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The MW Automotive Thread 3.0


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Now it seems they ARE considering making a Pontiac out of the Holden 60:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/pontiac-mullin...-gxp-coupe.html

I'd much rather see it as a GTO or Firebird, not a FIFTH G8 variant. (We already have the base, GT, GXP, and El Camino) Though of course, using G8 parts would get it over here cheaper--and thus, more likely to come over, period.

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Yeah call that thing a GTO, if anyone will even care about such things 3 years from now. The 'Bird needs to be remembered as it was during its final generation... B))

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I actually think it's smarter to have it relative to the G8 since their G6 follows the same path (coupe, convertible, sedan). I think that was one of the reasons the GTO didn't sell well was because they named it the GTO (though I personally didn't care what it was called since it was a performer). It will be a lot easier to remember and i think much simpler to market.

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Dodge already has full specs for the 09 Challenger up at their site. The more I look/read, the more I like---much more than the Camaro or any Aussie car at this point. If I can pay off my car a year early, I think I'd like a '11 Challenger. (or maybe if I can find a nice used '10 at that point--it'd be a lot easier to afford) (and it will be blue)

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If there weren't pics to prove it, I'd think this was an April Fool's thread:

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1691

18-year-old without a license gets a brand-new G8 GT, #5 off the production line. Lets his friend drive it, who immediately spins it into a street sign (or two). $10,000+ in damage. Car was owned a good 18 hours it seems. (And that was the first estimate, later in the thread it seems they found more damage when checking underneath)

So beware if an 'almost new' G8 GT ends up for sale with only 300 miles soon...

PS--who buys their kid who's never driven before, a brand-new 360+ HP car?

::edit:: Wow, the 30th was a bad day for new cars: 08 Viper totalled only 1/8 mile from where it was bought: http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f12/idiot-...er-pics-432661/

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Dodge already has full specs for the 09 Challenger up at their site. The more I look/read, the more I like---much more than the Camaro or any Aussie car at this point. If I can pay off my car a year early, I think I'd like a '11 Challenger. (or maybe if I can find a nice used '10 at that point--it'd be a lot easier to afford) (and it will be blue)

Yes, the performance numbers are quite respectable, considering this thing's gonna be a real porker at 4100+ lbs. Yikes! :blink: There's some promo literature out there with a nose-to-nose shot of the '08 and '70 Challengers, respectively. LOL, the 08's brake rotors are as big as the original's wheels & tires... :lol: Gonna need all of it to haul in that mass from speed--the new ver. looks bigger in comparison.

So much from "learning from past mistakes." The original 'Cudas/Challengers were also much heavier than the other pony cars too, weren't they?

DCHG_24.jpg

Edited by reddsun1
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Hey, with more and more 5000lb SUV's out there, you need a 4000lb car now not to get vaporized when the soccer moms hit you...

IIRC, part of the reason cars are getting heavier (and MPG isn't going up much) is because of the constant increases in safety equipment/requirements. Tire monitors, stability control, a dozen airbags, thicker door beams, etc.

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it's not an exotic (at least i don't consider it one) but it is a super car. I actually think that's the third one, nagtroc.org has them listed with photos.

I'm still not impressed by the Challenger, for its weight it has good performance, but is that really saying much? what about the rest of the car? Aside from how it looks on the outside, the interior ergonomics look terrible, if the Americans ever make a decent interior, i'll be incredibly surprised*, but i don't see it happening anytime soon

*Rebadged Euro cars don't count.

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OOPSIE!

...

All things considered, this cars release at least lasted several months before seeing it wrecked. The first one that got wrecked was actually being delivered to a customer by a dealer and one of the dealer's drivers wrecked it; they haven't released any details on this one yet. I remember two Carerra GT's biting it before the 30 day mark, but of course the difference is the GT-R was released in Asia before the states. I'm sure within the first day/week the car is out stateside you'll see a wrecked one (probably wrecked by some 18 yr old) .

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I still haven't seen a G8, but based on where I live, that's not surprising. My brother is SERIOUSLY considering one--it's basically that, or a Charger R/T for him in the next couple months.

I'm curious about the Challenger R/T's exact numbers. 0-60 "under 6 secs" doesn't say much. My car does that---I am not going to buy a slower car. (I'd be happy with equal---RWD alone will make it handle/launch better than mine--and it'll sure look cooler) But it depends HOW "under 6" it is. 5.1 vs 5.9 is a huge difference.

As for the interior--by the time I can get one, I'm sure it'll at least be revised, if not totally redesigned. Also, sheer "size" makes it appealing to me. Based on the numbers, it should have at least 1 more inch of head and knee room than my car, which I desperately need. (Most cars are REALLY not designed for guys who have long torsos---I'm only slightly over 6 feet, but my proportions are such that my head/arm positions when driving are more like someone 6'3 or 6'4---so I generally need about the biggest cars there are to have any chance at getting comfy)

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I'm curious about the Challenger R/T's exact numbers. 0-60 "under 6 secs" doesn't say much. My car does that---I am not going to buy a slower car. (I'd be happy with equal---RWD alone will make it handle/launch better than mine--and it'll sure look cooler) But it depends HOW "under 6" it is. 5.1 vs 5.9 is a huge difference.

The reason for the ambiguity might have something to do with CAFE standards -- mileage versus performance dilemma at this stage. If one were so inclined, I bet Mopar would offer different ring and pinion gearset options for better performance.

