Cars: Search & Destroy

STOP BITCHING YOU TOSSER!!

heh heh

my answer - - anything that runs. I do live in Dallas you know. We don't even have sidewalks.

http://www.compucars.co.uk/carpics/Lg15673-01.jpg

Destroy -

everything else.

http://www.manaszk.it.pl/zarty/citroen.jpg

because it's true.

Oh bahahaha.

If you buy a VW be aware the the total cost of ownership is higher than almost any other car except a Saab or some such. The warranty is for shit and you WILL get fucked in the ass by the dealership the minute anything goes wrong.

I would totally support getting a Nissan or Honda at this point, I've also heard that Hyundai has turned itself into quite the success story re: features & reliability for the money.

I think that unless you ABSOLUTELY want the latest model it's better to go with used. I am rapidly becoming acquainted with the fact that your purchase loses (at least) a third of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot, resale-wise.

2) I guess if someone were going to up and give me a car it would be a Mercedes CL600. I saw one at the autoshow and it was gorgeous, I was filled with lust. Though looking it up right now it doesn't offer a manual transmission and my car needs a stick! I'd pick a BMW 645Ci instead but the idrive scares me ...

3) The car chase in 52 Pick-Up is quite exciting.

What happens when a Mini Cooper and a Ford F-150 meet a fixed object (hint: the "F" stands for "fatality")

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002GWB.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

http://195.96.170.31/covers/r/ric_ocasek/group.jpg

It must be cute. Small. The color should be perhaps be red. With a cream interior? Leather?

So . . .

http://www.jkoons3.com/graphics/Jetta-2.jpg

or

http://aerorentacar.com/images/bug.jpg

?

Other options, Mini Cooper, Toyota Corrolla (not the same cuteness factor, but drove as a rental car and liked it).

One problem is that I'm not that fond of the "new" Jetta.

I thought the Beetle would be a lot chepaer than the Jetta, bc: tiny, 2 doors, twee, but the standard package is just like 1,500 cheaper than a Jetta. Why?

also, that matrix thing is fugly

http://images.speurders.nl/images/44/4443/4443638_1_detail.jpg

I'm thinking about another A4 in black this time next year, maybe two or three years old as the new one's (with the full "Auto Union" style grill) aren't really that special to me. I'm also considering the Prius and the Toureg (but only because the interior is so beautiful).

While the new Jetta's styling is a mis-step, the upcomig Passat is beautiful!

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/001__scaled_600_047.jpg

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/002__scaled_600_044.jpg

My ideal ride is probably an Audi A8L or S8, or an early seventies Charger or Challenger. I agree with Toraneko upthread about F1, but I also love Le Mans.

http://www.byways.com.au/aston/db4.jpg

http://www.autoreview.ru/new_site/year2001/n20/mercedes/mb_21a.jpg

ihttp://www.autoextremist.com/NAIAS2005/Toyota/CamrySolara.jpg

Try to park in the shade. Use windshield sunshade. Leave sunroof popped up. Sometimes leave windows cracked. Sear ass, backs of legs and hands on hot leather seats.

http://www.avantglance.com/wp-content/hondacivic06_6.jpg

http://mclellansautomotive.com/photos/B32647.jpg

http://homepage.hispeed.ch/Schnupfseite/harley%20_flatboy_org.jpg

http://www.coolstuffchannel.com/www.coolstuffchannel.com/MT/images/honda%20techno.jpg

I KNOW, I KNOW, it's a honda. Whatever. Look at it.

http://foto.spullenbank.nl/common/img/00/00/01/09/_T10962.jpg

I also like the car in the beginning of Ma Nuit Chez Maud.

