American-brand cars prove poipular with millennial

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog


I just can't see the 944 being that much better than the RX-7.



My ex had a Z-28 and RX-7...I had a 300ZX and a DOHC 944-S. It would walk all over both the RX and Z. The Z could beat it in the straight away but at the first curve it was lost. Of all 4 cars the 944S was truly superior in every way. At speeds over 120mph the Porsche was at home...the other 3 were scary.

The RX-7 was really a "chick car" which was copycat designed for people who didn't have the money for the Porsche.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Doog


The RX-7 was really a "chick car" which was copycat designed for people who didn't have the money for the Porsche.


Never recall seeing any girls behind the wheel of the RX-7.

that being said when you consider value for the money the Mazda was about the best you could get for overall handling, balance, performance, and practicality. The Porsche was better BUT you had to pay dearly for it, and maintenance was more expensive too.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: Spazdog


I just can't see the 944 being that much better than the RX-7.



My ex had a Z-28 and RX-7...I had a 300ZX and a DOHC 944-S. It would walk all over both the RX and Z. The Z could beat it in the straight away but at the first curve it was lost. Of all 4 cars the 944S was truly superior in every way. At speeds over 120mph the Porsche was at home...the other 3 were scary.

The RX-7 was really a "chick car" which was copycat designed for people who didn't have the money for the Porsche.


Even so this is all apples and oranges really. We have an '87 944S, but in '87 the top Camaro was an IROC-Z with a 230hp 350. And the top RX-7 for '87 was the Turbo II. Now granted I think there was a 944 Turbo, but for that kind of money you could get a Corvette and you had the 944 S. Bottomline is we don't have any clue what year and models these cars were. Was the Z28 an '83 with the base engine and automatic for example.

I already posted 2 links, one where the first production '86 non-Turbo RX7 was only a .5 second slower on the same race track as a 944 according to Car and Driver. And I posted a link where an '84 Z28 faced off against a 944 for an ultimate handling challenge. They explicitly said the Camaro was more stable at high speed than the 944. So I find your claims not credible.

And the RX7 was not a chick car. Certainly less than a Miata is. Does that make the Miata a bad car?

 

[mechanicx]

Haha, I just found a Popular Mechanics archived article that comparison tested all the cars for 1986- Camaro IROC, RX7, 944 etc. They ranked the 944 behind the Camaro, Mustang and 2 of the Japanese contenders.My position is that the 944 wasn't a bad car at all, only that to say the other cars were so inferior is just revisionist history. Starts on page 78

http://books.google.com/books?id=GeMDAAA...944&f=false

 

[jrustles]

RX-7 a chick car?

Haters gonna hate.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Haha, I just found a Popular Mechanics archived article that comparison tested all the cars for 1986- Camaro IROC, RX7, 944 etc. They ranked the 944 behind the Camaro, Mustang and 2 of the Japanese contenders.My position is that the 944 wasn't a bad car at all, only that to say the other cars were so inferior is just revisionist history. Starts on page 78

http://books.google.com/books?id=GeMDAAA...944&f=false


awesome!
The Porsche came in behind a Chevrolet, a Ford, and 2 Japanese cars!

That's one heckuva' chick car.

 

[mechanicx]

The car to have in '89 was the Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. Better than the Buick Grand National, better than even the Buick GNX.

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/fea...re/viewall.html

300 Hp actual and potential for 13.4 in the 1/4 mile. What's even an '89 944 Turbo going to do about that?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Originally Posted By: Doog


The RX-7 was really a "chick car" which was copycat designed for people who didn't have the money for the Porsche.


Never recall seeing any girls behind the wheel of the RX-7.

that being said when you consider value for the money the Mazda was about the best you could get for overall handling, balance, performance, and practicality. The Porsche was better BUT you had to pay dearly for it, and maintenance was more expensive too.


I helped my best friend buy a Turbo II Rx-7 in the mid eighties, I think it was 85.

We drove them all, Trans Am, 944, IROC Z, anything that was hot. He had a new IT job and was raking it in, single, etc.

That Mazda was a real jewel, stood out like a sore thumb. Terrific bang for your buck, and GREAT fun to drive. he never had a lick of trouble with it and we all beat on it regularly. Nothing bad about it.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
The car to have in '89 was the Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. Better than the Buick Grand National, better than even the Buick GNX.

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/fea...re/viewall.html

300 Hp actual and potential for 13.4 in the 1/4 mile. What's even an '89 944 Turbo going to do about that?


With some minor tweaks those are actually quite fast. I saw mid twelves at the strip from near stockers with drag radials. Just turn up the boost!

But driveability was a real issue in those cars, they had strange peaks and valleys in the power curve. I'll take mine with an NA small block stroker please!

