400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

[metalman]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

i'm long the s&p when these kinds of scams no longer fly.

[Guest]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

They've come a long way from those cars you recall your parents owning. BTW, the car I had that torched (this was back in 1994) was 13 years old at the time, so it was actually a 1981. I just bought it as an old beater and when I discovered how much I'd save with the methane conversion I had it converted.

My parents owned a Fiat in the early 1970s. It was truly a "Fix it again, Tony".

I don't buy Italian cars, nor any European cars, no matter what people say about their supposedly "superior engineering".

Just reading your story about some engineering difficulties with methane in Italy, it reminded me of issues with European cars and my parents' old Fiat. The entire Fiat's electrical system was designed by a mental midget; a ten year old kid might have done a better engineering job.

__________________

Here's what Alfa Romeo is building these days.
NEWS CENTRE


Yellow fever: Alfa 8C makes us unwell It might work for Lamborghini and Seat but yellow most definitely doesn’t suit the Alfa 8C, arguably the world’s most beautiful car.


Alfa Mito voted coolest affordable car The Alfa Mito is the coolest car you can buy without spending crazy money, say Auto Trader readers. Rate the coolest cars on sale now.
Video


Geneva 2009: Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA revealed The Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA should become Britain's most powerful production supermini with 240bhp, when it goes on sale.


Essen 2008: Ferrari F430-inspired Alfa MiTo This is the one-off Marangoni Alfa MiTo M430 – a tuned version of the new Italian supermini on display at the Essen Motor Show in Germany.


Go ahead for UK’s largest Alfa Romeo dealership Benfield, the North East's largest independent motor group has announced it will open Britain’s largest Alfa Romeo dealership.


Alfa advert 'misleading' An advert for an Alfa Romeo 147 has been labelled as 'misleading' by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).


Alfa MiTo takes on Mini at UK Motor Show The Alfa Romeo MiTo will take on the Mini when it goes on sale next year – and it’s making its entrance at the British Motor Show.
Video


Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf announced Alfa Romeo has announced a new flagship GT model called the Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf, which goes on sale in July.


Prodrive's Alfa Romeo Brera S Alfa Romeo has revealed a limited-edition Brera S, which has been tuned by specialist engineering firm Prodrive for British roads.


Special edition Alfa Brera S: Full details announced The first images of a special edition Alfa Brera S built in conjunction with motorsport team Prodrive have been released with prices starting from £24,950.


Latest pics of Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini Want a supermini which looks like a supercar? Alfa Romeo has released hot new pics of the new Mi.To supermini parked next to its 8C supercar sibling.


Limited edition hardcore Alfa Brera S announced Alfa Romeo has teamed up with British motorsport specialist Prodrive to build a limited edition hardcore version of the stunning Brera Coupe.


Alfa Romeo Mi.To blows its top These computer-generated images show how an open-top version of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini could look.


Top Gear to become live 'theatre experience' BBC motoring programme Top Gear is to be turned into a live 'theatre experience' and will travel across 15 countries over the next 18 months.


Hot new Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini - first pics This is the hot new Alfa Mi.To – the company’s sexy new supermini wading into battle against the Mini Cooper and new Ford Fiesta.


Refined: the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider Alfa Romeo has made extensive changes to its Brera and Spider models, to improve comfort levels.


Mouth-watering Alfa Romeo 8C Spider The gorgeous 180mph Alfa Romeo 8C Spider will makes its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.


Limited edition Alfa Romeo 147 Collezione Alfa Romeo has sported up its 147 with a limited edition Collezione model for 2008.


Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione for sale An Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, one of the year’s sexiest and rarest cars is for sale on Auto Trader.


Alfa announce racy 147 The Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse is a spicy new addition to the 147 line-up, on sale here in limited numbers from April 2008.


New Alfa Romeo 'Furiosa' Alfa Romeo has announced the winner of its naming competition – the new model will be called ‘Furiosa’.


Name the new Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo is offering the chance for YOU to name its next hatchback - read the full story now.

Alfa Romeo sales finally on the up Alfa Romeo is promising a clutch of new models that will help it double its UK sales in just two years.