If I were to get a car now, I would get a hybrid, but I don't know of any models that look nice.

xpost that photo won't work for me :(

The new Mustang is one of the few new cars I solidly like. Too bad the Ford dealerships have been nothing but asses about it - putting a $6000 to $7000 dealer "markup" on it and refusing test drives to people interested in the GT. I was able to test drive the V6 though and concluded that the GT is the only way to go - it'll pretty much pass anything except for gas stations.

http://users.pld.com/rbriggs/images/66rickmust.jpg

http://www.onysd.wednet.edu/~g98s57/cars/ford/67galaxy500.JPG

My girlfriend pines after this ugly thing:
http://www.jumy.de/suv/mitsubis/Mitshubishi_Rasheen_1994.jpg>

I'd rather have this:
http://img.221616.com/car_images/catalog/400x300/1020019.jpg>

But the car I really want is this:
http://toyota.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/Century/exterior/images/ex01_svg.jpg

Do you get renaults in the states because a turbo Diesel renault megane might be right up your street. Quirky styling cheap to run, quite quick, easy to drive. Loads of room in the back and boot whilst still being a little smaller than a golf on the outside. My cousin and his wife have them and think they are great and I've had them as hire cars a lot and think a great deal of them. Also the safest in the class I think. They have a service interval of about 20,000 kilometers as well.

I'm disappointed that Jetta is no longer looking toward the youth market. They are trying to hold on to the youths who bought before but are now grown up and married--but what about the people who are still youthful?

Re the Mini: I'm sure it's a great car for dashing around the city, but I'm not sure it is a suburban dream. I've read reports that it is a bit sluggish to accelerate and can be a bit patchy on the open road. Also, the dashboard looks hella confusing to me.

I think the Golf could be a good compromise. Not particularly cute, but with a certain oafish charm. Cheaper than a Beetle (with more room) and less aspirational than a Jetta.

http://www.einszweidrei.de/vw/golf2basis1987-1.jpg

http://www.portholeauthority.com/thenewtbird/2004/photos/04iceblue7.jpg

Destroy: my p.o.s. Ford Taurus. please.

(though i do have a weakness for cars that are shaped like this, usually 80's buicks)
http://home.nordnet.fr/~mvanseveren/bitume/img/ref/buick_1.jpg

I would suggest the 4 door.

Maybe I should just go for a Toyota Corolla that will turn on a dime, fit easily into parking spaces, run forever, and not feel the need to make any design statements.

http://www.vwvortex.com/gallery/generated//Volkswagen/Golf%20-%20GTI%20-%20Rabbit/Golf%20V/Generations/066__scaled_600.jpg

Nothing at the moment, but looked at one of these yesterday (w/o the paintjob & fancy addons):
http://www.chrysler.gil.com.au/DrfVnHgn.jpg
Probably will get something similar, but a Ford or Holden version. Anything between 1972-1979

Would love one of these: http://www.allpar.com/model/images/charger/1969-dodge.jpg
or these:
http://www.uniqueautoart.com/vhcharger01.jpg

Mad Max, Italian Job, Gone in 60 Seconds (original), Death Race 2000... the list could go for ages.

PS. Fuck you to anyone wanting an SUV or similar. Hope you die in a rollover.

http://graffik.pl/galeria/Mercedes-Benz_olive.jpg

You're not 2600% more likely to be killed or injured if you have a collision with them though.

The missing pic is a '69 Dodge Charger. Like Dennis Hopper's in 'Blue Velvet'

My pick of the golf is the GT TDI. Good acceleration. good fuel economy. the 4Motion version would be good if you could afford it. The S TDI is a good seond option.

I have a '66 Barracuda (not running now), and I really wouldn't want to get hit in that. The gas filler tube goes through the passenger compartment because of the big fastback window, so any disruption there would likely spray gas gasoline all over the compartment.

Is the UK all-Diesel?

I pointed out the Golf to my mom today and she confirmed my worst suspicions: "It looks like a small station wagon." :(

Maybe I should just pretend to care about the environment and get a Prius. But can't environmentally safe cars come in boxy packages?

To the European eye the golf looks like a mid sized hatchback, rather than a small estate. Do you get citroen? The 3 door C4 might be right up your street.

I couldn't live with myself if I drove a BMW--it would be like renounding everything the 18-yr-old Mary stood for.

http://www.autohaus.net/images/2497.jpg

We seem to get most of the Europeans except for the French.

