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Subaru
Baja: Taking the Worst of Both Worlds
It
is quite unfortunate the Subaru Baja is listed on this particular
section of this website. After all, by many accounts, the machine
itself drives quite nicely and if you order the model that comes
with a turbocharged engine you have an exciting little machine.
I call it a machine because I dont know what else to describe
it as. The Subaru Baja is neither a car or a pickup truck or a
wagon. In fact, it combines the unique features found in those
three types of automobiles in the worst way possible. This creates
a very interesting and pointless package.
First off, one would think that the pickup-like bed would give
added utility to the Baja and in some respect that is true. However,
the bed is quite short and is about as useful as the rear of a
station wagon - except in the Baja the rear bed is exposed to
the elements and possible thieves.
The unfortunate truth of the matter
is that one could easily buy a Subaru Outback, load it up with
a roof rack and a bike mount and have themselves a better looking
(did I mention the Baja is butt-ugly?), more functional, better
performing machine for almost $5000 less. The idea behind the
Subaru Baja is nearly as stupid as putting a snowplow on the front
of a Porsche: it makes the machine uglier in an attempt to add
functionality that doesn't belong there in the first place.
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Dodge Viper SRT-10: A Perfect Example of Over-Compensation
Before all
of you jump all over me for attacking the beloved Dodge Viper
SRT-10, please be reminded I am not insulting the entire car,
just an ideal the North American car manufacturers have been
implementing way too much lately. I love the Viper because it
is an incredibly fast, well performing supercar that comes with
a price tag of only $80,000 or so. I also must admit that its
exterior appearance has grown on me since I first saw the concept
for the new Viper a couple of years back. The unfortunate thing
for the Viper is that something else about it grew, making it
a prime example of over-compensation.
"There is no replacement for cubic inches" a good
friend of mine once told me. Of course, the Dodge Viper has
over 500 cubic inches in its monster V10 engine. The problem
with this is that while Japanese, German and Italian sport scar
makers are developing amazing performance from small, well tuned
four, six and even 8 cylander engines, the Americans continue
to add displacement to their engines like their is no tomorrow.
No offense to Dodge or its Viper, but anyone who knows anything
about car motors can make 500 horsepower if they have over 8
litres of displacement to work with. In this day of dwindling
fossil fuel resources, instead of coming out with more technologically
advanced and economical engines, the Americans are adding more
and more cubic inches.
You may be asking me, what is the point of this rant? Basically,
it is the fact that to be truly admired in this day and age,
a sports car must show some technical superiority over its competition
and unfortunately for Dodge, the Viper SRT-10 does not. As sweet
as the Viper is, 60 horsepower per litre is just not acceptable
for a supercar in the 21st century.
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