Comments by "" (@neutronalchemist3241) on "MotorWeek" channel.

  1. The MR2 was heavily inspired by the X1/9.
    3
  2. In the US, the 1.8 litres aspirated engine produced 90hp and the 2.0 litres one 105 hp (in Europe the 1.8 litres produced 114hp). The US turbocharged 2.0 litres engine produced 120 hp, while the 2.0 litres volumex (supercharged) in Europe produced 135 hp. The same engine, 2.0 litres, but naturally aspired, reached 130hp in the Ritmo 130 TC Abarth.
    3
  3. Reviews often overlook how much "rational" this car is. Bertone and Gandini (Bertone's chief designer) worked this car to the bone to be one of the most rationally designed roadsters ever. It had to replace the Fiat 850 Spider. A car made for young people that didn't have much money, but wanted to buy a fun and good looking car, so that car would have probably been their only one until they had children. So the X1/9 it had not been made to be only fun to drive (50-50 weight distribution, four indipendent MacPherson struts) and safe (50mph barrier test, 80mph roll over. US manufacturers managed to not have those proposed DOT requirements mandatory) but it had plenty of luggage space (front and rear trunks, both spacious and with a regular shape). The roof takes place in the front trunk without reducing the luggage space. The spare wheel is behind the passenger's seat... Compare this with a Fiero or an MR2, despite both being bigger cars.
    2
  4. The X1/9 had been designed by Bertone (by Marcello Gandini, Bertone's chief designer. The same of the lamborghini Miura, Lancia Stratos, Ferrari Dino 308 GT4...) and assembled at Bertone's plant for all of it's production.
    2
  5. The main competitor, the X1/9 weighted 2000 pounds. The Porsche 924, 2381 pounds.
    2
  6. Actually it's one of the most functional roadsters ever built. Luggage space is unmatched. Targa roof takes place into the front trunk without reducing it. Spare wheel is behind the passenger's seat. Accessibility of the engine, with the removable panels, is unmatched for mid engined cars... When Americans and Japanese copied Bertone's drawings for the Fiero and the MR2 they lost a good part of what made the X1/9 a functional car.
    2
  7. Both the Fiat X1/9 and the Porsche 924 were lighter.
    1
  8. De Dion rear bridge. The body rolls, but the wheels are glued to the tarmac.
    1
  9.  @cordiasr7021  A Mustang III with the freshly introduced Essex 3.8l V6 did it in 11.5s. It was not slow.
    1
  10. Doubt it. When Toyota guys copied Bertone's drawings, they lost the part about luggage space. The fuel injected 16V 1.6 liter engine was obviously more powerful than the carburated 8V 1.5 one, but like almost all the '80s 16V you had to rev high to extract something to it (a comparative of the time stated it was like boiling an egg. nothing until 4000 rpm, some bubble between 4000 and 5000 rpm, all beyond it) and that was annoying in everyday driving. The suspensions were stiffer and, in the end, the X1/9 did the same things with better gas mileage. The problem with the X1/9 was that it was old. It had the finishing of an early '70s car in mid '80s. Had Fiat updated it (flush findows, integrated bumper, more modern interior, a fuel injected engine with some hp more...) it would have still been a contender.
    1
  11. The problem with Fiat cars was that they were mostly cheap cars. People seems to not understand that changing a timing belt on a $1,000 worth car costs as much as changing it in a $10,000 worth car, because it's the same operation. Being cheap they were not well mantained, small issues were not taken care of... because it was "not worth it". Then, when they fell apart, "FIATs are crap".
    1
  12. You don't know the Fiat Twincam, like you don't know many others unfortunately.
    1
  13.  decembrist  Plus two World Sportscar Championships with the Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo. Those were even more impressive. A turbocharged, 440hp, 1.4 liter engine and a 530 hp 1.7 liter engine, without intercooler, capable to last for 24h races in 1980-81 was something out of this world.
    1
  14. Unfortunately they left out the X1/9 luggage space (pretty strange if you think GM forced Pontiac to make it a "two seats commuter"). The Fiero was forcibly a second car.
    1
  15. At the time it was good. A third generation Mustang, with the freshly introduced 3.8 litres Essex V6, did it in 11.5 sec.
    1
  16. When they copied Bertone's drawings, Toyota's guys lost the ones about luggage space (like GM guys did for that matter). People talk about Italian cars and rust, but the MR2 rusted like there was no tomorrow (that's less excusable for an '80s car). The engine was reliable tough. Not that the Fiat SOHC had many problems, and to work on it was easier, thanks to the removable panels.
    1
  17. The X1/9 passed the 50mph barrier test and 80mph roll over test that DOT proposed at the time of its introduction on US market. US manufacturers managed to not have those requirements mandatory, because practically no car manufactured in hte US could pass them. So shit happens, but it depends on the dynamic of the crash.
    1
  18. A third generation Ford Mustang equipped with the freshly introduced 3.8 liter Essex V6 did it in 11.5s. 12s were sporty at the time.
    1
  19. Because it was. That car could take turns faster than any contemporary one. If you consider "sport" 0-60 specs, then even a truck is sporty if the engine is powerful enough.
    1
  20. Often reviews seems to forget the fact that the owner tend to know his car, so he knows where the switches are, or how to open a roof.
    1