Weird & Wonderful cars

Marcus.Aurelius

Let's face it, there's been a lot of well, weird and wonderful designs let run to production.

And some of them gain popularity as they get older. I'll get the ball rolling with, the weird, Fiat Multipla:



Doesn't have to be cars just within Irish market

colm_mcm

Toyota Sera:


Nissan Pao


Nissan S Cargo

Marcus.Aurelius

That last one is nuts!

maidhc

I like the multipla! ... here is another weird machine

Anan1

maidhc wrote: »

I like the multipla!

I should hope so - the only two reasons for not liking the Multipla are stupidity and insecurity.

colm_mcm

yeah, Multiplas are great to drive, and very spacious.

Marcus.Aurelius

each to his own!!!!



It attract teh wimmins.

Anan1

maidhc wrote: »

I like the multipla! ... here is another weird machine

What's not to like about weird & Cosworth?:)

ambro25

Anan1 wrote: »

What's not to like about weird & Cosworth?:)

What's not weird and not Cosworth. i.e. the rest of it (had the misfortune of lapping up a "free upgrade" from Hertz some years back, Focus 1.8 > Scorpio 2.5 - Oh the agony! What a muppet I been! :rolleyes: )

First in thread with it:

'Cause I quite like them + the underlying concept

bazz26

Alfa Romeo SZ:

quattro777

RobAMerc

ambro25 wrote: »

What's not weird and not Cosworth. i.e. the rest of it (had the misfortune of lapping up a "free upgrade" from Hertz some years back, Focus 1.8 > Scorpio 2.5 - Oh the agony! What a muppet I been! :rolleyes: )

Why ? the scorpio was actually a dynamically reasonably talented, comfortable luxo barge - it didn't look to hot but hey ... So what was so awful about renting one ?

Do you think that because it looked odd it was crap to drive ?

RobAMerc

I have always had a softspot for these.

The misus like this one so we are considering it as the family car before the silly tax rules in July.

Green Hornet

ambro25 wrote: »

First in thread with it:

'Cause I quite like them + the underlying concept

What is that car? I've seen a few of them around and they look like dolls cars.

zilog_jones

Nissan Figaro. Based on the K10 Micra/March IIRC

ambro25

@ Green Hornet - it's a Nissan Figaro (1.0L Turbo Micra underneath).

RobAMerc wrote: »

Do you think that because it looked odd it was crap to drive ?

No, the looks I always found quite anonymous/acceptable TBH: a typical US ass (somewhat undertoned for Europe, I'll grant them that) and an instantly-forgettable face.

It was the drive, only the drive: "luxo-barge" ain't quite the word. It was fast, alright, 140 mph or so (fast as I dared take it, the steering wheel was turning a full quarter with no effect at that speed :eek:). It just didn't like being off the motorway at all, about as marshmallowy a driving experience as I've ever had.

Nah, if you're going to put a Cossie plant in a luxo-barge, do it in style (and here's one more for the thread, btw):


I once "brawled" with one of those in Northern France in the early 90s (I had a Delta Integrale). Scary beast, I'll tell ya (...and then they give us stick about Scooby boot spoilers! )

Anan1

RobAMerc wrote: »

I have always had a softspot for these.

The misus like this one so we are considering it as the family car before the silly tax rules in July.

Get out of my head, RobAMerc.

Run_to_da_hills

maoleary wrote: »

Let's face it, there's been a lot of well, weird and wonderful designs let run to production.

And some of them gain popularity as they get older. I'll get the ball rolling with, the weird, Fiat Multipla:



Doesn't have to be cars just within Irish market

I think the Multipla is weird but not wonderful, in fact these cars are so horrible looking I would classify them as "fart cars". Their predecessor was alott more intriguing

Marcus.Aurelius

Nice one Run, Good find!

RobAMerc

Anan1 wrote: »

Get out of my head, RobAMerc.

serious value at the mo too - but you'll probably have to moth ball it when your finished with it coz no one else will want it.

