Hello From Across The Pond!
11-15-2004, 03:44 AM
#21
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Originally Posted by welshMGman
A 'Sports Saloon' is a saloon car (think Honda Accord, for example), but with improved driving abilities (steering; gearbox; brakes; suspension). Gives sporty performance but with saloon (or, Sedan - US term) interior space.
Price per litre of Shell Optimax is 89.9p - which works out as about $6/gallon!
Jason
Price per litre of Shell Optimax is 89.9p - which works out as about $6/gallon!
Jason
Mark
11-15-2004, 03:53 AM
#22
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Originally Posted by Camaroz
haha do the british even have top fuel drag cars?
Can you guys please not stereotype nations, i mean what if everyone hated Americans because of that penarse George "dubya" Bush.
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Mark
11-15-2004, 03:56 AM
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Originally Posted by BadAndy
Apparently not everyone can make a car go fast in a straight line, as most British cars never have and generally continue the trend.
Oh i probably shouldn't mention the land speed records over the last how ever many years, anyway please can we stop this country bashing crap.
Thanks
Mark
Last edited by Bluey; 11-15-2004 at 04:01 AM.
11-15-2004, 04:21 AM
#24
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Originally Posted by LT1Burnout
who is this fool?? sounds like an imbred britt i ran into a while ago..
Who is this fool ? i see mr T is back . And to start with You interbred red neck I'm not as you so articulately put it a Brit .So lets stop with the assumption that I am a Brit you waste of good sperm you are about as useful as the cars your moronic country produces .Now go back to what you was doing IE h aveing sex with your sister of mother
11-15-2004, 04:29 AM
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Originally Posted by BadAndy
Apparently we run all around you at Le Mans as well, so shut it. Apparently not everyone can make a car go fast in a straight line, as most British cars never have and generally continue the trend.
And if you could read and comprehend the English language you would know that one of the fastest production car was in fact ENGLISH .And I do think that the fastest cars are still European . And some of the best cars in the world are Japanese Like i said yank cars are good for a weekend joke
11-15-2004, 05:34 AM
#26
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Yes, I do fancy an MG ZT260! Top Gears' test was biased against the car from the start. With the exception of the Vauxhal (GM) Monaro (Pontiac GTO), ther are very few fast, relaxing coupes under 30K.
I haven't had to fill my car for a week or two - so who knows how much Optimax is now!
The major problems as regards American cars in the UK are as follows:
Nearly all are only available in LHD; the cost of the conversion to RHD makes the cars too expensive when compared to the opposition. LHD is OK on motorways, but, around mid-Wales, not very easy for overtaking!
Higher insurance premiums for LHDs.
Import duty/VAT etc that turn a cheap car expensive.
Lack of a dealer network: I can't go to my local Ford of GM (Vauxhall) Dealer and order a Mustang; Camero or Corvette. Nearest is probably Manchester!
Quality control/build-quality issues. Having never sampled an American-built car, I cannot say. but it is said that they are not very well put togather? I honestly can't coment on this point.
The latest Corvette is still a quick machine: the V12 Ferrari and Aston Martin couldn't beat it on the Top Gear test track.
Jason
I haven't had to fill my car for a week or two - so who knows how much Optimax is now!
The major problems as regards American cars in the UK are as follows:
Nearly all are only available in LHD; the cost of the conversion to RHD makes the cars too expensive when compared to the opposition. LHD is OK on motorways, but, around mid-Wales, not very easy for overtaking!
Higher insurance premiums for LHDs.
Import duty/VAT etc that turn a cheap car expensive.
Lack of a dealer network: I can't go to my local Ford of GM (Vauxhall) Dealer and order a Mustang; Camero or Corvette. Nearest is probably Manchester!
Quality control/build-quality issues. Having never sampled an American-built car, I cannot say. but it is said that they are not very well put togather? I honestly can't coment on this point.
The latest Corvette is still a quick machine: the V12 Ferrari and Aston Martin couldn't beat it on the Top Gear test track.
Jason
11-15-2004, 05:44 AM
#27
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Having been raised in Texas and later in life becoming CIO of a large UK firm in London for ten years...the "popularity" of various forms of racing and the cars that are raced are a direct result of the terrain available. Winding, narrow British country roads versus wide open spaces found here in the States are directly responsible for the variations in our two styles of competition with motor cars.
Joining an "muscle car" forum to spew crap about muscle cars is like going into a Chinese Resteraunt and arguing BBQ is the choice of cuisine to the superior beings.............superior in their own minds of course
Joining an "muscle car" forum to spew crap about muscle cars is like going into a Chinese Resteraunt and arguing BBQ is the choice of cuisine to the superior beings.............superior in their own minds of course
11-15-2004, 06:30 AM
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I quite like muscle cars! There are some who obviously don't. It would be nice to be able to get a wider choice of such cars in the UK; albeit 'packaged' in the UK-flavour (RHD; improved sterring lock and sharper handling) to cope with our narrow, twisty roads.
