Cars you would like to see

General discussion about cars. Looking to buy a new car? Have a great driving story? Post it here!
daleadbull
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by daleadbull »

IMBoring25 wrote:
daleadbull wrote:Am I the only person who sees a clear difference between a wagon and a crossover?

A wagon is a sedan with more interior/cargo room while a crossover is essentially an oddly shaped small SUV. The ride height alone should give it away.
What's your read on:

AMC Eagle
Ford Freestyle/Taurus X
Ford Flex
Mini Cooper Countryman (as distinct from the Clubman)
Honda Accord Crosstour
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Chevrolet HHR
Audi allroad
Subaru Outback
Subaru Forester

?

If it weren't for government meddling the classifications wouldn't matter except for marketing purposes.
Well, this is the way I look at it. If the vehicle has that type of a elongated body style but still has the driving dynamics of a sedan then its a wagon but if its raised up and weighs a ton (more like over 2 tons) then its a damn crossover/SUV. lol just because they call it a crossover doesn't make it handle like a sedan/coupe/wagon/hatchback etc.

On your list, I would consider most of them to be crossovers except the Chevy HHR, PT Cruiser and Mini Cooper Countryman. I would consider those hatchbacks. The Audi allroad is essentially a raised up wagon but that goes against my definition of "having driving dynamics like a sedan" so I would call that a crossover too.

It all comes down to driving dynamics and the feel you get behind the wheel. There aren't a lot of wagon being offered in the US, apart from the Cadillac CTS I can't really think of any off the top.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by Rope-Pusher »

theholycow wrote:Of course, for other markets Ford and GM offer plenty of wagons. I imagine Chrysler does too.
Magnum was the last:
The Magnum is the last mid-size station wagon (140 to 160 cubic feet of combined passenger and cargo volume) sold by an American automobile manufacturer in the United States, though Chrysler marketed the Chrysler 300 Touring variant in Europe and Australia.
The Magnum had four engine options; the SE features the 190 hp 2.72 L LH V6, the SXT had the 250 hp (190 kW) 3.5 L V6, and the RT had the new 340 hp 5.7 L Hemi V8. The SRT-8 has a 425 hp 6.1 L Hemi engine.
All-wheel drive became an option in 2005 on SXT and RT models. The SRT8, AWD SXT, and the RT use a Mercedes-Benz-derived 5-speed automatic transmission, while all other models use a four-speed automatic.
The Magnum was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005.[4]

Wasn't it C&D that said "425 H.P. Station Wagons? These are the good old days!"
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by theholycow »

I kept thinking about the Magnum, which was pretty much one of the most kickass things ever to come out of Chrysler, but I was only posting stuff that's still in production and for sale in the US.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

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theholycow wrote:I kept thinking about the Magnum, which was pretty much one of the most kickass things ever to come out of Chrysler, but I was only posting stuff that's still in production and for sale in the US.
I'm sure there are still plenty out there, but every day they are getting less and less new.

I'm sure these wouldn't handle like a sedan, even if they aren't wagons either:
Image

I saw one of these parked in the deck last week:

Image

And it looked about as good as in this picture.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by Rope-Pusher »

^...actually, now that I've seen it a few more times, it is in much better shape. No rust on tailgate, bed or wheels and the bumper looks virginal.

Hay, spechin 'bout wagons,.....

From Autoline:
"REUSS WANTS A WAGON
Station wagons used to be quite popular in the American market but it’s pretty hard to find a new one these days. Actually, GM sells the CTS wagon, but it’s pricey and sells in very low volume. That’s why GM’s Mark Reuss sees an opportunity to sell a full-size wagon for the middle of the market. He says it would not be rear wheel drive and that it would have to hold at least 5 passengers. Reuss says that GM has the platforms overseas it needs to do this, and that the incremental cost of adding a wagon version to one of those cars would be next to nothing. You know, in our experience when a top exec says he’d like to see a car, we end up seeing that car."
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Re: Cars you would like to see

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Slideshow: Dream Cars of 2014

"We’ve collected photos of “dream cars” from the Geneva Motor Show, as well as from the recent auto shows in Detroit and Chicago. From Maserati and Lamborghini to Chevy and Toyota, we offer a few of the recent standouts."

http://www.designnews.com/document.asp? ... id=nl.dn14

Image

"At this year’s Detroit auto show, Chrysler introduced a hand-painted “Stryker Green” exterior for its Viper. Chrysler says that the hand-painted Stryker Green exterior requires an intricate process that takes about eight hours to complete."
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by watkins »

So much better than that stupid matte finish paint. Purchasers must sign a waiver that there is no paint warranty before signing the final paperwork. We have one in the showroom. Doesnt even look good compared to the four other Vipers we have. Well, had. I think we are back down to four total.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by Squint »

The one that stuck with me the most from Geneva was the Maserati Alfieri. Hopefully they actually make it.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by Shadow »

I'm actually shocked that we haven't yet seen a turbo BRZ or FR-S. I thought for sure that they'd offer one once the initial demand started to taper off.

