On the bright side, once they fix all those brand-new 2015 models they haven't been able to sell... probably no one will buy them anyway.
Go figure. Once they have to meet standards fer real they're no closer to making it work than Mitsubishi. The US measures particulates and soot as carcinogens. Europe doesn't. Europe taxes diesel lower than petrol because of it. The US taxes it higher. Hypothesis: Diesels will be dead in Europe within 10 years.
It'll be really interesting to see where things go in the next decade or so. Self driving cars, electric cars, a wider embrace for public transportation. It seems like so many things could go in so many directions, a lot of it dependent on markets and public opinions.
Subaru be fuggly. They've been fuggly since the SVX, which was too fuggly to be a Ford Probe. The WRX is keenly fuggly and the B9 Tribeca was so fuggly that they could have come out with a fuckin' Dino 246 and it would have been fuggly by extension. That said, the 2017 Impreza is the least fuggly vehicle they've come out with in years (excluding the BR-Z, which they fucked up by not making AWD), which indicates perhaps their purgatory in Fuggland is ending. The 2014 'vette? That's a non-fuggly car. However, it has no back seat and is 1.2 Mooney Units.
It's a good car for me and what I require. 30+MPG, 5 door, rear seats that lay flat, big enough that I can sleep in the back, small enough to fit in the garage. My car would drive you bonkers, which might be a fun reality show... KB driving 'regular cars.'
I have owned: - A Ford Falcon - A Buick Skylark - A Chevy Van - A Chevy Corvair - A Mazda RX-4 - A Ford Granada - A VW Scirocco - Two Suzuki Samurais - A Honda Civic AWD Wagon - A Dodge Stealth 'regular cars' are bullshit. Not gonna lie. If I could get away with a fuckin' Aventador I totally would. Although that time I shit all over an F430 Scuderia taught me the power of power-to-weight.
I've owned at least a dozen vehicles. The Scion, while small and dorky, was awesome and I wish I could have had another one. That car lasted me 11 years before the accident. I've owned a few trucks, Ford F150's mostly, a Dodge Van, a couple of Honda CVCC's and Civics (from the 90's). I owned a Saturn SW1 (The 90's wagon) that I got at auction and was not worth what I paid for it (under a grand, god what a shit car this was, lasted three years then junked it). I also had an '81 Ford Escort in there that shook itself apart on the I5 traveling home one year. I have had the short term car experience and now only look at cars as a 10+ year ownership investment. At the rate I am going through cars on the decade plan I'll get 2-3 more before they bury me; hopefully one of those will be an electric but we shall see.
Do you think the Crosstrek will last the ten years? Thinking of test driving that car and some others next month, finally.
Hell if I know. One of the deciding factors in choosing the Subaru over the Rav4 was all the old Subarus on the roads. Consumer Reports gives is a good score as well. And I did not like the interior of the Rav4. Felt too cramped even for being a bigger vehicle.
that seems like a weird place for a car to need downpressure. that's what that spoiler over the cockpit is for, right?
not to mention the fact that we still don't know whether Bernoulli or Newton are more correct about how it works.
Isn't the Stratos an MR layout? If that's the case, I figure you should pray Toyota brings back the MR2. ;) The handling dynamic for the 86, while not unique (see 240z, s13/S14 etc.) is pretty special. It'd be very interesting to see how an AWD option would change it. AWD and Turbo? The thing could easily be turned into a rally monster, much like the Sixth Gen Celica could have been if they didn't get caught for fiddling with restrictor plates (don't quote me on that last bit, my knowledge of rally sports is spotty at the very best).
I think Toyota got their MR love out of the way by shifting it back to Lotus. I've toyed with an Evora; they come in at under $50k used and you can get them with a back seat. But the last time I got in a Lotus it gave me a charley horse. I've been waiting years for Mitsubishi to relaunch the GTO; looks like I'll be waiting some more. I've been waiting years for Mazda to come up with a non-fuggly RX-9; the RX Vision is apparently dead dead dead. I've been waiting years for Hyundai to get their shit together; there's no Genesis Coupe in 2017 and 2018 looks real bad. We might have a Supra in 2018, 2019. It's gonna cost like a GT-R, though. Know what I keep toying with?
