Accelerated Posted October 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 At this time, I am thinking STI but in a couple of years, who knows. Yeah, good for you man! Mind, a brand new Impreza (hence also Sti) is scheduled for 2007 and its being designed by the same guy who styled the Alfa Romeo 156 and 147 (very sexy)....so should be a hoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted October 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 (edited) Sorry, couldnt help myself http://www.phatkokracing.com/albums/albuo1.../05_G.sized.jpg ---At least post them as links --Sip Edited October 31, 2003 by Seapahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 Just couldn't held yourself there could you Accel? LOL Skyline is nice (will be brought to the states for the first time I hear)...but seems like its being priced way out...and come now Accel - pay that $ for a car? And Sip - awesome dude! But yeah get yourself a sportscar...no more slow motion grins...get some real addreline kicks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted October 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 and come now Accel - pay that $ for a car? Yeah, prob wouldnt , but gotto aim high you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2003 (edited) Medium-car comparo http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/10/31/31MED.JPG A flood of fresh, stylish models has kick-started the medium-car segment, tempting back buyers who are scaling down from 4WDs and big sedans with big engines. Sales of mid-size cars dropped so dramatically in the past half-decade that the category was about to be read its last rites. But, after a flood of new models, it transpires that the medium car wasn't dead; rather, it was just resting quietly. In fact it was so quiet that many of the car makers here were simply ignoring it. Ford, for instance, gave up on the Mondeo just at the point where a sharp new model was about to arrive. Pity, because -- to echo Marlon Brando's eloquence in On the Waterfront -- it could have been a contender. It's understandable why people previously tended to write-off medium cars; the large family and fleet sedans, such as the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, can't be beaten in the value-for-money formula, and the soft-roader boom has taken sales from across the market. Small cars were getting bigger, too, cutting the footings from the medium market. But not everyone wants to pose as an outback trekker and not everyone wants a big sedan with a big engine. And, as parking space becomes harder to find -- and fit into -- buyers increasingly are embracing the new wave of medium cars. Some have had the 4WD experience and are coming back to the comfort, style and economy of a conventional car; others are scaling down from a typical fleet-car sedan. Industry analyst Tony Robinson says the segment, spurred by fresh and stylish new vehicles, has developed a strong identity. "It is sort of a poor man's prestige group; it's gone up a peg in quality and equipment, and will have strong residuals; used values will be strong in a few years' time," said Robinson. In the three years to 2002, the medium-car market (which is about one-third the size of the large-car market) was in gradual decline, despite the overall motor vehicle market growing to record levels. Things changed last year. The perennial Toyota Camry four-cylinder was given a revamp and a new, locally made, bigger engine. Mazda livened up the game with a better looking, sharp-handling Mazda6 which blew away the cobwebs from the design of the old and tired 626. Holden reinforced one of the many strings to its marketing bow when it introduced the much more stylish Vectra, although it was forced into a "market realignment" in which it is comparing its German-built car with the likes of BMW. Translation: the price has gone up astronomically. The flagship Vectra is now more expensive than a Calais. This year, the revival stick hit two other vehicles which were becoming old and largely ignored: the Honda Accord (with the made-for-America wide body V6 and the sharply styled four-cylinder Euro) and, most recently, the Subaru Liberty. Some are available with six-cylinder engines and, in the case of the Liberty, turbocharging. For this comparison, we stuck with the more affordable -- and the most popular -- four-cylinder automatic versions. It was a close contest, yet the contestants varied sufficiently in price and characteristics to give buyers a broad sweep of choices. Holden Vectra CDPrice: $36,990F Launched in March this year, the Vectra is a bigger and stronger car than its predecessors. According to Holden, it indicates the future direction of the Commodore's stablemates. The second-most expensive car in the group, it is the least powerful and the heaviest. Not surprisingly, the performance is relatively modest, although it's by no means sluggish. The interior is rather more stark than those of the Japanese rivals and, like the electronic turn indicators and windscreen wiper controls, it won't appeal to all (younger buyers with a taste for technology may find them appealing, but most drivers on our test found it immensely frustrating). The operating panel for the electric windows is too complex and not intuitive to use. Unlike most of the others, it has a basic air-conditioning and heating system, rather than climate control. Inside, it is quiet and roomy with plenty of rear leg and headroom. The exterior styling is distinctive and it has a big-car presence, although when viewed from the rear the appearance is a bit awkward. On the road the Vectra's ride over rough surfaces was among the best of the group; overall its handling is not to the same standard. It lacks the razor sharp grip of some of the others in this group. Honda Accord EuroPrice: $36,250 The Accord is slightly cheaper than the Vectra but has the most powerful engine of the group, giving the car very strong performance, especially when used with the over-ride control on the five-speed automatic transmission. Honda's engineers have used lightweight materials where possible to enhance the power-to-weight ratio. This is one of the sportier cars in the line-up -- the twin-pipe exhaust system adds to the effect -- but on lumpy road surfaces, the ride turns from firm to jiggly. The payoff is in agile handling and this is one of the sharpest of the group. The interior is bright and well-finished, although the audio and heater controls appear to be from the boom-box school of design. There are brushed metal finishes around the facia; the interior door handles are chromed. As with the others on the comparison, the Honda does not lack rear passenger space. It also has good oddment storage. It combines punchy performance and fuel frugality -- averaging 9.8litres/100km, it was one of the most economical on test and a favourite among some testers. Mazda6 ClassicPrice: $33,785 A soulmate for the Honda Accord, it is neatly styled -- but with sharper handling and pricing. The Mazda's suspension is nicely sorted to give an excellent compromise between ride and handling. Its engine may not match the Honda's for power, but it's 30 percent more powerful than the old 626, and it has good flexibility from low speeds. This helps mask the fact that the Mazda has a four-speed gearbox, rather than a five-speeder, but its tiptronic-style over-ride allows the driver to spin the engine up to 7000rpm or so (power peaks at 6500rpm). The downside: the engine is noisy when it's working hard. The interior styling is pleasant and there's plenty of storage, along with neat touches such as the overhead reading lights for the rear passengers and a dash-top storage compartment. Good seats in the front and rear and a high standard of finish round off the package. Subaru Liberty 2.5iPrice: $37,490 The most recently released and dearest of the group, the Liberty is the only one with all-wheel-drive. Engine power is up 5 percent from the old model and the body, although larger than before, is about 60kg lighter. Accordingly, the car feels lighter on its feet than the model it succeeds, although (like the Mazda) it retains a four-speed automatic; the turbo version gets a five-speed auto. However, the Liberty is surprisingly low geared, and the horizontally opposed four-cylinder works away busily at about 3000rpm at 110kmh. Nevertheless at this rate it's working well within its capacity. It's not particularly quiet, either, but the deep, gravelly note can be somewhat endearing to Subaru devotees. Early in the test the Liberty's engine defaulted to "limp home" mode and progress was painfully slow. After it had been turned off for a while and restarted, it cheerfully motored on as if nothing had happened. Weird, but Subaru reckons it could have been the result of tinkering with the electronics during service training. The Liberty has by far and away the best seats of the group, well-contoured sports items with plenty of side support; as with the others, there is generous rear seat and boot space. The traction benefits of AWD are most noticeable on wet or slippery roads, but even in the dry the car has a solid, secure feel. Despite a 5.2 percent price reduction on the previous Liberty, it's still expensive compared with its rivals. Toyota Camry AtevaPrice: $31,490 The Camry's is by far Australia's most popular mid-size car. Its sales tally for the first nine months of the year is nearly double that of the next contender, the Mazda6, and its market position is helped by the fact that the Camry is the least expensive of the group by a significant margin. Upgraded last year with a stronger body, the Camry is powered by a new, locally made 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, which is smooth-running and flexible. Such is the pace of change in this class of car that last year's generous power output now is good enough only to be second lowest of the group. The gearbox is a four-speed automatic. The car is competent on the road with a good, all-purpose compromise between comfort and handling. It feels typically tough and there's also the knowledge that the Camry has had extensive local testing. The interior is tight and rattle-free, but looks a generation behind the others. The apparently random application of wood-grain finishes does little to make it modern. The verdictIt's a close call. There are no mediocre cars here but their is still enough differentiation in price and the driving experience to clearly rank them. 5. The Vectra is more smartly styled, although some testers found the facia treatment fairly sombre, and the elctronic controls take some getting used to. The heaviest and least powerful car in the group and one of the most expensive, it handles reasonably well and has the best ride. 4. The Camry is standout value, but it is eclipsed in styling and dynamics by more recent imported rivals and its performance and economy are only midfield. For buyers on a budget, the Camry is a worthy proposition. 