What cars would you like to see available in Canada?

[Crash]

Having just read Mathieu's great article on Transport Canada's Garage and the types of vehicles that they are testing started me thinking :idea:

You guy's must know of some great cars sold overseas that are not available here. So tell us what models you would like to see pass through the garage and onto our roads.

I quite like the idea of that Smart Roadster myself!

P.S. If you haven't read Mathieu's article yet, What are you thinking? go back and read it now as it's rather interesting.

[big_block]

Nissan Skyline
Pontiac GTO
Renault, Fiat brands

[Crash]

I'm with you on just about everything but...I'm not so sure about Fiat?

I had a couple in my youth and they gave me nothing but trouble. Mind you, that is going back a few years, so maybe things have changed now.

I also had a few Alfa's back then which gave me some huge headaches also, but I loved them just the same. They all rusted away before my very eyes but the sound that an Alfa engine makes is just intoxicating. They're like a love-hate relationship and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

[big_block]

Alfa Romeo are nice cars too. They are suppose to be back in North America but there are still pushing the date...2008-2009 last rumor I heard.


For Fiat, we going to have a 'kind of sample' with the new 2007 Suzuki SX. The same vehicule is sold by Fiat. I don't know what is the pourcentage of Suzuki and Fiat parts in this new SX.

[apl16]

from my info that suzuki is all suzuki sourced to fiat.

bring us the logan and maybe some of the wagons not available here....and more diesel engines from the japanese.

[Pritch]

Nissan skyline yessssss, even though its a G35 is it not?

The GTO also would be great......

whats that little BMW, like the 1 series? That would be neet, also has anyone seen the ariel atom?

[big_block]

BMW Series 1 will propably be a bit latter in America. Volvo announced that it will bring the new small hatch C30 in Canada sometime in 2007.

[PatriceCalve]

How about the whole SEAT cars and the whole VW line-up? I'm particularly interested in the AWD versions of the VW Golfs.

[The General]

How did I miss this post??

I'd like to try an Alfasud, a 205 GTI, a Clio Williams...

How about a 307, any Clio, a Mégane or a C4...

So many nice cars over there!!

[Crash]

Alfasud, now that's a name I haven't heard in a while. It's a name that can still put a smile on my face :-)

When I was younger, back in the UK, I owned three of them over a period of time. I just loved them. Small and nimble, great handling, with an exhaust note that made you feel like you were driving a race car.

The only problem was they rusted so bad. One of them, although the body looked pretty good, the bulkhead rusted behind the engine so bad, that the front of the car nearly came away from the rear. I couldn't give the car away in the end.

Still, it could have been worse, a friend of mine had a Lancia where the underside was so rusty, the engine fell out of it as he pulled away from a set of traffic lights.

Italian cars eh! like a few Italian women that I've known. Heaps of fun, drop dead gorgeous to look at, wonderful to listen to, but try to trade one in for a younger model and it's gonna cost yer :-)

[The General]

Alfasud, now that's a name I haven't heard in a while. It's a name that can still put a smile on my face :-)

When I was younger, back in the UK, I owned three of them over a period of time. I just loved them. Small and nimble, great handling, with an exhaust note that made you feel like you were driving a race car.


DAMN!! Color me jealous!

Do you have any picturews of them? I've read much about the car and have often understood that it is considered one of the best or innovative FWD cars ever made.

Here are a few pictures:

http://www.channel4.com/4car/media/100-greatest/03-large/03-alfa-romeo-alfasud.jpg

Here is what they look like after two years:

http://www.icmesa.com/tinhunter/Houthalen/Alfasud.jpg

[Crash]

Hey General, (or should that be SIR!)

That's a little unfair, mine didn't get to look like that until they were at least five or six years old :-)

I had a base one first, I think that it was about 1100cc, it might have been smaller, then two Ti versions. I brought them when they were a few years old (I was young and had no money, Alfa's were fairly cheap to buy back then). I kept each one for a year or so. As they were a few years old when I got them, that's all I could get out of them.

I loved them all and I still think that the Alfasud was one of the most fun cars ever built.

I don't have any pictures from back then (I wish I did). Seeing those you posted brought back many happy memories, thank you SIR, I salute you.

[The General]

Crash, your Honour, I was of course kidding about the "2 year" thing... 28 months was more like it. :lol:

The only car that I have ever driven that could possibly come close to the Alfasud, I think, was a 1970 Austin Mini Cooper S.

Here is a picture. I did not drive this one...

http://www.minireg.com/members/411/P8080079.jpg

[Crash]

Mr. General Sir,

I actually have one of those babies sitting in my garage at the moment, it is squeezed in next to Big Betha.

I brought it a couple of years ago and I use it as a daily runaround during the summer months.

It's not an original (they're worth far to much), but it is Cooper S powered with a 40 DCOE Webber. It has the S brake setup with braided lines, hi-lo adjustable suspension, adjustable shocks, adjustable camber, 10inch rims etc.

It is an absolute blast to drive and it can still give one or two modern cars a run for their money.

[The General]

DUDE !

That is awesome! You are basically living my dream. I long for a bunch of cars in my barn (which I don't have yet) to play with and work on.

I just might have to come and take a look at your collection some day...

[Crash]

You'd be more than welcome Sir.

Don't get too excited though, some of them aren't exactly pristine examples. I rent them out now and then for tv and movies. It doesn't pay much but it helps to cover the cost of maintaining them.

I keep saying that I'm going to sell a few off as it's all getting a bit much for me nowadays.

My tip to anyone thniking about collecting cars is...don't let yourself get too carried away. The more storage you have, the more you tend to fill it up. Then you have to remove batteries etc for the winter, replace them in the spring etc etc, it becomes a job rather than a hobby.

Anyway, like I said, you're more than welcome to visit, the teapot's always ready and there's beer in the fridge :-)

[The General]

Your Honour,

You are tugging at my heartstrings !!

I'll be by in the spring, how about that?

[Crash]

Sounds good to me...you can help me replace all the batteries, pump up the tires, do the oil changes, free up all the siezed bits.

It'll be great fun...I'll supply the beer :-)

[The General]

How many bolts are we talking about? ...

[Crash]

Don’t you worry Sir, I’ll make sure that the number of bolts directly corresponds to the number of beers on offer.

There now, you see, I have it all figured out :-)

See you in the spring.

P.S. Come thirsty :-)

[The General]

Don’t you worry Sir, I’ll make sure that the number of bolts directly corresponds to the number of beers on offer.

At that rate, I don't think we will get much done...

[MiniK]

Crash, your Honour, I was of course kidding about the "2 year" thing... 28 months was more like it. :lol:

The only car that I have ever driven that could possibly come close to the Alfasud, I think, was a 1970 Austin Mini Cooper S.

Here is a picture. I did not drive this one...

http://www.minireg.com/members/411/P8080079.jpg

I want that car. :D

[tache]

Logan

cheap and spacious

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/tache/Logan/Dacia-Logan-MCV-800_resized.jpg

:shock: