Farah and Parente Discuss Muscle Cars and American Economy Cars - Garage419

Slow Car fast and Fast Car fast - but within the limits of the driver - if you see what I mean. My first car was a Citroen Dyane (a derivative of the 2CV - it was ever so slightly faster - not that that is saying anything!). And I used to have a hoot driving it as hard as I could, the best bit of the day was surprising someone on a road I knew well and passing things that had infinitely more horsepower (For those of you who don't know the 2CV and Dyane were 2 cylinder 602cc air cooled engined cars capable f about 72-76mph - 80 mhp down hill with a following wind!)

Interesting angle .... the definition of a "fast car" is really subjective. I currently own a 2007 350Z 6 speed base model with NO options. It weighs about 3200 lbs and has 306HP plus with an aftermarket exhaust. This is the fastest, most powerful car I have ever owned and it is an absolute blast to drive.

Garage 419 is cool.The best muscle car is the 69 Carger.That car is the best car in the world.Garage419 is the best show in the world.gruss aus deutschland(germany)

I have a E38 740i, so i think it is in a middle, because it is faster then most of the cars on the road but it is much heavier, but when you squeeze that V8 - it is a slow car going fast all the way, but when your are cruising it is a fast car going slow (in traffic in style). Funny thing that i had once a Peugeot 106xsi and i had sooo much fun with it also, it is light and makes you feel the road and the speed even if you are at a stopping light.

couldn't agree more!

Looking forward to a New Mustang SVO. Better that a High HP Barge, that feels like a truck, or SUV. Rather feel like I'm driving a Race car than a truck, but That's Just Me??? VF

Hey ford allready has a wicked V6 in the austrailian market in a sport car from FPV called the F6 it has a 4.0 litre turbo-charged DOHC 24 valve in-line six, the F6 produces a maximum power of 310kW at 5,500rpm and maximum torque of 565Nm thats a wicked engine for a mustang i think.

Whoah. Looks like this topic really resonated with people. Lots of reponses! Hmm....sure: Slow car fast. I feel you need to be able to afford track time to be able to truly and RESPONSIBLY enjoy the driving dynamica of a really fast, premium performance car

I drive a 1989 Skoda 136 Rapid (62HP) and nothing puts a smile on my face like driving it on winding country roads fast, so definitely a slow car fast.

GM deserves to go down the drain with wagner and Lutz( the guru of crashlandings in charge) they just don't get it in my group alone they have cost GM 87 cars.....ka.....

It is better to drive a fast car slow than a slow car fast. What else will you be driving to the restaurant? Isn't that the whole purpose of having a fast car?

I think only certain "slow" cars driven fast, because they really have that balls to the wall feeling when pushed. For example, I used to have a '94 toyota corolla, 4 speed 1.6 liter engine, that had a top speed of 80 mph, but getting to that top speed and maintaining it was one of the most wicked experiences ever. Right now I have an '04 eclipse (I gave the corolla to my little brother when he graduated high school, but he wrecked it while away at college) with a 3 liter v6 and it only puts out 205 hp but on the highway I downshift, slam on the gas, and watch the traffic blur by. Both of these cars are just my daily drivers, I drive about a 1000 miles a week. My fast car I will never drive slow, its an Evo, but its a track whore any way, it only sees the road on the way to the track.

I have a 2006 6 banger and with a dual exhaut and intake it helps my car so alot more aggressive. I guess to answer the queston driving a slow car fast deffinetly is more fun than a fast car fast. I've driven a Porsche CayaneS and the funs over before it even starts.

i drive a 98 vw jetta with 105hp and i love driving it fast and i can say i've had the car to the top end at 135 mph it was cool and all but slow car fast. and like leo said the Rich guys driving the fast car just says i have eye candy and i really have no idea how to drive this car. so i say slow car fast

the queston is it better to drive a slow car fast or a fast car slow is an interesting one, when u say slow car, r we talking in the general spectrum of cars or r we talking relative to car guy culture where a "fast" car would be a F430 or a GT3 or a vette and a "slow" car would be a SRT-4 or an Evo and so on. given that u gave ur mini as an example of a slow car, i'm gonna assume the latter rather than the former, and in which case i totally agree with u guys and Leno. by the by a Muscle car is a Muscle car even if they choose not to call em that anymore, i'm not sure if thats suppose to help em but it hasnt made me not wanna get one so i guess it really cant be much of an issue. good show and leo, u did great by the way.

