Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Timewaster]

They are horrible, crap, shit things, awful to drive, bland as fuck, nothing really to recommend them at all. Not even really a Vauxhall, it was built as the Chevrolet Captiva and badge engineered into the Vauxhall Antarctica.

 

They made them for a good few years, Ive seen 57 plates, and they were still being sold brand new when I bought my Corsa brand new in 2015 because they had a few new ones outside.

They were probably unsold stock sat around for years.

 

An Antera was the only work car the lease company ever accepted back as not fit for purpose.

 

Hopelessly unreliable as well as shit.

[kinkersaab]

^i was told there was a time that some finance companies would lend on them either..not sure how true it is..i hate them, they are a less usefull captiva...

[face]

Next year's Suzuki Jimny, still looks like a utility 4x4 rather than a melted jelly. Three cheers for Suzuki

 

 

2017-Suzuki-Jimny-8.jpg

 

Quite right. I like Suzuki, they are just a little bit different I think.

 

New Swift looks good. Vitara is nice. Ignis is great.

[Timewaster]

Quite right. I like Suzuki, they are just a little bit different I think.

 

New Swift looks good. Vitara is nice. Ignis is great.

SX4 thing looks awful though.

[Matt]

I saw what turns out to be called the Kangoo Compact running about recently. I've worked with the regular length version before and they aren't big vans. The proportions are very odd.

 

 

 

Isn't it cute? I wonder if you can buy any other van that is this short that isn't based on a car.

[Aston Martin]

Wow, that's adorable.

[vulgalour]

Rover Metro Cabriolet.

 

Shame a cabriolet version of the Mk I Metro didn't exist...that I'd be more interested in (properly braced of course!), let you hear the lovely noises from the gearbox all the better!

To add to Eddie Honda's contribution, here's one I saw in the wild from the passenger seat of Mike's old GT6 back in 2014.

 

 

 

[cros]

My brother-in-law has had 2 Antaras. The garage he bought the first one from couldn't make it work and eventually persuaded him to trade up to a newer model.

Years before he bought a new 3rd generation Astra with some kind of 'green' engine. The thing failed and after much pissing about was replaced with a normal engine. Perhaps someone here can expand on this dismal episode. Say what you like about the durability of their cars, Vauxhall salespeople must have skin like a fucking rhinoceros.

[Volksy]

Vauxhall salespeople must have skin like a fucking rhinoceros.

 

I work at a Vauxhall Dealers, and i'd agree with this!

[Lacquer Peel]

I saw what turns out to be called the Kangoo Compact running about recently. I've worked with the regular length version before and they aren't big vans. The proportions are very odd.

 

 

Isn't it cute? I wonder if you can buy any other van that is this short that isn't based on a car.

 

They seem very rare, I've only seen a few about.

The Mk2 Clio van was quite popular so I guess this is a replacement, but people would rather have the extra space than a Kangoo shrunk in the wash.

[SiC]

I saw what turns out to be called the Kangoo Compact running about recently. I've worked with the regular length version before and they aren't big vans. The proportions are very odd.

 

 

 

Isn't it cute? I wonder if you can buy any other van that is this short that isn't based on a car.

Maybe popular with security companies? Van, so commercial benefits but not large and expensive. A similar use case I guess to the other small Clio, Ka, etc vans.

[Vin]

I assume the Kangoo compact is intended as a Fiorino/Nemo/Bipper rival...

[adw1977]

I can see that Kangoo compact being quite a useful little thing because it has a decent cube at the back while still being small enough to fit anywhere a small car can fit.

[Hendry]

Is the steering wheel not part bin GM?

 

Nope, not even that is the one fitted to all Astra H/Zafira B/facelift Vectra C etc. or the later one found in Astra J/Insignia/Mokka/Zafira Tourer/Meriva B, etc. or the current one fitted to pretty much all current Vauxhalls.

 

Id like to think its because this car was developed at a time when Vauxhall still fitted different steering wheels to each different model with perhaps only models sharing the same platform using the same wheel like Corsa C/Meriva A/Tigra B, Astra G/Zafira A, Vectra C/Signum prefacelift but i suspect its because it just really isnt a Vauxhall at all.

 

 

My brother-in-law has had 2 Antaras. The garage he bought the first one from couldn't make it work and eventually persuaded him to trade up to a newer model.

Years before he bought a new 3rd generation Astra with some kind of 'green' engine. The thing failed and after much pissing about was replaced with a normal engine. Perhaps someone here can expand on this dismal episode. Say what you like about the durability of their cars, Vauxhall salespeople must have skin like a fucking rhinoceros.

 

They are really good at waffling bullshit, the one I bought my Corsa from told me finally Vauxhall had produced a Corsa that was better than the Fiesta and cheaper too (he was right about cheaper, but there was a reason for that as I discovered) so I said, the Corsa D was a massive seller, if they were that bad, how did you convince them to buy them over a Fiesta when theres a Ford dealer visible from where we are sitting inside the showroom, he simply said "we told people they could have a Corsa dirt cheap, inferior car to a Fiesta, but what would they rather have, a vastly cheaper car or a better car but pay £3/4k more?, and all the people we sold Corsas to bought them because theyd rather a cheaper car than a better car. 

 

It made me think these guys wouldve been the sort who were selling Skodas, Ladas, Yugos and FSOs back in the days. 

[3VOM]

I can see that Kangoo compact being quite a useful little thing because it has a decent cube at the back while still being small enough to fit anywhere a small car can fit.

You have to watch the payload with some of these, it can be so small that filling up the back with anything other than feather boas makes them overloaded.

[Timewaster]

As seen on a perfume advert.

 

Citroën Sm Opera.

 

I had no idea.

[wuvvum]

Quite right. I like Suzuki, they are just a little bit different I think.

 

New Swift looks good. Vitara is nice. Ignis is great.

I think the new Ignis looks a bit daft tbh.  First time I saw one I assumed it was some obscure Chinese thing.

[Supernaut]

As seen on a perfume advert.

 

Citroën Sm Opera.

 

I had no idea.

Clean up in aisle... my pants! Hnnnngh. For some reason it's even more appealing than the regular 2-door SM!

[vulgalour]

But wait, there's more!  There's a decapotable version of the Opera.  Even got a grab rail for the Pope/President/visiting dignitary.

 

There's also the Heuliez Espace concept.  Some sort of bizarre T-top and louvres affair.

 

[egg]

Wait, another version of the 323? Did they make one bodystyle for each day of the year or something?

Indeed. There was one of those N3 door one's in Thanet about a year ago I should have bought!

[JeeExEll]

As seen on a perfume advert.

 

Citroën Sm Opera.

 

I had no idea.

Oh fuckin WOW. That targa coupe looks mega too. Not seen these before, must look into these. Am still at the stage of looking at extended CX estates and vans.

[tul66]

There's also at least 1 Paris Dakar spaceframe one too. Saw it at Le Mans a few years ago but no pictures on this computer.

[tul66]

Not this one, the one I saw was red & yellow so there seems to be at least 2.

[quicksilver]

I won't sleep tonight with the excitement of seeing those fabulous Citroens. Four-door SM cabrio is super-ultra-hyper-mega-WANT!

[bunglebus]

[Yoss]

I won't sleep tonight with the excitement of seeing those fabulous Citroens. Four-door SM cabrio is super-ultra-hyper-mega-WANT!

That is indeed a fabulous looking thing. But I can't help thinking it's going to lose some of its awesomeness with the roof up. I'm actually wondering if it even has a whole roof in that little cover at the back, after all it would have to be huge. The torsional rigidity might be interesting too.

 

None of this really matters though does it. You still would.

[vulgalour]

Allez-houp!

 

 

 

[Snipes]

Centre picture looks like a landau!

[STUNO]

New to me, would the yanks call it a truck ? It's a Daihatsu.

 

 

https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/specialist-cars/other/auction-1422619665.htm

 

 

[RoadworkUK]

The Midget was one of the very most entertaining cars to drive in Gran Turismo 2.