Interesting details in cars you like.

[VXR]

I had an A2 and I didn't know that.

 

[Tornado]

• The Koenigsegg CC8 and CCR use the same naturally aspirated 4.6L V8 engine as the 2002-2005 Lincoln Aviator.

Also, Koenigsegg made it no secret that they were building their early cars off of engines they bought directly from Ford and then basically gave to a race shop to be rebuilt, but the CC8S was in development for so long and both it and the CCR were made in small enough numbers that the engines were sourced with leftover Teksid blocks from the 90s Cobra/Mark VIII; not the weaker (but far cheaper) Canadian made blocks that Ford switched to for the aluminum 4 valve cars starting later in 1999. One of the reasons that has been purported for why Koenigsegg took their engine building significantly more in house from what they had been doing to that point was because the supply of those specific engines was essentially exhausted by the time they went to replace the CCR.

 

[TexRex]

Obviously done for packaging, but it's a little interesting that the twin Rotrex superchargers are mounted on one side rather than semi-symmetrically as Novitec did with their 360s.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Obviously done for packaging, but it's a little interesting that the twin Rotrex superchargers are mounted on one side rather than semi-symmetrically as Novitec did with their 360s.

Oh I was wondering what those two circular things were on the left.

 

[Liquid]

 

[05XR8]

Would have been nice to have that in my old ‘90 9000 Turbo for all the night time driving I did.

 

[McLaren]

• McLaren F1 side mirrors are from the VW Corrado.

More humorously enough, Gordon re-shared recently the taillights are from an Iveco truck; "I think they were about 5 quid at the time". And the headlights were found in the "Halfords parts catalogue".

 

[GranTurNismo]

• The 1984-1987 Alfa Romeo 90 featured this diagonal speedometer and tach.

• The 1957-1967 Lancia Flaminia Berlina Sedan had four rear wipers.
• The 1965-1967 Pontiac Bonneville could be optioned with 8-lug wheels.
• The Z31 Nissan 300ZX, and the 1983-1987 Toyota Crown featured a digital compass built into the dash.
• The GM X-body cars (Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoenix, Olds Omega, Buick Skylark) featured vertical, sideways radio and HVAC (heater/fan) control layout as part of their futuristic, wedge-shaped dash design.

 

[GranTurNismo]

• On late model 1980s Mercedes-Benz S-Classes (W126) only the right (passenger side) exterior mirror was power adjusted. The left (drivers side) mirror had a little lever just inside the door to manually adjust it.
• The TVR Chimera has no door handles. On the door exterior, the button was behind the door or under the mirror depending on the year. In the interior, there was an aluminum knob on the center console that you turned left or right to open the corresponding door.
• The TVR Chimera (and the Cerbera) also had no ABS, traction control, stability control, or airbags, all the way until 2001.
• Due to inventory issues, Land Rover stopped equipping their Defenders with a sunglasses holder in 2023. Instead they left a shiny hard piano black plastic cover, and they never went back even after parts inventories went back to normal.
• The current Honda Ridgeline and Rivian R1T Ridgeline have a drain in the rear bed so you can fill it up with cold beers.
• Early model second-get Volvo S80s had heartbeat detectors; a sensor that was supposed to tell you if there was someone in your car so when you’re walking back to it late at night with no one around, you could make sure no one is inside waiting to jump you.
• The Honda Civic Del Sol had power rear windows.
• The sunglasses holder in the 2001-2008 Toyota Sequoia could hold up to five pairs of sunglasses.
• In response to the 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan having introduced the driver's side sliding door, Ford responded by putting an extra long driver's door on the Windstar for the 1997-1998 models, making it an asymmetrical design. It was widely hated by owners, for being quite impossible to open without hitting the car parked next to you, in addition to being heavy.
• The 1989-1990 Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo Coupe had a whopping 12 different buttons on the steering wheel.
• The Honda Element had no shortage of unusual features and fun quirks:
  • backseats were mounted slightly higher than the front seats, kind of like stadium-style seating.
  • backseats that would fold up and carabiner connect onto the grab handle to create a flat floor.
  • All of the seats were covered in a moisture resistant fabric that could be easily cleaned.
  • The floor was made out of urethane which meant that you could easily wet-clean it with a bucket-o-suds if needed.
  • The overhead storage compartment in the front could fit a Mac Mini inside and still close the door.
  • The sunroof was located in the back of the car and only came on 4WD models.
  • The rear hatch was a vertical clamshell design which included a very useful tailgate.
• The Citroen C3 Pluriel's roof and seats - it can transform from 4-seat soft-top convertible to a kind of 2-seat pickup, or anything in between!
• 

 

[TexRex]

Early sixth generation Cougars could have a Cougar logo in the reversing lenses.

This was only offered for the first two years as a 1985 refresh (before the 1987 facelift) took away the circular lenses entirely.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Chinese market long wheelbase C and E class have this little stylized L on the C-pillar, which I find really charming. Seeing C300L is a bit funny though, but the E300L is very elegant in LWB form.

 

[Pupik]

Early sixth generation Cougars could have a Cougar logo in the reversing lenses.

This was only offered for the first two years as a 1985 refresh (before the 1987 facelift) took away the circular lenses entirely.

Of all the vehicles from Massachusetts, I never would have guessed a mid-1980s Mercury Cougar got "WICKED" as a vanity plate.

Somebody got that one at the right time and place and should rightfully take a bow.

 

[TexRex]

I'll probably catch some flak for this but I kind of dig the double crosshatch grille on a Genesis GV70.

For what it's worth, my initial reaction was one of distaste, but I started to warm up to it almost instantly. It does look better in person.

 

[Liquid]

If the grille was smaller, it would look quite smart.

 

[Darkesta]

I love the odd Opel GT rotating headlights. Activated by a physical lever on the inside that rolls the headlight assembly, both in the same direction, to the open and closed position.

On a different note, the floor foot pedal that activates the washer system and wipers was fun to make people think they were "voice activated".

 

[TexRex]

It's a neat idea and it's fun to watch them roll over but in practice having a gigantic lever on the console so close to the shifter to engage or disengage them is less than ideal.

 

[ScottPuss20]

The Lexus ISF's exhaust pipes