Vehicles spotted in your neighborhood

Just got back from a long trip including Portsmouth, London and Manchester and a dozen other cities in DE, FR and NE. Don’t remember which city it was, probably London, and I didn’t get an actual picture, please excuse the stock image, but I did see a Maserati Levante.

Maybe I’m old, but I believe I wept at the thought of a Maserati SUV. I’m guessing it doesn’t go 185 …


I believe you can rent them from National Car Rental. Now THAT’S sad.

Out of all of those insanely rare and highly-polished autos, the one that leaves me coldest is the McLaren. I know I know they are high tech and carbons and Formula Ones and all, and surfaced like a Rhino on FourLoko, but they never really seem that desirable. Could be the total lack of restraint which may be odd in a British car. Even seeing the F1 at the Petersen was just…OK.

There I said it. Those 3D machined wheels on the Porsche are insane. That light blue/gray Bugatti is a winner too. I like the one with wood as well. If anyone is in Seattle in late September the Center for Wooden Boats Festival is a must-see. Seeing highly polished wood next to super-deep fiberglass or painted wood surfaces glistening in the late summer sunlight is (to me) tremendously moving.

I don’t want to get my designer card revoked, but I’m with you on the McLaren’s Sean… I disagree on the F1, that I love, but the new stuff feels a bit too novelty.

My jaw was pretty much on the ground for everything else :slight_smile:

Supercars just bore me (as a middle class guy that can’t afford one). Mind you, I had the 911, Testarossa and Countach posters when I was a teen. There were basically three supercars when I was a teen, now there is at least 10. Moreover, Ferrari has gone from selling hundreds of cars to thousands. It makes it feel like they aren’t that difficult to build anymore.

On the design front too, many feel like a recipe now. There are no oddballs, which was what made them fun. That giant cheese grater on the side of the Testarossa or wedge shape of a Countach.

That reminds me, I love this thread because we are all taking note of the oddballs here!

In Chicago for the week doing some field research and spotted this badass machine

What the BMW 3 series used to look like. So nice and tidy.


I really want a 325is like that as a summer car. Sadly, all the ones in Canada have passed away. Last I looked, prices were on the up. I think it’s going to be a future classic.

The car is great. Those rims and wheels are terrible. It’s burning my eyes! And the lowering job makes it look broken. It hurts to look at!

You can still get those in Canada, Ray. I just forwarded one to a friend that looked to be mint on auto trader. Prices are way up. Only if unmolested though, unlike this one.

I learned to drive on my dad’s 1984 318i. Was pretty used up by the time I got it passed down to me and took it to university, and I pretty much killed it, but it was a great car. Seriously don’t make them like they used to. I’m looking for a new car now, and the new BMW quality and design does totally nothing for me. I was also brought up on Volvos though (DL, GL, 240, 740, 850) and the new Volvos are another story… Absolutely perfect from a design perspective…

R

Richard: Yeah, when I’ve looked, I just find slammed ones with rusted out sills at a price I would pay.

Yes. My boss got the new XC90 2 years ago, and it still looks fresh. Another co-worker just picked up the new XC40, and I was really surprised by how much I liked it. For me, I’d be all over a new V90 wagon…

Volvo’s line up is pretty nice right now. Audi should be this clean, but they messed it all up.

Agree. Audi should be much better. It’s just all so boring with extra little facets and enormous grills.

Sometimes, I ask myself what would Jonathan Ive do. Not that I think he is the greatest designer, but I don’t think Apple ever tries too hard. Audi and BMW are definitely trying too hard right now.

The big Volvo cars and SUVs do look good. They are the ones you don’t mind being stuck behind in traffic, as it gives the eyes something pleasant to do. The wide rear surface on the liftgate somehow conveys ‘Nordic’ and bent wood and restraint in a very elegant way. Their famous tail lights have chilled out too.

I just can’t get past this stuff though, which tempers my enthusiasm for the aesthetic refinement [e.g. would I want to own one] -

The XC90’s performance is best described as uninspiring, with driving excitement eschewed for stable, poised handling. Still, the biggest reason for the Volvo’s low ranking is its subpar predicted reliability rating. The 2019 Volvo XC90 has a below-average predicted reliability rating of two out of five. Two is the worst rating J.D. Power assigns.

Pretty, kind of dumb, and gets sick all the time.

Just hanging out.

Drove the new V70. I’d agree it was uninspiring driving. Beautiful interior though. Best I’ve seen in a long time. At least around town when the turbo and supercharger doesn’t kick in.

Saw this lamb driving by my house the other day. Ridiculous. Not in a good way.

R

I walked by a Lambo SUV, albeit a black one, and thought it was some new giant Hyundai that I hadn’t heard of.

Dude, saw 3 of those Lambo SUV’s the other day. Poster child for the phrase more money than taste! SoCal…

That thing is hideous. Doesn’t it conflict with their brand heritage?

Plenty of cash and no taste is too true. These start at $445k AU over here. Surely there’s something nicer you can buy with half a million. Surely. Theyll probably sell heaps of them.