The American automotive media is just as obsessed with the thrill of the new as the industry itself. Even though websites like this one (OK, not exactly like this one) have transformed two month lead times into two minute lead times, all the buff books still tout the latest hot machine. The industry colludes in this effort, withholding new vehicles from their US press fleets until the car mags hit the stands. Perhaps because we started at the bottom of the press car food chain (and worked our way downwards from there), TTAC isn't fixated on getting ahold of the latest and greatest. In fact, we consider the dearth of established models in the carmakers' press fleets (e.g. Nissan 350Z) a major disappointment that reflects the automakers' limited attention spans. There is a lot to be learned from well-established bread-and-butter vehicles. To wit: Jonny Lieberman is reviewing a Mazda B-Series pickup and Sajeev Mehta's Lincoln Town Car review just crossed the transom. These reviews will tell us more about why Ford is in such dire straits– missed opportunities– than any financial statement or ride in the new Em Kay Ex Lincoln. Of course, as the Brits put it, we wouldn't say no…
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Hey Jonny: Intriguing how you chose the Miata as a platform suitable for coachbuilding. Perhaps one of the best looking first-generation Miatas I have ever seen is called the Italia- not the typical fiberglass dreck you would expect from purveyors of bodykits. Check out http://www.paul-davis.com/miata.html to see the Italia as well as some of the typical monstrosoties. As Frank Williams pointed out earlier….it has all been done at sometime before. But I disagree with your point on winding out the humble four cylinder. Put the new AMG V8 in a Miata. Weight bias be damned. Someone. Anyone? Calling Jesse James…
Now that’s what I call a link.
Forget the Miata, dream bigger. I’d go for the Cayman platform, rebodied and reengined. Drop one of those RUF or 9ff tuner powerplants on it and have Pininfarina or someone dream up a 550 coupe body or 904 look. But hell, I’m just all over mid-engined Porsches. I’ll admit to owning and pouring money into a 914.
That said, I believe no matter which direction you’d take the sheetmetal, the Cayman platform is the best, most stable out there right now, and not so prohibitively expensive that you can’t dream. Too bad that RUF/Studiotorino body is going to be so expensive. They should have made it out of GRP instead of steel. It might have been affordable.
Wow, those morphed Miatas are great!!
You guys ever drive home from a track day, find yourself picking the race line, only to be snapped back to reality by the realization… that there’s someone coming towards you?
My boss told me that he’d once had sex in a Karmann Ghia, way back in the day.
(I also had an editor who told me he still had the first car he’d gotten lucky in…why people tell me these things I dunno, but it would make a great article, no?)
My boss told me that he’d once had sex in a Karmann Ghia.
Lesley, it sounds like we have a strong case of workplace sexual harassment here. We should talk. Let’s set up a free consultation.
You mean besides creepy boss stories? Cause… I have some good ones.
I’ve heard some good stories about press cars, particularly the viper, it really gets around. One race journo friend parked it at the track, where the evening dew settling on its hood revealed a perfect… butt print.
Creepy boss stories? Naaah – my boss is a great guy.
The Lincoln Town Car has two serious flaws that no amount of “refreshing” is going to address. It has a serious lack of head room and bad ingress/egress due to the aircraft style doors(a couple more inches of head room is lost). Bad for police cruisers, bad for cab drivers, bad for limousine drivers, bad for tall drivers, and lousy for the unlimber geriatric set. Not to mention the back seat passengers of all of the above. Whether it is Ford or GM or Chrysler-the first one who makes a decent quality full-size RWD V8 cruiser with real head room wins all of the marbles. Lincoln has only sold what they have over the last few years due to default. Any serious competition and they are toast. How many drivers were forced into a minivan or SUV due to the squat Town Car? Many, many, many drivers.