Cars, Man

[StarHalo]

That flat black Panamera looks like something out of a twisted metal game, and I like it.

I agree it's not 911, but if you have to haul kids around and can't afford a Porsche AND a kid hauler it's a comfortable compromise.

The pictured model is a TechArt creation, so you can order an identical one.

And a Cayman and a daily driver would be cheaper, but the Panamera is much faster around a track than pretty much all the sub-$100 Porsches, including the base 911s.

 

[Monocrom]

Most people don't need AWD anyways.

I thought the same thing. But then . . . Last Winter, the first mild snow storm in NYC turned out to be the worst blizzard all Winter. An average 25 minute drive home took 3.5 hours for me to complete. A massive storm made worse by lazy jerks who couldn't be bothered to do their jobs properly at the work site, and at my apartment building. I was saved by a good Samaritan who happened to be outside with a snow shovel. (I now keep a telescoping, compact, snow shovel in my trunk.)

My ride was still new back then. All-season tires in good condition. FWD.

I felt the way you do . . . up until last Winter.

But especially with popular models like the Dodge Charger which are either RWD or AWD. The latter is worth the extra bucks.

 

[KLowD9x]

A bigger move up from an S60:

AUDI

Yeah, no.

Having worked on several VAG products (Including several Audi's), I can honestly say that I will never own one. You would think that a car packed full of German technology would be more reliable but they did something wrong.

I will keep my Swedes with Japanese technology (Denso/AW). They don't give me any hassles.

 

[morelightnow]

Yeah, no.

Having worked on several VAG products (Including several Audi's), I can honestly say that I will never own one. You would think that a car packed full of German technology would be more reliable but they did something wrong.

I will keep my Swedes with Japanese technology (Denso/AW). They don't give me any hassles.

I know exactly what you mean after working on Mercedes-Benz and Acura in the same building. I drive an Accord for many good reasons. I also had a chance to partake in training for several different manufacturers and Honda had the most organized and comprehensive learning program.

 

[StarHalo]

The new police cars (and the old):

Lots of "buts" with this one - the new RWD Caprice is the star in a straight line as long as you put E85 in it, but most cops won't pay for that or have it as an option. Plus the shifter is (for now) located on the center console and not the steering column, which is a dealbreaker for many municipalities.

The Taurus is a track star in AWD with spinners, which virtually no police force would pay for. Without AWD, the unpopular FWD is the base option.

The Charger manages decently, but is more popular than the other two by a large margin based on looks alone.

The new unibody Explorer utility does so well that it nearly matches the new sedans, and surpasses some of the older ones..

 

[StarHalo]

Still more Mustang:

$65k at Shelby's place buys you the new GT350 with 525hp worth of supercharger and Borla exhaust, plus fully revised suspension and brakes, and the body kit. The suspension is key, since it has the same quarter mile time as the Super Snake, despite the huge hp difference. And there's a 624hp option..

 

[Mjolnir]

I watched some videos of the Citroen GT on youtube, and its V8 engine noise sounds completely weird for its exterior styling. It looks like it should have a high revving european engine (apparently it is in the video game Gran Turismo 5, where it actually has electric motors), but it actually has what sounds like an American V8 that gives it an obscene growl.

 

[StarHalo]

it actually has what sounds like an American V8 that gives it an obscene growl.

Makes sense if you think about it, it's really only the Italians' V8s that have the flat-plane crank high-pitched wail. Everybody else's V8s sound pretty much like ours..

 

[StarHalo]

Word has it that the next generation of Porsche 911 will have its interior based on the Panamera's:

And the reason we keep coming back to Porsches and Mustangs is because there are so many of them; a brief list of current Porsche models:

the list grows to 21 with the inclusion of the Sport Classic:

 

[Monocrom]

I like Porsche, but from even a few feet away, all their models basically look the same. :shrug:

 

[StarHalo]

Speaking of flat plane crank sound, here's a prime example from the passenger seat of a Ferrari F430 Scuderia 16M playing on the Autobahn; the vid starts out with some silent stills, and we join the Scud as it slowly merges onto the freeway, accelerates violently, and reality unwinds.. (The speedo is in KPH; the left/9 o'clock position is 75mph, the top/12 o'clock is 150mph, where the 16M cruises comfortably. The 4.3 liter V8 redlines at just over 8600 rpm.)

Turn up your speakers and click here to enjoy

 

[Mjolnir]

It sure would be nice to have both an F430 and an autobahn handy... Were they driving with the top down at 150 mph?

I am not that big of a fan of some of the ferrari engines; they sometimes sound too mechanical and don't have enough "tone" to them. To me the enzo sounds sort of like a very loud food processor at higher rpms. I was slightly disappointed when I heard one in real life. I prefer the sound of the Pagani Zonda at higher revs.

 

[StarHalo]

It sure would be nice to have both an F430 and an autobahn handy... Were they driving with the top down at 150 mph?

Yup, the Scuderia is essentially a four-wheel sportbike as is, remove the top and you definitely get the full effect..

I like Porsche, but from even a few feet away, all their models basically look the same. :shrug:

It's all in the details..

911 Targa 4

Cayman

911 GT3

Boxster Spyder

 

[Mjolnir]

That is the fun part about porsches... You can have an 80,000 dollar porsche that looks almost the same as a 200,000 dollar porsche; identifying which model is which requires knowing certain details like the number and placement of exhausts and side intakes (or you could read the badge on the back).

 

[StarHalo]

sshhh

Leaked image of the new Lamborghini, the 2200 lb. Sesto Elemento ("Sixth Element")

 

[StarHalo]

The Lamborghini got the official reveal today at the Paris Auto Show; it's only an tech demonstrator platform, but stuffing the 570hp V10 all-wheel-drive drivetrain into a car that brings the total curb weight to less than a Mazda Miata would certainly be a demonstration..

You can see the intricate crossbrace in the cabin through the windshield in the image above; the car doesn't have a dashboard, it just has a brace that the steering column and displays are mounted on, the cockpit tubs are otherwise completely exposed:

 

[Monocrom]

Lambo should call it what it is.

The Satan Mobile.

"Wanna go for a ride? I'll drive you straight to . . . the mall!" :devil:

 

[StarHalo]

The Satan Mobile.

Funny you should put it that way, and not just because it's the Superleggera engine in a carbon fiber box with no sound deadening material and no provision for getting air into the cabin, but there's also how they brought it into the display area..

 

[Monocrom]

LOL !

 

[skalomax]

How in tarnation did they get that lambo to weigh 2200lbs with a V10 and AWD system, that itself is an engineering wonder.