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[33-Hit-Combo]

WTF is maserati doing diluting their brand with shitty entry level vehicles?

Example: Levante

Looks exactly like an Infiniti FX50

While I'm not saying the FX50 looks bad but for a Maserati why for twice the price?

The Ghibli sucks too, interior quality is noticeably cheaper and ride quality + getting out of the car is really awkward from back seats.

Gotta make money... And small SUVs are selling. Look at what it's done for Jaguar, doubled their annual sales since the F-pace launched!

 

[Fallout-NL]

I finally took the time to not only wash but also clay and wax my car yesterday. It was filthy the entire time it was stored over the winter and I felt bad. Heard good things about that clay stuff and yeah, it's pretty remarkable stuff. All that grit you normally still feel after washing the car is removed and it's silky smooth again. I can recommend it. Results:

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

I finally took the time to not only wash but also clay and wax my car yesterday. It was filthy the entire time it was stored over the winter and I felt bad. Heard good things about that clay stuff and yeah, it's pretty remarkable stuff. All that grit you normally still feel after washing the car is removed and it's silky smooth again. I can recommend it. Results:

Like new, feels good doesn't it? Did you polish and wax afterwards too? Looks good mate

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yep, wax too, feels terrific. Cheers!

 

[jongkookie]

WTF is maserati doing diluting their brand with shitty entry level vehicles?

At least they just look alike... step into an Infiniti QX30 and you'll see this:

Looks oddly familiar doesn't it? Like it got ripped off from a certain German car company...

Here's the best part, the QX30's shifter is lifted off the SL-line of convertibles:

Yes, the QX30 is essentially a Mercedes GLA(badge engineering)... same platform, engine and almost everything... the only thing Infiniti changed is the dashboard, infotainment system, and some interior stuff. The rest of the car is literally an MB car through and through.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Yeah, the Levante is a knock off of the Infiniti FX/QX70 for sure.

True story. Last week I was going out with my wife and remarked that "you know, the Maserati SUV has been out for almost a whole year and we've yet to see one?" etc. etc. A few hours later, one passes by and I simply said "I knew that would happen! What are the chances?" But in person, the rear end looks like a lifted Subaru WRX hatchback. Even the profile all the way to the C-pillar shape. 3G Impreza Hatch, folks.

At least they just look alike... step into an Infiniti QX30 and you'll see this:

Looks oddly familiar doesn't it? Like it got ripped off from a certain German car company...

Here's the best part, the QX30's shifter is lifted off the SL-line of convertibles:

Yes, the QX30 is essentially a Mercedes GLA(badge engineering)... same platform, engine and almost everything... the only thing Infiniti changed is the dashboard, infotainment system, and some interior stuff. The rest of the car is literally an MB car through and through.

The biggest pieces of the interior: center console, vents, and screen make up 90% of the interior though, and make the Infiniti look 10x more modern and up to date than the old ass interior of the GLA. The bits Infiniti kept are the best bits, so I don't see that being an issue.

 

[friday]

I found a few good picks on an RF, figured I would post them here.

I want an ND real bad.

I am currently on my third miata, a white 99 base model. I just sold my other 99 and have purchased a ton of parts and have a few left over from the last car. I will soon have a bunch of nice suspension parts to put on the new car. It's gonna have so much damn grip when I am done.

Here are some pictures of my previous 99

I will post up more stuff once I get all the parts in and start installing stuff. I can't wait to hit the track again this year, missed out on last season.

 

[SiteSeer]

I finally took the time to not only wash but also clay and wax my car yesterday. It was filthy the entire time it was stored over the winter and I felt bad. Heard good things about that clay stuff and yeah, it's pretty remarkable stuff. All that grit you normally still feel after washing the car is removed and it's silky smooth again. I can recommend it. Results:

did you do it yourself or went to a detailer? i clay barred my x5 years ago but i don't think i did a good job then. i'm thinking a detailer does a much better job? i have an audi tt now but its garaged and isn't very dirty at all but i would want to clay bar it later ...

 

[Fallout-NL]

did you do it yourself or went to a detailer? i clay barred my x5 years ago but i don't think i did a good job then. i'm thinking a detailer does a much better job? i have an audi tt now but its garaged and isn't very dirty at all but i would want to clay bar it later ...

