<strong>Which would those be? The Chevy, Ford, Pontiac trio are ridiculous testosterone contraptions with almost no sense of style. The Thunderbird redux is hardly a muscle car, the Viper is sorta, but is actually ridiculous when you think about it. Corvettes are quite bland compared to what they were in the early days (and again, not really muscle cars)
Dodge showed an interesting Charger concept a couple of years ago, and the 300C hemi convertable, but hasn't offered anything. Cadillac? Buick? For geezers. Plymouth? Buried and gone.
I don't exactly see any compelling "Muscle Cars" out there.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You nailed it. The big 3 (Saturn isn't big) thinks that Amaericans only want power. Nothing else. No style, no sleekness, nothing. The PT Cruiser is cool, but the interior is a fricking joke. The tires are too fricking baloony! Why not throw on some low profiles? Why not some sportier rims? Most american cars has this puffy, black, rounded cheap plastic interior to them and they wonder why year after year imports out sell america cars.
Dodge is the closest, but has been stagnat the last 2-3 years. Meanwhile, VW is doing some great cars (I have the Jetta) and I can't wait to get my Audi A4.
As for muscle cars, you can't get it anymoire but I'd take the prowler any day, course, I'm more of a Lamborghini or Vector type myself Also, the NSX isn't bad either.
Let's hope that they're refreshed and beautiful, or at least brutishly handsome in a muscle car sorta way, and not just retro for retro's sake.
BTW, the GT40 is gorgeous, but is it really a muscle car? Not exactly, it's an expensive mid-engine sports car. Similar reasons why Corvettes and Vipers are not really muscle cars; kinda sports-muscle car hybrids: they do sport some muscle car attributes (front engine, mucho cubes) but they are also pricier 2 seat sports cars.
The M3 is more of a modern muscle car. That's what the Americans ought to be builing, perhaps M5 sized, with a HO small block V8. The old aston Martins were gentleman's muscle cars, and so on. Let's have 4 seats and 2 doors, or mebbe 2+2 doors like the Charger concept* or Mazda RX8, a healthy small block V8, and RWD in a some properly styled vehicles. Can't be that hard to do, can it?
<strong>Still aint doing it for me. I flipped when I saw the mini with the American flag painted on top. That way I can tour the country and flip the bird, in person, to all the anti-American members here at AI Then I head to Europe! </strong><hr></blockquote>
Or how about a tour of the Middle East? I hear Mecca's lovely this time of year, though don't let on you're not Muslim.
The Mini is pretty, and I've heard it's a really nice car, but it's becoming a little too popular these days. I'm such a snob. It's kind of like the PT Cruiser. They look so tasty, but every second soccer mom has one.
[quote]<strong>These days what I want most is a scooter.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If I lived anywhere else, I could quite happily survive with a nice Vespa. Unfortunately my commute is a little far, and scooting round town would be a miserable experience.
Part of the cool of the original mini was that everyone from the punter down the street to royals and Ringo Star had one. You could even get Woods and Pickett luxury customs. It'll be very ineteresting to see if Mini can recreate that kind of cool. The New Beetle has really fizzled of late, but it wasn't such a great interpretation of the old model. It could have been as per the original concept, but when they built it on the golf platform they just ruined it. Now it's big and frumpy on the outside while not being all that big on the inside (except for the front passengers).
BTW, I saw that Copperhead up close and next to a viper. It really looks good; except for the face and the tail-fin the proportions look better than the Viper. However, the wheelbase really is huge. From the look of it, it looks almost like it doesn't have enough breakover angle to clear the crest of a steep hill.
Where I work now a parking pass cost $500/year and then you may not find a spot. A scooter will get to work fast, when I want, and I can park it next to the bike rack. :cool:
Plus my bitch can ride on the back! <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>Part of the cool of the original mini was that everyone from the punter down the street to royals and Ringo Star had one. You could even get Woods and Pickett luxury customs. It'll be very ineteresting to see if Mini can recreate that kind of cool.</strong><hr></blockquote>
True, but the original Mini was a cheap car for the masses. The new Mini is most certainly aimed at a wealthier market, the same that went for the PT Cruiser in such a big way.
[quote]Originally posted by Scott:
<strong>Where I work now a parking pass cost $500/year and then you may not find a spot. A scooter will get to work fast, when I want, and I can park it next to the bike rack.