Jason
Jason
11-15-2004, 06:50 AM
#29
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Originally Posted by welshMGman
I quite like muscle cars! There are some who obviously don't. It would be nice to be able to get a wider choice of such cars in the UK; albeit 'packaged' in the UK-flavour (RHD; improved sterring lock and sharper handling) to cope with our narrow, twisty roads.
Jason
Jason
Cheers.....
11-15-2004, 07:48 AM
#30
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Originally Posted by Bluey
Can you guys please not stereotype nations, i mean what if everyone hated Americans because of that penarse George "dubya" Bush.
Thanks
Mark
Thanks
Mark
11-15-2004, 09:23 AM
#31
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Originally Posted by welshMGman
The BMW 7-Series is what most people in the UK would call 'large'! or even 'huge'! Not to mention expensive.
When we talk of 'family saloons' we tend to think in terms of Ford Mondeo/Honda Accord/BMW 3-Series.
Yes, the new MGs are fun to throw around on the twisty roads. Going araound roundabouts is also fun.
Straight-line darg racing, whilst it does have a following in the UK, is not that popular. We prefer a mix of twists and straight sections, so as to test the cars' handling ability; the torque; acceleration; and the drivers' skill in taking the right line; braking distances etc.
Oval track racing is also gaining popularity.
Next year, have a look at the BTCC races (or, maybe, there might be some repeats somewhere on the Sat/Cable channels of the season just passed). These take saloon cars (such as the MG ZS) and race bumper-to-bumper around twisty tracks. Generally lots of overtaking and diving through gaps!
Jason
When we talk of 'family saloons' we tend to think in terms of Ford Mondeo/Honda Accord/BMW 3-Series.
Yes, the new MGs are fun to throw around on the twisty roads. Going araound roundabouts is also fun.
Straight-line darg racing, whilst it does have a following in the UK, is not that popular. We prefer a mix of twists and straight sections, so as to test the cars' handling ability; the torque; acceleration; and the drivers' skill in taking the right line; braking distances etc.
Oval track racing is also gaining popularity.
Next year, have a look at the BTCC races (or, maybe, there might be some repeats somewhere on the Sat/Cable channels of the season just passed). These take saloon cars (such as the MG ZS) and race bumper-to-bumper around twisty tracks. Generally lots of overtaking and diving through gaps!
Jason
11-15-2004, 09:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Bluey
TVRs? Most are 0-60 in around 3 and a half seconds, with a 200mph++ top end, but then weighing an average of 1000kgs with usually well over 400bhp as std you'd expect that
Oh i probably shouldn't mention the land speed records over the last how ever many years, anyway please can we stop this country bashing crap.
Thanks
Mark
Oh i probably shouldn't mention the land speed records over the last how ever many years, anyway please can we stop this country bashing crap.
Thanks
Mark
11-15-2004, 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by yanks cars a joke
And if you could read and comprehend the English language you would know that one of the fastest production car was in fact ENGLISH .And I do think that the fastest cars are still European . And some of the best cars in the world are Japanese Like i said yank cars are good for a weekend joke
That fits in perfectly with my description. The real joke is $6-$8 per gallon for fuel.
11-15-2004, 09:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Bluey
TVRs? Most are 0-60 in around 3 and a half seconds, with a 200mph++ top end, but then weighing an average of 1000kgs with usually well over 400bhp as std you'd expect that
Thanks
Mark
Thanks
Mark
11-15-2004, 10:14 AM
#35
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The problem with TVR is that they are not all that reliable. They are very quick cars, but can't be difficult to sort out. I have only seen one 'in the flesh' - a Y-Reg (year 2000, I think) in dark blue with a beige interior. The blue paint was flaking off! Not what you would expect on a car costing in excess of 40K pounds!
Jason
Jason
11-15-2004, 10:31 AM
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Originally Posted by welshMGman
The problem with TVR is that they are not all that reliable. They are very quick cars, but can't be difficult to sort out. I have only seen one 'in the flesh' - a Y-Reg (year 2000, I think) in dark blue with a beige interior. The blue paint was flaking off! Not what you would expect on a car costing in excess of 40K pounds!
Jason
Jason
11-15-2004, 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by BadAndy
I didn't want to bring up the quality/reliability issues with relation to the cost, but you've provided a good example. I do understand the problems related to building an extremely HO engine and keeping it reliable at the same time. I would just expect more for my money.
If you take the extreme end of the spectrum and look at Bristol Cars; which 'hand-craft' very expensive cars almost like a made-to-measure suit, you find that they buy in Chrysler V8 engines and torqueflite gearboxes. TVR, on the other hand, have tried to develop their own angines, and it hasn't really worked.