Reasons why I love this car: The MUSIC

YEAH! The music! Here's whats great about this car; I can throw in a 72 minute mix by DJ tiesto, and everything clicks. I'm in a powerful, exotic looking rare import, painted a sinister black. However, on the same note, I can hit eject, throw in an Andrea Bocelli or Classical CD, and BAM, even though its the same car, I'm now driving a competent, esquisite looking import, painted a sophisticated black.

Anyone else know what I mean?



- Ca$h

That is the most accurate thing ive heard anyone say around here in a while. It describes the essence of the SVX very well. I couldnt agree more.

Mike

[Mr. Pockets]

Badass to sophisticated in 5 seconds flat.

[Landshark]

i just wish the "sport" was emphasized a little more - the "luxury" is fine.

[svxistentialist]

Originally posted by Landshark
i just wish the "sport" was emphasized a little more - the "luxury" is fine.

Don't know if I would like it too sporty. The bottom line is whether you are going to use the car for everyday driving.

I drove a friend's car a couple of weeks ago. It was a TVR Chimaera, with a tuned 5 litre V8, 360 hp or so, and weighs only 1050 Kgs. This makes for healthy power-to weight ratio, and sure enough, goes like the clappers. Plenty sporting then. However, it is noisy and immediate and requires much concentration to avoid unwanted oversteer in the wet. So driving it is very tiring.

I have a mid-engined sports car myself also, great fun to drive, but only a weekend car either. The SVX on the other hand can hack it with all but the quickest out there, and do it smooth and quiet and capable and confident. What more could you want??

You want more sporty, then you don't really want a GT tourer, which is what the SVX is. Get a WRX or a Mitsubishi Lancer VI or some such.

Joe

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by svxistentialist


Don't know if I would like it too sporty. The bottom line is whether you are going to use the car for everyday driving.

I drove a friend's car a couple of weeks ago. It was a TVR Chimaera, with a tuned 5 litre V8, 360 hp or so, and weighs only 1050 Kgs. This makes for healthy power-to weight ratio, and sure enough, goes like the clappers. Plenty sporting then. However, it is noisy and immediate and requires much concentration to avoid unwanted oversteer in the wet. So driving it is very tiring.

I have a mid-engined sports car myself also, great fun to drive, but only a weekend car either. The SVX on the other hand can hack it with all but the quickest out there, and do it smooth and quiet and capable and confident. What more could you want??

You want more sporty, then you don't really want a GT tourer, which is what the SVX is. Get a WRX or a Mitsubishi Lancer VI or some such.

Joe

Well said!

I couldnt agree more!

Mike

[subafan]

i agree too....

hey... that makes three agreements in a row?? is that the longest agreement streak we're working on??

[Landshark]

nope, i disagree. what happened to all the clamoring for turbos and superchargers? the SVX is HEAVY, and could use a little more hp (and torque!) to get it going better. i know the SVX is a GT tourer - i've pointed that out several times on here to people that want to turn it into a drag car. i'm not saying strip it and slap a supercharger on it, but if it had, say 300-350hp it would be perfect. well, except for the tranny, brakes, wheel bearings, and headlights. with AWD, i don't think the SVX would be nearly as scary as a Chimaera, which are known for being RAW sports cars. i like the quietness and smoothness of the SVX, but i'd like a little more juice, too

[svxistentialist]

OK Alan, this time I am agreeing with you.

You said more sporty. In cars, and bikes, that usually means lighter[no sound deadening] harder[stiffer spring-damper combination]noisier[free breathing exhaust] and very often peakier like the Honda S2000 with loads of horsepower way up the noisy end of the rev range, and nothing in the bottom drawer.

If you had said more powerful, then YESSS! I want one.

Graham in Devon is bolting a blower to his, and has already changed the brakes to keep the extra momentum in check.

A good yardstick for what can be achieved is the Toyota Soarer Coupe 2.5 twin turbo. This carries the same weight and luxury accoutrements as the SVX, but is pumping 350-370 horses in mild tune. Rear drive, so it has stability control. Dayle of Motorsport has one, I almost bought one before I got the SVX.

Yes. Number 4 agreement. I do believe the SVX would be good with 320-350 horses, uprated tranny and brakes. Should not cost a fortune, and would be good for miles of s

Joe

[LarryIII]

Guys,

Please don't forget the following.

The Soarer and others like it were designed much later than the SVX. The SVX was on the show circuit in '89 which means it was conceived & designed in the mid to late eighty. Compare an early Toyota Supra with the last one or a Soarer.
The SVX did not sell, so it received no development except for tranny design fixes
Much as it hurts me to say this; we are driving a driving a dated design on which development was halted. In some areas it is still head and shoulders above what is mainstream on the road (FWD), but in some areas, it is rapidly falling behind current designs. (VDC AWD & Quattro).

