<![CDATA[Comments from RS faux]]> <![CDATA[Comments from RS faux]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Seat Exeo Parisian Debut Displays Bold Original Design]]> Having owned a SEAT Ibiza, and currently owning an A4 Avant, it makes me feel confused. I like both brands individually, but simply grafting different front and rear to an old A4 is sooo cheap. Although it makes me think it will just be a very good, cheap A4 alternative, the way my Ibiza was a good, cheap Polo alternative. But at least the Ibiza and Polo were sufficiently different inside and out.
It is a lost opportunity for Donkerwolke to make a style statement for the brand with this car.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on 1991 Peugeot 405 S]]> I had a 405 mi16, followed briefly by a wagon.
I do not miss them.... horrible build quality.
Unrelentingly unreliable...I am more used to Italain levels of unreliabilty.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Official BMW X1 Concept Shots Drop Before Paris]]> BBBB

Bangle Bastard Baby BMW

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Lamborghini Estoque Four-Door Concept, Revealed!]]> Esto que es?

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Alfa Seller Makes Use Of Multiple-Choice Test To Weed Out Crybaby Buyers]]> Like this one

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Alfa Seller Makes Use Of Multiple-Choice Test To Weed Out Crybaby Buyers]]> I just bought an Alfa 164S through CL over the weekend.
It is my 4th Alfa and my 8th. Italian vehicle, so I am experienced in joys and miseries.
It went to the shop today for a new Cat. Let the fun begin....

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Studiotorino Fiat 500 Diabolik Limited To Just 50 Italian Dragons]]> I owned a 2000 Cagiva Gran Canyon motorcycle with just such a paint scheme... now I know the origin.

[www.johnlanning.com]

Unfortunately I crashed it, and when it came back from the shop it was red.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Alfa Romeo 164L]]> I have owned three Alfas, first a 2.5 Milano, then a 91 164S, finally a 91 164L. The Milano was purchased with 130,000 miles, I sold it on to my brother in law who drove it for another 50k with only minor problems while commuting daily between San Diego and Tijuana.

The 91 "S" I bought from a local Dr.,a low mileage, quite well kept car. it had the typical A/C stepper motor problem, and the electronic suspension was stuck in the stiff setting. I couldn't afford to fix what needed fixing (A/C problem alone cost around $850) so I very regrettably sold it only a few months into owning it.
It drove like a 4 door Ferrari. (with torque steer)

I couldn't get rid of the Alfa bug, so I bought another 91, this time a 91 "L", an an Automatic. Quite boring compared to what I was used to, but we became good friends, and this car had pedigree, having been the company car for Roberto Guerrero, a former Indy car driver from when they ran with Alfa engines.
That car served me well for a few years, even though the A/C problem was also present. It all went horribly wrong when I drove the car to Mexico City for a long holiday, and I hit a speed bump, cracked the oil pan, and the transmission sprung a leak.
Had I left the car there, abandoned, it would have been cheaper than trucking it back and fixing it.... but that is exactly what I did. I felt loyalty to it.

Would I buy another? YES!

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Sells For $10,976,000 Setting World Record As Most Expensive Car Ever]]> This kind of fate may await thie poor Cali.

[www.mirror.co.uk]

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Alfa Romeo Mi.To: A Furiosa Mini-Fighter From Italy]]> @JHJVJR:
The factory plans are for a plant in any of the 3 NAFTA countries. Mexico being the most likely.
You can already buy new and used Alfas in Meico, they have been selling with and without factory support since 2002 more or less.
Take a look at this Autotrader like site for bargains.

