers.

[Vifam7]

I would never take Jeremy Clarkson's opinions seriously. He flip-flops all the time.

These 2 videos seem more fair -

Listen to the sound of that Countach!

If I could find one and afford one, I'd get a LP400 Countach though.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Vifam7

[derex3592]

BLASPHEMY!!! Clarkson is the TRUTH and the LIGHT in ALL things car related!!! hahahaha ....just kidding. James May gave a much more honest review of a Countach back around Season 8 or so I think. One of those things where you should never drive your heroes..especially if they are Supercars from the 80's. But I still LOVE they way they look!

and Agent One -- dude--NO! don't sell the 9114S!!!

[Agent ONE]

...

and Agent One -- dude--NO! don't sell the 9114S!!!

Thank you. I apologize for my moment of weakness.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Yeah, no reason to trade your Volkswagen for an Audi.

I think part of the fantasy of the Countach was that it wasn't really great. It put flair and style above all else and wowed 3 whole generations. If I want something technically amazing and mass produced with fantastic reliability and no focus on style, I'll buy Japanese. (If I don't care for the reliability in that grouping, and instead want some wallet-breaking pricetag, I'll go German) You buy Italian because you want soul and style. The Gallardo has neither. All it has is a Lamborghini badge. It's not as striking as a traditional Lambo, it doesn't drive as poorly as a traditional Lambo, and it feels too teutonic. What's wrong with a supercar being finnicky and unreliable? It's like saying the Millennium Falcon should be white-washed and rebuilt by Germans. Sure it'll technically be better, but it won't be the Millennium Falcon anymore, it'll just be another light freighter.

I'm gonna stick to my classics. Everything today is backwards from what it's supposed to be. Italian cars are reliable, German cars are inelegant, Japanese cars lack quality, and American cars use turbocharging to exceed 100hp/l with less reliance on union labor. It's all too foreign. I want my Italian cars like my dad's old X1/9: on jackstands more than on the road, but stylish as hell. I want my German cars like my neighbor's E34 525i: with attention paid to every detail, and the elegance of traditional German engineering apparent throughout. I want my Japanese cars like my old Pathfinder: so reliable you forget how to work on it.

Actually, I'll take the improvements in American motoring. Yes, I'd like to keep those. This Fusion is leagues better than any of mom's Tauruses.

[areaseven]

I'm gonna stick to my classics. Everything today is backwards from what it's supposed to be. Italian cars are reliable, German cars are inelegant, Japanese cars lack quality, and American cars use turbocharging to exceed 100hp/l with less reliance on union labor. It's all too foreign. I want my Italian cars like my dad's old X1/9: on jackstands more than on the road, but stylish as hell. I want my German cars like my neighbor's E34 525i: with attention paid to every detail, and the elegance of traditional German engineering apparent throughout. I want my Japanese cars like my old Pathfinder: so reliable you forget how to work on it.

Actually, I'll take the improvements in American motoring. Yes, I'd like to keep those. This Fusion is leagues better than any of mom's Tauruses.

Actually...

1. Italian-brand cars are still unreliable. Just do a Google search and you'll see countless complaints on the Fiat 500 series.

2. Japanese-brand cars not made in Japan mostly lack quality. If you keep hearing that the Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the worst cars ever made, that's because it was designed and manufactured in Thailand, primarily for developing countries. Some exceptions would be American-built Hondas and Toyotas, which are very well-made.

[lechuck]

BRITISH LEYLAND FOREVER YOU PUNKS!!

[Agent ONE]

Schizo, lotus has managed to stay more exclusive. their buyers are limited because the car is so performance oriented, many people can't even get in and out of it well. It's a straight up race car.

Definitely not the mass manufacturing going in like you see in Lamborghini.

[SchizophrenicMC]

You don't see me complaining about Lotus.

[Agent ONE]

You don't see me complaining about Lotus.

You should get one... I drove the new Exige in London a few months ago... AWESOME. If I lived in a place where it did not snow, I would still be driving my Lotus.

This, minus the spoiler would be my order.

[SchizophrenicMC]

It's definitely on my bucket list, but I'm on a secondhand Grand Cherokee budget right now.

[Valkyrie Magnus]

Actually...

1. Italian-brand cars are still unreliable. Just do a Google search and you'll see countless complaints on the Fiat 500 series.

2. Japanese-brand cars not made in Japan mostly lack quality. If you keep hearing that the Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the worst cars ever made, that's because it was designed and manufactured in Thailand, primarily for developing countries. Some exceptions would be American-built Hondas and Toyotas, which are very well-made.

I don't know how many times I saw my Fathers Fiat X-1/9 being fixed in the garage. I stay away from Fiats! Fix It Again Tomorrow is what my father said.

[SchizophrenicMC]

I miss my dad's X1/9.

[Valkyrie Magnus]

I miss my dad's X1/9.

Yeah I still miss miss it too

[dizman]

I had someone try to race me in a Jeep today, had the big offroad tires and probably a V8 under the hood since he wanted to go so bad. I just laughed and waved him on, gotta love NJ traffic.

[reddsun1]

and that, folks, is what understeer looks like!

[areaseven]

and that, folks, is what understeer looks like!

Nope. That's just bad driving.

[SchizophrenicMC]

I had someone try to race me in a Jeep today, had the big offroad tires and probably a V8 under the hood since he wanted to go so bad. I just laughed and waved him on, gotta love NJ traffic.

Grand Cherokee guys are weird. A lot of them post about beating Civics. I always ask "did he know you were racing?"

That said, when that Mopar mill opens up, it's easy to get hooked to the sound and the vague feeling of being pushed into your seat a little bit. I hope they do an SRT with the Hellcat engine. That'd be a properly fast Jeep.

[areaseven]

Now this is understeer (fast-forward to 6:44).

[reddsun1]

Nope. That's just bad driving.

I wonder how small/closely spaced the pedals are in the Enzo? I'd wager ol' Eddie had on some expensive--probably hard bottom--shoes that day; was going for what he thought was the brake pedal, and found the throttle instead. 0:21 - hehe, it's like that's when he's finally certain he's found the whoa pedal. If only there were a mic in the car: "well there it is, godda**it!"

[SchizophrenicMC]

So we painted the 240SX today:

Bryan doing his thing

Laying the first coat of clear

After the second coat:

Three coats:

At 5 feet, it's already perfect. Tomorrow, we wet-sand.

Also, I went to a local car meet today. A guy in a WRX was showing off. So I moved my Jeep. He shut up after that.

[areaseven]

I wonder how small/closely spaced the pedals are in the Enzo? I'd wager ol' Eddie had on some expensive--probably hard bottom--shoes that day; was going for what he thought was the brake pedal, and found the throttle instead. 0:21 - hehe, it's like that's when he's finally certain he's found the whoa pedal. If only there were a mic in the car: "well there it is, godda**it!"

Till this day, it's still debated if Eddie Griffin's accident was a publicity stunt or not, as the event was to promote that horrible car movie Redline. Daniel Sadek, who produced the film and owned the Enzo, was completely unfazed and even posed in front of the wreck for pictures, as he ran a subprime mortgage company and was taking home US$5 million a month. Proving that karma's a b!tch, Redline tanked at the box office and Sadek went bankrupt.

Edited October 26, 2014 by areaseven

[anime52k8]

I doubt the crash was on purpose, Sadek just didn't give a crap.

[areaseven]

I doubt the crash was on purpose, Sadek just didn't give a crap.

Oh yeah, it was definitely an accident, but I have no doubt that Eddie Griffin is just a bad driver.

[Agent ONE]

Oh yeah, it was definitely an accident, but I have no doubt that Eddie Griffin is just a bad driver.

Everyone is a bad driver the first time behind the wheel of a car with that kind of power. When you buy one, you are required to attend a number of track days by ferrari.

[reddsun1]

To his credit, Griffin took it in stride in the post-crash interview. "...yeah, undercover brother is good at karate and all the rest of that, but; brotha can't drive!"

[David Hingtgen]

Saw an F430 today, last "newest" Ferrari I'd seen was a 355. (we don't see many Ferraris here in Iowa!) Last one I saw was actually an F40.

[areaseven]

A1's gonna love this.

[Agent ONE]

I do love that. I drove the little Mclaren (MP4) and it felt so ridiculously similar to my Lotus, just with way more power. Lotus and McLaren really build race cars, that are street legal, whereas everyone else is building street cars, with bigger engines. Totally different design philosophy.

[areaseven]

The first official trailer for Furious 7 comes out online on November 1. In the meantime, here's a retrospective video.

[derex3592]

I do love that. I drove the little Mclaren (MP4) and it felt so ridiculously similar to my Lotus, just with way more power. Lotus and McLaren really build race cars, that are street legal, whereas everyone else is building street cars, with bigger engines. Totally different design philosophy.

My boss saw a red MP-4 the other day in Dallas and sent me a pic. Not as pretty as the 458 IMHO, but I would love to drive one!

[Agent ONE]

My boss saw a red MP-4 the other day in Dallas and sent me a pic. Not as pretty as the 458 IMHO, but I would love to drive one!

458 sounds CRAZY better. The McLaren is faster though.

[SchizophrenicMC]

458s are pretty cool, but you only see doctors and dentists driving them here in Dallas. They never want to act like they're driving a Ferrari. As much as I see them, I don't know if I've ever heard one on the road. Sure, a Ferrari is totally a status car, but dude you own a Ferrari, act like it once in awhile. If you want people to see you in it, what's wrong with letting them hear it announce your presence every so often?

The opposite is true of the GT-R. I see a lot of GT-Rs that are loud and driven spiritedly, by people who lead exciting lifestyles, and are willing to act the part of the GT-R owner, but as technically amazing as that car is, god is it ugly.

The only time I've seen an MP4 in person was when I drove to the McLaren dealership. It's adjacent to a Rolls-Royce/Jaguar/Bentley dealership. The Phantom is ENORMOUS. My Jeep is smaller along literally every dimension.

[derex3592]

I saw my one and only Phantom in front of a Hobby Lobby once and was absolutely astonished at the sheer size of the damn thing! I never had a clue it was THAT big! I kinda like the way the GT-R's look....and since it's the only super car I might soooomeday be able to afford...used...I'm gonna say I love it for that reason. Lol

[SchizophrenicMC]

I drove a GT-R once. The acceleration is monstrous, but once you get over that, you start to feel like the car is fast, but the driver has nothing to do with it.

And then it has probably the worst interior of anything in its price range, and the styling is worse than the soulless feel of the thing. I'm not a fan. I always felt the Z should be Nissan's flagship, and the GT-R should be the CTS-V of Skylines.