I totally agree Mac!

I personally don't like Hybrid at all. And I've had to work on Prius. I think it's just lame. Eiather make it Gas powered, electric only, or something else. Besides how many hybrids have you heard that got your attention? None...because they are so quite. I don't want a lame car that's quite, plus WILL be heavy baecause no matter what anyone says, the power needed to operate an electric motor to be even remotely useful in driving for any length of time is great, and as a result weighs pretty good too. I was actually envolved in a college project where we converted a VW bug into an electric car utilizing an old jet engine starter/generator. And yes electric cars can be very fast and torquey. But to do so the car only lasts on a charge for about 50 miles, but you could smoke the tires. That one sounded pretty cool because the RPM's could go nuts by playing around with the field voltages, and I would guess that we saw an easy 10k for that motor.

But back on topic, it still isn't an X-1/9! Part of the X-1/9 leagend is a car that has a high strung internal combustion engine that sounds like a little go-kart by Farrarri. It simply sounds Italian! And that's how it needs to be. And it's not hard bacause Honda has been making engines for years that are 8K friendly right from the factory and generate good power with their V-tec. I see no reason why the new X-1/9 could not be released with a nice little 1.6L capable of 8K RPM and puts out at least 160HP. And might I mention that Fiat is not totally a rookie when it comes to designing, they know what a decent powered 4 cyl is all about at high RPM.

Another point, the X-1/9 is not a practical car, never has been and never should be. It's just simply about fun. Like someone else said, throw personal comfort right out the window, it doesn't need to be on the list of requirement for an X. If I wanted comfort I'd drive something else just like everyone else does. I want something differant, I want a car with no power steering, no power windows, no ABS, no traction control, no Airbags, No fancy anything. I just want the car for the thrill of man relating with his machine in it's pure raw form. If the tires spin I want to be the one that makes them stop, not the ECU. I want a car that I can drive, not a car I try to drive and the ECU won't let me because "uh oh, it just saw wheel slip! the world is doomed, you can't have wheels slip! Not in acceleration or in braking! It's just too scary!". If I want to drift the car, I don't want it talking back to me! Let me do it and if I screw up it's my own fault. And I would hope that if it was drive by wire that it would be programmed so that when I hit the gas it actually works......regardless of what the ECU see's for brake signal or anything else. And It had better give me gas right now, not wait and think about it like some cars...... till I'm done making my turn! Plus putting all that crap on it up's the price and the weight. And if the car had it I probibly wouldn't buy it. Or I'd just have to turn right back around and take it all off myself anyways. Then that means I have to start redesigning the car myself to cope with the changes and the process goes on and on till you know what/ I'll just stick with my good old X that I have right now! It's just what a X is supposed to be, a fun car to drive with no frills and I can control it.

P.S. Maybe the designers should get aqanted with the old X first before they try designing a new one? Have they ever driven one before? Do they even know what it's like to take a drive in one on a back country road? Targa off, wind blowing through your hair. Watching a 911 pass you in the straight knowing your just going to catch up with it again by the next turn with a smirk on your face? If they could relate it would make this alot easier. And if they could relate, then perhaps they could make our dreams come true. Make a new X that we'd rather drive on the weekends over the old one. But to do that it's got to be pretty good, and alot like the old one, just better.