Plus my bitch can ride on the back!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ouch. I get free parking at work, but the service charges for my apartment includes a big, big chunk for parking.
We'll have to get you the t-shirt, Scott:
[quote]Originally posted by BRussell:
<strong>You people are too uppercrust for me. I chauffer myself to work in one of these. And it was cold yesterday!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hehe. Before I moved east, I got along with just my ageing Schwinn and a rattling old Jeep that would refuse to move if there was even a hint of humidity.
Now I feel it's my right to drive around in an air-conditioned cocoon and splash the plebs who walk by puddles.
If I lived anywhere else, I could quite happily survive with a nice Vespa. Unfortunately my commute is a little far, and scooting round town would be a miserable experience.
I'd take one, though. They scaled the original up so beautifully, the proportions look right, but it's bigger all round. I wonder if an adjustment to the suspension and ride height wouldn't make a very capable mid-engine GT out of it. Something to give Ferrari F360 owners fits?
It doesn't sport a Muscle car price either. Gotta be cheaper, seat 4, front engine, the other stuff is there though -- the stance, the finish, the V8. I'd like to see the design team that did the GT-40 do a pastiche of late 60's fastback/2+2 to '73 Mach-1. THAT would be a muscle car!
While the muscle car is supposed to be fast in a straight line, making them more adept at turning wouldn't hurt either. And, while they're supposed to be (almost) cheap enough for young people, I really don't mind the thought of them being priced out of the average 20-something male gear-head's reach: less drag races, less deaths. So I'm not so sure how I feel about their pricing them a little higher (relatively) than the first generation of American Muscle cars.
I saw this cool electric scooter at BJ's last night. Had big honkin tires and a huge battery and even disk brakes, but once it got past it's initial lag, it booted around pretty nice. Too bad it cost $400
I had dreams of hooking up a 75amp motor, beefed up speed controller and some nice batteries.
Comments
<strong>I'm just telling you what I like. Plus there's plenty of mod' shops out there that can put a bit more omph into those cars.
These days what I want most is a scooter.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Do you walk in the mean time?
hehehehe
<strong>Which would those be? The Chevy, Ford, Pontiac trio are ridiculous testosterone contraptions with almost no sense of style. The Thunderbird redux is hardly a muscle car, the Viper is sorta, but is actually ridiculous when you think about it. Corvettes are quite bland compared to what they were in the early days (and again, not really muscle cars)
Dodge showed an interesting Charger concept a couple of years ago, and the 300C hemi convertable, but hasn't offered anything. Cadillac? Buick? For geezers. Plymouth? Buried and gone.
I don't exactly see any compelling "Muscle Cars" out there.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You nailed it. The big 3 (Saturn isn't big) thinks that Amaericans only want power. Nothing else. No style, no sleekness, nothing. The PT Cruiser is cool, but the interior is a fricking joke. The tires are too fricking baloony! Why not throw on some low profiles? Why not some sportier rims? Most american cars has this puffy, black, rounded cheap plastic interior to them and they wonder why year after year imports out sell america cars.
Dodge is the closest, but has been stagnat the last 2-3 years. Meanwhile, VW is doing some great cars (I have the Jetta) and I can't wait to get my Audi A4.
As for muscle cars, you can't get it anymoire but I'd take the prowler any day, course, I'm more of a Lamborghini or Vector type myself
'nuff said.
Also The Cadillac XLR could almost be a muscle car, though it's ugly as sin.
There's also the Chrysler Crossfire and Dodge Charger.
I'm betting the Mustang, Corvetter, Impala, and even the Camaro come back in refreshed retro forms over the next 2 years.
[ 11-27-2002: Message edited by: Eugene ]</p>
BTW, the GT40 is gorgeous, but is it really a muscle car? Not exactly, it's an expensive mid-engine sports car. Similar reasons why Corvettes and Vipers are not really muscle cars; kinda sports-muscle car hybrids: they do sport some muscle car attributes (front engine, mucho cubes) but they are also pricier 2 seat sports cars.
The M3 is more of a modern muscle car. That's what the Americans ought to be builing, perhaps M5 sized, with a HO small block V8. The old aston Martins were gentleman's muscle cars, and so on. Let's have 4 seats and 2 doors, or mebbe 2+2 doors like the Charger concept* or Mazda RX8, a healthy small block V8, and RWD in a some properly styled vehicles. Can't be that hard to do, can it?