3. As a driver's car, the Liberty was popular among the testers thanks to its tenacious all-wheel-drive and spirited performance, although the latter is achieved by low overall gearing that has the engine revving fairly high at cruising speeds. It has great seats and a smart interior but, in what is a fiercely price-competitive market, it is penalised by being the most expensive of this group. 2. The Accord and Mazda6 are both new-wave Japanese with the Europeans firmly in their crosshairs. With spacious, modern interiors, they combine strong performance and handling. 1. The Honda and Mazda are evenly matched in performance, handling and economy, but the Mazda is significantly cheaper -- in a photo finish, the Mazda6 wins by a nose. http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/10/31/31MED1.JPG incidently thats the same colour as my Mazda - 'sparkling silver' hmmm...might use it for my avatar Edited November 2, 2003 by Accelerated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 Latest Subaru Liberty (Legacy) GT. http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/content/reviews/subaru/2004SubaruLiberty03b.jpg Is it coming to the States, Winston? If so you may consider getting this over the Volvo. And it sould also be available in wagon form - for all your soccermum needs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 http://zr2.cs.ucla.edu/sm/wing.jpg Love that wing!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KavorKin99 Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 what a sexy car lol hehe <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 A real burner eh? unless it has the automatic spray mist built in that is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 hahahha "spray mist"!!!! Hey Juggs, this is for you: (sorry modem users) ... warning contains bad language. Rice Racers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 sorry bud, Im on a modem too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted November 9, 2003 Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 sorry bud, Im on a modem too You mean they don't have broadband down under???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 (edited) New Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR-spec - 2003 Tokyo Motor Show http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/2003/tokyo/mitsu.evovii_mr/mitsu.lancer.evo_MR.f34.500.jpg What Is It?Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR Concept What's Special About It?The car that we know as the Lancer Evolution is currently in its eighth generation in the Japanese and European markets, taking the name Evolution VIII. By all accounts, including our own, the Evo is a superb car in stock form — the closest you'll come to a street-legal race car in the $30,000 price range. But now Mitsubishi has found a way to extract even more performance from the Evo, yielding the Evolution VIII MR ("MR" stands for Mitsubishi Racing). The biggest change in the MR version is the installation of an all-wheel control system, which continually adapts the level of suspension damping applied to each wheel using specially designed Bilstein shocks. The result, of course, is an even higher handling threshold. (interesting) In addition, Mitsubishi has cut curb weight and lowered the car's center of gravity through the use of aluminum for the roof panel and various other weight-saving measures in the upper half of the body. Improvements were also made to the electronic all-wheel-drive system (and its driver-adjustable active center differential) and the competition-oriented stability control system (Super AYC, or Active Yaw Control) — both of which are standard fare on Evos sold in Japan — as well as the antilock brake system. Tweaks to the turbocharger and cams increase peak torque output, and the engine has been tuned for competition use with an emphasis on maximizing the available power at mid-to-high rpm. Why Should You Care?Given that the American-spec Evo has a mechanical all-wheel-drive system controlled by a viscous coupling and can't be equipped with stability control, we won't hold our breath on the MR version coming here. Still, with a key competitor, the Subaru WRX STi, offering an active center differential, it's within the realm of imagination that Mitsubishi could make some of this technology available to U.S. Evo buyers down the road. — Erin Riches http://www.fast-autos.net/mitsubishi/evo8mr.jpghttp://www.fast-autos.net/mitsubishi/evo8mr4.jpghttp://www.lancerevoclub.org/news/full/lan...oviii_mr2_l.jpg Very nice paintjob! btw. the Nissan GTR has been delayed and is not coming to Oz (bummer) Edited November 28, 2003 by Seapahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 Winston, thats the thing with Mitsu - they always seem to be infront of Subaru in terms of technology and innovation. Mitsu were first in the advanced central diff (and now this neat suspensions trick) and always have better turbos, the latter because both Mitsu and Subaru are supplied turbos by IHI (a Mitsu subsidiary). Still luv my Subbies though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted November 12, 2003 Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 Yeah - both cars seem like a lot of fun...my preference has been with Subi's - but I can see why someone might perfer the mits certainly...