Youtube comments of (@appelpower1).
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This is all painfully true. Every year, the UN publishes its Human Development Report. In it is enclosed the Human Development Index (HDI), an index that determines how developed a country is through GDP per capita (corrected with Purchasing Power Parities), illiteracy, life expectancy and level of education. In this index, the US ranks eighth, roughly the same as Canada and Germany. However, the UN also calculates an inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI). On this list, the US drops to 27th place, roughly equal to Poland, Lithuania and the economically plagued Greece. This is the biggest drop of all developed countries.
The 2010 report stated that the HDI is merely an indication of potential human development, and the IHDI is the actual level of human development.
In other words, income inequality in the US is an issue. A big one.
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***** Alright, here goes. Sorted by which car they're an alternative to:
Fiesta:
Mazda2: much more modern, an interior that isn't godawful to look at and operate, brilliant engines, best handling in class.
Renault Clio: more timeless design, more convenient dash, just as good to drive.
Polo and Corsa:
Citroen C3: very fun, with its quirky design. By far the most comfortable car in its class, quite spacious and very light, very reasonably priced.
Hyundai i20: much more classy than either the Polo or the Corsa, both of which are doomed to chav territory over time. It has a touch of Audi in its design, reasonably priced kit, a cabin that's classy, convenient and atmospheric and great reliability.
Suzuki Baleno: just as dull, but the handling puts it in Fiesta range. Very light, very cheap given equipment levels, very spacious, naturally reliable.
Fiat Tipo: the hatchback is about the same price as a VW Polo, but it's one size bigger and a very, very good, if fairly basic car.
And the almighty Dacia: people who drive Polos tend to not give a damn about cars. Why not sacrifice some refinement and huggable plastics (in what is still a perfectly fine car) and save a few bob?
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I normally hate it when people complain about the quality (360p at best) on these Youtube clips, but I agree here. A video as astonishingly, breathtakingly beautiful as this, deserves to be shown at the highest quality available, even if that goes against all the commercial interests of the BBC. This is why Top Gear can't work without Jezza, even if Chris Evans turns out to be a good presenter. The cinematography is beautiful, the background music provides an atmosphere that matches the gorgeous views, car and V12 soundtrack and Jeremy talks it all together with a short, but striking and touching commentary. To this day, this is one of my favourite Top Gear clips. It's completely different from the humorous 'ambitious but rubbish' films they normally do, but it pulls it off well. In that regard, only the Alfa 8C Disco Volante film (also presented by Clarkson) comes close. He is different from other motoring journalists in that he would never judge a car by its boot size, its fuel economy, or the build quality, ergonomical properties and soft materials of a dash. He judges a car by how it looks, and sounds, and makes you feel. In that, he and his co-presenters are unique, I genuinely, dearly hope they can continue that properly on their new show on Amazon Prime. Although I am confident they will.
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Eight IV The Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo, S-Max, C-Max, B-Max, Ka, Tourneo and Transit are all European cars with an American name.
Oh, and besides, Fiats are decent. Alfas are rationally terrible, but they have soul (I know, a cliché, but it's true).
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+TruthSeeker Calm down, you. You shouldn't be comparing an estate to a sports car. The charm of this car lies in the fact that, despite having all the practicality you need if you have three children or less, is very fast, fast enough to keep up with many sports cars. It's not the most exciting car to drive, or the sharpest, but it's a car that combines estate practicality with sports car speed. It's an Autobahn stormer, not a track monster. The mere fact that you are comparing it to a sports car says enough, in my opinion.
The previous RS6 had a second charming point: the fact that it looked almost exactly like a 2.0 TDI, yet carried a 580 bhp 5.2 litre biturbo V10. Needless to say, the thing was a rocket. A really heavy one that wasn't all that good in the corners, but even then, it was very, very fast, and nobody saw it coming. It's what they call a 'sleeper'. Sadly, the new one has too many spoilers, diffusors, exhausts and so forth on it.
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Firemarioflower I was about to agree to disagree, but then you started with this 'real man' bollocks again. Please, for crying out loud, stop that. Why do you feel such a pressuring need to prove your manhood?
Decent is, in fact, right about in the middle between 'stuck-up' and 'caveman'. Decent is a very neutral word. For instance, a Toyota Corolla is a 'decent' car: it's good enough, but it doesn't excel. It's not terrible, nor is it brilliant.
How can you decide what sort of women we like, especially since I just said differently? I prefer them somewhere between the two extremes.
Now, regarding your other comment:
He's referring to the Photoshopped pictures she puts online. She may be pretty in those (and that's where the whole self-esteem thing comes in), but they're not an accurate representation of the real thing.
They show all sides? Oh, just like proper journalism, then. Can you really blame them for not wanting to be as one-sided as propaganda?
The whole Kardashian circus is appalling. These people have no talent whatsoever, they can't do anything. All their fame comes from a reality TV show about their lives, in which they have accomplished nothing impressive.
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Nik Brudar I've looked at the possibility of buying an Alfa Romeo as my first car, but sadly no good options were available. The GTV is too unreliable and the 147 and 156 aren't special enough (they are, after all, a hatchback and a saloon). The 75, one of the last 'true' Alfas, is surprisingly expensive these days. I've seen a restoration project Giulia from 1975 for 2 grand, but I'm a completely inept mechanic so I wouldn't be able to do that. Alas, it's not like an MX-5 is a punishment.
No, I think the car you're referring to is the 'Shanghuan S-CEO HBJ6474Y' (had to look that up), which indeed starred on Top Gear. This is Qoros: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qoros There's pictures on this Wikipedia page.
It does, as illogical as it may sound. Sometimes, unreliability makes a car more...exciting, somehow. More... human.
True... sadly.
Well, an MX-5 is hardly thirsty too, but as a poor student, I can't really afford to rev it all the time. I'd be shocked at your engine sound? Why so?
Yup, ricers are a horrible part of car culture. At least tuners do something productive alongside adding too many tacky accessories.
Sounds like a great car! It comes to life past 4000 rpm? But where's the redline, then?
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Firemarioflower A car usually wears a 'premium' badge because that badge at some point in history was applied to outstandingly good cars. However, not all brands deserve their premium status. Until the release of the Giulia, Alfa Romeo was one of them. Audi is still one of them: in the end, they're VW's that use slightly more posh materials.
Your reasoning alone qualifies you as a badg snob. 'And now you petulant trolls somehow think that a Mazda is just as good?' In other words, you think a Mazda can't be as good as an Audi, because it's a Mazda... a classic example of badge snobbery.
Plenty of analogue things? Such as? Also, nobody recommends the manual because it's hardly a pleasure to use. Meanwhile, everyone praises the Mazda's interior.
Wait, so now it lacks torque and isn't as responsive? The former is a negative by-effect of NA engines, the latter applies to turbo engines more than anything. What happened to 'turbos suck if used for fuel economy'?
The advantages you name are only noticeable for nitpickers, you need to actively pay attention to notice. Is that worth a price difference that buys you a secondary hobby car, for example your beloved classics (or multiple nice holidays for non-petrolheads)?
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***** That flamewar, though. Anyway, crossovers are rubbish. Sure, they look nice, but do you really want to sacrifice handling, fuel economy, speed, running costs and even practicality (compared to an estate), yet pay much more, just because it looks slightly better?
The X1 and Q3 are just the worst examples, alongside the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.
Firemarioflower Regardless of whether the X3 has a soul or not, it's incredibly uncomfortable and very, very ugly, yet more expensive and less practical than the equivalent 5-Series, which has even better handling.
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If given the choice of which one to use on a track day, I'd blindly choose the Porsche. But given the choice of buying one? The Aston. Preferably the regular V12, or even the V8; the fewer spoilers, diffusers, inlets and what not more it has, the better the Vantage looks. It's an elegant design, and should not be ruined by putting flaps everywhere. Apart from that, the Aston is better looking, more spacious and better to live with every day.
This is a matter of taste, though; I've never been a 911 fan. I see them too often, they're not special enough for me.
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***** What old Top Gear had that nothing else has these days.
'Aimed at teenagers'? I prefer to say it is aimed at a very, very wide audience. My mum drives a 2002 Toyota Corolla with little care for anything, and she likes Top Gear. My brother is incapable of driving in the first place for medical reasons and has no interest in cars either, but even he likes Top Gear. I'm a petrolhead, and I too like TG. In fact, I think the show is a blessing to petrolhead culture, given how many people it inspired to become a car enthusiast (me included).
Nothing wrong with a bit of controversial humour. The BBC would disagree, but they're a monument of PC culture. The Argentina incident was most likely an unfortunate set of circumstances, with the conflict provoked by over-interpretation of supposed cryptic messages by the Argentinian attackers.
Fair enough, but the mockery didn't mean his disapproval of those cars. He likes most of the Alfas he ridiculed. It was more in the nature of the new show to mock cars, although that didn't stop them from doing a great job at praising some (the masterpieces being the aforementioned V12 Vantage review, the Pagani Huayra review and the Alfa Disco Volante review).
I say 'sacked' because I don't want to have to specify the whole process in detail every time.
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Musicman4HIM7 Didn't I mention how massive V8 engines have 200 bhp or less? V8's make a great noise, sure, but unless they actually provide some power, you're better off with a straight-four or a V6.
Saying 'getting 28 mpg on a motorway in a large car like that is not too bad', is like saying 'The T-Ford isn't a bad car, so why bother to innovate beyond that'. And about that Civic or Prius nonsense; any C6 or S-Class (with the exception of AMG versions) laughs at the fuel consumption of a typical huge Cadillac.
Recently, US cars have become better. For instance, the new Mustang, Viper and Corvette are good, and they aren't just fast in a straight line anymore. Those, however, are all sports cars. Their normal everyday cars just can't compete with high-quality products like the VW Passat, Merc C-Class, Ford Mondeo or Skoda Superb.
