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Post by TsunamiSephi on Nov 16, 2007 9:12:50 GMT -5
It's a front wheel drive hatch is it not? Point taken. But where I live, AWD glory and rwd fun aren't cheap. I did find a guy trying to sell a fully custom '80 triumph tr8 and a '65 Galaxie 2dr...
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Post by MAGGOT on Nov 16, 2007 11:06:35 GMT -5
The TR8 could be a bit of fun. Anyone remember the travesty that was the TR7? What a god-awfully ugly car.
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Post by mikebydzine on Nov 16, 2007 11:47:04 GMT -5
front drive is a lot of fun, given the right set up. and remember the only thing we have thats a decent RWD car out here would be the MX5, and that doesnt have 4 seats
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Post by MAGGOT on Nov 16, 2007 11:49:22 GMT -5
And it's a hairdresser's car.
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Post by mikebydzine on Nov 16, 2007 12:38:33 GMT -5
hey if jeremy clarkson says its a good car to drive ill take his word for it
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Post by moby45 on Nov 16, 2007 13:32:28 GMT -5
I like front drive cars also. But thats simply because like Mr. Tsunami said, the AWD and RWD cars cost you a bit right off the lot. I would imagine because most of them are imports, and the American rwd cars are not as fun to drive as the imported ones, nor do they perform half as good.
Thats the only thing I really don't like about American Cars is we are still too "straight line" oriented, rather than putting some good handling mixed with power. 10 years behind, tisk tisk. Lol
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Post by TsunamiSephi on Nov 17, 2007 8:28:17 GMT -5
I need t post a picture of his TR8, because any stock shot of a triumph gives it absolutely no justice. It's a different car altogether. I was in love with it. I think GM's on the right track with the Solstice/Sky. It's a bit more of what you'd expect out of a rwd. I Think it shares a part or two with some Opel cars as well. With Drift catching the eye of more americans, the car manufacturers will hopefully take aim at lighter and nimbler (sp?) cars. Honestly, the biggest problem hampering america is their lack of curvy streets... (oklahoma's street map is identical to a piece of grid paper, only each line is a mile apart. [sure as hell makes it easier to navigate when stormchasing though ;D])
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Post by moby45 on Nov 17, 2007 12:42:52 GMT -5
haha yeah here in Oklahoma we have what you call the grid system for roads. Lol But there are a few back roads and stuff that have some fun turns.
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Post by mikebydzine on Nov 17, 2007 13:14:33 GMT -5
well at least its organized. in calgary (me home town) people just decided to put something somewhere, and when there was more people, they put some more of something else in another location. so the only grid layout is downtown. and theres so many one way streets that it makes it effectively useless. other wise the rest of the city is a mass of confusing and seemingly pointless streets constantly under repair or construction. however. thanks to something known as "mountains," which is a foreign concept here in ontario, i also have a 45 minute drive to some of the most challenging, dangerous and insanely perfect roads out there. so i guess it balances out somehow.
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Post by moby45 on Nov 18, 2007 0:17:55 GMT -5
haha, the "put something, somewhere" idea sounds exactly like the way east Texas made their roads. Except, when they came to an obsticle like, a hill or maybe a few trees. They decide to go at least 30 miles out of their way to go AROUND it. Lol. Also, to comment something said earlier...Jeremy Clarkson knows best.
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Post by mikebydzine on Nov 24, 2007 18:22:10 GMT -5
of course clarkson knows best. unfortunetly hes not always right. to tell you the truth, i prefer james may's rants about meatloaf and the french
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Post by moby45 on Nov 25, 2007 20:41:51 GMT -5
haha indeed, there is always a laugh there.
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Post by AutoCat on Nov 29, 2007 16:15:37 GMT -5
I'm fully aware that Saturn imports Opel's children... but from my point of view, when they get the Saturn badge some of the Opel goods get taken out, pretty much rendering them impotent. Like that Saturn you posted. good lookin car, and prolly would be very fun AWD.. but as a FWD Saturn, meh. pass. and I'm sure plenty of American's that are oblivious of the roots of cars like Saturn, would share the same sentiment.
As for the roads, you should travel to Ga/USA, b/c south, southwest of atlanta your basically in the rolling foothills of the Appalachians mountain range. MY current car, although the transmission is fully blown out of it, is a 1987 Ford Thunderbird Sport Coupe. RWD 302ci 4spd auto... i put nearly 80,000 miles on it in the foothills and let me say... going up, down, left, right at all different gradients is pretty enjoyable. It's really hard to explain what it's like without someone actually driving it themselves. I've outran just about anyone with any car except a corvette with a driver who knew the road as well as i did.. for instance, theres a spot you can only go balls out in one direction b/c of erosion under the surface of the road creating a bump (biggest complaint with GA roads) but I'll be behind someone going about 60mph, round a left handed sweeper, pass them on a downhill the length of a football field reaching 80mph and its up a small hill twice the gradient. once you head back down the road hauls it to the right and the apex is in a "valley" so by the time your going out of the corner your going back up another hill. reach the top and its down hill for about a mile and then goes up a hill levels out and you reach a stopsign. (thats basically all the roads in a nutshell) i've done it a billion times, and after i pass them, hit the apex of that corner just about clipping into the dirt, and start down the mile long hill... when you look in the rearview to check for the car you just passed... you wait.. and wait... and wait.. sometimes they even look like they just came out of a corner like they expected to see a thunderbird in the trees only to show the signs of seeing a ghost. heh.. Ga roads are kinda like "we need a road that goes from a to b... do whatever you have to no matter what, hell, here's extra money, get creative. just dont hit any cows"
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Post by mikebydzine on Nov 30, 2007 11:58:14 GMT -5
I think as you mentioned, things need to be experienced to be understood. FWD hothatches are just as fun as much larger and more powerful cars. Hopefully saturn have the good sense to put out a "redline" version of their astra hatch.
*btw, the astra is not AWD
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Post by AutoCat on Nov 30, 2007 17:10:35 GMT -5
Oh i know fwd cars can be fun. I learned to drive in a 2000 Hyundai Elantra 5spd. it had i think 140 or 135hp. maybe 130. i cant remember but i know it was a honda accord killer thanks to the 5spd. I drove that car on the devil's tail i was talkin about. it would have been pretty boring to watch b/c i was fighting understeer the whole time, but damn was it fun. I guess i need to get my eyes checked tho b/c i thought i read in another country there was a AWD version. ah well. I agree tho, hopefully they do release a redline edition. (if i could have any FWD, it'd be a 94ish EG civic hatch they look damn good when they're pullin away from you in traffic or the highway.)
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