Too far ahead of its time?

[SVT666]

I thought it was more of a GT than Super Car! I could be wrong.....

It is regarded as the first supercar.

[RomanChariot]

You misspelled Muira.

As did you. Miura.

[Soup DeVille]

As did you. Miura.

D'Oh!

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

D'Oh!

Karma is a bitch ain't it? 

[Soup DeVille]

Karma is a bitch ain't it? 

Sooner or later.

[RomanChariot]

D'Oh!

As long as you spell Camero right, it's all good

[12,000 RPM]

NSU Ro-80

No, this never would have caught on.

[2o6]

No, this never would have caught on.

The hell are you talking about?


It's got contemporary styling, FWD, rotary, disc brakes on all four corners, macPherson strut front, trailing arm rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and a monocoque chassis in 1967. It's a basic blueprint for family sedan motoring, but 25 years ahead of anyone doing anything similar.

[Payman]

The hell are you talking about?


It's got contemporary styling, FWD, rotary, disc brakes on all four corners, macPherson strut front, trailing arm rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and a monocoque chassis in 1967. It's a basic blueprint for family sedan motoring, but 25 years ahead of anyone doing anything similar.

Lol. No, none of that would ever catch on.

[Laconian]

The hell are you talking about?


It's got contemporary styling, FWD, rotary, disc brakes on all four corners, macPherson strut front, trailing arm rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and a monocoque chassis in 1967. It's a basic blueprint for family sedan motoring, but 25 years ahead of anyone doing anything similar.

I saw a great British video of that. Sounded like a superb car. Shame about those apex seals, everything else seemed awesome.

[Laconian]

But yeah, I should be CarSPIN contrarian:

"No."

[93JC]

No you shouldn't.

[Submariner]

McLaren F1

It was such a giant leap forward and cost so much more than any car before it that they couldn't even sell enough of them to fulfill the entire production plan. Originally, they were supposed to build 300 cars, but only could find buyers for 100 of them. But today, cars like that sell out before the public even knows they're coming to market.

Too bad they didn't make 200 more...exactly as originally specified.

So I could still have the exact same non-existence chance of owning one.

[Raza]

The hell are you talking about?


It's got contemporary styling, FWD, rotary, disc brakes on all four corners, macPherson strut front, trailing arm rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and a monocoque chassis in 1967. It's a basic blueprint for family sedan motoring, but 25 years ahead of anyone doing anything similar.

Huh.  I never knew that car was innovative for being anything but a rotary.  Feels like everything but the rotary is still around today. 

[2o6]

It really is a pleasant car to look at. It looks more like it was introduced in 1982, instead of 1967.

[Morris Minor]

Way ahead of it's time.

I believe BMC lost money on every one of those it sold. They priced it as an economy car rather than a fashionable chic gem.

[12,000 RPM]

It really is a pleasant car to look at. It looks more like it was introduced in 1982, instead of 1967.

OK, fair points but the rotary doomed it

[veeman]

Audi Quattro.  Introduced in 1980, one of the first AWD rally racing car.

Also in the U.S. where it snows, it's difficult to find a new luxury car which is not AWD.  This was all started by Audi which was way ahead of it's time regarding this. 

[2o6]

OK, fair points but the rotary doomed it

In 1967, no one really knew that. The rotary is inconsequential. The rest of the car is ahead of its time, with most cars being BOF RWD solid axle affairs for at least 15 more years.




The car was incredibly ahead of its time. You can't contest that.

[Morris Minor]

In 1967, no one really knew that. The rotary is inconsequential. The rest of the car is ahead of its time, with most cars being BOF RWD solid axle affairs for at least 15 more years.

The car was incredibly ahead of its time. You can't contest that.

My best buddy's dad had a Ro80. This was about 1973. It was like riding in a spaceship compared to other cars at the time - way ahead of everything else in ride, handling, ergonomics, aerodynamics.

[Soup DeVille]

Audi Quattro.  Introduced in 1980, one of the first AWD rally racing car.

Also in the U.S. where it snows, it's difficult to find a new luxury car which is not AWD.  This was all started by Audi which was way ahead of it's time regarding this. 

Ahead of its time; but not too far. It was a success; and Audi still capitalizes on the success of the ur-Quattro to this day. Now, you can argue that the '72 Subaru Leone was ahead of its time too much, because soon after Subaru backed off on AWD for several years before making a successful go at it again; but the Leone wasn't a failure either.

The '66 Jensen FF though...

http://jalopnik.com/267959/jensen-ff

[veeman]

That Jensen is gorgeous.

[FoMoJo]

A friend of mine, a MOPAR fan had a Jensen Interceptor.  A beautiful car but the paint on the hood wrinkled from the heat the big block generated.

[280Z Turbo]

A friend of mine, a MOPAR fan had a Jensen Interceptor.  A beautiful car but the paint on the hood wrinkled from the heat the big block generated.

Just needed some insulation or better paint. Less engine is not the answer.

[FoMoJo]

Just needed some insulation or better paint. Less engine is not the answer.

Very little clearance between the engine and the hood/bonnet seemed to be the main problem.  Doubt there was much room for insulation. 

[Payman]

That Jensen is gorgeous.

Yes it is, but Studebaker did it first.

[Madman]

1934 Chrysler Airflow.

All-steel monocoque body construction, designed in a wind tunnel, near 50/50 weight distribution and one of the first cars to move the engine above (instead of behind) the front axle and placed the passengers within the wheelbase of the car.  All this in 1934.

Of course, it was a sales flop.  It was too unconventional for buyers at the time but all these ideas became the norm decades later.

[Payman]

[12,000 RPM]

Looks like my mutt puppy when she crouches down and gets ready to pounce

O god is that a central headlight, the more I look the worse it gets

[Soup DeVille]

Looks like my mutt puppy when she crouches down and gets ready to pounce

O god is that a central headlight, the more I look the worse it gets

And it turns with the front wheels! 

Really neat cars actually. Big step forward for 1948