# cars



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

does anyone follow cars?
i was thinking today that...Dodge/Chrysler hasn't had a "model" car...ford has the Bullet and cobra, chev now has the bumblebee...but nothing from dodge...
and think about it...Dodge/chrylser has the daisy duke jeep (i know she had a roadrunner too...but the jeep she had the longest) or the General Lee...or what about the challenger from The Vanishing Point...
seems like a market that dodge hasn't gotten into yet...that could make them a little more money


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

they sell model kits...here's a vanishing point model...


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

hahaha...nice!


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## jcon (Apr 28, 2006)

A kid yelled out, "It's Bumble Bee!" when I drove past in my Challenger...










I've been hearing rumours that the next Fast and Furious movie is going to have a Challenger SRT8 as the "hero" car - not a big fan of the series of films so I'm not sure if this is a good thing 

Cheers,
Joe


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## Xanadu (Feb 3, 2006)

Dodge has the Challenger SRT8, which would be the answer to Ford's Cobra, and Chev's Bumblebee


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

the CHallenger was definately a car they got right...i love the look of that car!

and Joe...i love YOUR car!!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Here's an observation.

I've rented Ford Mustangs on three seperate occasions over the past year and not one of them has had any kick at all. I have one right now. It has decent high end but none of the nice low end torque I used to love about the 80s Mustangs.

Put it this way. I drove to the airport in a V6 Nissan Altima and it would absolutely blow the doors off of the Mustang I rented in Nashville. It's not even close.

We're talking about a mid level family sedan with much better performance than the flagship of American sports cars. This Mustang is not a GT or anything like that, but it's not a base model, at least in terms of options (lots of power options).

It looks great, but IMO, it's all show and no go.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

the mustang never was or ever will be the flagship of "american sports cars" it has been from day one, a pony car. sporty _looking_, but easy on the wallett. sure they used to make a good platform for customizing, like the 5.0s. sure you could guy a larry shinoda, or shelby, or a saleen, but your average mustang is not intended to be a sports car. an example of an american sportscar would be a corvette or a viper.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

cheezyridr said:


> the mustang never was or ever will be the flagship of "american sports cars" it has been from day one, a pony car. sporty _looking_, but easy on the wallett. sure they used to make a good platform for customizing, like the 5.0s. sure you could guy a larry shinoda, or shelby, or a saleen, but your average mustang is not intended to be a sports car. an example of an american sportscar would be a corvette or a viper.


If you say so. I wouldn't say they were a high end sports car but a rear wheel drive car with a V6 or V8 is a sports car in my book unless it's a crown vic.

Ford has done some terrible things to the Mustang over the years, but 5.0 GT and notch backs were every inch a sports car. So were the nice old 60s models with the 289.

For Ford, it's Mustang, and in some cases Thunderbird, but not in a long while.



Not intended to be a sports car? If that's true they would have made it a front wheel drive four banger.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

from wiki on the ford mustang, 2nd paragraph. (emphasis mine) Ford Mustang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



> The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobile — *sports car-like *coupes with long hoods and short rear decks[4] — and gave rise to competitors such as GM's Chevrolet Camaro,[5] AMC's Javelin,[6] and Chrysler's revamped Plymouth Barracuda.[7] It also inspired coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were exported to America


from the wiki page for pony car:



> Pony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964.[1][2] The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented *image*.


it does go on to note that most were rear wheel driven v-8s and that they were usually powerful. (for their time)
you could call them a "muscle car" and that would be accurate. but they are not sports cars. i only push the distinction because marketing lumps many performance image cars into the sports car category when really they are no such thing. it muddies the definition of what a sports car really is and people get confused. i owned a 68 mustang, and helped a buddy build his 65. i've also owned many other v-8 powered fords, so i don't mean to seem like i'm knocking them. just the opposite. i feel that the clarity will show the mustangs of lesser performance in a better light. once it is understood what they truly are, your expectations change. (if i am making any sense, anyhow hahahaha)


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

i don't know...my car is for SHOW and GO...!!!...it's all in the way you drive it...


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

right now, this is my ride:


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

nice ride...

CT.


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

jimihendrix said:


> i don't know...my car is for SHOW and GO...!!!...it's all in the way you drive it...


Hmmm,,,,posuer??!?

CT.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

No, when I can stand on the gas pedal from a standing start and not chirp the tires at all, it's not about the driver. Do that with your garden variety Accord or Altima V6 and you're going to make some noise. Honestly in a 1/4 mile race for pink slips I would take the Altima even if a pro race driver was in the Mustang. 

I had this Mustang for two days and I WANTED to like it. I don't have a hate on for Mustangs. I expect more from them.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...one of my favourite designs was the pontiac aztec, because i sensed it was the kind of car that macho boys would despise.


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## djem (Sep 14, 2006)

Milkman - The V-6 Mustang should not be considered a performance vehicle. If you want the get up and go, I suggest you rent a Mustang GT. They haul ass pretty good and a LOT of people use them as build-up platforms.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

david henman said:


> ...one of my favourite designs was the pontiac aztec, because i sensed it was the kind of car that macho boys would despise.


Your intuition may have been correct. But I think it went beyond the macho types, the only people that ever bought those were the ones that got them for almost nothing and just tried to ignore everyone else laughing at them when they drove by.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

djem said:


> Milkman - The V-6 Mustang should not be considered a performance vehicle. If you want the get up and go, I suggest you rent a Mustang GT. They haul ass pretty good and a LOT of people use them as build-up platforms.


