Didnt the Russians get the plans off Fiat for the Lada!, Pretty awesome cars they were too, even had a heater in the back window to keep your hands warm while you push them haha
utwo,
Feb 3, 3:43am
True that, but then no one pays RRP for a new Toyota. You get get massive discounts on new Toyotas (especially if you're GST registered) but I bet you won't get much of a discount on a new Golf.
chris_051,
Feb 3, 4:23am
Not doubting the jappa engines, there are some awesome engines outa that country but innovators they are not, from the 50s onwards it has always been the Euros or poms to bring decent technology to the table and continue doing so to this day, VAG, BMW, Mercedes, inparticular.
bendean,
Feb 3, 4:32am
japanese took some of that tec and made it better and for cheaper
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 3, 1:55pm
Alfa Romeo had all alloy twin cam engines from 1954. Not even going to go into top speeds, the Italians were miles ahead (literally!) there too.
5 Speed gearbox's etc were common place in Italy long before the Japanese had them.
All round discs were becoming standard from about 1965.
Lancia, Fiat and Alfa Romeo invented a huge amount of the properly useful advances in car tecnology of the last 60 years.
The people mover, gutter-less roofs, 5 speed gearboxs, production CVT gerabox's, production Variable Valve timing, Multi air valve timing, the common rail diesel, are a few that spring to mind.
Of more recent history its the German's that tend to perfect things and actually even drive inovation before the others get them. The DSG gearbox, ultra efficient diesels and shortly hybrids that actually achieve something are a few examples.
johnf_456,
Feb 3, 2:05pm
+1 So funny, I remember giving my mate total crap all day long when his lada broke down at least once a fortnight.
phillip.weston,
Feb 3, 2:48pm
if you go through the list of automotive superlatives you'll find most of the firsts are actually from America in the early days, I suppose Europe took over from them at some stage.
mrfxit,
Feb 3, 2:57pm
Americans had the balls to create but not the common sense to refine the tech.
The british had the cheek to copy & innovative installs, but not the common sense to refine the tech.
The japs had the cheek to copy everybody else & innovative installs, with the common sense to refine the tech.
hutchk,
Feb 3, 3:09pm
Come on Trog, it's 'mnemonic', back to school for you.
craig04,
Feb 3, 4:43pm
Yeah, the Golf is only 40% dearer at RRP. Very close.
asa50,
Feb 3, 6:06pm
Best thing about Fiats (and Alfas) is the stupid grin on your face when thrashing the pants off them
trouser,
Feb 3, 6:08pm
Aircraft.
mike107,
Feb 5, 1:13am
SUB A R U = U R A BUS
chris_051,
Feb 5, 1:40am
yeah, 10 years down the track. By that time the euros are on the next level evolving that tech into something better and more efficient. And cheaper, no, just because a run of the mill 5 series or E Class is three times the price of a Commodore in NZ, doesn't mean it is like that over the world.
ritmo,
Feb 5, 2:24am
Oh god another thread about fiats from someone who clearly knows it all.
I will never understand why they have a bad rep in NZ, seems to be cool to mock them and never let the facts get in the way.
sw20,
Feb 5, 2:51am
Oh god another response about tongue in cheek humour from someone that clearly knows it all.
ritmo,
Feb 5, 3:20am
Cheers for letting me know that sw20, if you could tell the wife that'll be great.
bendean,
Mar 14, 11:04am
and then the japanese take it, make it even beta and cheaper like when the yanks made a quad cam v8, they couldnt tune it so the japs took the idea and made it better and of course cheaper and tunable. to me these euros are overated its like a tv you buy it and the next day something better comes out and yours is worth squat i would rather spend less and get the same product but cheaper and better and in my opinion japanese cars generally look good but thats me and yes maybe in europe somewhere a commodore is worth x3 the amount of a bmw or merc but we are here in nz that doesnt matter
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