[www.autos-usados.autoplaza.com.mx]

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Alfa Romeo Mi.To: A Furiosa Mini-Fighter From Italy]]> @racerx:
It is pronounced "mee-toe" and refers to the word "myth" and it was last used on Cagiva Motorcycles' "MITO" 125cc two stroke race bike.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on DOTS Geneva: A Tiny Something Or Other]]> They are for rent at some tourist destinations like the port of Ensenada, Mexico

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Mexicans Limited To Importing Cars From 1998, I Sold My Taurus Too Soon]]> @Hyman Decent:
they have for years... they are known as "autos chocolate" and they are usually brought in with temporary import permits, but they don't return to the US.
I drove my Alfa 164 to Mexico city in 2000 and I got offers to sell it, but before I could do it, I broke the oil pan in a speed bump, had to have it trucked back to Cali.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Volvo XC60 in the Swissosphere]]> It looks like there is enough space for a realtor's ad banner in the space between the top of the rear wheelarch and the shoulder. Very weird.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Mexicans Limited To Importing Cars From 1998, I Sold My Taurus Too Soon]]> I got a call a couple of days ago to source Z3 Convertibles of the 1998 vintage to sell in Mexico City.
He figures it can turn a tidy profit.
Anyone have one avaialble?

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Bentley Zagato GTZ Gets A Premature Unveil Before Geneva]]> Harada is at it again.
Zagato is now the Anime car design house.
No longer the elegant and innovative outfit of the Spada days.
Very sad.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented]]> This car gives me a feeling of repulsion and sadness.
Zagato has had ups and downs, but in this millenium, it has been mostly cheesy.
I am a very big fan of the Spada erea, 1960's, etc. I even love the Alfa ES-30, which is attributred to W. da Silva, but this thing....I am guessing their designer is still N. Harada.
It will be big in the middle east I bet. (with Mansory
tuning)

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Sundoulos Sportstar: Twin Harley Powered Weirdness]]> This is the same guy behind the aborted rebirth of Bizzarrini back in the early 90's.
He is an OC developer with more money than sense.
Took a wrecked Testarossa and made this:

[www.diseno-art.com]

Only one was made, not surprisingly, and some talented people were employed to bring the project to fruition, it fizzled out.

I got a ride in it once, and it was pretty scary fast, being it was bodied in carbon fiber. But it looked just awful.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Are Station Wagons Cool?]]> I own a B5 A4 1.8t Avant that is 8 years old, it is not letting me change cars because nothing short of an S4 with a V8 would be cooler, except I can't afford it at this time.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on 2009 Honda Accord Tourer Spotted, Wanted]]> The license plates are German, from Offenbach, where Honda has an R&D and design facility.
I had a friend who used to work there, but is noew at Mitsubishi near Frankfurt.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Bonus Fantasy: DB4 GT Zagato Gallery]]> @jonnylieberman:
I met Spada in !992. Small man, not so talkative. Was heading I.D.E.A. Institute in Turin, doing unremarkable work sadly. These dayshe did some re-bodied Vette that looked pretty menacing. Also the Subaru powered Osca GT.
[www.spadaconcept.com]

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on A Guide to Valet Parking Your Ride]]> @Rhynoo:
I did get out of the industry. Thanks for the tip.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on A Guide to Valet Parking Your Ride]]> Wow, so many comments.... I could go on and on, worked as a Valet for 5 years exactly at the Hotel del Coronado, San Diego.
I could tell you many stories, good and bad, and worse.
The one that always pops back into my mind is when I brought around Kelsey Grammer's brand new Rolls Silver Seraph (2000), he was staying at the hotel, it took about 40 minutes for him to collect the car after he called for it....he finally comes out, starts digging through his pockets, finds $1.00..... His wife, visibly embarrassed, pulls out another single from her purse, hands it to Dr. Crane, he takes both bills, looks at them for a moment, puts his original single back in his pocket, and gives me the bill his wife gave him.
WTF??
In his defense, he seemed medicated or under the influence of something at the time, but who knows..

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Oh No, Sergio! Fiat CEO Survives Crash, 599 GTB Totaled]]> This is Switzerland, you MUST keep it under the speed limit
@brandegee: @brandegee:

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Oh No, Sergio! Fiat CEO Survives Crash, 599 GTB Totaled]]> You can look up the pictures here:
[www.corriere.it]

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on PCH, Force Majeure Edition: Fuego Turbo or Biturbo?]]> I had three, count 'em , THREE Biturbos before I learned the lesson of perpetual sufferring and mixed feelings that comes with ownership of these maligned cars.
I did manage to break my own personal record driving home from Pasadena to Coronado once. Left Pasadena at 4:00 a.m., arrived at the San Diego-Coronado
Bay Bridge at 5:15. Also got all my speeding tickets in the cursed car, before it slipped the timing belt and later caught on fire. It was a pretty car, though.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on 1985 Peugeot 505 STI]]> By the way, it was styled by Pininfarina, as was the 405, and I replaced it with an Alfa 164. Another lovely auto.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on 1985 Peugeot 505 STI]]> My own father bought a brand new 505 in 1986 I believe, adn it was ivory on the outside, with chocolate vinyl insides. Kind of like a pastry. I don't remember him having any major issues with it, except he didn't keep it long. He one day came home with an Audi 5000 wagon he had traded for it. I did not get to drive that pug, but I got a 405 Mi16 for myself in the late 90's. I really dug it's baby Alfa 164 styling, and fuel economy. One day, however, it overheated, and the heads had to be rebuilt, never to be the same after that.
Sum up: fun, quick car, relatively reliable, good looking, but CRAP build quality and hard to get parts for.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Einen VW-Transporter Muß Man Haben!]]> Another clever Boltswagon commercial. Thanks

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on The Shah's Maserati Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave!]]> sorry for the double post. thought the first didnt go through

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on The Shah's Maserati Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave!]]> My Dad owned one in the 90's
It was big, heavy and slow, but charming, had the 4.9 liter V8 like the Bora, but was a Chrysler 3 speed automatic box.
We had a Maserati household at the time.
I owned a Biturbo ES, my sis had a Biturbo Spyder.
Pain filled memories those.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Report: Droptop Volkswagen Scirocco On the Way]]> super, no golf cabrio?

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on The Shah's Maserati Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave!]]> My Dad owned one such car in the early nineties.
It was indeed a Longchamp badge engineered to become a Maserati. Originally designed by Tom Tjaarda of Pantera fame.
I beleive Frua did the restyle.
My Dad's was an Automatic, so not too quick of the line with the Chrysler 3 speed.
It was no beauty, but it was rare and interesting. It had prescence and personality.
I owned a Biturbo at the time, and my sister owned a Biturbo Spyder too, so we were a Maserati household, as wierd as that seems, and the memories are quite painful.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Now On Video!]]> Looks like the entrance to the Fiorano circuit if I remember correctly. I saw brand new F40s' testing there in 1992. There is a bridge nearby where you can see a good portion of the track.
I remember the F40 doing powerslides effortlessly.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on Volkswagen Sharan Spotted In Irvine]]> You can see Sharans routinely in San Diego, with Mexican plates.
Also the sister, the Seat Alhambra has made appearances.
The Galaxy, the Ford version of the same van did not make it to Mexican showrooms, so no Sharalaxy trifecta yet.

]]> <![CDATA[RS faux commented on BMW 1-Series Spotted in Long Beach, Cal-i-forn-i-a]]> I used to own a Mexican reg. SEAT IBIZA, drove it in San Diego until Customs officials threatenned to impound/confiscate it.
I am a Mexican national and a permanent U.S. resident.
Only tourists and temporary visitors can drive foreign registered cars in the US.
In Mexico you can buy new SEATS, Alfa Romeos, Renaults, Peugeots, even Lada Nivas!
And from the typical Euro brands you could get Europe only models like the 1 series and other stuff like the A-class Merc
and Ford Mondeo.
I really wanted an Alfa 147, but only had enough cash for an Ibiza.

]]>