liability... the insurance costs of opening your track to a bunch of kids without helmets or, otherwise, safety-confirmed vehicles are enough to prevent this from being a thing.

That, and the fact that the tracks that I know of in SoCal are a good 100 miles away (Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, etc.)

“...and a horizontally-opposed engine. Of course, those were Subaru’s idiosyncrasies...”

I beg to differ (tongue totally in cheek)... that’s a V4, harkening back to pre-99 SAABs... just with a 180-degree bank angle. 

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

That was a real M-car, in that it used the engine (tuned differently) that was introduced in the alpha-dog M1; this engine, the M88, was a DOHC 24V I6 that, in the M635csi, actually produced more power (286 vs 271)...

Here’s the thing: I don’t remember the M635csi coming to the U.S. OFFICIALLY. I remember the M6, which…

Autocorrect on my phone sure works beautifully (sarcasm)

Not a car guy’s obvious choice but my winter car is a 2015 Soul! With panoramic roof, heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, HID headlamps (it’s 2015; amazing how quickly HIDs became the equivalent to pop up headlamps), and a Nappa leather interior (not good if our customer is vegetarian or vegan) in Umber.…

Actually, not always, but commonly with 2-door Coupes vs 2-door Sedans. It’s much more about the roofline (lower, faster windshield), which is what you see with 4-door Coupes & SUV Coupes vs. their more traditional 4-door Sedans & standard SUVs.

There have been 2-door Sedans, going back to the relative pre-historic era (Chevy 210 Sedan... https://azure.barrett-jackson.com/Archive/Event/Item/1957-CHEVROLET-210-2-DOOR-SEDAN-101792). More recently, the Camry 2-door and Focus Coupe were technically 2-door Sedans.

Coupes have lower roof lines than their relative…

Bwob Hall had one with this front panel/lights (badged Ford Laser), with 15" Ford Telstar (Mazda 626) wheels like in this ad...

Actually, not at that location. You’re thinking of the previous headquarters for Mazda Motor America (MMA); this basement is in the Mazda R&D America (MRA) building, where Mazda’s design studio (still) is, and site of the original Taco Bell headquarters on Red Hill... hilarious stories about the Taco Bell building,…

hard to make fit due to width and fact that it was tilted in it’s FF application. FR, with that tilt, makes it a tough fit, though there are some Miatas out there with this powertrain.

Is that a political statement? If so, perhaps, you should modify it to, “Save Manolo”

“...just tires, final drive ratio, drivetrain efficiency and weight of that drivetrain.”

That’s not a “just” accumulation of factors, especially since you also might have a taller ride height wreaking havoc on aero drag, just as much as all of the factors above wreak havoc on mechanical drag.

That added weight might…

Given that this is a rebadged Monza, I think the only appropriately powered sunbird would be Wankel powered. Stick a bridgeported 13b in it and make it shriek.

Or shopping for a vehicle listed at $32k that is purely an image vehicle. At that same Kia store, this but could have gotten any of a number of vehicles for less than half the price, with a very decent amount of content.

Batzi-belt your dog, even in a hardtop... you don’t want a furry projectile in your car in any kind of evasive maneuver, not if you love your dog (not to mention for your own self-preservation’s sake).

I got rear-ended (when driving an aluminum car, at that, meaning instant “total”) by a lady whose priorities were, in…

After my last message, pointing out FR (with a long driveshaft down the middle) and +2 layouts, it occurred to me that a dimensional comparison might provide even more of an example of how this car can be considered relatively “lightweight”:
- 3354lbs (vs 3153lbs, claimed for a base MT 911 Carrera Coupe) +201lbs
-…

And, those cars aren’t FR or +2 seat layouts (in the case of the 911, only a “+2" in name only), which are not-inconsequential facts when considering weight.
The visibility (and, I’ll say it out loud, the apparently-conscious effort to target the “guido” factor with style/execution) make this much less of an…

You guys have probably posted this video before, but this remains (for me) one of the most scintillating-sounding engines that I’ve ever heard. If I remember correctly, this banshee screamed to 22k rpm.

Journey is proof that Mitsubishi SUVs CAN, in fact, still sell in crazy volumes in the U.S.

At a research event featuring a consumer drive around Agoura Hills, I saw the remnants of a banked turn and long straight at a county park called Paramount Ranch. When I looked it up, I discovered a Ken Miles-designed road course that saw 7 races held on it over 2 years, 1956 & 1957. It was closed after a number of…