Your opinions on the new cars available?

[Juujai]

sport compact car sales i think (from what i see on the streets) are all going towards zs/g35s, imprezas wrxs mostly but some sti, ....scion tc, and the others go towards small #s lancer evos, some civics, rsxs, s2000s, rx8s, and i cant think of any others on top of my head. the rest end up buying used cars like most of us here.

but notice, besides the s2000, rx8, and z i can't think of many other sporty rwd cars. i mean theres the miata and some family vehicles such as the is300 but we need some sporty looking cars with big balls.

most of us prefer the fd over the rx8..., the Zs are heavier, s2000s cost more upwards of 33k, what do we have left? nothing besides tons of FF cars. Since there aren't any new cars to buy the outkast (which is us) go and buy used cars such as the 240sx, rx7 fcs/fds, and others.

we desperately need manufacturers to mass produce some newer sportier cars. i'm sure lots of you will say sales wont do so well etc. but look at the Zs/g35s sales, scion brings out some decent or a car that isn't considered ugly or pretty and bam sold out everywhere and long waiting list. imagine if they added a driveshaft and made it into a rwd instead of front the sales will knock the roof even if they raise the price say another 1000 for the extra designing.

it's the way the new cars look... so big and made for fat people. with all this "drift hype" we need a new line of cars with fr drivetrain i'm pretty sure it'll sell if it gets spammed all over the place in say D1GP and they offer "prototype" manufacturer backed sponsored drift vehicles for them to drive.

the mustang is alright... but i have a feeling advertising an american car in a japanese competition won't do as well. i can care less if it's from honda, nissan, mazda, or toyota as long as it can do the job. that meaning it has to be light sub 2700lbs with strippable luxuries, priced anywhere around 20-25k higher is fine if it's a nicer car, FR drivetrain please we have tons of FFs readily available, all the new cars can fit 20s etc a car that can fit 17s-18s would be good enough, reliable but i'm pretty sure most cars built by these companies will last pretty long and the important thing is the car must have a decent hp potential.

i know sales previously havent been doing so well with sports compacts such as mr2, rx7, supra, 300zx, 240sx and yeah but now we have the drift hype going on and it's been getting bigger and bigger. the 350zs are selling pretty well but imagine if the car was say 300-500lbs lighter and used more by d1gp drivers instead of the s15s/rx7s/180s most of them drive... imagine the sales... which is why i think manufacturers should step in. i have a feeling they will be stepping in also they know whats going on in the US it's news media.

lots of people i know family/friends whatever have given up on the newer cars: camrys, corollas, accords, because they look big and weird compared to 2000s models and all bought bmws 3 series, benzs c classes. benz prices are lower than they used to be too. i have no percentages or anything to prove this stuff but thats not the point. almost everyone i've recently talked to that has bought a new vehicle has complained similarly to what i have said so yeah.

i'm pretty sure the gtr and supras that are supposedly arriving soon won't satisfy our tastes either. but we'll have to see.

[Accord-240sx]

i really want a 05' Acura TL Black rool:

[TheOne]

the pontiac solstice(or sky, which is same cept for body) are RWD, light 2 doors and with a 2.4L I4, there's also a turbocharged version coming around later, thats a what seems good alternative to the 240sx and the miata, it'll be priced around ~20k or 25k i believe.....as long as you take out the traction control which will probably be fitted in there.

[st33f]

turbo ver is the motor from the Opel speedseter/vuaxhall vx2200

it'll be a 2.2l turbo ecotech

[ON3_T1M3]

i know the sport is supposed to be FWD but what about the azeal?? i think nissan is thinking the way you are, hopefully more japanese manufacturers will get into D1 but at the same time i want to see the private owners stay competative

[Onizuka]

Whats sad is that ford makes the ONLY affordable, 4 seat, 2 door, RWD, sporty car on the market. And quite frankly, my 14 year old 240sx has more current technology in the rear suspension than the 3500 pound mustang has in whole.

