Automotive Guilty Pleasures

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Although I don't hate SUVs/crossovers as much as some, I don't like those that look overdesigned and I much prefer clean lines. For instance, I find the Nissan Juke garish but I absolutely love the lastest VW Tiguan.

However, there is one with a funky design that I like. I have no idea why I like it, but ever since I first saw one in person I quite like it.

I find myself drawn towards the funky design of it. Much more quirky looking than the dull yet safe (as in not trying to be different) Honda HR-V.

There's one Audi A3 E-Tron in my town that I'd see every so often. Any time I see it, I wish the U.S. still got the hatchback instead of just the sedan...
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It's guilty for me since I know most car enthusiasts hate electric cars. The biggest appeal for me about the A3 E-Tron is the fact that it's the closest we can get to the normal A3 hatchback.
 
There's one Audi A3 E-Tron in my town that I'd see every so often. Any time I see it, I wish the U.S. still got the hatchback instead of just the sedan...
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It's guilty for me since I know most car enthusiasts hate electric cars. The biggest appeal for me about the A3 E-Tron is the fact that it's the closest we can get to the normal A3 hatchback.

Although true, that statement annoys me so 🤬. Every time my friend says that I just want to punch him. I'm just as a car enthusiast, or more than him, and I like electric cars. I honestely cannot understand the hate.

And to me the e-tron has nothing to be guilty about. Ok, maybe the price.
 
I always found electric & hybrid & hydrogen cars to be interesting, much more then the advance cruise control known as auto pilot that everyone's freaking about nowadays. I remember when i was a kid, seeing some of those programs and car shows that featured weird futuristic cars that you could only buy in California.

"There's an electric first gen RAV4 and Honda Clarity that runs on Fuel cells in 'Murica!? Why do they always get cool stuff and not us?"
 
Although true, that statement annoys me so 🤬. Every time my friend says that I just want to punch him. I'm just as a car enthusiast, or more than him, and I like electric cars. I honestely cannot understand the hate.

And to me the e-tron has nothing to be guilty about. Ok, maybe the price.

I quite enjoy electric cars myself, but there's always those enthusiasts who run around shouting how much better combustion is. It's as bad as "car enthusiasts" saying all automatics are bad.
 
SUVs. Or as I like to call 90% of them, Simply Unwarranted Vehicles.

China apparently loves them. But there are so many of the stupid things on the roads it's impossible to know when the trend will ever stop. Even supercar manufacturer's have succumb to their will.

That said, Volvo's latest XC90 is the only one that actually gets my attention for the right reasons.

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BMW X2 M-Sport in Misano Blue

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Normally, I'm not one who's interested in crossovers, but I have to admit, the X2 looks stunning in this color.
 
Don't think I could say the Kia Picanto/Morning is a good car. (Only ridden in them, but never driven one) But I weirdly like the way looks of the first generation. Got an acquaintance who lives in South Korea and I've gotta say his daily/winter car looks pretty good.
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Don't think I could say the Kia Picanto/Morning is a good car. (Only ridden in them, but never driven one) But I weirdly like the way looks of the first generation. Got an acquaintance who lives in South Korea and I've gotta say his daily/winter car looks pretty good.
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It's almost indistinguishable from this:



or this:

 
Sunny and almost mild weather outside today after weeks of cold, so for the first time in many months my thoughts turned towards cars appropriate for warmer weather rather than trying to imagine the cosiest four-wheel driven winter hack possible.

I mentioned these in another thread, but the old Renault Megane cabriolet has long been a guilty pleasure of mine. Hatchback-based convertibles (the Megane was actually based on a proper coupe version of the Megane, but continuing for sake of argument...) are rarely appealing - take a road car, chop any rigidity it might have had out of it, give it a flimsy folding roof - but the Megane's always been one of the better-looking efforts for me, and was always available in bright yellow which is an instant summer win.

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-> As I'm getting broke day-by-day, I'm starting to like this car:

Scion tC / Toyota Zelas
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The pre-facelift model was sharp looking, the facelift, however, was more on the ugly side.





Still, the second-gen TC was a respectable car and even near sleeper status. With the 6-speed manual, they could do 0-60 in just above 6 seconds.
 
I know car enthusiasts mostly dislike crossovers... But I really like the way the Lexus RX F-Sport looks. The wheels and mesh grill improve the design over the regular RXs.
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1991-2005 Buick Park Avenue









Although it rode on an archaic platform (the C body) and was a typical GM quality car, it is a handsome car to look at and may be GM's most stylish car of the 1990s. I see it as an American Jaguar XJ, but far cheaper.

 
Because somebody in my town is trying to sell one, I've kind of grown an affinity for the Pontiac Bonneville. Especially the SSEI supercharged one that the person in question has.

