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Originally Posted by Table 5
I hear ya, but I think even the core cars are getting a little soft around the edges, and plump with weight, due to demands of the masses. The 3 series has gotten a little more concerned with ride and luxury every new generation and less so with handling, and a lot of the newer reviews seem to indicate this is true with the new one too. IMO in the case of BMW the 1-series is the new 3-series because it's still focus mostly on driving (personally, the 128i was one of the more fun cars Ive driven in the last 10 years).
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Some manufacturers are waking up. The new S4 makes less horsepower than the last generation, but it blows the doors off of it because it is significantly lighter and the new torque vectoring electronic Quattro system is just nuts, and it is by far the best handling Audi besides the R8 that has been built.
GM has said they are no longer interested in a horsepower war (mostly because of emissions) and the Corvette team is looking to improve performance by weight savings.
It finally looks like "Oh crap, it's super heavy? Put a bigger engine in" is coming to an end. Power is fun, but heavy cars just aren't.
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It's now all about satiating the brand whores of the world. In the case of Porsche, instead of building a sub-Boxster which a lot of enthusiasts have been clamoring for, they are now going to be building a baby Cayenne. Instead of giving us a nice wagon, BMW gives us some bloated Crosstour wannabe. Audi won't even let you get a Quattro wagon with a manual, but pushes you into some lilly crossover.
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It seems the model lameness is a North American problem. The Cayenne came out for North American buyers to eat up and save Porsche (I still hate this vehicle and everything it stands for) and in Europe, no problem getting an Avant Quattro with a manual, or even a manual and a diesel.
Manuals appear to be all but dead. It sucks.