Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[NooDle]

^its from the good old days of F1 where the cars had little vapour trails on the sides on hot humid days

formed because of the shape of the wing and the massive downforce they're giving

 

[thevictor390]

^its from the good old days of F1 where the cars had little vapour trails on the sides on hot humid days

formed because of the shape of the wing and the massive downforce they're giving

And apparently, back then they were so low, they just perpetually scraped across the ground....

 

[bone]

^its from the good old days of F1 where the cars had little vapour trails on the sides on hot humid days

formed because of the shape of the wing and the massive downforce they're giving

And apparently, back then they were so low, they just perpetually scraped across the ground....

and these were taken at jerez this year

 

[SchumacherM]

The MC secret exhaust route finally found. HEUREKA!!!

 

[gaasc]

Clarkson and May both admit that the new Jaguar XJ looks weird. When even the most ardent public British fanboys say this, that's something.

Indeed. but it's the truth. I'm not a Jaguar guy and yet I don't recognize the X351 as a Jaguar.

And apparently, back then they were so low, they just perpetually scraped across the ground....

I do believe those were little plate things to keep the car from bottoming out and causing a catastrophic lack of downforce. IIRC that was pretty much what happened to senna.

 

[rickhamilton620]

Clarkson and May both admit that the new Jaguar XJ looks weird. When even the most ardent public British fanboys say this, that's something.

The partially blacked out C pillar is just weird looking IMO...

In other news, I know what I'll be reading tonight: 2012 Ford Focus Owners Manual

God I'm such a car bore....:lol:

 

[vikiradTG2007]

^its from the good old days of F1 where the cars had little vapour trails on the sides on hot humid days

formed because of the shape of the wing and the massive downforce they're giving

More like cold humid days.

Random blabbering: Friday evening - drove for the first time with two passengers of my age in the car. Important detail: never exceeded 60 kph. :lol:

 

[bone]

I do believe those were little plate things to keep the car from bottoming out and causing a catastrophic lack of downforce. IIRC that was pretty much what happened to senna.

the bottoming out doesn't result in lack of downforce, but in lack of mechanical grip (tires no longer carrying all the weight)

the lack of downforce you're talking about was with the active sideskirts, and the tunnels in the floor that sucked the car down (what's their name again?), which would suddenly fill up with air when they went over a curbstone

 

[captain_70s]

Just got an online insurance quote, now a mere ?1400 p/a for a 1.0l 1999 Nissan Micra (the one that lumbers to 60 in 16 secs and tops out at about 95), down from ?2300 when I checked in December. The difference?

I passed my 19th birthday, yup, my insurance halves because I lived for a few more days despite the fact I haven't driven a car for any of them and haven't even had a license for a full year. Car insurance is a massive load of bollocks...

(Although for once its worked in my favour!) :lol:

 

[narf]

Car insurance is a massive load of bollocks...

my sister will pick up her car (Skoda, obviously...) on Saturday so we ordered her insurance yesterday... having me on as a driver makes her insurance 20% more expensive. Why? Because my 25th birthday still is a few months away. If I already had turned 25 there would be no need to specify my age, anyone under 25 makes the car insurance more expensive. I don't want to know how much it would be if I was 6 years younger...
They also didn't care about whether I had my license for years or not, damn those ageists.

 

[NooDle]

hmmmm... i'm currently analysing my commute by using my Satnav, and have come to some conclusions based on the following

- distance : +- 60 kms (go there + get home combined)
- max speed : rarely above 100 kph
- average speed : rarely above 35 kph

I've taken 4 different routes so far and all of the above stays the same. So I'm basically wasting 2hrs of my life just covering 60 kms, and stopping alot along the route (whether it's the "take the highway and get in line" one or the "slightly more fun rural road but with tons of towny bits with lots of red lights" one)

so.... I'm SO wasting my car on this

I should get an electric smart

 

[thevictor390]

hmmmm... i'm currently analysing my commute by using my Satnav, and have come to some conclusions based on the following

- distance : +- 60 kms (go there + get home combined)
- max speed : rarely above 100 kph
- average speed : rarely above 35 kph

I've taken 4 different routes so far and all of the above stays the same. So I'm basically wasting 2hrs of my life just covering 60 kms, and stopping alot along the route (whether it's the "take the highway and get in line" one or the "slightly more fun rural road but with tons of towny bits with lots of red lights" one)

so.... I'm SO wasting my car on this

I should get an electric smart

Astra Diesel.... what are you wasting again?

 

[NooDle]

Astra Diesel.... what are you wasting again?

130 hp that I never get to use, 4 seats that are mostly empty, a boot that's never used....

+ all the diesel hauling it around ain't free you know
+ I'm taxed heavily because I have a powerful (hahah) car

etc....

 

[Labcoatguy]

130 hp that I never get to use, 4 seats that are mostly empty, a boot that's never used....

+ all the diesel hauling it around ain't free you know
+ I'm taxed heavily because I have a powerful (hahah) car

etc....

You sound like a prime candidate for a small roadster

 

[public]

So get something that makes that drive a bit more special. You know, worth driving just for driving's sake.

 

[narf]

You sound like a prime candidate for a small roadster

Electric Smart Roadster it is, then?

 

[SchumacherM]

Just got an online insurance quote, now a mere ?1400 p/a for a 1.0l 1999 Nissan Micra (the one that lumbers to 60 in 16 secs and tops out at about 95), down from ?2300 when I checked in December. The difference?

I passed my 19th birthday, yup, my insurance halves because I lived for a few more days despite the fact I haven't driven a car for any of them and haven't even had a license for a full year. Car insurance is a massive load of bollocks...

(Although for once its worked in my favour!) :lol:

Come live here, all there is needed to do car insurance is to determine if you're a young driver, which you are till the age of 21. After that, normal insurance, 100? cheaper in average than the one for young'ens. That Micra could be insured for a young driver with a good package for let's say 600? tops. Oh and an online inquiry consists of choosing your car, it's age and first registation, your birth date and what package you want.
Last time I tried to do a British quote, I lost my will to live. Couldn't actually do it, too much info to put in.

 

[Heathrow]

Car insurance is a massive load of bollocks...

my sister will pick up her car (Skoda, obviously...) on Saturday so we ordered her insurance yesterday... having me on as a driver makes her insurance 20% more expensive. Why? Because my 25th birthday still is a few months away. If I already had turned 25 there would be no need to specify my age, anyone under 25 makes the car insurance more expensive. I don't want to know how much it would be if I was 6 years younger...
They also didn't care about whether I had my license for years or not, damn those ageists.

Ah car insuance, you say?
Currently, women aged 17 ? 25 pay less by about 50% in the UK.

From next year, not any more.

BBC News ? Insurance and pension costs hit by ECJ gender ruling

Insurers cannot charge different premiums to men and women because of their gender, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.

The decision means that women can no longer be charged lower car insurance premiums than men, and the cost of buying a pensions annuity will change.

 

[hajj]

They insurers will try to ignore that ruling for everything but pensions.

 

[narf]

Ah car insuance, you say?
Currently, women aged 17 ? 25 pay less by about 50% in the UK.

From next year, not any more.

BBC News ? Insurance and pension costs hit by ECJ gender ruling

Yeah I heard about that, my guess is whereever women pay less they will get raised to men's level... and whereever men pay less they will get raised to women's level

Also, she's mildly over 25 so that doesn't matter - else me not being 25 yet wouldn't matter much to the insurance.