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Detroit, 12:13 AM
Thu Dec 3
29 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of eggwich del fiero eggwich del fiero
    12:02 AM

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    big car: compensating for teh small dong.

    small car: compensating for teh loose vadge.
     Reply
    Edited by eggwich del fiero at 12/03/09 12:02 AM eggwich del fiero was starred eggwich del fiero was unstarred
    Image of Elhigh Elhigh
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Paragraphs 1 and 2 - hyperbole. There is one useful verb - "is introducing."

    Paragraph 3 - history. It's new, but not so new - Yurp's had it a couple of years. Evidently it didn't suck. Good work, there. Won big awards in motoring hotbeds like Greece, Chile and Bulgaria. Also did big in Japan, where it is marketed as a large car.

    Paragraph 4 - Mazda made it fekkin' small. Really fekkin' small. But they made it cute, adorable even. And things that are adorable are more adorable when they're small. Like kittens. And you know what else? Kittens piddle in your shoes.

    Paragraph 5 - Mazda wants you to think your itty tiny kitten like happy car is fun, zippy, dynamic, et cetera. How'd they make it be all those things? They made it fekkin' small. And they made it cute. Dunno how the hell making it cute makes it dynamic, but there it is. Also, they're not calling the design language "Nagare" anymore, either. What the hell is Nagare? It sounds like that seaweed that goes around my California rolls.

    Paragraph 6 - It supposedly does things other cars in the segment don't do, like turn in the direction you turn the steering wheel, stop when you push one pedal and go when you push the other. Fuel stinginess is somehow part of the dynamic driving experience. Skipping fuel stops does increase your average speed, so maybe that sorta counts.

    Paragraph 7 - the heading talks about powertrain, but the paragraph talks about how it speeds up when you step on the big pedal, and slows down when you let off. And it does that really, really well - almost as if the pedal were connected directly to the engine. Except it isn't.

    8 - suspension. Struts, torsion beam. Minivan. Next!

    9 - It's chock-full of Dynamat! And it's really fekkin' small, and we tried to make it pointy at both ends.

    10 - They tried to make it lighter but figured out that they couldn't. It's really fekkin' small, but in a wreck it won't get a lot smaller. You hope.

    11 - Be real - this ain't your fun car. This is your dragging your sorry ass back to the cube farm car.

    12 - Noise.

    Long on Marketese, short on facts and figures.
     Reply
    Edited by Elhigh at 12/02/09 4:02 PM Elhigh was starred Elhigh was unstarred
    Image of SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R)
    12/02/09

    @Elhigh: Thank you. I've missed the EPRS. Maybe Engineered can license it now, his patent was pending for quite some time.
     Reply
    Elhigh promoted this comment SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) was starred SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R) was unstarred
    Image of Elhigh Elhigh
    12/02/09

    @SlowMo (actually, there's no E on my R): Where the hell'd he go, anyway? Somebody send the 2 to drag his sorry ass back here, I can't keep banging my hamlike paws on these little buttons all day, I've got careers to ruin and hopes to dash.
     Reply
    Elhigh was starred Elhigh was unstarred
    Image of snapoversteer 'bout to get told snapoversteer 'bout to get told
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Holy crap, I could not be a copy writer for auto press releases. They've got four paragraphs about its dynamic performance with no information whatsoever about the drivetrain. It hurt my brain just to read it.
     Reply
    snapoversteer 'bout to get told was starred snapoversteer 'bout to get told was unstarred
    Image of skaycog was here skaycog was here
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Other than its big mouth, I think it's kinda cute. Would I have it in my garage? No.
     Reply
    skaycog was here was starred skaycog was here was unstarred
    Image of that ain't the way to have fun, son that ain't the way to have fun, son
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    I can't help it...at first glance I thought, "hmph, Suzuki is going to try the Swift, again".

    I don't want to be able to use the rear window on a hatchback as the head rest.
     Reply
    that ain't the way to have fun, son was starred that ain't the way to have fun, son was unstarred
    Image of JC Whitless JC Whitless
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Good looks, this car doesn't have any... han-n-dy-y...
     Reply
    JC Whitless was starred JC Whitless was unstarred
    Image of A strolling player A strolling player
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Zoom zoom and boom boom?