Great show, Leo rocks! Anyway, I prefer to drive a fast car slow. Why? Because when you're out on the street you know you can whip anything's ass that you come across. Not to mention chances are everyone knows your car is fast and you look cool!

I think if FoMoCo would put there new EconoBoost twinturbo V6 in the mustang and put in independent rear suspension they would have one hell of a base Mustang

how about a fun car fast? something that handles and has a good feel when accelerating, it doesn't have to be fast, but it should sound great and give you a good feeling when driving

Also, a lot of folks are assuming a slow car means some POS. My understanding is we are comparing a "muscle" car (350 hp and up?) to a car that's not considered one...

It is all about power to weight and handling. I've got a "massaged" 1.8 A4 and even with the work it's far from the fastest thing on the road. But, man, it's fun to throw into a curve. I love all of the supercars and the capabilities but I'd never waste my cash on something that I couldn't fully use on a public street. Now if I lived near a good track...

FPV in Australia has already proven that a six-pot can outperform a V8. Just look the two models, the Falcon GT and the Falcon F6. The GT, which is powered by the Boss 5.4L, peaks it's torque at 4750 revs with 406 lbFt. In comparison, the F6 is powered by a turbocharges Inline-6 that spreads the love of 416 lbFt (ten more!) over the range of 1950 to 5200 revs. Now that's a torquey MF'n rev band! I got a better idea than simply choosing slow car fast or fast car slow. How about driving fast through a vacant straightaway and slow through a blind corner on a windy canyon or mountain road. The car to use should be reasonably quick like a WRX, MS3, RX-8, S2K, et al.

Great show, Leo knows his stuff.. As far as the QOD a slow car fast...

I like driving a fast car slow. There's nothing but highway where I live, and it's always worth it to smoke some dumb civic with an aluminum wing.

Love the show!! Also love that you keep old episodes online. I sometimes don't get to watch them for nearly a month. Glad they're there. I like the new advertisers as well. It's been forever since I watched Spike TV. I guess I should tune in again. Could you please discuss the following: Tesla motors (where the company has been, where it is now, where do you think it's going. Are they going to be a car manufacturer, or a drivetrain supplier?) Ford's "ECOboost" Future of "aftermarket" in California: The current legislation makes engine swaps all but impossible. What will this do to Cali's custom culture? (People don't have money to buy new cars, so they prefer to swap in newer engines in older cars.) The MINI Cooper SUV - Doesn't that defeat the point of being a MINI? Iconic car commercials through the ages.

I definitely think driving a slow car fast is better. I drive a 95 Jetta 2.0 and drive a nice winding hillside road home from work everyday. I can unwind, take turns fast, and I still get 26 mpg driving my car hard.

Matt you hit on some great points like how Nissan uses the same V6 across the board, yet they know how to make it sound great in the 350Z. Slow car fast, but it all depends on which slow car you're talking about. If you're driving a Yaris, thats no fun no matter what. I used to drive a '91 Sentra SE-R, and that was tons of fun despite only having 140hp. It handled well, and, like Matt hit on, the details were great: leather steering wheel and shifter, nice sporty seats. And i dont think a sports car needs to have a V8 in it. Acura gave us the NSX "Supercar" for a price of I think $80k and people bought it, and it had a V6. Detroit needs to give us a small car with all the details and attention and TECHNOLOGY they're giving to the larger cars and stop giving us crap like the Aveo. And if Detroit was smart, they'd be watching this show and paying some serious attention.

The question was, a slow car FAST or a fast car SLOW. No one in there right mind would think driving a slow car fast is any where near as fun as driving a fast car fast. There is nothing more frustrating then getting stuck in traffic in my M5 trying to get to my favorite stretch of road to unload it, it is painfull. Buzzing around in a beater 4 cylinder, standard shift in the same traffic can be a joy (nothing compaired getting sideways with 400+ hp.) but still a lot of fun.

