Cars We Drive!

[sonick]

The dark brown/bronze trend hit it's peak about 1.5 years ago but seems to be on the tail end of popularity.

I've been noticing a lot of metallic royal/imperial blues on new vehicles recently, not sure if it's just me or a sign of things to come.

The last time this topic was discussed, I remember reading about a member on here who was on some board of color professionals where they would predict and analyze color trends in the marketplace, it was pretty interesting.

 

[Oli2012]

Do Alfas honestly have reliability issues, or is it just a myth perpetuated by trolls?

 

[JuyLe]

Until you leave the dealer, no.

Seriously, from what I read, the ones from the 50s and 60s were very prone to rust and until the 80s they are known to have big realiability issues. But if you are a bit mechanically inclined and feel like starting an Alfa project, they will bring you a lot of joy.

 

[Find Finn]



The dark brown/bronze trend hit it's peak about 1.5 years ago but seems to be on the tail end of popularity.

I've been noticing a lot of metallic royal/imperial blues on new vehicles recently, not sure if it's just me or a sign of things to come.

The last time this topic was discussed, I remember reading about a member on here who was on some board of color professionals where they would predict and analyze color trends in the marketplace, it was pretty interesting.

I don't think the trend is that far down the life cycle yet, most brands like BMW are still branding new cars in brown, which should be a clue, just see the white trend.

Blue and red have come back in a big way, I love the blues.

Do Alfas honestly have reliability issues, or is it just a myth perpetuated by trolls?

No, it's very true and they depreciate like a stone, the only good ones should be the new ones Mito & Guiletta.

 

[JayJay]



seen so many gorgeous gcs in Newport past couple of months, so svelte

I saw a beautiful dark blue gc last week while I was away. The car was stopped at a light at the intersection I was about to cross. It really stood out among the other cars waiting at the light. Instead of crossing, I just stood there admiring it.

 

[ConcernedParent]

Bought a used 328i. Came with some garish ass limousine tint that I want to remove, but I'm finding it incredibly useful when I'm baking in the Socal sun.. WHAT2DO?!?!?!?!

 

[Piobaire]

What do you mean by "garish?" That's it is very dark? If you're looking for sunblocking but not a super dark tint my latest car came with a coating on all windows, including the windshield, that does not let the infra-red spectrum through. It makes a marked difference in the sun heating up my car so maybe you can get that aftermarket and have the old tint removed?

It works so well that the RFID box that opens the gate to my house will not work through it. The factory left two small non-coated areas that you place your RFID box by.

 

[ConcernedParent]



What do you mean by "garish?" That's it is very dark? If you're looking for sunblocking but not a super dark tint my latest car came with a coating on all windows, including the windshield, that does not let the infra-red spectrum through. It makes a marked difference in the sun heating up my car so maybe you can get that aftermarket and have the old tint removed?

It works so well that the RFID box that opens the gate to my house will not work through it. The factory left two small non-coated areas that you place your RFID box by.

Garish not the right word; but it's a white car, so a 10% tint (so black you can't see at all inside) looks especially gaudy. That sounds like a great idea though, I'll look into it.. Wonder how much it'd run.

 

[Displacement]

Concerned- you've got a white car, how hot can it be? I lived in SoCal for most of my life and had black on black or navy blue untinted cars. Tints are heinously ugly and dated, you need to ditch it and suck it up!

 

[Find Finn]

Problem solved.

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/997-forum/524298-premier-diamond-cut-ir-tint-intro.html

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

The G-class is supposed to be a land barge. You buy it for it's offroad ability and build quality, and accept compromises to comfort, drivability, spacing, etc.

The 6-series, along with all other current BMWs, reflect significant divergences from what has made BMW a great, distinct maker. They have gotten too heavy and large. So, even as power has increased proportionately, driving dynamics have suffered. Yes, the new cars are faster, but the key is that they no longer feel the same. The numbers were never what gave BMW credible claim to the title "The Ultimate Driving Machine" they use in marketing. It was how much control and feel and confidence the cars gave to their drivers. Technological driving aids are arguably necessary for the average driver to handle increased power. However, the older BMW would have insisted they are not making cars for average drivers and such aids would also have been less needed because so much power wouldn't be needed to move so much weight. The current switch from hydraulic steering assist to electronic assist (not exclusive to BMW) has been particularly detrimental. By all accounts, BMW's famed steering feel is no more.

Even the current, outgoing M3--as great as a car as it is--is nonetheless a serious departure from the original. So much so that the 1-series M coupe was created to be a better facsimile.

Some will argue that this all has to be, due to changing markets, regulations, etc. They are probably right. But that doesn't change the fact that BMW no longer makes the sort of car that they built their reputation on.

I agree 1000%

 

[jet]

Can't stand tint and 80% of the cars have it, **** looks dumb as ****. Yes let me decrease my visibility at night.

 

[Desi]

Wow never seen this much backlash to tints. I don't have any but always enjoyed it

 

[JuyLe]



Even the current, outgoing M3--as great as a car as it is--is nonetheless a serious departure from the original. So much so that the 1-series M coupe was created to be a better facsimile.

Some will argue that this all has to be, due to changing markets, regulations, etc. They are probably right. But that doesn't change the fact that BMW no longer makes the sort of car that they built their reputation on.

That's a good analysis. Probably no one would buy an actual "ultimate driving machine". To me it seems like the E82 135i is the closest you can get to this. But then for the price of a used one you can get an E46 M3 with low mileage...

 

[HRoi]

^having owned both those cars and driven the 1M on the track, though, I would say the M3 fits more of my definition of the UDM though. Much better performance, linear power delivery, better handling and preferable to drive on the track. The issue with the E82 is that it's still too heavy (and for me the power curve of a turbo is annoying but most don't care). But like someone already said, you really can't build a truly lightweight car anymore unless you gut it like Lotus does (and ensure its failure in the general marketplace), or build it out of a full carbon fiber tub and charge 200k for it