455Grandville,
Yeah, I was scrolling down, looking at Tennesse's pics, and just about to write, "Yeah, there's a movie with a brown 6.9 in it called "Ronin" that has a pretty good chase scene in it. But then you had to go and steal all my thunder. At least they didn't destroy the 6.9 in that movie. It was really kind of a dumb movie; good car chase, though.
Mine is a '77 US market car. It's rated at 250 hp and 360 ft/lbs. Do those specs sound familiar to anyone? I'm really looking forward to driving the Grand Ville and seeing how the two cars compare to each other.
Thanks for posting the pics, Tennessee, just because they give me another look - or two - at the Grand Ville. It's quite a pretty car. I really like its lines.
I remember doing an experiment some time ago. I was over at my brother's house, and my sister in law asked me to help her take their 64 T-bird in for service. I followed her in their brand-spanking-new top-of-the-line Infinity. I did an experiment: I paid close attention to how many people "noticed" me or the car. We drove a good 10 miles on city streets, so plenty of opportunities to be noticed. Guess what? Nobody noticed. A brand new, $50,000 plus car, and nobody cared.
Well, the next time I was over, I got a chance to drive the T-bird. Did the same experiment. EVERYONE checked out that car. It's a REAL pretty car; it's placed well in a few car shows (even though it's a daily driver, and not one that gets towed from show to show). I think a LOT of people buy new cars thinking they will get noticed, and nobody gives a flat-damn about them or their dime-a-dozen cars (even expensive sporty and luxury models seem to be a dime a dozen).
Old cars have character, personality, and class that new cars simply don't match. They also offer durability: does anybody seriously think any of today's new cars will still be on the road 30-40 years from now?
In any event, I'm looking forward to comparing German and American engineering. The Germans certainly had an advantage: a new 450SEL 6.9 sold for the equivalent of about five fully equipped Cadillacs. It's actually the most comfortable car I've ever driven - old OR new. I'll be surprised if the Grand Ville matches the comfort (the relationship between the seat and the wheel, the glide of the suspension, etc.). But I'll be disappointed if the Pontiac powertrain doesn't compare favorably.
I'm guessing the Pontiac was geared more toward lower end performance, while the Mercedes was geared toward higher (it advertises a top speed of near 150 mph, though I've never even TRIED to come close to that). While I don't expect the Grand Ville to go quite that fast, I DO expect it to have a pretty darned fair lower end.
I wasn't all that interested in the option package until Tennesseestorm brought it up. Now I'd like to know. I'll quiz John the next time I talk to him.
Mike
|