emajnthis Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 All I can say is: DAMMIT! That was my idea!! Looks like someone's in the process of trying to get the Ford GT homologated for competition, in Speed World Challenge? One of the backers includes Sammy Hagar and his Cabo Cabo(?) restaurants. The subtle aero refinements--at the nose, in front of the rear wheel arches and with the rear wing are nearly exactlywhat I had in mind, albeit with an original [i.e. smaller, lighter, purpose built for racing] GT40 chassis, maybe a Mk I or Mk II tub? I still say the new GT is too much of a pig to make a truly good race car. In fact, [no one would ever believe me, probably sound like a ranting fu--wit] I've got some .bmp's of GT40 line blueprints from a couple of years ago that I played around with in MS Paint that look very similar. Very. I even went so far as to contact a kit car company in Oz as to whether such mods would be feasible with the original bodywork. *sigh* I'm a misunderstood genius, I am....Okay, maybe just a ranting lunatic.... 344534[/snapback] I think that's an awesome idea. Everyone has their preconceived notions of the GT, but its numbers speak for themselves, and since it STILL beat the Ferrari F430 (and the Ferrari was built AFTER the GT) in all categories, that says a lot. I would love to see another Ferrari vs. Ford shoot off, even if Ford isn't specifically backing up the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanata67 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 The hand of CROM guides you! 344614[/snapback] said a1 to every hooker who ever gave him a hand job my mom thanks you for the tips by the way gt-40 vs ford gt... lets see... one was built to be a race car and did it's job well... the other was made to be able to go over a speed bump... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 The hand of CROM guides you! 344614[/snapback] said a1 to every hooker who ever gave him a hand job my mom thanks you for the tips by the way gt-40 vs ford gt... lets see... one was built to be a race car and did it's job well... the other was made to be able to go over a speed bump... 344702[/snapback] All I can say is drive one... if you can't drive one at least ride in one... you'll see where the "heritage" part comes in. The thing is really a true bread race car, and it still can't go over a speed bump. Sounds like you have a jet engine behind your head, and when you stand up next to it, it rides so low you forget it's next to you. The body has a more similar resemblence to the unsung Mk III GT40 with the headlights of the Mk II so people will recognize it. Personally, one of my all time favorite cars and a big tribute to the fact that Americans can make cars if they try (which i must admit they hardly ever do). They still are contendors in the super car market though, especially with cars like Saleen's S7 whose awesomeness is only inferior to that of AgentOne, and the GT who STILL beats the pants off of Ferrari's newest track car, it's very impressive to see American companies stand up against the Italian and German super car giants, and in most cases win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanata67 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 whats the word... oh yeah... shelby anybody ever seen the "king cobra" in real life? I saw it in dupont when shelby's wife was selling it... now thats a car I'd like to drive... somewhere straight with no speed bumps. then again I think it would be fun to drive a 73' plymoth fury III from one end of the m1 to the other... C'mon... police roadbloks would be like speed bumps with the puny little british cars. The fun you could have with a hummer with a snowplow . I remember a warhammer gaming center manager in southampton showing me his super cool mucle car... a 3.9 litre capri six cylinder d-type jag... yeah... but a capri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 whats the word...oh yeah... shelby anybody ever seen the "king cobra" in real life? I saw it in dupont when shelby's wife was selling it... now thats a car I'd like to drive... somewhere straight with no speed bumps. then again I think it would be fun to drive a 73' plymoth fury III from one end of the m1 to the other... C'mon... police roadbloks would be like speed bumps with the puny little british cars. The fun you could have with a hummer with a snowplow . I remember a warhammer gaming center manager in southampton showing me his super cool mucle car... a 3.9 litre capri six cylinder d-type jag... yeah... but a capri 344718[/snapback] what a joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfunk Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 whats the word...oh yeah... shelby anybody ever seen the "king cobra" in real life? I saw it in dupont when shelby's wife was selling it... now thats a car I'd like to drive... somewhere straight with no speed bumps. then again I think it would be fun to drive a 73' plymoth fury III from one end of the m1 to the other... C'mon... police roadbloks would be like speed bumps with the puny little british cars. The fun you could have with a hummer with a snowplow . I remember a warhammer gaming center manager in southampton showing me his super cool mucle car... a 3.9 litre capri six cylinder d-type jag... yeah... but a capri 344718[/snapback] Shelby did it for a lot of manufacturers, I did see the Cobra at