BMW 700 Sports and 700RS. The 600 was nifty as well but overshadowed by the Isetta which might count as a two-cylinder. The two-cylinder SAAB was the 92/92B from the early ‘50s.

We had a small Fiat/Alfa studio in Ann Arbor across from the Chrysler/Jeep and it quietly disappeared shortly before the pandemic. I believe it’s a Carvana lot now.

I agree with you that it’s a hobby vehicle, but it’s the SJ Grand Wagoneer that is a tractor with leather. The RRC made a credible attempt at being a modern vehicle.... IRS, aluminum engine and bodywork, permanent AWD, top speed near 100 mph... all in the 1970s. And it was ahead of most competitors with the addition…

It’s true, you can find lots of RRC LS conversions. Some of them fetch even more money than the all-original rigs.

The RRC has long since passed in VWT2 Westfalia territory. This is a vehicle bought by the serious collector or a hipster from the looks/lifestyle crowd that can afford to roll in a new $100K Rangie but would rather look old money.

According to the article, yes, it had the air suspension. Found on high-end 1993 models and onward. This one has had it replaced by springs, as per many P38s.

That’s true of pretty much any car, though. Low trim, fewer seat adjustments. The manufacturer would not have quoted different interior space measurements for different trims of a single Passat. Maybe the SEL gave the impression of more space.

I never realized that Saab used the very same shifter knob in the 9-3. And here I thought it was a unique part of the Saab story.

Yeah, I’m calling troll on that one.

Haha, back in the day this was the common measure of reliability. Most cars broke a lot so if the wiper motor fails, e-brake snaps, sunroof leaks, 5th gear drops, A/C craps out... you aren’t stranded and that’s a thumbs up. The car was only “unreliable” if it repeatedly suffers issues that strand you: alternator, head…

Most of those pre-1985 cars were very badly made as well. Quantity without quality. Or even adequate testing. I’ve had several of them. One of them had a pinhole in the engine block from new. Another had overheating issues because of the design of the emissions-control gear.

Considering SSC only has about 30 employees and is a $6 million company it’s not surprising it is very slow at making cars. Considering the expense of each unit, and the low cash flow of SSC, any new ones that have been delivered are likely not at SSC’s disposal for top-speed runs. The previous car, the Ultimate Aero,…

Hard agree. I’ve seen a runaway wheel out West on a highway in Utah. It crossed over the median diagonally at 80+mph and sailed perhaps 200-300 feet in the air before disappearing into the brush. It was moving so fast and strangely that it was hard to judge where it was going. Good luck avoiding one of those.

I’m looking at the engine options for the 11th-gen (non-Si) Civic and thinking... eh, don’t really want a manual anyway.

“It’s not just Honda, they come on various models from tons of automakers and Subaru has some bad ones, to name names.”

I had one of these (an ‘86) and they aren’t quite as bad as everyone makes them out to be. It’s slow, but the Iron Duke is torquey and even the wagon version isn’t that heavy. It will get to 60 mph in about 12-13 seconds if you cane it, which is probably Prius C territory. Just be careful on the highway ramps and…

He wrote “everything *other* than the drivetrain” is low-grade and blah. In this case I’d have to say he’s not entirely right. Sure, the interior is a lot like the Mitsu Evo interiors, which is to say terrible other than the seat and steering wheel.

Yes, this is a GG car for sure. My grandfather (of the GG generation) used to rent these when he went to Colorado. It was his ski car. It made a lot of sense, actually. The skis and gear fit in the trunk, the V8 offered plenty of torque for climbing Eisenhower Pass, and there was lots of comfort after a tiring day on…

More accurately, the engine struggles to generate enough to current to supply the depleted battery. If the engine is allowed to kick on when the battery is more fully charged rather than at 7% charge (as per EPA rules for the i3 to qualify as a ZEV) this would be much less of a problem. And many owners have made this…

I have an F31 as well. My biggest issue with it has nothing to do with engine. It’s the steering feel.