Don't make any judgments about a 'vette's stick until you've driven one that's been broken in properly. About six months ago I got a very low mileage lease return '01. The stick was extremely stiff, enough so that my mechanic (who drives a vette) commented on it. After 10,000 miles of mountain driving up & down the Angeles Crest Highway, it's a whole different beastie. :D
The only thing that sucks is the 2nd gear lockout. Grrr.
It's still a big car, but I do love it. (Look at me, gushing like a schoolgirl.) Also, the mileage isn't bad. I just made a 3000 mile round trip to OKC and averaged 30 MPG going 80-100! OK, so it's not a Prius (strangely, the other car I was contemplating), but then I only live a mile from work.
Admittedly it's not as free revving at the top as some other cars (and I do miss that), but the torque is a blast.
Ferrari's are overpriced for what you get. Now I've never had the pleasure of driving one (or even sitting inside one..heh) but I have read journals of Ferrari owners. Their cars are probably the most horribly built and unreliable car that I've ever read about. Things fails continuously and often has to be trailered to the dealership.
You'd think for a $120k+ car, they would have managed to get the reliability straight.
That said, I'd love to drive a Ferrari, but I don't know about owning one..
Exactly :) Toys have never been about practicality.
HammerFan
I'm not saying that all MR cars are perfect, I'm saying that MR is the ideal starting point (IMHO) for a sportscar. It also depends on your definition of a sportscar, if you're talking about getting down a dragstrip real quickly then you'll lose a lot of the benefits of a mid-engine setup. But if you're talking about squealing down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca then mid-engine starts to make more sense.
The Enzo is an incredible piece of engineering, I am in love with that car (the next 360 is supposedly referred to internally at Ferrari as the Baby Enzo).
Adam K
Never had the pleasure of driving the 2002, it does sound fun though by your description.
Arshad
Honda desperately needs to do something with the NSX. It's still a very impressive car (and I still think a Ferrari is behind me when I see one fly up on me from a distance) but it's just overpriced right now for what it delivers. The benefit is that you can pick up a used one for a pretty good price. I'm curious to see what the HSC will end up being; I'd like to see a new NSX, especially since the Gallardo has been relatively disappointing. Competition is always good :)
CaptainSpectacular: I don't want to hijack this thread, but just wanted to give a quote from the the Detroit Auto Show keynote by Takeo Fukui (Honda president and CEO):
"And that is the thinking behind the HSC concept car that you can see at the Acura stand. This model will serve as the basis for the next generation NSX you will see within a few years."
Although I can't find it right now, there's another quote which is even more explicit in stating that the HSC *WILL* be the new NSX, with few changes going into production.
If you're interested, there's a dedicated forum to HSC discussion on nsxprime.com:
My favorite car is the BMW 1974 2002tii. Have you ever driven one of these before? Turbo clutch? The handling of the thing is immense and the acceleration is unbelieveable. I used to own one. The engine and suspension was rebuilt from top to bottom. It was one monster of a car.
Anand, I've found that not all MR cars are that great, and some FR cars (the Vette is prob the best example) can put many other cars that are MR and more expensive to shame IMHO. The expensive MRs (+200,000) are almost [i]always[/i] nice (the Saleen S7, Enzo, many others). I'd take any one of those in a heartbeat....
So very true about practicality vs. driving experience! When I was first looking at my Audi TT Quatro, it was a hard sell for my fiancé. She kept saying how completely impractical it was. My defense was rather weak... all wheel drive will be great in the winter, 2+2 seating kinda allows 4 people to be in it, OK, as I'm 6'2", never 4, but at least 3 ;-), and the rear storage is decent.
I went ahead and got it last year and have never looked back. Everyday I drive it, it brings a smile to my face... :-) That cannot me measured in terms of practicality.
You are right, it's not the best way to gauge a gearbox but I made the same comparison with cars I'd already driven and found that I could still get a pretty decent feel for the tranny with the car off.
GTaudiophile
Have you ever read about what Ferrari owners put themselves through just because of the cars' road-feel and overall driving experience? :) I know, BMW is no Ferrari and they are much more of a mass market manufacturer - but I just wanted to point out that people are willing to live with a lot for driving experience.
