Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Bah, we go into the mountains and get a real tree. None of this farm business.
 
Bah, we go into the mountains and get a real tree. None of this farm business.

Actually in recent years we've not had a tree, and before that we typically used an artificial one. Christmas is really a pretty lameass holiday.
 
I found this while doing some pre-winter maintenance on the ol' Roadmaster.

tire-w-broken-slipped-belt-1755.jpg


Not to bad considering that they were due to be replaced (see the wear indicator) anyway. The only problem was finding it around the time the nearby tire stores closed.
 
Idiot crashes Ferrari.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjOPsapLuk[/youtube]



Water is wet.
 
Just because you may have enough money to afford such a car doesn't mean you are capable of driving it at or near the limit.
 
Glad you came to your senses.

Also, how the hell did they glued a 3-series front into a Odyssey (i think it's a odyssey)

Correct, it is indeed a previous gen Honda odyssey.

No idea why the fuck anyone would do that, but anyway.
 
Girls trapped after car crashes into KFC

A CAR has smashed into a KFC restaurant at Benalla in Victoria's northeast, trapping two teenage girls for more than an hour.

Both 18-year-olds were rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being pinned between the car and a wall until emergency services freed them.

Benalla Acting Sergeant Mel Walker said there was a lunchtime crowd in the restaurant when the car, driven by an elderly man, careered through a window about 12.30pm (AEDT) today.

?We are extremely lucky the girls were not killed and there were not more injured,? she said.

?There is extensive damage to the restaurant, it's a mess, it won't be open for a while.?

Police believe the driver may have lost control after failing to negotiate a roundabout at the intersection of Smythe Street and Bridge Street East.

One of the girls was taken to Wangaratta Hospital and the was flown to Melbourne.

Elderly Camry drivers should be removed from the roads, their cars crushed and their licences revoked. I like how the article pins most of the blame on the car and not the incompetent old fool driving it. I have never seen an old person driving a Camry in the proper manner. They womble around 20 below the limit, completely oblivious to the mayhem and chaos they're causing in their rear view mirror as they struggle to negotiate intersections, roundabouts, merging, etc. Get off the road.
 
Christ, don't get me started on old people in cars....

-Why do they need to come to an almost complete halt when negotiating a corner?
-They travel at a constant 50km/h everywhere, in a 100 zone, and also in a 40 zone.
-They will come to a halt completely randomly in the middle of the road with a mouth open, bewildered expression on their face as if they've suddenly remembered they've left the iron on at home.
-Sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll be travelling behind one that can't even decide on a lane, and will proceed to drive down the middle. No amount of horn honking will convince them of their wrongdoing.
-Heaven help you if you're stuck behind one in a carpark. They completely lose the plot in those.

When you do come across one doing something out of the ordinary and dangerous on the road, best to run straight into them. If you try and avoid them, you'll more than likely cause more damage, and the insurance company won't recognise I was avoiding a stupid old codger and took out a bus stop. Much like wildlife, eh Ice?
 
How do you fail to negotiate a roundabout so badly that you crash into a building?
 
You two should tape some sticks or dowels or something to the outer corners of your cars so they stick up and you can see where the corners are from your seat. You'll learn where they are that way, and you'll look silly at the same time!

Solution: pop-up headlights. I seriously manoeuver with them all the time.
 
in a new beetle.. i would like to see that!
 
Elderly Camry drivers should be removed from the roads, their cars crushed and their licences revoked. I like how the article pins most of the blame on the car and not the incompetent old fool driving it. I have never seen an old person driving a Camry in the proper manner. They womble around 20 below the limit, completely oblivious to the mayhem and chaos they're causing in their rear view mirror as they struggle to negotiate intersections, roundabouts, merging, etc. Get off the road.

710_image_10.png
 
The relatively cheap 16" Borbet wheels are still available. Hmm... Maybe I should take the plunge and get them for myself. At 50 euro apiece I can just store them for spring and look for good deals on tires, and if I decide against them later, I can just sell them on. They also fit my brother's Nissan.
The guy has had them for sale for a while, so I might have a chance at negotiating the price down, too...
 
I will never understand why the average european car has to be so tiny and light .....

Because 90% of the average Euro consumers don't need much space or don't carry much heavy crap. And heavy = more fuel = more monies.


Been driving full sized 'Yanks' in europe for almost 10 years now, and that includes mayor cities frequently ,never caused even light chaos ;)

Boo! Chaos good

Maybe it "makes sense" but it still looks like shit.

QFT

I only got to drive it for like 5 minutes and slowly because mother was there >_>
I go around a corner at only like 30 and she got mad. HOW YOU EXPECT TO TEST HANDLING MOTHER

Ah mothers in the car with you. Couldn't you like unbuckle her seat belt and open the door on a really sharp bend? problem solved :lol:


Water is wet.

OMG WFT NO WAI!

Christ, don't get me started on old people in cars....

You speak truth. Especially about the 'stopping completely for even the weakest bends", and the "stopping for no reason at all". I see it every day and it drives me bananas. BANANAS I SAY
 
Idiot crashes Ferrari.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gjOPsapLuk[/youtube]



Water is wet.

This is happening in Bulgaria. The car is with Swiss number plates, but I won't be surprised if the driver is Bulgarian. Such idiocy is hard to come by in Western Europe.
See, in Bulgaria everybody as soon as he reaches 18 thinks that he is a driving god. Most of them drive around in Mk2 Golfs or E36 Beemers, converted to run on LPG, and they think they are the kings of the road. Last year, more people died in car accidents, than american soldiers died in Iraq.
 
I had a kickass time yesterday driving a number of different cars ranging from a '02 Sienna XLE to an '03 Infiniti G35x. Here were some of my observations at the time:

The Infiniti was by far the most entertaining car to drive. Steering was well weighted, and the VQ35 sounded amazing when pushed. The handling was sublime, and ride comfort was in general excellent. The particular example that I drove had a black interior, which I think is a must for that particular generation of G35. Overall, I felt a bit sad when I had to get out of it. For around $18,000, I would not hesitate to buy one myself if I had the money.

The other car that I drove was an '03 Mercedes Benz C240 Elegance. The car was unexpectedly good in the way it drove. It did feel heavy the way that a Merc should, giving it a solid feel. The 2.6L V6 was nowhere near as powerful as the Infiniti, but it seemed a bit smoother and the throttle response seemed better calibrated than the sensitive Infiniti. Interior I thought was on par with the Infiniti, with decent quality plastics and a more elegant look. Certain areas seemed plasticy, but overall, a very nice place to be. Steering required some real effort, but it was perfectly acceptable.

Last car of the pack was an '02 Toyota Sienna. I was shocked to see how similar it drove to my car. Steering was predictably light (even over-boosted). The high center of gravity, flat seats, and soft suspension didn't help with the handling, but for its intended purpose, its probably one of the better choices in the minivan market. While each car took a bit of getting used to, I was able to drive the Sienna right on the go. The same applied for my friend who drove the Sienna when he drove my Tercel.

The best part of the day was when I "raced" my friend in the Infiniti with my Tercel. I may have slightly lost that one, even though I sort of cheated off the lines :p

edit - Just a note that this was done in a large mall parking lot at night when it was closed.
 
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^I have that car! ('02 Sienna) It handles corners surprisingly well for something of that size. Better power:weight ratio than my dad's civic, even.

Also, I saw a Panamera and a California today. The latter sounded reeeeeeaaaaal nice. :thumbsup:
 
Hmmm...Wikipedia claims that Porsche helped in the development of my Volvo's 5 cylinder engine. However, I can't seem to find evidence anywhere else, besides Wikipedia.
 
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