We're in a new gilded age not seen since the era of the Great Gatsby. Soon you won't be able to turn around in areas of London, Shanghai, Vancouver, Geneva, Moscow anywhere on the Arabian peninsula, et al (anywhere where corrupt money is allowed to hide and ferment), without seeing crap like this. Can't wait for the Mansory edition.
Even worse IMO, as it is a shallow attempt at kissing butt. Definitely aiming at the new money sweatshop tycoons and corrupt officials of our most favored partner.
Nah, that's not a 427, the rear fenders would be much wider, it's either a 260 nor 289 small-block Shelby/AC Cobra (1962-64). Most likely it's a '63-'64 289 (gas cap in center, "full" rear bumper) It's wearing the optional removable hard top.
Carroll Shelby himself, unlike collectors and replicators alike says he prefers the 289 in this month's R&T.
Actually it's easy to tell that one isn't a kit. Almost all the replica/kit cars have the 427 bodywork, if you see one with the narrow fenders and wire wheels it's probably a small-block original.
If you see one with the 427 body it's very likely a replica since original 427s are too valuable to run on the street, sad to say.
I figured I'd put this one in here as Rootes tried to duplicate the same formula with the Sunbeam Tiger as Carroll Shelby did with the AC Cobra: shoehorn a small American V-8 in one of their sports cars. At the time, Rootes was owned by Chrysler, but the Mopar 273 V-8 wouldn't fit under the hood of the Tiger, so they had to resort to using a Ford 260. It must've been weird to have Chrysler mechanics working on a Ford engine whenever a Tiger came in for service.
I may have mentioned seeing a supercharged Cobra replica, small block Ford, 'blow through' Paxton/carb setup, looked like what they did with the Maserati biturbo (carb-in-a-box). And, it turns out, equally problematic, the owner said they struggled to get it to run right. BIG surprise, that :sick:
Ditto---when I first saw the 320 I was appalled. When I drove it I was more appalled. When I saw the window sticker, I was over-appalled. I am still appalled but not as much thanks. I even owned one, so I get to be mean to them.
Oh I know now that they do a disservice to the 3 series legacy, especially compared to the 2002 it replaced in the US market.
In my defense I was about 9 the first time I saw one. :P
Around this timeframe there was a swingin' single guy (or so my dad said with a sad look in his eye) up the street from us that had a silver BMW CS, 3.0 I think. Now that was a nice looking car!
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
That girlfriend must have bewitched you badly enough to damage some memory cells....the RX7 was way cheaper than a 320i, by about $5,000 bucks. :P
The 320 was very pricey for what you got, and the press at the time really dissed it---they considered it the goal of slavering yuppies who had no conception of the value of money. The press was not nice to the 320i.
I never drove an E21 but I rode to Watkins Glen and back in one and found the interior pretty nice. They were good looking on the outside too, arguably better looking than the dynamically far superior E30 that suceeded them.
I can tell you a funny story about a well-known radio personality (who shall remain nameless) that acquired a grey-market E21 and had a nitrous oxide booster installed for better performance. I was on the phone with a buddy who worked at another radio station when he said "I have to hang up, there's been an explosion in the building!".
A few hours later I found out that this DJ had forgotten to turn off the nitrous and when he went to start the car [BOOM!]. Forutnately no one was injured.
The white car shown is a Euro-spec 323i like the one in my story.
It was a decent looking car for sure, and I think the 323 Euro version would have been way more fun to drive than the car we got in the USA. My 320i handled well, but it was very spartan inside, very sluggish, too. It just wasn't the updated 2002 we were all hoping for. It was emissions-choked, overpriced, and had a lot of cheesy parts on it. I remember things like the windows falling in the door and the inlet pipe for the heater core just bursting one day (what a mess!).
To be fair, I bought it used and I don't think it was taken very good care of.
According to articles in Hemmings, an '81 RX-7 was $10,500, while an '80 320i was $11,000.....
As is the case now, I'm sure you could option up a BMW an obscene amount, compared to the typical Japanese make.. but, the base prices weren't far apart..
Well... she bought the '79 in 1984... I don't remember it as being all that cheap, even then, though...
