Dream Car

[Thoran]

If you talked to 50 car enthusiasts I'm sure you'd get 50 different criteria for what makes a great sports car (and this is a very good thing IMO). I for one don't care a whit for refinement, class, creature comforts, cool looks or pedigree. I care only about raw pavement rippling corner carving scare the neighbors power and performance and safety [img]smile.gif[/img] . My ultimate sports car weighs under 2500 lbs, has at least 700 hp, has AWD, no AC, no wood grained interior, no leather, no 400watt stereo, no power everything, no back seat, no sound insulation, no wasted weight. If I could afford such a car I could afford the Bentley for those days when I want to be comfortable [img]smile.gif[/img] .

I think TL mentioned the Ruf 911, that car, along with the F1, F40, the CLK-GTR, and maybe a few lesser known super-exotics are closest to fitting my needs... now if only I could get a few million disposable to buy a couple of em [img]smile.gif[/img] .

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by B_part: In my opinion the "civilized" feeling about the f50 compared to the anger of the f40 is a pro, not a con. Ferrari policy in the latest years has been to produce cars which are not only sporty, but also classy. They are built to be street cars, not racing cars - if you want to see a true racing ferrari, just take a look to the F2002 or the newest f2003GA. If you look to the last models, 575 Maranello, 360 modena and so on you will realize that they are not top of class as to performance, but have a style which all competitors lack. Even the latest superferrari, the Enzo, doesn't have performances comparable to that of a mclarenF1 Gtr or a CLK Gtr Mercedes, but that's not the aim.

This is true...nothing will stir your soul looking at it like an Italian car will - I think this is because Italians subscribe to the theory that the primary function of any design is to attract as much attention as possible. And the cars have cuore sportivo as well.

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Thoran: Quote: Originally posted by Memnoch: Quote: Originally posted by Jeffi0: Quote: Originally posted by Sir Krustin: Subaru makes a superb AWD sports car: the Impreza WRX.

The stock goes 0-100 in 5.6 seconds. For less than 25 grand. *drool..* The STi looks like it's gonna be great.[/QUOTE]Shame nobody but the Japanese market gets the top-spec STi5 Type RAV Limited Edition - 0-100 in 5 secs, 315bhp. [img]redface.gif[/img] Shame it looks a bit *over the top*...

[/QUOTE]Where did you find that? I though Jap spec. limited output to 280bhp... this looks more like something a kid in California would put together than a production car. [img]smile.gif[/img] I especially like the air intake on the roof... must be to feed the rear mounted engine. [img]smile.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]Tell you the truth, it is kitted up...the engine is production-available in Japan, though. Japanese manufacturers used to have a gentleman's agreement that limited output to 206Kw (280bhp). The STi S202 (pre-facelift) ignored that, with the engine above, and the latest Mitsubishi Evo VIII running 280bhp as well stock-standard (0-100 in 5.7secs), that agreement is out the door.

Shame that they both look so boy-racery...if only Subaru would put a more elegant shape over the Impreza - something like the old Mazda RX-7 or even the older Honda Preludes. They need a coupe in their lineup anyway...

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Mouse: Call me a mad bugger if you like, but as far as I'm concerned, it's got to be useable daily and look cool as buggery. They may no longer build them, but, my German friends, for a brief moment, you had the sheer genius to build this. *sigh*

I've driven one of those, a mate of mine had a dark-green one in Cincinnati back in the early 1990s (he was from Switzerland and wanted something different - he must've been the only person in Cincinnati that had a Corrado, when he parked it nobody could work out what it was). The Corrado's great fun! Very smooth gearstick and very responsive engine - but my Alfa's quicker.

[Epona]

Originally posted by Memnoch: This is true...nothing will stir your soul looking at it like an Italian car will - I think this is because Italians subscribe to the theory that the primary function of any design is to attract as much attention as possible.

And quite right too. They extended that thinking into scooter design too, which is why I love Italian scooters! Innocenti used a fashion designer to come up with designs for the model of Lambretta I own (and mechanically it's not bad either, was designed as a street-racer).

And believe me, it attracts attention all right. EVERYONE stops to look at me, I get smiles, waves, thumbs-up gestures, when I park people come over to admire it and ask me about it [img]smile.gif[/img] Same with my Vespa, tho on a lesser scale. I love it, both scooters were designed with posing in mind, and I wallow in the attention. [img]graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[B_part]

Originally posted by Epona: [QBAnd quite right too. They extended that thinking into scooter design too, which is why I love Italian scooters! [/QB]

Well, vespa and lambretta were really masterpiece designs. Nowadays scooters tend to be less appealing in design and really similar to each other - the focus is nowaday on performance more than looks, at least in my opinion. There are exceptions to this rule, like new model vespa or "habana" by aprilia, but only few of them.