That being said, it's not acceptible on a mass market car. I had heard that the iDrive issues were fixed in the later versions of the 7 series and I haven't kept up with reading about them so I'm not up to date on what owners are running into. Granted ever since the M3 rod-throwing engines I've seen more and more major-issues crop up with BMWs.
I think we want the same things in a car, except that you're missing mid engine as a requirement :) I like balance in a car but I definitely want the engine to be in the right location if I'm talking about a sportscar.
The NC Auto Show was basically put on by dealers with their cars on the floor; surprisingly enough you could sit in the Boxster, Cayenne and 911 Cab they had on the floor. The only two cars you couldn't sit in at the show were the new Mustang and the S2000.
The Elise is just amazing, I've got a couple friends taking delivery of theirs this year so I'm hoping to get some driving experience in one soon. The Elise is horribly impractical but if you always follow practicality when it comes to cars you'll never enjoy the best things out there :)
Bah! Yes, BMW has somewhat maintained its "road feel prowess" even with the new 5 and 7, but at what cost? You should check out some of the ownership experiences over at www.roadfly.org. When iDrive fails, often so do things like active steering and everything goes to hell. Then, they have to have their car towed to the nearest dealer to get a freaking software upgrade for iDrive. Rumor has it that maintaining a new 7 is like taking the space shuttle to your local BMW dealer.
I'm just a purest: I want 50/50 weight distribution, RWD, a slick shifter, solid clutch, disc brakes all around, and decent torque and horse power...and a sun roof! You can have all the gadgetry...unless it all works right (as it does in the new Acura TL and Toyota Prius).
As for your autoshow experience with Porsche, did you ask to sit in their car? Porsche does not unlock their cars to anyone at the ATL show. At least they haven't in many years.
Lastly, I have to agree with you on the Elise. Talk about purity in a car! I've been drooling over the Elise for quite a few years now. Too bad it offers no utility; I could afford one, but I'd still need a second car...
SmurfTower, the NY Auto Show is always in April ( 4.10 thru 4.18 this year- http://www.autoshowny.com/ ) so you haven't missed it :) . This looks to be a good year, lots of new stuff! By the way, I would rate the NY show third of the U.S. shows- the L.A. and the Detroit shows tend to be flashier, with more hype and cars...The Geneva show is always in March and affords one the chance to see all the great European cars that will never make it to the States :( ... (and yes, this includes the French! :) ) Anand, can you reliably gauge a transmission when nothing's moving? P.S. I'm getting an Audi S4 Cabriolet when they come out in the fall. :-)
I've never had the luxury of actually playing with iDrive, although I've heard the very same things you have mentioned about it.
I agree that BMW's styling has definitely taken a nosedive, but I will say this - what made BMW the "Ultimate Driving Machine" was not styling or interior luxury, it was road-feel. As far as I know (I haven't driven the new 7 or 5), the one thing of BMW's that has remained intact has been their utterly amazing road-feel. There's something very different about the feedback their cars give vs. other similarly sporty 4 seaters.
I tried to play with the Miata's shifter at the show but they removed the shift knob! Even the 911 still had its shift knob intact, but for whatever reason Mazda, Honda (S2000) and a handful of other companies decided to remove the shift knobs from their cars. I managed to get some of a feel for the Miata's shifter but not as much as I would've liked.
And don't worry, I've never been an "image" sort of guy; it's just not my style :)
I've driven "sticks" from BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Mazda, and Ford. (I still want to see how Audi's, Subaru's, and Honda's offerings stack up.) Of those I just mentioned, I prefer the linkage on my Miata above all the others. I love how I can feel the cogs through my finger tips, and I love that precise, "notchy" feeling. There's nothing worse than a rubbery-feeling stick. I also love short sticks for really quick throws. BMW offers the second-best setup, IMO. BMW's clutch requires more pedal travel than most, though, and that takes some getting use to. BMW's friction point also seemingly engages pretty late compared to most.
You should sit in a Miata next time and throw it around! I promise, it won't tarnish your image during that minute or two ;)
Anand: I would REALLY REALLY like your comments on BMW's iDrive. I've spent a good bit of time behind the wheel of the E60 7-series, and even though I am very tech/computer savvy, I find iDrive's UI to be complete shite! Some GT computer-science grads and friends of mine agree.