 

[mechanicx]

I prefer a NA V8 too. Car and Driver recorded a 4.6 second 0-60 time and 13.4 sec 1/4 mile though. So it was about the fastest production car available at the time.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I prefer a NA V8 too. Car and Driver recorded a 4.6 second 0-60 time and 13.4 sec 1/4 mile though. So it was about the fastest production car available at the time.


Not the fastest

For example a Laborghini Countach (which I know, you could buy like 6x TTA's for) did 0-60 in 4.6S and the 1/4 in 12.9@112Mph. It was ~450HP too.

 

[hattaresguy]

AMG Hammers of that vintage were faster. Low 4 second range to 60 in the late 80's.

Plus in the 80's German HP was actual hp and Italian hp was...well they stretched the truth...it was the 80's.

I love 80's vintage European cars, really the golden age.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
AMG Hammers of that vintage were faster. Low 4 second range to 60 in the late 80's.

Plus in the 80's German HP was actual hp and Italian hp was...well they stretched the truth...it was the 80's.

I love 80's vintage European cars, really the golden age.


One of my greatest automotive regrets was selling my 1988 M6. With a Dinan chip and a track pipe it made over 310 bhp at the crank- not bad for 3.5 naturally aspirated liters...

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I prefer a NA V8 too. Car and Driver recorded a 4.6 second 0-60 time and 13.4 sec 1/4 mile though. So it was about the fastest production car available at the time.


Not the fastest

For example a Laborghini Countach (which I know, you could buy like 6x TTA's for) did 0-60 in 4.6S and the 1/4 in 12.9@112Mph. It was ~450HP too.


I'll give you that, but when I said about the fastest production car in '89 I was excluding a couple models of Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Of course tuner cars and non-road legal cars like the Porsche 959 don't qualify as an available production car, or I'd have to give it to the Koenig Ferrari

.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
RX-7 a chick car?

Haters gonna hate.


My Ex and 2 of her girlfriends had them. 100% Chick car. I only know of one guy who had one and he got so many "cute car" compliments he traded it on a BMW.

He worked in my office building and every time I would park my 944 next to his RX-7 he would move it.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: cchase

I've never driven an RX-7 of that vintage, so I can't compare, but the 944 is certainly excellent.

I have...no comparison. The real engineering comes out over 100 mph and when you sense the vehicle has reached the limits of its dynamic capability. The RX-7 hit it about 110mph and even my 300ZX hit it at about 105 mph as did the ex's Z28. You could feel the suspension and tracking get loose and light and loose the tight connection to the road surface. The 944 only got tighter and more connected. At 120mph the Mazda, Nissan and Chevy were scary. The Porsche was begging for more.

Porsche....there is no substitute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-COBUIBY16U

 

[antiqueshell]

Doog:

You miss the point of the RX 7.

For those of us that are savvy enough to want practicality, and reliability with our sporty cars choose the Mazda. When it comes to the top limit you are correct, BUT for a street driven car how often does that ever happen?

The RX 7 is BETTER than the 944 when it comes to balance, and carving up the twisties as well.

And there is cost, purchase, and maintenance as well. The RX 7 had the 944 beat by a mile there.

The only place you would notice the difference in favor of the Porsche is at the top limit.

As for the "chick car" comments...You're "trying" too hard .

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: cchase

I've never driven an RX-7 of that vintage, so I can't compare, but the 944 is certainly excellent.

I have...no comparison. The real engineering comes out over 100 mph and when you sense the vehicle has reached the limits of its dynamic capability. The RX-7 hit it about 110mph and even my 300ZX hit it at about 105 mph as did the ex's Z28. You could feel the suspension and tracking get loose and light and loose the tight connection to the road surface. The 944 only got tighter and more connected. At 120mph the Mazda, Nissan and Chevy were scary. The Porsche was begging for more.

Porsche....there is no substitute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-COBUIBY16U


But none of that is true and I posted several links that prove it.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
AMG Hammers of that vintage were faster. Low 4 second range to 60 in the late 80's.

Plus in the 80's German HP was actual hp and Italian hp was...well they stretched the truth...it was the 80's.

I love 80's vintage European cars, really the golden age.


One of my greatest automotive regrets was selling my 1988 M6. With a Dinan chip and a track pipe it made over 310 bhp at the crank- not bad for 3.5 naturally aspirated liters...


Those cars are amazing, they are on my must buy list!

I'm on the hunt for a 560SEC AMG Hammer wide body with the 6L 32 valve engine.

http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/1986-mercedes-560sec-amg-6-0-widebody/

Greed is good!

80's German cars are like good Scotch or wine, they just get so much better with age!

 

[MCompact]

That car looks almost exactly like my M6.

The Hammers are awesome cars as well. I know that I'd probably regret it from a financial standpoint, but I also have a soft spot for the 928 S4.