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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Car Talk - come in, we'll talk, no big whoop (Shaddim's bloggish thing)

Car Talk - come in, we'll talk, no big whoop (Shaddim's bloggish thing) (Page 8)
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raleur
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Dec 29, 2012, 09:28 AM
 
Sorry to clutter your thread.

Maybe I can make up for it by posting some pictures of a car. And at the same time, perhaps the readers can help me solve a puzzle?

See, the Auburn in this picture

Belonged to a Mr. Mereness of Cincinnati Ohio.

How do I know? Well, that particular photo originally came from this Flickr page. Notice the placard peeking out of the bottom left-hand corner of the pic? That's a sign from the 2009 Dayton Concours d'Elegance, where the car was being shown. Here's a closeup of that placard:
8048/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
As you can see, it is listed as belonging to Mr. Mereness from Cincinnati, who bought it in 2008.

Here is where the puzzle begins. You see, Mr. Mereness really, really enjoyed owning this car. His love for this car is obvious in this 2011 interview where he talks about owning it. He drove it quite often, and took it to many shows- in fact, he most recently took it to the 2012 Dayton Concours d'Elegance, as you can see in this picture, which was taken on September 16, 2012:
8049/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

Mr. Mereness is a lawyer, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance Foundation. He is most certainly not a "retired railroad engineer who then became a Presbyterian minister" as you described in this charming tale.

So you see, at some point between September 16, 2012, when Mr. Mereness drove his car in the Dayton Concours, and September 27, 2012, when you posted about putting up an offer for it, some terrible tragedy befell Mr Mereness, and the car's ownership passed to the retired railroad engineer, who dreamed of Sunday drives with his granddaughters. And sometime within those 11 days, that retired railroad engineer's daughter suddenly, without any warning, "up and moved across the country," so he was forced to sell it.

Luckily for you, he had no choice but to sell it on the Cleveland Craig's List instead of the places one would normally find such a rare automobile (only 25 in the world!). I bet you got a great bargain, since he clearly did not know its real value!

And so, I am puzzled how such a rare and valuable car would change hands so quickly- from Mr. Mereness, to the retired engineer, to you, in less than two weeks.

Naturally, given this puzzling set of circumstances, I thought a more logical explanations would be that you did not purchase the car pictured, and only posted the image as an example, as you did in other posts. Since you did not take these pictures of the Bugattis you purchased, it makes sense. That's why I asked you about it in this post.

But it occurs to me now that you simply may not have a camera, and so when you travelled all over the world to view these fine autos, you could not take pictures of them. This also explains why you did not take this picture of your comic book, either, and were forced to hunt it down from this ebay auction. If this is the case, then I sincerely apologize for any doubt I might have cast on your claims, and I applaud you for choosing a simpler path in this day and age of cameras-in-everything technology.
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 10:15 AM
 
I never said I "traveled the world", you said that. I didn't claim to have taken those shots, you're implying it. Plus, selling an auto in those places you're talking about carries fees and/or high commissions. Trolling me, in my own thread however, is priceless. FYI, there are only 25 supercharged Phaetons of that year/model around, their article isn't the most accurate. As I mentioned, I did not get a "great bargain", I paid what he paid, less his time for bringing it down. Whether I received a sob story or not doesn't really matter. It does prove that you'll twist and manipulate anything to annoy me, but then acting like a jerk all these years has been your stock and trade. Go "pick a fight" elsewhere.
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Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 11:07 AM
 
What is funny, mckenna, is how you made this sockpuppet back in Oct, with your mobile, buddied up to me at first, then waited to troll me. Why? Because I called you out for being an abusive ass, you still are, which is what gave you away. (That and letting it slip about being Canadian. Too many coincidences there.) That's an extraordinary, and creepy, amount of work, just because you've got a stick in your ass and I finally decided to start reporting all your offensive posts (a few of us were doing it, actually, because your comments were against the PL rules and we were sick of them).

You want a place where you can "start a fight" and verbally take people to task, without looking at what's best for discussions on the forum. Traffic is up, people are having sensible discussions, and they're actually making progress trying to understand each other. This, of course, isn't something that you desire, since you'd rather drag the whole thing down to your level. Look around, we're doing better without your lpkmckenna account, same goes for hyteckit and Captain Obvious too. MacNN functions better without the trolls, and that doesn't take any manipulative and extraordinarily biased "detective" work to figure out.
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Dec 29, 2012, 01:08 PM
 
I guess you'll have to buy a new car in order to salvage the thread
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 01:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton View Post
I guess you'll have to buy a new car in order to salvage the thread
Or I can post pics of my restored 650bhp 427 Pantera. (Say hello to Maggie the French Bulldog, or at least I think that's what she is.)