I personally use to think that BMW was the best auto manufacturer in the world, but their crazy new designs and iDrive have totally turned me off. Both interior fit and finish and long-term reliability have suffered as well. It's the little things that make the wrong statement that really bother me. For example, BMW no longer tilts the dash towards the driver in their new cars. Is BMW saying they are no longer THE driver's car? What's with putting the gear-shift on the column in the new 7? If I wanted that, I'd buy a Ford or something. BMW now rests its future in the hands of wizardry like Active Steering INSTEAD of pure physics and 50/50 weight distribution.
As someone said, "BMW is like that most admired, 4.0 GPA, 1600 SAT, track star high school kid you use to know who blew it all on drugs."
Hey guys, just thought I'd drop in and say hi since Anand mentioned me specifically in his blog. The car show was great fun, mainly to hang out with Anand and friends, which is something I don't get to do often enough these days.
Now, to address this issue of stick preference: Anand seems to prefer buttery smooth shifters that require minimal effort. I'd prefer a little more tactile feedback between each gear, which consequently means at least a little bit more effort at some point during a shift. I also am more insistant on having relatively short throws, although not at the expense of excessive effort or notchyness. It's definitely a delicate balance and I wouldn't go out and buy a short shifter kit for every car out there.
The RX-8 is still my favorite transmission, and it's a good thing with that cars 9000rpm redline since you'll need to be shifting a lot more to take full advantage of the beautiful rotary engine. The S2000's transmission has been proclaimed by C&D as the "best production transmission ever built," which has prompted me to want to try one. Maybe I will one of these weekends when I finish my rotations.
The Crossfire definitely has some issues. As someone else noted, it's essentially a MB SLK in disguise. I actually went out and drove one and it's a pretty good cruiser car, but it certainly was not particularly inspiring or fun compared to the likes of something like an RX-8 or 350Z.
If only they'd bring back the RX-7, preferably in full twin turbo guise....
BTW - Anand definitely does have a warped perspective on cars. I won't bore you with my theories on how that happened exactly...
yknott - did they really lower the switch over point for the hot cams in the Elise? I had read that they didn't change the gearing or anything interanlly, which prompted me to believe it'd have the same issues as the Celica GT-S when trying to stay on the hot cam lobe. Granted, that was in C&D or R&T, so I take that with a grain of salt...
The Elise looks to be a great car. The US version will use the Toyota Celica engine. From a review I read, the light weight of the car makes the Celica engine in the Elise NOTHING like the Celica. They modified the VVTI to kick in a bit lower and changed the gearing. If you really enjoy free revving cars Anand, this is the car for you =)
Re:But like I said, comparatively, the gas mileage is great for this size of car and comparable performance.
Cool. I'm torn between the mustang and the prius. Two totally different cars I know but the choice between a sleek powerful machine for only 20grand or environmentally friendly vehicle that's cute as a button for around the same price is tough. Its funny that these two cars would even be in the same league (times are a changing) :).
I went to the show on Sunday and I really enjoyed taking lots of pictures and sitting in the $117000 AMG S55 :) The G35 coupe and the RX8 were probably my favorites, and I totally agree about the Mustang looking a lot better in person.
Arshad - there's no guarantee that's the '06 NSX. In fact, neither the '06 nor the NSX part is set in stone, or that it will ever be released. But it certainly is a good indication of what might be in store for the future
If you're a Japanese car buff, you should definitely check out the '06 NSX. It was shown at the Detroit Auto Show as the Honda HSC. Powerplant remains a mystery.
"I've always wanted to know about the gas milage, is it as good as they say?."
For others not quite, but it's very good. For me it's not as good (but still much better than average for this size of car). I tend to jackrabbit drive and often for 15 minute trips or less. Not the best for gas mileage. Plus I always have the heater/air conditioning on, which will obviously still diminish gas mileage.
But like I said, comparatively, the gas mileage is great for this size of car and comparable performance. ( It ain't no 911 though. ;) )
I too love the new Mustang and Corvette. I don't know what to say about the Crossfire... there is something appealing about it, but other times I just think it's ugly and cheap. ;)
One thing I noticed at the last car show I was at, was that the interiors on most of the American cars... well they just feel all "plastic" and cheap... very disappointing.
BTW, I drive an Audi TT Quatro Coupe and I freakin' love the interior. The simplicity, the elegance, the solid feel... and the red lights. ;)
Eug, bragging about his car again!. ;) I've seen your post, I know who you are. :P I've always wanted to know about the gas milage, is it as good as they say?.
