Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Jul 14, 2012 2:51:54 GMT
Being a bit of a car nut, and an import nut at that... I don't see much Aaron said there that I disagree with. I don't know WHY Subaru is bothering with this car. They long ago abandoned their non all wheel drive cars and focused on the all wheel drive platform... and have done VERY well in that. I don't know why they are fiddling with this thing at all.
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Post by Enkidu on Jul 14, 2012 2:56:59 GMT
EDIT : because i was pissed off when writing it. Nothing to see.... move along !
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Sam H
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Post by Sam H on Jul 14, 2012 3:03:24 GMT
Its very simple Sean.
Subaru is trying its hand at something a bit different to see if they (Toyota/Subaru cooperative) can come up with something that they can cash in on with the compact racing subculture. The thing is while they've got their fingers in it they really don't have much at risk in it although there is a lot they could gain from it.
If the car fails (which it almost certainly will) they don't lose much (at least not much by comparison of their overall business model). On the other hand if it becomes a success they now have a platform that they can start building off of and eat up more of the market share than they already have.
In either case it won't hurt them much at all since they've already got quite a large market share among the target markets they're aiming at. If the car fails they go back to selling what they do best - making AWD vehicles marketed for both the yuppies AND the rally/drift/compact car racing subculture. In the way of the yuppies they're marketed as "go anywhere" vehicles though most of THOSE vehicles won't see anything except the occasional gravel shoulder of the road. In the case of the other market well... I'm sure you already know what'll happen there.
Its really not a bad move on Subaru's part...
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Jul 14, 2012 3:24:45 GMT
I used to be a Honda nut, and still kinda am (my daily beater is an Acura RDX). Had the whole Comptech Suprcharged Accord V6, loved my father's S2000, learned to drive with a Civic. Then I test drove a Corvette. I couldn't get rid of the itch for something that could push me in my seat back like that again. After my Accord died in 2007 (truck blew a tire and I couldn't avoid it, no points on license), and the insurance gave me $15K for it ($15 for a car that's eight years old and started at $25K... gotta LOVE Honda resale value), I got a 2006 GTO that was still new.
After they decided to kill the RSX and S2000 and not give them a replacement, turned the Accord into some ugly version of an Avalon, made the Civic heavier and bigger until it pretty much became an Accord, made the new "CRX" a heavy hybrid, and ripping apart an NSX at the local drag strip, I stopped looking to Honda for performance. BUT... as I siad, i drive an RDK as my daily beater. It's the total middle of the road in everything for me, and I like it a lot. The engine and SH-AWD make it fun (if not blazing fast), it has room for me to carry people in comfortably, it gets decent mileage, and I can carry a 50" HDTV in it. I still love Honda, just in a different way now.
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slav
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Post by slav on Jul 14, 2012 4:05:41 GMT
I actually thought he was talking about a Toyota platform car. Referencing the FRS I mentioned earlier. Shows my knowledge of current cars I guess...
EDIT: Oh wow I looked it up and found out that it is a Toyota/Subaru joint project. That seems like a recipe for ownage. I'm sad to hear that it's not.
I still think they look cool as hell though.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Jul 14, 2012 5:36:54 GMT
I agree it is good looking... and being a joint platform car does have advantages, as Sam H pointed out... I just think Subaru should stick to its niche that they do so well. A Impreza WRX STI is my current dream car.
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Post by chuckinohio on Jul 14, 2012 5:40:46 GMT
Pfffffffttttttttttt on your joint platforms man, Chevrolet needs no stinking joint platforms. Just ribbing you import loving types. Read the comments on youtube, it's the same old same old hoohah about my car does this and my car does that BS.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Jul 14, 2012 6:17:30 GMT
There is a replacement for big displacement, forced induction big displacement. Anyway, even though I've become more of a V8+ fan, I can appreciate an S2000 and a Miata, I don't just drag race, but I autocross as well. I would love to take an Evolution or an STi on a rallycross event.
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slav
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Post by slav on Jul 14, 2012 7:18:54 GMT
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Post by DavidW on Jul 14, 2012 10:15:54 GMT
Going back to the whole Hanwei thing...isn't it an advantage to buy from smaller companies like Ronin, DF, KC, etc. because there's better QC? Not saying that Hanwei's QC is bad at all, but there's always the few lemons that slip through, and logically, with a larger company like Hanwei, the amount of lemons is larger as well. Say, if 1% of swords from any given company are lemons, there's more lemons from hanwei since they churn out more swords.
Of Course, if Hanwei has a sword that fits your needs or wants, by all means go ahead. They had a good dao in my price range which is why I got it from Sean.
