Posts

@kleptomage  
That car is cute, but now I feel even more reminded of this car:  
hehe
 
but seriously, that Alfa Romeo grill looks absolutely the same as it did in the 60s. I am so shocked they can keep it the same…

@kleptomage  
Hah, I’ve been hearing rumors about the Barracuda since 2009! I’m sure Fiat will make sure everything is awesome though. I really wish I could buy a Challenger now, I think it is the perfect American pony car right now. If they change the DNA to be more Italian, it will make a lot of us muscle-fans upset!
 
It’s true, the car is misunderstood. It is sheer muscle, while the Mustang and Camaro continue to be more refined.

@RainbowDash69  
That’s a cute little convertible. It reminds me of the microcar Audrey Hepburn drove in How To Steal a Million (wonderful film, by the way).
 

 
@BarryFromMars  
Speaking of the Barracuda, rumor has it that Dodge may make a Barracuda convertible after they switch the Challenger to an Alfa chassis for weight reduction next generation. A Dodge convertible will be cool but I’ll be a little sad to see the current Challenger go. It’s a misunderstood car. Everybody compares the Challenger to the Camaro and Mustang but for better or worse it’s not a budget sports car like those have become. The Challenger is better appreciated as a big comfy retro cruiser.
 
Alfa Romeo has two new sedans. One is the Quadrifoglio with a twin turbo V6 and the other is the Giulia with a turbo four. Both look about the same.
 

 
Alfa is also making a wagon but not for America. We get their Stelvio crossover instead.

@RainbowDash69
 
That makes sense though, seeing that the 1964 Corvette Stingray has interesting rear glass too. I think more of a first generation Barracuda in this case though since it’s a bit larger.
 
This is the first time I’ve heard of Fiat bringing Alfa Romeo here. I have no idea what it’s going to look like yet, if they’ll modify it or not.

@BarryFromMars  
every time I see the curved glass like that, I think of the Corvette Stingray haha. I know that’s lame, but it is the first thing
 
I still am shocked Fiat is bringing Alfa Romeo into the USA, we get to have those grilles now on our streets. not sure how I feel about that.

@RainbowDash69
 
Ah yes, I hadn’t considered smaller-than-American cars so it does make sense. Thank you for that point.
 
Yes, it does look like an Alfa Romeo. I saw those in a book Dad showed me and liked one of them, I think that was the Giulietta SZ. Seems as if I like cars that have some curved glass in the rear for better viewing, not surprising since tailgaters aren’t uncommon here. I’ve even been tailgated by a cement mixer at interstate speeds, it’s silly.
 

 

 
I’ve been noticing a few models of cars have been getting more 1950s-1960s grilles more recently, I didn’t pay attention to which models they are though.
 
I was going to say something here then my brain felt overwhelmed so I’m observing silence.
 
… … …

@BarryFromMars  
For non-American cupholders, saving space is most important. A lot of imports made cupholders a “rarity” since there was no space for them… so Saab was being very serious when they made that design
 
Also, that Saab is cute as heck. It looks a whole lot like an Alfa Romeo!  
 
The funny part is that grille design for Alfa Romeo is still seen throughout their cars, even in 2016. It is interesting to see this little convergence in 1960s styling!
 
…you’re right though, most cars have everything in packages, it is sad. For example, I want a base trim model car but with an added sunroof, those are very hard to come by because sunroofs usually come with upgraded audio + a bunch of other packages. (a sunroof is on my must-have list!)

@kleptomage
 
Oh. Thanks.
 
No, I didn’t hear of that. Dunno what to say about the CTS.
 
@RainbowDash69
 
I don’t see a point in having a touch screen like that in a car. I can understand dash cams and rear cams but not that, I already have an iPod and cassette adapter for my music. Still, If it works for whoever likes it that’s just fine.
 
A memory feature in a power seat sounds awesome really.
 
@Flying Pancake
 
Kinda nifty little feature if it’s to save space or is a novelty, dunno what else to say.
 
@kleptomage
 
Considering my 1984 Caprice still has a working HVAC unit and radio, sure. I don’t want to cycle through air conditioning to put on my radio or whatever might happen but who would make it like that? Then again I just lost $2 to the car wash dollar-coin exchanger when it ran out of quarters and didn’t give me a refund in bills, saying “Please use other machine.” At least they have a bay that gives $6 worth of time out of a $5 bill.
 
@Flying Pancake
 
Surely we people could adapt to that but yeah, what’s the point in it being that complicated…
 
…
 
?
 
@RainbowDash69
 
I never looked into Saabs much except the 1960s 2-cycle one my Dad told me about that a coworker of his had.
 

 
@RainbowDash69
 
Sometimes I’m thinking cars are just plain getting weird in some aspects. A touch screen could be fine but at the same time I’ve functioned without it. I am however a bit old fashioned in the 1950s-1980s “Order your new car just the way you want it” way and not in the “Bwabwabwabwabwa buy our package” thing. That’s to cut costs in manufacturing, isn’t it? I know cars in the 1970s sometimes came in pretty weird color combinations (blue interior/avocado green exterior, etc) but at the same time if I want power windows but no power seat what do I have to do, swap it out with someone who does have manual seats? I haven’t looked into this so I may be awfully misinformed, I don’t see myself buying a new car soon. Those cars I do have are fine as it is.