Did it myself. I bought that Meguiar's brand stuff. It came with a spray that serves as kind of a primer/lubricant and then you just rub until it stops feeling rough/gritty. I started on the hood of the car which made it seem like it would take a long time (it being the surface that suffered most). Rest of the car wasn't as bad so the actual claying took an hour or so. Including washing prior and waxing after, I think a good three and a half hours total.

 

[op_ivy]

You guys have a lot more patience than i do. I clay once per year, in the spring, specifically to remove those little orange dots from winter roads.

 

[No Love]

When you blow the doors off a Challenger R/T in a base model Ford Focus through a corner... Where'd you go bro? 😏

 

[SiteSeer]

Did it myself. I bought that Meguiar's brand stuff. It came with a spray that serves as kind of a primer/lubricant and then you just rub until it stops feeling rough/gritty. I started on the hood of the car which made it seem like it would take a long time (it being the surface that suffered most). Rest of the car wasn't as bad so the actual claying took an hour or so. Including washing prior and waxing after, I think a good three and a half hours total.

i got the mothers brand pack, still have a half bar left. like i said i didn't do a very good job, it still looked off afterwards (i wanted a good shine) but i didn't wax. but it looks like you took the time to do it well.

 

[GHG]

When you blow the doors off a Challenger R/T in a base model Ford Focus through a corner... Where'd you go bro? 😏

It was clearly a bad driver.

 

[No Love]

It was clearly a bad driver.

Whoosh.

 

[OnkelC]

I like big mugs.

aka my last seven vears of motoring in stoneware form.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Ohhhh I just got the thread title. Nice.

 

[Fallout-NL]

That last one is clever.

 

[whatsinaname]

That last one is clever.

Yeah. Nice that he's got VW, Toyota, Ford and Audi mugs sitting together. Wish this thread was as harmonious.

 

[OnkelC]

Yeah. Nice that he's got VW, Toyota, Ford and Audi mugs sitting together. Wish this thread was as harmonious.

genuinely evil, I appreciate that!

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah. Nice that he's got VW, Toyota, Ford and Audi mugs sitting together. Wish this thread was as harmonious.

Savage

 

[YuriLowell]

Bought an NB.

Finally back in the Miata family.

All is right in the world.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Ohhhh I just got the thread title. Nice.

Spoiler

It's praising Porsche's new GT3

 

[matmanx1]

I found a few good picks on an RF, figured I would post them here.



I want an ND real bad.

I am currently on my third miata, a white 99 base model. I just sold my other 99 and have purchased a ton of parts and have a few left over from the last car. I will soon have a bunch of nice suspension parts to put on the new car. It's gonna have so much damn grip when I am done.

Here are some pictures of my previous 99



I will post up more stuff once I get all the parts in and start installing stuff. I can't wait to hit the track again this year, missed out on last season.

Yeah the RF is gorgeous. I'd love to go drive one but that might be bad news for my wallet so I will continue to pour all of my love in to my NC for now.

Bought an NB.

Finally back in the Miata family.

All is right in the world.

Nice! You know the drill. Post up some pics and info when you have the chance.

 

[rokkerkory]

I think I am going to save my pennies and try to get into a lightly used GT3. If not, then perhaps a CPO 991.2 911 S in a few years.

What say you GAF?

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I think I am going to save my pennies and try to get into a lightly used GT3. If not, then perhaps a CPO 991.2 911 S in a few years.

What say you GAF?

Are we talking daily driver? I know some people daily GT3s but it seems kind of dopey.

 

[Heysoos]

If the SS is a hot seller in your area, you might not have much luck, but it wouldn't hurt to email dealers to see if they can match or get close to the lower pricing. A buddy did that for his Corvette and the local dealers wouldn't budge, so he got one for several thousand cheaper from a dealer near San Fran and had it trucked down to the LA area for ~$400 after he signed all the papers via mail.

Markups. Dealers who do this are assholes. Make them offers in the final few days of the months and they'll certainly cave. There's a bit of a shortage for V8 Camaros right now, so they're in high demand and are flying off the floor. But don't let the bullshit markups scare you, they're only for idiots.

Go in there, arm yourself with knowledge on the invoice price and such (CarsDirect.com will tell you that info) and bust down a few doors. The car may not go for invoice, but go below MSRP and sit on them. Do it right before the end of the month.

