Grand Prix Rejects

mario wrote:This looks like a bit of a bad time to say this, but I happen to drive a BMW...

You and me both, Mario. I think that might mark us out as two of the more senior members of this forum!

kostas22 wrote:Anyone that drives a German saloon is a d***head. Stereotypes...they exist for a reason!

Kostas - it's a bit like Morris Dancing - how do you know you won't enjoy it until you've tried it?!

I am the proud son of an Alfa-Romeo owner.

Bow to me.

kostas22 wrote:

Jordan192 wrote:I always thought the "BMW drivers are w**kers" thing was just one of those stereotypes, but then I read a couple of their brochures. While it obviously won't hold true that all drivers fit the preconception, they are actively targeting them as a market,

I would now like to submit Exhibit A.

What a bunch of pretentious wankers...

Anyone that drives a German saloon is a d***head. Stereotypes...they exist for a reason!

I have to tell this: today, going with a friend, a twat driving a Mercedes SLK overtook us...while we were waiting on a STOP, and cut the corner quite aggresivily. Near that place, a couple months ago, another dick on a Cayenne Turbo overtook me on a narrow curve. I don't really believe in stereotypes, but this is just disturbing.
At this point I should also add my father has a Mercedes 600 SEC V12 I'll inherit one day. But it's already 15 years old...

I must say that poor car choice runs in my family history...my dad's last 3 cars were Toyta Avensis'. He currently drives this abomination. Just look at the colour!!!

I however, am a proud (former) Lancia Delta owner*. Oooooh yeah...

*I sold it for scrap 'cause there was no way in hell that rustbucket would ever drive again unfortunately.

The last car I drove around was a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro, manual transmission, bright red.

Oh man was that car fun. Pity my sister is selling it and I don't have the money.

kostas22 wrote:I must say that poor car choice runs in my family history...my dad's last 3 cars were Toyta Avensis'. He currently drives this abomination. Just look at the colour!!!

I however, am a proud (former) Lancia Delta owner*. Oooooh yeah...

*I sold it for scrap 'cause there was no way in hell that rustbucket would ever drive again unfortunately.

My Mother's car history:

Nissan Sunny
Austin Metro
Ford Sierra
Rover Mini-Metro
Rover Mini-Metro (Different model)

Top that.

I don't know why, but I dont agree with the sponsors/teams giving their drivers cars. Wouldn't the money be better going into R&D? And anyway, it's not exactly like the drivers can't afford their own cars, even if it was required to be a brand linked to the team.

I'm with Chandok.....

I drive a skoda!!!!

TomPryce wrote:I don't know why, but I dont agree with the sponsors/teams giving their drivers cars. Wouldn't the money be better going into R&D? And anyway, it's not exactly like the drivers can't afford their own cars, even if it was required to be a brand linked to the team.

Sure what's 100k to an F1 team?

shinji wrote:

TomPryce wrote:I don't know why, but I dont agree with the sponsors/teams giving their drivers cars. Wouldn't the money be better going into R&D? And anyway, it's not exactly like the drivers can't afford their own cars, even if it was required to be a brand linked to the team.

Sure what's 100k to an F1 team?

*mumbles something about cost cutting*

Waris wrote:

shinji wrote:

TomPryce wrote:I don't know why, but I dont agree with the sponsors/teams giving their drivers cars. Wouldn't the money be better going into R&D? And anyway, it's not exactly like the drivers can't afford their own cars, even if it was required to be a brand linked to the team.

Sure what's 100k to an F1 team?

*mumbles something about cost cutting*

Even so. Ferrari/Fiat probably have a few Maseratis down the back of their couch.

Debaser wrote:My Mother's car history:

Nissan Sunny
Austin Metro
Ford Sierra
Rover Mini-Metro
Rover Mini-Metro (Different model)

Top that.

My parents had a car worse than any of them. When I was really young, 1997 I think, we bought a Ford Orion which we had to go into Birmingham City Centre one night to get. It was that bad, it broke down on the way home and we were stuck in the city centre for a couple of hours. We got rid of the shitbox after a short while.

Top that.

My mum's first car was a 15 year old Renault 4 she bought off her brother, there was a hole in both the passenger floor and the roof, and the passenger door didn't open from the outside. When she was doing her driving test she says she failed before she started, just for attempting in that pile of crap.

Since then, she's had a Metro, a Skoda Felicia, and then a step up to Alfa 147 and then 156.

But the Renault 4 is a king.

Car choice at my house is excellent. My Da likes his cars and I inherited the trait.

In my lifetime, he's had:

3 Saab 900s (Classic ones, not the Opel Vectra with a different body on it)
A Saab 9-5
2 Volvo 940s
Volvo S90
2 Jaguar XJ6s
Honda Vigor
Toyota Soarer
Mazda RX7 (current car)

As well as a couple of boring diesels and a 10 year old powerless van that I learned to drive in. He hasn't had an Alfa though.