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Firemarioflower Horses aren't a thing of the past, are they? Nobody uses horses for practical means anymore, because in the early 20th century, cars came along and outclassed them entirely. However, every weekend, thousands of people enjoy going to the countryside with their horse, because they like it. I feel that the same is going to happen with petrol cars. The more utilitarian spectrum of the automotive world will move to electric, hydrogen and other alternative drivetrains, but hobby cars for enthusiasts will always be around, and nobody will stop you from enjoying your petrol car in your free time.
Oh, and:
1) You are not the authority to decide whether opinions are right. Nobody is, in fact, it's called 'freedom of speech', a fundamental right of every developed country in the world.
2) The laws of nature are completely different from the type of car someone likes. One defines the behaviour of every single object in the universe, the other decides what hobby an individual has.
3) So far, you're a minority here, so you definitely don't speak for 'the people'.
And do I love eco-cars? No, I don't. There are eco-cars that I like, but not because they're eco-friendly, but for other reasons, such as the torque delivery and drag racing prowess of a 700 bhp Tesla.
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Dyflinn Golf R. Like MrThePrivateer said, more practical, cheaper to insure, cheaper to run, better interior, discrete sleeper exterior, more stable at high speeds, etc.
This time, however, it's faster, much faster. And more stable too.
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Rohit lad Poor reliability, including absolutely atrocious electrics on GTE hybrids, maintenance-heavy DSGs, TSI engines needing a new timing chain belt every five seconds and wasting more oil than the US military and of course the diesel fraud say otherwise. Dull, uneventful handling and unoriginal design are salt in the wounds. The Skoda/Seat/VW/Audi spectrum is hopelessly miscalibrated, with the cars becoming more unpractical and unreliable as we look further up VAG's supposed internal food chain. Audis exist solely to charge more for Skodas, VWs ride on reputation, Seat is stuck between sporty ambitions and dull underpinnings and Skodas are great cars hampered by unreliable VW tech. Adding insult to injury, the definitive worst car in the world is a VW, specifically the Polo Bluemotion diesel.
It appears that VW's engineering prowess ran out after the legendary but fairly irrelevant Veyron, the brilliant but woefully unsuccessful Pheaton and the undeniably good but monstrously ugly Bentayga.
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Nik Brudar Which would you like to test drive, the 159 or the Giulia? Or both?
If you sent me out with 10 grand to get a family car, I'd come home with a 159. And I can be picky: 200 bhp engine, a young one, leather seats, satnav, preferably a sunshine roof. Mind you, if I only had 8 grand I'd buy a flat-six Subaru Legacy estate with 245 bhp.
The 301? That's a 208 saloon, right? Peugeot makes brilliant cars these days. I once had a ride in the 308 diesel of the father of a friend of mine. The car had a 1,6 HDi 120 bhp engine. However, if you'd told me it had twice that, I'd have believed you. My god, it was fast, I could feel the torque even on the rear seats. It was like riding on gusts of wind, lovely. And the interior is great as well, not nearly as much of a disaster ergonomically as motoring journalists tell you. Plus, it stirred my love for sunshine roofs.
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Nik Brudar True, but the regular radio unit is a black block of plastic (with beautiful round buttons, mind you). Personally, I'd have the satnav, though that's a matter of taste.
Maybe they would sell quite well, although saloons aren't very popular here: we prefer hatchbacks.
True, though for everyday driving, I can imagine a diesel being quite pleasant. The Mazda6 is very light, though, for its size. Still heavier than the 308, but only by about 150 kg.
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Nik Brudar True, the 159 in alu trim looks terrific. The other one I linked you to, with the black leather, did have the alu finish, but the wrong leather colour.
Estates are even more popular than hatchbacks (Peugeots 308 and Renaults Clio are mostly sold as estates here) here, but saloons are very rare. That's unfortunate, because I really like the look of some saloons, such as the new Superb or the Mercedes E-Class.
Excessive vibration should not be a problem: the VW Polo SlowMotion sold in massive numbers here, with its rattly 3-cylinder diesel. Dreadful little car, but it's very cheap in taxes and running costs.
Really? Personally, I doubt that: a Volvo V70 D3 (150 bhp, 300 kg heavier) doesn't feel much slower than that Mazda6.
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Nik Brudar True, actually. Maybe they won't pair very well together. I'd say, judge for yourself:
http://www.autotrader.nl/auto/alfa-romeo-159/2006/groningen/72cl6/alfa-romeo-159-sportwagon-32-v6-jts-q4-navigatie-l/?zoekopdracht=alfa-romeo-159%7Copties-bevat-leren-bekleding%7Csorteer-op-bouwjaar-en-month
This one is a bit too heavy and uses too much fuel (although the power output is amazing), but it's got the combination I was looking for.
I like the way the Superb Combi looks and I'd say it's the better choice, but I still prefer the gorgeous Superb saloon (technically, it's a hatchback, but it looks like a saloon) looks-wise. The E-Class estate looks to lumpy and big in my opinion, whereas the saloon has a classic and elegant shape.
I do. Any Polo besides the GTI (which still fails miserably to stand out or compete in its segment), but the BlueMotion takes the overbaked cake.
Yeah, I can understand that. Comfy cars should be smooth, not rattly. I guess you can't have both on such a cheap car? Although the mother of a friend of mine owns a 20-year-old Opel Corsa 1.2 16V. You'd be surprised at how refined, torquey and comfortable that car is.
Well, corners and such are a massive difference, but I doubt you can feel a big difference when accelerating, at least in a diesel. Mind you, the MX-5 that I aim to buy focuses heavily on weight, but with so little torque and such good handling, that is to be expected. Same with your Colt, really. How much does yours weigh?
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Nik Brudar Well, it's not a bad car, but 1,7 tonnes is a lot for a car of that size. I wonder if it affects the handling. While it has AWD, the weight distribution is still terrible with a heavy engine like that. Still, I'd rather have AWD than FWD, which all modern Alfas up to the 4C have (with the obvious exception of the 8C).
The rear window lifts up alongside the bootlid. That makes it a door, apparently. I don't really see why, but for some reason it does, and 5-doors are hatchbacks or estates.
Fair enough. I do have some first-hand experience: I once had a ride in a Polo BlueMotion. Horrible.
True. I'm also amazed at how good of a car my mum's Toyota Corolla 1.6 (2002) is. It's extremely reliable and well-built, it's well-equipped, spacious, reasonably fast, surprisingly sporty and even somewhat pretty. It's easily the best car she's ever had. Not that a Renault 5 and a Nissan Sunny (1989) are very stiff competition, but still.
Weight is never good, but I can't imagine it being that much different?
Well, the MX-5 is hardly uncomfortable and not slow at all, but it's not really at home on the motorway. It has 116 bhp, which is a lot for such a light car, but it's short on torque and not awfully well-isolated. Makes me wonder, though, what engine does your Colt have?
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Nik Brudar Alfas have been FWD for a while now, though they are still among the best handling cars in their class. The Giulia marks a rebirth of Alfa: it'll be RWD again. Plus, the style of the thing should indeed be enough, I guess?
I call the Superb and Octavia hatchback 'saloon' as well. Honestly, this hatch/saloon combination has the best of both worlds: the elegant looks of a saloon with most of the practicality of a hatchback. I rather like it.
That's true. It's at least better than the tinfoil rubbish made by the Chinese five years ago.
Don't get me wrong, I rather like the Renault 5, but I doubt it can hold a candle to the Corolla my mum has now. It doesn't even feel boring.
Fair enough. What I've said so far is based solely on passenger seat experiences, not actual driving experience.
It will probably feel slow, but then again there's something very satisfying about revving a torqueless, naturally apsirated engine all the way up. 95 bhp is quite good. What's the 0-60 time, 10,5 seconds?
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Nik Brudar Oftentimes, my preferred secondhand pick in a certain price range is an Alfa. Unless you're looking for a 15k hatchback: I'd have a Lancia Delta over an Alfa Giulietta. Mind you, the Alfa is still my no. 2 pick. They say you're not a proper petrolhead if you've never had an Alfa, but I'm pretty sure I'll live up to that in a few years' time.
Ssangyong is Korean. They're the polar opposite of the fast-growing Kia and Hyundai. Apparently, there is a Chinese brand that's actually quite good: Qoros. It's a shame they are only being sold in China and... Slovakia (why Slovakia? I have no idea).
Well, with 20 years separating the Renault and the Toyota, it's quite hard to judge indeed. I'd say the 5 is more fun, but also less reliable.
Indeed. My dad tends to be a rather calm and tranquil driver. I'm not so sure about that friend's dad, however.
True, cold engines must never be revved. It ruins your fuel consumption too, though I'd say the fun is worth it. Plus, it sounds good. The MX-5 came with a sportier exhaust as standard: the sound is quite good, and not nearly as fake as the double cannons mounted by ricers.
10,5? Exactly? Nice! I can imagine it feeling very nippy. What's the suspension like?
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Nik Brudar I'm pretty sure you're right. Alfas are too much of a hassle to keep up anyway, at least for an a-technical teenager like me.
The Roewe and that other thing? Oh right, the Trumpchi. They were decent at best. Personally, I find Qoroses to look a bit like VWs, just prettier. But then again, so do Dacias in my opinion...
That, but mostly the fact that every journey is an adventure, with real risk involved. Plus, an unreliable car feels as faulty and moody as an actual human being. Maybe that's why Alfas have 'soul' and 'personality'? :)
I'm planning on taking my theory driving exams in a few months. Then, it'll be hard work (and sacrificing both my birthday and my final exam presents) so I can afford actual driving lessons. I should be able to begin in less than half a year, I suspect. Then, two or three months later, I think I'd be able to make it. However, I won't be 18 (and thus legal to drive without guidance) until June 2017, which is 16 months away...