Thanks guys. One more thing, I'm having a little hard time understanding how Chevy's Bonus Tag $4K cash allowance for current Chevy owner works. Is that on every car or only one whatever is tagged? Because seemingly nothing in my area qualifies either. Is that just my local dealers being shitty too? There's like one or two that qualify from what I could even find and it's only $1.5K off.

 

[rokkerkory]

Are we talking daily driver? I know some people daily GT3s but it seems kind of dopey.

Naw weekend car / track etc

 

[Shadoken]

WTF is maserati doing diluting their brand with shitty entry level vehicles?.

Maserati is such a weird brand. I feel like there is always a better car in each segment.

 

[Pinewood]

Saw a Levante parked today, I think it looks cool

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Naw weekend car / track etc

Then go crazy and get a GT3.

Or. Or...get a beat up 964, update the suspension, strip the body down to its bones and beef up the engine. Get yourself 300hp in 2500lbs and go to town. Baby Singer 911! Maybe I'm weird, but when it comes to weekend only/track cars they may as well be absurd and very light on comfort.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Then go crazy and get a GT3.

Or. Or...get a beat up 964, update the suspension, strip the body down to its bones and beef up the engine. Get yourself 300hp in 2500lbs and go to town. Baby Singer 911!

That's a pretty cool idea.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Thanks guys. One more thing, I'm having a little hard time understanding how Chevy's Bonus Tag $4K cash allowance for current Chevy owner works. Is that on every car or only one whatever is tagged? Because seemingly nothing in my area qualifies either. Is that just my local dealers being shitty too? There's like one or two that qualify from what I could even find and it's only $1.5K off.

Yes, basically. Not all dealers have to participate if they don't want to. That's why in commercials you'll usually hear "at participating retailers" for offers and discounts (this goes beyond just car sales too).

Also, bonus cash don't always apply to every model. And seeing as how hot the new Camaro is at the moment, it'll be a while before incentives get applied to them. But your best best bet is to spec one on CarsDirect.com and see if Bonus Cash is an available incentive at the moment. And check TrueCar.com to see how much the average sale price of the car is in your area and surrounding areas.

 

[Topfuel]

Then go crazy and get a GT3.

Or. Or...get a beat up 964, update the suspension, strip the body down to its bones and beef up the engine. Get yourself 300hp in 2500lbs and go to town. Baby Singer 911! Maybe I'm weird, but when it comes to weekend only/track cars they may as well be absurd and very light on comfort.

Ammo NYC have a very nice YT series on building a 964 track special:

https://www.ammonyc.com/larrys-964/

 

[AlphaSnake]

Unpopular opinion time:

I love the 928. If I could grab one with a 5.4L I would.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Unpopular opinion time:

I love the 928. If I could grab one with a 5.4L I would.

Unpopular nothing, the late model 928s are really something else. Good luck finding a five speed, though. And the prices are way, way higher than anybody could expect for such a relatively unloved car.

 

[nabe_shogun]

Unpopular nothing, the late model 928s are really something else. Good luck finding a five speed, though. And the prices are way, way higher than anybody could expect for such a relatively unloved car.

There's 4 on my local craigslist, 3 of them manual, 2 just under $10k. Its not 944 cheap, but still not too expensive. They're not late model cars though.

 

[YuriLowell]

Got home right before the snow started to come down hard.

Only got two pictures but I should have way more once all this snow melts.

01 SE Miata. They only made around 1500 of these ones. Had all the same options as the SE miata. Has 100k miles on it and bought it from the original owner who garaged it its entire life.

First thing I'm gonna do is ditch the chrome wheels and get some 15" bronze Enki RPF1s wrapped in some Star Specs.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Unpopular nothing, the late model 928s are really something else. Good luck finding a five speed, though. And the prices are way, way higher than anybody could expect for such a relatively unloved car.

I think people have come around on them, but it was pretty disliked for a long time. I always liked it because in my head it was a big V8 Porsche!

 

[Stinkles]

Unpopular opinion time:

I love the 928. If I could grab one with a 5.4L I would.

Better looking and more interesting than the 911. The Cayman of its time only from opposite engine land.

I think I am going to save my pennies and try to get into a lightly used GT3. If not, then perhaps a CPO 991.2 911 S in a few years.

What say you GAF?

Get a pantera bro

 

[v1lla21]

Bros, I think I'm gonna save up for a Miata. Holy shit the RF is a thing of beauty.