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Also, on the same scale of Pontiacs, Pontiac has a long history of separate models in Canada, and living in the Prairies, I have been exposed to probably the top dog of Pontiac in Canada: the Parisienne. Specifically, it goes to the late 70's, early 80's B-body Parisienne's which ties into my affinity for malaise era American sedans.

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And finally, because once again GM in Canada was weird in the late 60's, early 70's, when the muscle car boom happened, Canadian Buick-Pontiac dealers were caught with their pants down because they didn't offer a compact model in the range because of the Auto Pact meant to promote Canadian automotive industry, which said pact banned the sale of American made vehicles, mainly, the Pontiac Tempest. So, to satiate the crowds who wanted muscle, and specifically the GTO, GM created the Acadian division earlier in the 1960's, and soon offered their own GTO type of vehicle: the Acadian Sport Deluxe.

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Per Wikipedia:

For 1966, the SD was combined with the Chevrolet 230 cid six- cylinder, 283 or 327 cid small-block V8, or 396 cid Mark IV big-block V8, along with the same optional bucket seats/console package as the Chevelle SS 396, along with unique trim and emblems. Many collectors consider the Beaumont SD396 even more desirable than the Chevelle SS 396, since it is far more rare.

The sad part about it is that many Acadian and Beaumont (another seperate name plate sold only in Canada) SD's succumbed to the harsh winter climate of Canada, and the fact that it was much lower in number produced compared to the American equivalent Chevelle SS's.
 
Also, on the same scale of Pontiacs, Pontiac has a long history of separate models in Canada, and living in the Prairies, I have been exposed to probably the top dog of Pontiac in Canada: the Parisienne. Specifically, it goes to the late 70's, early 80's B-body Parisienne's which ties into my affinity for malaise era American sedans.

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Big, beautiful cars. Seemingly underappreciated as well. That's a particularly stunning example.

Acadian Sport Deluxe.

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Ah yes, the Canso--a Pontiac-badged Nova before the Ventura II.

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I was looking for this thread earlier but I couldn't remember the name and it kinda got lost among the GTPNewsWire articles.

Someone's status update regarding having seen a Meyers Manx (or copy) re-lit the flame for me and reminded me of how much I love one of Bruce's other VW-powered buggies, the Tow'd, as well as copies in the form of Allied Industries' Leapfrog and the much more prolific Fiber Fab Industries Sand Hopper.

Here's a particularly cherry example of that last one:

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They typically bore fixed simple fenders over the rear wheels and cycle fenders over the fronts, but the more "street" nature of this build renders those unnecessary.

Having driven one of these on a couple occasions in less than ideal off-road conditions--namely tight confines--I can attest to the value of being able to see where the front wheels are placed.

Edit: Whoops! Can't believe I forgot my favorite buggy, an actual Bruce Meyers creation--the Manx SR.

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Doors are original, Cosmic wheels are not but I think they really suit it well and give it the appearance of a production (if low volume) vehicle from a major manufacturer.
 
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Hyundai Equus









Passed one recently and forgot how gorgeous these were. Still the classiest Korean car in existence IMO. Basically, the Equus was Hyundai's answer to Japanese luxo-barges like the Lexus LS and Infiniti M-Series (Now Q70), and was powered by a 5.0L V8 making 429hp. It's certainly a looker, and from some angles I see a resemblance to a Flying Spur.​
 


I always loved the styling on these, it was so far off what GM was offering at the time. In some colors and from certain angles it looks like a much bigger ST-165 Celica coupe. It's just a shame the powertrain couldn't match everything else.
 
I always loved the styling on these, it was so far off what GM was offering at the time. In some colors and from certain angles it looks like a much bigger ST-165 Celica coupe. It's just a shame the powertrain couldn't match everything else.
DOHC 3400 and the Getrag sounds about right. I prefer the Trofeo's styling, but it's hard to knock a late Cutlass Supreme coupe with that combo.
 
DOHC 3400 and the Getrag sounds about right. I prefer the Trofeo's styling, but it's hard to knock a late Cutlass Supreme coupe with that combo.

Oh yeah, that's another guilty pleasure right there.
 
Oh yeah, that's another guilty pleasure right there.
If it weren't for the fact that the tops look blown out, a convertible in that spec would be nearly perfect. They look fantastic with the top down and the bar exposed though.
 
The Crown Vic LX Sport package, in my opinion, is the best looking Panther car there is. It's much less dreary than a Town Car or Grand Marquis, but not as flashy as a Marauder; the perfect balance. Would totally rock one of these. They simply don't make huge, cheap, plush sedans like this anymore.







As a bonus, here's a Marauder coupe prototype that was intended for production yet never made it there.

 
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