Alfa Junior to break cover in June Motorists are expected to get their first look at Alfa Romeo's Mini rival at next March's Geneva motor show.


Renault and Alfa Romeo recalls Renault and Alfa Romeo are recalling cars over problems with the braking systems.


Sexy new Alfa Romeo goes on sale Alfa Romeo’s latest convertible is on sale in the UK and Auto Trader has the official pictures of the Pininfarina-styled motor.


Video news: Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo's all-new Brera coupe has just gone on sale in UK showrooms, Take a good look at the car in our latest video news bite.


Alfa 159 estate prices released Alfa Romeo's new 159 Sportwagon estate is now available to order and is available in two trim levels and with a choice of five engines.


Prices released for Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo's new Brera coupe goes on sale in the UK from April 8, with prices starting at £22,000 and rising to £29,850.


Prices released for Alfa Romeo 159
Alfa 159 gets five-star safety Alfa Romeo's all-new 159 executive car has gained five stars for adult occupants in its Euro NCAP tests.


Alfa Romeo puts 159 on show A handsome new compact executive is on the way from Alfa Romeo.


Alfa unleashes faster coupe The new Alfa Romeo Brera will supersede the discontinued GTV coupe in the UK in early 2006.


Alfa Spider selling out Just 80 Alfa Romeo Spider convertibles are still available to buy new in the UK, following the end of production of the current two-seater.


Alfa retunes suspension for UK Alfa Romeo is to build bespoke suspension set-ups to better equip its cars for life on the UK's potholed roads.


New face for Alfa Romeo 166 Face-lifted versions of Alfa Romeo's 166 executive car will make their world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.


More macho look for Alfa 156 Alfa Romeo's revised and restyled 156 goes on sale on September 1 with additional trim levels and more engine options.


New look for Alfa 156 range This is the first sight of Alfa Romeo's new-look 156 saloon and Sportwagon estate, on sale this September.


Alfa plans new performance range Alfa Romeo is preparing a new breed of high-performance four-wheel-drive cars to sit above its hot GTA range.


Drive an Alfa for free Surrey-based Alfa Romeo dealers, Bishops of Guildford are to host a free ?Ride & Drive Experience? on Monday 9th June at nearby Horsley Towers.


Five-year warranty on new Alfas Alfa Romeo is offering a five-year warranty with every new 147 hatchback, 156 saloon and 156 estate bought before the end of March.


Cut-price Alfa 147 launched Alfa Romeo has launched a new entry-level version of the 147 small family car, priced at £13,350.


Alfa coupe to undercut BMW rival Alfa Romeo's new GT Coupe will cost from £20,995 when it goes on sale April 1.


We'll beat Germans on quality, says Alfa Alfa Romeo is promising to beat the German prestige brands for quality and customer service - and will use the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Index to gauge its progress.


Renaults and Alfas recalled More than 9500 Renault Modus superminis have been recalled, as well as nearly 900 Alfa Romeos from the 147 hatchback and 166 executive car ranges.


Alfa GT Coupe undercuts BMW Alfa Romeo's new GT coupe is now on sale in the UK, with lower prices and higher equipment levels than the rival BMW 3-series Coupe.


Sharper 166 arrives in April A revised version of Alfa's 166 saloon arrives in April with four models in the range. It has a choice of three petrol engines, starting with the existing 2-litre.


Face-lifted 147 keeps prices down Alfa Romeo's face-lifted 147 hatchback will cost the same as the outgoing model when it arrives in UK dealers next spring.


Alfa plans ownership package Alfa Romeo is plotting a new ownership package that covers all servicing costs and pan-European breakdown assistance for up to five years or 100,000 miles.