(have never driven either of their top ends) Met a guy the other day with a very similarly equipped S4 like mine...said he lost a drag with an EVo (so now he is looking to hop his S4 up more!)...well I say its all in the driver (LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2003 oh yeah Winston....thats the other thing with EVOs, their a lot easier to modify than RXs because they got a more conventional engine... btw. the EVO has officially landed in Oz - I dont know if we got US or Jap spec though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted November 15, 2003 Report Share Posted November 15, 2003 That subie legacy will be coming to tthe US at some point....we'll see - but are planning to pick up a car in Europe... And yeah - thre Evo is hot....and I hear ya...but I do love that 2.5 boxster....(blew one off the other day in my audoi however....haven't had the pleasure of dusitng an Evo yet...LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 (edited) Mitsubishi unleashes Evo and wannabe blueprint Let the lusting begin. Here's Mitsubishi's new Lancer World Rally Championship car -- the WRC04 ... and the new blueprint for the street Lancer customising brigade worldwide. And, yes, the new two-tier rear wing is that far forward.The car itself will compete in all 16 rounds of the 2004 WRC. The inevitable customised road-going clones -- or partial look-alikes -- and Evo wannabe versions will follow ... although with scaled-down street versions of that high-rise, tabletop wing that's now parked just behind the rear windscreen. The real-thing Lancer Evo VIII (based on this year's WRC car) arrives here next March, and the Evo IX -- which obviously will take its styling cues from the WRC04 -- should be unveiled early next year. Mitsubishi hopes to bring its Evo cars here -- starting with the Evo VIII -- under low-volume rules, meaning it can sell only 100 cars a year. And there's even talk of homologating the Evo for full-time sale in Australia. Should that happen, the Evo IX could be the flagship for Mitsubishi's Australian Lancer line-up by 2005. However, the real Evos should carry pricetags around $60,000 or more. The Lancer customisers obviously will hope to build their cars for a lot less. But neither the modified street cars nor the real Evos will have the rally-spec version of the turbocharged 2-litre 4G63 double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine that powers both the WRC04 and the 2003 WRC cars. That engine develops 290kW of power at 5500rpm and 540Nm of torque at just 3500rpm. And the new rally weapon weighs just 1230kg. The 4GS63-type turbo 2-litre in the US-spec Evo VIII launched early this year was tweaked to suit Californian LEV1-LEV emission regulations and to suit US fuel octane levels. Maximum power is said to be a still-considerable 202kW at 6500rpm. The outrageous aerodynamic aids on the new WRC car were designed after Mitsubishi's motorsport division spent almost three weeks in the Lola racing team's wind tunnel. The results include a redesigned bonnet, nose and, of course, that incredible rear wing. And the designers are said to have reached an ultra-effective combination of downforce and essential underbonnet cooling. http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/11/26/26lance.jpg http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-new/images/2003/11/26/25lancer3.jpg Dont like the wing, but the front looks AGRO! Edited November 26, 2003 by Accelerated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Juggs, just for you! http://www.olypen.com/bulldog/movies.html/F350Run.wmv Guess who's going to win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 ohh man ; et dizel er? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Lselov, propane, nitrous, yev supercharger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 sip hetevits sev tsux er durs galis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accelerated Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 LOL - but whats the point if it cant sustain any sort of speed through corners? Just another American with a small p!n!s.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirumemKez20 Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 (edited) Accel...I'm into cars like you but I like trucks like the Escalades, and navigtors, I like the pictures of the cars you posted good choice. Edited November 27, 2003 by SirumemKez20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Got to admit that I'm am without a clue as to why anyone would be ga ga over either an Escalade or a Navigtor...to me its like someone getting all worked up for a greyhound bus - which is essentially what these things are (and have you ever driven one? They suck basically - like driving a big truck)..I mean perhaps there could be some practical apeal - like iof you owned St Benards...(but even then...)...but its not like they perform worth anything and I can't really see how anywould would find them sexy - just big boxes (that suck gas like nothing else)...I mean really now....I don't at all see it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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