I'm sure all of you have seen the new Dodge Magnum Hemi wagon. What a cool looking wagon! Buick should come out with something like this. I know a few years ago,Buick had a concept vehicle(isn't it too bad that the good looking vehicles that are concept cars never make it into production?) Come on Buick,build something!!!!
I saw the Chrysler 300 and I thought it looked a like S%*(. Maybe they are going back to the theme of ugly cars with good motors.... Although the wagon looks cool. I was not impressed by the 300.
Considering Chrysler came out with the MiniVan in the mid-80's, Created a new market and sold Millions and MILLIONS of them, and it took Buick almost 20 years to realize there's a possible market -share to sell a vehicle to (Rondezvous.....a make-over of the most-hated design ever: Pontiac Aztec)...... .....and considering BUICK (GM) Killed the BEST wagon EVER made (94-96 RoadMaster Estate....LT1 Powered.....Imagine it now, 8 years later as an LS1 or even LS6 SportWagon ??) ....I think it'll be around 2012 before we'll see something remotely nice in a GM wagon
I agree Alan. Make fun of Chrysler if you want, but in my opinion, they lead the way with innovation and balls and have for some time now. They lead, everyone else follows. Just look at pickup truck design for one example. Look who started that whole "truck" front end look. Look at the Viper. Was it even needed? Probably not. It was a gamble. A HUGE gamble. It sure payed off. It's a great target audience. The minivan, love it or hate it, in it's many forms, was a clean slate idea from the embryo on up and Chrysler blazed the trail for that too. Plus, even after everyone has copied it all these years, Chrysler STILL makes the best minivans. I equate the minivan and Chrysler to Ford with the SUV. The Bronco II and Explorer started it all and the Explorer is still the number one selling SUV. As Alan said, don't hold your breath for Buick OR GM for that matter to wow anyone anytime soon. We'll land on Pluto before that happens.
Funny thing..... My wife and I are having a very serious discussion last nite......Im in the middle of making a point, Stop dead in my tracks and point to the TV and say.... "Isn't THAT a cool looking new Wagon ?? Its called the Magnum by Chrysler and its got a HEMI in it........can you say H-E-M-I ??? " My wife Cracked up I just shrugged and said "Heyy.....you're the one who married a car-guy....whaddaya expect ??"
300C I would certainly consider the 300C for a daily driver. Buick quit making the Riviera, and mine has 176k on it now. I hope it is good for another 50k, but I don't think Buick will have a replacement in the next two years. In two years, the 300C will have the initial bugs (if any) worked out and maybe some price incentives.
True Ken, but not anymore. Chrysler isn't Chrysler anymore. At least it isn't the Chrysler that developed the minivan, cab-forward design and the Viper. Shifting from the So-Cal design school who did a beautiful job with the Intrepid and 300M, to the stale MB design is quite a dramatic shift. True, the Magnum wagon is OK, but not what I'd call "sharp", and the new 300 is really a bland exercise in a stale treatment for car design that up until last year was one of the truely beautiful American luxo-sports cars. Mr. Iacocca, where are you??? We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need? Lee Iacocca
i'm one of those guys that really like the way that daimler is taking their cars. the new 300c looks like a bentley, just affordable...not only that but they run great too! they also have some very nice mercedes suspension components to make sure it handles great for such a large type car! the new hemi in these cars also have a good working displacement on demand type technology...they said it only takes 20milli-seconds to switch from a v8 to a v4, and the test drivers said they couldn't tell when it would change. (now i just wonder how long it will take for that system to start screwing up o No: ) but i love the new magnums! if i was in the new car market, that is what i would get! its a wagon! a very nice rear wheel drive, v8 powered, up scale interior wagon that can be had for right under 30k! i say thats an awesome buy! but i have my 65 sport wagon, so i don't need a new car :beer: just my .02 cent daniel
That's what I noticed too. :Brow: I like the looks of the car and hope they come out with a supercharged version of the Hemi too. If they do, I'll buy one and slap on some GS Stage-1 badges on the side of the car and call it a day. :grin: Looks like Kenne-Bell is developing supercharger kits for the new Hemi. http://www.kennebell.net/superchargers/dodge/hemi57/hemi57.htm I've been told that GM only needs Chevy and Cadillac to survive, and the other division may go the way of Oldsmobile. Last I heard, Buick only had 12 people on staff. Hard to believe that one.
True, but, that does not have to necessarily be a bad thing. I agree, the Durango has been IMHO of course, ruined cosmetically. However, it has been improved 10 fold in safety and engineering according to what I've heard. Lets face it, Mercedes makes great cars, but I never really liked their look. Only a few of them. There still are some good guys from Chrysler designing cars for Daimler-Chrysler. If they let these guys worry about the design and then engineer safety "around" design, it would be better. I don't know how cost effective it would be though. Clearly, the opposite approach was taken with the Durango. I guess that's why they figured they'd offer the Hemi because they ain't gonna sell any on looks that's for sure. Listen, I'm not a Mopar person, but I have a great deal of respect for that organization for what they've done to pave the way for other ideas over the past several decades. Their ability to adapt has been unbelieveable. From the early Chrysler Hemis to the K cars in the eighties. The K cars were pathetic from a performance standpoint (for the most part) but they were just what the doctor ordered and were the company's main stay during a pathetic period of time when other car companies were convinced that you should still be driving a 30 foot long Olds 98. Sure, I'd would have rather "been able" to drive the Olds, but at 10 miles a gallon with gas prices climbing steadily, Chrysler heeded the sign of the times and led the way once again. I'm not saying other car companies didn't adapt this theory and make it work well for themselves, I just think Chrysler has done it best.
That is pretty funny Alan. I think that the dodge is a new age muscle car, and the Chrysler is like a limo. __________ Rob 1972 Riviera
do you guys think there is any way we could get buick to build a rear drive buick powered performance car again? bob
I love the looks of that new Magnum, if I had the money, I'd buy one. If they come out with a coupe version with a good looking back window, I would definately buy one. Has anyone else seen these "<motor company name> test drive" shows on speed channel? They just did one with the 300 and these two guys take them around the track, beating on them and drifting around corners and such, very cool to see that big of a car going sideways with smoke pouring out of the rear.
I actually like the Magnum. Largely because the car is different, it's a wagon with balls. Unlike most major auto manufacturers, Chrysler is actually taking risks and being different.
It's funny that I saw this thread. I'm actually going tonight to check out one of the Magnums. I saw them at the Auto Show in January and thought that they looked really cool. They look better "in person" than on the commercials, to me. My fianc's dad works at the Chrysler Tech Center in Auburn Hills, he's a process engineer and said that Chrysler will soon have RWD only cars. They are doing away with FWD, I guess the Mercedes people think it's a joke (as do I). I like the Magnums for the same reason that someone else said, they are different. How many new station wagons are there out there, that can smoke the tires? I know that in Saudi Arabia, they sell 350 HP Lumina station wagons, but that might be pretty pricey to bring one, just for me to drive. Scott