______________________________________

AND LOOK WHAT THEY FIELD AT THE LOW, LOW END, TO "COMPETE" WITH THE FORD FIESTA (THE ALFA MINI IS IN THE SAME PRICE BRACKET AS A FORD FIESTA! :

Latest pics of Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini

The Alfa Romeo Mi.To shares design cues with the £110,000 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione 13 May 2008 by Vijay Pattni Fancy a supermini which looks like a £110,000 Italian supercar? You’ll want the Alfa Romeo Mi.To. Alfa Romeo has released a hot new gallery of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini parked next to its Alfa Romeo 8C supercar sibling. The new Alfa Romeo Mi.To – the hot new supermini set to rival the Ford Fiesta – is said to share design cues with its big brother, the £110,000 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. View more images of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To and Alfa Romeo 8C The Mi.To was officially announced in March this year and is the Italian firm’s first completely new model since the 8C supercar. The new Alfa Romeo Mi.To will wade into battle against the new Ford Fiesta and the Mini Cooper when it launches in June. The three-door Alfa Mi.To is expected to share the same base as the Fiat Grande Punto, measuring 1.4 metres tall and four metres in length. Alfa Romeo has equipped the Mi.To with three different driver settings controlling the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox. ‘All-Weather’ provides the best grip in difficult driving conditions, ‘Normal’ is the best setup for town driving, while ‘Dynamic’ changes the Alfa Mi.To into a more sporting drive. Alfa will launch the Mi.To with a range of four engines with power outputs ranging from 90bhp to 155bhp, and the engine line-up will later be extended by “even higher power ratings.” Prices have not yet been announced, but expect the all new Alfa Romeo Mi.To to compete with the class-leading Ford Fiesta and Mini Cooper. ____________________ Alfa Mito voted coolest affordable car 12 April 2009 by Keith Collantine Alfa Romeo’s stylish Mito has been voted the best car for the ordinary driver by Auto Trader readers. The Mito has ranked highly in our regular ‘Cool-o-meter’ polls over the past month, beaten only by the Aston Martin V12 Vantage – a 190mph supercar with a six-figure price tag. Another Italian car holds third place – the hot Fiat Abarth 500. Surprisingly the Mini Convertible appears in the bottom three – along with the Honda Insight and Citroen C2. Here’s the list of cars rated on the Cool-o-meter so far and their ratings out of ten: 1. Aston Martin V12 Vantage - 8.378 2. Alfa Romeo Mito - 8.045 3. Fiat Abarth 500 - 7.896 4. Mercedes CLS - 7.787 5. Gumpert Apollo - 7.623 6. Volkswagen Golf GTi - 7.418 7. Renault Twingo - 7.414 8. Volvo C30 - 7.194 9. Mazda MX-5 - 7.174 10. Kia Soul - 6.947 11. Audi A3 - 6.849 12. Shelby SSC Ultimate Aero TT - 6.616 13. Ford Fiesta - 6.455 14. Ford Ka - 5.995 15. Skoda Superb - 5.92 16. Mini Convertible - 5.881 17. Honda Insight - 5.402 18. Citroen C2 - 5.313

[flintlock]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Drop a horse and an ant off a 3 story building and see if "mass wins".

Efficient dissipation of kinetic energy wins.

.

A better analogy for car crashes would be, "have an ant and a horse collide". Now who wins?

[flintlock]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

They've come a long way from those cars you recall your parents owning. BTW, the car I had that torched (this was back in 1994) was 13 years old at the time, so it was actually a 1981. I just bought it as an old beater and when I discovered how much I'd save with the methane conversion I had it converted.

The Italians really know how to design bodies don't they? They make boring cars look good.


__________________

Here's what Alfa Romeo is building these days.
NEWS CENTRE


Yellow fever: Alfa 8C makes us unwell It might work for Lamborghini and Seat but yellow most definitely doesn’t suit the Alfa 8C, arguably the world’s most beautiful car.


Alfa Mito voted coolest affordable car The Alfa Mito is the coolest car you can buy without spending crazy money, say Auto Trader readers. Rate the coolest cars on sale now.
Video


Geneva 2009: Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA revealed The Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA should become Britain's most powerful production supermini with 240bhp, when it goes on sale.


Essen 2008: Ferrari F430-inspired Alfa MiTo This is the one-off Marangoni Alfa MiTo M430 – a tuned version of the new Italian supermini on display at the Essen Motor Show in Germany.


Go ahead for UK’s largest Alfa Romeo dealership Benfield, the North East's largest independent motor group has announced it will open Britain’s largest Alfa Romeo dealership.


