Unfortunately, Tesla is a publicly-traded company. It’s primary function is growth, and to do so the company needs new product...yesterday. I get that Musk is mostly interested in advancing the battery tech before launching new models, but I think the company will struggle to bridge the gap between now and 2030, when…

For me, it was definitely the Viggen. The solution was right there... and the aftermarket did take care of steering rack/firewall problems... but Saab released this one half-baked. With bracing installed, a Quaife diff, a tune, and tougher wheels it’s still a riot to drive and suprisingly comfortable over long…

The wheelbase is already a ridiculous 137.3”. If anything, it should be shortened at least 10 inches, which would make the wheelbase still almost 10" longer than a 4-door JL.

Any used Model S anywhere in the price range of your list is going to be 10 years old and well beyond its battery warranty period. And a battery replacement alone will buy you a very nice low-mileage replacement Fit. It’s a significant a risk... you’d be better off buying a used GTI and that’s saying something.

The PHEV version of the Outlander was a late 2022 launch I believe. The regular version went on sale a year earlier and for a time Mitsu was selling the old PHEV ute alongside the new one, which is derived from the Nissan Rogue/X-Trail.

I had a tough time finding a slide that didn’t have an error of some sort, but in this case it’s the EPA that’s classifying these as midsizers. Which is odd because the EPA considers an Integra a “large car”.

Yeah, it just highlights the importance of styling. The cuteness of the first-gen hid the fact that it was basically an Echo/Yaris with a box for bodywork. The 2nd-gen was a real car designed for U.S. roads.

The Soul competes with the regular Corolla Cross, which beats it on cargo space and power, and matches it on fuel economy. An AWD Corolla Cross XLE is still under $30K... the hybrid version’s pricing isn’t out but should exceed $30K in most trims.

What you are describing is the ride, not the handling. But the Yokohama Geolanders that come with a Wilderness are excellent in the wet and have relatively low rolling resistance for an A/T tire. It’s a great choice by Subaru. But the grip in the dry is not exceptional, and that’s going to play into actual handling.

Not to mention the “Wilderness” trim seriously compromises the Crosstrek’s highway manners. It doesn’t help fuel economy either.

I agree with NP, especially because of that 4-spd AMC-powered car, which is certainly a rare survivor. The ‘74s had a higher compression ratio than the later 351W cars, and these days most of the issues with inadequate engine cooling and the finicky doors have been solved.

I’m not sure what dense means, but if you mean close ratio then the manual transmissions would be more dense than the 4eat and 5eat.

I love the idea of the RS with the BRZ motor (and manual); fuel mileage would suffer but it could potentially be Civic Si competition. With two sports products already on offer, though, I can’t imagine anyone at Subaru could make a case for it.

I wouldn’t call the Mondial’s engineering garbage, but like most machinery of the time it was not very robust. It’s really the early cars, the Mondial 8s, that catch most of the hate. Partly for the bad electrics, but also the underdeveloped fuel delivery system. The nasty black bumpers didn’t help. By 1982-3, the QV…

Late to the party but I was surprised to see this... VTEC was the stand-out feature of the NSX?!?! No, it’s absolutely the chassis, which was set up so beautifully Gordon Murray tried to convince Honda to give the car more power. He credits the NSX with directly inspiring his work on the McLaren’s F1. Now THAT is a…

The Evora is at least the third 2+2 Lotus in company history.

It might be cheaper and easier to go for the 400. The 2010-11 NA cars had different suspension tuning than the supercharged cars. Besides, the 400 had a host of other changes over the preceding Evora S that would be difficult to replicate.

178? Doesn’t this make 189 hp in S trim?

Correct. And the earliest 935s weren’t even slantnoses; Porsche re-read the rulebook and discovered they could reduce drag and increase downforce if they relocated the headlights and cut vents over the front wheels.

I think the 914's vibe is way more French than British—minimalist, lightweight, mid-engine, and strange styling including the very early example of hidden headlights. The Brits were far more traditional except when they were hiring Italian firms to design their new products. The Stag with a similar roofline appeared…