Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

What have they done to the 600? Stuck a jap engine in?

I'm considering one (early GT86 ~£10k), any tips of what to look out for?

That Anglia is great, European cars in Japan always look that little bit more interesting. Being in Tokyo I wonder just how accessible they are/can be? I've always been disappointed stuff like this doesn't/can't exist in London unless it's Bike Shed weekend lifestyle stuff.

It's not a 600, Abarth 1000 TCR. They're remarkably purist (or at least period correct) in their builds...

This looks fun from Suzuki

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I saw one of these cruising the mean streets of Fitzrovia earlier. Amused me that they'd made it look even more overbearing whilst simulataneously plastering URBAN over it.

Damn you! My money was on replacement Jazz wing mirrors or Skoda estate alternatives but twat wagons were next on the list.

Like a diecast cartoon-y early Skyline.

I'll take two please.

Are they going to build it? This was their concept car from about 5 years ago.

It looked really nice, and yet Honda beat them to market with the Honda E https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/honda/honda-e

At the time I thought the Suzuki looked like someone had chopped it together from an old Escort by just removing a chunk of the middle bit, rounding out the front and then putting phat wheels on it... still looks a bit like that TBH.

It is a fiat 600, that had been abarthed.

Edit: like the fiat 850 based abarths.

I think the 2025 ignis has some of its styling clues. That in turn is based on the SC100, which I’d love to have

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Whizzkid.

Oh yes! A mate had a yellow one when I was a teenager, it was so much fun. Of course it was lowered had silly tyres, go kart seats and a tiny Sparco steering wheel. Because well we were teenagers.

Am jealous, always wanted one. Especially as it is called a whizzkid.
Still have a soft spot for kie cars.

Couple of these and a cappuccino slowly rotting away on a drive near me. Been there years.

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Morning spot. Not as cool as the SC100 but I clearly have a thing for white Max Power cars ATM.

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whats the forum opinions on decent sized 4x4 vehicles. budget about £10-12k must be able to pull itself up an occasionally muddy slope , fit a couple of bikes in the back ( inside the car ideally ). not really liking the idea of an automatic, manual would be by far the preferred option. relatively frugal juice wise, the lower the annual road tax the better. 5 seats inside and ideally not a pickup style builder crew cab style truck

ideas

volvo xc90
audi q7/8
equvalents from vw / skoda
i guess a few japanese makers do some decent 4x4's

not too cumbersome to drive

and which are the ones to avoid ?

Non of those are 4x4s. They're AWD.
Maybe you want awd but just saying.

Personally I'd avoid all and get a shogun or land cruiser if you want a 4x4.

Awd I guess I'd get a subaru, a friend has the Skoda scout and it's nice.

awd less capable than 4x4 i guess ? looking at a house that has a rough dirt track and steep gradient driveway that will likely be muddy icy and snowy in winter. need something that will get me outto the shops on all but the very iciest deepest snow days ? some awd are pretty capable right ?

so for proper 4x4's i'd be looking at range / land rover land cruiser types ? not sure i need an agricultural off roader but something that can deal with a couple of months of crappy weather but nice to drive for the rest of the year

Awd will be fine. But you'll need proper tyres. I use Yokohama geolander all year as they're snow rated but also off road. It's all about tyres.

Honestly you'll need to clear the driveway if it snows as if you drive it snows it'll turn to ice. Quicker to just clear and salt it.

I don't think you need a 4x4 at all for that. But the land cruiser is the defacto choice here.

Reminds me of this

https://youtu.be/ABcckOTVqao?si=ncA4oFr4XV16oTen

Yeah, just sort the driveway out and then you won't need a big, expensive 4x4.

Off to see this 997.2 tomorrow

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the driveway / farm track hits 17% and is 1/2 a mile long. thats a lot of digging and salting just to get a pint of milk, but i guess thats a lot of awd / 4x4 just to get a pint of milk a few times a year to be fair
managed to get my mums car, golf, along there yesterday and we didn't smash the sump

alternative motor would be a skoda superb / octavia estate which would be better for the planet and for 95% of the time would be fine.

Buy a cow.