[Red coupe]

technology? mustang come with optional spinners! id like to see that happen 12 years ago.. honestly though...why can't the GT have IRS??? is that to much to ask?

[dfw240_EE]

My favorite new car right now is definitely the Saturn Sky. I think I like the body style better than the Pontiac Solstice. Though if I were serious of buying one, a Pontiac dealer more willing to negotiate may change my mind

I like FWD sports cars, I have nothing against them. The Sentra SE-R and Focus ST's are nice. However, the Mustang needs to go on the Slim Fast plan

[Juujai]

yeah that's true the 240 has a decent chassis, double wishbone, macpherson strut, 2 door, manual, cheap but too bad it doesn't exist as of today =/. i really want to make my 240 into more of a track/race car and have a reliable new car to drive around so i can focus my energy/brain power into the old 240.

i have nothing against fwd sports cars at all either but i somewhat prefer rwd so i'd like some options. i'd even pay the difference it costs for the extra moving parts. but it has to be sub 25k.

i've been thinking about looking into an s2000 but convertibles are a turn off to me =/ even though it's designed stiff as a convertible i'd prefer a car with a hardtop and 2+2 seating would be nice although the extra backseats are near for midgets only atleast i can stuff people in there when it's necessary.

when i was thinking about the 350z that'd end up being 35-40k out the door depending on what i get with it. weighs a ton, expensive aftermarket parts and crappy electronic traction control crap that won't turn off.

i'm stuck with the 240 for now =/ nothing i want to buy...

[Juujai]

05 rl sounds cuter =), what about the new gs that thing looks pretty hot. i'd looking into luxury sedans but i'm still young and want to have a sportier car. i mean i have the next half of my life to be thiking about boring old man cars like benzos and bmws.

[naed240sx]

the s2k's with hardtops look badass though

[naed240sx]

If i had to buy any low price range sporty car, it would be and acura rsx type s, or the 06 civic si coupe.

[BadMojo]

Whats sad is that ford makes the ONLY affordable, 4 seat, 2 door, RWD, sporty car on the market. And quite frankly, my 14 year old 240sx has more current technology in the rear suspension than the 3500 pound mustang has in whole.

Personally, I miss the old SVT Focus. Besides getting stuck with the aging Focus platform and not the C1 that the Mazda 3 uses, they can the SVTF and substitute the utterly disappointing Focus ST. Of course, Europe gets a Focus ST that is actually fairly interesting sooooo...back to selling more F150's, I suppose.

Yeah, the SVT Focus was FF, but by all accounts it was a blast to drive, handled really well and was fairly light.

I suppose I'm somewhat optimistic about the Mazdaspeed 3, but that's a long way down the road.

[ON3_T1M3]

technology? mustang come with optional spinners! id like to see that happen 12 years ago.. honestly though...why can't the GT have IRS??? is that to much to ask?

they did it to cut cost, ford wanted to make the best sports car for under 30,000,...good idea but if you need to take short cuts like that then i dunno....i read in C&D (i think) that since they were gonna use IRS on the GT models but the cost would have been to much. i wonder why they just didn't go IRS on all the mustangs from base on up.

[w1ngzer0]

impreza is good evo is poo. 350z is nice S2000 is overpriced. Oh and the TC is garbage

[GEO]

I don;t like all the plastic coverings int eh new cars.. ICK>

[cyrus240sx]

even though irs would help it slightly in turning from the factory, it downgrades it too much in straight line acceleration and raises the price past what ppl are willing to pay... most ppl are not buying a mustang to go fast, they are buying it because its cute, reliable and cheap (women), its retro styling and fancy OHC V8 (old men), and then its straight line performance capabilities( male teenagers). its not the end all beat all race car you ppl want it to be.... thats why it out sold camaros and all other compitetion combined, because EVERYONE liked it... from young girls to old men.

oh and IRS isnt that great either... just go look at http://www.griggsracing.com to see how well you can turn with a solid rear axle in the back of your mustang..... its better than any 240 ever could

[Accord-240sx]

05 rl sounds cuter =), what about the new gs that thing looks pretty hot. i'd looking into luxury sedans but i'm still young and want to have a sportier car. i mean i have the next half of my life to be thiking about boring old man cars like benzos and bmws.