I trust that you will not be impressed with the C6 Anand...you seem to be more of an import guy than I am. I personally drool over the C6 (the vert in particular), but its very much an American car in terms of power and technology.
Darn.. I was reading your story with great enthusiasm (except for the fact that I just saw the 6 driving in real life and was quite impressed!) and after reading everything but the last paragraph I knew I had to write something about the Elise. Little did I know: the last paragraph describes my sentiments exactly! I love the Elise and think it's one of the greatest cars ever built and just had to state this :D
In case you didn't know (which I suppose you do :) ): The crossfire is mainly nothing else than a mercedes slk with a real non-convertible top. The interior looks a little different, but the tech is almost the same. (I think they only changed the length a bit, too).
sure you like the Audi Interior. Well I had the chance to drive a 180hp Diesel A4. I must say, that when you drive it at night you have to get used to all the red light on the dash... After > 1000 km I didn't notice it anymore. But it isn't nice...
But the navigation system definately ***** against - for example - the Mercedes navigation. In the Mercedes you don't have to read the handbook at all, you just click and it works the way as one expects it, but Audi... *urgh*
I feel that Chrysler's design dept should be lauded for both the crossfire and the pacifica. At least they seem to be learning from their people in Stuttgart.
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33 Comments
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Dave - Monday, April 19, 2004 - link
Anand,What car are you driving now? Do you still have the M roadster?
Ashby - Monday, March 8, 2004 - link
Anand,Don't make any judgments about a 'vette's stick until you've driven one that's been broken in properly. About six months ago I got a very low mileage lease return '01. The stick was extremely stiff, enough so that my mechanic (who drives a vette) commented on it. After 10,000 miles of mountain driving up & down the Angeles Crest Highway, it's a whole different beastie. :D
The only thing that sucks is the 2nd gear lockout. Grrr.
It's still a big car, but I do love it. (Look at me, gushing like a schoolgirl.) Also, the mileage isn't bad. I just made a 3000 mile round trip to OKC and averaged 30 MPG going 80-100! OK, so it's not a Prius (strangely, the other car I was contemplating), but then I only live a mile from work.
Admittedly it's not as free revving at the top as some other cars (and I do miss that), but the torque is a blast.
mAdD INDIAN - Saturday, February 28, 2004 - link
Ferrari's are overpriced for what you get. Now I've never had the pleasure of driving one (or even sitting inside one..heh) but I have read journals of Ferrari owners. Their cars are probably the most horribly built and unreliable car that I've ever read about. Things fails continuously and often has to be trailered to the dealership.You'd think for a $120k+ car, they would have managed to get the reliability straight.
That said, I'd love to drive a Ferrari, but I don't know about owning one..
SeraphsSati - Friday, February 27, 2004 - link
Ya, Macs have a way of making you lose everything you've done.Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, February 26, 2004 - link
PatrickExactly :) Toys have never been about practicality.
HammerFan
I'm not saying that all MR cars are perfect, I'm saying that MR is the ideal starting point (IMHO) for a sportscar. It also depends on your definition of a sportscar, if you're talking about getting down a dragstrip real quickly then you'll lose a lot of the benefits of a mid-engine setup. But if you're talking about squealing down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca then mid-engine starts to make more sense.
The Enzo is an incredible piece of engineering, I am in love with that car (the next 360 is supposedly referred to internally at Ferrari as the Baby Enzo).
Adam K
Never had the pleasure of driving the 2002, it does sound fun though by your description.
Arshad
Honda desperately needs to do something with the NSX. It's still a very impressive car (and I still think a Ferrari is behind me when I see one fly up on me from a distance) but it's just overpriced right now for what it delivers. The benefit is that you can pick up a used one for a pretty good price. I'm curious to see what the HSC will end up being; I'd like to see a new NSX, especially since the Gallardo has been relatively disappointing. Competition is always good :)
Take care,
Anand
Arshad - Thursday, February 26, 2004 - link
CaptainSpectacular: I don't want to hijack this thread, but just wanted to give a quote from the the Detroit Auto Show keynote by Takeo Fukui (Honda president and CEO):"And that is the thinking behind the HSC concept car that you can see at the Acura stand. This model will serve as the basis for the next generation NSX you will see within a few years."