8054/width/350/height/700[/IMG]8055/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

(Possibly) coming soon to an issue of Muscle Car Review near you.
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raleur
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Dec 29, 2012, 07:58 PM
 
So, I guess you aren't interested in helping me solve the puzzle? No worries, perhaps someone else can.

But allow me to clarify a few things:
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
I didn't claim to have taken those shots, you're implying it.
To the contrary, I asked you quite clearly why you did not take your own pictures in this post and in this post. So I apologize if you thought I was implying otherwise.


Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
ITrolling me, in my own thread however, is priceless. FYI, there are only 25 supercharged Phaetons of that year/model around, their article isn't the most accurate. As I mentioned, I did not get a "great bargain", I paid what he paid, less his time for bringing it down. Whether I received a sob story or not doesn't really matter.
Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding- I am merely trying to solve a puzzle. But I'm afraid this reply doesn't answer the question at all.

Although it certainly is possible that Mr Mereness relayed bad information from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club, or simply forgot to add the word "supercharged," or the editors deleted it as superfluous, that particular point is irrelevant to both the article and the question at hand.

Perhaps your outrage at such shoddy reporting distracted you from the main point, which is that the car changed owners three times in less than two weeks, which implies some fascinating stories. I was just wondering whether you could shed some light on that particular puzzle.

Mr. Mereness is clearly not the retired-engineer-turned-Presbyterian-minister you describe in this post. Of course, it is clear that man lied to you, because his story cannot be true. I'm sure you have checked out the car carefully, because if the seller cannot be trusted, it seems likely that the car may not be all that it seems.

But if it is, wow:
8060/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
How long does it take to do all of that, anyway- checking the provenance of the car to make sure it is indeed the rare beauty that was owned by Fredric March?


Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
I never said I "traveled the world", you said that...Plus, selling an auto in those places you're talking about carries fees and/or high commissions.
See, now this adds to the puzzle, because these cars were in England, at least until after June. Here's URL=http://www.williamianson.com/cars-for-sale/]the seller's site[/URL]. Here's another that lists them for sale, and links to the seller's site. Both are located in England. But I'm guessing you got the pictures from this site, which also has all of the information you shared plus a little more, including the fact that they were in England.

This one was in England from 2008:
8061/width/350/height/700[/IMG]


Of course, I believe you when you say that you do not "travel the world," and do not buy such autos because of the high fees and commissions. Since you bought them in America, this means that someone else must have brought them from England, and resold them here. Much like the Auburn, these rare and priceless cars, changed owners at least three times in a very short period- which only adds to the puzzle. Why not share such interesting stories with us?


Anyway, I'm sure there's a good reason you don't share any pictures that you have taken yourself.

Perhaps you are concerned about security, which is certainly reasonable given your holdings.

Or, as I suggested earlier, you may not own a camera, which would explain why you did not share a picture of the comic book you got for Christmas, and instead took the time to find and paste the one from eBay.

Either way, it is a shame that you won't let us see all the cars you've worked on or lovingly restored.
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 08:08 PM
 
Go out, get a ****ing life. You've twisted everything I've posted, again, for no other reason than you have a stick in your ass, mckenna.

Also, I do travel, but I didn't travel to buy the cars, that you don't understand how brokering works isn't my problem. I do buy cars from those brokers, and from places like Hemmings and Gooding. Often I bid on auctions from my couch in my boxers. Wow, technology, whodathunkit? I said that sellers will often put up a car on CL, since with them you don't have to pay the hefty fees or commissions. A Ferrari Enzo was selling on there not long ago. Looks like the car "changed hands" twice, not 3 times. Your reading comprehension skills need some work.

How does this other thing work, do they just ban you for the duplicate account and trying to pass yourself off as someone else? Gonna check on that.


Edit: Oh, FYI, I once saw a car swap hands 4 times (actually 4 times, not 3) in one weekend, and that was a $600k car at Monterrey.
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raleur
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Dec 29, 2012, 08:25 PM
 
As for the mckenna thing, it's as if you're asking me when I stopped beating my wife. It seems there's no answer I can give that would satisfy you.