    They should have called it the Mazda Supernova Girl.
     Reply
    A strolling player was starred A strolling player was unstarred
    Image of oddfish oddfish
    12/02/09

    @A strolling player: Or the Wreckx-N-Effect.
     Reply
    A strolling player promoted this comment oddfish was starred oddfish was unstarred
    Image of FTGDWolverineEdition'09 FTGDWolverineEdition'09
    12/02/09

    In reply to 2011 Mazda2 Gets Happy U.S. Face, Summer 2010 Launch Date
    Fiesta is greater than 2. Even if they share the same platform.

    But again it's like saying one twin sister is better than the other. Maybe I like the mole next to her lips better.

    p.s: Why doesn't the damn code allow for the symbol "greater?"
     Reply
    Edited by FTGDWolverineEdition'09 at 12/02/09 3:15 PM FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was starred FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was unstarred
    Image of Ruthless, If you let me Ruthless, If you let me
    12/02/09

    @FTGDWolverineEdition'09: Fiesta ≥ 2? It must assume that you are going to start italics or something similar and forgot the rest of the code, and erases it.
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 promoted this comment Edited by Ruthless, If you let me at 12/02/09 3:24 PM Ruthless, If you let me was starred Ruthless, If you let me was unstarred
    Image of alex_mcg alex_mcg
    12/02/09

    @FTGDWolverineEdition'09: They're more like fraternal twins. So, yes, you can like one more than the other.
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 promoted this comment alex_mcg was starred alex_mcg was unstarred
    Image of solracer solracer
    12/02/09

    @FTGDWolverineEdition'09: If the 2 comes in a 3-door hatch I may rethink my plans for a Fiesta purchase but otherwise I think the Fiesta is the slightly cuter sister.
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 promoted this comment solracer was starred solracer was unstarred
    Image of brc is never late, because of his v8 brc is never late, because of his v8
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    What I would like to know is can you find a street in Australia that doesn't have an FJ70 trayback parked on it? My street sure doesn't qualify.
     Reply
    theeastbaykid promoted this comment brc is never late, because of his v8 was starred brc is never late, because of his v8 was unstarred
    Image of theeastbaykid theeastbaykid
    11/29/09

    @brc is never late, because of his v8: Funny how the most common cars to locals can be exotic to outsiders. The LC next to the tree is in the airport parking lot in Proserpine--we just don't have a lot of dirt lots for commercial airports in the US, and we generally don't drive our snorkeled cars to get there!
     Reply
    Edited by theeastbaykid at 11/29/09 11:52 PM theeastbaykid was starred theeastbaykid was unstarred
    Image of brc is never late, because of his v8 brc is never late, because of his v8
    12/01/09

    @theeastbaykid: true enough. I was guilty of photographing a Hummer H1 the first time I saw one in LA.

    I went to a party at a friends place recently. On his property was parked 5 white trayback 'cruisers, all of varying vintage and specification. I was practically the only person in a normal car - and we're not in a remote area by any means. I think they ran the same basic bodyshape for 20 years, and it was rare that someone went for anything but white. Heck, my first ever go at driving was in an FJ40 trayback on a friends' farm - I could barely touch the pedals and the whole experience ended up in a creek - but I digress.
     Reply
    brc is never late, because of his v8 was starred brc is never late, because of his v8 was unstarred
    Image of Hepcat_AU Hepcat_AU
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    #1 is a Ford Falcon panel van, not a Holden HJ. I think it's an XD model, from the very early 1980s.
     Reply
    theeastbaykid promoted this comment Hepcat_AU was starred Hepcat_AU was unstarred
    Image of theeastbaykid theeastbaykid
    11/29/09