Some sporty cars have tiny engines with really pleasant sounds to them. Most are hot hatches, but the Colt is a sort of 'junior hot hatch': it has all the traits of a hot hatch, but it's not as powerful, fast or expensive as one. Others include classics and indeed the MX-5.
Real tuners are great, especially the ones who leave the cars in original shape. I like cars in their original state, which is one of the things that makes buying a car on a small budget difficult for me.
6700 is quite good: most everyday cars rev to 6000 at best. Yup, there's nothing as satisfying as a cleanly taken corner. I've driven go-karts on some occasions, and it feels extremely good to precisely get a corner right, with the subtle movement of the steering wheel and everything. That's why cars need accurate and communicative steering.
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Nik Brudar Indeed. The MX-5 is better to learn how to drive in.
Me neither. However, I wouldn't mind something from near the Mediterranean Sea :)
Heh, that's the great thing about light and simple cars: you can drive like a maniac and it will feel fast, but you won't be breaking any speed limits. Sometimes, a lack of refinement is simply fun.
True, I've been doing lots and lots of research, watching reviews and especially watching POV videos. I can't wait, which is frustrating to some degree, actually.
CZT! That's what the fast version of the Colt was called! I knew it started with 'CZ'. Either way, it indeed has 150 bhp. Honestly, I wouldn't mind having one, but prices start at 5 grand here, I can't afford that. Either way, it'll be a much faster and torque-ier than the already fun standard car. After all, it is turbocharged.
True, subtle touches can improve a car. For instance, this Peugeot 406 Coupé (a car that doesn't take modifications well) has subtle aftermarket alloys and red brake callipers, and it does wonders for its presence without being tacky: http://www.autotrader.nl/auto/peugeot-406/2001/haarlem/6v7m3/peugeot-406-coupe-20i-climate-leer/?zoekopdracht=peugeot-406%7Ccarrosserie--coupe%7Ctransmissie--handgeschakeld%7Copties-bevat-leren-bekleding%7Csorteer-op-prijsvolgorde-en-prijs
Maybe you are biased, but an assertive four-pot with a relatively subtle sports exhaust sounds great. Incidentally, an MX-5 has that :)
True, it's where I learned not to brake in the corners, or you'll lock up and fly straight forward. Instead, you can keep pushing it, since lifting off makes a car(t) unstable.
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Nik Brudar That's why I'm aiming for a pre-1993 1.6 MX-5. It has 116 bhp, which is less than 120 :) After 1993 the 1.6 had 90 bhp for some reason, and while the MX-5 was never about speed, I find that a little too measly for a sports car.
Nope, me neither. I'd like a Mediterranean car, or one from near the North Sea (British. Or Dutch, if you include Spyker)
That's why a Suzuki Alto is surprisingly good fun. Mind you, it's only fun to drive and not much fun to own, and since part of the excitement for me comes from the ownership part, I'd never have an Alto, but I can see why people like it.
I've been like this since I was 7, when I got several old Top Gear Magazines from a friend of my brother's. The Bugatti Veyron in the 2005 Awards issue probably stirred my love of cars. Coincidentally, he was a massive Mitsubishi fan, and had cut out all the Mitsu pictures, presumably to make them into a poster. The Colt CZT was one of them, which is how I know the car. And yes, the CZ3 looks so much better than the five-door. Do you have the model with the Evo X nose or the older one?
(see how I smoothly merged two paragraphs into one? :)
Oh, I like that. Looks assertive without resembling a shouting 10-year-old (which is what small cars become if they're over-modified). The alloys look really good too.
So do I ;)
I have, although my experience comes entirely from written and spoken reports and on-camera demonstrations (Top Gear :D). Also, every vehicle I've ever driven (go-kart, BMW 130i, Aston V8 Vantage, bicycle. I think I've told you about the BMW and Aston, right? Or do I need to explain how that's possible?) was rear-wheel-drive. Does a car's behaviour when locking up depend on which wheels are driven?
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Nik Brudar Colts (or, again, MX-5s) aren't really very good at driving faster than the motorway speed limits, so we shouldn't really try. Either way, the one thing I would really like to be able to claim is that my first car were able to do 0-60 in less than 10 seconds. The 90 bhp model does it in 10,6, the 116 bhp model does it in 8,8. In other words, I really would like the 116 bhp model.
I quite like the ST1. I would never buy one, but I like it existing. I like most British brands (Jag <3), and McLaren is no exception. Between it and Ferrari: if I were given the opportunity to take one of them for a drive, I'd take the Ferrari. However, I'd buy the McLaren.
It excels at making you that funny, eccentric bloke at a track day. No joke, I once read about someone who used an Alto as his track day car...
Well, I haven't been seriously considering my options until I was 15, but I've wanted a car since I was 7. To be frank, I like the nose of the newer generation, but not on the Colt. It doesn't fit well. On the Colt, I prefer the older nose. On the Lancer, however, I love the way it looks.
True. It's easy on the eyes, very simple with just enough appendages to prevent it from being bland. Modern-day cars tend to be a bit over-designed. Especially modern Mercs suffer from this.
I've never really been a fan of Porsches, though I really like the Boxster, Cayman and 918 Spyder. Personally, I'd want the Cayman GTS: it's a more original choice and according to motoring journalists, it drives even better than the 911. My dream drive is a bit more ambitious: the Veyron, due to the aforementioned magazine. But I wouldn't mind a more 'humble' pick :)
Heh, it was one of the best days of my life, even though I was officially not allowed to go faster than 60 kph (and I didn't go faster than 90, or 110 on the long straight). Mind you, I wasn't allowed to rev hard enough to really feel the RWD traits, because most kids don't know what to do. I do, I've had power oversteer with a go-cart before and I didn't crash :D
I suppose it varies because of the weight distribution that comes with RWD, FWD or AWD?
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Nik Brudar Wobbliness when passing lorries is something the MX-5 won't suffer from, given its low stature. Mind you, that would make it even more terrifying. 197 is very fast for a sub-100-bhp car. The 116 bhp Mazda does 195, after all. I can imagine overtaking something in it would either take a while or simply a few downshifts. Is your Colt torquey?
Well, they have the F-Type (which I adore), but it'll never be as legendary as the E-Type (which I also adore). Personally, I'd drive the Ferrari for being more spectacular, but I can imagine the comfortable and well-thought-out (no silly steering wheel indicator buttons) McLaren would be easier to live with...
True, the lack of worries make racing an Alto so much fun. Although I would personally blame the driver in a crash: the car can only do 150 kph and it's a featherweight.
True, and the new one has a rather ugly back end, with unappealing tail lights.
I really like the C-, E- and S-Class (despite the 'Audi-syndrome', as you mentioned), but not for their looks. If I had to choose one of them based on aesthetics, I'd have the E. The C has a really odd short arse, while the S is a bit... pompous. The E strikes the balance perfectly in my opinion.
Well, this is where my inner rebel kicks in: I tend to dislike popular things. Porsches are dominant in their class and they're the obvious pick, which is why I'd have something else. Out of those, I'd probably drive the Mégane, although I'd prefer a slightly more ambitious Type-R or Focus RS. And yes, maybe the Veyron will stop me being so lazy :)
The Aston is now my 60 grand second-hand supercar of choice. I've fallen in love with it since I drove it. By the way, I was given the choice of driving a Gallardo, an F430, a 911 Carrera or the Vantage. This is also where my rebel side kicked in; I picked the least popular choice. Plus, I really like Britain.
Well, I feel like I do have some of the required instincts for handling a car, but the overall picture (entering a corner at the correct speed...) is still too raw. However, go-carts are indeed very forgiving. I've found that it doesn't really matter at what speed you go through a corner: most of the time it can be done flat-out.
I am naturally inclined to not start accelerating until the last 25% of a corner, so I guess I'm fit for a RWD car then... how convenient! (I feel like I'm over-referencing the MX-5 in these comments)
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Nik Brudar I'm pretty sure it will still be a bit wobbly at high speeds, but its not as vulnerable to wind influences because it's low.
I like the SVR, but the spoiler on the back kind of ruins the lovely design of the F-Type Coupé. Personally, I'd have the regular R. As for Ferrari: I forgot for a second that they made those. Though compared to the mid-engined Fezza's, the McLarens are more comfortable with a better thought-out interior.
True, especially crashing an E30 would stir an outrage of anger.
True, and the E has a more appealing front end, although the difference is minimal. However, I still prefer the classic, elegant design of the previous E.
They do look too ricey, I agree. For a more anonymous choice, I'd drive the Mégane RS.
Well, that and it's actually my favourite, tied with the Gallardo. But from there, it was a matter of which is the least predictable choice.
I can imagine myself being an extremely careful driver in the first few months, because I wouldn't want to damage either of my parents' cars or (once I have one) 'my' MX-5. You've had it for exactly a year now? Nice! I can imagine it being an extremely reliable car...
True, actually. I learnt that from the Reasonably Priced Car segments on Top Gear. Mind you, I can only do spectacular (but rather slow) laps. I'm a bit of a Pastor Maldonado while go-carting, though I'm not as prone to crashing.
I can imagine it being satisfying, but since I'm currently a cyclist, so I can barely do that. Incidentally, my bike is RWD too, but that's not why I can't.
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Nik Brudar True, but it doesn't seem very Jag-ish. Or maybe I'm very conservative on the subject of cars.
It looks quite good, but the layout is a mess. There's too many buttons on the steering wheel, you have to choose between a speedometer and satnav and the indicators aren't stalks behind the steering wheel, but buttons on the wheel, which moves about. The McLaren's interior just does what it needs to do, no silliness. I do agree that leather looks better than alcantara, though I'm pretty sure you can have a leather McLaren interior.