I think the SVX is probably one of the best examples of an early '90s car to look sleek and timeless and just missing the mark entirely. I think Nissan's R32 and S13 did a much better job. The BRZ is a bit of an odd bird, partly due to the fact that is was designed in partnership with Toyota. If I recall, the body of the 86 was designed by Toyota with elements of the Sports 800 and 2000gt in mind. It's hearsay, but rumor has it the reason there is no AWD or Turbo options for the BRZ is because Subaru didn't want it cutting into their WRX and STI sales. Personally, I can understand the fear but I also think they worry too much. Both cars are different enough as it is and BRZ or Imprezza, a car sale is a car sale. I love Corvettes. I love Mustangs more, but if someone offered me a free Corvette with no strings attached and I could afford the insurance, I would not turn them down.
The XT was a not-fucking-around commitment to '80s wedginess. I still dig that car, despite the fact that it has aged...poorly. I'd heard the same about the BRZ; that's why they deserve to sell one BRZ for every three FRS. Ever driven a WRX? You can literally count to three between stepping on the pedal and feeling the engine do anything. They aren't even fun in a straight line. I'm not sure why the Japanese and Europeans hate throttle response so much; I want the fucking car to go now not "when you get around to it." It's like the Honda S2000: Sure, it'll wind to 9k RPM but in order to get it out of its own way you have to drive it like a GSXR600. Hate to break it to you, hoss, but I rented a Mustang convertible for the Hubski adventure. I was trying real hard to wrap my head around one. And granted: automatic. And granted: V6. And granted: ragtop. But it handled like the '77 Buick I used to hate. The shift points were shit. Throttle response was lacking. And the visibility was awful. I test-drove a CTS Coupe about a year back and didn't find it particularly sporty. It scooted when you stepped on it and it seemed to sense that corners were things to go around, but it had a definite Cadillac-ey feel to it. In retrospect, though, it was faster and tighter than the 'stang by a fair margin.
There's s good reason I chose the FR-S over the Mustang. Handling. That said, it's not a very torquey engine especially with the dip around 4k. Which is perfectly fine for me. I don't race it, but I love taking it on country drives. What the America muscle cars seem to have going for them, especially the Charger/Challenger, is that they are a bit of a softer ride. Sometimes that must be nice. A harsh ride is really tiring on long drives, almost enough to make me want a Buick. :) Cadillacs really are nice. If I ever fall face first into money, I'd take a good look between them and Lexus.
Almost positive I linked to that video about six months ago. The best articles I've ever read about the FR-S is that it's a perfectly flawed sports car. It isn't thumpingly fast, it doesn't have perfect handling, but it's completely and delightfully predictable enough to make it a joy to drive. Again, if it had a back seat I'd be all over it. I've got a good five years of child safety seats in my life; maybe I'll re-evaluate after that. Challengers/Chargers are HUGE. they feel like driving an iceberg. I literally felt like I had more connection to the road in a Ford F-350 crew cab with a 29' gooseneck than I did in a 2016 Challenger. And the F-350 felt like being behind the viewscreen of the Starship Enterprise.
Motorweeks retro reviews are a lot of fun. Cars from the '80s seemed to be finding their stones again and you can tell car makers were having fun experimenting with new tech and design ideas. It's also interesting to see 1/4 mile, 0-60, 60-0, HP and MPG numbers compared to today It really makes you appreciate how far things have come. For most people, I wouldn't recommend an FR-S as a daily unless you a) have a spouse who has a "normal" car for a backup and b) are really comfortable driving a car that really is min-maxed with a driving experience in mind. Seeing as how you still rock the Stealth though and like to talk cars, I think you know what you want. Five years from now? You might get a used one for a really decent price. Fit and finish might be a bit on the iffy side by then, especially if it's a DD. Seeing as how it's got a Subaru engine though, provided it's been well taken care of it'll probably have years of life left. It's funny that you compare the driving experience of the Challenger/Charger to a truck. Earlier when you were talking about how boring most of today's cars are, I half though about saying "Have you looked into a Tacoma? If you're gonna have boring, you might as well have boring and useful." So . . . uh, have you thought about a Tacoma?
Yeah. Can't remember who but they pointed out that a modern Hertz rental Mustang, v6 and all, performs better than a '93 Mustang Cobra. My spouse has a Honda Fit. My other ride is an Italian hyperexotic. Five years from now? Well, we'll see. My father-in-law has a Tacoma. A TRD one, even. It's huge and burns gas like it's free. But yeah - it's handy when you need a truck, I tell you what.