Auto Rant

[8695Beaters]

So I was watching the NHRA race in Las Vegas last weekend and guess what Toyota drag races in Funny Car? Not the tC like they do in Import racing. It's the Celica. A car that was discontinued 4 years ago. Is it just me or is that not really sad? So here, in my opinion, is what the auto manufacturers need to do to fill in the holes in the performance car field. Pardon my ranting as most of it is not Honda related.

Toyota: Bring back the Supra, AE86, the MR2, and give us a real FWD car. The Rolly-rolla (my nickname for the Corolla) absolutely sucks and I bet I could beat it in my beater-CRX. The tC is a huge joke and to those of you who think it's a viable race chassis, look at it this way: The 2001 Integra GS-R handles just as well, weighs less, and cost about the same. And I belive it was about as quick. The feel between the two cars is completely different. Read about SCC's tC and you'll understand what I mean. The fact that Toyota does not have a single performance car in their lineup (the IS-F is a Lexus and unaffordable to the masses) means that GM will retake number 1 by about 2020. That is my guess.

Honda: While the S2000 rocks and the Civic Si is awesome, there are some major holes. For example, nothing, NOTHING in America that ends in "Type-R." And the BS that "there is only room for one Type-R in America" died with the Integra. WE ARE WAITING HONDA!!! WE HAVE BEEN SINCE 2001!!! Let's see what has made the jump from Japan since then: the EVO, the STi, the GT-R, the bB (aka Scion xB), the Vitz (Yaris), and a few real Mazdaspeed cars. How about some R love? And have you guys seen Acura's newest cars? Pitiful. No wonder they are falling behind. It's really disheartening to see Honda following Toyota. And of course man up and build us a man's V8 that can slap the ish out of Detroit. You could put into the next NSX while you are at it. If it revs to 10K RPM, then Ferrari will go running again. Hel, a V8 would solve about 50% of Honda's problems. And some more rear-wheel drive would help too.

Nissan: Nissan was the only Japanese manufacturer that could have taken the last strong-hold of Detroit dominance: pony cars. Pickup trucks are not the only place Detorit has an advantage over Japan. The funny thing is Nissan had the car to beat the Mustang. It was called the Silvia. If Nissan had actually given us the SR20DET in the 240SX, then I am positive that the Mustang would have slipped. The Fox body of that era was decent but mostly sucked. Unfortunately, so did the 240SX. If it had a real engine and a sportier suspension, then it would have really killed in the States. Sadly, it fell on its face. Give us an S16, with a a QR25DET longitudinally mounted, and you will have a winner here. It's just like the STi, but can drift. And with a few tweaks could probably take on a Shelby. Just don't weigh it down with unnecessary features. Stick to the original formula (Japanese formula please!).

Subaru: Make the STi a sedan. Sorry, but the new car just looks goofy. And beef up the STi's engine a bit. Less plastic, more boost!

Mazda: Update the RX-8 and put the Mazdaspeed 6's drivetrain into something smaller and lighter to give us Mazdaspeed EVO.

Mitsubishi: More cars like the EVO. The Lancer Ralliart is a great start. How about that engine in an FR (but use only the manual). And use the new motor in the Eclipse. It's surprising the 3000GT did so poorly. Try that one again too.

Infiniti/Lexus: I could care less. Maybe some styling that doesn't look like it's from Back To The Future? And some variation? The cars all look the same!!! They all look the freking same! I would rather by a Jaguar. The XJ is the only luxury sedan I have ever wanted. Oh and clean up your engine bays so the engine is presentable. The wiring mess under all the plastic covers is actually nauseating. If you ever have the opportunity to see a Lexus engine without its plastic engine cover, don't. You will be sorry.

Ford: A Focus that's actually new and give us the RS too. And get some quality while you're at it. And in case you were wondering, YES THE FUSION WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WILL PROBABLY HANDLE BETTER THAN AN ACCORD!!! If it didn't I would just die laughing.

GM: About the same as Ford. I hope GMPD actually turns out something good. I was sad to see the Cobalt SS lose it's supercharger. That seemed more appropriate on an American compact. Besides superchargers are just cool. And work on some finesse in the Sky/Solstice. I sat in a Sky and an Elise back-to-back and you know what? The Solstice felt like a Suburban compared to the Elise. Make that small car feel small and it will be a super winner. People who buy sports cars want them small, duh.

Dodge: I think Dodge is going to die soon, even with its new owners. The Demon will be a failure before the first prototypes even turn a wheel if Dodge uses the Chinese platform they are planning to use. It's a joke. Just like the Challenger. 2 tons? That is more than proky, that is plain fat. And no stick (in the first year)? Pitiful. And the plan may end up being a 6-speed auto and a 5-speed manual. Anyone else see the problem here? If the Challenger was built a bit more like the Mustang, then I think it will be great. As it stands, I think it will end up like the new T-bird.

I don't even want to talk about the Euros. Too much luxury crap to deal with. How they can improve is beyond my brain. Except Lotus. I think they are the only car company that has not made a single mistake in the last four years. And they are doing everything right. I think it's time to give us a new car that's not based on the Elise platform. Unless the new Elise comes with a K20. If that happens, then I think Lotus will overtake Toyota as number 1. They definetely would in customer satisfaction.

Okay, I'm done now. Performance cars may not be the bread and butter of car companies, but they are important. Going racing doesn't mean squat if you have nowhere to put the technology.

[TJ213]

Originally Posted by 8695Beaters

Toyota: Bring back the Supra, AE86, the MR2, and give us a real FWD car. The Rolly-rolla (my nickname for the Corolla) absolutely sucks and I bet I could beat it in my beater-CRX. The tC is a huge joke and to those of you who think it's a viable race chassis, look at it this way: The 2001 Integra GS-R handles just as well, weighs less, and cost about the same. And I belive it was about as quick. The feel between the two cars is completely different. Read about SCC's tC and you'll understand what I mean. The fact that Toyota does not have a single performance car in their lineup (the IS-F is a Lexus and unaffordable to the masses) means that GM will retake number 1 by about 2020. That is my guess.

Toyota definitely needs to go back to some performance cars, however the lack of performance cars will probably not make them lose their position to GM, performance does not sell as much as big vehicles and MPGs anymore.

Honda: While the S2000 rocks and the Civic Si is awesome, there are some major holes. For example, nothing, NOTHING in America that ends in "Type-R." And the BS that "there is only room for one Type-R in America" died with the Integra. WE ARE WAITING HONDA!!! WE HAVE BEEN SINCE 2001!!! Let's see what has made the jump from Japan since then: the EVO, the STi, the GT-R, the bB (aka Scion xB), the Vitz (Yaris), and a few real Mazdaspeed cars. How about some R love? And have you guys seen Acura's newest cars? Pitiful. No wonder they are falling behind. It's really disheartening to see Honda following Toyota. And of course man up and build us a man's V8 that can slap the ish out of Detroit. You could put into the next NSX while you are at it. If it revs to 10K RPM, then Ferrari will go running again. Hel, a V8 would solve about 50% of Honda's problems. And some more rear-wheel drive would help too.

The closest we've come is the Mugen Si, but it was way overpriced, Honda's claim is that the Type-R would be too expensive to bring over (I guess that argument depends on the success of the Mugen), and the emissions. I don't see the use of a V8 in the Honda line except in the RL, the Ridgeline, and the NSX. All of those are expensive vehicles that most people can't afford. Who knows, maybe the new NSX will bring a motor like the one you are talking about.

btw, I bet the Honda guys over and Japan wish they would bring over the Civic Coupe

Nissan: Nissan was the only Japanese manufacturer that could have taken the last strong-hold of Detroit dominance: pony cars. Pickup trucks are not the only place Detorit has an advantage over Japan. The funny thing is Nissan had the car to beat the Mustang. It was called the Silvia. If Nissan had actually given us the SR20DET in the 240SX, then I am positive that the Mustang would have slipped. The Fox body of that era was decent but mostly sucked. Unfortunately, so did the 240SX. If it had a real engine and a sportier suspension, then it would have really killed in the States. Sadly, it fell on its face. Give us an S16, with a a QR25DET longitudinally mounted, and you will have a winner here. It's just like the STi, but can drift. And with a few tweaks could probably take on a Shelby. Just don't weigh it down with unnecessary features. Stick to the original formula (Japanese formula please!).

