i dont know if many of you have driven some of the newer vehicles??

over weekend friend came by with his new 2019 GMC suburban, 6.2L V8 supercharged LT1 engine, 10 SPEED automatic , AWD , 5620 lbs of weight!
all kinds of bells and whistles. front seat ,back seat , AC/heat. all seats AC/heat, all nice stuff

10 speed trans. is ungodly great, button puts it in LAU,,wtf is that. Launch mode, that monster thing took off like nothing i have ever been in, trans was perfect in ever gear!

on the trip up to my place, he said averaged 22 MPG cruising (5620 lbs)!!!,, so who needs a 10speed trans,, me after some time withit!

to add my daughter rented a 2019 Mustang conv. wimpy 4 cylinder turbo , with 10 speed ,, i was very impressed with that car also!

so like said ,"times they are A-are-changin."

 

Yes they are. I know what you mean. Last year i rented a econbox at my Destination in Naples Florida while Visiting my parents. But when I got to the rental counter they offered me a new the Camaro SS convertible for 40$ more. I took it. That was a 6.2 with a 8 speed. No need for variable valve timing as the close ratio gearbox always kept the RPM between 5 and 6 grand... right where the power is. Brilliant vehicle...The interior was less than elegant but the engine transmission and suspension are absolutely brilliant and world-class. This set off a long liat of upgrades for the Jaguar. I know how far i got after next weekend trip to Lime rock.

A pushrod 3 pedal 1LE camaro did nearly the same time as a paddle shift GT2 RS Porsche at Nuremberg.

Drag racing is dead. Some of The fastest cars are Tesla and Supercharged Cadillacs.

 

10 speed and 10x the cost when it breaks. My XJS has had less legitimate failures than my friends new Lincoln SUV in the same km distance worth of usage over the past few years. Can't really understand the draw of these new vehicles they feel so soulless, very fast and technically better engineering but no spirit.

 

Some folks want cars under warranty so they buy or lease new. The old cars are being crushed so less of them around too. No need for soul when it has a 10 year warranty

 

My most recent driven cars have been:

-17 Jaguar XF - test drove - impressive performance/sad interior/bland generic exterior/missing Jaguar feel that all previous cars have.

-17 Cadillac CTS - rental - enjoyed performance. Car auto engine On/of at stops was unsettling. Styling both interior and exterior seemed to be what a Cadillac should be. I liked the “feel” of this car.

-17 Chev Camaro conv - rental- unimpressed by interior, exterior was nice. Nothing particular that stood out IMO

-16 Honda CRV - friends car -unimpressed all around

But I am not typically too impressed by things most car buyers are impressed by anyway. I drive a 74 E type, and 95 XJS and a 05 X type. All cars are well maintained and have the best modern technology I can fit in them such as applecarplay radios etc. The differences between those cars, are not really something I am too cognitive of, as I am more into the “feel” and “character” of the car I am driving than anything else. Very few new cars “spark joy” for me.

I think if Jaguar facelifts the F type and makes the car more elegant on the inside with wood and more traditional Jaguar trimmings I would want that car in my garage. That car would spark joy

I do wonder, if all cars, and all makers can nearly achieve the same thing, what differentiates a new Jaguar from a Toyota? It used to be the styling, the top quality real leather and copious panels of wood all over the car. Now all you are paying for is a label.

 

Spike , you should take a ride in a 2018/19 Jaguar XJL, V8 supercharged!

super smooth , fast , and plenty of room ,all the bells and whistles ETC.

i like it!

 

Oh, I am quite sure it is. The XF was impressive, and quite impressive....... But then you have to look at that abomination of a graceless exterior. I know that all the car journalists love him, but I truly believe Ian Callum to be the most talentless car designer Jaguar has ever had the misfortune of hiring. Chris Bangle could much easier churn out a proper Jaguar. It’s like post modern architects design cars. Just awful.

 

And an entry price down under of $230k the XJR supercharged is $350k plus

 

And will they still be around in 30 or 40 years, with their computers deciding they have reached retirement and no replacements available

For a small runaround town car - give me a Korean or Japanese car

For a car with personality, give me a car from the 70's or 80's

For me, my 1980 suits my personality to the t

Cheers
Steve

 

I picked up a 2018 Chevy Tahoe RST last summer. 6.2 L86 motor, 10-speed trans. Regularly gets 23mpg+ on the highway and tows 8400lbs. Great driver, all the bells and whistles and latest electronics. Not as big as a Suburban, which I like.



I mainly got it so I could do this (Apex Nano, weighs in at 3800lbs), gets 10-12mpg when towing:



Padre

 

nice rig Padre,, do you find the 10speed trans is awesome, along with a 6.2L GM engine,, great combination!
ron

 

HI Bez,, do you think you will be around in 30/40yrs??
ron

 

+1

I think you've pegged it.

A lot of modern cars are impressive in many ways....but I'm not impressed by them. Hey, not everything in the world has to make perfect sense, right?

Cheers
DD

 

i understand that Jaguar XJ220 are expensive to maintain ,parts,etc. and they are not that exciting to drive!

BUT i'd still like to own one!!!!!!
ron

 

I have one in my care (not in my ownership) and it's very exciting to drive, IMO. Um, that is, until it quit running ! I really must do something about that but will most likely pawn it off to someone else. I'm pretty sure the fuel cell has disintegrated. I see cubic money in this car's future....and cubic expenditures of time.

"Exciting" and "pleasurable" are not always the same thing, mind you. Like other super cars of the era (think F40, F50, etc) it's designed to go very fast under certain conditions: no traffic, open roads, etc. It isn't a pleasure cruise.

Cheers
DD

 

Hello Ron

I'm only a young bloke so I hope I am around in 30 to 40 years.

My father always said that he would have to live until he is 120 to get all his projects complete - he is now in his 80's, last fortnight I helped him move an old piano and other heavy stuff, so after that activity, I would say that having projects keep you young

Cheers
Steve

 

Pawn it off for...how much? and isnt this the one thats so loud you need headsets to talk to your passenger?

 

That, apparently, is the XJR-15.
Video of Jay Leno:

 

Not sure. Many, many thousands, no doubt. Replacing the fuel cell.....if that's what has failed....is an engine-out job.



Cheers
DD

 

You sure hit that on the nose, to me todays cars have no style per say, the cars of yesteryear had style, class, funk whatever you want to call it. and as mention, not many of todays cars strike a spark in me also, guess thats what happens when your a baby boomer