Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[tooSavvy]

I saw a Proton Suprima S on the road today, for the first and what I suspect will probably be the last time.

 

 

......ahhhh!

 

TS

[Jim Bergerac]

The Suprima is one of the new products Proton have been promising for the UK for years. In the meantime, they've sold next to no cars for two years and seem to have lost most of their dealers.

 

In other news, last night I learned of the existance of the Kia Retona:

 

It was the replacement for the Asia Rocsta but never made it to the UK. The nearest it got was being sold, without success, in Germany. One of those cars that looks so ugly I actually quite like it.

[Asimo]

 

Saw one of these the other day. Wish I hadn't as I was blissfully unaware of their existence.

Looks much worse in the plastic. I expect they will be everywhere soon

[barrett]

I quite like those BMW things, they are proof you can make a car look really shockingly different by tweaking a couple of simple styling details that we have all grown to accept as the 'right' way a car should look. They have a big coupe styled along similar lines which also looks cool, only seen one of those on the roads though.

[HillmanImp]

Someone that works in the same business park that I work at has one. I don't like them just as I think that sort of shape of car looks awful. To me it looks like an old Mercedes A class featuring in Tron. 

[catsinthewelder]

I don't keep up with new car news so seeing something that looked like this

 

 

on the bypass last year had me wondering if I'd fast forwarded a few years without realising.

 

I don't like BMW's as a rule but I did like that (and the late 70's 7 series that was following it).

[STUNO]

I just thought I would have a look and see if anyone had a Standard Vanguard for sale here. A search for "Vanguard" brought up nearly 200 hits. All were these....

 

Thieving bastards

[cort16]

Bertone Pirana. Built by The Telegraph as a promotional item on an e-type chassis.

 

 

As just watched by me on jay lenos garage

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVy21N52hPc

 

unsurprisingly designed by the same guy who did the Espada just after it.

 

[RoadworkUK]

I quite like those BMW things, they are proof you can make a car look really shockingly different by tweaking a couple of simple styling details that we have all grown to accept as the 'right' way a car should look. They have a big coupe styled along similar lines which also looks cool, only seen one of those on the roads though.

 

I really like the I3. I did a write-up on it here. My only misgiving is the way it's marketed, which is, inevitably, to those who can afford an expensive toy.

 

Yes, I know early adoption to new technologies is always expensive; the first VCR was a trillion pounds and the first Corby Trouser Press had to be underwritten by the US government before a prototype could be built, but the BMW I3 shows absolutely no interest in even slight pandering to the needs of the fiscally undistinguished.

 

It's labelled as an I3, as if it might be some kind of vegetarian alternative to a new 3 series, but it isn't. The one I drove was £41k. OK, a big chunk of that pays for the technology, but the preposterously swanky interior means it will never, ever, ever be a car for the people, meanwhile BMW tell us they're trying to save the world.

 

The profoundly wealthy will inherit the Earth. Us meek are fucked.

[philibusmo]

The Toyota Lexcen - a rebadged version of the Holden Commodore VN. I've seen plenty of the Holden version but saw my first Toyota today.

[wuvvum]

Ooh, Toyota Senator!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I didn't know that there was an estate version of the 240k GT Skyline, this one is on Cand C for £25,000.

Although it does look a bit homemade/ Crayfordish.

[Junkman]

Although it does look a bit homemade/ Crayfordish.

image.jpg

 

Which it is. The factory estate looked like this:

 

 

and wasn't available with the six cylinders.

[DS20]

^ That looks like something my local undertakers use for 'collekshuns' 

[scruff]

Nissan Ebro... A new one on me

 

Just turned up for sale in the next

 

village

[wuvvum]

They sold Ebros on the continent in the '80s - early '90s.  Think they were built in Spain?  Never seen a RHD one before though.

[Slappy]

Yep, Spanish. Seems Nissan bought them for their commercial expertise, and there are lots of indigenous Nissans floating about still which were originally Ebros. I think that's the factory where they build all the hi-top Trafics/Vivaros/Primastars because Luton is too low. Terranos previously too perhaps, but I could just be talking out of my anus on that one.

 

Didn't think I'd ever see a photo of an existing RHD one though. It's got a bit of a squished VW LT look about it.

[scruff]

Ahhh it is now ringing a dim bell from old issues of TRUCK. Assumed Ebro was the model name. 

It's up for £2250 ono, ad says it has 50,000 miles on it, diesel, 2+2 berth, five new tyres, MoT Sept... does look in very good nick.

[Noel Tidybeard]

that ebro looks like an LT minime

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I remember those Ebros being sold in the UK in the early 80's. The Massey Ferguson dealer in my village in Wales (Talsarn) sold them alongside Subarus.

The SpanishOld Bill used to have Ebro badged Patrols too.

[DVee8]

a Ford Ecosport drove past us this afternoon in this colour

 

[Pillock]

Isn't that a Kuga?

 

Edit, no it looks completely* different*.

It appears to be a Kuga style vehicle (2wd faux offroader) in a Fiesta size. Useful.

[2MB]

I was also shocked* to learn of the existence of the ford ecosport when dropping a van off at a dealership. It took it being parked next to the equally shit kuga to know they were two different things. See also transit courier

[Lukas]

The Ecosport is a south-american-Ford, built and developed for the south american markets. That´s why it has a backdoor like an old RAV4, that´s why the suspension is not up to Fords european standards and thats why the whole car feels very cheap and filthy. No 2WD too, so useless. 

 

But Ford does not have a small SUV and as this market is exploding at the moment, they are importing the Ecosport as a fill-in. 

[M'coli]

and as this market is exploding at the moment, they are importing the Ecosport as a fill-in.

 

Would it be rude to hope that the buyers are ensconced within these monstrosities whilst they are exploding??!!

[pshome]

 

Name stolen to gain some glamour?

[Largactil]

Spotted a few of these locally (in Ireland) - Did the Astra Saloon (née Belmont) make the UK in it's current guise?

 

[Timewaster]

Nissan Ebro... A new one on me

 

 

Our local greengrocers had a blue one from new until it was as rotten as their pears.

 

They were on sale until the Vanette arrived.

[Skut]

Saw one of these in this colour. Initially got very excited thinking it was some Chinese Brilliance Beauty leopard thing.  But its a a Lexus RCF which is a new one on me.  I thought it had had an accident until i realised its supposed to look like that.  

[2MB]

^ it does seem to be a modern trend to style cars like badly stretched virtual forms. They just look like shit attempts at 'real time damage' in early playstation racing games