Anan1

RobAMerc wrote: »

serious value at the mo too - but you'll probably have to moth ball it when your finished with it coz no one else will want it.

Or give it to my gf to crash.

maidhc

... Or the Matra Simca Rancho? (I think 1001 soccer moms owe this car a debt of gratitude)



Reliant Robin:

colm_mcm

maidhc wrote: »

... Or the Matra Simca Rancho? (I think 1001 soccer moms owe this car a debt of gratitude)

As do the designers of the LR Discovery....

Guy:Incognito

RobAMerc wrote: »

I have always had a softspot for these.

The misus like this one so we are considering it as the family car before the silly tax rules in July.

Damn you. I thought I was the only one.Avantime's are cool, not a bit wierd (well a bit, but in a good way)

ninty9er

Stekelly wrote: »

Damn you. I thought I was the only one.Avantime's are cool, not a bit wierd (well a bit, but in a good way)

One of the Renaults I'd consider...along with a heavily depreciated, heavily specced autobox Vel-Satis.


**BTW the tax isn't going to be any different on these....only VRT if you have to import...and at that VRT on the 2.0 petrol only increases from 30% to 32%.....tax will still be €590

G Luxel

a micra sold as a jaguar mk 2 replica for the retro japanese market.

Max_Damage

maidhc wrote: »

Reliant Robin:

That's a Reliant Rialto.

Anyway, a few contenders, the Pontiac Aztez:



Not so much the exterior, but the interior of the Pontiac 6000 has alot to be desired:

ojewriej

Fiat 126p. First car for many poles. 625 cc, 21 bhp, 0-60 - never.

And here is Polonez - 2nd place on the Top Gears' list of the Worst Cars Ever made

ambro25

ojewriej, they're not really weird though, nor wonderful, are they?

Sometimes, rarely, weird and wonderful collide, to bring us:

The Plymouth Prowler. 10 year old 2nd-handers to be had for about $15k these days.

ojewriej

ambro25 wrote: »

ojewriej, they're not really weird though, nor wonderful, are they?

You have a point. But only because ypu haven't driven them - if you had, you would definitely call them weird.

ojewriej

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nissan S Cargo

I oftne see one of these in the City Centre (Dublin). I acually thought it's a custom made thing for marketing purposes, as it has adds all over it.

highdef

how about the understated Hyundai XG25......every option under the sun. Nice on the eye, not too expensive to run and as reliable as any Jap car!!!! Oh, and its for sale

RobAMerc

ninty9er wrote: »

**BTW the tax isn't going to be any different on these....only VRT if you have to import...and at that VRT on the 2.0 petrol only increases from 30% to 32%.....tax will still be €590

you are right of course - thanks I forgot that. Its the 3.0v6 we'd be after though the missus has been bit by the auto bug.

ojewriej wrote: »

You have a point. But only because ypu haven't driven them - if you had, you would definitely call them weird.

i have driven the 126p and I still don't think its weird. Whats the big deal ?

ambro25

The Fiat126p is, essentially, an "eighties -isation" of the venerable (and revered) 500. Incidentally, would the 500 deserve an outing in this thread? Was quite the revolution in the day, and must have appeared "weird and wondeful" to most, before becoming a runanway success, no?!?

One more, 'cause I love cars, and quirky/highly-individualist ones most of all
I give ye: the Nissan Cube

A few can be seen in the UK already. Lots in large US urban centres.
(Funny how much Nissan stuff in this thread already, eh? Who'd have thought it! )

Actually... How could I forget (after my Mum ran hers nearly 10 years :eek:!)
I give ye: the Renault Twingo

Fab car, the "90s 2CV". Loved driving it, and with PS and a decent 1.4 TD engine (e.g. the current one in the C4 Pluriel) it would be the perfect semi-urban runabout (IMHO).

