I'll be honest with you, I very rarely agree with anything magazines like Car and Driver reviews say, outside of the actual specs of the car...0-60, MPG, etc.
They are excellent at that but their writers seem like they're on another planet when compared to us and the real world.
Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about...
In the December 2008 issue they review the GL320 diesel and one of their writers (Aaron Kiley) says this about the GL:
"My Honda Odyssey takes our family to Vermont with lots more luggage capacity, legroom, and storage cubbies."
Only one problem...IT'S A MINIVAN THAT LOOKS LIKE ASS!
So you get my point...WHY, would a Honda Odyssey comment even appear in a GL review?
Two TOTALLY different vehicles...but whatever...another example of a Honda owner reviewing a Mercedes and expecting the world to think their opinion has ANY validity.
So I was shocked when I read Csaba Csere's Column and for the first time thought they have crossed the 100 IQ threshold with his article... "A Sports Sedan For The Next Decade: 3000 Lbs., 300HP, 30MPG, 3 liters."
His point in the article is "with today's more sophisticated technology, it should be possible to boost fuel economy substantially without making major compromises in performance or driving satisfaction."
He goes on to describe the PERFECT sports sedan for todays world... A 3000 Lb. BMW 328 with, 300HP, 30MPG, 3 liters.
Sounds great to me but only one problem.
The 328 is 3400+ lbs. right now.
To get 30MPG, Csere says if you can get the car sub 3000lbs., the rest is fairly easy.
You'd get a low 5 second 0-60 and around a 13 second quarter mile.
I'd like to point you to the full article to see the full specs of his dream mpg machine but they don't have it live yet.
Guess they think the internet is a fad like Starbucks ;)
I must say for the first time i felt they were actually ahead of the curve and i think he is bang on here.
Great job Csaba!
What would you rather drive?
A plug in Hybrid or regular hybrid from the Americans or the Japanese, or the Ultimate 3000 Lb. BMW 3-Series with, 300HP, 30MPG, 3 liters and fun written all over it?
Let us know if you think it's possible, would you pay a premium for it (added Titanium to lighten it, etc.) and your other thoughts on this subject...