that's nice!The Car thread
- Thread starter 6thElement
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that's nice!
There is one similar for sale down the road. I would love to find a wrecked AMG to rip some stuff off and make a vintage sleeper.I would drive that.
The vintage Mercedes T is sweet too.
Shit, how could I forget the CTSV wagon. And in manual form, too.
Very affordable horsepower options make that car one hell of a sleeper. I had my last LSA putting out 650 HP with very little internal work. A cogged and ported blower kinda gave it away but was still fun to light the tires at 80mph
Hadn't factored in the winter road grime on bikes... since i only ride from my house in the winterI don't think I will ever not own a car that isn't a wagon or hatchback. Just too useful. Loading all this up was easier and friendlier on the bikes (road salt and grime) than loading up the Tacoma in the driveway.
And this is a small car.
Makes sense. When I used to have a volvo 850 and there were only 2 of us. Bikes definitely fit inside the car. No need for a rack.
I thought it came stock with almost that much power?
I was always amazed at the mental gymnastics of the cadillac lineup.
Let's see...200hp I4, 250 HP 3.8L v6, 300hp 3.0 DOHC V6, 700HP supercharged v8 (OHV of course)
I'm exaggerating of course, but still, the potent I4 turbo came a little late, and the TT V6 wasn't in enough cars. I wish they had a little bit of a nicer NA V6 or V8 option. Still, the jump from even the very fast 425hp TTV6 to the outrageous SCV8 @ 650 was intense.
I don't want to own a twincharged engine, I'll agree with you there, but I'd rather listen to that than a CVT whinge at being alive. Plus, I don't get the usability argument. How much usability do you need? What's the likelihood that you'll end up with a hitch rack, anyways? Is your life measured by how many bags of sand you can carry from Home depot? I have a shitty little sedan and don't miss a bit. I'd rather have a hitch, sure, but I mostly want a wagon for it's good looks at this point.
shitty analogy- my wife had to have a new subaru ascent, because THREE ROWS IS LIFE. We've put people back there once. She commutes in it solo every day, but GOTTA HAVE IT.
Might possibly use it once in a lifetime = I NEEEEEEED IT!!!
It's nice to be able to put bikes inside the car in a pinch, rather than the place where they can just be cut off or leveraged off in a matter of seconds. Heck, just two weeks ago my TV crapped out and I had to go get another one. It's my primary display for my computer and I use it a lot. Hatchback for the win, was so easy to transport the new TV. Pretty much this with any wagon/hatchback and the bigger the better. So easy to put stuff in it, a cooler, a bike, skis, whatever. Hell, you can sleep in one without too much trouble.
I think GM has kind of been in the same boat as some of the Japanese manufacturers for the last few years. They really wanted to hold on to those high revving V6 engines, but when it comes down to it, turbo just kicks their ass. Those 3-3.8L V6 engines produced from 240-350hp in all sorts of cars and they were a huge step up from the miserable ~150hp V6s that we had in the early 90s, but not long after, we started seeing the turbo cars and turbo tech got a lot better, with small quick-spinning turbos, turbos tapping directly off the exhaust next to the manifold, no crazy up and down piping like old subarus, twin-scrolls, etc. The end result are cars making full torque around 1500-1700hp and the torque beneath the curve just smashes those big V6s, even when they have more HP, they got to get up to 6-7K to start getting to that point and for all intents, the turbo-4 is a faster car for 98% of your driving. But it seems like they put a lot of investment into these engines, GM, some of the Japanese makers like Toyota, etc. The longer that they held on to those old V6 engines, the loner it took for them to come up with truly decent turbo 4s and other turbo configurations. There should have been ATS V-sport cars with decent turbo setups, not that V6 crap. Same thing with Lexus IS and many others.
You are right though, beyond a certain point, you can't put the power down in the first few gears, unless you have AWD and even then it's probably cutting some of it at the lower speeds. That's also why big torque is a lot of fun, you can go fast at the lower speeds, but the times when you'll be able to push the car past 140mph are probably extremely limited, to none, so the HP to go faster than that just isn't needed.
Wifey has a 7-seater Pilot. The rear seats stay folded down most of the time. It fucking pains me that we had to get a 7-seater. The argument was that we would be taking her mom places with the girls and need the extra space because Hannah's seat is so big. We've done it maybe a few times since we got it.
