The death of Rolls Royce - Page 3

thepolarfoxqx · 08-17-04, 03:03 AM

The mustang was - if very slowly, modernized in the most noticable ways. The obvious details and little things you'd notice in the F-Cars weren't. The Mustang just appealed to a wider crowd.

skyline_r34v · 08-17-04, 05:28 AM

I'd most certainly buy a Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am WS6 T-top rather than a Chevy Camaro SS or Ford Mustang Cobra.
I think it looks the best, fastest of the 3, don't know about the best handling of the 3 and it costs less than the 3.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-17-04, 07:32 AM

the WS-6 is gaudy and rediculous. I'm kinda glad that's gone, that car to me, with all it's stupid plastic trim and decals was the very symbol of everything wrong with american cars. The GTO is a much much better car. The Firebird and camaro were mechanically the same car, same speed, same handling, bit for bit the same cars. Well, their ram air was actually a little different (because of the pontiac's bizarre body clad and hood). The mustang, despite having a beam rear suspension, depending on trim, does handle better in Mach 1, Bullitt, and the IRS cobra versions. The Firebird/Camaro was faster, it was also more dated in terms of interior, refinement and style. The camaro looked cleaner, classier, more lasting in style, and was no more expensive.

skyline_r34v · 08-17-04, 10:19 AM

The camaro looks like complete dogshit IMO.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-17-04, 04:11 PM

people who enjoy fantastically overdone cheap plastic bodywork, lots of goofy holes, hoodbuldges, all the goony ricey details could never appreciate the elegant, simple, and sporty lines of camaro. Easily one of the more attractive american sports cars.

VS.

The Nostril Mobile.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...UTF-8%26sa%3DG

LateNightCable · 08-17-04, 09:01 PM

I for one happen to find the Firebird, particularly in nostril trim, pretty damn hot. This coming from someone with refined asthetic sensibilities.

I recognize and appreciate the Camaro's clean lines, but the Firebird to me possesses' a lot of charisma. The nose shortened, and it became a very voluptuous design. Even the interior was a lot sportier than the Camaro's. The " GTO " by comparison, is clean, but bland as a week old buscuit.

And in terms of the engine, the Firebird V8s' were said to be a little more potent than their Camaro counterparts. Chalk it up to a less restrictive Ram Air unit, whatever. It's funny how the Mustang never caught up until the F-cars were already gone.

If the WS-6 was too gaudy for you, the Firehawk was fairly restrained, and well done I think. And the Camaro had it's fair share of cheap plastic too, come on.

thepolarfoxqx · 08-17-04, 11:06 PM

I've never seen that. I've always appreciated understated subtlety. It's a large part of why I've always loved BMW. The mobile styling is goofy. The decals are even worse. No one outside of the united states would touch a notril-V8, the only appeal it has is overdone hillbilly redneck appeal, which is tragic, because the camaro had genuinely sleek and attractive line. As for the V8 being better, they were always rated the same, only at close to top speed would any difference be seen. The GTO is easily the best GM car I've seen in a long time and probably the only one I would buy. It's styling is amazingly attractive to me. It's more refined and practical than anything else out there in it's class, it's 90% of a CLK55 for 40% of the price. I just hope they don't make the GTO Judge some hillbilly styled, decal covered nostril-racer.

LateNightCable · 08-19-04, 12:44 AM

I've seen a photo of a TransAm with European plates, Autobahn country I believe. It's not like the car is running around with a flaming chicken on it's hood anymore. I know a guy who thinks the Firebird was too subtle. He thinks all body color decals should have been chrome - he also has bad taste in auto accessories from what I can tell.

You could look at the F-Bird and think " redneck hillbilly appeal ", but then anyone with prejudice on their mind could say that about any American V8 car with a perfomance tilt. The car was never supposed to be subtle, or travel under the radar screen, it looks like a car that could snort, and sounded like it too. It's image was kind of hairy chested and macho, and in it's final iteration, appeared, dare I say, almost Italianate in it's swarthy bravado.

Understated certainly has it's place, but then that place doesn't tend to have " Fire " in it's name.

wEstSide · 10-23-04, 09:55 PM

Yes, the Camaro is easily one of the more beautiful cars GM has pumped out.
I grew up loving that and the Corvette, until I found out that the Viper can whup its ass... The Camaro SS will become a real classic in the future, if it doesn't become antiquated in a few decades.

LateNightCable · 10-23-04, 11:10 PM

In all honesty, the F-body cars ( Camaro / Firebird ) have been antiquated for over 20 years, when comparing them to the high tech stuff from Europe. And seeing as they don't build them anymore, it's at least a collector's item now.

Rough and ready, those are the pony cars for ya. High tech be damned.