the detroit auto show,,,,kinda more bubly looking compared to the photos, I just wish I could go down the street and check out the GT's and Cobra in Dearborn, I see them (GT's) on I-75 all the time (typical engineer road testing) I think everyone of them is friggin grey though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 whats the word...oh yeah... shelby anybody ever seen the "king cobra" in real life? I saw it in dupont when shelby's wife was selling it... now thats a car I'd like to drive... somewhere straight with no speed bumps. then again I think it would be fun to drive a 73' plymoth fury III from one end of the m1 to the other... C'mon... police roadbloks would be like speed bumps with the puny little british cars. The fun you could have with a hummer with a snowplow . I remember a warhammer gaming center manager in southampton showing me his super cool mucle car... a 3.9 litre capri six cylinder d-type jag... yeah... but a capri 344718[/snapback] Shelby did it for a lot of manufacturers, I did see the Cobra at the detroit auto show,,,,kinda more bubly looking compared to the photos, I just wish I could go down the street and check out the GT's and Cobra in Dearborn, I see them (GT's) on I-75 all the time (typical engineer road testing) I think everyone of them is friggin grey though 344724[/snapback] I drove & rode-in a Red GT, and have seen two blacks and a yellow, all of them with striping and premium wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfunk Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 cool, whier did ya drive it at, all Ive known about were the ones in Michigan (Mule cars and prototypes) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) Don't mean to side track the thread, but this is going to be my newest acquisition. I will take possesion of this car by Friday. 1966 Ford Fairlane GT It is has a K-Code 289 Hipo, Untouched. Runs Great. C-4 Automatic Trans. 3.11 Gears. Hi-Performance Suspension. New Dual Exaust. New All Around Disc Brakes. White with red interior. Car needs nothing. I am so excited about this car. I have owned one before, but this is the elusive K-code GT, with the full options package!!! Drrrrrroooooooolllll *SLURP*. Edited November 14, 2005 by nightmareB4macross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearyaks Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Don't mean to side track the thread, but this is going to be my newest acquisition. I will take possesion of this car by Friday.1966 Ford Fairlane GT It is has a K-Code 289 Hipo, Untouched. Runs Great. C-4 Automatic Trans. 3.11 Gears. Hi-Performance Suspension. New Dual Exaust. New All Around Disc Brakes. White with red interior. Car needs nothing. I am so excited about this car. I have owned one before, but this is the elusive K-code GT, with the full options package!!! Drrrrrroooooooolllll *SLURP*. 344762[/snapback] Nice K there! I'm in the process of selling mine (1965 Mustang 2+2). Great engine there. You'll have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) cool, whier did ya drive it at, all Ive known about were the ones in Michigan (Mule cars and prototypes) 344749[/snapback] My old line of work (Administrator/Manager East Coast Internet Sales System) allowed me to collect higher up contacts in the auto industry. I live in Northern Virginia, and one of our clients who was the General Manager (it's a franchise, so GM also means CEO/part owner) of most of the Ford dealerships in the area (along with various other brand names) knew of my idolization of the GT and gave me the rare privelage of driving his. He's been known to let people drive his cars, among them being a 360 spyder and at the time a just delivered Carrera GT, so it wasn't unusual for him to let me drive his car, but never the less i was still in great awe of the opportunity. Basically just drove it up and down the toll road (the air port portion so there were no tolls) and then up and down 28 (another long strip of very clean road). It was quite a joyful ride. There aren't any really wnidy roads unless i go to a portion more out in the country, but for reasons of curteosy, stuck to the highways, and thus didn't get to test how well it handles (though specs showing it can pull 1.0g in the skidpad, i probably didn't have to). I can definitely say that it pulls like total hell in a straight line. Faster than ANYTHING I have ever owned or built, you can really hear that supercharger spool up, and just every grunt of the motor screams American. The growl of the motor is either a good point or bad point, for some who are bigger fans of a Porsche's smooth crisp wind up, you'll find the Ford GT's sound barbaric. For those who are fans of hearing the motor even when it's choking, you'll appreciate the thunderous roar. All around it was just an amazing drive. By the end of the ride, your jaw just unwillingly hangs to the floor. I loved it, but I'm sure anyone with the privelage of driving a super car would love it too. Edited November 14, 2005 by emajnthis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poonman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 (edited) Yeah, the front end looks a bit oddball, but the Zephyr's otherwise a good-looking car. The Ford Fusion also isn't bad at all. The Mercury Milan looks nice as well.BTW, all three cars share the same platform with the Mazda6, a car I'd choose over