The problem is that the Vectra was already availible as a hatchback. A better looking one. I got the impression that the Signum was Opels premium offer at that time, with better rear legroom and bigger engines. I don't think Opel ever said that the Signum replaced the Omega, but it filled the same spot in the market.…

I don't think the Lancia was offered in Sweden, so they made a Saab out of it.

Curiously, I'm far less offended by the other famous re-badge job of that era, the Saab 9-2X wagon, which was really a Subaru WRX. Maybe it's because Subaru and Saab are both quirky companies with a rich rallying heritage, or because the 9-2X actually looked pretty good; it's fine in my book, but the BLS isn't.

Opel needed a replacement for their big sedan, the Omega. Then someone came up with the great idea of making a hatchback out of it, based on the dreary Vectra. And then they called it Signum. It doesn't make sense at all..

The first boxer diesel in a production vehicle.

Yes, really. Compared to the Sierra, it was rather bland. Of course, compared to the rest of the American cars at that point, this was mindblowing. But the design language wasn't new.

The Sierra replaced the Taunus/Cortina. Quite a leap that as well..

Doing something crazy in the mid-eighties? No cocaine jokes please.

You'll have to fight me first!

So because it's slow, it's ugly? Makes sense.

A 1970 Opel Caravan, one of the ugliest cars ever built? Well, let's look at the possibilies:

It's far worse than the K, because Chrysler actually made variants of the K with different lengths, sheetmetal, and capabilities (G, E, Y, H, etc etc) but the J was so clearly a J, and had so little evolution for so long, it's essentially the poster child for GM's decline. Cavalier, Sunbird/J2000, Firenza, Skyhawk…

Remember this is a very small and light car. The wheels and tires might look big, but they're not that much of a difference. This new version does 0-100km/t in 12.1 seconds, which is decent. However, the old version did 0-100 in around 20 seconds. Which is a tad slow, but still faster than an R8 ;)

I agree. If I were to buy a small car right now, a 0.9 Panda 4x4 would be my top choice. A Norwegian magazine tested the previous generation on a frozen lake, where it was faster than an Audi R8 on a timed lap. Yes, that's correct. Faster than an R8.

My budget would be around 5k, while the 924, which certainly wasn't a base model, was 8k. But as you might understand, I'm not living in the US.

I've developed a bit of a soft sort for these narrowbody Porsches, and this video of one on some deserted Italian mountain roads isn't helping keep me off Craigslist.

Meeke will never be a title contender, but I believe he and Østberg can rack up enough points to challenge VW for the constructors championship. The drivers championship are very, very unpredictable. Decent joke though ;)

I don't see a problem with this. Driving cars in big cities are just a waste of time anyway, and you're usually a lot better off with public transport. Both air quality and noise levels will be drastically improved, and it would make the city more pleasant for everyone.

Hi Jerry!

Ogier found himself back at 9th place, but went on finishing consistently in the top-three from then on and winning seven special stages, moving into the lead at halftime. The weather was tough on everybody with so much snow that the 14th special stage had to be cancelled. Despite their pretty advanced AWD system, the…