Draco-REX

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/pagani-zonda-r-7/1336898/ I've been a Lamborghini fanboy since the first time I ever saw a Countach. The Reventon recently became my favorite car on the planet. But this.... This car just made the Reventon look run of the mill and is now my #1.

Drat.. That transmission would have rocked in the GC build I'm about to start.

Engine's probably good too. Where did you find this, btw? Is it being parted out?

No problem.. I was going to set up shop, but then I saw what was behind THAT door... You're sick!

True. But then I ask myself: "Why settle?"

For all those high speed chases that they aren't allowed to engage in.

Well, unless I want to go drag racing, I can't see a reason NOT to have AWD, so that narrows things down. And looking at other AWD offerings, there aren't many that I like or feel comfortable with. Even Audi is starting to slack off with open diffs and using the brakes to emulate a LSD. Many others use FWD biased systems. So a solid AWD system and a reliable car spells Subaru to me. The whole "Subarus are like Legos" thing helps a lot too, but that's not something the average buyer cares about. As for the 08/09 STI, after seeing it in person, I could live with it. But we'll be seeing the 2010 this year. Maybe it'll look better.

iPod with a FM transmitter?

There are a lot of people trying to get the STI and Evo moved up a class. Apparently it's a real hot topic on the SCCA boards. We can save it for another thread. But if you go faster in my car, I'll be very happy. A lot of research, time, and effort went into the suspension. Took it down for the shoot. And I haven't been going for drives lately, so it'll probably stay off for now. I use a simple pair of U-clamps on the rear towhook to mount it so it goes up and down real easy. Rebar FTW. I want that transmission and rear diff.

Dodge. So the question is: What's cheaper? This car or a converted Charger/Vic/etc?

MY hostility stems from the fact that US automakers, my HOME COUNTRY, are failing horribly and appear to be doing nothing to fix the issue. They are too hidebound and stubborn to change. They had a GOLDEN opportunity to reset and turn themselves around. Instead of announcements of pricey top-level models in a floundering economy, there should be announcements of new development into Hybrids, Electric cars, and Quality. They should be showing the public that they are changing. I'm not saying american cars are crap now. What I'm saying is that they have an IMAGE of unreliability and cheap build quality. They need to shed that image to be successful, and so far they've barely even tried. As for the F-150, it may be the best selling vehicle in the world, but it's not enough to make the company profitable is it? You can point to any singular product of a company and say "this is profitable," but it's the entire company that matters. If the F-150 brings in 10 Billion, but the company spends 20 Billion, it'll go under all the same. Subaru and Mini were the only two companies that posted growth in 2008. What do they have in common? Companies that sell a limited number of models that specialize in something. Mini has small FWD cars that are easily identifiable and stand out in a crowd. Subaru has reliable cars that all have AWD. I'm not saying the big 3 should copy Mini or Subaru, but having 5 copies of the same car sold under different names while trying to fill every class AND every cross-class doesn't help. It only makes for tons of extra stock in cars and parts and confusion for the buyer. Do one thing, do it well, and do it better than anyone else. There's a reason why I have trouble seeing myself owning anything other than a Subaru.

Ah yes, they are just the model of corporate stability....

He's going to learn to LIKE corners.

Unless it's a Prius.. Apparently if the battery dies in one of those it's hell to get it running again. My friend owns one and he said that if the battery ever died, it would have to be towed to a dealership.

WIN http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/3257495106_af4e9b89fb_o.jpg

I don't think that thing has a gear that it can't break the tires loose in. He had some serious balls to drive it on wet tarmac, but then he has to have bigger balls to drive it on dirt where one mistake means a 1000ft drop.

Grats man! My sister just had a kid. My brother-in-law and I have already decided he's getting into Karting. Kid's going to have gasoline in his veins from the start. Stephen "Cricket" McInerney Jr will bring Formula 1 glory back to the US. You heard it here first!

He man, I plan to hit more AutoX events this year. Hopefully there will be some fun runs so you can take the STI for a spin.

This is exactly what the Big 3 need to do to get back on top. If they can't afford to price it that low, cut features. TCO is going to be huge as people start to count pennies. People don't NEED a cool LCD screen that shows how the power is being distributed. Most don't care, so why make them pay for it? Shaving the LCD/Nav/fancy radio will cut at least a grand from the cost. People WANT a Prius, but they can't afford one, can't get one, or hate how it looks. Put the Volt's driveline in a basic compact sedan and GM will have a winner. As long as they can keep up with demand, they'll get back on top. Of course, they'll probably do the idiotic thing and keep production low so demand stays high allowing them to charge more. Idiotic companies that do this don't seem to realize that 100 sales at 20% profit is more money than 50 sales at 30% profit. Yes, I'm looking at you Nintendo.

Even so, a TT V6 AWD car is still going to be one of the lowest in its class for MPG.

Lets stop right here for a second. Turbo + V6 + AWD = mileage like a small SUV. Even my dinky 4cyl 2.0L with a manual transmission and an efficient AWD system has trouble averaging 20+mpg at the pumps. Stop one more time. Where do people look for reliable cars? Japan. Doesn't matter if Ford is on-par with japanese manufacturers. Lack of reliability from american manufacturers has been ETCHED into our collective conciousness. People buy american because they either want a cheap car, or they want a Ford/GM/Mopar specificly. Exactly. The big 3 are screwing this up big time and it's proving that all they can do is more of the same. What they should have done is this: File for restructuring Send the UAW packing Come back under a NEW name Then cut down to a small number of profitable models and build up from there. They need to show the american public that they are serious about changing. Until they do, they will have the same STIGMA about them. GM or Chrysler should have come back as a Hybrid-Only manufacturer. Bells and wistles should be toned down and quality focused on. Oh no! you won't get the latest Bio-tech pheremone-activated butt massager, but you get a car that's solid, dependable, and with a lower TCO than the others. PEOPLE ARE SHEEP. I can't believe the number of times large companies forget this. People want to be told what is important. Just look at this "miles per tank" bullshit in car ads now. Tell Mr. Jones and his wife what should matter to them, and what matters is what your car excells at. The Big 3 took a couple hits. But rather than take advantage of them as opportunities, they decided to stubbornly do the same-old shit. THAT is why this car looks like a steaming pile of shit. It'll have lower than average MPG for its class, have a higher TCO, and cost more due to all the gadgets, with ABSOLUTELY NO reassurance that it's any higher quality than previous models. They'll see only a handful because (as it's proponent here have said) it's not a performance car so enthusiasts won't want it, and families won't want to pay the extra cash. It'll be another car that loses money.

Well, at least they aren't completely stupid. However, I agree with the others. This may be innovation, but it's in the wrong direction; so it's essentially more of the same. Pity, I thought they had learned their lesson.

I got some black ones you can try on.

If you have an 04, no problem. Let me know.

Not ricer wings. http://ims.hspn.com/pic.php?u=128JUp3s&i=6035 http://ims.hspn.com/pic.php?u=128JUp3s&i=6040http://ims.hspn.com/pic.php?u=128JUp3s&i=6038 And for damreds: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2950303098_c399669f77_b.jpg http://www1.zoto.com/ilikeitsideways/img/750x750x2/03895091a75dbd4fede95e5288abe9d5.jpg Oh, and this will likely be the last time my WRX looks like this, or sees dirt. I'm building one for M4 and I'm going to sell my WRX to fund it.. I'm gonna miss it.