meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Quote:
Hydrogen FTW. Then we can keep the ICE and we can still go vroom vroom( one thing I will miss when cars hopefully go to hydrogen fuel cells). I love the engine note the HF 3.6 DOHC V6 makes above 4000 RPM. giggity |
|
quote |
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
|
Quote:
It's all about balance, and balancing responsible living with people's comfort levels. Obviously staying at home all the time is the most eco-friendly thing to do, but nobody's going to want to do that. I'm cool with public transportation -- I actually find it kind of a relief sometimes -- but it's not for everybody. Even high speed rail wouldn't be for everybody. Here in America we've always been all about the automobile, and even though I think a lot of people buy irresponsible SUVs we can't really say that people are wrong to buy what they want. The smart thing to do is to take a holistic approach, and work toward reducing our energy use on all fronts. Electric cars aren't a magic bullet, since the electricity they use might not be clean, but at least they keep us from guaranteeing that we will pollute with ICEs. Some people are always going to want to drive themselves around, especially in America (where our public transportation systems are less developed - the system in my city doesn't even operate on weekends, for example). So rather than trying to get people to stop wanting cars it would be easier, I think, to work "with the grain" of the market, and just try to get people into greener cars. Parallel hybrids aren't what I'm talking about -- at least, they shouldn't be our only approach. ER-EVs, "pure" BEVs, clean diesels...all good approaches, too. (And in-wheel motors would be more efficient! Just sayin'.) But, in general, I think we just need to move toward lighter, smaller vehicles. In Texas, You Drive A Truck. It doesn't matter if you're just going to grab a Crunchwrap Supreme at the nearest Taco Bell, you're not really a Texan if you don't drive a truck to get there. And trucks these days are huge. We don't have car-based trucks, like Australia does. In fact, we don't even really have midsize body-on-frame trucks any more. It's all full-size, F-150s and above. Also, we should look into technologies like start/stop systems that could be -- realistically -- put into every car. Not every car could be made a hybrid, or should be -- I think I've made it known that I'm not a fan of the parallel hybrid scheme -- but every car could have a start/stop system. It doesn't cost much money. I don't know where I'm going with this. Have I hit high-speed rail? In-wheel motors? Parallel vs. series hybrids? OK, good. It's a Roboman post, then. and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
|
quote |
Not sayin', just sayin'
|
This ignores the fact that hydrogen fuel is currently manufactured from fossil fuels, mainly natural gas. So it's a zero sum game with hydrogen (just like bio-fuels using food supply products) until there's a better/more efficient process to extract hydrogen from other sources.
|
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Quote:
giggity |
|
quote |
Not sayin', just sayin'
|
I'm not disagreeing with the principal of hydrogen as fuel. It's true of course that all of our alternatives still depend on fossil fuels to a large extent -- power plants on the grid for electricity, natural gas for hydrogen, and consumable plants for bio-fuel.
I think it's a race to see which one of those sources can first adapt to something less resource intensive and perishable. Hydrogen needs better efficient methods of extracting it from non-fossil fuel sources. Power plants need to turn to wind, solar or other means of generating power. Bio-fuels have to use the collagen parts of the plants that are not normally consumable or part of the food supply. Actually, it's not just who gets the technology there first, but who gets the infrastructure in place first too. |
quote |
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: May 2004
Location: Inner Swabia. If you have to ask twice, don't.
|
Hydrogen isn't a fuel source. It is a storage medium, and there is no good way to produce it without a significant loss in energy.
The touted hydrogen economy is not going to happen. |
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Need $116K stat! Please donate. Thank you.
http://jalopnik.com/5448530/gm-looks...r-corvette-zr1 Please GM do this. This would be awesome. giggity |
quote |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
|
Maybe you won't see an A3 at all because it would be too costly compared to a new Jetta, which is something of an A3.5, by the looks of it:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publi...cle_2694.shtml Or, maybe you do see one because it amounts essentially to a Jetta rebadge... Nicely resolved sedan profile, combination of A4 and BMW 3series lines. Good enough corporate front end, pretty safe, nice interior, dash need s little extra work. Sport buck GT rear seat centre console combination looks nice, but is impractical for this car: it's better to have more leg room. If they build it, it will sell. More interested in a wagon myself. ......................................... |
quote |
Formerly “AWM”
Join Date: May 2009
|
If that's the next Jetta it's certainly an improvement over the current model and will certainly sell better, if priced appropriately, but it kind of looks like a lot of other cars out there. Hopefully we see a decent base motor instead of the 2.5 five cylinder.
|
quote |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
|
They're talking about TFSI, TDI and Hybrid versions... for some reason VW likes to give North America the base 2.5, blech. I would only consider one of their cars with a TDI or much better gas/hybrid engine.
