@tonyola: Agreed. Toyota needs a natural disaster of some sort stat.

I just popped another Spyker with that piece of news.

@SCMX5: I 2nd that. More desi motorcars please.

I think I just Spykered my pants in excitement.

The first time I drove stick (drove period) was on Lake Nakuru (the one with all the flamingos) in an old lwb Suzuki Samurai. Possibly the best part of the safari. Despite my best efforts, didn't hit any flamingos.

@Tanshanomi: Everyone can catch Fahrvergnügen fever, even those south of the mason-dixon line.

@Ben Wojdyla: agreed (and I do hold out some hope for the Optima see Kia Soul for inspiration) but lets not forget about reality here. Close your eyes and try to image what a current generation Optima looks and sounds like?

Ben - what happened to the no boring cars rule ... i know the optima looks kinda striking and athletic in the above drawing but remember these automotive draftsmen cannot be trusted, they are masters of the dark arts and can breath life into the most mundane of cars ... I once remember getting excited about the…

@skulyk: all good additions, i saw a 550 GT at my local BMW dealer the other day and it is truly an answer to a question no one asked ... BMW has better things to do with its time then make silly cars like the GT

The Subaru Baja (people who love yogurt love utes - or so someone once thought), Isuzu Vehicross (what happens when you ask the question if mountain dew made a car), HHR (as if someone need to copy the pt cruiser), Mercedes R class (no its not a hearse), 2nd Generation Lexus SC (no, its not automotive excriminte)…

@dmoneyfa5: Agree 100%. An unmolested 300ZX will go for some big bucks in a few years time. They still look good today. Timeless design.

The Reatta of course! - Did I say it was underpowered yesterday? [jalopnik.com] Its actually got plenty of power and the 3800 V6 was on Ward's 10 Best Engines of the 20th century. Its that good.

unless Robin Masters invites me to live on his estate in Hawaii and provides me with a wardrobe full of Hawaiian shirts, some cool ex-military friends (must include one who owns a helicopter), and an endless supply of B list celebrities getting into high-jinks ... crack pipe

an unexpected surprise ... thanks

@Allradantrieb: Both good calls. Although the XR4ti had a nice run in Europe. Also the Lincoln LS was the CTS of its time; a real American rear wheel drive sports sedan. Even came in stick. A great idea that sucked.

No Reatta fans here. Its one the best automotive failures of all-time. GM even built a factory just to produce this car. And not an ordinary factory, an entire factory based on British manufacturing technique (failure hint #1). They even sent a team to the UK to learn how to do it - how to build a car by hand, by…

I am going to stop looking on craigslist for a perfect low miles reatta. The search for an early 928 with low miles and original rotary wheels will continue.

@mkbruin: Agreed.

Wes - As I said earlier Air train to the A to the G.

Wes -