IMO, the addition of a turbo (with another 50 HP, and even more torque) would really make it a fantastic car. The low-end torque is the key though....it would completely transform the car for sure.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

Post by MisterTwo »

Shadow wrote:I'm actually shocked that we haven't yet seen a turbo BRZ or FR-S. I thought for sure that they'd offer one once the initial demand started to taper off.

IMO, the addition of a turbo (with another 50 HP, and even more torque) would really make it a fantastic car. The low-end torque is the key though....it would completely transform the car for sure.
Yeah, that might even get me to trade in my '91 MR2!
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Re: Cars you would like to see

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MisterTwo wrote:
Shadow wrote:I'm actually shocked that we haven't yet seen a turbo BRZ or FR-S. I thought for sure that they'd offer one once the initial demand started to taper off.

IMO, the addition of a turbo (with another 50 HP, and even more torque) would really make it a fantastic car. The low-end torque is the key though....it would completely transform the car for sure.
Yeah, that might even get me to trade in my '91 MR2!


Think the 2015 Subaru BRZ needs more power? Cosworth has a 230 hp solution

Cosworth, who is located in the UK, is a global technology business that develops performance upgrades for automotive and sport. Because of their motorsport heritage and decades of building relationships with automakers, Cosworth has positioned themselves to become an approved upgrade partner for global car manufacturers. They will be offering “fully validated” power packages and it starts with Subaru FA20 engine upgrades. Cosworth will offer these fully guaranteed Power Package options that will take the Subaru FA20 engine’s power output from the standard 197bhp to a fully validated 325bhp and eventually on to a 380hp race track configuration. Available immediately will be the Stage 1 Power Package that Cosworth says will bump the hp in the sports cars to 230 bhp. - See more at: http://www.torquenews.com/1084/think-20 ... 9p23o.dpuf
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Re: Cars you would like to see

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BRZ & FR-S FIZZLE - From Autoline Daily
Every now and then it’s worthwhile to turn around and look back at how certain cars are performing in the marketplace. Two years ago Subaru made a big splash with the introduction of the BRZ, a low cost sports car. One of the reasons it was able to offer it at a low cost was that Subaru teamed up with Toyota to co-develop the car and sell it all around the world. Toyota calls the model the 86, except in the US market where it’s sold as the Scion FRS. Unfortunately sports cars go through a predictable trajectory. A flurry of media coverage lights off a sales frenzy, and then after a year or two, sales drop like Iraq. And that’s what’s happening with these cars, at least in the US market. So far this year Subaru has only sold 664 BRZ’s, a drop of 45% compared to last year. Scion has sold 1,552 FRS’s, a 21% drop. The only cure for this is to tough it out, hold on until a design refresh hopefully sparks a new sales flurry, until the cycle starts again.
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Re: Cars you would like to see

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Rope-Pusher wrote:BRZ & FR-S FIZZLE - From Autoline Daily
Every now and then it’s worthwhile to turn around and look back at how certain cars are performing in the marketplace. Two years ago Subaru made a big splash with the introduction of the BRZ, a low cost sports car. One of the reasons it was able to offer it at a low cost was that Subaru teamed up with Toyota to co-develop the car and sell it all around the world. Toyota calls the model the 86, except in the US market where it’s sold as the Scion FRS. Unfortunately sports cars go through a predictable trajectory. A flurry of media coverage lights off a sales frenzy, and then after a year or two, sales drop like Iraq. And that’s what’s happening with these cars, at least in the US market. So far this year Subaru has only sold 664 BRZ’s, a drop of 45% compared to last year. Scion has sold 1,552 FRS’s, a 21% drop. The only cure for this is to tough it out, hold on until a design refresh hopefully sparks a new sales flurry, until the cycle starts again.
If I had an extra 25k to splash on a vehicle - and I didn't need it to be practical - I would totally consider getting either of those vehicles. The FRS was a blast to drive the handful of times I got to do so.
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