......................................... |
quote |
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
|
I've said it before: VW should make the next New Beetle (and the next Microbus!) a dedicated hybrid. The brand is just perfect for it, with the whole hippie karma thing. Throw in an all-electric Up as a smaller option with the same flower-power styling an you have the engine (er, motor?) for VW's US resurgence.
It's kind of like Mercury. Right now Mercury has no point and is priced too close to Ford. FoMoCo should axe all Mercuries but the Milan and Mariner Hybrids. Voilà, the world's first all-hybrid brand! That would put Merury back on the map and move them upmarket in a way that wouldn't at all overlap with Lincoln. FoMoCo would instantly gain a pair of dedicated hybrids -- even better, a dedicated brand. They'd beat Toyota to the punch with their rumored Prius spin-off and "going green" would mesh well with the trendier image FoMoCo has tried to build for Mercury over the last few years. |
quote |
Formerly “AWM”
Join Date: May 2009
|
That article talks of rumors of a new base four cylinder so we'll have to wait and see. I guess using the five helps VW keep costs down but it's inefficient, heavy, and is on the rough side. It can't even compete with Japanese engines.
|
quote |
Formerly “AWM”
Join Date: May 2009
|
So it looks like the GM/Spyker deal for Saab is going to happen which should make some here very happy! To me it's just more life support but we'll see what happens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/bu...al/27saab.html |
quote |
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
|
And not a moment too soon, as today I was practically hated off another car site I was posting at. The new 9-5 and 9-4x are Saab's most promising vehicles in decades, and I'm so glad we'll actually see them. And if that 9-1 is still on the table, I'm in for one in ärlig white. |
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
So anyone else enjoying the meltdown happening at Toyota right now?
|
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
|
quote |
Not sayin', just sayin'
|
I for one am not enjoying Toyota's troubles for one reason: consumer bias, specifically my wife's. At least right now, she will only let me consider a Honda or Toyota. Well, now she may only let me look at Honda. I am actually trying to convince her that Subaru and Ford have good quality too (now), but it's an uphill battle. All this Toyota crap has just limited my options for a car even more than they already were!
|
quote |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
|
Poor you. A Honda! The horror.
|
quote |
Formerly “AWM”
Join Date: May 2009
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Quote:
First was install zipties to prevent this. Then new gas pedal designs. And now a complete halt of sales and new gas pedal assemblies. This is haunting Toyota like the cruise control switch haunted Ford. giggity |
|
quote |
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472 Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
|
I currently live with my head in the ground, can someone post a link about Toyota's troubles? A synopsis would actually be better.
|
quote |
Formerly “AWM”
Join Date: May 2009
|
There is an issue with accelerator pedals possibly sticking on some models. This morning there was news that Ford may have the same issue.
|
quote |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
|
Quote:
|
|
quote |
Sneaky Punk
|
A few car experts I've heard on the radio believe it isn't just the actual peddles and that it could be a firmware problem, from the computer manufacture.
|
quote |
Not sayin', just sayin'
|
Toyota has something like 8 models and almost 10 million (it seems) recalls due to uncontrolled acceleration issues. The floor pedals, mats, or computer problems may be the issue. It's a very large recall, and it's gotten a lot of attention because 1. people have died and 2. the list keeps expanding.
Have you seen the Crosstour?! FWIW, I have a Civic now, nothing against Hondas except for 1. road and wind noise, 2. poor styling 3. bloated Accords and now Crosstours 4. poor brakes 5. Acuras being nothing special as luxury car features/performance go Subies are nice, and I really like the Outback, though I prefer the styling from the '09 model. |
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Quote:
6. No power below 5000 RPM. My aunts Acura TL feels like an 185 HP 4 banger below 5000 RPM instead of the 280 HP( I think it is) V6. When you hit 5000 RPM, you can finally tell it is a 280 HP car. giggity |
|
quote |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
|
Who's won more awards and is constantly praised for building the best motors in the world? Not GM, that's for damn sure.
|
quote |
meh
Join Date: May 2004
|
Small Block V8, the HF 3.6 DOHC V6( both the regular and DI versions), and now the 2.4 DI 4 banger( won Ward's 2010 best engine of the year award).
giggity |
quote |
Posting Rules | Navigation |
Page 8 of 68 First Previous 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10 11 12 Next Last |
Thread Tools | |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
3G talk time | BlueApple | Apple Products | 4 | 2009-04-14 15:23 |
Let's Talk Stimulus | ezkcdude | AppleOutsider | 180 | 2009-02-16 15:54 |
Let's talk... hot sauces | Wrao | AppleOutsider | 19 | 2006-12-03 10:53 |
OS 7.5.3 not able to talk to OS X.3.7 | boris | Genius Bar | 4 | 2005-01-27 14:12 |