Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

I think some folk have a complex about being passed.

Seen this many times. You pass someone in a more expensive car than the one you’re driving, then they show up in your mirror and overtake, then you pass them again, etc. All of this while you’ve got your cruise control set.
 
The first time I used the cruise control in the V8 Discovery it was a real eye opener to how inconsistent people are with their speed, something I never noticed because I just subconsciously compensated for it. Now it really irritates me and was one of the reasons I wanted to try radar assisted cruise, I can care a bit less about how fast the car in front is going when mine automatically keeps the same distance.
 
Now it really irritates me and was one of the reasons I wanted to try radar assisted cruise

Adaptive cruise is one of the things my next car has to have. There’s no negotiating that.

The GDPO didn’t get ACC when he bought my car new. It would’ve been a €200 option on a ~50k car. The guy put 120.000 km on it during the two years he had it and skipped ACC. This fact makes me unreasonably angry.
 
I can understand not having ACC, I don't really need it since I'm fine with regular cruise control. All those sensors are more things to fail and get broken, making repairs from a minor bump much more costly. I've also seen ACC taken out of action by well-placed bug splatter.
 
I think the US roads are big enough and relaxed enough for it to be less important, we're jammed into fewer, smaller lanes over here. I'm not going back to US lane discipline though, that way lies madness. :p
 
Yes, all those newfangled sensors still seem to have a bit of R&D ahead of them. I remember driving a rental Toyota Avensis through northern Sweden in the middle of winter when it suddenly started dinging and throwing errors because the "sensor area" behind the rear view mirror was freezing up. That's when you play "finnish roulette" IE wash the screen at speed and hope that it doesn't freeze to the glass. Which it didn't, thankfully.

I can't imagine that it would be impossible to design sensors that don't freeze or get bug splatter on them. We have heated center armrests and seats that hug you in corners, after all.
 
I can't imagine that it would be impossible to design sensors that don't freeze or get bug splatter on them.

At least they did think of that in the California designed Teslas. The Sensor area behind the rear view mirror as well as the side cameras (I think?) are definitely heated.
 
There once was a 1970’s British van called the Leyland Sherpa. After that we got Freight Rover which turned into Leyland Daf Vans (LDV). They all kept making essentially the same ancient panel van with various noses grafted on.

At some point we got a new model called LDV Maxus. GAZ was involved in this. Then the big 00’s credit crunch happened and the Chinese company SAIC bought everything.

Fast forward to 2021. Were now getting Chinese made Maxus badged people movers and vans. I’m probably one of very very few in the country to which the Maxus badge means anything at all. I’ve seen a single LDV Maxus in my life, ever.

I watched a Finnish test drive of one on YouTube and it seems that whoever ordered it didn’t read the fine print properly because it didn’t have an adjustable heater. It did have both AC and heat, but they were either on or off. Assuming they actually worked properly this means you were either in a chest freezer, in a sauna or at the mercy of the outside elements.

It’s not a bad looking box though.

1621285773805.jpeg
 
There once was a 1970’s British van called the Leyland Sherpa. After that we got Freight Rover which turned into Leyland Daf Vans (LDV). They all kept making essentially the same ancient panel van with various noses grafted on.

At some point we got a new model called LDV Maxus. GAZ was involved in this. Then the big 00’s credit crunch happened and the Chinese company SAIC bought everything.

Fast forward to 2021. Were now getting Chinese made Maxus badged people movers and vans. I’m probably one of very very few in the country to which the Maxus badge means anything at all. I’ve seen a single LDV Maxus in my life, ever.

I watched a Finnish test drive of one on YouTube and it seems that whoever ordered it didn’t read the fine print properly because it didn’t have an adjustable heater. It did have both AC and heat, but they were either on or off. Assuming they actually worked properly this means you were either in a chest freezer, in a sauna or at the mercy of the outside elements.

It’s not a bad looking box though.

View attachment 3561171

Provided you can adjust the heat/cool levels you would just have a loud fan all of the time.
 
Four-seater mid-engined cars:
  • Ferrari 308GT4
  • Ferrari Mondial
  • Lamborghini Urraco
  • Lotus Evora
  • Matra 530
  • Koenigsegg Gemera
Three-seat mid-engined cars:
  • McLaren F1
  • Matra Murena
  • Matra Bagheera
Did I get all of them?
 
There once was a 1970’s British van called the Leyland Sherpa. After that we got Freight Rover which turned into Leyland Daf Vans (LDV). They all kept making essentially the same ancient panel van with various noses grafted on.

At some point we got a new model called LDV Maxus. GAZ was involved in this. Then the big 00’s credit crunch happened and the Chinese company SAIC bought everything.

Fast forward to 2021. Were now getting Chinese made Maxus badged people movers and vans. I’m probably one of very very few in the country to which the Maxus badge means anything at all. I’ve seen a single LDV Maxus in my life, ever.

I watched a Finnish test drive of one on YouTube and it seems that whoever ordered it didn’t read the fine print properly because it didn’t have an adjustable heater. It did have both AC and heat, but they were either on or off. Assuming they actually worked properly this means you were either in a chest freezer, in a sauna or at the mercy of the outside elements.

It’s not a bad looking box though.
Forget that, look at the old one!
1621299882819.png
I need one.
 
 
The Leyland Sherpa: best known for falling apart in a Roger Moore Bond movie.
 
Provided you can adjust the heat/cool levels you would just have a loud fan all of the time.

The one tested by Beyond The Press had AC on/off, heat on/off and a couple of manual fan speeds.

I'm guessing someone ordered it and didn't pay attention. It's pretty well known that the Chinese will make exactly what you order, but everything costs extra including quality control... and an adjustable heater, apparently. There are plenty of smaller and larger companies that just put their own brands on the cheapest possible Alibaba crap. In the other end of the scale we have Apple.


Forget that, look at the old one!
I need one.

You might be pleased to know it's a lot narrower than most commercial vehicles because it was designed to be built on an old car assembly line. ?‍♂️
 
I remembered this one being used on Scrapheap Challenge well enough to find the episode, I'm sure there were many more.

S05E09.mp4_snapshot_08.16.222.jpg
 
Why does it feel like everybody knows the BMW e naming system? Not everybody can be a diehard bmw fan.??‍♂️
 
A load of red 2004ish LDV Convoys with roller shutter doors cropped up around my bit last year.

Apparently the Highland and Island Fire Service had a clear out.
I'm gonna need 1996 or older...

Why does it feel like everybody knows the BMW e naming system? Not everybody can be a diehard bmw fan.??‍♂️
Because it's vastly simpler than their "actual" model names and communicates more pertinent information (i.e. "is it a good or a bad BMW" versus just "series and relative position in the lineup")

And really, for most people it probably falls off after E30 and E36. You know. The good ones.
 
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