As for wagons, when I replace the Forester, eventually, it will likely be with a wagon. The list is short but the expected names: used e63 AMG or RS6 Avant, V60 Polestar, and an Outback or used All-Road if I decide to go the other way. It's such a limited list of options.
The problem is those super high strung TT wagons are not cars to buy used IMO. Way too much crazy stuff that goes wrong after the warranty period, injectors, cylinders, turbos, gaskets, transmissions, etc. The only way I'd buy one is new or pre-owned certified at the dealer. The materials (drivetrain) are so exotic and the electronics so complex that there's very little chance of them persevering for more than a few years. All the manufacturer cares about is selling and the dealer cares about dumping it after the lease period is up. One day a few years ago, half of my BMW didn't work, the rear half to be exact, no electronics behind the front seats worked, because the rear computer just decided to stop working. Luckily under warranty, but I cringe at what that would have cost out of warranty.
The polestar is more like the 340M/Audi "S".
The pilot has a seriously big cargo area. When I had one, it was the only thing I've seen that can really swallow an entire bike without having to take a wheel off or jam the wheels up against or over the interior parts.
There's also the Porsche Panamera and wagon version, those are pretty huge inside too, even the non-wagon.
My situation is different in that we use the third row every time we transport all 3 kids in the minivan (because captains chairs in the second row, which are kind of key for 3rd row access). From my autocrossing days, even something like a G37 sedan is already too long and heavy to really be fun when tossed about, so once in family-transporting territory why not make it as practical as possible for that actual use?
They have a T6 Hybrid now that could potentially be good in combination with the 4 banger. I grew up on 4 banger i Euro land and compared to a 6 they are all coarse. All the wagons are unfortunately swoopy these days. I loved my old square XC70 so much storage in the trunk but the days of wagons design like that is gone I think.
I like it. Side profile reminds me of the Lancia Delta Integrale. Impressed with Hyundai if they bring this to market but as I understand it's not a prototype. Looks nice inside too.
I mean if you need it and use it, that's one thing. If you "need" it, that's another. My shitty little alfa does just fine in the snow- I don't NEED 8" of ground clearance- I just try not to drive through unplowed sections of the home depot parking lot or wait until the roads are in better shape before heading out. If you're loading your kids into the back every day, then you need it.
Also, autocross is a terrible representation of an ideal road car. It's not impossible to have something enjoyable to drive and also practical. I carry my kids to school in the alfa, then I get to enjoy it on backroads. I found the volvo an enjoyable drive even though it's enormous by comparison, and similar with a genesis G80 the same day. It's OK to enjoy what you drive and get use out of it.
which Alfa?
My buddy got to use both his lifts at the new house. The engine for the Subbie is about $85k. The bare block was $25k and was machined from a single block. 
We use the third row of our Expedition every time we go anywhere. 2 adults and 3 kids with captians chairs.
I am pretty sure I could fit my Hyundai Accent in the back of it with the seats folded down
Know what has about 35ft^3 more cargo space?
My buddy got to use both his lifts at the new house. The engine for the Subbie is about $85k. The bare block was $25k and was machined from a single block.
View attachment 157005
How much did the head gaskets cost?
No, but he is a CIO (notice his vanity plates) and makes WAY too much money. The GTR is at 1400bhp on e98. The Subbie will be about 850. His R32 is the hotness, though. He also has a flat 6 Subbie that is also nutty. But I'm just not a Subbie guy. He has like 3 of them.
thatsthejoke.jpg
I'm blown away by the HP people are getting out of cars these days, in some cases without cracking the engine open.
The GTR is a full build top to bottom. Forged everything. The trans is also built to stand it. A ton of one off parts from the best shops.
He has an ugly ass '06 GTO that has twin turbos because he boosts everything. And everything runs on e98 because he has it delivered to the tank in the shop.
He's also married to the daughter of Intel royalty, so he is doing ok.
That's awesome man, great article too.I was a fan of all of their cars. Not a huge fan of the Ford powerplants, but they at least used the best ones. Just stunning.
Opinion: The DeTomaso Pantera Should've Been A Bigger Hit
We think that the De Tomaso Pantera is a criminally underrated sports car that should've reached far beyond its actual scope.www.hotcars.com
<edit> my grandpa had a '71 Gran Torino with a 351 Cleveland. When he traded it in in '89 it had 325k miles on the original motor and it STILL ran perfect. He swore by that motor.
Would love to see that Gran Torino in real life
A high top transit?