Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[NooDle]

But can you get a petrol/diesel x3 without awd? Because in the electric one it isn’t even an option. Which is weird. Many people will assume it has 4x4

 

[Perc]

I still wonder why it’s called “330d xdrive” but “225xe”, on cars from the same years ish.

 

[93Flareside]

I still wonder why it’s called “330d xdrive” but “225xe”, on cars from the same years ish.

I figure the ‘e’ would indicate hybrid or some sort of electric assistance.

 

[Labcoatguy]

No he's talking about why it's called xdrive rather than just putting x in the name, like 330xd or something like that.

 

[NooDle]

To further confuse things, n .be atleast you can get an ‘xLine’ pack on the 3, the x1 and the x3. This is just an options/interior pack that has no effect on engine or driven wheels

 

[Matt2000]

I still wonder why it’s called “330d xdrive” but “225xe”, on cars from the same years ish.

It’s a good point, I have no idea unless xdrive and x are different types of AWD.

 

[Perc]

It’s a good point, I have no idea unless xdrive and x are different types of AWD.

Yes, I think the 225xe has an automatic four-banger (or even a three-banger?) up front and an electric rear axle.

 

[Tram]

I always work on the basis that X at the beginning is SUV, x at the end is AWD. Same with Q vs Quattro.

I was today years old when I realized Q-series in Audis might stand for Quattro. I mean, the first in the series, the 1st-gen Q7, was 4WD-only, so it makes sense.

 

[Perc]

They’re capitalizing on the brand. It’s like Porsche putting a turbo badge on an EV.

 

[Labcoatguy]

Shows how much the Infiniti Qs have dissipated in brand equity that Audi can just waltz in and use it without any real objection.

 

[93Flareside]

Shows how much the Infiniti Qs have dissipated in brand equity that Audi can just waltz in and use it without any real objection.

Yes, but the difference there is Audi has been using A for regular cars, S for Shporty, RS for Really Shporty for a long time and didn't just change thier naming scheme randomly. The number is just a unit of measure for how long you want your block of tofu to be. the Q makes sense to me because no car starts with Q. That letter means SUV's.

 

[Labcoatguy]

Yet long before Audi started using Q for its SUVs, Infiniti already had a Q-something in its lineup, though the fact that you've forgotten about that is just as damning for Infiniti.

Infiniti Q45 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[93Flareside]

Yet long before Audi started using Q for its SUVs, Infiniti already had a Q-something in its lineup, though the fact that you've forgotten about that is just as damning for Infiniti.

Infiniti Q45 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Having had many Infiniti's as rentals over the years, I don't get the draw to them other than the G35 and G37 were kind of neat at the time. Otherwise a Chrysler 300 has Infiniti's beat int he car segment for "I want luxury, but I want to spend as much as I can for the most budget Nissan product.

Really, I had a top end QX SUV recently and while the engine and transmission were nice, the interior felt cheap and just regular Nissan with the hamburger badge covered up. The video below is from the QX80 I had. How quality does that sound?

 

[Perc]

Doug found a loaded W220 S600 with all the gadgets still working.

I love the fact that the following distance setting for the Distronic (ACC in 2001!) shows a little W220, with a single pixel for Mercedes star. That pixel would seriously have made me feel a bit better about wasting all that money on a depreciating luxury car.

As someone said on Telegram, I bet there were meetings about the pixel.

 

[93Flareside]

I love that detail. Like how Aging Wheels found that the bolt the wrench back the serpentine belt tensioner is the same size as the lugnuts and there’s enough space to use the roadside toolkit wrench.

Little things make stuff better. I think VW uses a little Porsche 911 for the “you’re too close for collision warning!” Icon.

 

[Perc]

My car displays a little white Golf to illustrate that it's seeing a car on the road ahead.

 

[RdKetchup]

Doug found a loaded W220 S600 with all the gadgets still working.

I love the fact that the following distance setting for the Distronic (ACC in 2001!) shows a little W220, with a single pixel for Mercedes star. That pixel would seriously have made me feel a bit better about wasting all that money on a depreciating luxury car.

As someone said on Telegram, I bet there were meetings about the pixel.

View attachment 3563479

 

[captain_70s]

Bish

Bash

Bosh

The '66 Galaxie has finally left the workshop. Thing immediately started playing up when we went to get it after being fine the day prior, battery went flat and it kept cutting out and misfiring at low rpms.

Wound the idle up to 1,500rpm in an attempt to avoid stalling and hit the road with me in the Volvo support vehicle. Made it back no bother, needs a proper tune-up really but the fella doing the bodywork can't legally drive so no road testing was viable.

Doors don't fit because there are no rubber seals, everything disintegrated on removal, so no point in spending ages hanging them to do it all again when seals are acquired... As far as daily beaters go, could it be cooler?

Weirdly, this is exactly a 2 years to the day since I first saw it...

(The front left hubcap launched itself into a hedge almost as soon as we set off, I had to sprint off and recover it, it really hates staying on)...

 

[DanRoM]

The front left hubcap launched itself into a hedge almost as soon as we set off

How very "old American movie car chase" is that!

 

[Matt2000]

How very "old American movie car chase" is that!

I always loved the way the hubcaps would fly off cars in the Driver 1 and 2 games, it was perfect for the car chase vibe.

The Galaxie looks great, I think the one-hubcap-missing look suits it anyway.