You did mention that. I think I've already mentioned how I prefer the E36 and E92, but that's a matter of taste. Should I be proud or ashamed of knowing those letter-number codes?
True, and I prefer te 5-Series' nose (I really like the F10's design), but the E has a good-looking nose nonetheless. Also, the bonnet is quite long. I like long bonnets, which is also why I love the AMG GT, F-Type and (here we go again) MX-5.
Indeed. Arguably, the Gofl R competes for that title (the RS3 doesn't, sadly), but I'd prefer the Mégane myself. However, I'd rather to drive the Golf on a daily basis.
Lambos are great cars driven by horrible people. BMWs used to have that problem as well (they still do a bit, but the cocks really have moved to Audi). An argument for choosing the Gallardo would be sheer speed, but overall I prefer the classy V8 Vantage (long bonnets <3).
True. And this morning, I was glad I don't have a car yet: I was on my bike when a car backed into me at 15 kph. I almost fell to the floor, but was able to block my fall with my legs. Don't worry about it, I'm fine (it was a Suzuki Alto, they don't weigh anything), but I'm glad I wasn't in a car, because, well, damage.
Indeed. Mind you, I personally think a bonkers lap is more fun, but it's hardly efficient.
Well, the wait will be bearable, I guess? And in the meantime, I can pretend my bike is a car. I can even differ between imitating a revvy engine or a torquey one.
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Nik Brudar Indeed, they're the pinnacle of British class and elegance. It's the one thing excusing their objective inferiority to German or Japanese cars (although the difference is less prevalent nowadays).
You've never seen a full-leather McLaren interior before? http://autocontentexp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/McLaren-650S69.jpg Now you have ;)
Well, I have a tendency to remember numbers unnecessarily well, so I guess that's why. Personally, I like the simple, lightweight design of the E36, not to mention the driver-focused dashboard. Mind you, it's going through its 'ricer yobbo' phase now, which is why I wouldn't buy one. To me, the E46 just looks a bit... fat. Well, not fat, but bulbous. I think I touched on this before, however. I have changed my mind a bit: I really like the way the rear end slopes into the boot.
Yes, that's the most appealing feature of an E-Type. I love the S90; I still don't really like the back end, but you get used to it. I'd wait for the V90 if I could buy one, however.
Mercs still have a bit of arrogance over them, but they do generate more sympathy than the other two. Though I suspect that's mainly because everyone thinks they're for old people (and they are, to some degree). The Gallardo is indeed the most simple and pretty. I'd like to own an LP-550-2 Balboni one day: it's RWD and an indication of good taste (by taking it over the regular one).
Well, I guess you at least have insurance? But of course, they can be a complete arse and drive away. These people were very nice and genuinely sorry, though. But next time, they ought to be more careful.
At some point near the end of a run, I tend to get all focused and post a few decent lap times, though most of the time I drive like a maniac.
When riding upwind, it feels extremely fast. Sadly, I only have three gears. I wish I had five or seven, now I have to pretend a single bike gear is two car gears.
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Nik Brudar 'I concur' is as classy and British as, well, Jaguar :)
I wouldn't say it's dull by regular standards, but I agree that it's a bit dull on the inside by supercar standards. Though frankly, I wouldn't want to spend too much time focusing on the interior while driving a supercar. Of course, the relative lack of drama is an argument to take the Ferrari instead.
I can see where you're coming from with that. It's the same problem most 1980's cars have: it's too angular and dated. Plus, like I said, it's undergoing its ricer period now. I suppose it'll get better over time, however. Personally, I'd say the E92 is the most aggressive one, but then again that one's my favourite of the bunch.
Because I can't recall the last time I saw a facelifted Colt (they're surprisingly rare here), you might very well be right about the picture thing.
That's very true. BMWs are more for hot-shot businessmen who gained large salaries at a young age. It's more nouveau riche. As always, Audi is positioned in the middle between the other German premiums. Personally, I don't really like Audis. They're elegant and solid, but also very boring and cursed with VW technology.
The Balboni is the only Lambo I'd have over any of its competitors, even if it's quite rare and thus relatively expensive. By the way, I'm really glad they made a RWD Huracán, because it fits the car so much better. Plus, the new front splitter looks much sharper, much more dramatic.
The people who ran me down were very nice people (but rubbish drivers): they immediately got out, asked me if I was okay and pulled my bike's front rack straight. I even had to convince them of the fact that I didn't have time to come inside and have a drink, because I had to get to school in time. Great people (although they couldn't drive away in the first place, unless they were to run me over rather than down).
True, I tried a bike without a gearbox ('box' seems like the wrong word...) once, and I hated it. Mind you, seven gears, like my mother's bike, is too much. Also, a small correction to my earlier comment: I meant riding downwind, not upwind. Upwind is when the wind tries to blow you backwards. Downwind is the opposite.
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Nik Brudar I can see what you mean. Usually, I'd have the most passionate choice in a choice of cars, but because supercars are already dramatic and spectacular by themselves, I'd go for the more rational choice there. But indeed, that's just a matter of taste.
True, the E36 is very pretty from the back. An E46 M3 GTS is very agressive, with all the flaps and diffusers and what have you. It's a fan favourite, right? Though wasn't it very rare?
True, actually, recently I have noticed a very large amount of Alfa 159's, much more than you'd think. And to be honest, the Colt is not the sort of car that you remember seeing (although I'm pretty sure this conversation will have made me more aware of them).
Heh, I do use the phrase 'mind you' a lot.
True. For me, the best combination would be BMW driving technology, Audi looks (with more individuality in them) and interior and Merc gizmos and interior proportions. Mind you (tee hee), I'd have neither of the German Three, because I compulsively want to drive something different, but that's just me, I suppose?
Indeed. Lambos, by heritage, are bonkers, so you need the most bonkers one. Why haven't they made a RWD Aventador? I'd love that.
Italians are incompetent drivers, but somehow it's charming if they do it. And maybe I'm biased, but the French driving ineptitude is extremely annoying. They too don't care, plus they can't park, but for some reason I just can't get over it when they do it.
It does. 'They' mainly refers to the 30-year-old (blonde, and that matters according to the stereotype) woman behind the wheel. I'm still not sure whether that other person was in the car or waving goodbye as she departed.
Awful, not to mention primitive. But seven gears have you constantly going through them, not knowing which gear you're in. Granted, she has a bike that requires you to change a lot, because of the rubbish 'driving' position.
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Nik Brudar It is. Though I despise the average Dutch car buyer. Today, I passed by a rather large parking lot, and I suddenly realised that none of the cars there are in any way exciting or interesting. I know people tend to be boring like that, but I always feel we Dutchies take the cake...
I do know that its recently announced successor, the M4 GTS, will have a limited production run of 700, prompting me to think the M3 will have that as well.
True. And I doubt I'd notice a Ford Mondeo as much as I do now if my father didn't have one.
I concur (see? I'm adopting your vocabulary as well).
I wouldn't mind BMW looks. As for a Merc interior: I'd only like the S-Class and E-Class interiors, as I don't like the stuck-on tablet of the C- and A-Class. The M6 Gran Coupé is quite possibly my favourite car in its class, although I also really like the Mercedes CLS63 S AMG Shooting Brake (what a mouth full).
True. So is the P1, however, and that didn't stop McLaren from making it. I really hope Lamborghini will make one. At least the Murciélago didn't need RWD to be truly bonkers.
Indeed. I do, however, think that the French are more arrogant than the Italians, though maybe I'm biased.
Well, she was a perfect example of that.
They are. Have you ever noticed that older muscle cars have fast acceleration times and a low top speed? For instance, a Mustang GT from around 2000 does 0-60 in roughly 6,5 seconds, but it can barely do more than 200 kph. That's what my mum's bike feels like: fast on the acceleration, but you can't go very fast. That's not a problem in a car, but it is on a bike, as bikes (bicycles, that is) don't have speed limits.
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Nik Brudar Most cars here have hardly any equipment at all. So tiny alloys, white/grey/silver/black non-metallic paint, no leather seats, no sunroof, nothing. Just satnav and phone connectivity, because they need it for their job.
I don't like it either. It's too ricey, plus it's incredibly expensive for what it is. I mean yes, it beat the Giulia QV around the 'Ring, but with two fewer doors, nearly twice the price and a less understated look, that speed comes at a cost.
Nope, as surprisingly rare as Mondeos may be here. Interestingly, I think I'd be able to appreciate the Mondeo 2.5T more if my dad didn't have one: now it's just a given, something that doesn't wow me anymore.
Oh, 'I consent' is lovely. It's the sort of word that I know the meaning of (roughly, that is), but that I somehow never end up using.
It's a bit pompous, but spectacular nonetheless. I like lights. The Panamera is a car that has always failed to appeal to me. I'm sure it's a good car, but I don't like the way it looks, plus it's not all that spacious, not very comfortable, full of gizmos or in any way highly impressive, and it's very expensive. It's also fast, however.
I like the look of both CLS's equally, but the saloon is outclassed by the BMW 6 GC. The Shooting Brake at least has a niche in its practicality. The names are a relief, it used to be so complicated!
Heh, that's where I got it from as well. I started out as a 918 Spyder fan, but after a rather unimpressive start, I'm moving slightly towards the LaFerrari camp. Mind you, I'd still have a Huayra over either. That's where my alternative nature jumps in.
I think most Europeans would agree on that. Well, except for the French, of course.
Heh :D
72? That's terrifying! I do remember doing 40-50 kph downwind once, enabling me to keep up with all the cars. That was fun, if slightly frightening.
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Nik Brudar Indeed, at least your Colt has the wheels and flaps to make it stand out, without becoming utterly tasteless in the process.
Now you've made me jealous of everyone who owns a Giulia Spint. At some point in the future, I will want to buy a classic car, and it's becoming more and more clear that it'll be an Alfa Romeo. That, or perhaps a Citroen SM.
True, especially if something has been a given since my childhood. I find nothing special about our house even though several extensions have made it rather spacious. Similarly, I find getting media for free is nothing special, because I've been able to do that since I was young.
It does. Obviously, I often refrain from using vocabulary like this, but I know I can do it here. However, holding back is sometimes a bit difficult. In a few weeks, I will be volunteering for 'language village' at my school: basically, the first graders have to perform various tasks around a set up 'village', and do everything in English. I've done it before once, but at least then the conversations were entirely set up. It looks like I'll be the doctor's office this time, and they have to do loose conversation. All British slang is now out of the question.
I guess that's why they're full of autonomous driving tech ;) My judgement on the Panamera, on a technical level, is entirely based on other people's reviews. More superficial statements, such as looks, are based on my personal preferences.
I can understand that. I'd have the saloon over the shooting brake if I don't have children in this hypothetical future, but then I'd have a full coupé so that makes it rather outclassed in my book.
True, plus I needed to get used to the looks of the LaFerrari (I love it now, though, typically Italian), plus I had to get over the interior. I can be a bit of an interior nut sometimes. As for the Paganis, I think I'd have a Zonda over a Huayra, but then again I doubt the Zonda will be in the same price class as the Huauwuauwaa (I still haven't figured out the pronunciation). I'm sure they'll rise in value extremely quickly.
That's often the case, unfortunately. It does hinder effective functionality of the EU.
'rapturous' I didn't know that one. Beautiful!
50 is quite fast. What we don't have in hills is made up for with wind. Like hills ('slopes' is apparently racist), that can be a good thing or a bad thing.
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Nik Brudar Heh, I like the sound of that :) But yeah, a car like that is just really fun, provided you give it enough individuality (without descending into 'yobbo-hood').
Looks great, I subbed! Great camera work, Top Gear style, a British (Scottish, that is) presenter and good quality videos (despite the Fifty Shades of Grey intro to the Merc C63 S AMG review.
True, though I've found that living without those things for a while makes you appreciate them more. That's why I love going camping (on a campsite, mind you).
Thank you, very flattering :) However, I wouldn't call my English 'perfect': I often make small mistakes, since I tend to skip the grammar and spelling bits of learning English (doing them largely by feel) and go straight for the fancy bits. I did turn on British spell-check, however, so that helps a bit. You'd be surprised how much you can learn from spell-check. As for the event: it's a great idea, but I remember having to participate in it as one of the students and it was terrifying. Maybe they should do it a bit later on, when everyone is older.
Also, I had to look 'convivial' up. I love how you bring uncommon words into the conversation sometimes :D
The FF replacement? The GTC4Lusso (or whatever its name was)? Yes, I love it! Exterior, interior, it's great. New cars tend to have complicated designs, but this one doesn't. It's Italians showing their design prowess, I love it.
That's very true. However, I'd buy the five-door most of the time in case of a hatchback because, well, my parents have had 4/5-door cars for as long as I can remember. But some hatchbacks (Mégane, Astra GTC, Citroen C4, Pro-underscore-cee-apostrophe-D) look much better with fewer doors.
They'll be one of those unique classics, like the Ferrari 250 GTO or the Bugatti Royale. Those are worth a fortune. The 760RS is a post-production one-off of the Zonda (Pagani still can't wave it goodbye: understandable), and it does quite embody the character of the Zonda. Not very complicated, but completely bonkers.
They do. They demanded the EU seated in Strasbourg. When Brussels was chosen, they managed to force the EU to stay in Strasbourg for a week every month. Moving all that costs millions a year, just because they're, well, arrogant. It's really frustrating.
No problem :)
As a Dutchman, no landscape appeals to me more than a mountainous one. Indeed, you only appreciate something if you don't have it.
Oh, and don't worry, I don't mind reading it in two sections.
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Nik Brudar Well, you can always go too far :) Besides, my walls are already filled with old posters.
Harris is great. Oh, and don't forget Car Throttle, I love that channel.
Very much. Also, not using your phone is great, it allows you to appreciate your surroundings and enables you to enjoy things more intensely. I'm honestly glad my phone is, well, utterly useless.
Well, I can be a perfectionist too, driven by my OCD-light (as I like to call it), but I'm mostly the sort of person who thinks it's more important for the entire picture to be brilliant, than for all the details to be good. I guess that's why I like British, Italian and French cars ;) 'Sporadically' I actually knew, because it's a fairly well-known word in Dutch.
Plus, it has a long bonnet. Like I said, I'm a sucker for long bonnets. As for the interior: it's great, even if they still haven't fixed the indicator button fiasco.
Indeed, and frankly, he's right. It's just a desperate attempt to make a boring (although otherwise quite good) hatchback seem young and lively. It's just marketing bollocks. Besides, writing out the punctuation is really funny, at least in my opinion.
I really, really like the E-Type, but they're extremely expensive. Same with the Merc. Obviously, rare old 911's and the 250 GTO are simply out of this world, as is the Zonda 760RS. On a more affordable level, I really like the Jensen Interceptor, if only because it has quite possibly the best name ever put on a car. Either that or 'Triumph Spitfire'.
I can see why, say, a Veyron is road-legal, but some cars (ahem Koenigsegg) just need special licenses to prevent over-paid footballers from ruining them.
Indeed. At least Italians aren't ashamed of their corrupt reputation, but the French apparently won't admit their arrogance.
Most definitely. Damn, I want to go see some mountains now.
I'm pretty sure I've done that as well sometimes, so don't worry.
P.S. I've made it through a reply without saying 'mind you'. Mind you, I just did it, but that was merely a quote. Oh, wait...
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Nik Brudar One of them is a Saab poster. No wonder: I really like Saab.
They are. I'm guessing you're a BMW fan? Also, I think you're referring to the video where Alex owns an E36, right?
And a little piece of advice if you didn't know it yet: if you don't like seeing two angry Germans smashing up their M6 (I most definitely didn't), don't watch the 'Near misses that will make you flinch video', particularly the end.
Wait, so you're saying you're typing this all on your phone or tablet? Typing a 10-word text message takes me a minute because I mistype everything, plus I compulsively have to get the spelling right. I can't imagine how people type so quickly on phones...
And then I see you mentioned misspelling. What a coincidence :) There's nothing wrong with 'now and then', but other words are simply... better. Or at least nicer.
It does. I can imagine it being a very, very long car, though.
It was funny in an 'ambitious but rubbish' sort of way :) And they won't pass you if you have a Proceed GT. I'd quite like one of those, to be honest. Second Kia I'd genuinely want, after the new Sorento.
Indeed! Apparently, it's actually quite rubbish objectively, but it's very nice so who cares? Plus, it's a classic car, those don't need to be reliable.
Those seem like the exact sort of demands I'd ask. Well, maybe cut down on the driving experience claim (so 10 years) and make the skills weigh in more. Plus, an exemption for racing car drivers (18-year-old Verstappen :D)
That is a painfully spot-on statement by Jennifer.
I've driven through Switzerland before, and it was gorgeous. If the prices weren't so ridiculous and the government so hostile to cars, I'd quite like to live there.
Thank you :)
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Nik Brudar I sometimes do too, but then I see one and I really want one. If I were for one reason or the other unable to get an MX-5, I'd have either a Peugeot 406 Coupé or an old Saab, that's how much I like them.
True, but Audi drivers are apparently the cocks now. Or at least, in Britain. The Dutch are for some reason VW Group loyalists: our police mainly drives a Touran diesel. Pathetic. Oh, and by 'smashing', I mean with hammers and stuff.
Wait, so you can't really type on a regular keyboard? Either way, it takes me about 5 minutes at a decent, ten-fingered pace. Then again, I'm capable of coming up with English sentences at nearly the same speed as Dutch sentences (as opposed to knowing all the grammar rules and such, which is what school wants). Anyway, does English take you longer because of Slovenian auto-correct or simply because it's not your native language?
Intermittently? I've never heard it before, but I like it. For more common use, I tend to say 'occasionally'.
5 metres? That's a lot. Mind you, I've spent half my car-aware childhood in the back of a 4,9 metre Mondeo, so I'm quite used to long cars, but even still that's a lot for something with the body type of a hatchback (technically, it's a shooting brake).
Asians still know how to make reliable cars. Germans have largely forgotten. Unfortunately, Dutch car buyers (and I can imagine the rest of Europe) haven't realised that. Either way, I wouldn't mind a ProCeed GT. Still, I, being me, would have a brand new MX-5.
Well, if I were to daily it, I'd care. But driving a classic car every day is silly, unless you count a 26-year-old MX-5 as a classic car.
I doubt footballers will pass the car control tests, so it filters out them without eliminating younger, skilled petrolheads. And indeed, we just need a seat pillow and extended pedals, and off they go :D
Not really tourists (few countries are hostile to tourists, even North Korea has tours for foreigners), but immigrants? Definitely. And their car policy is one of massive taxes.
Yay!
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Nik Brudar Probably, since Saab is rather stubborn and goes its own way.
Really? I find Mercs to be luxurious boats for old people. Audis are somewhere between BMWs and Mercs as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and at least those cars are fast-ish. Especially an Octavia vRS :D
Fair enough. I'm arguably quite fluent, but even I struggle at times. There are holes in my English, particularly in school-related vocabulary. Oh, and don't worry: your replies are always interesting to read :)
It is, but any such accusations (that includes 'nerd', for instance), merely stems from jealousy. I know that makes me sound quite arrogant, but what I mean is that you shouldn't let that stop you, unless your audience (that seems a rather unfit word here) can't comprehend what you're saying.
It is. And that enormous length shows on the back seats, which are the second-most spacious in its class, behind only the Skoda Superb (obviously). Also, even the saloon has a large boot, plus there's plenty of space for that lovely 2.5T five-cylinder engine under the bonnet <3
The 124 is great, although I had to get used to the front end initially. The rear resembles a Maserati GranCabrio (one of my dream cars), though, that always helps. Especially the tail lights are similar. However, I think I'd still have an MX-5 because, like I said, I'm me.
You'd be surprised at how expensive NA (first gen) MX-5s are. They're still quite affordable, but for the price of a decent NB (second gen), you can only get a ruined NA, at least here. They are slowly rising in price again. Then again, because most of the technology underneath is from old Mazda hatchbacks, the only thing you have to watch out for when dailying one is rust, particularly underneath the doors.
I can imagine that. Mind you, (he did it again!) the same applies to Polish immigrants here, but then again they are often truly bad drivers. That has nothing to do with their nationality, so much as the fact that oftentimes, they were at the bottom of the social ladder even in Poland.
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Nik Brudar Thank you :) Well, it's true, I would be quite a Saab-man. Well, except I'll never be an architect (I can't draw and know nothing about when a building will collapse) or a dentist (every potential patient will thank me for that).
You're right. On some cars, such as the A-Class, it works, but some cars, such as the C-Class, look a bit pompous with modern Merc styling. Audis are rather boring design-wise, but at least consistent.
True, but then again you can't see how long it took someone to write a comment on the internet. In real life, I suppose it'd be noticeable. As for 'school-related words', I mean classes, subject names, tests, projects, that sort of thing.
Indeed. Sometimes, criticism can be a compliment. That's why I will never feel bad if someone says my car is too large, too expensive or a penis extension. In The Netherlands, that means the person making the statement regrets not having the courage to buy a car they actually want, rather than need.
Well, I tend to value the way a car makes me feel. Sounds unusual for someone without a driving license, but even from the passenger seat, a car can be experienced. That includes the soothing serenity of a Volvo V70, the car that is soon to replace the Mondeo.
The front does quite come down to taste. Personally, I prefer the MX-5's front, and the anti-downsize engines. That's another reason why I'd have the Mazda, but I wouldn't mind a 124 either.
Yeah, it's a common issue. On my way to school, there's always a white NA MX-5 (likely a cheap one) and it too rusts quite badly. It's one of the things to look out for, the other being aftermarket, 'racy' items. Not just massive spoilers, but also aftermarket steering wheels and light-shade tail lights. That often indicates bad treatment of the car.
Indeed. Unless it's immigrants in France driving much better ;)
No, but seriously, that would be a really peculiar form of racism, and an even more objectionable one at that.
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Nik Brudar To be honest, I stole that from Top Gear. But, oh well.
Indeed, I love the return of Alfa. Don't believe all the talk about it going roughly: apparently, there are Italian Alfa dealerships with Giulia QVs in its showrooms. You can already order on and the first cars will be ready in March/April.
That's probably true, but even I can struggle occasionally. And I'm glad I'm not the only one whose vocabulary is limited in that area.
Indeed! You should never criticise someone for their choice of car. That's not to say I never do - I tend to argue with X6 owners and anyone with a typical Dutch company car - but one should refrain from doing so.
Indeed. Depreciation, gizmos, excessive safety on top of what is necessary, fuel economy, Wi-Fi connectivity: all that is irrelevant compared to the smile that you get from a nice car, even if (or especially if) it has none of those traits, unlike the competition. In the first place, a car should be able to do what it is bought for, but after that, it should be able to make you smile. That's what matters the most.
Oh, I too have become somewhat of a Volvo aficionado. They're big and boxy, and hardly spectacular, but they're also extremely luxurious, practical, comfortable and yet fast, with those lovely five-cylinder engines. Also, a 'Volvo-man' is quite possible the best type of person in the world: friendly, reasonable, kind, harmless yet assertive when necessary, and never boring. Saab-men are the same, but they have a sense of elitism over them (I know I'm insulting myself now, but I don't mind).
Yeah. Maybe I should become a motoring journalist. Would you say I have the writing skills for that?
Indeed, only hot hatches and old BMWs are a more common victim of this. I really, really dislike cars ruined by ricers, so I'll steer clear of ruined MX-5s. Sadly, that does limit my options.
Racism against the French is completely acceptable. They're the butt of all jokes. That they can't accept that (unlike the Belgians) is their problem. The racism I was referring to was against Polish drivers :)
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Nik Brudar That's true, sometimes lying is quite necessary. Oh well, most people know those stereotypes anyway.
Well, they've put in a lot of effort, so they've taken care of things properly. Or at least, I hope so. After all, they're still Italian. But, I do like some Italian chaos, so I don't really mind. The consumers will not agree with that, unfortunately. Oh, and I couldn't find a release date for the M2, sadly.
True, I can confirm that regarding Dutch. The fact that my school-related vocabulary is limited reflects how little English I was taught through school, I suppose.
Or a Multipla, indeed. I would only shout at them if they did so for hipster reasons. I'm telling you, in five years, all the hipsters will be driving Multiplas.
Indeed, although I once spent a while on the third row of a Grand Scenic and was horribly disappointed with the leg room. Either way, everyone must have had a fun car once in their life, in my opinion.
True. My dad ordered a D3, which only has 150 bhp. Doesn't seem much, and it goes from 0-60 in 10 seconds, but it feels like it goes like stink. Dentists in themselves are a bit elitist (it's the job with the highest initial payment), though, so they'll probably be driving Saabs anyway. I don't really know that much about them, although I do know a few of their quirks: turbo engines (all of them), lots of safety (their keys are inserted high up in the dash so your knee doesn't hit it in a crash) and... square vent holes.
I hope I will. At least I think I'll be able to express the feeling a car gives you. I learnt that from Top Gear.
Yes, unfortunately. Though I'm prepared to save money and wait, so I can buy a truly good one.
You mean it's mild by Swiss standards? Yeah, but the Swiss are a bit... xenophobic sometimes.
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Nik Brudar True, though frankly I'd rather see more Alfas than more VWs on the road. Or maybe I'm just too Dutch. Either way, never having experienced a breakdown may be part of the reason why I can appreciate a bit of chaos.
Wait, it's already out for reviews?
Same here. 'Classes', I believe, means the same as 'single lessons'. 'Grades', meanwhile, sounds too American to me, plus it also means 'marks'. Very complicated.
Well, the rarity of hipsters is one of the few advantages to living in the middle of nowhere.
True, but the third row being extremely cramped kind of defeats the purpose of a seven-seater family car, in my opinion. The best solution is to not have more than three children, of course. I don't see why anyone would have more than that.
Lower? Faster? I think my advice is rather obvious: MX-5. Though if you need more seats, I can actually quite recommend a Mazda 323F. The 2-litre V6 model is quite nippy. Sadly, finding one that isn't ruined by some tasteless ricer is painfully difficult.
I think it'll be the same for me. I mean, I'm a pensioner already sometimes, but not in car preferences, I can confirm that. Plus, a Volvo V70 doesn't need to be fast, although that makes it all the more hilarious when it is (V70R, T6, T5 or even D5: those are the models I'd have).
Come to think of it, I did. I learnt most of my British accent from TG as well. I'll just express my gratitude to... whatever the new Amazon show will be called.
Instant expenses? You mean how some cars are cheap because of maintenance that needs to be done? That could happen, though MX-5s, being very light on maintenance, aren't very likely to have that. Still, I ought to watch out. But, an original car will get you quite far in this (haha, the rhyme). And at least it's not a 3 grand Jag, which requires twice its price in maintenance the moment you purchase it.
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Nik Brudar This is how I feel about most VW's, or just most cars in The Netherlands. That includes Opels and plug-in hybrids. Very, very annoying, why does nobody buy a good car?
You've never been let down by your car, that's good (it's Japanese, of course you haven't ;). Nor have I, however. But then again, I don't have a car. Mind you, I've been let down by my bicycle before, it was frustrating. But there is little difference between bikes in both soul and reliability, so it's a tough call nonetheless.
Nice! I'd always have an M2 over an M4, mainly because the M2 is unrivalled as is, unlike the Alfa- and AMG-plagued M4. Plus, it's cheaper.
I do know 'primary school' and 'secondary school', because I hate the word 'high school'. But that's about it. Haha, Slovenian, like most Slavic (?) languages, is an incomprehensible but beautiful collection of... symbols, to us Dutchies. Still, I find it interesting to figure out what things mean, as I found out on my holiday to the Czech Republic.
Wait, that actually does make sense. By the time a the fourth and fifth children outgrow those seats, the first and second will likely have moved out already. Seems logical. Still, young children (less than 7 years old) trigger aggression, more than anything, with me. Well, that is an exaggeration, but I don't like them. That's why I can't see why one would have children at all (besides the survival of humanity), let alone more than two.
The 3 MPS (European name :D) is indeed a great car, though I can imagine it being rather expensive and new still. The 323F is extremely cheap, though good ones are also extremely rare. It's supposed to look like this: http://mazda323f.ucoz.hu/Mazda_323_F_1_519.jpg
But it always ends up looking like this:
http://automobilio.info/auto/Mazda-323-F-V-BA.jpg
I can imagine it being rather restless. That can be annoying sometimes. This is where a cheap BMW would excel, but, well, maintenance costs ruin it. Not to mention false allegations of being an aspiring criminal.
Five-cylinders are great. Granted, I was raised with one, so I'm biased, but still.
Wait, there's previews? Oh, you mean New New Top Gear? Yeah, that's going to fail. The presenters of Old New Top Gear are going to do their own show, luckily. Ironically, that's what the presenters of Old Old Top Gear did when they started Fifth Gear, though 'Reverse Gear' (or whatever) will be significantly better.
True, though owning a car, for me, is part of the fun. That's why I will only buy cars I truly like. If I don't, I'll walk out the door someday, see it and realise I bought the wrong car.
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Nik Brudar Just throw it out the window. No, though, please don't ;)
Sadly, there are very, very few cars like that here in The Netherlands. You'd be lucky to find a 2+ litre car that's less than, say, five years old. I'm sure your Colt will hold up easily. It's a small Japanese hatchback, known for being virtually indestructible through normal (ab)use.
My favourite would be an M6 Gran Coupé. Although, what I'd really want is an Alpina. I love Alpina.
I suppose that's about enough, though. I never really need school-related vocabulary in English anyway. Slovenian does look quite complicated, but apparently Dutch is far from easy as well. That's the benefit of being a native speaker. Or so it would be, if the language had any relevance across the border.
Well, I've always liked how it combines sporty looks with hatchback practicality. Though it's very taste-sensitive. The riced-up version is appalling, I agree. The MPS looks quite good: it improves on the somewhat tame design of the original with a relatively small spoiler, giving it a balanced design. It's great.
Heh, that comes with low weight. Though stability in the corners is quite natural. I've never driven or ridden a car that has that, unfortunately. However, I did once experience the effect of a sport button. Mind you, that was on an Opel Zafira (not even an OPC), but even then the effect was surprisingly drastic.
It is. Fifth Gear suffers from 'Fifth Gear Syndrome' (who would have thought ;). It's fairly decent on its own, but it tries so desperately to be Top Gear, that it fails miserably, unable to compete with the sheer excellence of the real Top Gear. The same effect applies to Top Gear USA (and Aussie TG) and it will apply to New New Top Gear. Interestingly, it now also applies to Old Old Top Gear.
True. It's like owning a pet. Horse enthusiasts can relate in a way, I suppose.
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Nik Brudar A year and a half? That is one old tablet. Though don't replace it. My current phone was already somewhat broken when I got it... three years ago.
Wait, you have Swiss family? Either way, at least they know how to (and can afford to) drive nice cars. We can afford to as well, but for some reason we collectively decided not to. By 'collectively', I mean 'everyone but me'. And it's good to hear you treat your Colt nicely :)
You mean the front bumper thingy? Oh, that is awful. Luckily, it's optional. I'd have as few badges as you can possibly get, and blast past everyone expecting it to be a 318d, or something like that. And yes, I have seen what they did to what is the second 7-Series I'd have over the competition (the first being the Mk1, or whatever it's actually called). It's great.
Slovenian does sound tongue-breaking to me, but at least it doesn't sound like throwing up, unlike Dutch...
Indeed. If anything, it's a bit of a compromise, though the rear seats are apparently very spacious. The MPS (call it MazdaSpeed if you prefer that, don't mind my stubborn anti-American-spelling attitude) is a very underrated hot hatch, much like the Toyota Corolla TS.
Indeed, I like the idea of a manettino (everything sounds elegant in Italian), contrary to what the purists say. That Zafira? As far as I can recall - it was six years ago - the suspension stiffened, the dials turned red, the sound was amplified and the G-forces from cornering were much stronger (though that may have been an effect of a changed driving style, in hindsight).
Indeed. Even with increasingly staged stunts in the last few episodes, it never felt too ridiculous or too much. And what it lost in narrative silliness (as opposed to the current 'silliness for the sake of being silly'), it gained in beautiful music, cinematography and narration, most clearly demonstrated in the reviews of the V12 Vantage and Alfa Disco Volante.
I don't own any yet, but I will in the future. 116, if everything goes as planned. Come to think of it, that's cheaper than 116 actual horses...
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Nik Brudar Of course, but nowadays that would be considered old. Personally, I don't actually agree with that. One and a half years isn't old at all. I tend to use things until they're broken beyond repair and/or true usability. Well, unless it's a car.
Oh, so you mean random Swiss people? Oh well, still nice. I'm afraid they won't do that. I'm one of the few people whose parents don't pay at least half of the driving lessons. I do have a solution: I'm going to ask my lessons for both my birthday and final exam presents, given that they're both (roughly) in June. That should cover the costs. Then, I'll have to save for my own car, but after that I've still got a year for that, until I'm 18.
The badges? Meh, I don't mind them. It's the front bumper that does it, and the long names stuck to the back (so 'B10 Biturbo' or something). The first 7-Series was great, the second was an abomination, the third was decent but outclassed and the new one is great. It's the first one since the Mk1 that I'd have over an S-Class.
Germans actually have a very soft and gentle way of speaking. If you hear a German speak English, it sounds... kind. Pleasant. Smooth. But it's the fault of the German language that they sound... Nazi-like, when speaking their mother tongue. Hungarian, though? I've never really heard it.
Wait, is it actually called MazdaSpeed in Slovenia? I wouldn't be surprised, as that is the dominant name. I use MPS, however, being a stubborn closet Brit. Either way, 260 was something special ten years ago, though I can imagine it understeers as much as the other FWD 260 bhp hatch of the time: the Opel Astra OPC (or should I say VXR?).
The TS? It's a 192 bhp Corolla that looks exactly like a regular one. Since the regular Corolla is a great car, but boring (I have first-hand experience), that solves everything.
Seems accurate. Still, it's amazing what they can do with a Zafira. Despite that, I'd have an S-Max instead. Or just no people-carrier at all.
Indeed, it's a perfect example of what a car review should be like. Very, very inspirational. Based on that, I could imagine a review of one of my dream cars, the Maserati GranCabrio.
Oh, I will. I'm an extremely lazy man (boy? Whatever), yet I actually enjoyed washing my dad's car with him. I can see myself doing that every week on my own car, partly because I like having a car and partly because dirty MX-5's look trashy.
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Sean Place We might at some point, but until then, electric cars aren't that clean. And with ranges like these, they're not very practical either. They'll fix that some time in the future, but I'd rather see the rise of the hydrogen car. Plug-in hybrids, by the way, are not the solution either; the unrealistic fuel economy and pollution figures (at least in Europe) are impossible to get outside of cities.
Fuel costs, by the way, will indeed be conveniently low, even if the demand for electricity at charging points will rise dramatically. However, the Dutch government will inevitably find a way to make personal transport overpriced despite that.
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***** You're still being dramatic. Where in the definition of 'cars' is it written that they should make a noise? Also, vacuum cleaners do make noise (a lot of it), and so does the Prius - if you go above 30 kph, that is.
You don't like automatic gearboxes? Well, for the Prius's CVT (and other, traditional, comfort-oriented automatics), I understand. But what about a DSG/PDK/etc?
You don't like hybrids? Well, the Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari are hybrids too...
Basically, what you've done is recycle all of your previous arguments (even though none of them are any good) and then add another one, sound, which is no good as well. Admit it, you're just holding on to principles for no reason, without any second thought. Open up, damnit!
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Nik Brudar It's nearly four grand for a pre-1993 NA (116 bhp), and both the post-1993 NA (90 bhp) and the NB 1.6 (110 bhp) are just under three grand. More importantly, they aren't as likely to have been ruined by a previous owner. Though I think I'll eliminate the 90 bhp one and simply consider between the older NA and the NB (which might be a better car overall).
She rarely washes it (I did it for her a while ago, and there was green sludge, or moss, or whatever that was, stuck behind everything. She also scraped a pole in our driveway a year ago. We removed the (inconveniently placed) pole, but the scrape damage still hasn't been fixed. It's also filled with rubbish, and I would rather sit barefoot on the sand-filled rubber mats in my dad's V70. Nonetheless, it's a good car.
I can relate, having been stuck behind vans before on my bike. It's extremely annoying, and quite scary somehow. Even then, I will probably learn through advice and experience. Again, that will be the Corolla's task (I daren't drive a 5-metre, as-good-as-new V70, especially since it has an automatic gearbox).
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Nik Brudar That's true, although a friend of mine frequently borrows his mum's Corsa 1.2. With 65 bhp, it's laughably slow, but the torque makes it feel quite rapid. This, however, is why the 116 bhp model is better. The 90 bhp version has roughly the same amount of torque as that Corsa. Also, I do quite like the idea of having a first car with a 0-60 time of less than 10 seconds (the magical barrier).
I'm just under 1,80m, but I'm not convinced I've stopped growing yet. I've sat in an NB and an ND before, and both were a bit of a struggle to get out for someone as stiff and unathletic as me. I think I'll get used to that, however. The driving position seems great.
I wouldn't mind washing my future car every week, yet I don't think I'll ever have a reasonably clean place to live any time soon. And that's my fault.
Well, that's true. It's mostly overtaking that become a terrifying experience, I think. I may have said that wrong: I'm not afraid of auto boxes (the first car I ever drove had flappy paddles and I left the second car I drove in fourth the whole way), but it won't help me become a better driver.
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Nik Brudar Nope, it's a petrol. A 1.2 16V, from the era when having four valves per cylinder was special. But honestly, it feels quite brisk from the passenger seat, same as the 150 bhp Volvo I mentioned earlier.
8 seconds is very quick, I can imagine. The NA does it in 8,8, the slower NA in 10,6 and the NB in 9,7. There's also a 140 bhp one that does it in eight, but it's too expensive. Either way, what are you looking for?
True, although the feeling of opening a low door with no window frames is somehow very satisfying. The NA is probably the smaller car, that might be an issue. Though I could play all day long with the pop-up headlights.
Nobody will be allowed to eat in my car, that's for sure. Or drink. Or do anything that might make a mess.
I can understand that. My driving style (on my bike, that is) is very aggressive, and I'll be the sort of person who speeds up for an orange traffic light. The one thing that's nice about overtaking is probably shifting down and revving :D
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Nik Brudar Ah, that explains part of it. I'll be a student too, so my financial position will not be particularly royal, but I'm not going to use it every day to cut back on petrol costs, by far the biggest type of costs with something as light-weight and maintenance-light as an MX-5.
