The Most Digestible Crapwagons of 2015
A new year has arrived, and with it the “celebration” of eight months with The Truth About Cars. As is custom, I’m looking back over the most popular pieces of the last year for easy clicks on a hangover day.
Certainly validating my well-honed Francophile eBay search is the forbidden-fruit Citroën C6 I looked at in May. Our friends at Jalopnik were lucky enough to drive this very car. I’m jealous.
Our next most popular Crapwagon was a cheap early Boxster. I argued that cheap Porsches are perhaps the most expensive vehicle one could ever buy.
Next comes the beige. Quick followup on my BMW-fanatic friend and our trip to buy a Lexus: We got halfway into the five-hour drive and the seller called. He couldn’t find the title. My friend bought another BMW.
Fourth on our countdown, but number one in my heart, is a clownshoe. I’ve made no secret of my love for MGs — the BGT hatch especially — and the BMW M Coupe is the steroid-addled spiritual successor to the heavenly MG Sebring racers. Someday…
In July, the Passat W8 4Motion wagon was remarkably popular, or at least quite popular to hate. Oh, for the days when driving a Volkswagen was socially acceptable.
A really odd Crapwagon graced our virtual pages for Black Friday, and plenty of you took time out of rioting in malls to click this off-roadish Challenger SRT8. Them Duke boys best be gettin’ a vinyl wrap for this Chally.
VW was all over TTAC this year. A couple weeks ago, this Corrado caught my eye, and apparently that of many of our beloved readers. It costs too much for what it is, really, but car lust isn’t always rational.
Just a week ago brought us our last car in this rundown: a poor-man’s M5. Looks like I was high on the final selling price as $5600 looks rather palatable.
I want to thank the Best & Brightest for welcoming me to TTAC. I’ve slowly grown to understand what this place is, and I hope my writing has grown to meet your expectations. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to reach out.
Now excuse me while I chug another coffee.
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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- Wjtinfwb My comment about "missing the mark" was directed at, of the mentioned cars, none created huge demand or excitement once they were introduced. All three had some cool aspects; Thunderbird was pretty good exterior, let down by the Lincoln LS dash and the fairly weak 3.9L V8 at launch. The Prowler was super cool and unique, only the little nerf bumpers spoiled the exterior and of course the V6 was a huge letdown. SSR had the beans, but in my opinion was spoiled by the tonneau cover over the bed. Remove the cover, finish the bed with some teak or walnut and I think it could have been more appealing. All three were targeting a very small market (expensive 2-seaters without a prestige badge) which probably contributed. The PT Cruiser succeeded in this space by being both more practical and cheap. Of the three, I'd still like to have a Thunderbird in my garage in a classic color like the silver/green metallic offered in the later years.
- D Screw Tesla. There are millions of affordable EVs already in use and widely available. Commonly seen in Peachtree City, GA, and The Villages, FL, they are cheap, convenient, and fun. We just need more municipalities to accept them. If they'll allow AVs on the road, why not golf cars?
- ChristianWimmer Best-looking current BMW in my opinion.
- Analoggrotto Looks like a cheap Hyundai.
- Honda1 It really does not matter. The way bidenomics is going nobody will be able to afford shyt.
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+1 This series by Chris is great. I love the mix of quirky niche collectible with insane affordable performance vehicles. It is not just entertaining but he keeps adding to my list of considerations for my next toy.
I think this series works because: 1) It's older cars, which is what we like here. 2) It's usually rarer stuff that's kinda obscure, which is the other thing we like. 3) Half the time it's German, so it gives us a chance to vent and rag on all the awful costs of old German cars.