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Comments

  • Be Here Now wrote on December 13, 4:09 pm:
    I hope everyone gets Wert's background. That is what Detroit looks like on a daily basis. I've been there.

    The Eminem movie made Detroit look like Disneyland.

    Totally hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    reply to comment
  • GeigerSpeed wrote on December 13, 7:42 pm:
    Matt, you have great taste in cars my friend!

    Well done!

    Good questions, and Matt and you put your 2 cents in just enough that it made it seem less like an interview (comparitevly speaking to last time)

    I'm not too fond of paddles on the 8C, let a lone ANY car.

    The Caparo is awesome, despite its draw backs, but i say give it a year and it will be.. well maybe not. It is British, and it is built in a shed by 4 bald dudes in the country. In all respects though, its design is brilliant, they just need to fine tune the details.

    I want that 135i. Ray you have a really good point though! Light weight, some what compact, and sporty is a must. Light weight is KEY. But the 135i is gorgeous, so I want one.

    I'm from California... Northern California. Everyone has a Hybrid. The US needs to think like the Europeans! Diesel.. thats all I got to say.

    The Z06, the GT, the Challanger, CTS-V are the only American cars that are worth even talking about. Other than that... US cars suck. We need to get our shit straight!! Its annoying.
    reply to comment
  • CARBON FIBER wrote on December 13, 9:09 pm:
    Dude. On one hand you are begging for fans, groveling even. So Im like, OK, I'll be your fan alright?

    2 Conditions:

    1. Remove Team Polizei 144 off the jacket which Im guessing was given to you for promoting his book?

    2. Immediate Retraction for heavily criticizing 'American Cars Suck'.

    Firstly the definition of American is difficult at best. Many Fords today contain over > 80% foreign content. Many Honda's contain greater than > 80% local US content.

    The Ford GT is arguably a foreign vehicle as it was designed & supplied by foreign subcontractors & many specialists from the UK.

    The Z06 does 0-60 in 3.7! Hello? Anyone home? And it costs what, like a loaf of bread?! CMON give em a break. Nothing in the Universe even comes close. And you can drive it all day long without having to worry about any kind of special maitenance or problems.

    I've had many a vehicle from all parts of the globe. The brakes on my Camaro SS have saved my life on numerous occaisions! It can stop in 1/2 the distance of an F40 costing $1 Million! And 10 years ago, 0-60 in under < 5 seconds and > 300 HP was unique in its class. And the air induction scoop. Even today I could put a Ferrari sticker on the hood & have some people second guessing.

    The Cadillac STS was awarded interior of the year by a group of automotive journalists. The CTS interior was designed by a womens group so you will notice soft textures everywhere & could explain why it is so user friendly.

    American Cars Suck is a very broad & derogatory statement which is very inaccurate & incorrect. Yes they have issues namely current dollar exchange rates, unions, legal & legacy pension payments. But remember, Nobody does Performance/Value ratios like Yours Truly. If one makes outlandish comments or statements, they must be substantiated & supported with facts & figures. Thank you, your biggest fan { Retraction Pending }
    reply to comment
  • the fin wrote on December 13, 9:27 pm:
    you get in the ford gt, and right away you KNOW its a ford? okay lets get in F430...gee whats this? a chevy? honda? of course those thoughts would NEVER occur to you as you would KNOW this is a Ferrari. The designers and marketing people want you to know and feel branding.

