If there was a car to represent America?s engineering excellence. What would it be?

[frankgomez75]

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 750HP/700lbs Torque hands down

A true supercar, the Saleen S7 is capable of over 200 miles per hour.
Zero-to-60 time is under three seconds. The S7 is designed to compete
with the fastest, quickest, best handling, most luxurious grand touring
cars in the world, while providing a distinctly American driving
experience for the fortunate few who will own one.

 

[marincounty]

All of you Viper fans, sorry I think it was designed by Lamborghini. America hasn't designed or built a great car in over 30 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_LA_engine

Originally designed as a truck engine, Lamborghini revamped Dodge's cast-iron block V10 for the Viper by recasting the block and head in aluminium alloy, giving the engine a significant power boost.

 

[Thraxen]

I'm going to go with Nasa's The Crawler.

 

[Sukhoi]

The Tucker

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: SSP

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer
have you guys seen the viper crash from the 2004 Gumball?

in morroco i think, doing 150 and they hit a couple of bumps in the road, now the car either bottomed out or a tyre actually burst under the compressive load, but the backend just snapped and they went off into the scenery at 150... backwards.

car was utterly destroyed.... only the drivers cabin really remained, drivers espaced with relatively minor injuries considering the crash

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc...7300050626060523&q=gumball+viper+crash

ok the crash is in there bout 2:40 in the torqenstein segment

Seen that before.

OT: Crazy vid LINK

What happened was the car was knocked airborne unevenly from a ditch in the road, and when it landed it wasn't straight on the road. Given that sports car suspensions aren't designed for the cars to be airborne like trophy truck suspensions are, it had no chance. On a two lane road at 150MPH a couple of degrees from straight sends you on an expedition. 2 degrees on a 30 foot wide road means you have about 600 feet to get straight before your left wheels go off pavement. At 150MPH that's under 3 seconds. And they were much more than 2 degrees off straight when they landed.

 

[Horus]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: RichUK
Easly the new GT40 IMO.

However, the new Viper is quite tasty too. I saw the old model in red once, when on holiday in the states. It looks amazing in real life, the rear wheels are just so wide.

Ford GT, Dodge Viper, Chevy Corvette Z06. Take your pick.

I would say probably the Viper. Big, mean, noisy, uncomfortable, finicky, picky but for the task at hand (Getting your ass from point A to point B with the biggest smile, most tire smoke and loudest baddest exhaust note possible) its a surefire deal.

Having not driven any of the above though, thats what all the reviewers say.

I agree. They took the suspension, engine and steering from a TRUCK, threw it into a sleek looking body and made a BADASS.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: marincounty
All of you Viper fans, sorry I think it was designed by Lamborghini. America hasn't designed or built a great car in over 30 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_LA_engine

Originally designed as a truck engine, Lamborghini revamped Dodge's cast-iron block V10 for the Viper by recasting the block and head in aluminium alloy, giving the engine a significant power boost.

Uh... based on the LA block. Ill just throw some Edelbrock heads on an aluminum V8 crate engine. They just added another 2 cylinders.

 

[flyboy84]

America?s engineering excellence

What's that?
































j/k

<---American Engineer

 

[LordMorpheus]

Saleen S7 TT.

That car is pure sex, and with the turbos it's got more power than god.

 

[elektrolokomotive]

AMC Pacer.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: Specop 007

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: RichUK
Easly the new GT40. IMO.

However, the new Viper is quite tasty too. I saw the old model in red once, when on holiday in the states. It looks amazing in real life, the rear wheels are just so wide.

i dunno

dont quote me on this, and please feel free to correct me anyone, but i heard the chassis was actually designed/built in britain. so its not all american and the bit that makes it complete is british (personally i think thats good....US provide the pooowwa and the uk provide the ballet shoes...its a wonderful blend)

engine is American obviously....theres only one nation you can trust when you want a thundering V8

is that chassis fact true? or is it just clarkson spewing rubbish?


anyway ill put the GT to one side as im not sure on that.

anyone who voted for the viper....haha no way, thats a big simple as you like muscle car for the nineties nothing advance about it.

good quote about the viper :

... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it.
- Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

thats an awesome quote lol.

wasnt the viper engine derived from a truck engine also?

i'll put in a vote for the corvette Z06, i think the ox and cart suspension jokes can be firmly laid to rest, its one hell of a car that thing....and it shows TG and FG both like the car very much, and its especially good fun on the track.

but perhaps i'd really like to vote for an engine..... the Hemi found in the 300c. i think the way it can just shut off 4 cylinders when your cruising is a superb idea, superb. thats a good example of american auto engineering

infact there are a few really good american engines... northstar ones in the caddy's that can run without water in the desert is another example

Considering Americans really havent been that good at engineering for some time now (DECADES), I would say the Viper is a perfect fit.

Its not so much our engineering actually, but rather our overall outlook on quality. From a simple engineering only perspective, definitely the Z06.

I've known a few people with Caddys with the Northstar V8. They left puddles of oil any time you let it stand still for more than a few minutes. Sure, It's got a fair amount more power than the 4.6 that Ford was putting in their luxo-barges, but I'll take a motor that doesn't leak like a seive over more HP, esp. in a non-performance car.

 

[Toastedlightly]

As I've said in another thread, one I am helping to produce!
http://www.svp.umn.edu/ (well, I'm helping w/ the next generation)

 

[Perknose]

Apperson Jackrabbit.

Been all downhill since then, pussified if you will, what with those fancy hydraulic brakes and electric starters and such.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: jmebonner
I think too much emphasis is put on going fast over reliability. It' hard to beat a 1989 Buick Park Avenue with 220,000 miles, the bulletproof 3800 motor that shows no sign of quitting.

Don't get me wrong, I still like to go fast, but it's the old tortise / hare story. The fast high $$ car will get you there fast, but need frequent stops for repair, at considerable cost while the mid-line grandpa car just keeps going...and going...and going...

thats another engine i should mention along with the 300c's hemi.....

clarkson did a few shows on cars from around the world and was talking about triumph and how they could and should have used that buick engine because it was sooo good. instead triumph nailed 2 4 pots together to make a rubbish V8

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: frankgomez75
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 750HP/700lbs Torque hands down

A true supercar, the Saleen S7 is capable of over 200 miles per hour.
Zero-to-60 time is under three seconds. The S7 is designed to compete
with the fastest, quickest, best handling, most luxurious grand touring
cars in the world, while providing a distinctly American driving
experience for the fortunate few who will own one.

Saleen is good, too many people whore it out on TDU tho lol and its crazy fast....even the TC system in Test drive unlimited (360) cant handle that cars power when fully tuned lol!

having seen the saleen its hardly a GT car though.... more of a racer for the road. the body styling just shouts Aggro which a GT car shouldnt really

a luxurious GT car is the 612 scaglietti, 599GTB, DB9, bently continental GT ... big stylish waft-mobiles.

wonder if its a match for the AMG CL65 i posted earlier....thats got less BHP but more torque.

 

[lyssword]

Vette Z06, viper, New Caddies, Ford GT and maybe some fat S.U.V's

 

[ninjit]

Tesla Roadster
http://www.teslamotors.com

 

[compuwiz1]

Most art deco era cars , like Cord, Deusenberg, Auburn, etc., are pretty cool.

 

[BoberFett]

Tucker?