RE: Halo Effect
Wednesday 1st May 2002
Halo Effect
We're heading for a glut of supercars - have the manufacturers got it right or are they just being self-indulgent?
Discussion
what's that first picture of, a Mercedes or the upcoming MacLaran/mercedes?
I agree about the Porsche GT. It says to 911 owners, you do not have the ultimate Porsche (so maybe they buy the ultimate BMW etc instead) and the engine really should be in the middle afterall.
VW is interesting. there was a time when people thought the Japanese could never make a luxury car that people would buy, so clearly people's ingrained attitudes about what a brand is can be changed for the better/expanded. I don't know why they are making all these supercars though, who the hell drives supercars now? pointless on the road now with all the speed cameras, and they are too heavy for the track.
I agree about the Porsche GT. It says to 911 owners, you do not have the ultimate Porsche (so maybe they buy the ultimate BMW etc instead) and the engine really should be in the middle afterall.
VW is interesting. there was a time when people thought the Japanese could never make a luxury car that people would buy, so clearly people's ingrained attitudes about what a brand is can be changed for the better/expanded. I don't know why they are making all these supercars though, who the hell drives supercars now? pointless on the road now with all the speed cameras, and they are too heavy for the track.
in my opinion porsche lost the plot a couple of years ago. the last 911 i liked was the early 90's one (993?), the last car with the easily recognised headlights, the new ones are too bland and smooth.
supercars should be angullar like the countach or the f40. in fact, and i'm getting ready to duck here, supercars should be like gav's nova, ridiclous!. they should scream attention and make you turn and stare. i liked the 911 turbos with the whale tail spoiler because there were so crude, similar to the detomaso pantera which was even more so.
i think companies should make supercars, if only a minority can afford them then i say fair enough.
i dont really think that VW will sell hundreds of their supercar in the same way that the Vauxhall VX220 didnt sell, hey, we're all badge snobs at heart!.
I believe that just as new models come out in all walks of life, so should car companies create newer, faster models. it shows a willingness and a strive to enhance the existing model. as for the carrera gt, i saw it at a motor show and had to spend a few minutes alone to calm down. it looks stunning!.
not sure if this makes any sense at all but there you go, i'm off to the pub!
supercars should be angullar like the countach or the f40. in fact, and i'm getting ready to duck here, supercars should be like gav's nova, ridiclous!. they should scream attention and make you turn and stare. i liked the 911 turbos with the whale tail spoiler because there were so crude, similar to the detomaso pantera which was even more so.
i think companies should make supercars, if only a minority can afford them then i say fair enough.
i dont really think that VW will sell hundreds of their supercar in the same way that the Vauxhall VX220 didnt sell, hey, we're all badge snobs at heart!.
I believe that just as new models come out in all walks of life, so should car companies create newer, faster models. it shows a willingness and a strive to enhance the existing model. as for the carrera gt, i saw it at a motor show and had to spend a few minutes alone to calm down. it looks stunning!.
not sure if this makes any sense at all but there you go, i'm off to the pub!
Some of these new super saloons (RS4, E55 AMG, new VW's) are just newer versions of the 70's yank tanks. Very fast in a straight line but woefully lacking in cornering finess and involvement. They will never replace true sports cars for that reason. The max power style bhp figures look impressive, until you realise there's two tons of bulk to haul around, and stop. But I guess tht's not the point. Buyers of these monsters just want to power up and down the motorways.
Having driven an RS4 I would never say they are only any good in a straight line ! Those cars are the closest thing to sports car performance and feel with room for 4 in comfort plus luggage you can get. The one I drove belongs to a friend who sold his 966 when his mrs fell pregnant and insisted it was time he got a sensible family car. He firmly believes that as a package i.e real world driving on all sorts of surfaces the RS4 is faster and more fun than the Porker was, and I believe him!
I don't care whether supercars are a good idea, or whether they make economic sense, or whether they hold their value...
I'm just happy that someone out there wants to make a car which is the ultimate car, regardless of practicality, cost and anything else....... just because they can !
If you want to go from A-B, then get an MPV or something, nothing wrong with that, but if I could afford it I'd have a garage full of mad cars.....
Mine's a Diablo or a Zonda...... or a 575, or an f40, or maybe a Vanquish, then I've always loved the Countach, or a real GT40, or maybe an F1, and personally I'd rather spend a lot of time on hard shoulders waiting for my Miura to be towed than drive a BMW......
I'm just happy that someone out there wants to make a car which is the ultimate car, regardless of practicality, cost and anything else....... just because they can !
If you want to go from A-B, then get an MPV or something, nothing wrong with that, but if I could afford it I'd have a garage full of mad cars.....
Mine's a Diablo or a Zonda...... or a 575, or an f40, or maybe a Vanquish, then I've always loved the Countach, or a real GT40, or maybe an F1, and personally I'd rather spend a lot of time on hard shoulders waiting for my Miura to be towed than drive a BMW......
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff