Car Talk!

[RobRich]

Par for the course....

Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com

....one of the rare few (only current?) Isuzu Impulses even for sale in the United States, and naturally it has been about driven into the ground and not running. $700 might sound cheap, and it would be for many old beat down econosports, but has anyone tried to find Impulse parts in the last decade or so?

There was one for sale in Florida awhile back, but it too had engine problems. A mechanical breakdown might have been acceptable, but it supposedly had severe electronics issues - not exactly inspiring when talking about a rare import with very little NOS and aftermarket parts supply available. One might have sourced some electronics parts from various Lotus enthusiasts and suppliers depending on the engine, but that can run into serious money real fast.

[RedFury]

My question is....why? Not exactly an awe inspiring car...probably one of the reasons they didn't sell very many. They only sold 2 1949 VW beetles in the entire US...try getting parts for either of those if they still exist!

[RobRich]

Why? Lightweight. Turbocharged I4. AWD drivetrain. Lotus-tuned suspension. The highest optioned model was essentially the "Poor Man's Lotus." Lots of potential back when parts were more accessible. Now it is more of a niche market car from the import enthusiast perspective, kind of like obscure import models such as the Merkur XR4Ti and Subaru SVX.

As to why the Impulse didn't take off in the United States, who was shopping for an econo/semi-sport at an Isuzu dealership back in the day? The Impulse didn't fit well with Isuzu's market demographic.

Actually, plenty of the second-generation models were sold, but as naturally-aspirated, front-wheel-drive Geo Storms - also without the Lotus-tuned suspension. The Storm can be a fun little car due to its lightweight design, but it is not exactly a serious "import tuner" from the performance perspective.

[SoloCamo]

Hmmm..didn't realize storms were available with a 1.8L pumping 140hp/120ftlbs torque. Would be a fun ride considering it's a mere 2,300lbs...too bad about it being FWD and having a sloppy suspension. I'd be pretty embarrassed to get ran down by a Geo though, even in my Jeep.

Don't think I'll have much to worry about them, though:

1993 Geo Storm 2+2 1/4 mile Drag Racing timeslip specs 0-60 - DragTimes.com

[SoloCamo]

Rob, quick question;

Do you know of any local auto-x shows/meets in our general area? I've been meaning to go to one, and I've read about a few over in Brooksville that were hosted at the airport strip about 2-3 years back. I can't find anything recent, though.

[RobRich]

IIRC, there used to be some drifting events up in Ocala. Not sure if any group still does it though, as I am not much into drifting.

A little further north, Gainesville Raceway usually hosts a few SCCA events each year. Probably some group autocross events as well, but I have heard the track has gotten somewhat strick on usage, like no drifting or power sliding. YMMV.

Down your way, AFAIK, there was an SCCA event in Brooksville a couple of weekends ago.

Also check out the local event forum at Tampa Racing:

Local Events - Tampa Racing

[Bizkitkid2001]

I just got back from the pharmacy when a Maybach 62s passed me on IH10. I was able to get my camera phone out to record right before it passed. I chased it for a couple of minutes before my exit came up.


Who would have thought that a $1 million car would be cruising through Boerne Texas.

I should have the video up on youtube soon.


YouTube - Maybach 62s in Boerne.


The Colorado I was driving was having a hard time catching up. THat 3.5L I5 engine didn't want to push a brick wall past 90mph.





Maybach 62s:

- 6,200 lbs
- 0-60 in 5.2 seconds
- 604hp and 738lb-ft of torque


Maybach USA - Maybach 62 S - Technical

[SoloCamo]

Eh...don't see how that car is worth a million...Cool that you saw one, though

[RamonGTP]

The Maybach isn't much to look at from the outside, but the interior is nothing short of amazing. It's more luxurious that most homes. Is it worth a cool million? I dont' think so, but it is one heck of a car.

[Bizkitkid2001]

Yeah, if you remove the Maybach badging, most people would think it was just another Mercedes S-Class. The video quality is so bad on my phone, that the only thing that gives it away as being a 62s is the extremely long back door and the rims.