    @Hepcat_AU: Totally blew that one. Clearly I need to go back to Oz to brush up!
     Reply
    theeastbaykid was starred theeastbaykid was unstarred
    Image of MushyHeirloom MushyHeirloom
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    I've said for years that I'd kill for an E30 estate, and I meant it. Not sure it can compete with that panel van, though! So much cool stuff down under that we never caught a glimpse of...
     Reply
    MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    I remember seeing a black SP250 around Cocoa Beach in the 1970s. You have to wonder about the Daimler directors standing around the styling buck and saying "We have to build this!". Perhaps a moment of desperation? Daimler had frittered away too much money on a wide variety of luxury cars selling in small numbers. There was also the matter of a managing director and his wife using company funds for a ridiculously extravagant lifestyle, including several over-the-top show cars like the one I've pictured. It was on its last legs as an independent manufacturer and would very soon find itself in the not-so-loving arms of Jaguar. Maybe the SP250 was hideous, but it was also pretty fast for the time - top speed was close to 125 mph.
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of brandegee brandegee
    11/29/09

    @tonyola: 125 mph is definitely very fast for the time...similar front-end to the fast Studebakers. The Majestic Major, with the larger 4.5-litre V8, also had a top speed above 120 mph despite being extremely heavy. It's mystery to me why Jaguar never bothered to install these engines in their cars.

    The SP250 was such a weird car for a company best known for making the limousine of choice for super-high-end hotels all over the world. Hong Kong, in particular, swore by them.
     Reply
    brandegee was starred brandegee was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/29/09

    @brandegee: William Lyons, the head of Jaguar, was notoriously protective of the make and refused to acknowledge that any ideas from "outside" might be of benefit to his cars. Too bad - the 4.5 would have been a natural for the Mark X and XJ6. Some Jaguar Mark II sedans were given the 2.5 and badged Daimler 2 1/2 Liter and V8-250 - these were said to be nicer to drive than the Mark IIs, though not as powerful as the 3.4/3.8 Jags.
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of Armand Armand
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    I just re-read The Unfair Advantage over the Thanksgiving holiday, and it reminded me of what a horrible car the Daimler SP250 was. Styling aside (which, of course, is purely subjective) the fiberglass body was flimsy, the gearbox was clunky, and in pretty much every race Mark Donohue entered with his it would overheat and wipe out the center main bearing. Plus, they were no bigger or roomier than a Sunbeam Alpine, not much faster than a Triumph TR4, and nearly as expensive as an E-Type. About the only nice thing Donohue said about it was that it made a great noise from the 2.5-liter hemi-head V8.

    TheEastBayKid's pictures make me think I could deal with engine rebuilds every few hundred miles, if only I could sit in that interior, look over that curved hood and motor off into the sunset. I'll just have to remember to keep a bunch of center main bearings in the trunk.
     Reply
    Armand was starred Armand was unstarred
    Image of CptSevere CptSevere
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    That Daimler is new to me. What a cool car. The front end reminds me of a Kurtis. Does it have the Buick 215 V8?
     Reply
    tonyola promoted this comment CptSevere was starred CptSevere was unstarred
    Image of tonyola tonyola
    11/29/09

    @CptSevere: Nope - it had a Daimler-built 2.5-liter hemi v8 that has a reputation of being an outstanding engine for the time. Daimler did a lot of wrong things after WW II, but their hemi V8s in 2.5 and 4.5 sizes were a big exception.
     Reply
    tonyola was starred tonyola was unstarred
    Image of scroggzilla raids again scroggzilla raids again
    11/29/09

    @CptSevere: No. The Daimler V8 is their own design.
     Reply
    scroggzilla raids again was starred scroggzilla raids again was unstarred
    Image of CptSevere CptSevere
    11/29/09

    @scroggzilla raids again: You learn something new here every day. Now that sounds intriguing, a baby hemi.
     Reply
    CptSevere was starred CptSevere was unstarred
    Image of scroggzilla raids again scroggzilla raids again
    11/30/09

    @CptSevere: The guy who designed it, Edward Turner, cut his teeth designing motorcycle engines for Ariel and Triumph in the 30's.
     Reply
    scroggzilla raids again was starred scroggzilla raids again was unstarred
    Image of jbh11126 jbh11126
    11/29/09

    In reply to TheEastBayKid Finds Us Some Cool Machinery In The Southern Hemisphere
    Wooowwwww...never seen a Daimler SP250 before.

    I LOVE those wheel arches. So flowing.
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 promoted this comment jbh11126 was starred jbh11126 was unstarred
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