by "Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy)
Published 04/27/2017 at 09:00
by "Wheelerguy" (wheelerguy)
Published 04/27/2017 at 09:00
Tags: What's Jack Baruth Sniffing Today?
; WJBST
; Honda Accord Coupe V6 Manual
STARS: 0
Read this piece
and tell me what Jack Baruth is having in his pipe right now.
I reckon it’s...nothing. Actually. I think he’s got a good point. At the least this take isn’t totally wrong.
"Nibby" (nibby68)
04/27/2017 at 09:03, STARS: 0
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"adamftw" (adamftw)
04/27/2017 at 09:06, STARS: 2
I read it and thought it was spot on. I mean, he called it an “American Muscle Car” for clicks and baiting, but it’s a great take. Those cars are fast.
"Cash Rewards" (cashrewards)
04/27/2017 at 09:08, STARS: 0
There are a bunch of times I dislike him and his writing, but this is spot on.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
04/27/2017 at 09:15, STARS: 1
He gets points for refraining from his usual level of pointless big words used for their own sake.
"TorqueToYield" (torquetoyield)
04/27/2017 at 09:17, STARS: 0
Which is more “American” - assembled in the US but Japanese ownership, profits are shipped back to Japan. Or assembled in Mexico/Canada by US owned companies where profits go back to the US. Then there are traditional US brands that are now owned by foreign corporations (FCA).
Which is why the whole Made in the USA thing is a bit silly with modern global supply chains and multinational companies.
Those Accord V6s are ridiculous for what they are though, no question there.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
04/27/2017 at 09:17, STARS: 1
The better question is.....what have the rest of us been smoking to not see this?
He’s right. And this explains my admiration for, but lack of motivation to buy, the accord V6 coupe. I agree with everything he wrote, but it’s also not what I’m looking for in a car. I’ll miss it when it’s gone, but I won’t exactly be sad....
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
04/27/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 2
I reckon he’s not totally wrong, but also reckon he still had to be smoking something good to come up with that concept in the first place, and then tried to justify it.
He’s built a case that is totally demolished by his own hairline picking and choosing of what is/isn’t a muscle car. The Camaro-Mustang-Challenger on the basis that:
all three of these vehicles have traditionally been specialty cars, not family cars. The last time any of these cars was even distantly related to a mid-size family car was probably when the Fox Mustang shared a platform with the Fairmont/Granada/LTD thirty years ago. The Dodge Charger plays in the “large-car” space now, as does the outgoing Chevy SS that shares the bones of the Camaro.
While this is true about the Mustang, the Camaro and Challenger both share platforms with 4-door sedans. If you’re being so picky that they aren’t considered close enough relations, then consider this. Muscle cars also have been traditionally RWD. With that level of pickiness shouldn’t you also take that into consideration? It immediately disqualifies the Accord. (Bear in mind I consider the 1st version of the Cobalt SS and the Neon SRT4 to be muscle cars. Not just beating down FWD here.)
As far as the Challenger not being built in the USA, this is a debate that has raged for years and will continue to rage, but I think the general consensus it it’s the country the company is based in, not country of manufacture. Could go either way.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/27/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 0
I contend that with a good round of simplifying and adding lightness, not to mention tuning, you can get some of the bump-n-slump, roar, slam-you-in-your-seat, and all those other exciting traits that make a muscle car fun. If “it’s not a muscle car because it’s dull as presented and drives mutedly like a lard, despite all these positives” is to be the case, then maybe we can fix that.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
04/27/2017 at 09:26, STARS: 0
He’s not wrong, but I still think the Challenger is really the last traditional muscle car, made in America or not.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
04/27/2017 at 09:34, STARS: 1
I agree that they’re fast cars, but I’m not ready to call it a muscle car. At least until the 8th generation, they came with dual wishbone front suspension and multilink rear suspension for the purposes of handling. Sure the understeer and body roll will kill it, but it was still better than an Altima or Camry. And that’s way more than can be said about muscle cars.
And also American cars used to be designed as coupes, with sedans being built on the same platform as an afterthought. The Accord Coupe is a coupe built on a sedan platform.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/27/2017 at 09:49, STARS: 1
I’m willing to cut him some slack on FWD, surprisingly. Mostly because of the Toronado. Not to say that it’s a muscle car per se, but it might be muscle-ish.
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
04/27/2017 at 09:51, STARS: 1
This is a good excuse to post a picture of a Toronado.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
04/27/2017 at 09:54, STARS: 0
So am I. Like I said I consider the Neon SRT4 and original Cobalt SS to be muscle cars. All I’m saying is, if you’re going to be so picky that even things that technically fall within your parameters aren’t close enough, then FWD is a HUGE no.
Basically, I’m in agreement that the Accord Coupe is a muscle car. But “Last of the American muscle cars” is quite a leap.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/27/2017 at 09:56, STARS: 0
A coupe built on a sedan platform? You mean like the first gen Mustang?
Partly trolling, without even getting into the “is a pony car a muscle car arglebargle”.
And yes, I would call the Falcon a sedan platform. When the two door Falcons have ACTUAL DOOR THRESHOLDS HIDDEN IN THE REAR FENDERS because there’s only one rocker panel design, and all models have the sedan wheelbase, I think it’s a little more than an afterthought.
"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
04/27/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 0
Hmm, yes, quite.
"Shift24" (the-nope)
04/27/2017 at 10:06, STARS: 1
He might have a point if you go by Webster definition “any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving”. Though he might soon need to retitle it to “was the last”as there are no current rumors of a replacement and honda refreshes the accord every 5 model years.
But in all seriousness and as a coupe owner, I get what he is trying to say but the one thing he leaves out is that muscle was RWD and the accord is not. They are damn quick and the TL and TLX are even quicker with a manual, especially the TL with SH-AWD and 3.7L. But its just not the same, the last true muscle is generally accepted as the GNX and even then people criticize it for being a turbo v6 and not true V8.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
04/27/2017 at 11:58, STARS: 0
muscle cars didn’t run forever.