Cars that are Fast and Cool
Classic Toy Room reviews ’08 TOYOTA PRIUS Matchbox car from Mattel, a faithful reproduction of the 2008 Toyota hybrid, the Prius!
For sports car enthusiasts all over the world, and in particular for Porsche fans all over the world the numbers 356 hold a special meaning. The reason for this lies in the chronicles of history, and a date that would forever live on in the memory of all Porsche fans. The year was 1948 and the date was the 8th of June. This was the birth year of the Porsche classic Type 356 sports car.
It weighed in at a modest 650kg, had a 1.1 liter capacity center engine and had an immodest (at the time) 40HP under its hood. Difficult to even find one of these original Porsche classic cars, if you do across them you will not be surprised to learn that they are considered priceless. With all good reason of course.
Besides being the first ever Porsche classic cars to come into existence there were only a total of 50 made and they were all without exception hand built, and that’s saying a lot. These penultimate Porsche classic cars were the harbingers of the 356 that we can still see today.
Unfortunately for all concerned the 356 Porsche classic car line was discontinued after 17 years in April of 1965. To that date just over 81,000 356 Porsche classic cars had left the assembly line. In the beginning no more than 500 were expected to sell.
This was a happy mistake on the part of the “father” of the Porsche classic car, Ferry Porsche, because by March of 1954 ten times the initial estimated amount of 356 Porsche classic cars had been sold.
The discontinuation of the 365 line however was not the end of the Porsche name or the car. A new concept Porsche classic was in the makings and by 1963 – two years before the 356 was discontinued – the Porsche classic 911 had become a reality.
This Porsche classic was the foundation for many a sports car to come and indeed still lives on to this day. On June 15th of 1996, Porsche reached another milestone and the one millionth Porsche was delivered from the assembly line.
And when all is said and done, the Porsche classic still lives on in the classic Porsche design and logo, and if you own a Porsche classic, you can be sure that people will turn their heads to look you. Even in this day and age of sports supercars a classic lives on.
The Audi TT may seem as out of the reach of normal road goers. Unlike its German brothers however it creates an affordable opportunity to those who want all the benefits of a German made sports car without the extortionate price. If considering an Audi TT I would advise to look at the used car market as often a bargain can be had.
The Audi TT first made an appearance as a concept car at the German Motor Show in 1995 where it won many awards. The styling is regarded by experts as the avant garde of a new design revolution. Its bold curved design was innovative in nature and turned heads wherever it went. For those looking at a used model there has been a new generation released recently; as this has updated the styling somewhat used car prices are sure to fall.
The car reinvented Audi as a company; before the TT many had seen Audi as a company who purely produced rather dull saloon cars. After this design classic was released the popularity of Audi grew and its other ‘S’ models became increasingly fashionable. A used Audi does not depreciate greatly and for those who want a slice of luxury and style they make an enticing option.
The low powered Audi TT used a front wheel drive system although later and more powerful models used Audi’s famous ‘Quattro’ four wheeled drive system. This gives unbelievable road holding qualities and great cornering ability. However the TT was subject to an investigation after it was found to be somewhat unstable when cornering at high speeds. As a result a recall occurred where spoilers were used and suspension settings were altered.
If in the market for a used Audi TT there are numerous engine options available dependent upon how much power you require and how fast you actually want to go. One major consideration however should be go for the convertible model, ideal for touring the countryside with the wind in your hair it makes a brilliant soft top sports car.
The high quality of the interior is testament to German manufacturing; the materials used in the cars construction ooze quality and refinement and make the cabin a sumptuous space to be in. Less impressive however are the rear seats that can be considered an afterthought at best.
While there is little chance of an adult fitting in the back comfortably, there is adequate room for smaller children. The Audi TT was never designed to be a family car though so the lack of rear space is not a great concern.
Although the handling and gearbox have been criticised by some commentators it should be realised that both are deliberate. Some have said the steering is somewhat pedestrian but Audi made the car to have light steering to make city driving easier; despite the protestations of die hard motor enthusiasts. The six speed gearbox has been criticised for losing power at the wrong times but again this is deliberate and an integral part of the six speed nature. Getting used to the gearbox is all part of the TT experience.
Whatever critics have said about the TT it remains one of the most popular sports cars on the road today. Audi can consider it an unbridled success that has brought the company out of a slump at put it at the forefront of revolutionary design. There is little doubt that if Audi had not produced the TT the new gorgeously styled R8 would never have come into existence.
No matter what your opinion on the TT it is hard to argue against the fact that it a design classic and one of the seminal cars of the last thirty years.How Audi used revolutionary styling to produce a design classic
A look at the good and bad points of the TT and why it can be considered a revolution in car design.
The Audi TT may seem as out of the reach of normal road goers. Unlike its German brothers however it creates an affordable opportunity to those who want all the benefits of a German made sports car without the extortionate price. If considering an Audi TT I would advise to look at the used car market as often a bargain can be had.
The Audi TT first made an appearance as a concept car at the German Motor Show in 1995 where it won many awards. The styling is regarded by experts as the avant garde of a new design revolution. Its bold curved design was innovative in nature and turned heads wherever it went. For those looking at a used model there has been a new generation released recently; as this has updated the styling somewhat used car prices are sure to fall.
The car reinvented Audi as a company; before the TT many had seen Audi as a company who purely produced rather dull saloon cars. After this design classic was released the popularity of Audi grew and its other ‘S’ models became increasingly fashionable. A used Audi does not depreciate greatly and for those who want a slice of luxury and style they make an enticing option.
The low powered Audi TT used a front wheel drive system although later and more powerful models used Audi’s famous ‘Quattro’ four wheeled drive system. This gives unbelievable road holding qualities and great cornering ability. However the TT was subject to an investigation after it was found to be somewhat unstable when cornering at high speeds. As a result a recall occurred where spoilers were used and suspension settings were altered.
If in the market for a used Audi TT there are numerous engine options available dependent upon how much power you require and how fast you actually want to go. One major consideration however should be go for the convertible model, ideal for touring the countryside with the wind in your hair it makes a brilliant soft top sports car.
The high quality of the interior is testament to German manufacturing; the materials used in the cars construction ooze quality and refinement and make the cabin a sumptuous space to be in. Less impressive however are the rear seats that can be considered an afterthought at best. While there is little chance of an adult fitting in the back comfortably, there is adequate room for smaller children. The Audi TT was never designed to be a family car though so the lack of rear space is not a great concern.
Although the handling and gearbox have been criticised by some commentators it should be realised that both are deliberate. Some have said the steering is somewhat pedestrian but Audi made the car to have light steering to make city driving easier; despite the protestations of die hard motor enthusiasts. The six speed gearbox has been criticised for losing power at the wrong times but again this is deliberate and an integral part of the six speed nature. Getting used to the gearbox is all part of the TT experience.
Whatever critics have said about the TT it remains one of the most popular sports cars on the road today. Audi can consider it an unbridled success that has brought the company out of a slump at put it at the forefront of revolutionary design. There is little doubt that if Audi had not produced the TT the new gorgeously styled R8 would never have come into existence. No matter what your opinion on the TT it is hard to argue against the fact that it a design classic and one of the seminal cars of the last thirty years.
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