Some fool bought MG Rover.

[Jesda]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...rover

[MinisterofDOOM]

the country's last major automaker

WTF?!?!?!

Aston Martin!Lotus!Jaguar!

What the HELL is wrong with Yahoo?

This does not look good for homestarru--MG Rover. If korean cars are s***, chinese cars are what comes out after you EAT s***.

[Bubba1]

[QUOTE=MinisterofDOOM]

WTF?!?!?!

Aston Martin!Lotus!Jaguar!

Aston Martin and Jaguar are owned a little American Company called Ford.I think you got a point with Lotus. Though Lotus is still incorporated in England (I think), they use a Japanese motor in their biggest selling model. I suppose you can still call it technically a British company.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yeah, I know what you mean, but if we still call Mazda japanese and Dodge american, I consider Aston and Jaguar to be british.

The lines between nationalities are blurring, though.

American brands selling korean built cars, JATCO transmissions in american minivans, one of the Big Three american brands selling 5 year old german cars...It's all fruity.

[M3Racer]

Lotus is technically owned by a company in Mongolia IIRC.

[vicQ45]

who calls mazda japanese? i sure don't

[Jesda]

Mazda's bread and butter cars (6, MX6, 626, trucks) have been very American for the last 15 years. Its their specialty vehicles (929, Miata, RX) that came from Japan.

The previous MPV was entirely Japanese, with a JATCO transmission (nearly the same one in the Infiniti J30), Mazda 3.0L V6 plucked from the 929, and a platform and interior entirely unique to Mazda. The new MPV is a Japanese body powered by a Ford Duratec V6. The ride is smoother and the handling is a little better, but there's no more 4WD and RWD. Its also much smaller.

[vicQ45]

the other day this kid i know with a base model mazda protege 5spd wagon was harassing my friend who drives a 00 pontiac grand prix gt. my friend and i are watching him and my other friend with a vr6 look like idiots trying to "drift" in a parking lot in their fwd cars. always good for a larf especially when they nail a curb on accident. anyway, luke(ricer) starts harassing bryce about how his stock pontiac is american garbage and can't "do" anything. i just look at him and go "dude you drive a stock gutless ford" he looks puzzled and stares blankly for a bit, then says "no man this is a mazda, theyre from japan!" looking like he just knocked out mike tyson. then david(teg gsr) backs me up. "yea man, that's a ford engine and transmission" luke looks like he just got kicked in the balls and just said "wow, well it's still fast." then we proceeded to do a light-to-light. needless to say the "stock pontiac" smoked him even with all its engineering flaws and boaty ride. man i love it when ricers learn something new... oh yea i spent like 20 min making fun of him for having an underbody light kit too...

[Mr1der]

Vic, you hang out with idiots.

don't let them assimilate you like the borg!

[vicQ45]

luke's not my friend. he's david's. whenever i end up hanging out with him i call him a douche bag and then proceed to make fun of his neons. always makes for a good time pissing him off however

[Mr1der]

rofl.

good man.

[PantherRacer]

What's up with your free car Mr1der?

[driverdriver]

WTF?!?!?!

Aston Martin!Lotus!Jaguar!

Aston Martin and Jaguar are owned a little American Company called Ford.I think you got a point with Lotus. Though Lotus is still incorporated in England (I think), they use a Japanese motor in their biggest selling model. I suppose you can still call it technically a British company.

BMW originally bought MG Rover, they kept Land Rover and Mini and flipped the rest of MG Rover to a consortium of business people called the Phoenix group for all of $15 british pounds. Later on, after studying the 4wd and awd systems in Landrover for their own X5 and X3, BMW sold Land Rover to Ford for a profit. MG Rover's troubles began almost began two decades ago, they covered up safety defects, built bad quality cars, tried to be too many things to to many consumers, had a bloated product line where cars competed against other vehicles that they built, they where out of touch with what consumers wanted in a vehicle, provided poor customer service and didn't honor warranties. They where a bit like GM. They ended up turning off longtime and potential new customers. Lately, they where building great cars, but it was too late. The MG Rover brand had a bad reputation in consumers minds and they stayed away in droves.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Though Lotus is still incorporated in England (I think), they use a Japanese motor in their biggest selling model.

Lotus only uses a japanese motor in the elise in north america, because it was to much trouble to get the lotus certified for use here.They do NOT just go buying japanese engines.

America just makes it a PitA for decent cars to be imported.

[Jesda]

they covered up safety defects, built bad quality cars, tried to be too many things to to many consumers, had a bloated product line where cars competed against other vehicles that they built, they where out of touch with what consumers wanted in a vehicle, provided poor customer service and didn't honor warranties. They where a bit like GM.

LOL, right before I got to your last sentence, I said to myself: "That sounds like GM."

[driverdriver]

LOL, right before I got to your last sentence, I said to myself: "That sounds like GM."

If you get a chance, pick up a book written by Craig Cheetham called "World's Worst Cars". The write is British, so there is an pbvious slant to British cars. The book was published just before the collapse of MG Rover. Half the worst cars are MG Rover's in the book. It also details all of MG Rovers woes with product, quality and customer service. Reading ot makes you instantly think of GM.

[Bubba1]

If you get a chance, pick up a book written by Craig Cheetham called "World's Worst Cars". The write is British, so there is an pbvious slant to British cars. The book was published just before the collapse of MG Rover. Half the worst cars are MG Rover's in the book. It also details all of MG Rovers woes with product, quality and customer service. Reading ot makes you instantly think of GM.

I'll have to check that out. I worked at a British Leyland dealer many years ago, and my dad owned an old Jag that spent a lot of time there. The dealer eventually switched to Fiat/Lancia , which was not a huge step up

[Mr1der]

yeah...but damn the cars were still cool!

[Bubba1]

yeah...but damn the cars were still cool!

So true. My father loved his Jag despite it being a such lemon.

[vicQ45]

its hard not to love a jag

[elwesso]

its hard not to love a jag

Indeed... Even the 80s ones still look good... Jaguar's styling hasnt really changed much over the psat 20 years.

[driverdriver]

Jaguar interiors are still the most luxurious and decadent interiors manufactured for a volume producer.

[vicQ45]

Jaguar interiors are still the most luxurious and decadent interiors manufactured for a volume producer.

so true! those new xj8s are a thing of beauty

[Bubba1]

Indeed... Even the 80s ones still look good... Jaguar's styling hasnt really changed much over the psat 20 years.

The new ones don't excite me as much as the old ones. My dad's old Jag was a '56. Always drew admirers. He had told me it was his favorite car to drive, but worst one to own.

[Mr1der]

I want one of the old roadsters....

can't remember what it was now....had a straight 6 that made like 250hp...

[driverdriver]

so true! those new xj8s are a thing of beauty

I was recently at the combined Jaguar/Land Rover/Aston Martin dealership in my area. The extended wheel base XJ8 is incredible, especially the rear seat. Its got extra leg room, the seats recline and are both heated and air-conditioned and its got a nifty all wood(your choice of wood) airline type tray. Its also got power outlets and a jack to plug in your laptop to get wireless internet.

Just sitting back their gives you a pompous filthy rich holier than thou attitude.

[vicQ45]

^^was it the aluminum one? those are hot!

[Bubba1]

^^was it the aluminum one? those are hot!

They're hot until you have to get body work done and realize that there are only a small handful of shops can deal with aluminum bodies.