New Magna - Page 2

FNQracing · 27-02-2005, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Stylist

Brave money would label the spy pic as the VE Commodore or the next Falcon or even the next Camry. But is likely a U.S. market car.

Definately NOT the VE or Falc. The rear 3/4 is almost identical to the sketch. Door handles and roofline suggest something from the mitsu stable.

Whitey-AMG · 27-02-2005, 09:03 PM

Mitsu has built some good cars in OZ. Their issue with their last fugly attempt at globalising their product for the sake of marketing commonality led them to HELL. Like the AU falcon, the stylists were obviously at the same rage party and were definitely sharing the same drugs.

Our second car is a KJ Verada that has been modified with Ralliart suspension exhaust and other bits and pieces. It is a sweet car to drive and punt hard. It lacks power down low, but up high it sings. The car sits on the optional 17" VRX alloys and it looks awesome. For a front drive vehicle it drives and handles brilliantly. It's built solid, it's reliable and it looks a shite load better than an AU...................( goes away to put flame suit on )

The biggest problem with the MITSU product.....especially the Magna range and its derivatives is IMAGE.................it doesn't have one. It's a confused philosophy with a confused marketing campaign. It outsells the CAMRY and yet the perception is that it's a low seller. It's a mid size car and yet it's competition seems to be the Falcon and the Commodore ?????????????

The company was struggling so the design geniuses in the USA pull out the FUGLY face for the TL. It's hard to believe that Olivier Boulay the designer used to work at Mercedes Benz !!!!!!!!!!!!!................maybe they saw his future designs for MB and ditched him before he could do any damage.
It's quite interesting actually cos the new face actually looks good on the LANCER and the VRX model...............but looks positively DOGS BALLS on all the other models.

From the hazy designs and artistic impressions doing the rounds at the moment, it looks like they may have a more wholistically designed car. EIther way, if it's not a stunner, they may suffer the wrath of a public with a long memory and stubborn buying patterns.................which is a pity.

I still can't believe that Toyota got away with it in the latest generation CAMRY................now that's a scary looking beast............and SPORTIVO..................

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FNQracing · 27-02-2005, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESP

I still can't believe that Toyota got away with it in the latest generation CAMRY................now that's a scary looking beast............and SPORTIVO..................

:

You know, I have absolutely NO IDEA why the new Camry is so popular. We have a few in the fleet at work, and they are a gawd awful thing to drive (IMHO) and they just look weird. Some things you just can't explain. I think the Toyota badge has alot to do with it.

The Stylist · 27-02-2005, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFOracing

Definately NOT the VE or Falc. The rear 3/4 is almost identical to the sketch. Door handles and roofline suggest something from the mitsu stable.

I can't say I agree with you in regards to the sketch being almost identical to the car pictured. Like I said earlier the next Magna will be based on the U.S. market Galant, although the car in the spyshot looks similar in profile to the sketch they are in fact quite different.

Although I do agree that you're probably right about it not being the next Falcon or Commodore. If you look closely at the distance on the front guard between the door shut-line and the wheel arch you will see that there isn't much sheet metal there, suggesting that it could be FWD. Either that or it could have a really big front overhang regardless of what powertrain layout.

...Actually coming to think about, the car in that photo could be the next Mondeo - just speculation.

TIKFD6 · 27-02-2005, 10:08 PM

That pic looks like the sketch to me.

Very nice looking rear end actually.

The Stylist · 27-02-2005, 10:52 PM

I've been doing a little research and it seems that the disguised car pictured could be a new Buick model. Take with a grain of salt though...

If you look at the back quarter panel (especially the rear bumper profile) and the flared wheel arches, it does seem reminiscent of the Ford Prodigy concept of a few years back - you remember, that blue sedan that looked like the Audi A6.

The Stylist · 27-02-2005, 11:01 PM

Here's the article that accompanied the spy pic from page 1 of this thread:

Article from Edmunds.com

Date Posted 02-24-2005

Buick will go after Lexus with this rear wheel drive V8 powered sedan.
DETROIT, Mich. — Industry sources tell Inside Line that Buick intends to import a large rear-wheel-drive sedan from General Motors' Holden subsidiary in Australia, to serve as its flagship passenger car in 2008. It's a trick GM already tried with the slow selling Pontiac GTO, which is based on the Australian Holden Monaro.

