We tried for years in the past through the "MO Database" to do spec charts (although with cursory specs like weight, seat height, etc.), and it
was quite popular. Then, I learned SQL and found real databases, so we're going to dump all that flat-file data into a real DB and add the items you mentioned. The things I like to see are MPG, MSRP, displacement, and 1/4 time, so those will weigh in heavily.
Integrating subscriptions into our content management system (which we did from scratch since
we can't ever swallow spending big bucks on a software packages) took much longer than I thought, and when it was done, new features like forums and the auction system didn't integrate well, so I'm going to work on those next, as they're disabled now.
What we really need is a forum where people can leave ideas and vote/rank the ones that are there, and we can just go down the ranks of popularity and implement features.
The idea is that community services like forums, clubs and (users') picture archives will be free, and original content (features, shootouts) aren't. That way, we can still increase our hits AND be a "subscription" site.
The next big improvement is to hire an editor, though! More content...