But you do seem to have misread me:
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
(That and letting it slip about being Canadian. Too many coincidences there.)
Where did I let it slip that I was Canadian? That might be the source of your confusion.
     
sek929
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Dec 29, 2012, 08:56 PM
 
This has taken a turn for the bizarre.
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 09:05 PM
 
Oh, look, $130,000 Ferrari F430 selling on Craig's List, why would they do that? All these E-Types too. Wow, one of only 125 1937 Bentley OTS 4.2L left in the world... on CL, and this 1960 DB4 racer that won at Sebring. I can literally search all day pulling up vintage, rare, and exotic cars from there. There's nothing special about it, except they're as thick as fleas on a dog's backside.

What is special is stalking me, and people wonder why it's a bad idea to place person info about possessions online? :Err:
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Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 29, 2012, 09:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
This has taken a turn for the bizarre.
That's what happens when you report people for abuse and multiple accounts.
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sek929
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Dec 30, 2012, 06:57 AM
 
So here's what I gather.

Raleur, lpk, whomever, etc... Is taking the most roundabout and passive aggressive route to basically say Shaddim is a total fraud, and is not the millionaire car aficionado he claims to be. I assume this also extends to Shaddim's other interests and or his wealthy status in general, thus painting him as someone patient and pathetic enough to invent and stick with a persona on MacNN for an incredibly long time.

As a person who believes the most plausible explanation is almost always the correct one, I choose to believe that Shaddim is who he claims to be, and simply does not feel like taking personal pictures of his exotic collection. You'll need something a lot more damning than gut feelings and some links to pictures found online to convince me Shaddim has spent all these years lying to a small group of strangers to eventually impress us with his cars.

In the off chance Shaddim IS a total fraud, I simply don't care. As far as I know you're all frauds, as far as I know not a single person who posts online tells any lick of truth and that fact has absolutely no bearing on my life whatsoever. I choose not to worry and/or give a single shit about that fact.

What I do find interesting is that someone would create an entirely new persona, pretend to be new here, and then spend an inordinate amount of time trying to prove that some anonymous online entity isn't who he says he is.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Dec 30, 2012, 07:29 AM
 
^ entirely agreed
     
Mrjinglesusa
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Dec 30, 2012, 09:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by raleur View Post
As for the mckenna thing, it's as if you're asking me when I stopped beating my wife. It seems there's no answer I can give that would satisfy you.
But you do seem to have misread me:
Where did I let it slip that I was Canadian? That might be the source of your confusion.
You are PATHETIC.

It's really sad that you are going through all this effort for what, exactly? What is your end game here? Instead of being so passive aggressive, why not just post EXACTLY what it is you are implying by all these posts?

Are you or are you not calling Shaddim a fraud? If so, what's your proof other than the fact he posts pics of his cars that he didn't take himself?
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 30, 2012, 10:01 AM
 
Well, he was blocked from this thread for taking it off-topic, so he can't answer you here. I'm not a shutterbug, my wife is. It's easier to just use the pics from the ad where I bought the car.

Believe me, being wealthy out in the real world is cool, being wealthy in cyberspace sucks. Most places online I don't tell anyone anything, because it's like wearing a "kick me" sign. This is a smaller community and I've been here almost 10 years, so I'd assume that I'd get to be me and catch some slack, that's still not always the case. Blah, whatever.
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Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 30, 2012, 09:54 PM
 
Anyway, back to important stuff. The warranty has expired on the 458, time for the turbo kit. No, I'm not kidding, I really like that Heffner kit.. One thing of note, it's not had any problems at all, I drive it a couple times /wk and it's been perfect. Gosh, couldn't say that about a Ferrari 10+ years ago.
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imitchellg5
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Dec 30, 2012, 10:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Was it an auto or manual (the Charger)? I thought the Challenger was okay, but the visibility and sheer bulk of the thing are real weaknesses in that design.
The Charger doesn't come in a manual...
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Dec 30, 2012, 11:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
The Charger doesn't come in a manual...
That's a shame. I know the Challenger has the option with the R/T, wasn't sure about the Charger.
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imitchellg5
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Jan 1, 2013, 09:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
That's a shame. I know the Challenger has the option with the R/T, wasn't sure about the Charger.
The Challenger's manual isn't too great anyway, the clutch is vague and you can't rush the shifter.