Although I can't find it right now, there's another quote which is even more explicit in stating that the HSC *WILL* be the new NSX, with few changes going into production.
If you're interested, there's a dedicated forum to HSC discussion on nsxprime.com:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=...
Gotta start saving my pennies :D
Adam K - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
My favorite car is the BMW 1974 2002tii. Have you ever driven one of these before? Turbo clutch? The handling of the thing is immense and the acceleration is unbelieveable. I used to own one. The engine and suspension was rebuilt from top to bottom. It was one monster of a car.HammerFan - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
Anand, I've found that not all MR cars are that great, and some FR cars (the Vette is prob the best example) can put many other cars that are MR and more expensive to shame IMHO. The expensive MRs (+200,000) are almost [i]always[/i] nice (the Saleen S7, Enzo, many others). I'd take any one of those in a heartbeat....Patrick - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
So very true about practicality vs. driving experience! When I was first looking at my Audi TT Quatro, it was a hard sell for my fiancé. She kept saying how completely impractical it was. My defense was rather weak... all wheel drive will be great in the winter, 2+2 seating kinda allows 4 people to be in it, OK, as I'm 6'2", never 4, but at least 3 ;-), and the rear storage is decent.I went ahead and got it last year and have never looked back. Everyday I drive it, it brings a smile to my face... :-) That cannot me measured in terms of practicality.
Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
NeutronMonkYou are right, it's not the best way to gauge a gearbox but I made the same comparison with cars I'd already driven and found that I could still get a pretty decent feel for the tranny with the car off.
GTaudiophile
Have you ever read about what Ferrari owners put themselves through just because of the cars' road-feel and overall driving experience? :) I know, BMW is no Ferrari and they are much more of a mass market manufacturer - but I just wanted to point out that people are willing to live with a lot for driving experience.
That being said, it's not acceptible on a mass market car. I had heard that the iDrive issues were fixed in the later versions of the 7 series and I haven't kept up with reading about them so I'm not up to date on what owners are running into. Granted ever since the M3 rod-throwing engines I've seen more and more major-issues crop up with BMWs.
I think we want the same things in a car, except that you're missing mid engine as a requirement :) I like balance in a car but I definitely want the engine to be in the right location if I'm talking about a sportscar.
The NC Auto Show was basically put on by dealers with their cars on the floor; surprisingly enough you could sit in the Boxster, Cayenne and 911 Cab they had on the floor. The only two cars you couldn't sit in at the show were the new Mustang and the S2000.
The Elise is just amazing, I've got a couple friends taking delivery of theirs this year so I'm hoping to get some driving experience in one soon. The Elise is horribly impractical but if you always follow practicality when it comes to cars you'll never enjoy the best things out there :)
Take care,
Anand
GTaudiophile - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
Bah! Yes, BMW has somewhat maintained its "road feel prowess" even with the new 5 and 7, but at what cost? You should check out some of the ownership experiences over at www.roadfly.org. When iDrive fails, often so do things like active steering and everything goes to hell. Then, they have to have their car towed to the nearest dealer to get a freaking software upgrade for iDrive. Rumor has it that maintaining a new 7 is like taking the space shuttle to your local BMW dealer.I'm just a purest: I want 50/50 weight distribution, RWD, a slick shifter, solid clutch, disc brakes all around, and decent torque and horse power...and a sun roof! You can have all the gadgetry...unless it all works right (as it does in the new Acura TL and Toyota Prius).
As for your autoshow experience with Porsche, did you ask to sit in their car? Porsche does not unlock their cars to anyone at the ATL show. At least they haven't in many years.
Lastly, I have to agree with you on the Elise. Talk about purity in a car! I've been drooling over the Elise for quite a few years now. Too bad it offers no utility; I could afford one, but I'd still need a second car...
NeutronMonk - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
SmurfTower, the NY Auto Show is always in April ( 4.10 thru 4.18 this year- http://www.autoshowny.com/ ) so you haven't missed it :) . This looks to be a good year, lots of new stuff! By the way, I would rate the NY show third of the U.S. shows- the L.A. and the Detroit shows tend to be flashier, with more hype and cars...The Geneva show is always in March and affords one the chance to see all the great European cars that will never make it to the States :( ... (and yes, this includes the French! :) )Anand, can you reliably gauge a transmission when nothing's moving?