Alfa advert 'misleading' An advert for an Alfa Romeo 147 has been labelled as 'misleading' by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).


Alfa MiTo takes on Mini at UK Motor Show The Alfa Romeo MiTo will take on the Mini when it goes on sale next year – and it’s making its entrance at the British Motor Show.
Video


Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf announced Alfa Romeo has announced a new flagship GT model called the Alfa Romeo GT Cloverleaf, which goes on sale in July.


Prodrive's Alfa Romeo Brera S Alfa Romeo has revealed a limited-edition Brera S, which has been tuned by specialist engineering firm Prodrive for British roads.


Special edition Alfa Brera S: Full details announced The first images of a special edition Alfa Brera S built in conjunction with motorsport team Prodrive have been released with prices starting from £24,950.


Latest pics of Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini Want a supermini which looks like a supercar? Alfa Romeo has released hot new pics of the new Mi.To supermini parked next to its 8C supercar sibling.


Limited edition hardcore Alfa Brera S announced Alfa Romeo has teamed up with British motorsport specialist Prodrive to build a limited edition hardcore version of the stunning Brera Coupe.


Alfa Romeo Mi.To blows its top These computer-generated images show how an open-top version of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini could look.


Top Gear to become live 'theatre experience' BBC motoring programme Top Gear is to be turned into a live 'theatre experience' and will travel across 15 countries over the next 18 months.


Hot new Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini - first pics This is the hot new Alfa Mi.To – the company’s sexy new supermini wading into battle against the Mini Cooper and new Ford Fiesta.


Refined: the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider Alfa Romeo has made extensive changes to its Brera and Spider models, to improve comfort levels.


Mouth-watering Alfa Romeo 8C Spider The gorgeous 180mph Alfa Romeo 8C Spider will makes its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.


Limited edition Alfa Romeo 147 Collezione Alfa Romeo has sported up its 147 with a limited edition Collezione model for 2008.


Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione for sale An Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, one of the year’s sexiest and rarest cars is for sale on Auto Trader.


Alfa announce racy 147 The Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse is a spicy new addition to the 147 line-up, on sale here in limited numbers from April 2008.


New Alfa Romeo 'Furiosa' Alfa Romeo has announced the winner of its naming competition – the new model will be called ‘Furiosa’.


Name the new Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo is offering the chance for YOU to name its next hatchback - read the full story now.

Alfa Romeo sales finally on the up Alfa Romeo is promising a clutch of new models that will help it double its UK sales in just two years.


Alfa Junior to break cover in June Motorists are expected to get their first look at Alfa Romeo's Mini rival at next March's Geneva motor show.


Renault and Alfa Romeo recalls Renault and Alfa Romeo are recalling cars over problems with the braking systems.


Sexy new Alfa Romeo goes on sale Alfa Romeo’s latest convertible is on sale in the UK and Auto Trader has the official pictures of the Pininfarina-styled motor.


Video news: Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo's all-new Brera coupe has just gone on sale in UK showrooms, Take a good look at the car in our latest video news bite.


Alfa 159 estate prices released Alfa Romeo's new 159 Sportwagon estate is now available to order and is available in two trim levels and with a choice of five engines.


Prices released for Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo's new Brera coupe goes on sale in the UK from April 8, with prices starting at £22,000 and rising to £29,850.


Prices released for Alfa Romeo 159
Alfa 159 gets five-star safety Alfa Romeo's all-new 159 executive car has gained five stars for adult occupants in its Euro NCAP tests.


Alfa Romeo puts 159 on show A handsome new compact executive is on the way from Alfa Romeo.


Alfa unleashes faster coupe The new Alfa Romeo Brera will supersede the discontinued GTV coupe in the UK in early 2006.


Alfa Spider selling out Just 80 Alfa Romeo Spider convertibles are still available to buy new in the UK, following the end of production of the current two-seater.


Alfa retunes suspension for UK Alfa Romeo is to build bespoke suspension set-ups to better equip its cars for life on the UK's potholed roads.


New face for Alfa Romeo 166 Face-lifted versions of Alfa Romeo's 166 executive car will make their world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.


More macho look for Alfa 156 Alfa Romeo's revised and restyled 156 goes on sale on September 1 with additional trim levels and more engine options.


