Infiniti M!

[ifcar]

Well, they used to say that of the best F1 drivers.

I am currently driving a car that absolutely no one on this board has ever driven. Guaranteed. I'd start another guessing game, but this thread is long enough. Zastava Florida In L.

And I'll briefly explain how that happened. Much though I was trying to stay out of the car industry, I wound up doing marketing for the company that once brought you the Yugo. A fun year, in many respects. I had a hand in bringing Autocar magazine to Serbia, to review Zastava's current line-up (great article, remind me to post it). Was given free reign to advocate the virtues of some rather cheap and cheerful cars (a big change from previous stuff) -

- and then Fiat steamrolled in and starting building Puntos at the factory.

Cars still in the U.S. - currently 1 Camaro, 1 Buick. The BMWs went back a while ago; and I sold the Renault, it seemed cruel to leave it parked, particularly when the guy who bought it was almost in hysterics over having found one that ran perfectly.

That's right, I remember the Buick. Regal GS, no?

Your having BMWs may help narrow down this mystery comparison test though...

[CaMIRO]

Then again, maybe "Yugo" is the clue...


I'm actually rather fond of this thing, by the way. It weighs less than 1,900 lbs, seats 5, does 120 mph, gets 35+ mpg even when you cane the hell of it. I'd forgotten how much fun a light car can be.

[ifcar]

Then again, maybe "Yugo" is the clue...

Right. I have to find that Yugo with the big engine but no options.

[CaMIRO]

Right. I have to find that Yugo with the big engine but no options.

Unfortunately, I've now amassed enough knowledge to be able to tell you that, in that case, you'd be looking for EFI Yugo GV Plus models sold between 1990 and 1991, with the larger, 1.3-liter (72-horsepower) engine.

[ifcar]

Unfortunately, I've now amassed enough knowledge to be able to tell you that, in that case, you'd be looking for EFI Yugo GV Plus models sold between 1990 and 1991, with the larger, 1.3-liter (72-horsepower) engine.

The larger 1.3-liter engine...but no air conditioning! That would have pushed the car past the comparison's $940 price point.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yugo versus Swift.

Let's go.

[CaMIRO]

A glimpse of the things we got up to... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzzrSuoT-M4

Watch the whole thing, it's worth it.

[ifcar]

A glimpse of the things we got up to... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzzrSuoT-M4

Watch the whole thing, it's worth it.

Some would dare to criticize a car that doesn't keep all four wheels on the ground when going around a corner.

[CaMIRO]

Some would dare to criticize a car that doesn't keep all four wheels on the ground when going around a corner.

They'd be completely wrong.

Cars that lift their inside rear wheel to enable the driver to tune the cornering line have included the original Golf GTi; Golf II GTi, and the Peugeot 306 GTi-6, all of which are regularly acclaimed as legendary performance cars.

Keep in mind that the car you're watching is cornering at insane speeds.

[the Teuton]

Malcolm Bricklin -- the man responsible for importing Yugos -- started out with Subarus, among a few other upstarts.  Could your mystery car have been a Subie?

[sportyaccordy]

A glimpse of the things we got up to... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzzrSuoT-M4

Watch the whole thing, it's worth it.

That actually looks like a ton of fun

The suspension + tires + engine are pretty much perfectly matched and the limits of the car are well within the reach of a mere mortal. Plus I can tell by the suspension's reactions that the car is just damn fast and not being shown in fast motion

Actually looks like a blast

[Eye of the Tiger]

A glimpse of the things we got up to... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzzrSuoT-M4

Watch the whole thing, it's worth it.

That looks to handle quite like the Swift- a car that has been called "the worst handling car I've ever owned." I can see why you needed the training wheels. 

[CaMIRO]

That looks to handle quite like the Swift- a car that has been called "the worst handling car I've ever owned." I can see why you needed the training wheels. 

I had a Chevrolet Sprint Turbo for a while - and believe me, the Florida has a much longer wheelbase, and handles quite a bit better. The front suspension is derived from a Fiat Tipo; the rear is Volkswagen Golf II/III.

Those aren't training wheels - they're attached to a (patented) high-speed driver's training device which simulates drifting in front-wheel-drive cars.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I had a Chevrolet Sprint Turbo for a while - and believe me, the Florida has a much longer wheelbase, and handles quite a bit better. The front suspension is derived from a Fiat Tipo; the rear is Volkswagen Golf II/III.

