The Automotive (& other mechanized vehicles) thread

[sylnau]

I'd love this.

[Chankgeez]

[bigchiefbc]

Hey whatever yanks yer crank, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I've had the chance to drive some pretty cool cars, even if just for a few minutes, and the ones that really did it for me were a Ferrari 355, an NSX, a first gen Viper and my 3rd gen RX-7. None of those were boring at all, and they were all mostly before everything was computerized anyways. For classics, I've been able to drive a couple old Mustangs, a Cuda, and a C3 Vette. The Vette was the only one that spoke to me.

[lordgalvar]

See, only the GM spoke to you...gotta stay away from the Fords and Mopars (don't let Chankgeez tell you otherwise)...

You're going down the right path man...now take the good feelins from the Corvette and get into a GTO...haha

See, I never saw a Ferrari in person until 2008...I'm from the redneck world haha...only been in a mercedes or BMW once...and it was like a 1985 diesel something Mercedes and it was 1999....haha. Just never been around ritzy stuff...wait...I parked a Jag once for a guy that I did gardening for (my ex's stepdad...). He was like, "here are the keys...move it from the garage to the street so you can clean the garage"...eff that guy. I think I quit then (yippie I lost a $3 an hour side job in 2001...) ...

Vipers were alright//they were actually pretty neat when they came out...but Dodge (haha...come to GM) and something about the body style didn't sit right with me. At least you didn't say Prowler...I'd have to say something then...

We wern't getting on ya either...just pleading our cases haha. Heck, I respected the heck out of those indy and le mans drivers and stuff. Just grew up around drag racing is all.

RX-7s are neat man! There is a ton of rotary love in this thread. Rotaries are something I find bad ass and neat as hell...

I think part of it is scale too...like muscle and older cars are always kind of seen within reach or at least able to be found cheap enough (in varying condition) that you can do what you want with it...

Ferarris and stuff like that you don't mess with or tinker on...they are what they are and they stay that...(I do love some of the old ferarri body styles from photos I have seen). Like I'll never be rich enough to put a super charger and a NOS system on a Aston Martin and get that thing to an 9 second quarter mile...never going to happen. But they ain't designed for that either...different styles of thinking

[Iommic Pope]

I will cencede that redneckism/boganism does play into this.
There is cold class warfare being waged in this country. We don't talk about it, but it is certainly there.
Growing up, anyone that drove a Euro car or a sports car or anything new was a wanker, and should be despised for being succesful.
Brutal suburban tall poppy syndrome.
Muscle cars were always grouse, though.

The irony being that now those cars so revered by the working man cost as much as a deposit for a house, if not more.

Cultural things are funny.

Definitely not giving you schtick, just letting you know where I'm coming from dude.

[bigchiefbc]

See, maybe things were different up in New England, but even back when I was growing up, old Mustangs, Vettes, GTOs, Cuda's etc were already insanely expensive to find, even in rust-bucket condition. It was much easier to find a faster japanese car for cheapz.

All of the super awesome cars I drove were in that short window right after college where I was making good money and didn't have a wife or family yet, so I went shopping for a sports car. I test drove a '91 NSX, a '92 Viper, a '93 Supra, and 3 different RX-7s (ended up buying a '94). The Ferrari was when I was helping my roommate (also a yuppie with money) look for his car. We ended up at a dealership that specialized in luxury cars and exotics. They had a 355 there and I pretended I was interested in order to test drive it.

Now that I'm married and have a kid, I drive a boring-ass sedan. No more sports cars for me, at least for another 10 years.

[Chankgeez]

You're waiting for your mid-life crisis, bc?

[bigchiefbc]

You're waiting for your mid-life crisis, bc?

Hell yes, I can't wait. It's basically the only fun you're allowed to have between college and retirement.

[Chankgeez]

Well, you'll have to post photos of cars you're lookin' at once you start shopping.

[Disarm D'arcy]

Cars I think are bitchin' right now:



BMW Series 3, just as pretty in Touring version - I'm a hatchback dude.



Volkswagen Scirocco



Audi RS3



Alfa Romeo Giulia, because Italians make Germans and pretty much every one else look ever so boring.



Alfa Romeo Giulietta



The new Renault Talisman Estate is reassuring. Because it's been years (decades?) since Renault brought something interesting on the table.



And of course mah sweet ride (except I have the cheap rims because city parallel parking)


ENOUGH WITH THE PURPLE AMERICAN OLD CARS MKAY?

[Chankgeez]

The new Renault Talisman Estate is reassuring. Because it's been years (decades?) since Renault brought something interesting on the table.



ENOUGH WITH THE PURPLE AMERICAN OLD CARS MKAY?

I'll try to find some photos of purple French cars to post.

That Renault would look great in purple.

[bigchiefbc]

The new Renault Talisman Estate is reassuring. Because it's been years (decades?) since Renault brought something interesting on the table.



ENOUGH WITH THE PURPLE AMERICAN OLD CARS MKAY?

Wait, you're a hot hatch guy, but you bash Renault like that? The Megane Sport was awesome!

[Chankgeez]

[Disarm D'arcy]

@bigchiefbc the mk2 you mean? Yeah, it's pretty much the last time they designed something interesting in my opinion.

Citroen are imo the only French marker who's been consistently doing a good job, but again boring underpowered engines. Americans, note that underpowered is for me less than 90hp on a compact and less than 130 on a sedan. If you need more, it's because your automatic transmissions are inefficient and you need for room ridicule MOUHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.

@chank my grandpa had both the Renault Estafette and Megan you posted. But non purple and non tuning. My mom hates the estafette with a passion, because in the '60s she had to climb in the back like the cows when he dropped her off to school.

[Chankgeez]

I think cars with manual transmissions make up a tiny fraction of the U.S. market. That will soon be a moot point with the impending onslaught of driverless vehicles though. Something most people will probably welcome given the sheer number of people I see on their phone while they're driving. #morephonetime