Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Not So "Smart" Car (was Tulsa Event)

[Britt2Asa (Britt2Asa]

If you  like those silly little cars, want to drive a motorcycle as your   
daily driver rain, sleet or snow included, surrender our civilization's  
means of  
advancement through the "First World" countries by  voluntarily falling 
victim 
to  the Kioto (sp?) Accords (Treaty?) and  surrendering the hard-earned 
rights 
of  these countries (Brit, yours  is included here) to produce carbon 
byproducts to  sustain their  quality of life that is okay with me as long as 
you don't 
try and   push off your hypotheses and goals on me. Go ahead and enjoy saving 
 
those  dollars, petroleum reserves, etc., for future consumers, and  of 
course 
for those  "stupid" folks such as myself. Personally, I  have hope for the 
future of the  civilized world, and its continued  scientific advancement, so 
I want 
to leave  some challenges for those  who come after us. Heck, if I don't they 
will spend  their days idly  driving around the country in their 348's, MB 
G-Wagons,  Excursions,  private aircraft and who knows what else that we 
developed 
for   ourselves but declined to use them due to their consumption of 
resources,  
all of  which belong to future generations.

Dr. Steve   


Now now, Dr Steve, I hope I never would refer to a Dr as stupid although I  
may feel the idea that to not buy a type of car based on the "what if" fear  
factor is not a well though tout plan. My point was the Smart is an interesting 
 
little car and it is stupid, in my humble opinion, to worry about what might  
happen to you driving it when none of us on this list choose our modes of  
transport based on safety so why start on the Smart Car?
 
Global warming or not from a strictly economic point (and believe me for  
most of us burning petrol is burning money when you are just commuting) small  
cars have a lot of benefits as daily runarounds. Where you live perhaps not,  
where my parents live in Florida and their daily drive/commute is 8 miles  
roundtrip maybe it makes a heck of a lot more sense. 
 
BTW I last drove a Smart (first generation) 7 years ago and I hated it! It  
was very difficult to drive because it had a stupid semi-auto gear box that was 
 a real pain to use, however I believe they have replaced it now wit a 
different  gearbox. Also, here in the UK they are not cheap and you et get a 
number 
of  small cars for the same price. Neat little design though which was my 
point and  the owners seem to like them.

 
For real economy get a modern German diesel. My BMW 3.0 is fantastic and  
does 44mpg. The new Audi 2.0 diesel is really good as well. VW does some good  
engines.
 
If god forbid big US cities try the Congestion charging like  London has you 
may see a lot MORE small cars. The proposal from Feb 2008 is that  the charge 
to drive into London (which is basically anything within the M25  including 
Heathrow, will cost £25.00 or 50 US Dollars A DAY unless it is a small  
economical environmentally friendly engine in which case it will be free. Next  
time 
you fly into Heathrow and wonder why it costs a fortune to get into the  city 
here is your answer.
 
Funnily enough many automakers are rushing out cars that will be  "congestion 
charging free" including Volvo  (C30), VW (golf/polo/lupo) Audi  (A3) Smart, 
and BMW plus Mini, Toyota, Honda, ect ect.
 
Whether global warming is a fact or fiction either way Technology is the  
only thing that will get us out of this (in my opinion) and I for one and happy 
 
that BMW has invested in the technology to make such great diesel engines; I 
am  happy every time I goto the pump. Compared to my Audi A8 V8 the 3.0 BMW is  
faster and gets 50% better miles. Who can argue with that.
 
Sorry btw for the lack of Ferrari contenet, I hate doing this and never do  
normally (as you may have noticed) so that's the last I will say on the  
subject!
 
 
Britt
BR in the  UK
1986 328GTS (LHD 89,940km) Died August 19, 2006 Shrewsbury UK
1980 400i  (RHD 72,000 miles)
Searching for the right 512TR
2003 BMW 530d
1991  Alfa Spider S4