P.S. I'm getting an Audi S4 Cabriolet when they come out in the fall. :-)
Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
GTaudiophileI've never had the luxury of actually playing with iDrive, although I've heard the very same things you have mentioned about it.
I agree that BMW's styling has definitely taken a nosedive, but I will say this - what made BMW the "Ultimate Driving Machine" was not styling or interior luxury, it was road-feel. As far as I know (I haven't driven the new 7 or 5), the one thing of BMW's that has remained intact has been their utterly amazing road-feel. There's something very different about the feedback their cars give vs. other similarly sporty 4 seaters.
I tried to play with the Miata's shifter at the show but they removed the shift knob! Even the 911 still had its shift knob intact, but for whatever reason Mazda, Honda (S2000) and a handful of other companies decided to remove the shift knobs from their cars. I managed to get some of a feel for the Miata's shifter but not as much as I would've liked.
And don't worry, I've never been an "image" sort of guy; it's just not my style :)
Take care,
Anand
GTaudiophile - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
I've driven "sticks" from BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Mazda, and Ford. (I still want to see how Audi's, Subaru's, and Honda's offerings stack up.) Of those I just mentioned, I prefer the linkage on my Miata above all the others. I love how I can feel the cogs through my finger tips, and I love that precise, "notchy" feeling. There's nothing worse than a rubbery-feeling stick. I also love short sticks for really quick throws. BMW offers the second-best setup, IMO. BMW's clutch requires more pedal travel than most, though, and that takes some getting use to. BMW's friction point also seemingly engages pretty late compared to most.You should sit in a Miata next time and throw it around! I promise, it won't tarnish your image during that minute or two ;)
GTaudiophile - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 - link
Anand: I would REALLY REALLY like your comments on BMW's iDrive. I've spent a good bit of time behind the wheel of the E60 7-series, and even though I am very tech/computer savvy, I find iDrive's UI to be complete shite! Some GT computer-science grads and friends of mine agree.I personally use to think that BMW was the best auto manufacturer in the world, but their crazy new designs and iDrive have totally turned me off. Both interior fit and finish and long-term reliability have suffered as well. It's the little things that make the wrong statement that really bother me. For example, BMW no longer tilts the dash towards the driver in their new cars. Is BMW saying they are no longer THE driver's car? What's with putting the gear-shift on the column in the new 7? If I wanted that, I'd buy a Ford or something. BMW now rests its future in the hands of wizardry like Active Steering INSTEAD of pure physics and 50/50 weight distribution.
As someone said, "BMW is like that most admired, 4.0 GPA, 1600 SAT, track star high school kid you use to know who blew it all on drugs."
Damn them!
Mike Andrawes - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Hey guys, just thought I'd drop in and say hi since Anand mentioned me specifically in his blog. The car show was great fun, mainly to hang out with Anand and friends, which is something I don't get to do often enough these days.Now, to address this issue of stick preference: Anand seems to prefer buttery smooth shifters that require minimal effort. I'd prefer a little more tactile feedback between each gear, which consequently means at least a little bit more effort at some point during a shift. I also am more insistant on having relatively short throws, although not at the expense of excessive effort or notchyness. It's definitely a delicate balance and I wouldn't go out and buy a short shifter kit for every car out there.
The RX-8 is still my favorite transmission, and it's a good thing with that cars 9000rpm redline since you'll need to be shifting a lot more to take full advantage of the beautiful rotary engine. The S2000's transmission has been proclaimed by C&D as the "best production transmission ever built," which has prompted me to want to try one. Maybe I will one of these weekends when I finish my rotations.
The Crossfire definitely has some issues. As someone else noted, it's essentially a MB SLK in disguise. I actually went out and drove one and it's a pretty good cruiser car, but it certainly was not particularly inspiring or fun compared to the likes of something like an RX-8 or 350Z.
If only they'd bring back the RX-7, preferably in full twin turbo guise....
