Prius Owners: "I bought the Prius because it makes a statement about me!"

Isn't that the concept saab is following with it's flexfuel cars? The power goes up as soon as you put ethanol in it... nice They have been selling for years now, only in Sweden though.
Perhaps that's even what he was referring to, but I can't remember.

Thats because you are, with you horrendous spelling and pointless threads.
Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, pot :lol:
 
I read an column in car and driver that discussed creating an engine that could handle both gasoline and biofuel and use the biofuel's naturally high octane levels to generate more power with high compression and turbocharging when you want/need it, and gasoline when you're just poodling along or traveling along the motorway/highway at a constant speed. So, you'd get great gas mileage when using gasoline and no environmental impact when you really cane it.

I wish I could find the article though...
That sounds like a much better version of the cars that have V8's but shut off cylinders when you don't need them. Would that car have two separate fuel tanks? While the technology sounds cool I can see how using two different fuels would be annoying at the gas station.

And to Blind_Io: A lot of people here respect your opinions, myself included. But that kinda all goes down the drain when you go out of your way to put down the "forum noob". It's getting a bit old now. There are people who even in this thread cannot seem to locate the shift key to capitalize letters, yet you go after said noob for common contraction errors. This is an internet forum, not a scholarly journal. Just my $0.02. ;)
 
I read an column in car and driver that discussed creating an engine that could handle both gasoline and biofuel and use the biofuel's naturally high octane levels to generate more power with high compression and turbocharging when you want/need it, and gasoline when you're just poodling along or traveling along the motorway/highway at a constant speed. So, you'd get great gas mileage when using gasoline and no environmental impact when you really cane it.

I wish I could find the article though...

Sadly they don't have it online, but I did read said article (made a special trip to just to read it). Personally it made little sense to me to bother. The same effect could be done with water injection. People are lazy and no way are they going to want to deal with 2 pumps, it's hard enough getting someone to top off their oil in an RX-8.

Water injection was tried by GM back in the 60's. It was the first production turbo gas car on the market. It ran a 10.25:1 compression 215 buick/rover v8 with a turbo (can't recall the boost pressure). From what I've been able to find, not a single original one survives to this day, they were all converted to the lower spec 4 barrel carb models because no one bothered to fill the water injection system. It had a safeguard that kept the turbo from building boost if there was no fluid in the system and people bitched of performance.

Seeing just some of the shit I've seen from backyard engineers and racers, I know there is a lot left on the table of a standard issue gas/petrol engine.
 
That sounds like a much better version of the cars that have V8's but shut off cylinders when you don't need them.
I agree. It doesn't really make all that much of a difference.

Would that car have two separate fuel tanks? While the technology sounds cool I can see how using two different fuels would be annoying at the gas station.
Yes, two separate fuel tanks, but you'd hardly ever have to fill up the gasoline one.

Personally it made little sense to me to bother.
The extra umph is what got me interested ;)
 
Sadly they don't have it online, but I did read said article (made a special trip to just to read it). Personally it made little sense to me to bother. The same effect could be done with water injection. People are lazy and no way are they going to want to deal with 2 pumps, it's hard enough getting someone to top off their oil in an RX-8.

Water injection was tried by GM back in the 60's. It was the first production turbo gas car on the market. It ran a 10.25:1 compression 215 buick/rover v8 with a turbo (can't recall the boost pressure). From what I've been able to find, not a single original one survives to this day, they were all converted to the lower spec 4 barrel carb models because no one bothered to fill the water injection system. It had a safeguard that kept the turbo from building boost if there was no fluid in the system and people bitched of performance.

Seeing just some of the shit I've seen from backyard engineers and racers, I know there is a lot left on the table of a standard issue gas/petrol engine.

Here you go...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_V8_engine#Aluminum_215_.28.22Rockette.22.29

In 1962 and 1963 Oldsmobile built a turbocharged version of the 215. The small-diameter turbocharger was manufactured by Garrett AiResearch and produced a maximum of 5 lb (0.34 bar) boost at 2200 rpm. The engine had 10.25:1 compression and a single-barrel carburetor. It was rated at 215 hp (160 kW) @ 4600 rpm and 300 ft?lbf (406 N?m) @ 3200 rpm. The high compression ratio created a serious problem with spark knock on hard throttle applications, which led Olds to use a novel water-injection system that sprayed small amounts of distilled water and methyl alcohol (dubbed "Turbo-Rocket Fluid") into the combustion chambers to cool the intake charge.
 
Didn't we already know this?

