Time for another car game!

[sperry]

Okay, since things are a little slow in here... it's time for another car game.

Name a car that, for some reason, is a "breakthrough" car in automotive history. i.e. the car has some historical significance, perhaps it was the 1st car w/ some technological advancement, or it accomplished something special.

Post a picture of the car, as well as a little blurb about why it's special, and a link to more info if you've got one!

Of course, I'll start:

1980 Audi Quattro




- The first car w/ an affordable and reliable permanent AWD system
- Changed rally by showing AWD's superiority

http://www.autoswalk.com/worgreatcara1.html

http://www.germancarfans.com/news.cf...04/audi/1.html

[sp00ln]

World's first production sports car with exhaust gas turbocharger: Porsche 911 Turbo with contact-free ignition

http://www22.porsche.com/uk/aboutpor...novations/70s/

[sperry]

15 views an nobody's contributing!? See if I try to make this site entertaining for ya'll anymore!

...okay, here's another:

Thrust SSC, world's 1st supersonic car:


Note the shockwaves :




- Went 763 mph over a measured mile in the Black Rock Desert (yes, where they hold the Burn) on Oct 15, 1997.
- Currently holds the record as the world's fastest car

http://www.andrewgraves.biz/ssc_stuff/SSC_pics.htm

http://www.thrustssc.com/

[ShawnS]

1001 HP
250 MPH top speed
8.0 liter W16 engine
Double clutch 7 speed manual/automatic tranny.
AWD
3 Speed settings(street, race, and too damn fast)
Front air splitter adjusts to speed
250 MPH top speed requires a special key inserted in to a secondary lock module. Once top speed setting is chosen, the car runs a diagnostics check to ensure it can "safely" go too damn fast.

[Kevin M]

Did they ever actually build one and actually drive it to Ludicrous Speed? I can't remember ever hearing about it, only the expected results when they did.

[Kevin M]

Auto Union V16 Streamline Special



Aside from being ridiculously fast even today, let alone almost 70 years ago, this is believed to be the first race car with significant aerodynamic engineering applied to its development. Many of you will recognize it as a prize car in GT4. That's how I know about it too.

http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/auto_c.htm

http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/storie.../379955&EDATE=

[Kevin M]

Chapparral 2J





This car is probably responsible for the biggest collective "Why didn't I think of that?" in racing history. Snowmobile engine+fans+rubber strip=ridiculous downforce. These were promptly banned in all higher organized motorsport for obvious reasons. Also, the fact that cornering at a sustained 2 Gs doesn't take well to bumps that break the 'vacuum' beneath the car and thus reducing the downforce by over half...

Again, most of you will recognize the car from GT4, although it was far less obscure than the Auto union car before that. And in GT4, it would kick the crap out of everything on smooth tracks if you weren't stuck with a 2 speed transmission.

Chapparral 2J links

Also, it looks a whole lot like the 'white box' korean concept car that Top Gear made a few years back.

[Kevin M]

1984 Chrysler minivan





This car was almost the death of the station wagon. (Aaron, cover your eyes! )

Originally Posted by Ward's AutoWorld, Oct 1988

Sales exploded in 1984 to 215,000 units and 240,634 in 1985. Other automakers were shocked by the magnitude of the minivan's popularity. Its popularity with women - this was nearly a decade before political pollsters would coin the phrase "soccer Moms" - catapulted the minivan into an icon of American culture. The station wagon fell almost into extinction.

Which leads us to...

[Kevin M]

1991 Ford Explorer



While Ford's Bronco and Bronco II, various large Jeeps, Dodge's Ram Charger, and GM's K5 Blazer and S-10 Blazer had all existed for quite a while, it was the introduction of the Explorer that proved turnabout is fair play to the minivan, and pushed station wagon sales even farther down until their recent revival. The SUV craze is probably the single biggest symbol of American greed and selfishness to the peoples of the world who look for reasons not to like us. Hey look at that, a car that actually changed the world, not just that of autos in general!

