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G0TEZ > CARS 15.02.12 00:33l 70 Lines 2788 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 6B0234G0TEZ
Read: DK3UZ GUEST
Subj: Re: on the cars :)
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<OK0PPL<DB0RES<IK2XDE<IR2UBX<IW2OHX<IW0QNL<ED1ZAC<GB7CIP
Sent: 120214/2125Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:24784 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:6B0234G0
From: G0TEZ@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To : CARS@WW
Some good replies but none from England ???
To answer a question, the two cars were, one, a Ford Orian, veriy simila
to the Fiesta but a total b*stard to drive.
The second was a Vauhall Astra, another small, version of a GMC cheap car
at 1,250 cc ( I don't know that in Cu ins).
The awkward steering made it feel reminiscent of a certain pre war Buick
which had knob on the steering wheel, this was to help rotae the steering
at high speed during tight turns. NB the engine on the Buick was more like
7 Litre, not exactly a small car, more like something driven by Al Capone.
Both those little cars could have done with that knob.
One of the TV programmes I looked at to check their driving styles is
called Top Gear, I believe it has versions in varios countries.
It was not really a good example as Top Gear reports on the latest, most
expensive cars and how pretty they are i.e. "It must be good, it cost 2
Million Pounds".
As for modern improvements, yes, it is nice to have windows that wind up
at the touch of a button, brakes which are a form of automatic cadence
braking
(Cadence braking ? err what's e on about ?), power steering, especially
large cars like the Peugeot 504 which was great when doing hundreds of
miles around towns when I was a taxi driver. I would hate to think what
would happen if one of the Vee belts broke,
For such as jeremy Clarkson, the main presenter, all the automatic,
cuomputerised aids must be a must. I saw an episode where he was trying to
drive a Volvo Estae (Station Wagon ?) up a steep hill on grass - and
slipping back every time. FYI the Volvo is brilliant at climbing steep,
slippery slopes, you get a lot of those in Sweden. I have driven that
Volvo on steep, thick ice and it would do it due to superbe design.
Conclusion, Clarkson bust be a really bad driver !
The topic was not overproced muscle cars or driving in snow and ice, it
was driving two small , economy cars with no bells and whistles on a
british motorway.
I should not have to keep both hands clamped to the tiny steering wheel
and
concentrate fircely while driving for 400 miles (700 km if you prefer) in
heavy traffic at 70 - 80 mph (120 - 135 kph).
Someone did mention the Mazda, I hope he meant the R80, the one with the
Wankel engine, now that is one I would like to try.
Thanks everyone and, no Bob, We don't think of 4,000 cc as a small car
over here, most of us couldn't afford the fuel.
I am taliking of small cars, around 1,250 cc, born around 2008. The one,
major plus I can give to both the Orion and the Astra is that, with 6th
gear being an overdrive, the fuel consumtion was excellent!
73 - Ian, G0TEZ @ GB7CIP
Message timed: 20:51 on 2012-Feb-14 GMT
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