Not the kind of unicorn you would expect

"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection) 10/20/2016 at 07:53 • Filed to: None

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That’s right, I just saw a Chevrolet (no typo) Alero, which was sold in the late 90s here in Europe by GM. Approx. 12 were sold.

Justin Young > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 07:55

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It had a cameo appearance in Furious 6!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Justin Young 10/20/2016 at 08:01

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Ha! I even remember that! The rest of the movie not so much.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:06

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...does it still have the Olds badge on the front?

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:12

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Crap, me neither... Love all the F&F but can barely remember any after the 3rd one lol

duurtlang > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 10/20/2016 at 08:15

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It was a very cheap rebadge. I know some did have a bowtie, but from what I’ve read it did still have Olds logos imprinted in the steering wheel and other locations.

I can’t remember the last time I saw one, so I’m not speaking from experience here.

mazda616 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 10/20/2016 at 08:16

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Funnily enough, GM was (unsurprisingly) lazy enough to put Chevrolet badges on the exterior of the car yet leave the U.S.-market Oldsmobile badge on the steering wheel.

There seen 16 of these for sale in Germany right now.

https://m.mobile.de/auto/search.html?dam=0&md=3&mk=5600&s=Car&vc=Car

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:20

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I looked at the link someone else posted to ones for sale. Turns out you could get them with a manual too. Dont think that was possible in the states.

Definitely, not if you had a leather interior.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal 10/20/2016 at 08:20

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Says something about the franchise I guess. It kinda hurts that Universal just keeps on milking the franchise to death.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 10/20/2016 at 08:21

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Yep, just like the Mexico only Dodge Accent which is a Hyundai with Dodge badges.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > mazda616 10/20/2016 at 08:22

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Well changing the badge on the wheel requires you to make a new air bag cover. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 10/20/2016 at 08:23

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GM always catches me off guard with how many of their vehicles can be had with a manual. I think they offer one of the highest percentages of their lineup with a manual.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 10/20/2016 at 08:27

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The manual was even offered in the US but like you said not in combination with leather interior. That interior looks like a terrible place to be in imo.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:38

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Sure but I enjoyed them anyway.. I just don’t remember them :)

Reminds me of when I was single and younger I guess haha

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:39

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They should have sold it as an Opel.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal 10/20/2016 at 08:42

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I still watch the first five movies quite regularly but since the passing of Paul Walker I probably won’t watch the 8th movie.

(I’ll end up watching it anyways haha)

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/20/2016 at 08:47

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Probably, the only problem was that it wouldn’t have fitted into the Opel lineup from back then. The Alero would have cannibalized both the larger Opel Omega (Catera in the US) and the smaller Vectra (Saturn L200 in the US). It just didn’t make very much sense imo unlike the Opel Sintra aka Oldsmobile Silhouette which filled a gap until the Zafira mpv was released.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:50

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Oh I’m watching it, as soon as it’s available to me whatever the means lol (living in Japan movies come out 6 months after the rest of the world... So I usually find other ways)

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Flavien Vidal 10/20/2016 at 08:52

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Since the 5th part I always told myself not to see it at the cinema but I always ended up watching anyways it with my buddies. It’s just the perfect bro date movie lel.

Flavien Vidal > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 08:57

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Nothing better... I’d love to hate them... But I just can’t :)

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 09:01

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Welcome to the world of American cars (disclaimer: experience n=2)

I though the interior of the Dodge Magnum my father in law owns was bad. Then I went to the US on holidy last July. And rented a Chevrolet Malibu. It was... horrific.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang 10/20/2016 at 09:09

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The ‘12 Impala we had in 2013 had a terrible interior as well, the material of the cloth seats looked like old carpet (America seems to be in a love affair with carpet lol) and cheaper ass plastic everywhere, think 1990s Hyundai bad. Even worse than another rental we had, a Chevy Cobalt.

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 09:18

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I had a ‘16 Impala Limited. Which is the same as your ‘12.

The material of those cloth seats, just wow. I now understand why Americans crave leather in cars. Not because leather is great (my DD has leather) but because their cloth is so horrific. My base model subcompact ‘86 Peugeot 205 has better cloth on the seats than that ‘16 aircraft-carrier sized car. Better interior plastics too. I’m 188 cm tall (6'2"in legacy units I believe) and of average weight. I felt I needed to gain at least 50% of body weight to properly fit in the seats, they seemed to be designed for the obese. Zero support. My girlfriend got back pain from those seats. Yet, they were power adjustable. Save money by making it manually adjustable and invest the saved money in making it a seat that’s actually half decent to sit on!

It’s one of many examples of poor prioritization in that car. That car was just a combination of poor choices and odd priorities.

edit: I actually made a picture.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang 10/20/2016 at 09:31

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The 3.0 V6 is probably the best thing in that car, at least it made sweet noises when accelerating hard. It’s even quite a bargain used and would make a great dd cruiser but yeah, it’s just terrible in everything else. The last generation USDM Accord had some extremely uncomfortable seats and headrests, my grandma got severe back pain from them. Americans either love shitty seats it or are just overweight.

Cé hé sin > duurtlang 10/20/2016 at 09:41

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Bonus Smart Roadster in the background.

Cé hé sin > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 09:42

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Oooh, I remember the Sintra! I think they sold about six of those too.

I used to see them very occasionally but they’re long gone now.

duurtlang > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 09:44

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Mine didn’t have a 3.0 V6, it had a 3.6 V6 with slightly over 300 hp. Another weird choice as the car in no way encouraged sporty driving and US speed limits are low. With a smaller lower output engine it would’ve driven the same, yet the savings could’ve been invested in a few of its many flaws, making it a better car.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Cé hé sin 10/20/2016 at 09:52

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I do see one occasionally but as a Pontiac Trans “Sport”. American vans were actually a thing here, the Chrysler Voyager sold in solid numbers here, the Sintra and Trans Sport were officially offered by GM and some Ford dealerships imported the Windstar and Aeromax and the occasional Mercury Villager.

All those vans amazed me as a kid with their exotic badges.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang 10/20/2016 at 10:00

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Ah dammit that was a typo. The Impala’s only engine choice since 2012 is the 3.6 which you can more or less find in many other GM vehicles. I never got the hp craze of Americans with their crazy low speed limits and long distances. A four cylinder would just be more than enough imo for such a car but it has never been offered with one. The succesor got one though, a 2.4 n/a iirc.

I think it’s good that they didn’t invest in that generation and put that money into the development of the current Impala which isn’t all that bad according to reviews. Too bad that rental car companies still punish their customers with the dreadful Limited.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 10:12

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Have you ever seen the original concept for the Alero?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/20/2016 at 10:32

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Yes, it was a two door right?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > duurtlang 10/20/2016 at 10:47

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Lazytastic!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 10:48

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Yup - it was my model year of Accent! :P

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 10/20/2016 at 10:52

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Hm.. Have you ever thought about getting Dodge badges for your Accent? You’d be my hero haha.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 10/20/2016 at 10:55

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Never thought about getting them, but I have looked for them...not easy to find!