The shape of the 155

Originally Posted by Eyes Only

It's a hairdressers car!!!

Might be.....but it's the dog's dangly's...

No, no, noooooo......you really don't get this designed in aggression bit at all do you

That is a a nasty little car trying to look like an Italian supercar. If anything the first MR2 was a bit better but still somehow not quite right as that was trying to be a Lotus.

....no soul you see.

wrinx

Always thought this view was rather good.. especially in someones mirrors

san

Funny thing happened this afternoon that reminded me of this thread.

Was interviewing someone earlier and as it was such a nice afternoon, the interview was in the garden..........opposite my 155.

Now, apart from checking for streaking or missed polish, I very rarely look at it head on. As this person I was i'viewing clearly wasn't gonna get the job because she was minging, it gave me a chance to look at, eye level. And it IS mean ! Mean as in EVIL looking. Mentioned earlier, "poeple just move out of the way. They do. FACT.

Yesterday, being followed by the guys that met up, a 155 is VERY intimidating when it's behind. There is something about it's snout that is menacing. And I LOVE it !

So let's just close the argument. The 155 is a great looking car. Just not to everyones taste.

Originally Posted by wrinx

No, no, noooooo......you really don't get this designed in aggression bit at all do you

Oh yes I do....but my "aggresive" is diffirent from your's...

Originally Posted by wrinx

No, no, noooooo......you really don't get this designed in aggression bit at all do you

That is a a nasty little car trying to look like an Italian supercar. If anything the first MR2 was a bit better but still somehow not quite right as that was trying to be a Lotus.

....no soul you see.

wrinx

You're wrong wrinx. The MR2 was trying to be a Pontiac Fiero. It was when it first came out and it was when it softened its edges.

http://www.fiero.net/showroom/indy.html
http://www.fiero.net/showroom/88gt.html
http://www.fiero.net/showroom/
http://www.geocities.com/calgaryfieros/welcome.htm
http://www.calgaryfieros.com/FIEROintro.htm

Admittedly the Fiero took some styling cues from the TR7 and the X1/9, but without the Fiero, the MR2 wouldn't exist.

I don't know about "soul" but boy was that Fiero exciting. I remember the first time I hopped into one, and the first time one ended up in the driveway. That car turned heads like few others did, especially since it was very early in the production run. It really was a mould-breaking, perspective-shifting car for its time and place (later technical problems notwithstanding). It definitely was not for hairdressers, especially with the V6 under the hood.

Now back to your regularly scheduled 155 slag-fest.
--Toronto

Admittedly the Fiero took some styling cues from the TR7 and the X1/9, but without the Fiero, the MR2 wouldn't exist.


The TR7 ????? No wonder it looked like a heap of crap !

Oh, in case you haven't seen it, this is what some demented sole did with a TR7..............

That's a ****-poor adapation. As much as I hate to admit it, a lot of Fieros lost their lives to become the foundation for "Ferrari kit-cars." Some of them are very, very well done. The trend officially started with the Mera, but you could pretty much take you pick of body kit manufacturers.
http://www.fiero.net/mera/
--Toronto

OK Straight6
obviously you are nevergonna be convinced that the 155 has agressive styling.
Nevertheless...here's one for those who do like it....

[img=http://www.ihostphotos.com/imgt/139594.jpg]

Originally Posted by Toronto Spider

You're wrong wrinx. The MR2 was trying to be a Pontiac Fiero.

Ok, I didn't know that. Still looks more like a boxy little lotus to me though....don't like the Ponty much either

wrinx

Originally Posted by Bal 2

Unfortunately the 146 "Italian Escort" is probably the least "Alfa" spirited design of modern years and extremely plain even compared to its bold 145 sibling.....its almost as if it were brought out as an afterthought because Fiat feared the 145's radical (at the time) shape would scare away potential buyers.
You do occasionally see a half decent fully kitted Ti in Rosso,but the majority of them seem to be ratty champagne coloured 1.6 Boxers with dents and child seats fitted

Each to his own though

ps:155's are great.....I'd have another with no qualms if I suddenly became poor

Have to agree, the 146 never did it for me - looked at a few TI’s before buying a 155 and they looked cheap and nasty IMO

A 155 with the right wheels, colour and lowered suspension still looks very good - plenty of on road presence.

I have a theory why people might move out of the way for a 155 compared to a 156 – the colour coded mirrors – it adds some extra width to the car making it appear more aggressive in the rear mirror.

People always seem to move out of my 156’s way (it has colour coded mirrors) much more so than even my 4x4 which is huge in the rear view mirror.

