Muscle cars

D_Felix the Bat

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For a little trip down memory lane, here's a road test of a 1968 Hurst/Olds from the Car & Track TV series I found on youtube. Also more muscle car tests, AMX, GTX etc..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpmxaamNwhw

I have to say I was impressed with the acceleration times, considering the G70-14 tires (about 225/70-14 in todays sizing?) trying to hook the 500ft/lbs of torque up! Not to mention the weight of the car and the 3 speed automatic transmission!
 

D_Tully Tunnelrat

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Oh yeah it's true. Why else would you replace four-wheel disc brakes with disc up front and drum brakes in the rear?? Yes drum brakes :mad:

That's a pretty significant step backwards. Guess they can't move Audi up market enough, so improved tech trickles down to VW. So, now VW Jettas are trying to compete with $13K Ford Fiestas? Not a savvy move.

Audi suspension is a bit firm, but my A3, sans S status, is about as tight mid turn as an open wheel formula car. Add the S series suspension, chip it, and hit the track, you'll blow off cars at twice the price.
 
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deleted15807

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That's a pretty significant step backwards. Guess they can't move Audi up market enough, so improved tech trickles down to VW. So, now VW Jettas are trying to compete with $13K Ford Fiestas? Not a savvy move.

It's what you do when you have a sales goal that doesn't align with building great cars. It seems the goal should be to build cars people want and oh by the way it's made us #1. Rather than lets be #1 and cut corners wherever we can to get there.

To wit: VW aims to triple sales in the U.S., a key cog of its effort to topple Toyota as the world’s No. 1 carmaker.

New VW of America CEO will target market
 
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798686

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^ I agree. Why not build great cars (like they always have) instead of wrecking your products in a mad dash to be #1. It just means they're cars become 2nd priority and will suffer as a result. :(

@Duc - I heard Audi's suspensions are quite firm. :p Good build quality tho, and great dashboards. :D
 
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deleted15807

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^ I agree. Why not build great cars (like they always have) instead of wrecking your products in a mad dash to be #1. It just means they're cars become 2nd priority and will suffer as a result. :(

They should take a lesson from Toyota whose mad dash to #1 was a success but came at great costs to quality and company image. I also heard they plan on putting the screws to Porsche to sell more now that they own them which is a cryin sham. Porsche has built a stellar reputation of building great 'exclusive' cars, now look out. Who knows what they're gonna slap the Porsche badge on now.
 
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798686

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Yeh, it's a bit worrying. :( Toyota's recent problems should highlight the dangers of putting volume first (at the expense of everything else).

VW has got decent products at the moment (new Jetta and Fox aside), so let's hope they don't get too carried away. Their Audi subsidiary is worrying tho - altho their new cars are good, they seem to be entering way too many market segments.

I think Porsche ended up as part of VW due to a botched, highly-leveraged takeover attempt on the much bigger VW (following lots of mucking about on the stock markets) which left them in debt to the tune of 10 bn euros. So...they did kinda bring it on themselves. I hope they're discerning about what they bring out tho. No stupid 'city cars' like the Aston Cygnet, please. :S
 
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deleted15807

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I think Porsche ended up as part of VW due to a botched, highly-leveraged takeover attempt on the much bigger VW (following lots of mucking about on the stock markets) which left them in debt to the tune of 10 bn euros. So...they did kinda bring it on themselves. I hope they're discerning about what they bring out tho. No stupid 'city cars' like the Aston Cygnet, please. :S

Yes the execs at Porsche got nervous and wanted to beat VW/Audi to the punch and take them over before the reverse happened. Instead they were taken over themselves. They felt they were too small to survive independently. The same thing would have happened to BMW but they have been growing very well on their own.

But now:
Now that it's owned by Volkswagen, Porsche reportedly is planning two small vehicles that the German sports car maker's previous management had nixed.

Ownership change may revive two small Porsches

In the US market VW is dead last in brand reliability:
Consumer Reports Car Reliability Charts
(A typical eight-year-old Volkswagen has almost three times the number of problems as a typical eight-year-old Toyota)
They really need to fix that issue BEFORE chasing sales.
 
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798686

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Oh dear - they certainly do. :/

They've got a good rep here...is there not enough quality control at their Mexico plants?

I wonder how much the cost of shipping new Skodas over to the States would add to the list price? Could badge them as VW's, avoid any quality problems in their American plants and still sell them for roughly the same price (as they're lower cost than Veedubs over here). Might not fly tho, but worth a thought.

Fabia could replace Polo/Fox (if you have that?).
Octavia for Jetta,
and Superb for Passat.
 