My mom is technologically illiterate. I’ve always told her “Don’t worry, you can buy the base model car, it doesn’t have a touchscreen!”
 
she always responds “What if there are no more base models??” haha

@Flying Pancake  
Saabs are great. they have so many clever quirks… ingeniously simple engineering. ya know, my neighbor had like 3 of them when I was a kid. I think that’s why I was always so interested in ‘em :3
 
even in 1997, they had so many luxurious/convenience features all with nice, solid buttons.
 
I’ll miss having buttons. I hope to hold on to my car as long as possible. no touchscreen is needed for me…
 
@kleptomage  
As a Mountain Dew addict, I wholeheartedly agree.

@kleptomage  
I’m not a fan of capacitive buttons either, but what really bugs me is when regularly used controls are on a touchscreen instead of physical buttons. If I have to take my eyes off the road to hunt through menu screens every time I want to adjust the radio volume or climate control, then the controls have gone beyond inconvenient and into being a safety hazard.

@RainbowDash69  
Oh yes, the cupholders are critical. You gotta have space for your Big Gulp to stay hydrated on your 15 minute drive to Walmart.
 
Touch capacitive buttons are a deal breaker for me. Touchscreens I can tolerate if they’re quick and easy but there is no good reason to replace perfectly functional physical controls with touch capacitive units. It’s only done to be trendy and they’re all made of cheap looking glossy black plastic that’s a magnet for fingerprints and dust.
 
@Flying Pancake  
That’s actually kind of cool.

@RainbowDash69  
The cupholder game is over. Saab won:  

@kleptomage  
Cadillac did their own thing… with the CUE system. everyone hated that thing. it’s true that germans are best with interiors, but Mercedes has very dated interiors in my opinion, this gives lots of room for other companies to step up their game (and, more importantly, their cupholder game)
 
 
@BarryFromMars  
I think power seats are pointless unless there is a memory feature. that is a great idea for people with tall and short people sharing a car.
 
also, I’m sure a big American butt sitting on the leather seat isn’t good for it, either :)

@BarryFromMars  
Small adjustments are easier with power seats. The only thing about power seats I don’t like is that the controls are not where I can see them.
 
Did you know Cadillacs now have a motorized cupholder cover? Now that’s pointless. I want to like the CTS. I admire how Cadillac has built track ready luxury cars but they can’t seem to figure out how to construct a nice interior. Maybe Cadillac should have done it’s own thing instead of trying to copy the Germans.

@kleptomage
 

 
Mmm, yeah. My parents’ XJ6 just wasn’t kept up! Well, other than the… Tailpipe falling off…
 
On another subject why are power seats a thing? All of the ones I’ve used are slower than manual ones, I don’t see the point unless a person doesn’t have hands and drives by other means E.G. feet (and yes that’s a thing.) I can understand heated seats but power seats seem pointless.

@Flying Pancake  
Vinyl for cars is probably of higher quality than the naugahyde I’ve had on cheap furniture.
 
@RainbowDash69  
Leather is skin and needs moisture the same way skin does. If you don’t treat leather it will crack and tear.

I wish cloth heated seats were more popular. I’d buy cloth seats over any other option, then. I don’t get the appeal of leather, besides the fact that it feels so good, same deal with alcantara. it just feels good, nothing more :P
 
my car has leather seats, the leather ripped apart by the time it was 11 years old, when I got it… now it has layers of duct tape to prevent the hole from getting bigger!

@kleptomage  
Vinyl’s pretty nice; if done right it gives the look of leather but harder wearing, easy to clean, and without the overheating tendency you mentioned. I’d imagine it’s still quite a bit harder to repair than cloth, though.

@Flying Pancake  
I don’t know about vinyl but cloth is fine with me. Companies should try offering high end cloth as an alternative to leather, something classy with a low nap and a hydrophobic finish.
 
Lincoln and Volvo offer white leather interiors. They look great, very refined and elegant, but I would not want to have to clean them religiously.

@kleptomage  
Ugh, alcantara. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to make car interiors out of a porous, impossible to clean material, but they need their head examined. Just give me some nice vinyl or cloth seats and make everything else out of something I can wash off with a hose.

@BarryFromMars  
I used to carry towels in the Mercury to place on the seats because they got so hot they could burn me through a pair of jeans.
 
I think leather is overrated. Sure, leather can look very fancy but I’ve always found cloth to be comfortable enough.
 
Don’t get me started on alcantara. Suede has no place in high wear areas, especially not faux suede. It will get permanently matted and grimy within a month.

@kleptomage
 
If equipped.
 
@SonGokuMonkey
 
@kleptomage
 
My parents had a 1985 Jaguar XJ6 with a leather interior. I recall as a kid the seats got very hot on one summer day, however maybe cars with leather seats and glass that’s more tinted don’t have this.

@SonGokuMonkey  
I learned to drive with a Mercury. It was all black inside and out. The black paint always looked dirty, the black leather was burning hot in summer, and the black console always showed dust. It ingrained in me a dislike of black cars.
 
Mechanically the Mercury was fine, at least until some idiot ran a light and broadsided it.

@RainbowDash69  
Yeah! My seats are nice and comfy at least. I’ve got the cloth interior. I have no idea what the leather interiors are like.