We used to have a nice compact Merc circa 80s that my mom gave away a few years ago argh.

Old Volvos are okay but they get a little rusty when you get them old enough to look good. New Vovos are too pedestrian. My mom's friend tried to sell me a white one 10 years ago and I nipped that in the bud.

Saab too swoopy and aspirational.

Basically, I think I want an Old Jetta. Maybe they call with Jetta Classic.

Mary: there's absolutely no comparison between the quality of today's Renaults and the ones from the 70s and 80s. New French cars are better made today than most new American cars -- it's the same with the Itlians. You should also consider a used C-class Mercedes -- they're terrific cars, and much less expensive than you'd imagine.

Do you get the "SAABaru" in the states, then? IE the impreza wrx w/the saab-styled front end. I don't think they imported them into the uk.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/tmb/7879_image.jpg

Sickening really!

Edmunds is a great resource for these kinds of questions:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/car/69707519.html

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/car/69572306.html

http://www.bestjapancar.com/NISSANS/FGFR.JPG

I've gone off VW for now. I've done my consumer research and I didn't realize that they were not the best for maintenance/repair. I am surprized bc I thought VW stood for safety and longevity and all that good stuff. The Passat did get good ratings, but fuck a Passat.

I like the Hyundai Elantra--it's a cutie. However, without an acceptable safetly rating I don't think it is the car for me. Love the colors though--it feels quite fresh.

Seems in my compact range--Toyota and Honda have the best reps, for safety and reliability. This is important bc I have no money and I would be very sad if I had a car and it broke down and I had to spend a ton of money to fix it. Of course, cars are prone to break down, but I would rather have the least prone to break down car of the bunch.

Cars are so expensive! I don't know how anyone affords one!

So I am thinking of Civic or Corolla, or Prius or Civic hybrid. Civic is the smaller one, right? I mix it up with Accord.

I'm thinking red might not be the best color to get in this instance. Red is for drawing attention to a car, but when you are driving a mainstream, run of the mill car, maybe you don't want to draw attention? Maybe a nice silver . . . .? Fade into the background . . . .

http://www.nw-autopage.com/lg_pics/0010241.jpg

I'm really not looking forward to replacing my car when it finally expires...I'd rather not deal with them at all, but that's not very realistic given where I live.

Hmm. I think if you subtract the amount of money you are saving in automobilism, NYC is really not that expensive to rent. A space to live, not the whole city. I guess I knew this in the abstract but I am just feeling the crushing weight of it now. Plus, I don't like to go out on the road with all of the crazies.

PS: Nicole if you have any advice for me on the librarian thread I would appreciate it. For instance, which type of vehicle best suits a woman of letters.

RJG: First a camera that can only be purchased in JP, than a similarly Nipponise car. Get with the times, dude, it all about Korean these days. Can you pass the kimchee?

I got that, in the end, from austria.

: )

And to RJG: Perhaps you can get this J-car from Austria, too?

Do we have any Gen Y-ers here? How does they feel about the Scion.

Or if you would prefer, and approve and submit, I could ask questions & you could proffer advice and/or dire warnings via personal e-mail accounts.

Gabb, don't make me cry. The MC lives in a galaxy far, far away, known to mortals by the name of Sterling.

Mary, I've had a Civic and I'd tell you to go for it, but get the moonroof, especially if you smoke cigs/jam tunes loud.

x-post, thanks Spencer for confirming my desires!

Alternately, have a shady salesman; we had one and as a result we ended up getting a Rav 4 L model valued at $27K for the base model no-amenity price of $21K.

The dealer sold me this lovely sob story about how he bought the same car for his daughter, that's how much he believed in it, in the middle of the story his daughter changed into his niece, before he caught himself and said, I mean, my daughter.

Alternately, lie out of your ass and tell them you're looking at a private sale for a similar car that's 20-30% less, but stress that you really, really love their car. If you moon over it enough and convince them that you're itching to pull the trigger, they will either drop the price for you or start throwing mad free shit at you to get you to sign the papers.

Hahaha also ask him how much he would make his niecedaughter pay. And still lowball the price even if you're willing to pay it.