New look for Alfa 156 range This is the first sight of Alfa Romeo's new-look 156 saloon and Sportwagon estate, on sale this September.


Alfa plans new performance range Alfa Romeo is preparing a new breed of high-performance four-wheel-drive cars to sit above its hot GTA range.


Drive an Alfa for free Surrey-based Alfa Romeo dealers, Bishops of Guildford are to host a free ?Ride & Drive Experience? on Monday 9th June at nearby Horsley Towers.


Five-year warranty on new Alfas Alfa Romeo is offering a five-year warranty with every new 147 hatchback, 156 saloon and 156 estate bought before the end of March.


Cut-price Alfa 147 launched Alfa Romeo has launched a new entry-level version of the 147 small family car, priced at £13,350.


Alfa coupe to undercut BMW rival Alfa Romeo's new GT Coupe will cost from £20,995 when it goes on sale April 1.


We'll beat Germans on quality, says Alfa Alfa Romeo is promising to beat the German prestige brands for quality and customer service - and will use the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Index to gauge its progress.


Renaults and Alfas recalled More than 9500 Renault Modus superminis have been recalled, as well as nearly 900 Alfa Romeos from the 147 hatchback and 166 executive car ranges.


Alfa GT Coupe undercuts BMW Alfa Romeo's new GT coupe is now on sale in the UK, with lower prices and higher equipment levels than the rival BMW 3-series Coupe.


Sharper 166 arrives in April A revised version of Alfa's 166 saloon arrives in April with four models in the range. It has a choice of three petrol engines, starting with the existing 2-litre.


Face-lifted 147 keeps prices down Alfa Romeo's face-lifted 147 hatchback will cost the same as the outgoing model when it arrives in UK dealers next spring.


Alfa plans ownership package Alfa Romeo is plotting a new ownership package that covers all servicing costs and pan-European breakdown assistance for up to five years or 100,000 miles.

______________________________________

AND LOOK WHAT THEY FIELD AT THE LOW, LOW END, TO "COMPETE" WITH THE FORD FIESTA (THE ALFA MINI IS IN THE SAME PRICE BRACKET AS A FORD FIESTA! :

Latest pics of Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini

The Alfa Romeo Mi.To shares design cues with the £110,000 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione 13 May 2008 by Vijay Pattni Fancy a supermini which looks like a £110,000 Italian supercar? You’ll want the Alfa Romeo Mi.To. Alfa Romeo has released a hot new gallery of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To supermini parked next to its Alfa Romeo 8C supercar sibling. The new Alfa Romeo Mi.To – the hot new supermini set to rival the Ford Fiesta – is said to share design cues with its big brother, the £110,000 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. View more images of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To and Alfa Romeo 8C The Mi.To was officially announced in March this year and is the Italian firm’s first completely new model since the 8C supercar. The new Alfa Romeo Mi.To will wade into battle against the new Ford Fiesta and the Mini Cooper when it launches in June. The three-door Alfa Mi.To is expected to share the same base as the Fiat Grande Punto, measuring 1.4 metres tall and four metres in length. Alfa Romeo has equipped the Mi.To with three different driver settings controlling the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox. ‘All-Weather’ provides the best grip in difficult driving conditions, ‘Normal’ is the best setup for town driving, while ‘Dynamic’ changes the Alfa Mi.To into a more sporting drive. Alfa will launch the Mi.To with a range of four engines with power outputs ranging from 90bhp to 155bhp, and the engine line-up will later be extended by “even higher power ratings.” Prices have not yet been announced, but expect the all new Alfa Romeo Mi.To to compete with the class-leading Ford Fiesta and Mini Cooper. ____________________ Alfa Mito voted coolest affordable car 12 April 2009 by Keith Collantine Alfa Romeo’s stylish Mito has been voted the best car for the ordinary driver by Auto Trader readers. The Mito has ranked highly in our regular ‘Cool-o-meter’ polls over the past month, beaten only by the Aston Martin V12 Vantage – a 190mph supercar with a six-figure price tag. Another Italian car holds third place – the hot Fiat Abarth 500. Surprisingly the Mini Convertible appears in the bottom three – along with the Honda Insight and Citroen C2. Here’s the list of cars rated on the Cool-o-meter so far and their ratings out of ten: 1. Aston Martin V12 Vantage - 8.378 2. Alfa Romeo Mito - 8.045 3. Fiat Abarth 500 - 7.896 4. Mercedes CLS - 7.787 5. Gumpert Apollo - 7.623 6. Volkswagen Golf GTi - 7.418 7. Renault Twingo - 7.414 8. Volvo C30 - 7.194 9. Mazda MX-5 - 7.174 10. Kia Soul - 6.947 11. Audi A3 - 6.849 12. Shelby SSC Ultimate Aero TT - 6.616 13. Ford Fiesta - 6.455 14. Ford Ka - 5.995 15. Skoda Superb - 5.92 16. Mini Convertible - 5.881 17. Honda Insight - 5.402 18. Citroen C2 - 5.313

