Exactly. Plus Chevy has done fairly well for itself in recent years by selling rebadged/reskinned Daewoos in the U.S. as Chevys and Buicks. The difference is that the Daewoo products finally became good.

Yeah, that’s a potential winner along with Buick’s Cielo concept around the same time.

Have you seen the interior of the Elmiraj? Even if it was based on the Omega platform it would probably come in around $150K. The CT6 Blackwing started at $95K...this would be far more.

I passed on a $12K WS6 coupe a couple of years ago, but that same car would probably be $18-24K now. At this point, if I was seeking out an LS-engined convertible I’d be looking at the ‘vette. For the money, a better, sportier experience than the floppy F-body.

Right, it’s like comparing an SN95 ‘stang with Bullitt. I think there’s enough to say about late ‘90s LS1 fever without digging into Bandit culture.

This is “style” buy for sure. I put this in the same category as the C30 or a Saab 9-3 ‘vert. Sure, you could mod it but why? Enjoy the good vibes as is and save your money for the inevitable stylish repairs.

Agreed, somebody doesn’t know their 924 history. There’s still a mystery about Moroi’s car. He claims it’s a 924 GTP Le Mans, which would make it one of six cars built for the 1980 racing season. Rarer than the GTR, which came later. At least three were built for competition (race and finished top 10 at Le Mans), but…

It probably was, but the dealmaker, Nordhoff, died in ‘68 so the car became a political football that VW won. The 914 ended up selling reasonably well despite being slow, but the 916 became so expensive it didn’t sell at all.

“Quirk kills.” —Mini and Saab enthusiast

The critics, in general, seemed to like it.

“Hyundai is committed to developing exciting, heart-charging N models...”

I’m guessing it’s the European perspective. The M-class was made in the U.S., the RX was primarily a U.S.-market success, and the plethora of BOF luxury rigs in the U.S.—everything from the Navigator to the QX4—never made it to Europe (or in very limited numbers).

Interesting interview...he toots his own horn quite a bit, which is not wrong: he clearly has good taste. I think his most impressive work was in the late ‘90s, with the X5 and Mini right at the top. He really nailed those designs. The F430 is nice, but I think the Quattroporte was a more impactful design.

275 was probably the last of the traditionally pretty Ferraris and unlike the LM a road car.

I’m with you. This is donor project material. W8 Karmann Ghia is excellent. Also interesting, because the W8 was part of Piech’s “compete with Mercedes” onslaught, it could be humorous to install this in the back end of a smart roadster coupe.

Yeah, exactly. Most of the weight savings in this car are just from removing the “luxury”. If anything, the drivetrain probably got slightly heavier as a result of the new power rating. The W16 was never the most efficient way to make 1,000 hp, it was a just way for VAG to get 16 cylinders into a supercar. It worked…

Yeah, a torque-vectoring rear diff hasn’t been new for two decades so it’s a little rich for VW to claim “world’s first”. In fact, it seems like just another take on the brake-based torque-vectoring system using on the RS3/TT RS. I’m sure it’s an improved system, but it’s not quite clear how much.

True, but you get the same effect with a simpler non-torque-vectoring system. Certain specific launch situations might give the Golf R’s new system a straight-line advantage, but it would probably be minimal.

The Outback is a fantastic suggestion. Great legroom, compliant suspension, and the ingress/egress is pretty good thanks to the ride height.

You won’t find a new-gen Blazer anywhere close to $15k (it’s too new a vehicle and starts at $28K or so). A Trailblazer? Sure, but that’s also pretty new. Maybe a Trax. I like the Renegade suggestion. It has more luggage space than a Soul and is certainly more interesting to drive. But you pay a hefty reliability tax.…