Oh I'm sure the GT has more oomph that the normal V6, but really I expect more from Mustang. It's ok that it won't turn itself inside out when you tramp it, but this was more like a rather tame family car than a sports car. Handling and suspension were ok. I can see no reason for it being that sluggish in 1st gear, but I've rented three of them now and all were similar.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...one of my favourite designs was the pontiac aztec, *because i sensed it was the kind of car that macho boys would despise.*


I agree that macho boys would despise it, and though I am not one of them, the Aztec has got to be one of the most gawd awful looking vehicles ever made, especially in metallic olive gold green, or whatever that nausea inducing colour was.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

BTW, the Challenger is made in Brampton. My brother, before he retired from that Chrysler plant, said there were thousands of orders for it before the first one was even built.

P.S. My Ride:


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

...

You guys know what they say about guys that drive mustangs, right? 

I got to drive a Camaro SS a couple of weeks ago, and we got to floor it (GM promo event, me and my best friend - made $10 for driving $200,000 in GM cars.. we took out 3 LOL). Comfy, fast, loud when you stepped on it... but could NOT see out the rear window worth a damn, just like my aunt's Chrylser 300.

I like looking at the modern takes on muscle cars, but I've already decided that my next vehicle will probably be a 2010 Accord SE V6, because I'm driving a 96 Camry LE right now . My dad just wrote off the 07 Accord SE we got two years ago - he's fine, car's gone. I'm hoping they replace it with the same car, or a newer used one.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

Budda said:


> ...
> but could NOT see out the rear window worth a damn, just like my aunt's Chrylser 300.


and thats what i don't like about the Vette's...the windsheild slopes so much that you've got a huge blind spot in the front of teh car 

but i'd drive this one...i like the ones with teh double headlight...this model should have it, just not in this pic


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## jcon (Apr 28, 2006)

Robert1950 said:


> BTW, the Challenger is made in Brampton. My brother, before he retired from that Chrysler plant, said there were thousands of orders for it before the first one was even built.


Yep... I had one on order but Chrysler does something a little funny if you ask me. They seem to fill dealer stock before making a pre-ordered car. Heard similar stories from several people online with the same experience. I waited about 5 months for my car then started doing some looking around and found an identical vehicle on a lot at another dealership. I called up my salesman and they ended up doing a dealer swap and I bought that one.
I have no idea how the whole industry works, but it really seems odd that they'd have a car sitting on lot rather than filling the pre-orders.

As for the sluggish Mustang V6, I think they've got that covered for the 2011 model year. Don't remember the exact specs but it's cranking out just over 300hp and can get to 60mph in about 5.5 seconds.

I remember hearing a joke when Tim Hortons was giving away an Aztek with their roll up the rim promo. First prize was an Aztek, second prize was 2 Azteks... kqoct

Cheers,
Joe


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

CocoTone said:


> Hmmm,,,,posuer??!?
> 
> CT.


i believe the word is "poseur"...ha ha ha...


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

The 2011 Mustang V6 will have more power than the current GT...........

The Aztec's design was ahead of its time..........


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Accept2 said:


> The 2011 Mustang V6 will have more power than the current GT...........
> 
> The Aztec's design was ahead of its time..........


That's good to hear. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Like I said, the car handles well and feels stable. It's just the power to weight ratio that's a bit off with the current model.

The thing about cars like the Aztec, Honda Element, Nissan Cube et cetera, is that they demonstrate the reality that the consumer is much more concerned about the outside appearance than about functionality.

I rent cars a couple of times a month. I have a Hertz Club Gold membership, which means when I walk out of the airport, I don't stand in line to rent a car. They have one ready for me. I just look for my name on a sign board and go to the right parking spot. Whatever is there (within my gudelines), I drive away. That means I get a variety of cars. 

Those weird (think outside the box) cars are really great once you're inside. The Cube for instance should come equipped with an "I'm Not Gay" bumper sticker (not that there's anything wrong with that), but is incredibly functional and spacious.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

i used to work at a Dealership for awhile...detailing...anyways...they told me that after the Azteks got canned...they couldn't keep them on the lot...as in...they sold rediculously fast...they lowered the price and people loved them...mind you i don't know where they went, i can't say i've seen one lately


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Robert1950 said:


> ...the Aztec has got to be one of the most gawd awful looking vehicles ever made...


Thank goodness, I'm not alone in this perspective. Was I hallucinating (at the time) or did some of these actually come with a tent that utilized the rear hatch? MUST have been a hallucination...


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Accept2 said:


> The 2011 Mustang V6 will have more power than the current GT...........
> 
> The Aztec's design was ahead of its time..........


Yeah, the current V6 is pretty pathetic. It's pretty much the same engine that's in the Ford Ranger, just tuned differently so the torque band peaks in a different spot. It makes 210bhp, which is pathetic compared to current family sedans like the 2.5L Altima which makes 175bhp, and the 3.5L Altima which makes...wait for it...270bhp. The Camry has a 3.5L too that makes 268bhp and the Honda Accord 3.5 makes 271bhp. So how does Ford make and sell an engine that has larger displacement but such _worse_ power??? And this in a sporty car.

I love Mustangs, and I always have. I love the look and I love the big V8s of the 60s, like the Boss 429, but the new crop of cars is terrible. Even the GTs and Cobras you were talking about before, Milkman, only produced 215bhp for the GT and 245 for the Cobra. 

But yeah, apparently Ford has decided the Mustang should actually be able to perform again and the 2011 models are supposed to be awesome, like the Shelby 500 with 550bhp. Even the GT is supposed to have 412bhp. And it's back to a 5.0L engine, the way it should be!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Everyone knows that this was the best car ever made.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

LOL! My dad used to call them "Russia's Revenge".


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

StevieMac said:


> LOL! My dad used to call them "Russia's Revenge".


Lada used to make a small sport-utility type car that had a hatch on it. I'm pretty sure the wipers were run via small DC motors that are commonly used in RC cars. It was awesome!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Success, it was this badboy:


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