Posts

@RainbowDash69
typical GM rebadging technique

@kleptomage
modern cars are very low and have very delicate and lightweight bumpers. I’ve seen many cars with knocked out lower bumpers due to snow and ice boulders…

@Background Pony #47C2
this article is awesome. I firmly believe Saab, Pontiac, Saturn, Oldsmobile would’ve been able to modernize their designs just with using a split grille design like that Saab rendering.

That’s an interesting one

@RD4590
I am always suprised how they managed to keep the exact same body in racecars as they do normal consumer cars back in the day.

I’ve never seen a wagon like this before!

@14Fan
BTCC

@RD4590
Ah, I don’t know THAT much about the sport.
What’s better?
NASCAR
Formula 1
IndyCar
IMSA

@14Fan
I don’t know if they had Galaxie in NASCAR. But this one was for the British Saloon Car Championship.

@RD4590
I think the American Ford might’ve been a car used in the old NASCAR in its Strictly Stock days.

Hey Mazda RX8 is a good second hand option too. The insurance is surprisingly low compared to other sports cars (at least in terms of insurance group.). And you get a 9000rpm Wankel rotary engine. And it has 4 doors.

British Ford (Cortina) and American Ford (Galaxie)

You may also notice on those tin pot cars like the original Fiat 500, Citroen 2CV and some Minis, they have canvas roof. This is to save material because steel was quite expensive in the old days.

@RD4590
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the reason most cars in Europe have smaller engines than in America because Europe taxes cars by engine displacement or projected carbon emissions?

@Goku Black
Because if you crash into my car, I expect you to have insurance to pay for my damaged car and for my medical bills. You not having insurance while I do would make my insurance more expensive and that’s not fair to me. Insurance isn’t just about protecting you and your vehicle. It’s also about protecting others.

I never understood why the government forces us to buy car insurance. I know it’s good to have in case of an accident, but people interested in protecting their vehicles are going to buy the insurance, anyway; those people don’t need a law telling them to.

And yes, sportswagon is the best.

Also I prefer Europe’s car culture. It’s more focused on road course racing and driving on country roads, which is why European cars are known for their handling.

@kleptomage
Actually it’s more of a personal bias. The only unreasonable regulations I see is the ULEZ congestion charge, which is basically a capitalist scheme disguised as environment policy, forcing people to buy new cars (while the annual MOT checks can ensure old cars to stay in decent or mint condition). And insurance is a ripoff too.

@RD4590
Leaving obstructions in the road should be illegal. I’m pretty sure the police don’t care, though. The police let farmers leave slick mud and clumps of dirt in the roads when they work in their fields.

I don’t know much about the European auto market. Seems like a bad place to be a car enthusiast with all the taxes and fees and regulations and now they’re talking about banning new ICE vehicles after 2035. It’s like Europe wants to strangle automobiles to death or make them only affordable for the 1%.

At least you get better wagons. If I were you I would get the most powerful wagon I can afford.

Also I’m deciding what car I should buy when I got my license (in UK).
I wanted an Audi TT but the insurance is too expensive.
I don’t want a convertible because the boot space is negligible.
I also wanted an Alfa Romeo but cheap Alfas have GM or Fiat platforms, which aren’t exactly good. Also it’s Italian so reliability is a problem.
I could get a Ford Fiesta (which is technically German lol) but it’s too weak in power, even though it should be a fun car to drive since it’s so light.
Saab and Vauxhall would also be wise choices (especially Vauxhall because of racing pedigree) but I don’t like them, or any cars related to GM (expect Corvette).
I’m not familiar with Renaults.
I could also get a Peugeot 208, but Fiesta would be a better choice if I really want a sporty hatchback.
I really want a diesel Audi wagon because of the racing pedigree (13-time 24H of Le Mans winner, 8 with its mighty TDI engine!), but congestion charge is a ripoff (Cars lower than Euro 4 petrol / Euro 6 diesel are subjected to congestion charge within Ultra Low Emission Zones, or ULEZ. That is petrol before 2005, diesel before 2015.)
Then the choice shrinks down to BMW 3 Series (E91 wagon or E92 coupe) or Peugeot RCZ.

@kleptomage
Damn that sucks. Road obstructions are no joke.

Some yahoo pushed a small mound of snow across the road and because it looked short enough, I thought my car could go through it. I was wrong. There must have been a chunk of ice in there because the lowest part of my front bumper broke. $2,000 worth of damage because the whole front of my car is one big piece of plastic that has to be painted to match. I only have to pay the deductible, but damn, that’s a lot of money and work because Hyundai was too cheap to build a proper bumper. A lot of time too. I have to wait over a month before the bumper can be repaired.

@RD4590
Same.

Alfa Romeo 159
I so want one

@The magic 🅱oi
Uhhh a convertible minivan…. I guess that fills up a very niche market