I currently drive a Mazda Xedos 9 (horrifically impractical, but excellent to drive), I have had an RX7 (My Dad's in better nick than the one I had though ). Prior to that I had a Mazda 323, which I sold to my sister. It has 150,000 miles on it and still basically driving like new. Never owned a non-Mazda.

shinji wrote:I am the proud son of an Alfa-Romeo owner.

Bow to me.

I'm a former Alfa owner - everyone should have one, until it bankrupts you! Apart from the cambelt snappig at 37K miles, and the ECU failing at the same time in sympathy mine was faultless...

noisebox wrote:

shinji wrote:I am the proud son of an Alfa-Romeo owner.

Bow to me.

I'm a former Alfa owner - everyone should have one, until it bankrupts you! Apart from the cambelt snappig at 37K miles, and the ECU failing at the same time in sympathy mine was faultless...

I looked at a 145 as a potential first car. Gear linkage was in bits, couldn't get it into 5th.

noisebox wrote:

mario wrote:This looks like a bit of a bad time to say this, but I happen to drive a BMW...

You and me both, Mario. I think that might mark us out as two of the more senior members of this forum!

Actually, I'm probably one of the younger members, judging by the comments made by most people here. That said, say what you like about BMW, they do know how to make a car corner well.

Enforcer wrote:

noisebox wrote:

shinji wrote:I am the proud son of an Alfa-Romeo owner.

Bow to me.

I'm a former Alfa owner - everyone should have one, until it bankrupts you! Apart from the cambelt snappig at 37K miles, and the ECU failing at the same time in sympathy mine was faultless...

I looked at a 145 as a potential first car. Gear linkage was in bits, couldn't get it into 5th.

I think that we've just found some of the biggest petrol heads on the forum (well, according to Clarkson, you need to have owned an Alfa Romeo at some point).
And Enforcer, it woulc have been worse - there was the SZ, which Clarkson described as "a wonderful handling car, right up to the point where the prop shaft puncted through the chassis". But, I suppose that if you really wanted to go for the full joys of owning an Alfa, you could have bought yourself a classic Alfa...

mario wrote:

I think that we've just found some of the biggest petrol heads on the forum (well, according to Clarkson, you need to have owned an Alfa Romeo at some point).
And Enforcer, it woulc have been worse - there was the SZ, which Clarkson described as "a wonderful handling car, right up to the point where the prop shaft puncted through the chassis". But, I suppose that if you really wanted to go for the full joys of owning an Alfa, you could have bought yourself a classic Alfa...

My brother was looking at a 1980 Afla GT, until he copped on and kept his S60. Was fun while the talk lasted anyway.

Being a VW man through and through (dad bought the cars, so there you have it), I used to hung around the guys with the Alfas. They were brilliant - a friend's mother had to take her 33 SW to the red line in third gear every weekend, or it would go out of timing; I seem to remember it would not start with any of the electrics on.

Another problem were botched repairs and homely tuning. A guy I knew substituted the filter in his 75 for a racing filter. When that broke (poorly fastened, came off at speed), he substituted it for a piece of plastic sewage pipe, with a someone's mother's tights on the front for good measure. Nothing pains me as much as not having pictures of that particular piece of handywork - which worked brilliantly, until sand found its way into the injection and the cylinders.

mario wrote:

noisebox wrote:

mario wrote:This looks like a bit of a bad time to say this, but I happen to drive a BMW...

You and me both, Mario. I think that might mark us out as two of the more senior members of this forum!

Actually, I'm probably one of the younger members, judging by the comments made by most people here. That said, say what you like about BMW, they do know how to make a car corner well.

I'll let you away with it as long as it's not a 316. A BMW with such a small engine is entirely pointless in my book. Main problem I've found is that you're probably among the 1% of the BMW customer base who actually bought it because of how it drives. Everyone else just wants it for the badge.

And I find them to be more expensive than equivalent non-BMWs. I forked over €5k for my Xedos 9 2 years ago. At the time I'd have had to part with €8k for a decent BMW 520 that was the same age. I drove one and it wasn't 1.6 times as good as the Xedos.

CarlosFerreira wrote:Another problem were botched repairs and homely tuning. A guy I knew substituted the filter in his 75 for a racing filter. When that broke (poorly fastened, came off at speed), he substituted it for a piece of plastic sewage pipe, with a someone's mother's tights on the front for good measure. Nothing pains me as much as not having pictures of that particular piece of handywork - which worked brilliantly, until sand found its way into the injection and the cylinders.

Brilliant! Sadly I think those days maybe behind us. Last time I had to take my car in to get a problem investigated, the first thing the mechanic did was plug a laptop into it...

Oh well, at my age of 19, and no drivers license ever, I still own a bit too much cars...

My first car, that I got when I was 14, I still have, it is a 72 Citroën D-Special, actually, just the same colors too.


Then I got a good old 80 Ford Taunus, also in the same colors


Then, a good old beetle


However, the old cars isn't cars to use in the winter, or on rainy days, so I got myself a
Citroen XM Diesel Turbo...

It's for sale btw

Now, I have a fairly new Mazda 323F, again correct colors.


Oh well, I need to use some money on tuning and styling of the Mazda, and get myself a old Mustang, then I'm happy
Oh, and maybe something like a DeTomaso, Matra Murena

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Indeed.