You're doing a bit of a number on yourself here, since the implication is that anything beyond the bare necessities is a frivolous expense.

Assuming that mileage etc is equal, EX IS THE BETTER VALUE. Not only because it has things will increase your actual enjoyment (e.g., moonroof) and things that make it safer (e.g., ABS, an extra 12hp), but because it doesn't really cost $1000 more - that same stuff that you like retains its value, and will allow you to ask more for the car when you eventually sell it or trade it in, whether that's one year from now or ten.

Depending on the price your dealer's asking, you may also want to look at a new Civic EX. Yes, a NEW CIVIC EX. The Civic is due for replacemant by the end of the year, and Honda's been quietly offering its dealers some pretty nice spiffs to keep the current model moving. In the past year, I've helped two different acquiantances get fully-loaded Civic EX sedans for $16.5K with minimal negotiation.

I'd recommend going to carsdirect.com and checking out how much they sell Civics for in your area. There's no downside, and they offer live prices, which lets you just say, hey Mr. Honda Salesman, I'd like to work with you but I'm not going to pay for the privilege, here's what I can get a new Civic for, is there any point in us talking further?

AND FUCK CARS AND CAR MOVIES (2 FAST 2 FURIOUS LOLOLOL)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

My first point of contact dude was really cool, like I had to ask him if I could do a test-drive, there was no pressure, but after awhile his crazy manager came out to seal the deal. At one point (after I brought in my mom) he was going on about his daughter again, and then he referred to letting the mother take of the warranty, and then he actually said, "Oh, it's my niece." Get one straight story.

After we agreed on the price, they said they were gonna send some in to talk to us about how to take care of our car while they set up the lease processing. I thought, cool, I'll get some tips. That's when the girl started going off about the paint and etc. She said, You don't want to get an alarm for the third most stolen car in America? And I was like, no, that's okay. And my mom was like, they always just go off in parking lots anyway. But I wasn't prepared for those pitches so was happy to read here not to worry about them. She was going to charge a special deal of $595 for the paint sealant/warranty.

I also drove a '02 green Corolla with 50,000 miles that was exactly like the rental car I took to North Carolina which was so so so much cheaper. But the drive was just not as nice at all. My car has only 5,000 miles on it.

But it is hard to recognize the odd nugget of truth under the pile of BS. Good call on the alarm, btw.

Instead of the alarm, just get a Club (but remember to use it). Also, during cold months, you can still leave the moonroof open (even at night). Just put the heater on your feet. This is one of my favorite things.

I'm so excited. I can't believe I have a car sitting in my driveway.

NEEEEEEAAAYAAYAHAAYAAYAYAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mom used a charming & bewildering tactic as I was deept into negotiations last night. Out of the blue, she pulled this coupon out of her pocket, and said, this is for a car sale sponsored by the Apple Credit Union next weekend. Do you think we should go to this? As we were haggling over the price of the car that I pretty much intended to buy.

The most common ones around here are the Bush/Cheney, and the Kerry/Edawards stickers. I made my mom take hers off (K/E) her car, bc I was like, that election is over. But every one keeps them on, so maybe I should have let her keep it. And of course the ubiquitous yellow ribbon stickers. Sometimes even two or three. Gareth and I found that the more Support our Troops stickers a person has on their SUV, the less likely they are to let you merge into their lane.

If you go with bumper stickers, go all the way and just put it on. People who scotch tape them to the rear window are lame. The bumper sticker isn't going to make your 1994 Chevy Lumina completely worthless, dude.

I swear that read as "commuting with men in the nude"

http://www.jalopnik.com/cars/facelvega.jpg

More to the point, I'm in love with their logo

http://www.cars-a-z.net/f/facel-vega-logo.jpg

http://www.pcauto.com.cn/pingce/gwsj/bmw/0410/pic/041019_1series_02.jpg
http://www.screensavershot.com/automation/bmw1.jpg

I can relate to this. I would add Corvette owners to this lovely group of folks. Thankfully there aren't a lot of them.

