Do people *really* want drivers' cars?

[Rawwr]

The recent threads on the BRZ/GT-86 have made me wonder if a driver's car is what people really want when it comes to actually buying a vehicle. The amount of comments that appeared to show complete loathing and disgust that the aforementioned had 'only' 200bhp, that they had small, skinny wheels and tyres and that the interior wasn't stitched together using red kite feathers and the foreskins of endangered animals was all a bit surprising.

Out of the hundreds of comments, there was only the tiniest of a tiny fraction of people who were actually concerned with what it feels like or how it drives.

And finally, interleaved comments on how certain FWD hatchbacks represent better value for money was like comparing apples with, I don't know, dildos or something.

Toyobaru have actually created something which should be a lot of fun and something the vast and overwhelming majority of people on the site have actually asked for.

People need to stop getting an erection for the non-disclosed pricing, stop comparing it to trees and church organs and wait until they can actually drive the damn thing.

I feel better now. Carry on.

[Rawwr]

300bhp/ton said:

If they want to compete with the likes of the Mustang & Camaro V6, Genesis Coupe (V6 or 2.0T) or 370z sector, then they'll need to up the anti and offer a more powerful variant.

I'm not sure they do want to compete with them. In the same way I'm sure the Kia Sedona doesn't want to compete with a 458 Italia. Comparitive pricing at this level is redundant. I can't see any potential Mustang/Camaro customers wanting to shoehorn themselves into a coupe the size of an aubergine.

[Rawwr]

OllieC said:

300bhp/ton said:

The thing is, in the "mass" market there are many who want, or rather 'think' they are petrol heads, but then go out and buy a Golf

I do hope your wrong.

I don't think he is, sadly.

[Rawwr]

300bhp/ton said:

I suspect its very much identical size to the Genesis coupe if you put the tape measure on them.

You suspect wrong.

ETA: Figures for the two:

Wheelbase 2,819mm
Length 4,630mm
Width 1,864mm
Height 1,379mm

Wheelbase 2,570mm
Length 4,240mm
Width 1,775mm
Height 1,300mm

Edited by Rawwr on Thursday 1st December 09:02

[Rawwr]

SuperHangOn said:

The trouble is it costs getting on for £30k.

No, the trouble is people plucking numbers out of the sky and then insisting that's the cost.

[Rawwr]

DJRC said:

I agree entirely with you, except for one minor insignificant detail...
That somebody who wanted a drivers car would want the 2 extra seats in the back and the extra length in the chassis with the extra weight.

Now if the ricer had just been 2 seats, 2" shorter and 100Kgs lighter...THEN...I would say they had made a drivers car. As it is, its just a rwd alternative to a hot hatch to me.

Hmm, I take your point but would shortening the overall length potentially end up shortening the wheelbase? Could that have a detrimental effect?

You see it as a RWD alternative to a hot hatch, whereas I see it as a 4-seat alternative to a Lotus Exige.

[Rawwr]

St John Smythe said:

I have a mk5 GTI. Does that mean I'm not a petrolhead? Damn.......

Depends. Did you buy it believing it was a balls-out sports car or did you buy it believing it was a hot hatch?

[Rawwr]

Well this thread went from 0-retarded quite quickly.

[Rawwr]

kambites said:

I object to the assumption that more power would make the Toyobaru a better drivers' car anyway. I suspect it wouldn't personally.

It's an irrelevance.

[Rawwr]

300bhp/ton said:

£10,000 more than a Clio for essentially the same sort of car and performance.

Essentially the same sort of car my balls. It's nothing of the sort.

[Rawwr]

Twincam16 said:

Thing is, how many people, even with one of the few cars PH would consider 'fast' (I guess we're in 911 Turbo/Ariel Atom/Ferrari 599 territory here), really use every last ounce of that performance and speed, or how much of it is pub ammo?

How much of it is a need for power to plaster over cracks in ability? Getting a car with few horses to get from A to B quickly is always more of a challenge. I like that challenge.