them. you're right, the Fords don't look terrible but they shamelessly ripped off the last generation of Audi A4's and their new A6's in the styling department. they've been doing it with a variety of other cars as well like their wagon and the AWD they promoted on the Five Hundred. Edited November 15, 2005 by Poonman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Yeah, the front end looks a bit oddball, but the Zephyr's otherwise a good-looking car. The Ford Fusion also isn't bad at all. The Mercury Milan looks nice as well.BTW, all three cars share the same platform with the Mazda6, a car I'd choose over them. you're right, the Fords don't look terrible but they shamelessly ripped off the last generation of Audi A4's and their new A6's in the styling department. they've been doing it with a variety of other cars as well like their wagon and the AWD they promoted on the Five Hundred. 344896[/snapback] That's going a bit overboard... i could carve head lights and tail lights into a brick and it'll look like an Audi/VW. When it comes to German styling, it all pretty much has the same cues, you might as well say it looks like an early 90's BMW or Mercedes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poonman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 (edited) oh please- Milan = rear looks exactly like the current A4/A6 (honda ripped off the new A4 with the rear of the new Civic sedan even worse). ford freestyle = ripped off the Audi A6 allroad pretty obviously too. and german styling is has LOTS of variety- an '05 3 and 5 series looks hugely different from an '05 A4, A6, C class and E class- all cars that are supposed to be pretty much in the same platforms with each other. Edited November 15, 2005 by Poonman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlightman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Yeah, these cars are far from original looking. The Fusion's front end wants to be a Cadillac, the Milan's headlights look like they belong on an Accord and the rear quarter panel seems to have borrowed some lines from Volvo's S40. Granted, they look a hell of a lot better than the suppository-shaped cars they're replacing but their "inspiration" for design is pretty obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beltane70 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 The Fusion's front end reminded me a lot of the new Maxima's front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areaseven Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 It's funny that Ford decided to call their new mid-sized sedan Fusion. In Europe, the Ford Fusion is a mini-SUV. BTW, the sedan was originally supposed to be called Futura, but the Ford execs found out that they lost the rights to the name to Pep Boys (distributor of Futura Tires) a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areaseven Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 As some of you know, Toyota has discontinued the monstrosity that was known as Echo. Here's its replacement: the Toyota Yaris. Known in Japan as the Vitz, the Yaris is widely popular in Europe. Let's see how well it sells when it arrives on U.S. shores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlightman Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 The replacement for the Echo was the the Scion xB and xA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 (edited) the funny thing is, in japan they make the vitz fast also for competition i heard Nissan was bringing the Micra, aka the March in Japan, a small car which also has a cult following. Edited November 15, 2005 by emajnthis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddsun1 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Natuarally not one to be left behind, Shelby's working on more iterations of the Mustang besides the 500KR. IIRC, another model in the works will be a s'charged V6 Shelby, which they claim will outperform std. V8 GT's in almost every category. But at up to $14K markup over std. Mustangs, I don't know if a blow dried V6 will generate the same interest as traditional V8 powered musclecars here in the US. For the GT. I think Ford's painted themselves into a corner with this one. For example: 1.) no suitable power plant for racing. They knew it'd suck up far more resources/capital to make it competitive in racing than they'd be willing to commit, hence no plans for a "factory" racing effort of any kind from the get-go. Now the s'charged 5.4(?) litre motor is fine for a boulevard terror, and makes some nice power numbers for exec's to crow and beat their chests about, but I for one would NOT use it as the base for a racing motor. And why not? Someone more familiar with homologation practices correct me if wrong, but that is a [relatively] healthy displacement size for a factory-available engine, and because it employs forced induction, I'd expect it to be more heavily restricted. Expect the sanctioning bodies to keep the leash pulled tight. In addition, 2.) supercharging = more moving parts, increased complexity, i.e. more sh-t that can break. Not to mention practicality suffers for crew/techs who'll have to work on it under the stress of racing conditions. Just makes it that much more of a pain in the arse, and likely to be the butt of many a joke and vulgar reference from mechanics. I'd adhere as much to the KISS principle [not the rock band ] as