The Italians really know how to design bodies don't they? They make boring cars look good.

[flintlock]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

And just in case someone has a crackpot theory they'd like to take public, an index and scoring methodology have already been developed. My personal favorite: 30 points for claiming that your theories were developed by an extraterrestrial civilization (without good evidence).

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/crackpot.html

Lets see, 1, 2 , 4, 5, 13, 24, 26, 37.

congratulations Lukester, you win!!!!

It was a close race with some others on here until you got that 50 pointer at the end.



I keed, I keed.

[SuitablyIronic]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

No, my problem is that I intensely dislike other people trying to tell me what my problem is. Let me guess, do you work for government, or aspire to do so?

I don't "need" a car that's just small enough to carry four people. I need a car that can also do so safely. In a world with plenty of fast-moving cars and trucks on the road, in the event of an accident, mass wins. It's as simple as that.

So you're saying that everyone should move to driving trucks, regardless of the fuel efficiency? Oh, wait, we already said that 10 years ago.

Hooray for us, fuck the future!

[Guest]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Sharky - you are just being reactive. American's energy footprint vastly outstrips everyone else's. Ditto all the OECD nations energy footprints per capita vastly outstrip the rest of the planet (the majority, per capita). That's it. No more story. Nothing to get reactive about. The required response, is the response which promptly and without much fuss, proceeds to rationalise energy usage across the planet going forward, after 50 - 100 years of this gaping energy usage disparity. There ain't gonna be enough left to humor your reactive irritation at the prospect.

With all respect, the world is saying: "screw your safety - we have larger and more critical requirements in our near future". And we most certainly will.

No, my problem is that I intensely dislike other people trying to tell me what my problem is. Let me guess, do you work for government, or aspire to do so?

I don't "need" a car that's just small enough to carry four people. I need a car that can also do so safely. In a world with plenty of fast-moving cars and trucks on the road, in the event of an accident, mass wins. It's as simple as that.

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Lukester, you make good points. The safety thing is an old red herring. If we follow the argument, it becomes a crazy arms race on the road, with everyone trying to drive the biggest thing -where does it end? Dump trucks? Locomotives? Ocean liners? I suggest we slap a hefty annual tax penalty on oversized vehicles to discourage the safety problem and the pollution, and pass a law tha makes it contributory negligence when you kill Yaris drivers with your Tahoe. If you really want to drive a Hummer, you can pay extra mister big shot, and risk jail time if you hurt someone. Us rational folks will drive modest little cars and be safe (except when the amateur truck drivers are near). On the whole, auto safety will be fine when the fleet gets downsized.

By the way, you can double your per-capita fuel economy by putting two people in the car. In the US we drive one person per vehicle almost exclusively, with little public transit and that's a huge factor our energy footprint.

[Guest]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Hear hear!

Lukester, you make good points. The safety thing is an old red herring. If we follow the argument, it becomes a crazy arms race on the road, with everyone trying to drive the biggest thing -where does it end? Dump trucks? Locomotives? Ocean liners? I suggest we slap a hefty annual tax penalty on oversized vehicles to discourage the safety problem and the pollution, and pass a law tha makes it contributory negligence when you kill Yaris drivers with your Tahoe. If you really want to drive a Hummer, you can pay extra mister big shot, and risk jail time if you hurt someone. Us rational folks will drive modest little cars and be safe (except when the amateur truck drivers are near). On the whole, auto safety will be fine when the fleet gets downsized.