Originally Posted by Tifosi1976

Admittedly the Fiero took some styling cues from the TR7 and the X1/9, but without the Fiero, the MR2 wouldn't exist.


The TR7 ????? No wonder it looked like a heap of crap !

Oh, in case you haven't seen it, this is what some demented sole did with a TR7..............

Thats the worst TR7 I´ve ever seen

Just give me a RX7

Originally Posted by Pascs

A 155 with the right wheels, colour and lowered suspension still looks very good - plenty of on road presence.

Well I dont have the right wheels....It's black mind you..but honestly dont think (well where I am anyway) it has much (if any) rd presence.

As for suspension....it's bloody hard, I'm sure now (and after talking with a mate yesterday) the previous guy's put some kinf of sport set up on mine.

It's not lowered but deff a harder ride.

Originally Posted by Straight6

Well I dont have the right wheels....It's black mind you..but honestly dont think (well where I am anyway) it has much (if any) rd presence.

As for suspension....it's bloody hard, I'm sure now (and after talking with a mate yesterday) the previous guy's put some kinf of sport set up on mine.

It's not lowered but deff a harder ride.

See the purple 155 for sale on Ebay, now that is nice.

Originally Posted by Toronto Spider

You're wrong wrinx. The MR2 was trying to be a Pontiac Fiero. It was when it first came out and it was when it softened its edges.

WRONG!

The Fiero was not released until 1984 the MR2 on the other hand began in 1979 whilst working with Lotus.

http://shell.deru.com/~sgn1/AW11/Intro.htm

"An interesting tidbit to note here is that while some feel that Toyota got the idea of the Mr2 from GM's Fiero, both design teams actually found out about each others cars while still in the design phase."

Originally Posted by Straight6

I really think they are too "wedge" shaped and have no shape to them at all

Either they have shape or they don't make up your mind. All cars have shape BTW.

The 155 looks great I lament the fact they never made it to Australian shores.

I've only done it once but try getting in (a truelly attractive alfa like) a Bertone Coupe and let someone follow you in a 155 (in this case my white one). They are Scarey almost menacing in the rear view, and the fact they are so much taller and wider adds to the affect, I was glad when we got home and the driver of the 155 turned out Friendly ( my dad ).

If Mad Max had been set in Europe, I think he may have driven a black 155(hand painted of course)- the last V6 . And maybe machine guns replacing the fog lamps

father had a brand spanking new 2.0 155 long before i could drive i thought it was faultless then and still do now a truly beautiful car and mean as fook , best looking touring car as well TBH

Originally Posted by Straight6

Might be.....but it's the dog's dangly's...

pffft u slag the 155 off but support the merits of an mr2's design i pity thee

what he means is it's "B0110X"

Originally Posted by Treffynnon

WRONG!

The Fiero was not released until 1984 the MR2 on the other hand began in 1979 whilst working with Lotus.

http://shell.deru.com/~sgn1/AW11/Intro.htm

"An interesting tidbit to note here is that while some feel that Toyota got the idea of the Mr2 from GM's Fiero, both design teams actually found out about each others cars while still in the design phase."

The first MR2 was a 1985 model year car -- at least it was in North America. The first Fiero was a 1984 model year car. Now neither of us is believes that cars sprout up spontaneously without years of development work and without being influenced by every other car on the road. I don't know exactly when the first engineer at GM said "let's build a mid-engine car" but given the turn-around time for car production in that era, it was likely sometime in the late '70s.

When the Fiero hit the market, its initial sales target was 80,000 cars. Instead GM sold 136,840 units. The Pontiac marketing campaign created a great deal of buzz and the Fiero followed up on the marketing promise. It accustomed North American buyers to the strange angular shape and the engine placement, which led the way for Toyota to introduce the MR2 with little fanfare and an already receptive market.

Although the MR2 took a big and immediate bite out of Fiero sales (1985 sales dropped to 76,371) no Mark I or Mark II MR2 ever sold over 40,000 units in North America, and for most years the sales numbers were well under the 20,000 unit mark. Even in its worst year, Fiero sold over 20,000 units.
http://www.mr2turbo.info/sales/
http://www.calgaryfieros.com/FIEROintro.htm

In the eyes of North American car buyers, the MR2 was the "also ran" and the Fiero was the "original."

Now don't get me wrong. The Fiero got plenty of stick from the press and the public. Not everybody loved them, and some people had pretty nasty things to say about them, and some of the criticisms were even deserved, but the MR2 was perceived as "the Japanese Fiero."
--Toronto