Those aren't training wheels - they're attached to a (patented) high-speed driver's training device which simulates drifting in front-wheel-drive cars.

I don't believe you. Tipos and Golfs are junk. Florida is where old people live. Longer wheelbases do not necessarily improve agility. That thing needs some suspension tuning.

[CaMIRO]

I disagree with virtually everything you said, but fair enough.

The longer wheelbase promotes stability; that car is being pushed virtually to its limits, and yet it's fairly predictable. I certainly cannot say the same of the Sprint (fun though it was).

[Eye of the Tiger]

I disagree with virtually everything you said, but fair enough.

The longer wheelbase promotes stability; that car is being pushed virtually to its limits, and yet it's fairly predictable. I certainly cannot say the same of the Sprint (fun though it was).

By stability you mean understeer, and by understeer, I mean not desireable.

Swift's wheelbase is also much longer than your Sprint's

[CaMIRO]

By stability you mean understeer, and by understeer, I mean not desireable.

By stability, I mean neutrality with a hint of understeer. The people who thought they wanted oversteer died in a slew of accidents in Britain, in the '80s, in Peugeot 205 GTis, leading Peugeot to muse that they'd probably never make another car like it again.

Swift's wheelbase is also much longer than your Sprint's

I don't have time to look up the numbers - but I have to say I'd doubt it. Are you sure?

[Eye of the Tiger]

By stability, I mean neutrality with a hint of understeer. The people who thought they wanted oversteer died in a slew of accidents in Britain, in the '80s, in Peugeot 205 GTis, leading Peugeot to muse that they'd probably never make another car like it again.

I don't have time to look up the numbers - but I have to say I'd doubt it. Are you sure?

People die because they can't drive.
88 inches versus 94.
Swift has 4 independent struts as well.

[CaMIRO]

People die because they can't drive.

... and because they think they can.
Suffice to say that the video took a lot of planning.

That's a reasonable wheelbase difference, though.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I took the front sway bar off, and will be using a 3" lead pipe for the rear. No more understeer.

[CaMIRO]

Good grief. I was just about to ask if you were planning a stabilizer out back... you have to be kidding about the 3 inches, though. 1 inch would be pushing it.

Either way, don't treat the two ends separately; what you do to one will affect the other.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Good grief. I was just about to ask if you were planning a stabilizer out back...

Don't treat the two ends separately; what you do to one will affect the other.

I believe I have already considered how one end affects the other.

[CaMIRO]

I'd worry about you, but one good, uneven bump at any speed will crack either your 3-inch stabilizer (assuming you're serious) or the pieces to which it is attached. Just make sure you're going straight at the time.

[omicron]

The Legend was priced alongside the 5 Series.  I don't know what it competes against in the US but I've only seen two Legends in my lifetime.  I think they would have to price it around 3 Series money to stand a chance, and even then they'd be struggling.  Badge is the main reason, but that aside, the car just isn't good enough.

I must say; I've never seen a single current-generation RL/Legend - not even at the local Honda dealer.

[2o6]

They'd be completely wrong.

Cars that lift their inside rear wheel to enable the driver to tune the cornering line have included the original Golf GTi; Golf II GTi, and the Peugeot 306 GTi-6, all of which are regularly acclaimed as legendary performance cars.

Keep in mind that the car you're watching is cornering at insane speeds.

I was going to say: Shouldn't Zastava's be decent handling? They're based upon Fiats.......

[CaMIRO]

I was going to say: Shouldn't Zastava's be decent handling? They're based upon Fiats.......

Yep - and the Fiat 128 was head and shoulders above the mainstreamers of its day. Things have moved on, sure, but the basic principles remain valid, and more modern cars have become too heavy.

To keep this out of the Luxury forum...
http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=19863.0

You're all invited.

[565]

I don't think Edmunds was supposed to post up these pics.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/09/2009-bmw-m3-sedan-or-2011-infiniti-m56-which-would-you-choose.html#more

[CJ]

Why not?

[CALL_911]

I don't think Edmunds was supposed to post up these pics.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/09/2009-bmw-m3-sedan-or-2011-infiniti-m56-which-would-you-choose.html#more

M3 plz

[565]

Why not?

Isn't the offical debut not till december?  It's a rather casual way to post the first pics of the actual car.