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[elmono311]

Toyota might be making the jump to the Busch Series next year and the Cup Series in 2007. And now I'm hearing Honda might be entering the Truck Series next year, most likely with their new Ridgeline truck. Of course, Dodge, GM, and Ford are all upset about Japanese companies entering the sport, especially with Toyota's massive motorsports budget.

[LostArtofRolando]

gots to say, much like early Hondas, i predict these cars will last forever, but the bodies will fall apart halfway through the race from rust.  Would be interesting to see how they match up though.  I admire the reliability Honda and Toyota have been able to get out of their cars, but think the styling has sucked on most of them.  Lets see if their designs get butchered jsut as bad when they take em over to racing with the fiberglass bodies.

[RichN]

One of the reasons I don't watch open wheel racing is that I'm a fan of good, old fashioned, raw, American horsepower.  You should have seen me when they fired up Kurt Busch's car at AMS last year.  If I knew how to spell Tim Allen's (Tooltime) grunt, I'd insert it here.  So, I'm just hoping the foreign companies don't get too much influence and change the sport into something more civilized.

[LostArtofRolando]

true dat.  I love watching the cars that rumble rather than whine.  *insert male grunts here*  you gots to feel that engine turning.

[elmono311]

In a few years, NASCAR is going to fuel injection with a common template engine block... just in time for Toyota and Honda, masters of those fuel injected race cars, to come into the sport

[LostArtofRolando]

indeed. not sure whether to be happy or sad bout it.

[Catfish]

Coming from those two companies, I'd be surprised to see anything less than quality competition

[Supermercado]

true dat.  I love watching the cars that rumble rather than whine.  *insert male grunts here*  you gots to feel that engine turning.

Dunno about you guys, but I'll take a whining Ferrari engine anyday That's one of the most beautiful sounds to my ears. The sound of a Ferrari at full throttle. Nothing like it.

But hell yeah, I love me some V8 growl. Something so big and mean that it just sits there and gurgles at you. That's definitely worthy of some man grunting.

Also, if you ever get a chance, listen to the engine of a Morgan Aero 8. I think that's the one that sounds like the engine was ripped straight out of a Spitfire. Freaking quality right there.

[elmono311]

I'd take the rumble of American horsepower over the whine of a foreign car any day. I wonder how those New Yorkers felt when stock cars went roaring through the streets when the Top 10 drivers in points visited New York City

[Supermercado]

It's a tossup for me as to what I like the most. There's something so exotic about the whine of an Italian supercar but on the other hand, American muscle is just so strong and masculine. Also note that when I say I like whining Italian engines, I mean street legal Ferraris, Lambos, etc., not necessarily the Ferrari F1 and Indy cars. I much prefer the gurgling American muscle to that.

I need to try and find a recording of the Morgan Aero 8. I think you'd like the way that sounds, Chris. I'm telling you, it's taken straight out of a Spitfire.

[Catfish]

I much prefer the gurgling American muscle to that.

mmm, Camaro SS...

[Supermercado]

Oh, yes. Camaros are great. Personally, I've always been a fan of the Vette but I was sad to see the Camaro/Firebird production end a few years ago.

[Catfish]

I still have doubts that it "ended" as GM has claimed... find me another car to fit that niche, both in performance and price... there isn't one, and they've already come out with a new car just recently (the Cobalt which is more of a high-end Cavalier... not sporty enough and too cheap to take the Camaro's place).  It has to be coming back (not to mention a mechanic friend of mine who works for GM hinted at the same thing, hehe)

[Supermercado]

I heard someone say, and it's probably just someone talking out of their ass, that the platform was ended because it was taking sales from the Vette. If you think about it, the Camaro was rapidly approaching Vette territory in terms of performance and for any legal driving, the Camaro was just about as good as the Vette is. And it was considerably cheaper.

[elmono311]

Spitfires are sweet

[Catfish]

Best comparison I could find w/that class of car was here... both specs and performance

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=43923/pageId=1121

[Supermercado]

Not a whole lot of difference there. Yes, the Vette is without a doubt the better vehicle than the Camaro but when you take into consideration that Vettes are like $40k and Camaros more like $25k or so, I can see how Vette sales could be stolen by the Camaro/Firebird. For someone who just wants to go fast but is never going to the track, the Camaro would be plenty.

[Catfish]

I think, though, with a Vette, you're buying the look and the name as much as the performance, I think that's your additional $15 (besides, most Camaros I know top out around $30K with Vettes at $50)

[Supermercado]

Right. The Vette is more than just performance. It's an icon. And you're probably right about the prices, but the point is still the same... the cars aren't that different as far as the numbers go, but the the Vette has the look, the history, etc. The Camaro is still great, though, and one of my favorite cars.

[RichN]

Actually, the way I hear it is that the Mustang was the car that took the market away from Camaro/Firebird.  They will produce a limited edition version of each in the future, it just won't be in the normal lineup of cars.  This thread brings back too many memories, when you could actually afford to drive one of the muscle cars from the 60s/70s.  My first car was a 1970 Chevelle, 350ci, 4-speed Hurst shifter, Cragar mags, rear airshocks, with dual glasspack mufflers.  Oh baby, did that car growl.  Maybe that's why I like NASCAR.  grunt grunt grunt

[LostArtofRolando]

I heard someone say, and it's probably just someone talking out of their ass, that the platform was ended because it was taking sales from the Vette. If you think about it, the Camaro was rapidly approaching Vette territory in terms of performance and for any legal driving, the Camaro was just about as good as the Vette is. And it was considerably cheaper.

the vettes goin up, so its more like 60-80k.  BUT if you want something similar in performance, check out the new Pontiac GTO.  It actually has the same engine as the Corvette, but costs about half as much.  My roomie has one, and it is just SUH WEET.

[Supermercado]

Billy's got a GTO? Wow. I'd love to have one of the new GTOs. Only bad thing about them is that they're so heavy. But they still haul ass.

[elmono311]

I just found out that NASCAR has confirmed that Toyota will enter the Busch Series in 2006, with the Cup cars coming in 2007 or 2008 with the debut of the bigger "car of tomorrow."

[LostArtofRolando]

what would they run? a corolla, a camry? or a lexus?  or something completely new?

[Supermercado]

I'd guess Camry for now. The Camry is the closest to a full-size sedan that Toyota makes, I'm pretty sure.