![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:42 • Filed to: Carspotting | ![]() | ![]() |
I saw one of these drive by me the other day and I remembered how much I like these cars. With a face only a mother could love and a 340hp, all aluminum 4.5-liter V8. Car & Driver said this was the quickest and fastest car in its 2003 comparison of mid-level luxury cars. It did only place fifth against the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Lexus, and only beat Lincoln and Jaguar. They're complaints were the cramped cabin and orange gauges, neither of which concern me. I want one.
Read the comparo here: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:47 |
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I saw one today too....
O.o
I live in NH, mayhaps the same one depending your location.
Not a common car where I live, could be difference elsewhere.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:48 |
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My grandfather has one. He lives in the DC area. The years have not treated it kindly.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:51 |
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Nope, New England but I'm down in MA. Not a common site around here either. I don't remember the last time I saw one. Was it dark blue? Could have been the same one I suppose!
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:52 |
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Orange gauges are awesome! Yeah I want one of these cars too, when I can afford the gas and shit.
I see a decent amount of them over here, considering they didn't sell too too many of them.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:53 |
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Has he had many problems with it or do you just think it hasn't aged well?
![]() 09/08/2013 at 19:55 |
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Same color as the one in the pic lol
NH plates.
It was in Rochester, so southern NH.
That is the first one I can recall seeing ever....
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:04 |
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While it had the uglier front end, I much prefer the second-gen's rear to that of the third-gen.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:04 |
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Looked up a pic of the interior. The gauges aren't that bad! C&D must have been desperate for something bad to write about.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:13 |
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I agree, I see a lot of Nissan influence in the third gen and it looks more pedestrian.
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:34 |
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I really like these. Haven't ever gotten any seat time in one, but I do like the looks and the all around package.
I think the only thing I'd personally prefer about them, based on what I know, is if they would have offered a shorter coupe variant (said car may exist but I'm unaware of it, if it does).
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:38 |
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Auto Only i believe. That being said, you dont see these at all in NJ
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:49 |
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Sometimes we have to make sacrifices lol. I still want one
![]() 09/08/2013 at 20:55 |
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I see them quite a bit in NJ. When I say "quite a bit" I mean a high-ish number of M45's considering the low production (say 3 or so within like a 5 mile radius)
![]() 09/09/2013 at 01:22 |
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God I love these. They're my ultimate muscle sedan. Especially since those motors were good for 450-500HP in race trim... I saw one dropped into a Z with twin turbos, supposedly putting out about 1200 HP on race fuel.
![]() 09/09/2013 at 09:17 |
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It's a superbly engineered hippopotamus, but the mean streets of DC have left their mark. I mean curb rash, various dents, and a door that was resprayed by a moron and which is now flat silver.