    That being said, your spot on about the exterior design. I think Detroit is afraid to swim in the deep end especially in the standard car world.
    As for sports/exotic car class. Detroit has its head up ass. And its not entirely the designers fault. I've been to Pasadena Art Center where they recruit new talent. Somewhere after college those designers lose their originality, or its taken from them by idiot management.
    reply to comment
  • Pat (anon) wrote on December 13, 10:05 pm:
    Hey,
    this episode was better than the last car discussion, it was alot more confortable. however you guys gotta up what these guys know about cars...the Bimmer 1 series is a car that was CLEARLY designed for the european market where people want small efficient cars, and yes, its as heavy as hell...as for hybrids, i dont know or care enough to make a comment about them, and the comments about the knowing ur sitting in a ford? how is that???? afterall you are sitting in a FORD(but it looks nothing like the inside of a mustang?)...a car modeled after the car that stomped ferrari's in le mans???...its built to be a simple car, it has racing at its heart and not the stupid "luxury garbage" that lambo, ferrari and the like companies do in europe. plus its alot more bang for your buck than any ferrari or lambo. I can understand the comment about the Z06, but the track times dont lie, it rapes ferraris and lambos.
    AND U DIDNT EVEN BRING UP THE FACT that there are OTHER car manufacturers for example Saleen which makes the saleen s7.

    you guys are coming along and im gonna continue watching

    pat
    reply to comment
  • Murphnation wrote on December 13, 10:26 pm:
    Wow. What the hell is going on behind Ray? Is that a slaughter house at one point? It looks like God's wrath being incurred on the world as a backdrop.
    reply to comment
  • mattf nymc (anon) wrote on December 13, 10:46 pm:
    When I say you immediately know you're in a ford, I don't mean that you see the blue oval on the steering wheel. I mean that, despite the fact that the car costs $165,000, the feel of the interior is cheap and plastic. The switches and dash aren't real aluminum, they are painted plastic, and the dash is made of the same cheap vinyl used in the Mustang. I can understand that, in a Corvette, "bang for the buck" is the name of the game, so I'll take a cheap interior if the car goes fast enough. But in a car that costs twice the price of a Z06 (and isn't any faster, by the way), I expect much higher build quality when it comes to the interior and fit and finish of the car.

    ps. the video behind ray is from the Detroit riots. He's from Detroit, so it was only appropriate.
    reply to comment
  • Murphnation wrote in reply on December 14, 12:15 am:
    Does anyone feel like this is the mid 1970's all over again? The Japanese and Europeans are building faster, nicer, more economical cars and the Americans can't do anything but produce either complete crap(read the Sebring comments from the video) or a very raw car which is essentially a monster engine tethered to a boring, uninspiring body.

    Matt wouldn't you say the interior of your Mini has a better fit and finish to the Ford GT or especially a Z06?
    reply to comment
  • mattf nymc (anon) wrote in reply on December 14, 1:18 am:
    Yes, the fit and finish of my Mini is significantly better than the interior of both the Ford GT and Z06
    reply to comment
  • mattf nymc (anon) wrote on December 13, 10:47 pm:
    and alex didn't give me the jacket for promoting his book. he gave it to me because i spent 6 days with him driving across the country and back. I modified it a bit with a NYMC badge as well..
    reply to comment
  • Gary Grant wrote in reply on December 14, 9:28 am:
    Holy crap Matt....keep the jacket on!

    Those jiggly moobs will attract a whole new kind of viewer ;)
    reply to comment
  • Lau wrote on December 14, 6:22 pm:
    The 164 was not the last car from Alfa Romeo. Maybe the last car they sold in the US. 20 years ago?

    I suggest doing at least 10 minutes of research about an on-going company before giving advice to it! Just going to the official Alfa Romeo website and browsing for a few minutes you will see that they are already making sedans, hatchbacks etc. They haven't been sitting on their hands for the last 20 years.

    Have you never heard of the Alfa 156 GTA? What a great sound that car makes.
    reply to comment
  • MattF NYMC (anon) wrote in reply on December 15, 1:46 am:
    I was referring to the last Alfa imported into the US, not the last one made. I know that they have been producing cars in Europe this entire time.... It's tough to do a scriptless show in one take and get every fact straight :) Hope you'll stick around though....
    reply to comment
  • Lau wrote in reply on December 15, 11:00 am:
    A lot of things on the show seemed very US-centric, which is OK. It would just be cool if you had mentioned that:
    1) The BMW 1 series has been sold in Europe for years, and there is a 130i hatchback, which is basically a 135i without the turbos.
    2) What kind of cars Alfa has been producing since the last time they sold in the US. And what kind of cars they probably are going to introduce to the US market. I would guess something like the Spider, 159 and Brera. The 8C is just a show peice.

