Future Car - What Car Do You Want?

Originally posted by COKKENBALLS Originally posted by NecroBeestiality what will air ride do for its handling? i have only heard of air ride suspensions on 4x4 rock crawling offroaders.....i am curious because getting a 3500lb+ car to handle well must be tricky. 3500lbs is nothing. Vette's, M5's, New Camaro's, Mustangs, GTO's weigh over 4000lbs and they handle just fine. They key is eliminating the 40 year old technology (leaf springs). The air bags are valved with computer controlls that take care of damping, rate, ride height etc. When I park the car, I can drop it in the weeds. When I go to the track, I raise the rear to accomodate the slicks. If I'm taking the car around town, I can adjust the suspension for comfort. All at the touch of a button. The kit I want can be found here. . . . http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=6051

Ah. I see. That is pretty slick.

As for the cars you mentioned....

Vettes don't weigh 3500lbs and I don't think they ever will, because they are pure sports cars and GM knows pure sports cars have to handle very well. That doesn't happen at 3500lbs. 3000lbs is the magic number for a compromise between ride quality, handling, interior room and other factors. If you look at the best handling cars in the world based on subjective, opinion based reviews and slalom numbers, you will see cars like the Corvette Z06, Porsche Cayman S, Subaru STI, Mitsu EVO MR, BMW M3 CSL, Mazda RX-8. Yes these are all lightweight variants of their base form. However, even in their base form they are each well south of 3500lbs. These cars have almost neutral handling characteristics, or in the case of the ZO6, have some oversteer tendencies but that is to be expected. I am afriad to say the Challenger got some extremely ****ty reviews for its handling unlike the Camaro. That thing is an anchor though and also rides very very comfortably.

The Mustang GT is barely under 3500lbs but its handling regularly gets **** on by the likes of all major car magazines due to its archaic live rear axle. Somehow that thing has survived redesign after redesign. Unlike the archaic rear engine design of the Porsche Carerra, the live rear axel hit its maximum potential 20 years ago in the Fox body. I am sure that is because of a combination of the inherent German neurotic quest for dominance as well as a higher price per car.

The M5 and Camaro handle brilliantly! But its all relative my friend. The Mercedes S63AMG, at nearly 5000lbs handles incredibly. But handling well at 3800, or 5000lbs is not something thats going to hold al candle on the track to cars with or without less power closer to the 3000lb mark. I mean the differences are going to glacial. Ma**ive. The efforts by companies that put out good handling yet heavy vehicles are heroic but good handling is a relative term to the weight and the BEST handling commercially available cars under $100,000 are all in the 3000lb range.

Originally posted by COKKENBALLS Originally posted by BAB NRG I saw mention of the Challenger SRT-8.  I purchased this car six months ago and this is by far the best car I have ever owned.  Can't imagine one being better.   I just recently had the wheels powder-coated black and had a tint applied to the windows.  I have more pics if you want to see them. (If you click on the picture it will show a larger version)   That is an absolutely sick ride. I like what you did with the wheels too.

this is a sick ride !

Thx, although I would like to claim I made the background, I found it looking for Matrix photos to use.

Originally posted by BAB NRG I saw mention of the Challenger SRT-8.  I purchased this car six months ago and this is by far the best car I have ever owned.  Can't imagine one being better.   I just recently had the wheels powder-coated black and had a tint applied to the windows.  I have more pics if you want to see them. (If you click on the picture it will show a larger version)

Originally posted by NecroBeestiality Originally posted by Fluffy Fluffington Originally posted by NecroBeestiality awwww u got the red leather? that is beautiful. do you have paddles or stick? coupe or sedan? xi or i?   Coup Stick Shift ... I have never owned an automatic my entire driving career.   Going to put on my Winter Tires on Friday ... Blizzaks   Klipsch Speakers     blizzaks.....how much of a diff do the really make? is it huge? does it make a powerful rwd car like yours manageable in slippery, cold conditions? and do u have winter wheels or do you have your summer tires removed from your original wheels?

The blizzzaks make a huge diff ... i used to have an audi A4 quattro and with my BMW w/ the BLizzaks I drive in 6 inches of snow with equal confidence on my rear wheel drive!

The car i want, is my car, with 40-50 thousand dollars dumped into it.

what will air ride do for its handling? i have only heard of air ride suspensions on 4x4 rock crawling offroaders.....i am curious because getting a 3500lb+ car to handle well must be tricky.

Originally posted by COKKENBALLS If I bought new, I would have to get the new Dodge Challenger. Otherwise, I have my dream car, which I am building in my image. She's a 1967 Pontiac LeMans.

Yeah. SRT-8, then give it the John Hennessey treatment with a pair of Turbos.

Originally posted by NecroBeestiality Peugeot imported cars to the United States with extremely poor results. It seems that during the 80s Peugeot had some serious quality control issues and the reliability of their cars is kind of a joke here in the states. They may make wonderful cars today but that is the reputation that exists here in the states. Much like American cars are humorous to the rest of the world. Never mind that our heavy duty trucks simply have no competition, nor does our Corvette in terms competition in the $50,000 range. We have had some brilliant automotive success here but our image and repuation is in the garbage rightly so and for many reasons. No one is saying anything about the racing credentials of the French Automotive industry but lets face it, outside of the racing success, rally sucess, and that AWESOME mid-engine hatchback (clio), France (as does the US) pales in comparison to what Italy and Germany regularly pump out in the premium sports car segment.....am I wrong?

Originally posted by NecroBeestiality awwww u got the red leather? that is beautiful. do you have paddles or stick? coupe or sedan? xi or i?

Originally posted by Fluffy Fluffington     A FRENCH manufactured sports car?????   The mechanical embodiment of the perfect Oxymoron.   I'll Stick with Germans and the Italians

It's a "concept car" not design fro production.