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^ you just reminded me, the fact that it only comes in auto kills it for me too, it's one thing if it was using a DSG or an SMG or something that without a doubt performed better than a manual, but as far as i know its using a torque converter auto, and that's crap IMO. I think if it were using a traditional manual gearbox and lost some weight this thing would be a real performer, but an under 6.0 sec 0-60 is not muscle car worthy if you ask me. There are STI's and EVO's out of the box putting down 4.6 0-60's and they're not even built for drag, they're track and rally cars, for the price a car of this calibur should be throwing down at least 5's.

Edited by emajnthis
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Actually, the Challenger has a 6-speed manual as an option for the R/T or SRT8. The 6MT also has some hill climb assist gizmo that briefly holds the clutch when you're doing stop-and-go uphill.

then why is the performance so crappy? the gearing has to be really long. My brother's car has hill assist but i don't see the point, people who know how to drive manual have no use for that feature.

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Possibly they're only quoting auto numbers. The 5-speed auto's .83 final ratio means it can't be geared that well for acceleration without killing highway mileage. Even an old GM 4-speed has a .70 final, so they can sometimes have decent gearing on the axle. I wonder if a 6-speed auto would help a lot--make 1st even lower, give it like a .6:1 final ratio for highway MPG...

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Hey, with more and more 5000lb SUV's out there, you need a 4000lb car now not to get vaporized when the soccer moms hit you...

IIRC, part of the reason cars are getting heavier (and MPG isn't going up much) is because of the constant increases in safety equipment/requirements. Tire monitors, stability control, a dozen airbags, thicker door beams, etc.

Which in turn makes it deadlier when you hit someone, so the other guy needs thicker beams which means you need even thicker ones etc etc....

They need to start taxing cars on weight.

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I would tax on length/height. Nothing worse than when two VERY long vehicles park directly across from each other in a parking lot, or even worse---a parking ramp. Just BARELY squeeze by with 1mm to spare... (In my country, it would actually be a law that vehicles beyond a certain length cannot park across from another one of that size, nor may they occupy the last spot in a parking row, thus blocking vision for people trying to pull in or out of that row)

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The British must really want the GT-R, even if it'll cost £52,900 ($105,000) and won't arrive there until March 2009.

700 Pre-Orders in 48 Hours

Meanwhile, at the Nürburgring, Nissan is currently testing the V-Spec edition, which will have 70 more bhp and be 330 lbs. lighter. Nissan's goal for the V-Spec is to set a lap time of under 7 minutes 25 seconds - 18 seconds faster than the stock model. The base GT-R (7:38.54) has already defeated the Bugatti Veyron and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (both doing 7:40) on the 12.9-mile track.

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I gotz to figure out how to donk my ride like that! Although, I am a bit concerned as to what effect this will have on my straight-line speed. :huh:

if you go too fast, people can't see whose driving.

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if you go too fast, people can't see whose driving.

True dat. However, I'm ugly and like to drive with a goblet full of crunk juice, so visibility isn't my friend. Also, the po-po is always trying to catch me ride'n dirty. I wonder how easy the donk'd rides tip over on turns. :lol:

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True dat. However, I'm ugly and like to drive with a goblet full of crunk juice, so visibility isn't my friend. Also, the po-po is always trying to catch me ride'n dirty. I wonder how easy the donk'd rides tip over on turns. :lol:

Laughing out fricking loud :lol: That's the way we roll.

In other news, the new Alfa which A7 posted looks quite nice. Alfa builds some really fantastic engines. It would be nice if they made their long-rumored, long-awaited, and much-anticipated return to the US market. Even if it were a sideline sold strictly at existing Ferrari dealers.

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In other news, the new Alfa which A7 posted looks quite nice. Alfa builds some really fantastic engines. It would be nice if they made their long-rumored, long-awaited, and much-anticipated return to the US market. Even if it were a sideline sold strictly at existing Ferrari dealers.

Would also be nice if they ditched the whole FWD bullshit.

But they do make some of the most amazingly beautiful cars right now. The Brera might be the most amazing looking car in production right now.

alfa%201750%20gtv.jpg

33t.jpg

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Would also be nice if they ditched the whole FWD bullshit.

But they do make some of the most amazingly beautiful cars right now. The Brera might be the most amazing looking car in production right now.

As usual, you're right (though in pure design terms, I quite like the Citroen C6's too - Imagine what a C6 coupe would look like). Alfa does not, and has not ever wanted for having some of the most amazingly beautiful body designs ever produced. The Brera looks like a modernized SZ. They have really run with their Zagato and Bertone influences, to great effect.

That 1750 GTV pic is just lovely.

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Just a bit of interesting info from the G8 boards (and trust this guy, he's one of the few people online that I believe 100%):

"Rather unfortunate about the GTO. That Coupe60, minus the show-only side-exhausts, hood vents and rear diffuser and with a Pontiac split grille, was the GTO coupe. Chevy, like they did in so many programs shared with Pontiac, muscled their way in and took over with the new Camaro, displacing the GTO.

I doubt the GTO will return in that form, as all the exterior body panels are unique from the sedan, making the business case difficult with miniscule coupe sales volume. The fact they have shown the Coupe60 to the public tells me its dead as a production vehicle."

Hmmn, so the new Camaro is actually supposed to have been the new GTO. :p

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