possible if I had my way. So what do you do? Go to a n/a engine? Ideally, I'd say use the Ford powerplant that's currently in the Saleen S7's. It's already proven and well developed in competition, and it's a real hoss of a motor [there's no mistaking that rip snorting fu--er for anything else in the pit lane]. Coincidentally it's a 427 c.i., and that'd be good for Ford, considering how significant that number is for the racing history of the original cars--hey, since they're on this whole "heritage" kick anyway, milk it for some press. But again, there's that catch-22. Since it wouldn't be an "available" or optional engine on the production car, I'd expect heavy restrictions yet again from prospective sanctioning bodies. A shame, really. Does anybody know the production figures for the Saleens? Is it less than the GT's 1000 car production run? If it were an optional engine on the GT, they might be considered "mass produced" enough to not be so hamstrung and restricted on power as the Saleens have been. Oh well, it's obvious I've spent way too much time thinking about this. Been away from the boards for a bit, so pardon the late reply, as I know the conversation has since moved on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddsun1 Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Don't mean to side track the thread, but this is going to be my newest acquisition. I will take possesion of this car by Friday.1966 Ford Fairlane GT It is has a K-Code 289 Hipo, Untouched. Runs Great. C-4 Automatic Trans. 3.11 Gears. Hi-Performance Suspension. New Dual Exaust. New All Around Disc Brakes. White with red interior. Car needs nothing. I am so excited about this car. I have owned one before, but this is the elusive K-code GT, with the full options package!!! Drrrrrroooooooolllll *SLURP*. 344762[/snapback] Ooh, looks nice. Of course, being such an original car, I imagine you'll not want to alter it. But if it were a more "expendable" car...the engine bay on those is quite accomodating--if one wanted to get really wild with it, you could shoehorn a 460 in that sucker! I've always been of the mindset for "optimizing for the twisties" myself, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 (edited) supercharging = more moving parts, increased complexity, i.e. more sh-t that can break. Not to mention practicality suffers for crew/techs who'll have to work on it under the stress of racing conditions. 344973[/snapback] That's a little unfair considering that most cars being used for racing are Twin Turbo, and turbos are way more likely to have maintenance issues than superchargers. Though I'd agree that the 5.4 is probably not the best motor used for racing, I can't agree with the maintenance involved on any supercharged motor, supercharging is the safer alternative to turbocharging. So what do you do? Go to a n/a engine? Ideally, I'd say use the Ford powerplant that's currently in the Saleen S7's. It's already proven and well developed in competition, and it's a real hoss of a motor [there's no mistaking that rip snorting fu--er for anything else in the pit lane]. Coincidentally it's a 427 c.i., and that'd be good for Ford, considering how significant that number is for the racing history of the original cars--hey, since they're on this whole "heritage" kick anyway, milk it for some press. That's an awesome idea, except the S7 motor is now Twin Turbo also, and is in the midst of getting an upgrade to twin intercooler (which will give it a horsepower figure in the 1000's) and even though the soul of that motor started as a Ford, Saleen basically took the design, ripped it to bits, and then built his own motor in its shadow. IIRC, Saleen has the exclusive rights to that famous 7.0 liter, and i doubt he would be willing to let it go, even to Ford. Edited November 15, 2005 by emajnthis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areaseven Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 The replacement for the Echo was the the Scion xB and xA. 344938[/snapback] Not exactly. CNN reported a couple of weeks ago that Toyota is bringing in the Yaris to the U.S.. Right now, it's available in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areaseven Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 the funny thing is, in japan they make the vitz fast also for competition i heard Nissan was bringing the Micra, aka the March in Japan, a small car which also has a cult following. 344961[/snapback] They're also planning to bring in the Cube to compete with the Scion xB. Let's hope Honda doesn't follow suit by importing the That's (Yes, That's is the name of the car.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 They're also planning to bring in the Cube to compete with the Scion xB. Let's hope Honda doesn't follow suit by importing the That's (Yes, That's is the name of the car.). 345016[/snapback] That's awesome, I'm glad that most of the euro/jap cars are finally making their way to America. It's a shame it happened after a good amount of cars were discontinued in Japan (FD RX-7, Supra TT w/VVT, Silvia's, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfunk Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 They're also planning to bring in the Cube to compete with the Scion xB. Let's hope Honda doesn't follow suit by importing the That's (Yes, That's is the name of the car.). 