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Combuster wrote:Is it that bad? Screw modern technology - we do 5.5l/100km in a Renault 19.
The other car (the one we kept) is a Citroen C1. 5.4l / 100 km average, measured over the complete lifetime of so far 18,000 km, most of it city hopping.
Even the 2.1 ton Espace did consume only between 7 and 10 l / 100km.
Then again, one wonders what it's all worth when using 20+l / 100km is still considered "cool" by some people.
@gerryg400, quok: No offense intended. But I am surprised to find such attitude among people I consider anything else but lowbrow / redneck...
Every good solution is obvious once you've found it.
@Solar: It's one of those small flaws in german: it should be Die Auto instead of Das Auto
"Certainly avoid yourself. He is a newbie and might not realize it. You'll hate his code deeply a few years down the road." - Sortie
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Combuster wrote:Is it that bad? Screw modern technology - we do 5.5l/100km in a Renault 19.
Bad? For a petrol engine it's great!Your Renault is probably a diesel.
Anyway...I don't like bikes since every biker I talked to has felt or had crash at least once in their life time. My colleague can't bend his knees fully since he had bike crash and other one got killed a year ago in a crash.
You can be careful as much as you won't but what is it worth if some idiot picks you up...
You can't help idiots. Neither can you in a car or on a bicycle. I'm more likely to die because of cancer or a hart attack than because of riding a (motor)cycle.
"Certainly avoid yourself. He is a newbie and might not realize it. You'll hate his code deeply a few years down the road." - Sortie
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Didn't need any other idiot than myself for my first crash (which was what ended my first motorbike those 17 years ago). Too fast into the corner, couldn't brake down fast enough, hit the edge of the sidewalk at a bit over 50 km/h remaining speed, and got tossed off in front of the bike.
I was lucky as hell, too. A bit to the left or the right and I would have hit a parked car at 50. Tumbling, I went contrary to what they tell you in driving school ("bundle up and roll with it"), and instead spread out, skid, and maximized contact area. (Instinct. What they tell you is correct, unless you feel you have control of your tumble, which I did.) My jacket and shoes were wasted afterwards, but I myself didn't suffer a scratch except for a hard bruise on my left heel (where I tried to catch the whole thing on the moment of impact - yeah, stupid idea). And the bike stopped skidding a couple of inches before it hit me...
That was when I was in peak physical condition, driving home from martial arts training. All muscles warm and stretched, reflexes at maximum. Today I'd probably break several bones.
On the other hand, today I'm not driving like the Ghostrider himself either, because I got smarter than I was back then. Driving is not for fun, or being the fastest guy on the street, it's for getting from A to B safely.
Every good solution is obvious once you've found it.
I used to have a 1986 Daihatsu Charade, with a 0.9L engine. Used to get ~6l/100km (never measured it really accurately, unfortunately). Brilliant thing, it ran on the smell of a rag.
Unfortunately it had a few... problems. One day when I was at work my mum took it and sold it and bought me a 1992 Toyota Corolla because she was scared the Charade would fail and kill me. It's funny, because I started off with such a low-powered car, a Corolla feels really powerful. It's got near enough to 100kW, but compared to quok's ~450 horsepower, it's nothing.
I can see where people are coming from with having powerful cars. There is a joy to driving sometimes. Out in the countryside, on a nice day, it's just enjoyable. Times like those I'd even like a motorbike, so I could be even closer to the road and the engine. Then when I'm back in the city and it's raining I decide that was a stupid idea.
I think unfortunately the days of the petrol car are soon to be over. What worries me is that we're going to choose batteries to store power (which are made of various gorilla-killing materials) instead of hydrogen (the most abundant element in the universe, and perfectly harmless). I know there's a slight efficiency decrease in the conversion of water to hydrogen gas and back, but surely that's a sacrifice we should be willing to make.
JackScott wrote:What worries me is that we're going to choose batteries to store power (which are made of various gorilla-killing materials) instead of hydrogen (the most abundant element in the universe, and perfectly harmless).
Batteries use lead, lithium, nickel, cadmium, iron, zinc and other metals.
Fuel cells use platinum, gold, or palladium as catalysts.
I'm not sure which of these is more "gorilla-killing".
Every good solution is obvious once you've found it.
Hi,
We ( my family -- my mother and my small sister) have a Maruti Zen Estilo. The major concern of any middle class Indian buying a car is not Horse Power but milege . It gives about 15-16 kms per litre if the road is quite straight. I am not a very expert driver , my only concern is that people whom I escort are comfortable. My preak speed about : 60 km/hr that too only if there is less traffic and road is straight. I try to make use of the public transport facilities when possible than my car or try to walk if distance is <= 5km ( I am fat (glutton) and needs to shed lot of weight ! )