In 10-15-20 years it will probably be similar to comparing an MG TC or TF to a Miata or a '68 Vette to a C5, or a BMW 2002 Ti to a current 325i.

Sorry to rain on the parade but sometimes reality is very harsh.
So let's enjoy the SVX ride while it lasts, just like I do every day to & from work.

[Landshark]

Originally posted by LarryIII
Guys,

Please don't forget the following.

The Soarer and others like it were designed much later than the SVX. The SVX was on the show circuit in '89 which means it was conceived & designed in the mid to late eighty. Compare an early Toyota Supra with the last one or a Soarer.
The SVX did not sell, so it received no development except for tranny design fixes
Much as it hurts me to say this; we are driving a driving a dated design on which development was halted. In some areas it is still head and shoulders above what is mainstream on the road (FWD), but in some areas, it is rapidly falling behind current designs. (VDC AWD & Quattro).

In 10-15-20 years it will probably be similar to comparing an MG TC or TF to a Miata or a '68 Vette to a C5, or a BMW 2002 Ti to a current 325i.

Sorry to rain on the parade but sometimes reality is very harsh.
So let's enjoy the SVX ride while it lasts, just like I do every day to & from work.

i got rid of my 928 because, although it was a great car, i had a strange sense of doom approaching (and i hated to see it sit all winter while the car i had to drive to work was outside, covered with snow, cold in the morning, etc) . the 70's-80's mechanical relay/discrete component circuit technology was hard to deal with, although mine was perfect - i had fixed the few electrical gremlins i did have. my 6th sense was right this time, because i've kept in contact with the guy i sold it to , and about 3 months later the engine computer was toast ($1000!!!).
i really like my SVX, and i'm hoping i can get 5-10 years out of it. when its time is up, i'll be looking at the STi or B4 (assuming Subaru brings it over here by then ) who knows, maybe we'll be REAL lucky and see the return of the SVX! i have the AWD monkey on my back and i don't see a cure.

[svxistentialist]

Originally posted by LarryIII
Guys,

Please don't forget the following.

The Soarer and others like it were designed much later than the SVX. The SVX was on the show circuit in '89 which means it was conceived & designed in the mid to late eighty. Compare an early Toyota Supra with the last one or a Soarer.
The SVX did not sell, so it received no development except for tranny design fixes
Much as it hurts me to say this; we are driving a driving a dated design on which development was halted. In some areas it is still head and shoulders above what is mainstream on the road (FWD), but in some areas, it is rapidly falling behind current designs. (VDC AWD & Quattro).

In 10-15-20 years it will probably be similar to comparing an MG TC or TF to a Miata or a '68 Vette to a C5, or a BMW 2002 Ti to a current 325i.

Sorry to rain on the parade but sometimes reality is very harsh.
So let's enjoy the SVX ride while it lasts, just like I do every day to & from work.

Larry,

Hate to disagree with you, but I must. Alan and I are really only saying the SVX could do with more power, and one of the near matches with more power is the Soarer. The SVX and the Soarer were contemporaneous. They both were released in Japan in 1991, I quote from Autospeed.com:

"When the ZZ-series of Toyota Soarers was released in Japan during 1991, there were two engine configurations available - a 4.0-litre V8 making 194kW and a 2.5-litre twin-turbo six with 206kW. "

The SVX was also released in Japan in 1991 as we all know, mine is a Dec '91 car.

The SVX was doing the rounds as a show car in '89 granted, but this was to gauge market reaction, Fuji had never sold a model into this upper market segment before. Pre-production show cars are often pushed into place on the stand, the design work to provide motive power still being incomplete before the bodywork.

Possibly the design idea for the SVX may have taken longer to come to fruition than the Toyota/Lexus equivalent, but to intimate that the Soarer has the advantage of years of technological advance over the SVX is, quite simply, wrong. Even the latest Supra you mention with twin sequential turbos came out in Japan in 1993.

I will heartily agree with you that the car is not developed to it's potential because of poor sales. With 80 or 100 more horses[and torque] and a sequential or good Tiptronic gearbox, even today the SVX would whup ass on a lot of today's fare, even up to Bavarian M levels.

Maybe we will get another big coupe from Fuji, who knows? They have the technology [provided they let an expert do the body design], but they will not burn fingers again unless the worldwide demand for big GTs can guarantee them a minimum sales number.

Joe

[LarryIII]

The design process to the first production cars would have taken approx. 30-48 months. I am not disagreeing with you I am just looking at the situation from another angle. I think that comparison to the Soarer is not that accurate because Toyota has many more times the resources ($) than Fuji/Subaru. The first Supras & Celicas looked like mini Japaese Mustangs and were not great sporty cars. The Datsun 2000 was not a great sprts car. Fuji's first attempt at a "sporty" car, The XT" was not a great car. For a company with very limited resources Fuji did a terrific jobwith the SVX. I just hope I can drive mine for another 10 years. Hopefully by then maybe there will be a replacement car for it.