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D

deleted15807

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They've got a good rep here...is there not enough quality control at their Mexico plants?

I wonder how much the cost of shipping new Skodas over to the States would add to the list price? Could badge them as VW's, avoid any quality problems in their American plants and still sell them for roughly the same price (as they're lower cost than Veedubs over here). Might not fly tho, but worth a thought.

Fabia could replace Polo/Fox (if you have that?).
Octavia for Jetta,
and Superb for Passat.

I don't exactly know what the problem is but a friend of mine knows a VW exec in Germany and he said he wanted nothing to do with VW America. It was too much of a mess.
 

vince

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Oh dear - they certainly do. :/

They've got a good rep here...is there not enough quality control at their Mexico plants?

I wonder how much the cost of shipping new Skodas over to the States would add to the list price? Could badge them as VW's, avoid any quality problems in their American plants and still sell them for roughly the same price (as they're lower cost than Veedubs over here). Might not fly tho, but worth a thought.
Joll, I was in Ireland two weeks ago and rented a 2010 Passat. Built in Germany I would assume. It had 54000 km on the clock. What piece of s... Acres of the tackiest plastic I have ever seen in a car, moulded into a terribly styled wrap around dash. The controls are illogical and shifting the transmission was a chore. When I pushed the poor motor it just screamed for mercy. It rattled and rode like a hay wagon.

Ford Europe builds much much better cars, even if the new Focus and Mondeo are a bit ho hum compared to their predessors.

But back to real Muscle cars. I always wanted a 69 SS 396 Chevelle. When I move back to Canada I intend to rebuild one.
 
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798686

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^Ford Europe does build good stuff, I agree. Fiesta is best small car - plus Focus and Mondeo are good.

Not sure how new replacements will fare, since they're 'world cars' designed in America rather than Europe.

Sorry for getting off topic, btw. ;)
 

sdbg

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I was a teen in the late '60s. I was so into all the muscle cars, especially Chevrolets. I always wanted a big block SS, but alas, had a 40 hp VW bug. I used to race it at the dragstrip in the B/Stock VW class. It was a lot of fun even though it took 20 seconds to do the 1/4 mile. My sister had a red '67 GTO convertible with 4 speed. I loved that car. When she would let me use her car, I used to race my friend Mark with his '66 Mustang fastback that had the 271 hp high performance factory engine. The GTO would pull away after second gear. We knew a guy who bought a new '66 Impala SS with a 427 motor 425hp with 4 speed. He took me for a ride and scared the crap out of me. That was the fastest car that I've ever been in.

Fast forward to the 2000s. I bought a '93 Mustang 5.0 with 5 speed. The car wasn't anything to look at, but it hauled ass. A year later, I sold it and bought a red '01 Mustang GT convertible w/ 5 speed. The car was fully optioned out and I really loved it. When gas went up to over $4.50 per gallon, my muscle car days ended. I sold the Mustang and moved on.

Now I have a 5 speed Honda Fit Sport. It's a great little car and always gets 30+ mpg when I fill up. The manual transmission makes it fun to drive.
 

Remington

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I was a teen in the late '60s. I was so into all the muscle cars, especially Chevrolets. I always wanted a big block SS, but alas, had a 40 hp VW bug. I used to race it at the dragstrip in the B/Stock VW class. It was a lot of fun even though it took 20 seconds to do the 1/4 mile. My sister had a red '67 GTO convertible with 4 speed. I loved that car. When she would let me use her car, I used to race my friend Mark with his '66 Mustang fastback that had the 271 hp high performance factory engine. The GTO would pull away after second gear. We knew a guy who bought a new '66 Impala SS with a 427 motor 425hp with 4 speed. He took me for a ride and scared the crap out of me. That was the fastest car that I've ever been in.

Fast forward to the 2000s. I bought a '93 Mustang 5.0 with 5 speed. The car wasn't anything to look at, but it hauled ass. A year later, I sold it and bought a red '01 Mustang GT convertible w/ 5 speed. The car was fully optioned out and I really loved it. When gas went up to over $4.50 per gallon, my muscle car days ended. I sold the Mustang and moved on.

Now I have a 5 speed Honda Fit Sport. It's a great little car and always gets 30+ mpg when I fill up. The manual transmission makes it fun to drive.

You should look into the newer Mustang GT's. 412hp and can get ~30 on the hwy with a 6 speed.:headbang:
 
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798686

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I was out for a morning walk and saw this one, does it count???
I like it. :wink:

Back to Veedubs (sorry). New Passat looks fugly - about 10yrs less modern than the current one. What are they playing at?!!

New Eos (Golf convertible) is sexy tho.