Every time I hear about a Prius owner, I want to out and by a '71 (pre-smog) Buick Riviera. 2-Ton's of 455 cubic inch (7.5 liters) un-environmentally friendly v8 Yank Tank. I would supercharge it, but I fear it may improve efficiency someway :p

LOL would smoke and kill every Prius owner!!! I say smoke them all, crap cars and 76bhp?:lol: 1.5litre 76bhp. pants lol
 
I despise most Prius owners, some are fine like the guy in our mustang club that has one (a good alternative to his heavily modded 00' Ford Lightning).

The few around here I have seen have indeed given me dirty looks, probably because my car is now loud as hell and interupts their 'oh-so-important' conversation.

And I usually respond by keeping pace with them (kinda hard since they only move with a tailwind and heading downhill) until we hit a overpass or tunnel which is where I hit it and completely deafen them and anyone who's unlucky enough to have their window down....

Puts a smile on my face every time :)


And before anyone mentions it, yes I know that's a very asshole like thing to do, but do I give a fuck? No... :D
 
And before anyone mentions it, yes I know that's a very asshole like thing to do, but do I give a fuck? No... :D

That's the RIGHT think to do! I do the same with my Suzuki GSR600... 8)
 
Why do you guys give the Pious Owners any thought at all? If you just go about you day and pay them no mind it would be worse than tormenting them. They're hippies, they are used to being tormented - in fact they like it because it means they got to you. Ignoring them is the worst thing you can do.

Or worse, give them a friendly wave and a smile when they shoot you a dirty look - like they are trying to be friends with you. It works both ways, and that will just infuriate them more because they will think you are clueless.
 

epp_b has an excellent link, but I'll play along and do a cleanroom argument.

- There are gas-only cars that get better mileage than the hybrid Prius. If you really cared about mileage and reducing oil dependencies, you'd buy one of those.
- Hybrids are useless on the highways as they are running the gas motor at speed
- They are carrying around extra weight (battery + electric motor) to offset the "gain"
- Batteries are only good for 50-100k miles, after which point they are dumped in a landfill, no good solution for them yet.
- Either you replace the batteries when they die at great expense, or junk the car and it goes in the smasher.
- The manufacturing for the batteries is wasteful (the source plant is an environmental disaster, and manufacturing them takes a round trip around the world).
 
I bought the Prius because it makes a statement about me
Wrong


Correction: I bought the Prius because I'm a hippie who needs an excuse to stash weed in my car and drive like a complete twat.
 
Actually, I'm seeing that more and more. California drivers, as a whole are not that bad, but I have noticed over the past year that Prius drivers are the most aggressive. Even the ricers aren't as bad in traffic. It seems like most the time someone is bullying their way through traffic it's a Prius or some other hybrid.
 
Hippies don't like to do research. They already know everything, this guy they know told them all about it. They like to care, draw attention to the fact that they care, and shoot guilt and half-baked criticism at everyone else (who they assume don't care)(especially rich people and businesses who clearly don't care about anything, ever) Hence, Hybrids.
 
- Batteries are only good for 50-100k miles, after which point they are dumped in a landfill, no good solution for them yet.

This is the one point if have a qualm with. NiMH batteries which the Prius use are 100% recyclable, one of the reasons they chose them over Lithium-Ion batteries (and cost).
 
Actually, I'm seeing that more and more. California drivers, as a whole are not that bad, but I have noticed over the past year that Prius drivers are the most aggressive. Even the ricers aren't as bad in traffic. It seems like most the time someone is bullying their way through traffic it's a Prius or some other hybrid.

which probably isn't good for MPGs
 
^^^^^ I can see a new bumper sticker

"Prius owners, your driving is killing our planet"

6gl6591.jpg

(if anyone remembers the significance of this pic +2 points to you)
 
^ I never thought that guy actually looked like a Native American...

But anyway; I can't stand the Prius - At first I thought they were a great idea but you only have to do the slightest most shallow research to find out that they're really not that great. The claimed fuel economy isn't achievable in the real world, they're overly complicated and wasteful, they're eye wateringly expensive for what they really are (a small sedan) and they're apparently quite hopeless to drive.

The Prius is less about saving the planet and more about taking advantage of a new market.

And that's all it it is really; A well marketed gimmick.

But beyond all that clinical facts and figures stuff there's also my unbridled hatred for the people who buy them. I'm ashamed to admit it but i've started to harass them whenever I see them on the road. I'll give them the finger, the evil eye, the stink eye, the crook eye. You name it.

This one time I was at the front row at a red light next to one. I slipped my car into neutral and revved the shit out dat bitch - he looked around at me so quickly that he must have thought he was about to be killed in some kind of horrific road accident.

Made my day.
 
6gl6591.jpg

(if anyone remembers the significance of this pic +2 points to you) (If you don't remember this pic... get off my got-damn lawn - 2.)

Fixed that for you.

/http://img72.imageshack.**/img72/2659/386330639e4afe4bddaoqk6.jpg
 
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