The Charger OTOH has a pretty good optional 8-speed ZF auto, the very same used by both Audi and BMW (in the A6, A8, 5 series, and 7).
     
Laminar
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Jan 8, 2013, 11:37 AM
 
So it's over?
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 8, 2013, 12:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
So it's over?
The sockpuppet d**chebaggery? Let's hope so.

I have several work logs I want to post up, and some test drive notes. Cracking an axle on the Pantera sucked, but wasn't entirely unexpected. Destroying the first clutch, however, was... The replacement's been fine, but we're still wondering what happened. Sometimes parts are just defective.
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Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 8, 2013, 08:48 PM
 
I also want to add how impressed I am with the FAST XFi fuel systems. They've been a real joy to work with; easy installation, very flexible, reasonably priced, efficient (relative to carburetion), with modular upgradeability.
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Jan 9, 2013, 03:28 PM
 
If you had named it Manowar as I had insisted, it wouldn't 've cracked an axel. Manowar is made of steel, not of clay.
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Jan 9, 2013, 03:30 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
The Challenger's manual isn't too great anyway, the clutch is vague and you can't rush the shifter.
Plus it looks like crap. I was so jazzed up over the prototype. It was lower and wider. Now it looks ridiculous with it being so narrow and tall.
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Jan 10, 2013, 02:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
Plus it looks like crap. I was so jazzed up over the prototype. It was lower and wider. Now it looks ridiculous with it being so narrow and tall.
Well, it is a Dodge
     
olePigeon
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Jan 10, 2013, 04:35 PM
 
Chevy Camaro was even worse. The concept looked absolutely insane. The final version looks like complete ass. As RiffTrax put it, "Ooo, the new Camaro! It's crappier and worth less than the last model! Ooo! Aah!"
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Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 10, 2013, 05:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
Chevy Camaro was even worse. The concept looked absolutely insane. The final version looks like complete ass. As RiffTrax put it, "Ooo, the new Camaro! It's crappier and worth less than the last model! Ooo! Aah!"
and how, that's a wickedly ugly car. BUT, the ZL1 is a very good driver, it's like a bulky M3 with more power (and crappy visibility).
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Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 10, 2013, 07:58 PM
 
A tip for those looking for a cool car for little money (relatively speaking). Check out Mecum and setup an account. At that point you aren't obligated and it doesn't cost anything. What it does, however, is let you view past winning bids. If you want to bid on the day of the auction you'll need to setup a bidding account with them, they'll help you with all that. Do research on the coming lots, make notes of the cars you're interested in, and if you want a particular car write down the max you're willing to spend and stick with it. That helps you keep from getting caught up in a bidding frenzy. You get access to a live video stream and it's a lot of fun.

The prices are generally very good, much better than Barrett Jackson, Gooding, and the like. Why? Because the cars aren't as collectible, due to higher mileage and oftentimes being more heavily restored. However, I've seen dozens of earlier pony cars going for <$10k, newer vehicles for thousands under wholesale, vintage trucks for almost nothing, etc.. They aren't perfect, plan on a good servicing after you get them, because mostly they're just well detailed to look good at the auction, but all that I've seen are in working order. In other words, set aside some money to get them in top running condition (and the buyer's premium). Getting them shipped to you is a piece of cake if you're in the USA, Mecum will work with you and the transport company to coordinate delivery. From my experience, you'll pay $500-1000 /car, depending on distance. If you're close enough, you could just pick them up, too.

Some interesting lots:

Alfa that sold for $3600 (w/ premium) - 1995 Alfa Romeo 164 LS for sale by Mecum Auction
Neat Mustang that sold for $4750 (w/ premium) - 1984 Ford Mustang GT 20th Anniversary One Owner Car for sale by Mecum Auction
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Jan 11, 2013, 01:14 AM
 
I've been thinking about a Tesla S but I only have a 1 car garage so it would mean a total switch. I'm also not looking to drop 120k on it. I was thinking the base with the 85k and was wondering what your opinion was. My commute isn't a range issue but the extended families vacation place is 200 miles.
     
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Jan 11, 2013, 03:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
and how, that's a wickedly ugly car. BUT, the ZL1 is a very good driver, it's like a bulky M3 with more power (and crappy visibility).
By bulky you mean over 1,000 lbs heavier.
     
Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 11, 2013, 04:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
I've been thinking about a Tesla S but I only have a 1 car garage so it would mean a total switch. I'm also not looking to drop 120k on it. I was thinking the base with the 85k and was wondering what your opinion was. My commute isn't a range issue but the extended families vacation place is 200 miles.
How heavy is your foot? If you can keep from performing 5s 0-60 launches and can drive in a relatively conservative manner, you should be okay. We've had one issue with a door sensor, a tech came out and fixed it, but other than that it's been rock solid. My wife drives it every day and she loves it.

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
By bulky you mean over 1,000 lbs heavier.
I was thinking more about sheer size, all the extra plastics from the flares and arches. It's more bulky than it needs to be and feels larger than it should.
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Jan 12, 2013, 01:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Alfa that sold for $3600 (w/ premium) - 1995 Alfa Romeo 164 LS for sale by Mecum Auction
I've seen Top Gear. This will not end well.
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Shaddim  (op)
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Jan 12, 2013, 03:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
I've seen Top Gear. This will not end well.
That's part of the "joy of Alfa ownership", or so I'm told.

Edit: Heffner Performance dude on the phone: "One does not simply walk into Mordor... or just slap turbos on to a 458."

FFS, I'm laughing so hard right now.
( Last edited by Shaddim; Jan 12, 2013 at 04:43 PM. )
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Jan 13, 2013, 05:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Alfa that sold for $3600 (w/ premium) - 1995 Alfa Romeo 164 LS for sale by Mecum Auction
Ugh, I don't see the appeal, an Alfa 75 should cost less and its side profile was not replied by a late Peugeot (605). Also, a bit more gets you a modern Alfa 159 here in Europe. You might get one and put it on a diet.
     
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Jan 13, 2013, 05:53 AM
 
Originally Posted by angelmb View Post
Ugh, I don't see the appeal, an Alfa 75 should cost less and its side profile was not replied by a late Peugeot (605). Also, a bit more gets you a modern Alfa 159 here in Europe. You might get one and put it on a diet.
Not many Alfas here in the States at all, especially with such low mileage. It was a good deal on a bit of a rarity over here, the 32V V6 version. Fairly quick too, even by today's standards, more power than a new Subaru BRZ with less weight, and a true Pininfarina design (I like the look).
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Jan 14, 2013, 05:28 AM
 
As this is the car thread and a few people here seem to be able to afford one, here's the new C7 Corvette Stingray...



2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Everything there is to know [w/video]

New 6.2 LT1 engine, 450bhp, 450 lb ft. 7 speed manual or 6 speed paddleshift auto. Chevy reckon on a sub 4.0 sec 0-60.

The internet so far seems to be 50/50 between 'OMG it's different to a C4/C5/C6, I hate it' and 'this is the kick up the arse the Corvette needed, I love it'.

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
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Jan 14, 2013, 06:10 AM
 
I don't necessarily mind the design, but somehow I think it takes one cue too many from other manufacturers (the sharp angles and corners are reminiscent of a Lamborghini Reventon, the mouth reminds me of a Aston-Martin and I feel like I've seen the tail lights' design elsewhere, too). I'm not saying the Corvette's design is just a mosaic where the pieces have been taken from other manufacturers, it's definitely its own design. But I don't see any iconic new element of its own. Also, I don't think it's ugly, just not too memorable as far as supercars go.
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Jan 14, 2013, 06:15 PM
 
I think they're using the Stingray name for marketing porpoises, but there's nothing very Stingray-ey about it.

Did they ever meet a styling feature they didn't like?
     
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Jan 14, 2013, 06:19 PM
 
I can't say it looks worse than a GT-R. There is something "599 GTB" about it, which IMO is a good thing.

The interior is a huge improvement, though I'm not thrilled with the orgy of buttons on the wheel.
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Jan 14, 2013, 11:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
I can't say it looks worse than a GT-R.
The GT-R doesn't have the reputation of a pretty or luxurious car, though, it has the reputation of being comparatively cheap and very, very fast.
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Jan 14, 2013, 11:06 PM
 
They should have done a split rear window (or at least the illusion of one)
     
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Jan 14, 2013, 11:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
The GT-R doesn't have the reputation of a pretty or luxurious car, though, it has the reputation of being comparatively cheap and very, very fast.
It's a $90+k car, while the `vette is half the price and has always been the "budget supercar", as evidenced by the historically awful interior, terrible ride, and plastic body panels. With especially the last two generations, the GT-R has been Japan's luxury sport coupe, if you don't have the coin for an LFA. It didn't start that way, but that's what it's evolved into.