[Kevin M]

1953 Chevrolet Corvette



The first American "sports car" to be mass produced. This car led directly to the Ford Thunderbird, and more importantly, the Ford Mustang, which in turn set off the "personal car" sales surge of the '60s. Aside from the ground-breaking debut of the Corvette, you're all already familiar with the exceptional success of the Corvette with every revision since then in terms of sales figures, motorsports success, and prestige. (okay, maybe not so much with the late C3 and early C4s that suffered horribly from growing pains due to the new emissions standards)

[Kevin M]

1965 Ford GT40 MkI





If you can't buy 'em... beat 'em.

[Kevin M]

1961 Austin/Morris Cooper



Two things make this car important: Mass(ive) production numbers for a FWD vehicle... and Monte Carlo. It's also probably the coolest car ever. Nobody who was famous and wealthy in the '60s didn't have at least one of these parked next to their Aston Martins, Ferraris, and Rolls Royces. Well, not that much, because this is the one they actually drove...

[Kevin M]

1990 Mazda Miata



This car single-handedly revived the roadster. Maybe the biggest "Why didn't I think of that?" event among automobile manufacturers in the early '90s. When introduced, it had no direct competition (the MR2 was closest in terms of basic specs and sportiness, but wasn't a true convertible). At the time of its introduction, "roadster" meant an aging British or Italian convertible that did little more than leak in people's driveways.



Okay, I've had enough. Somebody else can cover the Model T, the '32 Ford coupe, the Willys Jeep, the Toyota Prius/Honda Insight (whichever came first... I forget), the Volkswagen Beetle, the first muscle car (Dodge Charger? Chevelle? Nova? tempest GTO? Whatever...) and a bunch of others that shouldn't be hard to single out as significantly new ideas.

[MPREZIV]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

1953 Chevrolet Corvette



The first American "sports car" to be mass produced. This car led directly to the Ford Thunderbird, and more importantly, the Ford Mustang, which in turn set off the "personal car" sales surge of the '60s. Aside from the ground-breaking debut of the Corvette, you're all already familiar with the exceptional success of the Corvette with every revision since then in terms of sales figures, motorsports success, and prestige. (okay, maybe not so much with the late C3 and early C4s that suffered horribly from growing pains due to the new emissions standards)

I think this one is the one you meant. The first Corvette body:

[JonnydaJibba]

Originally Posted by ShawnS

1001 HP
250 MPH top speed
8.0 liter W16 engine
Double clutch 7 speed manual/automatic tranny.
AWD
3 Speed settings(street, race, and too damn fast)
Front air splitter adjusts to speed
250 MPH top speed requires a special key inserted in to a secondary lock module. Once top speed setting is chosen, the car runs a diagnostics check to ensure it can "safely" go too damn fast.

You forgot to mention quad turbos!

[doubleurx]

This was the first production AWD porsche.

And it is still for sale!

[sybir]

Nick, you should get him to trade rims, those GT1's would look so hot......

[ShawnS]

Originally Posted by JonnydaJibba

You forgot to mention quad turbos!

I also forgot to mention that it comes with the largest wheels from a production vehicle.

[cody]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Did they ever actually build one and actually drive it to Ludicrous Speed? I can't remember ever hearing about it, only the expected results when they did.

Yes! This article gave me wood.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

1991 Ford Explorer

While Ford's Bronco and Bronco II, various large Jeeps, Dodge's Ram Charger, and GM's K5 Blazer and S-10 Blazer had all existed for quite a while, it was the introduction of the Explorer that proved turnabout is fair play to the minivan, and pushed station wagon sales even farther down until their recent revival.

I dunno about that one. AMC introduced the Jeep Cherokee in 1984, and it was the first "small" unibody SUV to come out on the market. It's sales were so high that Chrysler bought out AMC in 1987 just to get their Jeep revenue. It pretty much paved the way for every other SUV that's come afterwards, including the Exploder.

[MattR]

Power Chair circa 1987

Giving Mobility to those who can't walk.
Call now and get yours for no money down.

Scooter-Store for teh Win



Don't forget your helmet!

Hawt Coilover upgrade!

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Oh snap, son!

[MikeK]

Do those coilovers come with camber plates?

[MattR]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Do those coilovers come with camber plates?

I would imagine so, the guy in the helmet is running some nice negative camber.

[qksubi]

Okay some let kevin out of his cage he just went ape shit all over this thread thanks