345016[/snapback] That's awesome, I'm glad that most of the euro/jap cars are finally making their way to America. It's a shame it happened after a good amount of cars were discontinued in Japan (FD RX-7, Supra TT w/VVT, Silvia's, etc.). 345022[/snapback] they'll all be over priced and hard to get parts for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowlightman Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 The replacement for the Echo was the the Scion xB and xA. 344938[/snapback] Not exactly. CNN reported a couple of weeks ago that Toyota is bringing in the Yaris to the U.S.. Right now, it's available in Canada. 345014[/snapback] When the Echo was discontinued, it was because of Toyota starting the Scion line and the two cars pretty much fulfilled the exact same purpose. Whatever Toyota is doing now is pretty much irrelevant, as the Scion xB and xA were the direct replacements for the Echo... simple as that. Funny thing about the Scion line is for all the money they've spent on selling the brand as bip and cool... 95% of all the Scions I sold whiel working at a Toyota/Scion dealership were to older (35-55) people looking to buy a low-cost, reliable and fuel efficient commuter car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Funny thing about the Scion line is for all the money they've spent on selling the brand as bip and cool... 95% of all the Scions I sold whiel working at a Toyota/Scion dealership were to older (35-55) people looking to buy a low-cost, reliable and fuel efficient commuter car. 345103[/snapback] I managed the Regional Internet Sales for the number 1 East Coast Toyota dealership, and it's true that probably a good amount of the xA's and B's were sold to older people (most xA's were sold to women, and B's to broke teenagers, or the older demographic), but pretty much all of the tC's were sold to the pocket rocket 18 - 30 crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emajnthis Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 In defense of A7, i think he was stating it was to replace the Echo in terms of being in the Toyota Line-up. Eventhough Scion is Toyota, most people are going to differentiate the brand and quality of the car. It's kinda like how there's an Integra Type R and a Civic SI. Effectively they're the same car, but because one is Acura and one is Honda, they keep them both around so both sides have a bottom of the line pocket rocket. Much like Scion having bottom of the line xA and xB, Toyota still needs a bottom of the line car to appeal to the market that specifically wants "Toyota" on their car and not "Scion" on their car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent ONE Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 If you guys had cars which could perform far beyond what the traffic laws would allow, would you take the car to the track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 If you guys had cars which could perform far beyond what the traffic laws would allow, would you take the car to the track? 345280[/snapback] I would. For me it's more of a safety and controlled environment issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 Don't mean to side track the thread, but this is going to be my newest acquisition. I will take possesion of this car by Friday.1966 Ford Fairlane GT It is has a K-Code 289 Hipo, Untouched. Runs Great. C-4 Automatic Trans. 3.11 Gears. Hi-Performance Suspension. New Dual Exaust. New All Around Disc Brakes. White with red interior. Car needs nothing. I am so excited about this car. I have owned one before, but this is the elusive K-code GT, with the full options package!!! Drrrrrroooooooolllll *SLURP*. 344762[/snapback] Ooh, looks nice. Of course, being such an original car, I imagine you'll not want to alter it. But if it were a more "expendable" car...the engine bay on those is quite accomodating--if one wanted to get really wild with it, you could shoehorn a 460 in that sucker! I've always been of the mindset for "optimizing for the twisties" myself, though... 344976[/snapback] I would much rather buy a 69 Torino and stuff a 427 Hi-Rise Interceptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areaseven Posted November 16, 2005 Author Share Posted November 16, 2005 Edmunds.com Article: The Fast and the Furious 3 Starts with a Car Audition I don't know if you consider this as good news or bad news. But I'm not liking what the article says about a '67 Mustang Fastback... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearyaks Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 I don't know if you consider this as good news or bad news. But I'm not liking what the article says about a '67 Mustang Fastback... Ugh.. that Mustang looks horrible. I really hate a lot of those resto-mods as much as I hate cars Powered by Mugen. Speaking of which, I put a deposit down on an IS350 last weekend. Because of the idiotic way that Lexus deals with allocation, I can't search inventory across other dealerships (like BMW allows) and will have to get my car built. This isn't a problem as I'm looking for a not-so common package but the catch is that I have to wait til other people build similar cars before mine is built. Now that's lame! Anway, my expected delivery date is Feb 20th! I guess I'll be a Forester guy for a few more months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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