I reckon something went seriously wrong there.

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Five dollars says the rest of the body attached to that ass is male.

thehemogoblin wrote:

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Five dollars says the rest of the body attached to that ass is male.

And how come you're a specialist in male bums?

I know. Sorry. It was just too easy.

CarlosFerreira wrote:

thehemogoblin wrote:

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Five dollars says the rest of the body attached to that ass is male.

And how come you're a specialist in male bums?

I know. Sorry. It was just too easy.

I was just saying, nothing sexual on the Internet is what it appears.

You're right. That probably IS a Beetle.

Enforcer wrote:I currently drive a Mazda Xedos 9 (horrifically impractical, but excellent to drive), I have had an RX7 (My Dad's in better nick than the one I had though ). Prior to that I had a Mazda 323, which I sold to my sister. It has 150,000 miles on it and still basically driving like new. Never owned a non-Mazda.

Hello fellow soul-mate (for now)! My current cars are a Mazda RX-8 (moderately modified, including a custom damper and spring setup that I designed myself) and a Mazda 3.

shinji wrote:

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Indeed.

I think that image was actually a VW Beetle for a while, until the server took it down.

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Someone making an ass of themselves?

Phoenix wrote:

shinji wrote:

Myrvold wrote:Then, a good old beetle

Indeed.

I think that image was actually a VW Beetle for a while, until the server took it down.

Am I the only person who can actually see a black VW Beetle!? What the heck are you guys looking at!?

kostas22 wrote:Am I the only person who can actually see a black VW Beetle!? What the heck are you guys looking at!?

Are you serious? Most of us see an arse covered in white, tight underwear. True story.

CarlosFerreira wrote:

kostas22 wrote:Am I the only person who can actually see a black VW Beetle!? What the heck are you guys looking at!?

Are you serious? Most of us see an arse covered in white, tight underwear. True story.

What the hell is that doing on the forum?
And yes, I'm serious. Although on closer inspection it may just be a b&w photo so I can't tell what colour it really is...

kostas22 wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:

kostas22 wrote:Am I the only person who can actually see a black VW Beetle!? What the heck are you guys looking at!?

Are you serious? Most of us see an arse covered in white, tight underwear. True story.

What the hell is that doing on the forum?
And yes, I'm serious. Although on closer inspection it may just be a b&w photo so I can't tell what colour it really is...

Well, actually, when I posted it, and checked it, and edited it last night, it was a black, or B&W beetle... Now... It's not that... oh well... time to change and if you go to the link http://volkswagenbeetle.goyalive.com/img/vw-beetle-so-popular.jpg you will see the beetle. I hope

Myrvold wrote:Well, actually, when I posted it, and checked it, and edited it last night, it was a black, or B&W beetle... Now... It's not that... oh well... time to change and if you go to the link http://volkswagenbeetle.goyalive.com/img/vw-beetle-so-popular.jpg you will see the beetle. I hope

I'm sorry t report, it's the same piece of arse.

Enforcer wrote:I'll let you away with it as long as it's not a 316. A BMW with such a small engine is entirely pointless in my book. Main problem I've found is that you're probably among the 1% of the BMW customer base who actually bought it because of how it drives. Everyone else just wants it for the badge.

And I find them to be more expensive than equivalent non-BMWs. I forked over €5k for my Xedos 9 2 years ago. At the time I'd have had to part with €8k for a decent BMW 520 that was the same age. I drove one and it wasn't 1.6 times as good as the Xedos.

To be honest, it is a quite old BMW (it's a 318), so the price difference between that and a comparable car from that era is actually pretty small. Although, having tried out a friend's 316, I think that the criticism is a little harsh - you just need to drive it a bit like a small capacity turbo engine (i.e. keeping the revs reasonably high) and it drives fine.
But yes, I will agree that there are quite a few badge snobs around - and unfortunately, it is all too easy to be tarred by association (in much the same way that Audi drivers are likely to become, now that a number of the more "unpopular" drivers are moving to those).

It reminds me of the comment made on the Top Gear website by the producer - where he pointed out that the sort of careless driving which is likely to lead to road rage incidents is a lot less likely when someone is driving a convertible...

kostas22 wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:

kostas22 wrote:Am I the only person who can actually see a black VW Beetle!? What the heck are you guys looking at!?

Are you serious? Most of us see an arse covered in white, tight underwear. True story.

What the hell is that doing on the forum?
And yes, I'm serious. Although on closer inspection it may just be a b&w photo so I can't tell what colour it really is...

Whatever you are able to see from your side of the keyboard, it's very different to what we are all seeing - because, like everyone else here, all that is appearing is someone's backside with "goyalive.com" flashing across. I know that the VW PR department wants to give their cars a bit more sex appeal, but I don't think that was quite what they might have had in mind...

Are you totally sure that you haven't accidentally put the wrong image link there?

Mario: as you can see the name of my link, you will see that it is a beetle here is a pic of how I see it


Why some are seeing it, and some are seing... something else I don't know

For the sake of disclosure (?!), here's what I am seeing.