*edit, ooops, those are 4 regular doors! Cool
[ 11-27-2002: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
<strong>Still aint doing it for me. I flipped when I saw the mini with the American flag painted on top. That way I can tour the country and flip the bird, in person, to all the anti-American members here at AI
Or how about a tour of the Middle East? I hear Mecca's lovely this time of year, though don't let on you're not Muslim.
The Mini is pretty, and I've heard it's a really nice car, but it's becoming a little too popular these days. I'm such a snob. It's kind of like the PT Cruiser. They look so tasty, but every second soccer mom has one.
[quote]<strong>These days what I want most is a scooter.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If I lived anywhere else, I could quite happily survive with a nice Vespa. Unfortunately my commute is a little far, and scooting round town would be a miserable experience.
[ 11-27-2002: Message edited by: Belle ]</p>
BTW, I saw that Copperhead up close and next to a viper. It really looks good; except for the face and the tail-fin the proportions look better than the Viper. However, the wheelbase really is huge. From the look of it, it looks almost like it doesn't have enough breakover angle to clear the crest of a steep hill.
Plus my bitch can ride on the back! <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>Part of the cool of the original mini was that everyone from the punter down the street to royals and Ringo Star had one. You could even get Woods and Pickett luxury customs. It'll be very ineteresting to see if Mini can recreate that kind of cool.</strong><hr></blockquote>
True, but the original Mini was a cheap car for the masses. The new Mini is most certainly aimed at a wealthier market, the same that went for the PT Cruiser in such a big way.
[quote]Originally posted by Scott:
<strong>Where I work now a parking pass cost $500/year and then you may not find a spot. A scooter will get to work fast, when I want, and I can park it next to the bike rack.
Plus my bitch can ride on the back!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ouch. I get free parking at work, but the service charges for my apartment includes a big, big chunk for parking.
We'll have to get you the t-shirt, Scott:
[quote]Originally posted by BRussell:
<strong>You people are too uppercrust for me. I chauffer myself to work in one of these. And it was cold yesterday!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hehe. Before I moved east, I got along with just my ageing Schwinn and a rattling old Jeep that would refuse to move if there was even a hint of humidity.
Now I feel it's my right to drive around in an air-conditioned cocoon and splash the plebs who walk by puddles.
Go up to any GT40 enthusiast and ask him whether it's a muscle car. Go up to the Ford designers and ask the same question. The will all answer yes.
<strong>
If I lived anywhere else, I could quite happily survive with a nice Vespa. Unfortunately my commute is a little far, and scooting round town would be a miserable experience.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Or how about a Segway?
I'd take one, though. They scaled the original up so beautifully, the proportions look right, but it's bigger all round. I wonder if an adjustment to the suspension and ride height wouldn't make a very capable mid-engine GT out of it. Something to give Ferrari F360 owners fits?
It doesn't sport a Muscle car price either. Gotta be cheaper, seat 4, front engine, the other stuff is there though -- the stance, the finish, the V8. I'd like to see the design team that did the GT-40 do a pastiche of late 60's fastback/2+2 to '73 Mach-1. THAT would be a muscle car!
While the muscle car is supposed to be fast in a straight line, making them more adept at turning wouldn't hurt either. And, while they're supposed to be (almost) cheap enough for young people, I really don't mind the thought of them being priced out of the average 20-something male gear-head's reach: less drag races, less deaths. So I'm not so sure how I feel about their pricing them a little higher (relatively) than the first generation of American Muscle cars.
<strong>Or how about a Segway?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I bet people who think the Segway is cool also think juggling enhances their personality.
<strong>
I bet people who think the Segway is cool also think juggling enhances their personality.</strong><hr></blockquote>
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
I had dreams of hooking up a 75amp motor, beefed up speed controller and some nice batteries.
<strong>
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> I ****ing love that. I'll show that to the woman at work whose husband is a biker.
<a href="http://www.humor911.com/pub/innslag/bilder/285.gif"; target="_blank">http://www.humor911.com/pub/innslag/bilder/285.gif</a>;
<strong>
I bet people who think the Segway is cool also think juggling enhances their personality.</strong><hr></blockquote>
.... and that mime is a legitimate art form...
<strong>Too bad the Daimler half of Daimler-Chrysler nixed <a href="http://www.motorcities.com/contents/00B09201810431.html"; target="_blank">this one</a>.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not for me either.