Ugh.
 

I saw a Qvale Mangusta on the drive home today. I tell you, it is not an attractive car. It's obviously got some power pumping out from somewhere under its mis-shapen skin, but it looks like the unfortunate progeny of a Pontiac Aztec and a Mazda Miata...bleah.

Anyway, on the bright side, it is only 85 grand or so. Maybe I am missing something here.

Re: Ugh.
 

You saw a ... What? I had no idea our former vice-president, Dan got into the automobile business. Ron

Re: Re: Ugh.
 

Qvale-(Kuh-val-eh)or something like that:)

Are these the ones???

http://www.qvaleauto.com/

Did you dispatch him to the dust with the H6???

;)

Jamsvx

You're kidding. I'd imagine you saw the specs 320 HP, 0-60 in 5.5, curb weight of 3352. I fear the H-6 would have been dispatched.

Ye of little faith!!
 

*adopts aura of Yoda like properties*

Ah, listen well oh student. One must learn that the powerful stork does not always beat the deranged canary for if the stork is taken on the terms which the canary chooses, then the stork my find its legs go chop chop :D

Well, enough of that rubbish. Ok, yep powers great, 0-60 time great BUT!!!!

how optimistic are 0-X times anyways!! Look at the original SVX specs that Subaru quoted: 7.3 secs....yeah, right!!! Same goes for most "performance cars" when doing the 0-X dash: hardly any fuel, professional driver, grippy surface, optimum tune: thats why a WRX WILL get the jump and a significant one at that on a Ferrari 355 despite the 355, on paper supposedly thrashing the WRX! *yes, I know 4wd but the point is quoted 0-X times!*

Secondly, the conditions: give me say, a wet road surface, average urban road (ie not freeway) and say a face off against a Diablo SV - quoted time to 100kph = low 4's. I'll pick a WRX again, for comparisons: bye bye Mr Diablo!

It doesn't matter how much power a car has, if it can't put that power to the ground, then the advantage gap starts to rapidly close!

And my perspective is, its not 0-100kph that's important, its A to B!

When I was considering an LS400, I spoke to a guy here in Sydney who raced one in the Targa Tasmania - against all manner of supercars! Well, a HEAP of Porsches, the odd Ferrari and a ton of muscle cars all placed behind him!!! The point: driver, conditions, experience - all collectively decided the 'face-off', not just straight power numbers.

I would have given it a burl!!! But then, that's me!

Jamsvx

*who went quite well in an urban backroad dash in his 1980 2.6 litre Mitsubishi Sigma with a half-working gearbox -v- his friend in a 1996 BMW 328 5 speed coupe! - pah!*

I probably would have "given it a burl" myself, if just to hear what the thing sounded like, but for two things:

(1) The highway was rather crowded
and
(2) I was driving my 1.8L Impreza, hardly the "burling" machine.

;) ;) ;)

Tomorrow (Friday) is "drive the SVX to work day". Yeeeehaaaa.

Re: Ugh.
 

Well, I actually sort of like the looks, at least from the pictures. Just remember that some folks think the SVX is rather unattractive, too. The Aztek, on the other hand....

Re: Re: Ugh.
 

I always imagined that the Aztek was created like this:

GM MARKETING WALKS INTO THE DESIGN STUDIO --

MARKETING: Hey guys. Got that model for the new SUV?

DESIGN: Well, we've got to do some tweaking -- it's almost ready.

MARKETING: Well, I need it now. I've got a presentation in 30 minutes.

DESIGN: Uh, it'll take us a little longer to get it ready. We've still gotta sand off the sharp edges and smooth it out a bit, but, we can have it ready in about an hour and a half.

MARKETING: You're not listening -- I need it now! Besides, accounting says you've reached the budget limit. No time for sanding. (SNATCHES MODEL AND RUNS OUT THE DOOR)

DESIGN (RUNNING AFTER HIM): COME BACK HERE! WE CAN'T LET OUR DESIGN BE SEEN LIKE THAT! WE'LL BE A LAUGHING STOCK. COME BACK . . . COME BACK!

Re: Re: Re: Ugh.
 

They have the "sanded off" version sitting next to the Aztec at the local Ponti-ACK!! and Buick dealer here in Lebanon. The Buick version looks alot nicer.

I also thought the Mangusta was not too bad looking on paper. But you'll have to see one in person for yourself to really judge...

Which raises a very interesting point. Some cars, like some people, look a lot better in real life than they do in 2D, and vice versa. The SVX strikes me as such a car. In photos it is certainly not ugly, but in the "flesh" it is stunning. And from certain angles, I would go so far as to call it "devastatingly beautiful". But then, I am hardly an unbiased observer ;)

I would be embarrased to tell you how many times I have walked out to my garage at night just for a quick stare :eek:

I have a different theory on the creation of the Aztec. I won't go into it here, but suffice it to say, it has a lot to do with the Betty Ford clinic and a poodle with digestive problems.

The Aztec's replacement is not too bad looking, I think it is called the "Vibe", a name which should provide plenty of joke material with this crowd. I'll start: What do you call a car reviewer writing an article on the new Pontiac?

Can I get an Oh Brother?

Thjat would have to be a Vibe-rater, wouldn't it?

More than happy to oblige. Oh Brother! :rolleyes:

Bill, don't encourage him, dammit. It'll only make it worse. :D

Re: Re: Re: Re: Ugh.
 

The buick is definitely much more refined.

I'm liking the Acura MDX though.

Even though a LEASE payment is more than my MORTGAGE PAYMENT