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

[BRIGANDBAR (BRIGANDBAR]

In a message dated 10/14/2007 12:59:33 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  Britt2Asa 
writes:

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.



Brit:
 
You and I are in firm agreement on the expanded use of diesels. Both of my  
large trucks , the F-350 & the Excursion are diesels as they are operated in  
profit making ventures, the business and the ranch and the alternative V-10 @ 8 
 mpg was not a viable alternative. I wish the U.S. Governments EPA would just 
 step out of the picture and allow us some of the really efficient, and great 
to  own automobile diesels. Unfortunately, by the time many of them get here 
they  have been so modified that their mpg benefits are minimized. I don't 
know for  sure, but I don't think that BMW is available in the U.S. The other 
problem we  face is that, unlike the rest of the world, our national 
distributors 
of BMW,  MB, etc. insist that we only see their cars as super-luxury models 
and withhold  some of the best of their diesels, as well as many models 
available in the rest  of the world in alternative trim versions. MBUSA would 
never 
even consider  importing something like the 240D's that were used universally 
in Europe and the  rest of the world as taxicabs, nor would they import trucks 
like the Unimog for  fear that MB  be discovered as a manufacturer of 
practical , utilitarian  vehicles as well as the luxury models that they insist 
we buy 
with all sorts of  options such as sunroofs, etc. They even only order their 
available G-Class  vehicles with those sunroofs despite the fact that with 
some rugged off-road or  primitive road driving they never work correctly again 
and cannot be made to  stop leaking. But then again, since many of them never 
even have the 4wd  mechanisms engaged by the soccer moms who drive them to the 
mall that probably  isn't a frequent warranty repair issue (maybe a point in 
favor of your original  theorem).
 
I guess I just hate government interference in my choice of automobiles (as  
well as a lot of other things if the truth be known), and the way that they  
regulate my conduct, e.g. I can ride a motorcycle without a helmet but I can't  
drive my car without wearing a seat belt. Darwin tells me that if I want to  
drive without a seat belt mankind will advance by one small contribution to 
the  diminution of the gene pool hence they are defeating the entire purpose of 
 
evolutionary advancement. I have a colleague that thinks that perhaps we 
could  advance mankind by legalizing currently illicit drugs such as heroin and 
 
methamphetamine, but I don't think I'd go quite that far despite the fact that  
other than the increase of the crime rate by addicts seeking funds by 
committing  crimes, which could be self-resolving in a republic with lawfully 
armed 
citizens  who elect to exercise their right to keep and bear arms in their 
defense I have  little to argue with his hypothesis.
 
As for being "off-topic", I don't have a problem with off-topic discussions  
on the list, in fact I'm in favor of them until they begin to endlessly 
dominate  the content and SJ does an excellent job of intervening at that 
point. 
Ferrari's  are just one part of our lives though owning and driving one 
provides  
much insight into who we are so why not permit, within reason, other 
expressions  of who we are as well. Even Maranello tells us that owning a 
Ferrari is a 
 "lifestyle", not just automobile ownership so in fact any such discussion 
may by  some be defined as not "off-topic". Additionally, it is intellectually  
stimulating to hear the views of other folks who also own one of the great 
cars,  which is though, an example of excess and hardly the poster child for 
earth and  resource-friendly consumption. And it broadens perspectives in that 
many times  folks from other continents lack an understanding of events and 
customs  elswhere.
 
Dr. Steve  

1964 Rolls  Royce Silver Cloud III 1975 Pontiac GV Conv.
1980 MB 450SL 1982 RR  Corniche
1985 MB 280 GE G-Wagen 1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
1990 Cadillac  "Eagle" Hearse 1994 F-350 Powerstroke 4x4 
1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder 1996  Bronco
2000 Lincoln Town Car 2004 Excursion
+ Audrey's 2x  MB's


Dr. Stephen B. Spies, CES, CFI
Director,  Forensic Sciences Laboratory
Explosives Engineering  Technologies

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