Cars you didn't know existed...

[Jimmy Recard]

rodericb said:

You have to really wonder about the US car industry. There would have been significant faffing about to morph the Elgrand into that Quest given that the Elgrand is a right hand drive, Japan only thing. Nissan also make that awful Murano convertible, of which they sold a handful (6000 over the three years it was in production). Yet Cadillac stopped producing that SRX a few posts back due to low sales - it was selling 50,000 units per year for a couple of years and probably just needed a bit of a rework to regain those lost sales.

I suspect a lot of the involvement in killing the SRX was inexplicable GM internal politics and endless restructuring though

Rather than the American car market, I'd say it's GM and Nissan that make no sense in your examples

GM seems to mess up a lot of open goals while Nissan produces a lot of market specific vehicles that would seem to make no sense to an outsider. They have their reasons, I'm sure!

I suppose they're trying (hopefully succeeding) to do what works for them

[LuS1fer]

CanAm said:

greed; and it looks even worse than that when the middle of the rear light is in a flat red or light blue body colour.

I used to think the same but now prefer the new ones.

[ecsrobin]

CanAm said:

DoctorX said:

These are really nice looking little cars but I wish they'd left the rear lights alone when they facelifted it.

Agreed; and it looks even worse than that when the middle of the rear light is in a flat red or light blue body colour.

I own one so of course I’ll be biased but I think this:



Looks better than the old stlye Lexus look.

[Butter Face]

ecsrobin said:

CanAm said:

DoctorX said:

These are really nice looking little cars but I wish they'd left the rear lights alone when they facelifted it.

Agreed; and it looks even worse than that when the middle of the rear light is in a flat red or light blue body colour.

I own one so of course I’ll be biased but I think this:



Looks better than the old stlye Lexus look.

The lights look better than those badges on the quarter panels

[gwc1997]

Quirky little french microcars I saw at Newby Hall last Sunday. It was for sale but now sold, the fella was saying they have a top speed of 28mph and can be road registered if you wish!

[Blown2CV]

ecsrobin said:

RATATTAK said:

ecsrobin said:

The one at Goodwood was the Abarth 695 Riva. Similar but slightly more sporty.

was it two tone ?

Yes



The link to Riva is that it uses the same screws as used on the boat to attach a plaque on the centre console!!

that seems a really incongruous mix of brand concepts.

[carlove]

Saw a Toyota Mark X today, looked smart.



Another Toyota I'd not heard of, a Prius, but uglier, turns out was a plug in hybrid version.

[ajprice]

carlove said:

Another Toyota I'd not heard of, a Prius, but uglier, turns out was a plug in hybrid version.

Now, I think the plug in Prius looks better than the regular Prius, Yes, to get Clarksony it is like picking which STD you'd rather have, but I'd still rather look at the plug in version.

[RATATTAK]

RATATTAK said:

HTP99 said:

FIREBIRDC9 said:

Usget said:

In Salzburg last week I saw a cool little Fiat 500 with Riva badges and a polished wood interior.



Turns out they sell them over here too! https://www.fiat.co.uk/fiat-500-range/fiat-500-riv...

Never seen one on the road. The true spiritual successor to the Metro Vanden Plas

Sat in one at Goodwood , they had a board put up behind in with a Wake.

Its unusual looking in the Wing Mirrors and seeing a Wake!


Want one!

One just drove past me.

I bought one for wifey March 2017

Got a little Plaque today

[ecsrobin]

RATATTAK said:

Got a little Plaque today

Do we get to see your wife’s Tootys?

[RATATTAK]

ecsrobin said:

Do we get to see your wife’s Tootys?

You misunderstand ... the speedboat's called TOOTY'S

[AlexiusG55]

gwc1997 said:

Quirky little french microcars I saw at Newby Hall last Sunday. It was for sale but now sold, the fella was saying they have a top speed of 28mph and can be road registered if you wish!

Voitures sans permis (so called because in France they can be driven without a licence).

One of the main manufacturers is Ligier, perhaps better known on PH for their F1 team:


Earlier on, the KV Mini was driven via a pair of grindstones rotating against the rear tyres...

[ajprice]

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

[psi310398]

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe.

VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.

Well done, VW! That is a right fugly machine.

It looks like a kit car, but without the design quality...

[RATATTAK]

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

I can see a teeny bit of Honda in that

[HTP99]

RATATTAK said:

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

I can see a teeny bit of Honda in that

Mk1 MR2 at the front.

[Jazzy Jag]

HTP99 said:

RATATTAK said:

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

I can see a teeny bit of Honda in that

Mk1 MR2 at the front.

Honda Prelude?

[slk 32]

Renault 19 16v from the back

[RATATTAK]

Jazzy Jag said:

HTP99 said:

RATATTAK said:

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

I can see a teeny bit of Honda in that

Mk1 MR2 at the front.

Honda Prelude?

del-sol ... similar proportion but without the finesse

[Dazed and Confused]

RATATTAK said:

Jazzy Jag said:

HTP99 said:

RATATTAK said:

ajprice said:

SEAT Ibiza Raider Coupe. From what I can understand of the Google translated page, it got as far as prototypes in 1986 and VW killed it in the takeover from Fiat.
http://www.opelastraclub.com/t8880-seat-ibiza-raid...

I can see a teeny bit of Honda in that

Mk1 MR2 at the front.

Honda Prelude?

del-sol ... similar proportion but without the finesse

The Del Sol doesn't have pop up lights. The front of the Seat looks like cross between the Mk 2 Prelude and the Starion.