My memories of list prices came from drooling over them in the dealerships..... Both the RX-7 and 320i were well out of my range, whether it was '79 or '83, or anywhere inbetween....
I can remember a 320i that was on display at a local mall.. Base price of around $11K, but they had $5K in accessories on it (ski racks, sheepskin seat covers, etc.. ) $16K on the dealer added sticker.
We have the original window sticker for the '87 325is that we bought last fall... $28K... :surprise:
Moderately popular in the UK in the 1990's where they were cheap (very cheap) but values plummeted after purchase. I cannot remember seeing one without rust!
Oddly, the overall Fiat 124 and derivatives are supposed to be the third most produced car, after Ford Model T and VW Beetle. They were nice in about 1965, but who would imagine that they would still be making them in 2012
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=erAxAEI90JM#!
Almost as bad as the Chevy Volt dancers.
A hideous Bentley...
Not a Pontiac convertible either.
The rear wheels look a lot wider from the front view, if that helps.
hard to remember ever seeing one with the top up though.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Carroll Shelby himself, unlike collectors and replicators alike says he prefers the 289 in this month's R&T.
2012 is the 50th anniversary of The Snake!
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
An Original Shelby Cobra and Its Original Owner (Inside Line)
If you see one with the 427 body it's very likely a replica since original 427s are too valuable to run on the street, sad to say.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
My choice? A 5.0 Coyote crate engine, EFI and all.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
How about twin turbos along either side of the "V" -- twin turbos are a natural for any V engine.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
320i or 323i, late 70's or early 80's.
Man...that's the first BMW that I fell in love with...
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Me too. Compared to other stuff on the road at the time it just looked soooo cool!
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Funny when you consider what cars weigh nowadays.
I think what was so appealing about the 320 was that it was relatively svelte compared to some of the behemoths on the road at the time.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
In my defense I was about 9 the first time I saw one. :P
Around this timeframe there was a swingin' single guy (or so my dad said with a sad look in his eye) up the street from us that had a silver BMW CS, 3.0 I think. Now that was a nice looking car!
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Mazda RX-7 was pretty cool, at that time, but even more pricey than the 320i...
My girlfriend bought a '79 in 1984, and became immediately hotter than before... (and... I was not nine, at the time...lol)
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But I didn't fit in the 320i, so it really didn't matter, anyway.
The 320 was very pricey for what you got, and the press at the time really dissed it---they considered it the goal of slavering yuppies who had no conception of the value of money. The press was not nice to the 320i.
I never drove an E21 but I rode to Watkins Glen and back in one and found the interior pretty nice. They were good looking on the outside too, arguably better looking than the dynamically far superior E30 that suceeded them.
I can tell you a funny story about a well-known radio personality (who shall remain nameless) that acquired a grey-market E21 and had a nitrous oxide booster installed for better performance. I was on the phone with a buddy who worked at another radio station when he said "I have to hang up, there's been an explosion in the building!".
A few hours later I found out that this DJ had forgotten to turn off the nitrous and when he went to start the car [BOOM!]. Forutnately no one was injured.
The white car shown is a Euro-spec 323i like the one in my story.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
To be fair, I bought it used and I don't think it was taken very good care of.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
As is the case now, I'm sure you could option up a BMW an obscene amount, compared to the typical Japanese make.. but, the base prices weren't far apart..
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My memories of list prices came from drooling over them in the dealerships..... Both the RX-7 and 320i were well out of my range, whether it was '79 or '83, or anywhere inbetween....
I can remember a 320i that was on display at a local mall.. Base price of around $11K, but they had $5K in accessories on it (ski racks, sheepskin seat covers, etc.. ) $16K on the dealer added sticker.
We have the original window sticker for the '87 325is that we bought last fall... $28K... :surprise:
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READ ALL ABOUT IT
That's because they used the styling from the Fiat version.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Moderately popular in the UK in the 1990's where they were cheap (very cheap) but values plummeted after purchase. I cannot remember seeing one without rust!
Oddly, the overall Fiat 124 and derivatives are supposed to be the third most produced car, after Ford Model T and VW Beetle. They were nice in about 1965, but who would imagine that they would still be making them in 2012
Cheers
Graham