Question of the Day: What Car Did You Used To Hate That You Now Like?

Jonny Lieberman
by Jonny Lieberman

Easy answer for me: Porsche 914. Justin and I talked about this (kinda) on today’s Podcast. He still hates it. But not me. I really, really admire the diminutive sports car. That’s right, I said sports car. Before I explain why, let me explain why I used to be a hater. There’s an entire class of cars I dislike because they were driven by the biggest assholes at my high school. Specifically, ’55 Chevys, all Chevelles, Toyota 4-Runners and Porsche 914s. VW Bugs were a mixed bag. The most date rapingest quarterback had one (I played center — I have issues) but so did a close friend. So, we’ll call it a wash. Anyhow, jerks drove the 914 and I had always heard that in Europe they sold it as “just” a Volkswagen. But a dear friend of mine — Davey G Johnson — showed me the error of my ways. By using facts! And while it is true that both companies sold the car, the bulk of the development was handled by Porsche. Any guesses as to who specifically was in charge of the 914 project? If you guessed Ferdinand Piech, pat yourself on the back. You may recall that Piech is the man responsible for the Volkswagen Phaeton. But, he also willed the Bugatti Veyron into existence. More importantly he brought about the all-crushing, all-dominating Porsche 917. Seriously, they canceled Can-Am because nothing could compete with the 917. Not one race, but the whole series. So, the 914 has some pedigree. Lots of success on the track, too. Don’t believe me? How does a 6th overall finish at Le Mans grab you? And yes, I know I said 7th on the Podcast. Again, not 6th in its class, but 6th overall. Why, that’s amazing! Especially when you consider the cars it beat, which include a bevy of 911s and Corvettes, Alfa Romeo T33/3s, several Ferraris, several Porsche 908s and even a 917. Hell yes I now love the 914. You?

Jonny Lieberman
Jonny Lieberman

Cleanup driver for Team Black Metal V8olvo.

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  • Bunter1 Bunter1 on Oct 08, 2008

    C2 'vettes. It was the "foreign cars are cooler" thing. '55 Chevy-one day I realized what a clean design it was. The '57 is a vile mess of '50s cliches next to one...or even sitting by it's lonesome. Original xB. Triumph of design justice. Yes, Bunter did say something nice about a GM product! Respectfully, Bunter

  • Jordan Tenenbaum Jordan Tenenbaum on Oct 09, 2008

    Honestly, the Jag E-Type. I now idolize it, but back when I was a wee little kid, I couldn't stand the looks of it.

  • ToolGuy Why would they change the grille?
  • Oberkanone Nissan proved it can skillfully put new frosting on an old cake with Frontier and Z. Yet, Nissan dealers are so broken they are not good at selling the Frontier. Z production is so minimal I've yet to see one. Could Nissan boost sales? Sure. I've heard Nissan plans to regain share at the low end of the market. Kicks, Versa and lower priced trims of their mainstream SUV's. I just don't see dealerships being motivated to support this effort. Nissan is just about as exciting and compelling as a CVT.
  • ToolGuy Anyone who knows, is this the (preliminary) work of the Ford Skunk Works?
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I will drive my Frontier into the ground, but for a daily, I'd go with a perfectly fine Versa SR or Mazda3.
  • Zerofoo The green arguments for EVs here are interesting...lithium, cobalt and nickel mines are some of the most polluting things on this planet - even more so when they are operated in 3rd world countries.
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