 

[Az]

Man I am pissed. I own a very dear to me mint older Alpine 740i Sport and some dumbass tried to break into it last night. Got into it this morning and noticed the door panel popped out in the corner with scratches. Same on the passenger side.

I need to park it in the garage

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

There's 4 on my local craigslist, 3 of them manual, 2 just under $10k. Its not 944 cheap, but still not too expensive. They're not late model cars though.

It's the late model GTS's that are really up there in prices. Late 80s are 20+, good 90s ones can be 50-60 or more.

Here's one for $70k with immediately apparent paint damage! https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/683515698/overview/

 

[YuriLowell]

Bros, I think I'm gonna save up for a Miata. Holy shit the RF is a thing of beauty.

Do it. The ND platform is fantastic.

 

[super.modulaire]

Porsche is the most profitable car company in the world
TOM WILTSHIRE14 MAR 2017


The VW Group’s annual conference reveals Bentley, SEAT, Skoda and Porsche all doing well, while Audi suffers in the wake of dieselgate

Speaking at the Volkswagen Group annual conference, CEO Matthias Mueller has confirmed a strong 2016 for all but two of the group’s main brands.

Despite Audi and Volkswagen suffering the sting of dieselgate, Bentley, SEAT, Skoda and Porsche all posted strong profit growth, with the latter now officially the most profitable car brand in the world, pushing profit to €3.9 billion (£3.4bn) – almost twice what PSA Peugeot Citroen recently paid for the entire Vauxhall/Opel brand, and 13.9 per cent up on 2015.

More: http://www.evo.co.uk/volkswagen/19062/porsche-is-the-most-profitable-car-company-in-the-world

Good job, Porsche.

 

[matmanx1]

Unpopular opinion time:

I love the 928. If I could grab one with a 5.4L I would.

I totally agree with you. I have always liked the 928's and especially the later year models with the 32 valve engine.

Got home right before the snow started to come down hard.

Only got two pictures but I should have way more once all this snow melts.

01 SE Miata. They only made around 1500 of these ones. Had all the same options as the SE miata. Has 100k miles on it and bought it from the original owner who garaged it its entire life.

First thing I'm gonna do is ditch the chrome wheels and get some 15" bronze Enki RPF1s wrapped in some Star Specs.

Heck yeah! The best color combo ever! Congrats on the very sweet 01 Miata.

Bros, I think I'm gonna save up for a Miata. Holy shit the RF is a thing of beauty.

Dooooo eeeeeeeeeit!

 

[AlphaSnake]

Good job, Porsche.

Yeah, this is usually well known. It will probably stay that way for a long time too.

Porsche makes on average $15-20K profit per car sold. BMW is second with $5-7K. And the industry average is about $3K.

So there's truth to when people say that Porsche's are overpriced. They technically are.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah, this is usually well known. It will probably stay that way for a long time too.

Porsche makes on average $15-20K profit per car sold. BMW is second with $5-7K. And the industry average is about $3K.

So there's truth to when people say that Porsche's are overpriced. They technically are.

I guess. Though with those prices, I suppose it's easier to establish healthy margins.

What surprises me more is that the average is only 3k. I mean it can't be easy to sustain such a huge operation on what is a pretty fickle market if all you're getting per car is three thousand.

Unpopular opinion time:

I love the 928. If I could grab one with a 5.4L I would.

Those things are awesome. Hope you'll do it sometime soon

 

[YuriLowell]

15 to 20k a car?

I wonder if that includes the crazy prices they have for options.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I guess. Though with those prices, I suppose it's easier to establish healthy margins.

What surprises me more is that the average is only 3k. I mean it can't be easy to sustain such a huge operation on what is a pretty fickle market if all you're getting per car is three thousand.



Those things are awesome. Hope you'll do it sometime soon

Think of the volume though of cars like F150s, Camrys, Corollas, etc. It adds up quick, compared to a Porsche or BMW.

15 to 20k a car?

I wonder if that includes the crazy prices they have for options.

Yeah, they do. That's why there's a $5000 range.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Think of the volume though of cars like F150s, Camrys, Corollas, etc. It adds up quick, compared to a Porsche or BMW.

Which is also why the entry-level market is so competitive. They need these cars to sell like crazy to even justify the costs and get people associated with the brand. The trucks and SUVs are where money is made.

I once had a GM guy tell me the Tahoes and Suburbans are their biggest moneymakers. Considering how extremely bland those things are, why in the world would I ever buy what is admittedly overpriced?