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Post by Lonely Wolf Forge on Jul 14, 2012 12:35:23 GMT
call me Hillbilly...Sorry guys...i just cant roll in that foreign crap :lol: I drive a Pontiac right now, loe it, but my dream car i to build a 67 impala fastback
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Jul 14, 2012 14:56:29 GMT
Hey, if all you want is a big lead sled to go in a strait line... then your domestic dragster is great. Me, I like to DRIVE my cars... you know, threw corners and twists and turns. A Strait line just does not do it for me. As to the S2000 having low output... a 2.0 engine putting out 240 without forced induction, right from the factory with no mods low? Pass me whatever you are smoking.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Jul 14, 2012 15:02:18 GMT
Saito: Pontiac? Whats that? Oh... wait... I think I heard of a company called Pontaic once upon a time... shame they don't exist anymore. Slav: Safety is a key feature of Hondas. I worked as a Shipping/Receiving Manager for a Honda dealer for a few years... and that meant I handled all the parts ordering and warranty parts. Saw a lot of destroyed Hondas... and a lot of people that walked away from them unscathed. Kuya: The STI is an awesome car. I beat a Ferrari 360 in a street race with one once. This was threw twisty turny roads... not strait line BS. :lol: That from a car that cost 1/7th as much, has back seats and four doors, all weather capability, off road capability... just amazing.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Jul 14, 2012 17:34:25 GMT
I enjoy track and autocross more than drag racing, because it's a bit more involving. But drag racing isn't "straight line BS," It has its own appeal. Plus, racing on twisty roads and whatnot is very unsafe. Racing on public roads in general is unsafe, and I don't approve of it, but the "lesser of evils" is the straight line (stoplight race or straight highway race). That's where most "egos" are broken. I think I said it earlier (I'm too lazy to click to see the previous posts I made), but I'm at the stage where I enjoy all sorts of cars. I don't care where it's made and how it does it, fast is fast.
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Jul 14, 2012 20:37:00 GMT
As we Finns are car crazy people, this might sound weird but can we stop the car talk in this thread? I mean seriously it has derailed this thread for 2 pages already. Might be better to continue the talk in Cafe, I'd think?
As we here are the friendliest forum, I think it would be good to discuss even this new forge in constructive manner. Well I'll steer this (at least I'll try) talk back to Yao aka. Swordmaker688, as I think each vendor has a right to be discussed and people can give their opinion which will be open for discussion.
So a quick glance on their eBay store shows that c. 80% of their stuff is under 250$. And the offerings are very similar to other eBay vendors in this price range, not much worse not much better. The blades/koshirae seem to be of mediocre quality and I personally think this is something that can be expected for this price.
So I think as many here see HuaWei and St-Nihonto etc. as top dog eBay sellers but when you compare their 100-150$ lines to similar priced swords by Yao, you can see that they are not that different. They mostly use the same koshirae parts and blades seem to be somewhat similar level (although some HuaWei pieces have been bit above rest of these eBayers).
I would understand if people who mainly collect authentic swords or custom work would instatly call these crap but as some of the commenters highly praise the products of nearly same level is what I find puzzling. Again this is not meant to offend anyone, I'm just trying to show that we all are bit biased. We just have different things that affect our opinion.
Last time I've bought Chinese eBay swords was 2007, and they were bad swords, although somewhat decent for the money. I don't buy much production pieces anymore but recently I purchased a few pieces as a test from a company that is less known because I want to see the quality in person, even though I fear the quality will be bit worse that I'm expecting (this is not an eBay seller, and I'll review them when I get them). However people (including me) are sometimes hasty to jump on conclusions, sure things can be seen from the pictures (even more by those with experience). I just won't usually comment HuaWei, Swordmaker688, Cheness etc. much because they are not really relevant for my collecting intrests...
Well this was just mostly mindless rambling, bear in mind I don't give much thought to production swords anymore and I may be too biased to lump them in few categories, where as those with more experience in production market see the finer differences more closely. But hopefully we will lose the car talk and return back to original subject...
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Jul 14, 2012 21:04:25 GMT
I wish I had the money to just buy a $100-150 Huawei and a $100-150 Yao for the sake of comparison review. Or perhaps had the reputation and established expertise and trustworthiness of Marc or Paul to have some sent to me.
Someone out there with lots of money, buy them and compare, please!? Or someone already with a Yao or Huawei sword, buy one of the other company's in the same price range of whatever you have and compare them!
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jhart06
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Post by jhart06 on Jul 14, 2012 21:10:02 GMT
I can never fathom people asking this. If it's that important and you like them that much you'll find a way to do it yourself. Asking others to buy it so you can know is just.. Well I don't know what it is, b ut it's just doesn't make sense. :?:
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Jul 14, 2012 21:27:25 GMT
Sure it does. Asking others with additional resources and means to do something for a community they are part of. It takes a noble and generous person to understand the benefits of doing it.
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Post by chuckinohio on Jul 14, 2012 21:28:32 GMT
What about Chinese cars with forged pistons?
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Jul 14, 2012 21:41:32 GMT
Ok... if I don't restrain myself we are REALLY going to get into it... aside from the 'poor low-end torque' I think pretty much everything you said above is total BS. I Did work at the Honda Dealership for 7 years... I handled *ALL* warranty claims... in California, where Honda's were hugely popular and we sold a metric &^%load of them. I was there when the first S2000 came out and I left 6 years ago. We had very, VERY few warranty issues come up with S2000's... they held up mechanically like you would expect a Honda to... which is AWESOME. Honda's reliability track record is unmatched. The ONLY problem we had with the S2000 was kids throwing them off the road because they were used to the front drive civics and preludes and were throwing the S2000's into spins by jamming the throttle at the apex of turns and not knowing how to drive a rear wheel drive car. I'm not going to post more about cars after this... but your 'facts' are total %$#@.
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