    I liked your comment about the "exotic" model names on bland cars. Another one in the same vein is the very bland "Mitsubishi Carisma" - a model name with sarcasm built in.

    Yeah, I'll stick around. I just subscribed to 419 yesterday on iTunes. 419 looks like a decent show.
    reply to comment
  • mattf nymc (anon) wrote in reply on December 15, 9:17 pm:
    point taken. will try to include more european versions of cars in future episodes...
    reply to comment
  • NYMC001 wrote on December 16, 11:28 am:
    Nice show...though I do take issue with the Alfa crack...truly the biggest problem with Alfa in the US was its distribution/dealerships...service for these cars was inconsistent at best AND parts were always an issue. I am curious how this 8c will be distributed..through F-Car dealers???..as Ferrari is owned by Fiat...which also owns Alfa....as an aside....we(USA) never got the "good" Alfas as they never crossed the pond...Alfa rushed to be in this market...never really understood it...and their cars were not really able to be retro-fitted for the US market...much like the Early Maserati Bi-Turbo's...
    As for American build quality....it has mort assuredly gotten much better....especially as you move up the food chain....as far as BMW....I cannot wait to throw the 135i around a track...is it the 2002 re-incarnated??...I will reserve my decsion until after I've driven one...as a past E30, E36, E46, E90 owner, the proof is in the pudding..so lets just wait and see.
    Nice show....your settling in!!...When my M3 arrives in April I will give you a spot on report!!!..LOL
    S
    reply to comment
  • Genes Dad wrote on December 17, 12:55 pm:
    I very much enjoyed seeing footage of my car and my son Thanks for making my day. P.S. I miss my car
    reply to comment
  • Nick Holla wrote on December 18, 2:47 pm:
    That malibu is pretty sexy....I'd kill for a new CTS-V!!
    reply to comment
  • Mercator wrote on December 26, 8:19 pm:
    Alfa 8c is on the money, but spendy. The late 60's alfas are the ones to mimic to ultimately come in with for mass production - 8000-10000 a year.
    Caparos are sleds. The modern 914 with V8 death machine.
    The 1 series is to the 3 series what Toyota is to Lexus. They aren't all that different, just the 3 costs more and has more gadgetry.
    *NOT A DD hardcore fan*
    Hybrids are an interim solution. 40 mpg in my camry hybrid is nice. I can't show off the camry though. I do like the electric motor pickup to pass. I save money on gas, but remember I got $3600 off on my taxes, which all but offset the cost over a similarly equipped gas model. The shit dont stink comment tells me you watched the sout park episode and saw it as gospel. I am saving the money. MPG is different - talk all hybrids, not just escalades and other land yachts, which I agree are lame.
    American car quality is still sketchy. Don't forget alot of foreign makes (nissan, toyota, etc) are made in the states, where the Chryslers are made in Canada and Mexico. What is an American car? Is the factory in the US, or the HQ?

    Chrysler is the new AMC.




    reply to comment
  • GMPPtech wrote on January 4, 6:24 pm:
    What's so exciting about a camry or an accord, nothing. By the way, toyota has service departments too, because things break. Japanese cars are overrated, and saying you know your in a Chevy is a bad thing? If you ever want things to improve mabye you shouldn't go out of you way to spew your biased opinions and hurt a companies rep.
    reply to comment

RAY WERT OF JALOPNIK AND MATT FARAH OF NYMC

Alfa 8c, Caparo T1, 135i, Hybrids and American cars

Matt Farah of the New York Motor Club and Ray Wert of Jalopnik discuss Alfa's return to the US, the Caparo T1, the 135i, hybrid cars and American car quality...or lack thereof.

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