I can't decide if I like the look of this car.
http://www.mbusa.com/media/images/main/models/gallery/photo_gallery/cls/coupe_ext_1_main.jpg
http://www.mbusa.com/media/images/main/models/gallery/photo_gallery/cls/coupe_ext_5_main.jpg
http://www.mbusa.com/media/images/main/models/CLS500C_main.jpg

I think I've come to the conclusion that this is the single most offensive automobile:
http://content3.us.porsche.com/prod/cayenne/cayenne_common.nsf/Resources/cayenne_gallery_exterior05/$file/stg_5.jpg

my roommate in college's sister was a professional trophy wife. she had a big ol V12 SEL, which is probably the best car I've ever ridden in. Going 130 for big stretches and the ride was so smooth that if you closed your eyes you wouldn't even know the engine was going. she also had a porsche 911, but only let us go around the block in it.

I read that MB has screwed themselves by differentiating their brand and their price points so readily. To the effect of I think ten years ago there were 3 lines and now there are god knows how many. And the dealerships are hurting bc they have such a wide range of people with different expectations coming through their doors and they don't know how to cater to them. Plus, the product has gone down-hill. However, the 70s Mercedes has the Euopean art film cachet. Think of all the MB sedans pulling up in the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

I've seen a lot of the new Jettas on the road. They are not that bad, but I wonder why they had to make the Jetta so much bigger. Maybe they will introduce a cute, pre-Jetta like car?

Ideal car @ this moment = the same thing, but new, or maybe one of those benz vito vans.

http://imgs.idnes.cz/ak_aktual/A040108_SAM_1024PEUGEOT407ELIXIR01_N.JPG

too bad i dont have a drivers license, or money

So I can't find anyplace else to put this -- over the weekend I went home to Carmel to visit my folks as well as my aunt and uncle, who had come out for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, aka old fancy cars galore that sell for millions. I didn't go on Sunday to the event itself but on Thursday I found myself at a couple of side events and while I'm obviously not a car freak per se, I figured folks would like to see some of what was on offer -- Duesenbergs, Bugattis, Aston-Martins, etc. etc.. Look through my Flickr set and go nuts.

So I can't find anyplace else to put this

I Love Cars?

I've been to both the classic car races at Laguna Seca and the Pebble Beach Concours about a half dozen or so times over the years. (my mom hasn't missed it in 25 years) It's gotten much more expensive to go now, but I like dropping in now and then

The other big event at Monterey is the Christie's auction on Thursday night. The big story out of that was Steve McQueen's Ferrari 250 GT Lusso selling for 2.3 million

Higher than I'd heard estimated. Nice.

And thanks for all the IDing, of course -- will update the captions accordingly.

along these lines, I'll get around to organizing that FAP to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar one of these days(has a car collection but the musical instruments look even cooler). Huell Howser made it look boffo but then he tends to do that.

Um, can anyone tell me about frame damage? I took my car to Carmax and they told me it had frame damage and would therefore offer me $8500. Its blue book value is like $14,000. Before, I took it to the dealer I bought it from and he told me he would give me $8500-10,000, possibly $10,950. I had body work done after I lost control on ice (had a back door replaced) but neither the dude who fixed my car nor my insurance told me there was frame damge. There was $5,000 work done on it. What should I do? If I offer this car for a private sale, what should I divulge? I don't want to screw anyone over, but I feel like the car is worth at least $12,000, but maybe there is frame damage and it is a piece of junk? Should I just try to get as much as I can from the orginal dealer?

No advice for me? I put it on Craigslist for a little under what I think it's worth--waiting to see if anything happens.

Can you take it back to the repair shop and say "hey, you missed the frame damage"? Do they have a frame machine that could straighten it out?

I just checked my report from the repair shop, and they do list "frame work" as one (of many) of the repairs. The frame is apparently fixed, but now the car is tainted and its value considerably reduced.

We drive one of these, but black and three door rather than five:

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop-460x345/micra40_ew.jpg

It's alright; economical, nippy, easy to park, comfortable, etc., but not very exciting. I'm not really into exciting, though.