NO,no,no! Matt,matt,matt!!! Your a tripper. I would rather drive my Mitsubishi GTO AWD 300HP @ 60Kph than run around in a Hyundi etc... Pedal to the metal.THINK MAN...THINK!!! (Adelaide,South Australia.Australia)

I think a slow car is fun if in slower conditions, and a fast car is fun in fast conditions (on the track, or an open road). I drive a 93 Mustang LX 4 cylinder, and, dare I say, I think it is more fun at "fast" speeds than a V8 mustang is while holding back. About "muscle cars," I think the term is over used referring to any American sports car. I prefer to use the term "pony car" for most of the cheaper versions i.e. V6's and standard V8's, and reserve "muscle car" for the more powerful versions i.e. GT500 and Charger R/T. V6 sportscars should have all of the creature comforts of their V8 counterparts, and I think this includes all of the senses, as stated. Visually much is already the same, but sound is an important sense in any sportscar. The V6 should be distinct from the V8, but not overpower or outshine the v8's sound. It should be "pleasant". American economy cars are boring because the American automakers only care about profits. They don't care that some blue collar worker wants the same quality in his Cobalt as a Lawyer gets in his Corvette. They just see the largest buying market, the economy cars, and seek the highest profits from that market.

Driving a slow car fast is definately more fun. BUT it needs to be a GOOD slow car. Or at least a decent one. Driving a an old Daewoo or Renault is just boring, no matter what speed you drive.

hey what up i have a 2005 chevy silveroda and its a v6 and im not goin to lie its sucks gas like there is no tomorrw and i wish i haved a v8 but tell u the ture i like my v6 becuse its fast and i puss it down gun it and i well bet a mustang v8 and no lie stoke my car is 190hp but know it pusin 230hp and its fun ass well so yea i like driven slow cars fast b/c u well see it but sometime i like the v8 cars or something with more power like the ford egde and drive one for a week and that f--kin fast u think its relly a v8 under the hood

Cruising around, winding out the first few gears in a fast car is pretty satisfying to me. Matt, take your Mini, just cruise from 1st to 3rd, shifting at about 4.5-5.k. measure the smile on your face. Now, take your Aston and do the same. Please post the results. The thought of driving a slow car, fast seems pretty weird to me. Brakes, tires, transmissions, seats etc aren't designed for the abuse and seems pretty dangerous.

I love the Audi TT, no matter what engine size, as long as its a hardtop. Yes I agree, American cars have no spunk, last awesome American cars where in the early 70's. What went wrong :(. I enjoy thrashing my 318Ti on the country roads. Foot to the floor shifting through the corners. YAH Driving my 328IC is just as fun but I am a little more cautious that I will give it too much power and crash.

Your comments on the joys of driving a fast car slow or a slow car fast hit the spot with me.I have one of each of these cars(an STi 500hp rocket that was prepared by Subaru no less & a Toyota Yaris).I am thrilled with both of these cars & am very fortunate to be able to pick and choose what I drive according to the conditions & my state of mind.As much as I love the STi I could not take it in its current form as an everyday car.The Yaris is tuns o fun too but it is more liveable 24/7.If I had to compromise it would be the Yaris.I don't so I have both.Keep the good show coming Bruce (Australia)

agreed, slow car fast is much better. first, it's not worth it to buy a 6-figure-price exotic, just to drive it around at 35 mph in the city, guzzling gasoline. also, I love taking my supercharged V6 grand prix, and pushing to the limit, when doing that with a ferrari or something could get you killed. plus, cops look for people in exotics, assuming that they're gonna speed, where as speeding in a Honda fit isn't quite as conspicuous. And for the record, I think the V6 can be just as fun, if not more than a V8.

slow car fast for sure i think the Japanese and Europeans put the nail in the coffin. You can take a Honda Civic Si previous gen rev rev and rev not go too fast and still keep a smile on your face. I think the key to fun slow car is 6 gears forward a peppy rev friendly engine and a stiffer than average suspension. I have a cooper s and that thing is fantastic it pulls hard gets great gas mileage its a head turner its a joy in the corners and its civilized when you need it to be. - Dave

Parente hit it on the head when he said it's as much about the power to wieght. The biggest challenge now a days is all of the safety equipment, emissions etc. Definetly a slow car fast...my 82 Toyota Tercel and 70 Mini cooper are still two of the favorite cars I have owned just for the reasons Matt said. I could beat on them all day, throw them around corners, slam shift and never had to worry about em. The Mini was the closest thing to a go-cart on the street and got like 45 MPG. I really miss that car.

i think driving a slow car fast is just better, or driving a slow car semi fast on a peice of shit road where you have to swerve side to side to avoid holes and expencive suspention and chasis repair. ohh and make the V6 sound cool and it will be fine, but dont put the same exhaust as the V8 because then when the V6 is in it just sounds quiet, each muscle car needs to have its very own exhaust, have the same one on both versions the V6 and the V8 and the "economy" version will sound like crap.