Yes it does. But im just being resonable. I dont have $45k do drop on a RL.Its between an 05 Chevy Tahoe and a Acura TL when i pay off my accord.

[grimple1]

Pontiac GTO. The more I read about the car the more i like it. (unfortunately)

AS for compact, Miata. Supercharge it and call it a day.

[themadscientist]

that lil Scion, A? I think it is, the coupe, not the lunchbox. It looks good, I haven't seen under the hood, how many hamster wheels is it?

The RSX is a sexy little thing, throw stuff at me if you want but the car looks good and can defend it's honor.

The Mazdaspeed Miata with the turbo. Damned sexy little car.

The G35 is nice, I still say it is not worthy to wear the Skyline badge around my side of the world but nonetheless a very nice car.

The WRX I like, they are not as fast as people seem to think and they sound goofy until you put the equal-length manifold on them.

I respect the Lancer's capabilities but I don't like the way it looks, same for the little Dodge thing, SRT? or something, the pressurized Neon.

The RX8 looks like it skidded off the road and crashed into an ugly tree.

[Accord-240sx]

Pontiac GTO. The more I read about the car the more i like it. (unfortunately)

same here. THe GTO is nice as hell. But i dont think i would actualy pruchase it.

[PalmerWMD]

Keep in mind guys a base 350Z can be had for 26k brand -new!

Thats less than some S14's cost in todays dollars!

Fred..

[PantherRacer]

Didn't Ford come out with a percormance package that let's you drop a mustang driveshaft and rear axle to make it RWD? there's an option, add a turbo to the RWD focus. The solstice is too much styling for my liking but the Sky is cool. Gto is HUGE man, WAAAY too big for my liking, it's a freakin TANK! the new mustang is cool with the retro styling, but yes it could go on a diet...Then again....Isn't that the basis of most US sports cars???? HUGE bodies? huge power and RWD? those muscle cars are still lurking round today man.

The Japanese automakers need to come back and hit hard again as we all know already, but FF is "safer", cheaper, and right now they're on a moneymaking high and it'll take some serious knocking to get em down again...I don't know....we gats some work to do.

[Juujai]

too bad we don't have k cars over here. most of the americans here are too big to fit in them. but i don't mind a vitz for a daily driver

i'd drop some work equips maybe, slam it and maybe dump a super charger. and all the girls will get jealous haha. the scion xa just looks like a pos compared to this.

the newer miata nbs/nc look weird. the rear fenders are wide and the front headlights look funky. old school na miatas look cooler to me. but either way come on it's too girly to drive haha and it doesnt have balls to back it up either.

impreza/lancer look very similar 4 door sedans with a wing/hood scoop/vent, wild front bumper. but the impreza is rounder and lancer is boxier. both are very tall in height. i remember i saw an nsx parked next to a lancer and omg omg omg that crap was like 4-5 inches taller lol. friggin mini van. not my idea of "sporty" both cars don't look elegant/smooth it has rough lines performance is pretty good on both cars though but its not for me and id prefer rwd over awd. both companies are known to be not as reliable compared to toyota/nissan/honda either. transmission problems ont he lancers/galants like nuts. maybe if i was made of money then i wouldn't care about long term reliability.

it'll be easy to replicate the ugly "look" of those cars anyway. they make evo8 body kits bumpers/wing for 03 corollas and crap hahahahaha. it looks just like it all you need to do is bust out the hack saw to drill the 2 hood vents oh man corolla evolution 8 S haha

[angelthepig]

scion are pretty decent for brand new daily driven car and also cheap.

the new mazdas are good too

[dfw240_EE]

Keep in mind guys a base 350Z can be had for 26k brand -new!

Thats less than some S14's cost in todays dollars!

Fred..

My biggest problem with the Z is that it is a touch on the heavy side (just under 3200lbs) and it's a V6. Plus options can send that 26k through the roof.