This is my dream 'normal' car, I think:

http://www.analogstereo.com/images/om/volkswagen_polo.jpg

Can't really afford /justify one now, but in a couple of years we'd love to get one. It just seems like the perfect small car, the platonic essence of small carness. I always think when I see one "why would you want to drive anything else?" Apart from maybe, if money was even less of an object (ditto practicality):

http://www.autobytel.com/images/2007/Volkswagen/EOS_Staff/400/07_VW_EOS_07.jpg

If money was no object, though...

http://theaviator.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/aston_martin_vanquish_01.jpg

The best car in the universe is the Mach 6 by Racer Motors:

http://blogs.cars.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/14/mach5500.jpg

It's powered by a Bernoulli engine.

Whoops. That's the Mach 5.

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/images/2008/04/17/sr1864660.jpg

i want a smart car or a mini. or a fiat!

http://www.classicaldrives.com/50226711/new_fiat500.jpg

car sharing, people

NB - i am an employee of a chicagoland car sharing company

i think i'd look pretty silly driving an element, so i guess i would like a 1986 accord or, especially if road noise is a problem, a 1988 legend

I drive past a '75 or '76 BMW 2002 every day and I swear that if it ever goes up for sale...

It looks kinda like this:

http://www.theresearchsource.net/images/2002.h3.jpg

I had a 1990 V6 Legend for a long time. My Acura mechanic drives a 1988 Legend.

The Legend was one of the best cars ever built IMO. I drive a newer Acura but I think the Legend was better. If you can find one that's never been in a major collision you should get one.

I drove an Oldsmobile Alero (2001) for 6 years without a problem, then it just DIED. No little, fixable problem, it needed a new everything, which would have cost more than the car was worth. Now I drive a Mini Cooper S, and it's the bestest ever. You can fit a lot more than you'd think inside, and it's fast and fuel efficient.

I can fix a lot of things but when the electrical harness starts to go, you're car's telling you it's about to break your heart.

2002s are great. chris what do you think of that new BMW 1-series, it's got a major 2002 throwback thing going on.

if i actually bought a car, in the absence of knowledge of any kind, i'm kinda guessing i would put branding aside and get an un-sporty camry or toyota hybrid. the one brand i would D is mercedes.

felicity i will challenge your mach 6 with the mazda furai:

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/mazdafuraiconceptmazdafurai04500img.thumbnail.jpg

S/D of cars we use; my main criteria here, tbh, is the ease with which I can transport a bike in the back, which is basically what i do all day. mega bonus points for not having to take the wheel off.

Search:

* Priuses: "cool," nice control layout, surprisingly peppy, very capacious (seats fold FLAT, bike goes in whole!), MPG, good visibility when you back up and stuff, easy to estimate where the snub nose is at any given time, ditto the rear bumper: there's basically a window right there
* Honda Fits: tiny on the outside, massive on the inside. like, hueg. once again, there is a very clever folding system that allows the seats to lie totally flat on the inside. boxy shape means you can fit a ton of shit inside. guaranteed that most of my band's equipment (minus drums) could manage. sporty shifting, if you're into that.
* Toyota Matrix: like the Fit, but bigger and faster. again, seats fold flat (no wheels off) AND they are lined with plastic on the back, so you don't have to worry about fucking up the seats. beefier than the Fits

D:

* Hybrid Honda Civic. Fuck this piece of shit. Terrible pickup, long snout is hard to judge, and AND AND the lot we've got DONT LET YOU FOLD DOWN THE BACKSEAT. <---- WTF. Moreover, the trunk is fucking tiny (smaller than the standard model, don't ask me why), which means that a bike cannot fit unless I take off all the wheels. so i say fuck it, and throw the bitch in the backseat, which means you sit on bike grease when i'm done.

* Honda Element. Spacious, yeah, but only if you hang up the rear seats, which is onerous in comparison to the way cars do it, AND it obliterates most of your rear visibility. they've fallen apart more quickly than anything else, and the low end models are all kind of plasticky.

2002s are great. chris what do you think of that new BMW 1-series, it's got a major 2002 throwback thing going on.

I like the 1-series a lot. I finally got to see one last week and it's much better looking in person than the foreshortened weirdo in the photographs. The 135i basically makes the 335i (if not the entire 3-series outside of the M3) irrelevant unless you absolutely have to have four doors and if that's the case, I'd opt for a Mercedes C300 with the six-speed. The big downside is that the 1-series is still freaking expensive, especially after factoring in insurance and servicing costs. Wait a couple years and I'm sure there will be sufficient quantities of low-mileage ones sitting in the pre-owned lot.

I gotta admit though, the turbo Volvo C30 is a potentially good alternate (a Volvo!?). You're either on board with the looks or not (I like the look) but the ride is much nicer than the Mini or with a lot more usable space.

Oooh, concept.
The Furai sounds sensational at full cry. As we exited Turn 11 onto the main straight with the sound of the rotary exhaust reverberating off the concrete pit wall, the effect was not of a lone car, but instead an entire field of endurance racers. With the Furai, Mazda is suggesting that this aural deception will soon become a reality as it moves to join Acura and Porsche in an assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

haitch, since the Mach 6 has never touched the asphalt of a real course, I graciously concede.

I drive past a '75 or '76 BMW 2002 every day and I swear that if it ever goes up for sale...

love those cars.

This is my car, only with four doors:

http://www.edmunds.com/media/reviews/top10/06.least.expensive.cars.to.insure/06.vw.gti.500.jpg

Pros:
- AN AWESOME CAR TO DRIVE - quick, fast, awesome handling
- Love the way it looks
- Surprisingly spacious
- Pretty good gas mileage for a sport tuned car (Over 30 on the highway)

Cons:
- Low-profile rims seem to not get along with pot holes AT ALL. I've had to replace two tires already in order to avoid potential blow-outs.
- Premium fuel be expensive, yo. This is somewhat mitigated by the good gas mileage.

I would buy it again, but might consider the not-so-low pro rims.

So anyway the Concours d'Elegance is just around the corner again and once again I'm going home to Carmel for a few days here -- not really for the cars but since other family always visit around that time it's good for a reunion.

And like last year, I'll take photos galore -- here's that 2007 set again. A couple of my favorites:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1192838309_de2dab4f2e.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1300/1192584593_64ad92487c.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1322/1193419974_6f7eb34cc5.jpg

NY Times story on the auction market, news of new auctions planned via the LA Times, etc. etc.

But what I want to know is 1) what's your ride, 2) what's your ideal ride, and 3) ...um... your favorite car movie. Yeah, that's the ticket.

1) Saab 9-3, bitches
2) 80's convertible Saab 900
3) Can't think of any

Lately I am in love with late 80s ferrari 400 series

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l0x8ultyPy1qbcfrco1_500.jpg
http://www.cannillomotorsports.com/pastinventory/86fer412/42.jpg

And also with early to mid 90s lexus SCs, which I think have something in common with the ferraris

http://autodata.ibsrv.net/images/?IMG=U4LEGEA4.jpg&WIDTH=425

Have you seen 'Electroma'? The 400 is aka the Daft Punk car now.

i used 2 have those micro machines i think

Electroma is actually where I first saw and liked the car, so yeah. Unoriginal of me I guess.

Totally original! Have been trying to find this one picture I recall of a red one, shot from the rear, in front of a modern house.

Maybe it's just the adjustment, but I had to take a rental for a few days and it's a Honda Fit and so far I fucking HATE driving this thing. Weird ass hatchback rear view, strange shape, handles weird, cannot get my spatial bearings whatsoever, driver seat sits uncomfortably. I feel like this thing was just invented to convince people to pay for the more expensive rental next time. I want my bougie accord back.

Should I buy a used Honda CR-V, a used Subaru Forester, or option C ___?

C = used 1994 Volvo 240 with 250,000 miles, Vermont plates, and dancing bear bumper sticker.

ime subarus and hondas are both reliable vehicles, but I'd give the edge to subarus