Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Pileup on the A1 in Germany near Cloppenburg today. Reports in german media speak of one dead. Only english source seems to be MSNBC, which claims three dead, citing a Telegraph article from november 2011. In three hours they still haven't corrected their misstake. It's journalism 2.0 kids. Pictures. Also Spectre, no talk of Texas this time.

Sort-of reliable German source (traditionally at least): http://www.focus.de/panorama/videos...zte-bei-karambolage-auf-der-a1_vid_29308.html

They say dozens injured, two seriously injured. No word on deaths. Potential cause was a snow shower.
Quote the guy at 1:20: "I was doing 150 when I hit a wall of snow" :dunno:


Regional, serious news: http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/ndr_aktuell/media/ndraktuell7575.html
They say six seriously injured, nobody life-threatening, nobody dead. There was an accident, then a sleet shower happened, and coming traffic failed to stop for the existing accident, causing the pileup.

 
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Pileup on the A1 in Germany near Cloppenburg today. Reports in german media speak of one dead. Only english source seems to be MSNBC, which claims three dead, citing a Telegraph article from november 2011. In three hours they still haven't corrected their misstake. It's journalism 2.0 kids. Pictures. Also Spectre, no talk of Texas this time.

Mazda


Mazda 2






Pfft in Texas this pile up would have been wayyyy bigger (everything is bigger in Texas after all)
 
That Chevy van really looks out of place there.
 
I'm sorta playing with the idea of renting an Aston Martin for my next holiday in the highlands.......FUCK ME that's expensive.
 
I dunno, I still some of those old vans on the road. They're in less numbers than Chrysler vans from that time frame.
 
I dunno, I still some of those old vans on the road.

You tend not to see them on the autobahn, though. When I was in der Vaterland twenty years ago, not even the US Army bought American. All of our vans were VWs.
 
Those vans where popular with the American Way Of Drive Loving people back when I was a kid... and when you don't think about corners or the fuel costs, they are kind of awesome.
 
First real snow today, a bit of sideways fun was had, this car gets sideways much much easier than Audi ever did (despite wider tires on the latter) but it's very easy to put it back in place :)
 
My boss had to get a rental(dodge journey) and he said it is the worst vehicle he's ever driven in, in the snow. I told him to turn off the traction control. He comes back and says "that was much better". :D
 
My boss had to get a rental(dodge journey) and he said it is the worst vehicle he's ever driven in, in the snow. I told him to turn off the traction control. He comes back and says "that was much better". :D

as the seemingly resident journey/caliber/patriot fanboy, i wonder if was the new one?
 
Today was my first drive in the snow , me and a friend who happens to own a wrx went on a drive in the mountains , the car handled great except when i went back into the huge parking lot that was for our university campus . we were sliding across and drifting and such , i noticed that my car basically had No grip what so ever in ice or snow ,although tires are all season . His car had normal tires like me but with less power and more tread, so he breezed through the snow . Should i consider getting better tires? the tires are great on tarmac and water , but im all over the place in snow. I dont want any surprises when more snow comes. It could also be that its my first drive in the snow . But anything that helps me i cant decline , especially in mid winter.
 
Today was my first drive in the snow , me and a friend who happens to own a wrx went on a drive in the mountains , the car handled great except when i went back into the huge parking lot that was for our university campus . we were sliding across and drifting and such , i noticed that my car basically had No grip what so ever in ice or snow ,although tires are all season . His car had normal tires like me but with less power and more tread, so he breezed through the snow . Should i consider getting better tires? the tires are great on tarmac and water , but im all over the place in snow. I dont want any surprises when more snow comes. It could also be that its my first drive in the snow . But anything that helps me i cant decline , especially in mid winter.

I don't know the exact situation over there, but I gather it snows enough to warrant winter tires.

Even the best all wheel drive car will loose traction at some point especially if you are hooning about. Even my Disco which seems to magically find traction from god knows where has limits.
 
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I don't know the exact situation over there, but I gather it snows enough to warrant winter tires.

Even the best all wheel drive car will loose traction at some point especially if you are hooning about. Even my Disco which seems to magically find traction from god knows where has limits.
Basically that, also add to it them fact that your car has quite a bit of torque (more than WRX) so it will be much easier to break traction than his car. Also see what your DCCD is set for, WRX is a 50:50 default split if you are running more power to either axle it will slide easier.
 
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