A Horse With No Name

Depends on the car...we don't really know where automotive design will take us over the next 15 years, and I could see an upscale 4 door hardtop go into production. Next CTS or 300, anyone? Chris

I know we don't always agree, but this is why I come here and this is why I love about 85% of your posts here. this is written by a man who loves automobiles. I am ALL FOR hardtops, I just don't want it to be the only criteria we use in evaluating a car. Alfa Romeo has built beautiful cars both with and without B-pillars, IMHO. And one of the coolest cars running around my old hometown in Indiana was a SS396 69 Chevelle 300, the base model with the post...just like there is a really cool Post W-30 (gold, white top) 70 442 running around Springfield Ohio. Also, as I've said before, I really like Tri-5 Chevy's as post cars, because that was what was drag raced and road raced and ran in NASCAR back in the day. All I want is to be able to love-get excited about-both hardtop and non-hardtop cars. Sometimes I feel like "B" pillar is almost the lone issue in deciding an automotive design... But not just yes but HELL YES, GM build us a hardtop Camaro NOW! And +1 to people falling in love with cars again. Chris Chris

They need to study other premium small cars harder perhaps. Chris

+1 Chris

Actually I think the G8 would make a cool movie car. Chris

This is actually not a bad idea. Reg seems to like larger vehicles. Chris

Biggest problem is that even if you liked the car and did all of your own work, most of these cars aren't even worth $3500 in pristine shape. To me The only good 'rebuilder" cars of the last 20 years or so are Camaro's, Mustangs, and really mainstream Asian and European stuff. The rest can pretty much go to the crusher. Chris

You might try reading Grassroots Motorsports. Sounds like that sort of thing is up your alley. Chris

I like Fiero's but GM didn't really pull it together until the end on this one. Which is why I like the SKy/Solstice...GM got them pretty much right (yeah I know, storage space and top) from the get go. Chris

Keep the Sonoma and make the 944 a hobby vehicle. I would NOT want one as a daily driver. Chris

Actually I had a friend who bought one of those and it got over 20 MPG on rural roads...until he dropped in a Supercharged 454. Then it was more like 6. Chris

Lightly used (yeah, I know not new) Lucerne would def. be in range. Hell of a car. A friends brother bought one...and my friend keeps calling it the Cistern. But I digress. Hell of a nice looking car...but more your speed than mine. Chris

Interestingly, the Columbus, Ohio Dispatch mentioned the Avenger in a front page article. They are actually one of the cars in Central Ohio appreciating the fastest in value on the resale end. Probably not just the high price of gas...maybe Cerebus is doing something right? Chris

Actually I love VW interiors. Not great looking in the vintage car sense, but VERY comfortable IMHO and nicely done. Why not get a base GTI for about 23k? Chris

I agree on the vintage car thing. Although I wouldn't mind seeing MODERN muscle cars used in chase scenes. Chris

After my grandmother died, my grandfather dated a woman that had a full sized (about 1970) Buick convertible. My grandfather bought a matching car (actually hers was gold and my grandfathers was yellow, IIRC) Some of the happiest moments of my boyhood were spent cruising around in those cars. NOTHING beats a ragtop. Chris

You have entered the Matrix, and Sixty Eights brain is out for reprograming. He will be back spitting up jell-o on himself and driving a Camry shortly. Seriously, a family I knew that I used to park my 66 Stang' next to at car shows had a 51 Dodge. They took a lot of crap from some family members for letting their grandchildren ride in such an old an obivously "unsafe" car. People just kill me with their stupidity. Chris

I'm a huge convertible fan. I not only get rid of B pillars, I get rid of C pillars too! Chris

Okay, Boys, I've got a major leage stupid question...has ANYONE got any real world cost data on what a B-pillarless car would cost to make? I'm thinking about getting a used RX-8 (going in halves to buy the car with my son). The car has rear suicide doors and essentially NO structure around the passenger compartment other than doors...and yet it passes side crash test safety just fine. If Mazda, one of my fav. carmakers but a tier 2 Japanese make at best (and part owned by Ford) can do this with a sub 30K car, why can't we have a B-pillarless Camaro? Chris

Damn, Sylvester, you and I might not always agree on everything, but that is a fine looking Benz! (Enter sarcsm mode) Now just step away from the car. The safety Nazi's are coming to take you away, and mAssachusetts childrens protective services will be taking Sophia because you let her ride in an obviously unsafe car. (Exit sarcasm mode) Chris

Exactly. Why can Harley Davidson make motorcycles that are a million times more likely to kill you if you are hit in the side? Chris

Bingo! Chris

For those of us with families to take care of here, there is almost nowhere to run away to and "hide" Chris

You might read the book "generation debt." Things are going to really suck for your generation, DF.

...and I'd love to live out west if I could afford it. Housing is high, and I have 5 children sooo... Chris