BTW - Anand definitely does have a warped perspective on cars. I won't bore you with my theories on how that happened exactly...
yknott - did they really lower the switch over point for the hot cams in the Elise? I had read that they didn't change the gearing or anything interanlly, which prompted me to believe it'd have the same issues as the Celica GT-S when trying to stay on the hot cam lobe. Granted, that was in C&D or R&T, so I take that with a grain of salt...
hi - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
RS6.yknott - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
The Elise looks to be a great car. The US version will use the Toyota Celica engine. From a review I read, the light weight of the car makes the Celica engine in the Elise NOTHING like the Celica. They modified the VVTI to kick in a bit lower and changed the gearing. If you really enjoy free revving cars Anand, this is the car for you =)Wally Nowakowski - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
I want the awd skylineSmurfTower - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Re:But like I said, comparatively, the gas mileage is great for this size of car and comparable performance.Cool. I'm torn between the mustang and the prius. Two totally different cars I know but the choice between a sleek powerful machine for only 20grand or environmentally friendly vehicle that's cute as a button for around the same price is tough. Its funny that these two cars would even be in the same league (times are a changing) :).
Anonymous - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
I went to the show on Sunday and I really enjoyed taking lots of pictures and sitting in the $117000 AMG S55 :) The G35 coupe and the RX8 were probably my favorites, and I totally agree about the Mustang looking a lot better in person.captainspectacular - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Arshad - there's no guarantee that's the '06 NSX. In fact, neither the '06 nor the NSX part is set in stone, or that it will ever be released. But it certainly is a good indication of what might be in store for the futureArshad - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
If you're a Japanese car buff, you should definitely check out the '06 NSX. It was shown at the Detroit Auto Show as the Honda HSC. Powerplant remains a mystery.Eug - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
"I've always wanted to know about the gas milage, is it as good as they say?."For others not quite, but it's very good. For me it's not as good (but still much better than average for this size of car). I tend to jackrabbit drive and often for 15 minute trips or less. Not the best for gas mileage. Plus I always have the heater/air conditioning on, which will obviously still diminish gas mileage.
But like I said, comparatively, the gas mileage is great for this size of car and comparable performance. ( It ain't no 911 though. ;) )
Patrick - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
I too love the new Mustang and Corvette. I don't know what to say about the Crossfire... there is something appealing about it, but other times I just think it's ugly and cheap. ;)One thing I noticed at the last car show I was at, was that the interiors on most of the American cars... well they just feel all "plastic" and cheap... very disappointing.
BTW, I drive an Audi TT Quatro Coupe and I freakin' love the interior. The simplicity, the elegance, the solid feel... and the red lights. ;)
SmurfTower - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Eug, bragging about his car again!. ;) I've seen your post, I know who you are. :P I've always wanted to know about the gas milage, is it as good as they say?.SmurfTower - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Re:The new Mustang looks infinitely better in person than the current gen Mustangs..Hells yea!. Its a beauty for twenty thousand. I wonder when the AS coming to NY? or has it already?.... hope not.
Eug - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Stick? Pffttt...My car has a Start button. Seriously. :)
http://www.toyota.com/prius/
HammerFan - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
I trust that you will not be impressed with the C6 Anand...you seem to be more of an import guy than I am. I personally drool over the C6 (the vert in particular), but its very much an American car in terms of power and technology.Ludo - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Darn.. I was reading your story with great enthusiasm (except for the fact that I just saw the 6 driving in real life and was quite impressed!) and after reading everything but the last paragraph I knew I had to write something about the Elise.Little did I know: the last paragraph describes my sentiments exactly! I love the Elise and think it's one of the greatest cars ever built and just had to state this :D
Ludo
The Netherlands
Holger Eilhard - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
#1In case you didn't know (which I suppose you do :) ): The crossfire is mainly nothing else than a mercedes slk with a real non-convertible top. The interior looks a little different, but the tech is almost the same. (I think they only changed the length a bit, too).
Holger Eilhard - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
Hi Anand,sure you like the Audi Interior. Well I had the chance to drive a 180hp Diesel A4. I must say, that when you drive it at night you have to get used to all the red light on the dash... After > 1000 km I didn't notice it anymore. But it isn't nice...
But the navigation system definately ***** against - for example - the Mercedes navigation. In the Mercedes you don't have to read the handbook at all, you just click and it works the way as one expects it, but Audi... *urgh*
Enough flames for tonight ;)
G'night
Holger
UlricT - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - link
car blogs are cool!I feel that Chrysler's design dept should be lauded for both the crossfire and the pacifica. At least they seem to be learning from their people in Stuttgart.