The sedan reportedly will fill a slot in the division's lineup that will be left by the impending demise of the front-wheel-drive Park Avenue.

Buick also is planning to introduce a rear-wheel-drive convertible, patterned after the Velite concept car it unveiled last year at the New York auto show. Although it is expected to share many underbody components with the new sedan, the two-door Velite reportedly will be assembled in North America.

Holden has already begun testing prototypes of the Buick sedan, which will also share its basic architecture and underpinnings with the next-generation Holden Commodore and Statesman sedans in Australia.

The Buick sedan has been designed to accept GM's 5.7-liter V8, which likely will be mated to a five- or six-speed automatic transmission.

What this means to you: Hopefully, Buick's attempt to import a near-luxury RWD sedan from Down Under will attract more American buyers than Pontiac's latter-day GTO has.

If the above is correct then the VE is out on the roads.

Dave_au · 28-02-2005, 10:47 AM

I disagree, I'm pretty sure thats the mitsubishi. Although the "new Magna" was to be based on the US Gallant, it shares little, if anything, with the US car - I've been told its the equivalent situation as to the Opel Omega/Holden Commodore relationship.

The Stylist · 28-02-2005, 11:24 AM

I quess we will just have to agree to disagree.

From the info that I've come across, the new Magna will have different front/rear and interior styling. But it will also have the same basic hard-points as the Galant - such as the floorpan, powertrain, roof, and the door/windscreen pillars.

Because a car is being tested in Australia it doesn't always mean that it's an Aussie made car - quite often there are overseas models being hot weather tested because it is winter in other parts of the world.

Dave_au · 28-02-2005, 02:59 PM

US Gallant:

Actually I have just compared the two:

For the spy pics being the new Magna:
Window pillars look very similiar to the spy pics
Door handles look mitsubishi
Car has close likeness to the sketches - appears to have the trailing bumper, square and flat boot lid facia

Against:
The issue is with the C pillar and the rear door, which is slightly different. The trailing edge of the rear door is different. The glass cut on the rear door looks more opel than mitsubishi. The car also appears to have a "pinstripe edge"/ chime down the body of the car approx 5cm below the glass, something that is not evident on the US Gallant.

Anyway, if the stylist is right, then it looks like the VE commodore will be another magnadoor/gallantadoor. Otherwise, I think either that test car is carrying a lot of stick on body facias or Mitsubishi has stayed true to their word and developed the car for our own tastes.

banarcus · 28-02-2005, 03:50 PM

That black car in the outback has the same c pillar, typically same door handles but has ford wheel arches?? Nevertheless, its an improvement on the current model magna.

The Stylist · 01-03-2005, 10:41 AM

It is a hard one to pick guy's. The boot lid in the spy pic is longer than that on the Galant and the hofmeister kink in the C-pillar quite rounded compared to the Mitsi.

It still looks a bit small to be a Commodore but it could be big enough to be the next Opel Omega.

The Stylist · 01-03-2005, 10:28 PM

Ok, seen two other pics of the car and it is not the next Magna. One was an interior shot, with a two-tone dash seperated by wood trim that went across the dash and into the doors.

The most telling sign that it is a GM car is that above instrument panel (speedo etc..) there is rectangular cut out on top of the dash for the heads up display system that is usually seen on Caddillacs.

I also have a pic of the front and it look like a cross between a Vectra and Opel Insignia concept car.

The name: Buick Lausanne.

FNQracing · 01-03-2005, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Stylist

Ok, seen two other pics of the car and it is not the next Magna. One was an interior shot, with a two-tone dash seperated by wood trim that went across the dash and into the doors.

Care to post the pic?

MrLandau · 02-03-2005, 01:26 AM

I know for a fact that the new "mitsibishi" (they aren't yet silly enough to be called a Magna) is longer and a little wider than the current model. We were in there over christmas break modifying the paint shop so it would fit.
I saw the prototype in raw metal and the picture you have there is very close to it - it actually looks quite good.
I did a 6 month stint in Mitsi's (aternoon shift maintenance) while the sketches and prototypes were being played with. A few of us broke into the shed on the metal line that it was being housed in a got a real good look at it.
Mitsibishi Australia know the Magna name kills them, and the front wheel drive platform is not what Australians want - but they are governed by the heirachy in Japan and can not do a damn thing to change it. It is the Japs decision to axe the AWD platform and the stationwagon on the next model too...
Shane