Chrysler Crossfire

Spotted on multiple occasions in the month of May in the year 2015 was this Chrysler Crossfire.

 The Chrysler Crossfire is...

...a rear-wheel drive, 2-door sports car marketed by Chrysler as both coupé and roadster and was built for Chrysler by Karmann of Germany for model years 2004-2008.

So, it's basically a R170 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 re-tuned by Chrysler engineers and with an American style body by Chrysler designers and looks nothing like the Mercedes-Benz SLK320 - a huge WIN as I find most modern Mercedes-Benz cars ugly, especially their over-sized three-legged Mercedes swastika star logo. 

A couple of weeks later, same car which I see on my daily commute. 

Chrysler Crossfires were officially imported and sold in Russia through Chrysler affiliated dealers (not many left now). But there is still a Chrysler Russia website with only car on offer being the Grand Voyager.

 More on the Chrysler Crossfire on the Allpar site.

Nice rear end.

VW Karmann Ghia & Mercedes-Benz W111

From my other blog in the Moscow Cars series.

Spotted last December in Moscow was this VW Karmann Ghia.

Two tone -- orange body, black roof, not sure if original scheme, Type 14, if I am not mistaken.

Orange looks good on a snow-less grayish winter day.

Bonus... what appears to be a Mercedes-Benz W111, next to the VW Karmann Ghia... someone is into old German  vehicles.

Per Commenter Unknown (see below): Omg that is not a w111 but it is actually a Mercedes Benz 600 grosser with us spec headlamps that is one of the most rare mercedes benz is it rotting? And is it still there I have to save it

Back to the VW Karmann Ghia... an interior shot through front passenger window...

... looks way too new.

Motor in the back, of course.

Karmann Ghia.

Looks like this came from somewhere else.

A classic Karmann Ghia commercial on Youtube

As a bonus, here are some pictures of the 1968 WV Karmann Ghia (Type-1) I made in GT6.

Buick Park Avenue

Seen in March this year (2015) is this Buick Park Avenue.

 On the subject of the Buick Park Avenue, the wikipedia says:

The Buick Park Avenue is a full-size luxury car built by General Motors and sold by its Buick division. The nameplate was first used in 1975 for an appearance option package on the Electra 225 Limited. It became an Electra trim level in 1978 and its own model starting in 1991 after the Electra was discontinued. Two generations of the Park Avenue were manufactured in the United States until 2005,

I think it is the 1st-Gen Buick Park Avenue, that is 1991-96.

 This time I wasn't able to make too many pictures.

This is a full-size automobile... yet from certain angles it looks smallish compared to current SUVs, etc. It is full-size primarily in length, that is, over 5 meters long.

Izh-2715 Moskvitch

Seen in August last year is this clean Moskvitch Izh 2715 Panel Van body.

The Izh 2715 is an Izhevsk produced Panel Van body variant of the Moskvitch 412, pre-1982.

Still somebody's daily driver and working car, no doubt.

Love the Moskvitch 408 grille and fascia... as interpreted by the Izhevsk car factory.  

1987 Mercury Grand Marquis

Seen in May 2015 is this 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis full-size automobile.

I spotted this one at a dealer's lot - traded in by somebody and is now available to buy.

To quote wikipedia:

The Mercury Grand Marquis is a full-size rear-wheel drive luxury sedan that was sold by the Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company from 1975 to 2011. From 1975 to 1982, it was the premium model of the Mercury Marquis model line and became a standalone model in 1983. For its entire production run, the Grand Marquis served as the flagship of the Mercury line; it was the Mercury counterpart of the Ford (LTD) Crown Victoria. From 1979 to 2011, it shared the Panther platform along with the Lincoln Town Car

 

The reason I made so many pictures is that, as I said, I saw this at the car dealer where I was having my car, a Ford Focus II, serviced so I had plenty of time and had nothing better to do. 

But I don't think it's time wasted as I am into car-spotting and also have a soft spot for these American full-size cars in particular (see my other blog - DIM - Cars) and collect their sightings in Moscow, of which these pictures are a proof, not that I have ever driven one or ever likely to the way things are looking at the moment.

Front window through the glass shots... nice interior, velour. 

No seat belts in evidence.

Renault 4 On the Road

Moscow Cars spotting on my other blog, VreMax...

Spotted in April was this Renault 4!

Renault 4... production ended all the way back in 1992.  

Car is more than 23 years old at least, if my arithmetic is correct. And it is.

Still earning its keep as a light commercial vehicle for some beauty parlor.

Lada Priora x 2

Spotted two days ago were these two lowered Lada Prioras.

The Lada Priora VAZ-2170... is not such a frequent sight in Moscow, two lowered ones driven by unrelated drivers is even rarer.

But this lowering thing is popular with Lada Priora drivers for various reasons.

The black one on the left is a Lada Priora 2172 hatchback, on the left is a 2170 sedan.

Mercury Grand Marquis GS

A Mercury Grand Marquis GS, fourth generation, which I saw in August 2014.

Pretty recent and looks relatively clean, except there's some minor parking damage. 

Detroit iron...  except this one was likely made in Ontario, Canada, wasn't it.

Panther love! 

Grand Marquis GS

Mercury

For some reason, I like to think that I would enjoy a full-size car such as the Mercury Grand Marquis. Their exterior is certainly looks better to me and the modern looks of almost all cars.

Car spotting

Wikipedia entry on car spotting

Quote

A Car spotter is a person who is typically strongly interested in an amateur capacity, in car spotting, observing or photographing interesting, vintage, rare, modified and supercars on public roads. Car spotters can be found worldwide.

A car spotter may also log about his or her "spots" on an internet forum, such as Cardatabase.net, Autogespot.com, ExoticSpotter.com, CarSpotting.com, streetfire.net,

GAZ-46

On May 9, 2015 which was a V-Day in Russia...

... I saw this - they were driving some curious vehicles that day.

This one was spotted by me whilst waiting in a line at a McDonald's drive-through.

It appears to be a GAZ-46 or some other such amphibious vehicle.

However the propeller appears to be removed.