By the way, you can double your per-capita fuel economy by putting two people in the car. In the US we drive one person per vehicle almost exclusively, with little public transit and that's a huge factor our energy footprint.

[metalman]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Hear hear!

goddamn commies!

it's my right!



big, bigger... dang...

[GRG55]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

IMHO, this is a scam. In our business there was a company in LA called DBK Solar that claimed to produce 3000 watts from a very standard looking solar panel. They had testimonials and several pages of 'scientific proof' but anyone in the business knew that a ~1 meter solar panel could not produce more than about 200 watts. They are now 'rebuilding' their site.

This will turn out the same. Take a quick Google review of this company.

Count me in with the sceptics...:p

Since this ties in with EJ's alt energy bubble thesis, I thought this would be an appropriate forum to post this. On the surface, this could be seriously disruptive technology.

Theory is that they take advantage of ultra-high compression ratios running E85 fuel. No details yet (patent). They're actually in production as of yesterday...

Every first-year mechanical engineering student knows that the single most important factor determining the efficiency of an Otto-cycle or Diesel engine is compression ratio. The idea that someone has suddenly "discovered" this fact and is producing engines with four times the efficiency of anyone else by increasing the compression ratio is patently absurd.

In addition, the very best current generation Otto-cycle engines in service today can convert well over 20% of the heat energy contained in the gasoline into mechanical energy.

[GRG55]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

big, bigger... dang...

F= ma wins again...

[metalman]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Every first-year mechanical engineering student knows that the single most important factor determining the efficiency of an Otto-cycle or Diesel engine is compression ratio. The idea that someone has suddenly "discovered" this fact and is producing engines with four times the efficiency of anyone else by increasing the compression ratio is patently absurd.

[santafe2]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Lukester, you make good points. The safety thing is an old red herring. If we follow the argument, it becomes a crazy arms race on the road, with everyone trying to drive the biggest thing -where does it end? Dump trucks? Locomotives? Ocean liners? I suggest we slap a hefty annual tax penalty on oversized vehicles to discourage the safety problem and the pollution, and pass a law tha makes it contributory negligence when you kill Yaris drivers with your Tahoe. If you really want to drive a Hummer, you can pay extra mister big shot, and risk jail time if you hurt someone. Us rational folks will drive modest little cars and be safe (except when the amateur truck drivers are near). On the whole, auto safety will be fine when the fleet gets downsized.

Watch out thrifty, Starving is working up a screed the likes of which you haven't seen since you were 9 and went in the water before waiting the prescribed 45 minutes.... Steel yourself.

I can't do him justice but since you're new here, I'll give you a preview:

You dope smoking, la la land, pot head, eco-frauds are all incapable of a clear thought. Why don't you drive a car powered by solar powered bull***t and just hope you're not on the same road with a real man driving a 10 ton nuclear powered battering ram. Hell, my "Government is bull***t" bumper sticker has more mass and more meaning than every eco-nut idea you've ever had. Did I mention that lettuce costs too much and you eco-terrorist, feminist whiners are to blame?! Don't get me started.

Like I said, I can't riff like the master but you get the idea...

[metalman]

Re: 400hp, 500ft/lbs...and 110+ MPG?!

Watch out thrifty, Starving is working up a screed the likes of which you haven't seen since you were 9 and went in the water before waiting the prescribed 45 minutes.... Steel yourself.

I can't do him justice but since you're new here, I'll give you a preview:

You dope smoking, la la land, pot head, eco-frauds are all incapable of a clear thought. Why don't you drive a car powered by solar powered bull***t and just hope you're not on the same road with a real man driving a 10 ton nuclear powered battering ram. Hell, my "Government is bull***t" bumper sticker has more mass and more meaning than every eco-nut idea you've ever had. Did I mention that lettuce costs too much and you eco-terrorsts are to blame?! Don't get me started.

Like I said, I can't riff like the master but you get the idea...