Now it appears that GM may be catching on and trying to improve their sport-flagship's horrible aesthetics.
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Jan 15, 2013, 12:57 AM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
It's a $90+k car …
Yes, but performance-wise the GT-R is designed to compete with Porsches and Ferraris that go for twice the price. So in that sense, it's a »cheap« supercar.
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
… while the `vette is half the price and has always been the "budget supercar", as evidenced by the historically awful interior, terrible ride, and plastic body panels.
I didn't realize the Corvette was that cheap. However, compared to German cars (especially with interiors specced for the European market*), the interior of the GT-R has a very cheap feel to it, too.

* I noticed that even the interior of the German car makers made for the US market has a significantly cheaper look-and-feel to it. E. g. a colleague of mine bought an A3 while she was a professor in the US and the leather is of much lower quality.
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Jan 15, 2013, 01:51 AM
 
The GT-R does compete with Porsche, but not so much Ferrari, unless you count the California (which is a souped-up Maserati). The 458 is in a different league, but for 2.5x the price. Anyhow, the GT-R is made from better materials than the C6 `vette, by a substantial margin, and undergoes much more stringent QC. The C7 seems to be closing that gap, and that's a very good thing for the US segment of that market, especially since Dodge has already done the same with their halo car. I'll likely be looking at a Z07 when they're released, if the "little birds" are right about it. (600+bhp, 550lb/ft, bi-turbo 5.4L).
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Jan 15, 2013, 02:50 AM
 
I thought the new Corvette was powered by a naturally aspirated ~450 hp V8 or am I missing something?
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Jan 15, 2013, 03:02 AM
 
It is, was talking about the rumors of the Z07.
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Jan 16, 2013, 02:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
* I noticed that even the interior of the German car makers made for the US market has a significantly cheaper look-and-feel to it. E. g. a colleague of mine bought an A3 while she was a professor in the US and the leather is of much lower quality.
Depends on what version of the car you're talking about. The base US A3 has much more content and the top line 2.0 TFSI than a base A3 in the EU. (Also it doesn't have leather standard, more of a leatherette [sorry, I worked for Audi for a time until they figured out I wasn't actually old enough to work for them and drive their cars because I was under 21 at the time for insurance purposes]).
     
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Jan 16, 2013, 05:07 AM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
Depends on what version of the car you're talking about. The base US A3 has much more content and the top line 2.0 TFSI than a base A3 in the EU. (Also it doesn't have leather standard, more of a leatherette [sorry, I worked for Audi for a time until they figured out I wasn't actually old enough to work for them and drive their cars because I was under 21 at the time for insurance purposes]).
She has a 2.5 L A3 Sportback, not sure about the model year (perhaps 2009ish?). I'm not sure whether she has leather or »leatherette«, but also the dash and all is made of different grade plastic. On the other hand, she has 200+ hp at her disposal even though according to her, she has the entry-level model. I should ask a friend of mine who was in charge of quality control for the company which made the dashboards for BMW Z4s. He's now working in quality control for Audi.
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Jan 16, 2013, 07:16 AM
 
C7 looks stunning. The Contour bottle on wheels.

The interior is a huge improvement, though I'm not thrilled with the orgy of buttons on the wheel.
It could be worse, such as the ecosystem of distraction that you encounter at most cars nowadays.
     
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Jan 16, 2013, 02:56 PM
 
Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
She has a 2.5 L A3 Sportback, not sure about the model year (perhaps 2009ish?). I'm not sure whether she has leather or »leatherette«, but also the dash and all is made of different grade plastic. On the other hand, she has 200+ hp at her disposal even though according to her, she has the entry-level model. I should ask a friend of mine who was in charge of quality control for the company which made the dashboards for BMW Z4s. He's now working in quality control for Audi.
Interesting. The A3 Sportback is the standard US model and is one of the few Audis that is pretty much exactly the same in the US market as EU. There isn't a 2.5L available though in the US, only the 2.0 TSFI and the 2.0 TDI (there used to be a 3.2 FSI as well, which was a hoot to drive). Before the 2010 facelift though, the quality was a little lower than now, but still should be the same between comparable trims regardless of market.
     
 
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