Talking of which - my Mum replaced her Twingo with a C4 Pluriel indeed (1.4 TD), which I think has it's place in here too

Fab little thing too, this. 60+ to the gallon, 4 real seats in a mini-modular-convertible, with a real boot, and which moreover is cheap as chips to buy & run (well... in France at least!). After driving it extensively last summer, I'm seriously thinking of flogging both the Impreza and the MX-5 for one of these... Alright, maybe just the Impreza!

ojewriej

RobAMerc wrote: »

i have driven the 126p and I still don't think its weird. Whats the big deal ?

Not a big deal at all. I didn't know it has to be.

ambro25 wrote: »

A few can be seen in the UK already. Lots in large US urban centres.
(Funny how much Nissan stuff in this thread already, eh? Who'd have thought it! )

I saw it not lang ago in Tallaght. Older model though. I was just after watching a feature on it on Top Gear, so it caught my attention. It doesn't look that good in real life to be honest. It is a very weird car all right.

quattro777

Rear engined, rear wheel drive with a 3.5 or 4.3 litre 90º air-cooled V8

colm_mcm

I think the Tatra T87 is far more weird and wonderful than the T700




had the pleasure of seeing the second one in the flesh

peasant

There's an interesting story behind the Tatras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_T97
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Ledwinka

Basically, Porsche (Ferdinand himself) was heavily "inspired" by the smaller Tatra T97, when he "developed" (i.e. copied, more or less) that other weird and wonderful vehicle:

unkel

I'd read about Ferdinand copying from Tatra, but never in that kind of detail. Thanks for posting. The cross iron-curtain settlement in '61 is intriguing too

Anan1

Thanks peasant, I enjoyed that post too.:)

ambro25

1963 Amphicar (yes, yes, it was a production car)

colm_mcm

there are of course the "Cummfy Banana" cars, made by Ed China.

Casual Lofa



Street Sleeper


Bog Standard


Furry Ugg


Balls


All are road legal.

Wertz

Gotta love the Carver One...I know this thread is more for 4 wheeled vehicles, but the bike/car hybrid certainly fulfils both weird and wonderful, although perhpas not practical...

SAABMAN

ojewriej wrote: »

I oftne see one of these in the City Centre (Dublin). I acually thought it's a custom made thing for marketing purposes, as it has adds all over it.

Mother had, still kinda has one of these. Great fun to drive, surprisingly comfy bench seat, automatic, 1.5 petrol engine and no need for any test. NCT say its a van and DOE say its a car so neither of them would test it.
Only 4/5 imported into Ireland. McDonalds have a fleet of them in England, I think.
Oh, and I'll sell it:D

maidhc

SAABMAN wrote: »

Mother had, still kinda has one of these. Great fun to drive, surprisingly comfy bench seat, automatic, 1.5 petrol engine and no need for any test. NCT say its a van and DOE say its a car so neither of them would test it.
Only 4/5 imported into Ireland. McDonalds have a fleet of them in England, I think.
Oh, and I'll sell it:D

OT I know, but I think we need a thread about nissan. How did they go from making cool cars the like Figaro or S Cargo (and were self confident enough to name it, and design it after a snail), the Z Coupes and extremely competent family cars like the Primera to bankruptcy and produce the tiida... while along the way making carzy stuff like the Murano and even the very original Quasqai. They are so full of contradictions.

That is my random muse over...

Rippy

Ugliest beast on the road?

junkyard

What about these?

Slig

junkyard wrote: »

What about these?

You could carry me in a box away in one of those:D

G Luxel

highdef wrote: »

how about the understated Hyundai XG25......every option under the sun. Nice on the eye, not too expensive to run and as reliable as any Jap car!!!! Oh, and its for sale

It is a Japanese car, the korean version of the mitsubishi Debonair.;)

this car appears to have every possible extra available

G Luxel

Mitsuoka galue 204, a retro toyota corolla