Comments on: Renault buys into Russian automaker Lada

By: Bimmer

Bimmer — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:15:26 +0000

Thunder Chicken,
that Niva/Riva was quite capable off road with locking differentials. You can laugh all you want about tube-type tires, but if you’ve got a flat tire or two in the middle of nowhere good luck getting air compressor or tire repair shop. With tubs you just change it (doubt that you even can do that) and be on your way.
As for design it wasn’t developed to look pretty but to be capable off road. Design dates to 1979, same as Merc Gelendwagen (G-Class), yet they’re morons out there who still pays a good chunk of cash for that military ‘brick’ on wheels.
And Samara was the easiest car to work on. At 16 I could change clutch on it by myself and put everything back together.
P.S. What was soooo luxurious about Excel, enlighten me, please?

By: pavlindrom

pavlindrom — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:21:10 +0000

Lada is probably the worst you can go in a car industry. They haven’t changed almost anything since Soviet times…

By: Thunder Chicken

Thunder Chicken — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:48:23 +0000

I remember Ladas – they were sold here in eastern Canada for years, and a hunting buddy had one of those Nivas in lime green. He ended up shooting it full of holes when it broke down on him 10 miles into the woods, on a cold, rainy November day. They were cheap and sold fairly well, but they sure didn’t last. you don’t see many around at all anymore, except as junkers. In fact I drive by a rusted out Niva every time I go to the post office. What they lacked in style they certainly made up for in… um… well, no, they didn’t really make up for anything. They still used tube-type tires into the late 80′s (and possibly beyond). They also sold the Signet (the little Fiat-looking four-door) and Samara (kind of looked like a Hyundai Excel, but without the luxury or reliability of the Excel).

By: autonut

autonut — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:15:53 +0000

Perekupka, the owner of AutoVAZ is probably the largest shareholder of GM. Renault is investing into his subsidiary. It is a strange world.

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:42:47 +0000

Style? From Renault?!? ROFL…I swear a pig with a lipstick looks *better* than their ugly piece of sh!t cars.

By: C6Racer

C6Racer — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:52:03 +0000

That car is just oozing style!

By: AnonymousCoward

AnonymousCoward — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:38:26 +0000

that car rocks! built like a tank and dirt cheap!

By: edgeguy

edgeguy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:24:22 +0000

yay Renault