It would be nice is Nissan would bring out some real performance other than the 350z.

Subaru: Make the STi a sedan. Sorry, but the new car just looks goofy. And beef up the STi's engine a bit. Less plastic, more boost!

Apparently the hatch design is actually a better performance chassis, although I doubt the difference is actually noticeable. Not really a fan of the new impreza designs, but oh well. I'd like to see how far the new STi motor can go with a chip; I don't know if they under-rated it like the 335i and the GT-R. What I would really like to see is a Legacy GT with some extra boost, much better suspension, and a few pounds shaved off.

Mazda: Update the RX-8 and put the Mazdaspeed 6's drivetrain into something smaller and lighter to give us Mazdaspeed EVO.

Agreed, the RX-8 needs some FI, and the MS3 w/MS6 powertrain would be awesome.

Mitsubishi: More cars like the EVO. The Lancer Ralliart is a great start. How about that engine in an FR (but use only the manual). And use the new motor in the Eclipse. It's surprising the 3000GT did so poorly. Try that one again too.

The Eclipse is a heavy plowing jelly bean, I wouldn't disgrace the EVO motor by throwing it in there. Another 3000GT would be interesting, but I don't know if they need it with the EVO around.

Infiniti/Lexus: I could care less. Maybe some styling that doesn't look like it's from Back To The Future? And some variation? The cars all look the same!!! They all look the freking same! I would rather by a Jaguar. The XJ is the only luxury sedan I have ever wanted. Oh and clean up your engine bays so the engine is presentable. The wiring mess under all the plastic covers is actually nauseating. If you ever have the opportunity to see a Lexus engine without its plastic engine cover, don't. You will be sorry.

The IS used to be a performance car, and the G37 isn't bad either from what I've heard. If you want performance luxury you probably are best off going bimmer.

Ford: A Focus that's actually new and give us the RS too. And get some quality while you're at it. And in case you were wondering, YES THE FUSION WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WILL PROBABLY HANDLE BETTER THAN AN ACCORD!!! If it didn't I would just die laughing.

The FWD based AWD systems often provide little to no improvement in handling; the Euro Focus is much better than the crap we get here. Real AWD (quattro, subaru, evo, GT-R) will improve handling significantly, but not the crap most of ford and volvo uses. How about them giving the Mustang some real suspension while they are at it.

GM: About the same as Ford. I hope GMPD actually turns out something good. I was sad to see the Cobalt SS lose it's supercharger. That seemed more appropriate on an American compact. Besides superchargers are just cool. And work on some finesse in the Sky/Solstice. I sat in a Sky and an Elise back-to-back and you know what? The Solstice felt like a Suburban compared to the Elise. Make that small car feel small and it will be a super winner. People who buy sports cars want them small, duh.

The supercharger was neat, but emissions killed it. The Sky and Solstice are actually big heavy cars, thats why they seem big and heavy. Any car feels massive next to the Elise. Its a 50k car with 190hp and no cupholders, that money has to go somewheres.

Dodge: I think Dodge is going to die soon, even with its new owners. The Demon will be a failure before the first prototypes even turn a wheel if Dodge uses the Chinese platform they are planning to use. It's a joke. Just like the Challenger. 2 tons? That is more than proky, that is plain fat. And no stick (in the first year)? Pitiful. And the plan may end up being a 6-speed auto and a 5-speed manual. Anyone else see the problem here? If the Challenger was built a bit more like the Mustang, then I think it will be great. As it stands, I think it will end up like the new T-bird.

Yeah, the Demon sounds like it was a good idea, but they won't execute it correctly.

