Weird Cars Thread

[Ron Texas]

The Checks have tradition with aerodynamics! kapka = a droplet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Mach https://www.fs.cvut.cz/en/home/

Tatras were not weird, just plain beautiful!

Maybe it's just me but I get that same stuck in reverse gear vibe on this one. Nice find, by the way.

 

[Ron Texas]

1959 Cadillac commercial chassis, mostly used for hearses. Captioned "they must have a major infestation". Maybe their DAC is haunted.

 

[somebodyelse]

Tatras were not weird, just plain beautiful!

Interesting - I was only aware of their trucks.

 

[blueone]

A Corvette SUV? Original ideas are so rare and infrequent in the automotive world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/gm-may-expand-corvette-lineup-to-include-a-crossover-suv.html

 

[Ken1951]

A Corvette SUV? Original ideas are so rare and infrequent in the automotive world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/gm-may-expand-corvette-lineup-to-include-a-crossover-suv.html

Sort of anathema, but WTH, Porsche, Lambo, Bentley, R-R do it - but still...

 

[Blumlein 88]

Knowing GM, they'll take an Escalade, and put a Corvettish grill and taillights on it. Drop the Corvette engine in it and call it good for about $125k.

A real mid-engine SUV might be something. Have completely separate front and rear passenger compartments with the engine in between.

 

[Martin]

Ford sort of did it with the Mustang so why not?

Martin

 

[Martin]

I rather like these weird cars:

Martin

 

[Robin L]

I remember one of these cruising down Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA, back in the day:

 

[Blumlein 88]

I rather like these weird cars:
View attachment 106293

View attachment 106294

Martin

Are those known as Shooting Brake models?

 

[blueone]

I rather like these weird cars:
View attachment 106293

I owned one of these Z3 M Coupes. I fell for them the minute I saw one. Awesome I-6 engine and 5-speed manual transmission, with really short gearing. 60mph was about 3000 RPM, if my memory is accurate. Awesome shift feel. Nice sounding exhaust. Really long hood; it felt like you were driving from the back seat (there isn't one, it's a two-seater), and you sort of are; your butt rests just forward of the rear wheel. Very poor driver's seating position. The steering wheel was not adjustable, and it practically rested on my quadriceps. The HVAC system had two settings with temp adjustment engaged: too hot and too cold. The seats weren't comfortable for anyone with broad shoulders. Tricky handling. It would oversteer easily, and the breakaway away was sudden, not gradual. I tried to solve the handling issues (I lived in sports car heaven at the time, winding two-lane roads everywhere) with wheel, tire, and suspension upgrades, but in the end I just gave up and sold it. I missed the Z3M for awhile until I got into Porsche Caymans. Nothing beats mid-engine sports cars.

 

[Martin]

I owned one of these Z3 M Coupes. I fell for them the minute I saw one. Awesome I-6 engine and 5-speed manual transmission, with really short gearing. 60mph was about 3000 RPM, if my memory is accurate. Awesome shift feel. Nice sounding exhaust. Really long hood; it felt like you were driving from the back seat (there isn't one, it's a two-seater), and you sort of are; your butt rests just forward of the rear wheel. Very poor driver's seating position. The steering wheel was not adjustable, and it practically rested on my quadriceps. The HVAC system had two settings with temp adjustment engaged: too hot and too cold. The seats weren't comfortable for anyone with broad shoulders. Tricky handling. It would oversteer easily, and the breakaway away was sudden, not gradual. I tried to solve the handling issues (I lived in sportswear heaven at the time, winding two-lane roads everywhere) with wheel, tire, and suspension upgrades, but in the end I just gave up and sold it. I missed the Z3M for awhile until I got into Porsche Caymans. Nothing beats mid-engine sports cars.

Speaking of mid-engined sports cars and weird cars, this one was rather weird for Toyota.

I owned a red over tan 5-speed for several years in the late 1980's. I loved it. Wish I still had it.

Martin

 

[mhardy6647]

A real mid-engine SUV might be something. Have completely separate front and rear passenger compartments with the engine in between.

Heh, Ford did it in the early 1960s
well -- sort of...

Ford Falcon Club Wagon by D70, on Flickr
DSCF2494 by Eco-Steve, on Flickr
(the engine, of course, is under that quasi-center seat)
1966 Ford Econoline van by Richard Spiegelman, on Flickr

Not 4wd, but that can be rectified


https://flic.kr/p/2jhz9sH

I cannot post the link (the forum s/w tries to parse it and post as an image, which is disabled!), so maybe this'll give credit where credit's due for that interesting 4x4 Econoline https:// www dot flicker dot com/photos/bharding56/50070645461/in/dateposted/

 

[Ron Texas]

Are those known as Shooting Brake models?

Definitely shooting brake. JFK Jr. had one of those BMW's. That Ferrari is to die for.

Story has it that the engineers had to beg Bill Ford to give back the Mustang EV prototype they lent him.

 

[blueone]

Speaking of mid-engined sports cars and weird cars, this one was rather weird for Toyota. View attachment 106299
I owned a red over tan 5-speed for several years in the late 1980's. I loved it. Wish I still had it.

Martin

Those "Mister Twos", like the Z3M Coupe, are cult cars. I've known several people who owned one of the various versions of the MR2 over the years, and they were enthralled. The Z3M Coupes had such a dedicated following that they even started their own national meet-ups, called "Dorkfest".

http://www.dorkfest.org

 

[thewas]

A Corvette SUV? Original ideas are so rare and infrequent in the automotive world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/gm-may-expand-corvette-lineup-to-include-a-crossover-suv.html

You know all hope in the automotive world is gone when even Ferrari jumps into the popular but utterly stupid useless heavy cars for degenerated mid aged drivers segment https://www.caranddriver.com/ferrari/purosangue

Ok, there is still no Lotus and Morgan SUV...

 

[ThatM1key]

Panther 6

 

[Martin]

I remember seeing these on the road when I was a kid:

Chevy Greebrier

Rampside

Jeep FC150

Martin

 

[Martin]

Tyrell P34

Martin

 

[mhardy6647]

I remember seeing these on the road when I was a kid:
View attachment 106327
Chevy Greebrier
View attachment 106328
Rampside
View attachment 106329
Jeep FC150

Martin

1. The "Forward Control" Jeep is just too cool for school!

2. Long-time proprietor of Sounscape in Baltimore, John Dorsey, back in my days at JHU, had one of those Corvair/Greenbriar vans!
It was, if memory serves, a medium metallic green -- not (quite) the turquoise I think i see in the photo you posted.

3. My father had a 1966 Ford Econoline panel van (in the same light blue colo(u)r as the "Falcon Club Wagon" I posted -- "Acadian Blue") for many, many years.