I don't even want to talk about the Euros. Too much luxury crap to deal with. How they can improve is beyond my brain. Except Lotus. I think they are the only car company that has not made a single mistake in the last four years. And they are doing everything right. I think it's time to give us a new car that's not based on the Elise platform. Unless the new Elise comes with a K20. If that happens, then I think Lotus will overtake Toyota as number 1. They definetely would in customer satisfaction.

Lotus still can't sell their cars on a massive scale, its just that the Elise and Exige only work for a small number of people. They will always be a small company, but they will always offer something nobody else has.

[dre5491]

Originally Posted by 8695Beaters

Honda: While the S2000 rocks and the Civic Si is awesome, there are some major holes. For example, nothing, NOTHING in America that ends in "Type-R." And the BS that "there is only room for one Type-R in America" died with the Integra. WE ARE WAITING HONDA!!! WE HAVE BEEN SINCE 2001!!! Let's see what has made the jump from Japan since then: the EVO, the STi, the GT-R, the bB (aka Scion xB), the Vitz (Yaris), and a few real Mazdaspeed cars. How about some R love? And have you guys seen Acura's newest cars? Pitiful. No wonder they are falling behind. It's really disheartening to see Honda following Toyota. And of course man up and build us a man's V8 that can slap the ish out of Detroit. You could put into the next NSX while you are at it. If it revs to 10K RPM, then Ferrari will go running again. Hel, a V8 would solve about 50% of Honda's problems. And some more rear-wheel drive would help too.

I think Honda needs to put a V8 vtec in the Ridgeline. My stepdad test drove one compared to all of the other trucks out there the truck for one thing was way to small and also very underpowered compared to Toyotas 380 hp Tundra. Which with how the Tundra is geared to be honest you can't really tell that the power is there. We test drove that my stepdad floored and I quote him "Thats it?". The thing that steers me away from Hondas is the RWD factor. I think it would be super fun to learn how to drift. But, the only RWD car Honda makes is the S2k. Which is a good car don't get me wrong but they have a lot of issues that need worked out. The S2k also is waayyy too expensive to drift in. They are an expensive car to buy. And they are super expensive on insurence, they also can be expensive to fix.

Originally Posted by 8695Beaters

Toyota: Bring back the Supra, AE86, the MR2, and give us a real FWD car. The Rolly-rolla (my nickname for the Corolla) absolutely sucks and I bet I could beat it in my beater-CRX. The tC is a huge joke and to those of you who think it's a viable race chassis, look at it this way: The 2001 Integra GS-R handles just as well, weighs less, and cost about the same. And I belive it was about as quick. The feel between the two cars is completely different. Read about SCC's tC and you'll understand what I mean. The fact that Toyota does not have a single performance car in their lineup (the IS-F is a Lexus and unaffordable to the masses) means that GM will retake number 1 by about 2020. That is my guess.

All of the new Toyotas are jokes(including Scions). They are all ugly as hell all but the Tundra and TC. I started on my Tundra Rant. So I'll finish to the designers of the Tundra where the hell is this so called 380 Hp? The Tundra is an awsome looking truck but has no balls. Yes it can tow we all know that. But where is the performance? Big trucks are known for having their ballsy V8's not some so called 380 Hp engine that you cant tell that the horses are there. Any American trucks have a huge advantage over the Tundra because the Tundra is way overpriced and American trucks if you stomp on it you can tell you got some power under the hood. Why in the hell haven't you guys brought the Supra back out!!!!!?? IMO the Supra was the greatest Import Japan has brought over here. And you guys get rid of it to never bring it back? Wtf is up with that?


Misubishi: The new Evo and Eclipses in my opinion are just plan UGLY!.

Nissan: Your trucks blow. I don't like them. They are ugly and all but the outragiously expensive Titan all have a V6. Not going into much detail on how sucky their trucks are. And why the Hell is the 350z and G35.. Oh Wait they got rid of the G35 which was a very good car. But continueing on why is the 350z the only perfomance car you have. And I strongly agree with beater on the SR20.

American Cars: Not getting to started on them. Lets just say pretty much all new American cars suck a§§. I wonder why they can't sell any? Hmmm MAYBE ITS BECAUSE THE RELIABILITY OF YOUR CARS ALL SUCK! Thats for every single American car. The reliabilty since the early 90's of the average American Vehicle Blows balls. All of the brands have tranny issues. All of the brands are known to have vehicles that break down daily.


I'm done with my rant for the day...

[8695Beaters]

Believe it or not, but the quality of the Americans has gone up. They finally saw the light and have stepped up their game. for example, I would buy a Ford over a Kia.

The Honda V8 would work in the RL, MDX, Pilot, Ridgeline (all 3 have the same chassis), and even the TL and the NSX. Have a really powerful V8 in the RL and a less potent version in the TL to keep buyers from picking one over the other. All 3 of Honda's big trucks desperately need a V8. If the Ridgeline came a bit smaller and offered real 4WD, then it would be great. As it is, it's a toy. Toyota found that out the hard way.

I don't know which Tundra you're tlaking about, but the new one is just a bit too big. Four-Wheeler actually complained about how everything felt like it was meant for 400 pound people wearing work gloves. And it jsut looks funky. As for the Titan, until the new Tundra came out, the Titan had the biggest V8 and the most power in its class. The weak link was the Dana 44 (Jeep Wrangles axle) in the rear. If it had a Dana 60, it would be even better. The next Titan ought to be coming soon, since the current model is now the oldest of the 1/2 tons out there. This is where Nissan is smart since everyone else has already put their new product out, so Nissan can build something better then everyone else. Yeah, they lose out for a year while they build it, but win out for 3 when they have the best thing on the market. Very smart of them.

The SR20 is dead. If Nissan raised the rev-limit of the QR, then it would be a much better motor.

The Eclipse is heavy, but could use some more drive wheels. A 3000GT has a V6, so it won't compete with the EVO.

The thing I like about the Jaguar XJ is mostly the styling. It's classic, not trendy. It just plain looks good. You don't have to sit there and justify how it looks. You just see it and say ****... Plus you can't beat a supercharger and it's about the best deal in the super-luxury segment (if you can call 95K a deal). It's a car I would own if I was super rich and just need to relax. I hate to say it, but the UK still has my vote for a luxury car. I don't think Acura really keeps up with them. Acura offers nothing like the XJ, and as much as they have accomplished, that is Acrua's downfall. They can't make a super-luxury car. Maserati will always be safe until Honda does.

I don;t think Lotus will actually sell more cars than Toyota (just sarcasm), but I do think they have the highest customer satisfaction. When you buy a Lotus, there really is no other car like it (the Atom is too stripped down). So no major competition, and when you buy a Lotus, you know exaclty what you are getting into. After the test drive, you either buy it or you never will. Nit like a camry where you wallow over eight other choices. The thing about Lotus is that they can afford to build cars only a handful will buy. thats' their goal. And right now they are doing an extremely good job at it.

[dre5491]

Kias suck. This guy my dad works with had one with 50000 miles on it never drove it faster than 75 mph and the motor blew in it.. But the good thing about it was that it did have a really good warrenty on it and they replaced the engine.

[PrimeTimeV6]

KIA is a disposable car. When I worked in the body shop I totally more of those out than anything else because they are so cheaply made.

Other than that I would really like to see Honda with a DOHC VTEC V8. That would be the most powerful V8s in its class. Just my personal opinion.

[8695Beaters]

Not opinion, fact. You realize that every single V8 from America was last redesigned in the 1960s? Honda wouldn't even need to try to beat a Hemi. Want to see a Mustnag with "Powered by VTEC" on its side? I do.

[PrimeTimeV6]

I'm not a Ford person and I would rather just see VTEC when I pop the hood of a Honda

[dre5491]

To me Ford pretty much blows. The only thing I hear good about Ford is their new Focus.

[FiRe_OpTiKz©]

Honda is coming out with a nsx. and for all that dont know

it's V10 530 hp front engine RWD, But the only way they will release it. is if the NSX beats the new GTR by 8 to 10 seconds on the ring in germany.