It is, which is why it bothers me that so many people (and motoring journalists) rate German cars above, say, Jags and Alfas, because the tiny details are better. The plastics and the feel of the buttons, that sort of nonsense. Those nit-picky details are offset by the loveliness of an Alfa, for instance the one in the video.
True, the smell is so persistent, that smokers' cars are genuinely worth less than otherwise similar cars.
That's one of two reasons I don't have a speedometer on my bike, the other being that I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes off it.
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Nik Brudar Fair enough, although a driving obsession is merely unhealthy for one's wallet, not one's lungs and environment.
Ooo, nice! Blasphemy, it's a pretty word. Either way, I am more of a GT driver than anything, but by 'GT' I mean a sporty drive that's comfortable enough to not drive you nuts on a long journey. My favourite example is probably an Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
Well, Car Throttle has near-TV production quality already. Perhaps their car culture approach is too specialist to be fit for TV?
It might very well have been intentional. On one hand, I'm glad they have a bigger budget and no BBC to try and censor their madness, but I'm still a bit sad with the loss of so many Top Gear traditions (the Stig, the 'Top Gear top tip', the Reasonably Priced Car and so on). Nonetheless, the show revolves around the three of them, so that should be enough already to make it brilliant.
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Nik Brudar I'm not a BMW enthusiast, but a 335i is a very nice car. Personally, I'd really like an E39 BMW 523i (or with an even better engine), however. Then again, I'm not a BMW person.
Not only that, but TG appeals to a broad audience, even people who don't care about cars, whereas CT is more for what they call 'car guys'. It emphasises car culture more, with terms like 'ricers', 'JDM' and so on.
They did :(
Or go across with amphibious cars :D
The video was bloody hilarious, by the way.
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Nik Brudar Audis and VWs, besides their fraud, still has a fairly strong reputation amongst people who don't know anything about cars. Experts know better: somewhat shoddy electrics (with GTE models and their derivatives having appalling reliability), timing belt failures and extreme oil consumption on TSI engines, DSG's that require expensive rebuilds often, it's rather awful. Nonetheless, I do like the new TT (especially the RS), R8 and RS7 too, as well as the S1 and the previous RS6. Oh, and the Q7 V12 TDI for a laugh.
Heh, thanks :)
He is fat, although he genuinely uses his bike. Which makes him an older version of me. I have the genetics to turn bald quickly as well. Hopefully I'll turn into Clarkson, I wouldn't mind :D
Yup, you used it right, judging by what I saw. I've heard Hammond talk about 'gentleman's relish' before, although I don't know exactly what it is.
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Nik Brudar The TT is a very pretty, yet understated car, it's gorgeous. It's hardly an exciting drive, mind you, but it looks the part. Plus, the interior is ingenious.
Thank you for the compliment! I sometimes play out reviews in my head. Such would include a Bentayga review where I praise the engineering prowess, but then demonstrate how all that is useless by drag racing my hypothetical MX-5 against it, while my driving-licence-less friend is driving the Bentayga. He would wipe the floor with the Mazda, but show no excitement, while I shout through the gears. Oh, and I'd film in the Bentley at 120 mph to prove how boring it is to go fast in it, and then try (and fail) to do 120 in the Mazda to prove how exciting it should be.
And I've also got a Giulia review in mind, but I can't be bothered to type it out anymore :)
It's sounds rather dirty, actually. It sounds like 'man juice'.
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Nik Brudar Well, it may be a distant drive (as most Audis), but that doesn't mean it isn't fast and therefore thrilling. The interior is a stroke of brilliance, I especially like the air vents. As far as toys go, it's as fun as pop-up headlights or the Rolls-style umbrella in the back doors of a Superb.
Thank you! Mind you, I learn by imitation and therefore took some of my general inspiration from TG itself, but I might be able to twist it a bit. Automotive journalism is actually my ultimate back-up plan, should my regular career path fail.
In a Giulia review, I'd probably drive about with great enthusiasm, claiming it to be a proper Alfa. However, it has to take on 'ze Germans'. After some explanations on the German dominance, accompanied by low-ground, upward shots of a grey C/3/A4 and the German national anthem, I'd put it through some tests. Some it may succeed in (it can be had in stylish red and blue, but also in the crucial shades of grey), but it has no soft-touch plastics (on account of having pretty much no plastics in the first place), usable rear seats (a 3-Series or A4 don't, so that's a test failed at by the Giulia) and reasonable equipment prices (as opposed to the Germans). Essentially, it would be a cheeky jab at the Germans, by pretending that the Giulia not having their flaws is a mark against it and thereby meaning that it's actually better.
Who knows, maybe it's also a euphemism :)
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Nik Brudar That's a great way to describe the TT, actually, especially since it's now too expensive to be a hairdresser's car.
I've got multiple backup plans, so I think I'll be fine indeed. It's a matter of how fine, of course. The dream is to daily drive a secondhand, manual V8 Vantage. There are more spectacular supercars, but that would be fine. They say that money buys happiness up to a salary of 70.000 euros a year: that's my goal.
Again, thank you! Heck, maybe that'll be the side job I shall use to fund my studies. And, to be frank, you might be quite capable of this stuff as well, judging by your eloquence and ability to describe what your Colt is like to drive.
I love the word 'euphemism', though I'm not actually sure if it's correct. I just translated the Dutch equivalent 'eufemisme', which I had learnt at school in literature classes.
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Nik Brudar And I did :)
Really? I've always viewed Slovenia as the most developed ex-Soviet country, beating the Czech Republic. They're the Denmark of Eastern Europe. But alas, salaries are fairly low. Then again, with your prices, the equivalent would be 35-40k a year anyway. 25 is already plenty then. Moving abroad could be fun, maybe I'll move to the UK at some point. By the way, what is your current study?
I wouldn't say that, the difference isn't very apparent. Of course, I don't know what your accent is like, but then again Sabine Schmitz can make it onto Top Gear and she clearly has a German accent. That shouldn't stop you. To avoid the whole car market issue, you ought to try it out abroad. Does Slovenia have its own automotive media?
That's very similar. It's one of those words that's the same in every language, I assume.
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Nik Brudar Well, the GDP per capita of Slovenia is fairly low, as is the case for most Eastern European countries. Nevertheless, low prices compensate for that somewhat, but apparently there are still some issues. Well, I have some experience with the Czech Republic, and there are still holes in its development, so I can see what you mean.
So you're about to get what I believe is a bachelor's degree? Either way, my future plans are to finish my final exams at school (my final two are tomorrow) and go off to university. If I manage to get in, I'll be studying something on the governing of the public sector, or else I'll be studying a combination of business and consumer studies
Even then, it's very impressive. I too rarely speak English out loud, although I practise grammar using Youtube comments and practice pronunciation in my head. A lot of it comes from watching Top Gear, mind you. Oh, and a German English accent is actually quite pleasant and fluid, contrary to the German language itself. It's actually quite nice.
Ah, that's what foreign media are for then :)
A philanthropist is someone who is very involved in human development of the third world, the environment and other good causes, right?
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Nik Brudar That's quite worrying. It's a shame our media don't talk about this sort of thing here. When are the next elections in Slovenia?
A bachelor's degree is the first step of a university study, the second being a master's degree and the third being a PhD/doctorate. These terms are the same as in Dutch, which is why I know them :) Today was my last exam, I'm very relieved :D
I'll be 17 by the time I attend university. I'm about to turn 17, a mere two weeks from now. The programmes I mentioned are very widely oriented, there are a lot of ways to go from there.
That's impressive. I'm not actually the best in my class. Well, technically, I'm the best in my English class, but there's one girl in our general class who was allowed to skip one year's English and did her final exams on the subject last year. Mind you, she spent several years on an international school in Dubai, so that's not quite the same :)
Haha, you 'cleanse' yourself with them. I like that. I can't wait for The Grand Tour, although the others will definitely do.
I had heard the word quite often, but I confirmed to myself what it meant in a rather unusual way, namely by watching the film Grimsby...
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Nik Brudar True, though I do trust them to explain the basics of Slovenia's political system. The Gini-coefficient is a bit complicated, but I might be able to explain. If you add up all the incomes of a country, from lowest to highest, and make a cumulative line out of this, you will get a curve. This curve is known as the 'Lorenz-curve'. The surface between this Lorenz curve and a straight, diagonal line is the Gini-coefficient. It measures how far apart a country is from completely equal income distribution.
If I wanted to do that, I'd have to repeat classes so many times that I'll be kicked out of school. It's the misfortune of being the second youngest person in class, I'm afraid.
Thank you! I'll hope to be able to end up in one of my preferred choices, because I honestly don't see me enjoying myself in a regular 40-hour workday. Then again, that may be my (teen)age talking.
That does indicate signs of learning by imitation, essentially the mechanism that taught me most of what I know about the English language. That is one of the reasons you could very well be capable of passing a Cambridge exam, at least up to CAE (Certificate of Advanced English). I guess my and the other two people's English skills are derived from a combination of learning by imitation and plentiful exposure to the language.
He is, his reviews are very eloquent and informative, yet engaging. And indeed, the production quality is brilliant. It's one of the lesser-known car channels on Youtube, but it's one of the best. That reminds me of RecombuCars, which is ran by the only one of the new Top Gear presenters who made it in through audition.
I wouldn't call myself that, because there are still flaws in this learning format. My English (and German) is horribly allergic to being tested in a school exam, and I tend to make lots of small and subtle mistakes. I try to overshadow these with fancy sentence constructions, elaborate vocabulary and (vocally) a developed accent, but they're there. Also, I need to be fluent enough to be able to follow media in a language before my learning process can take off. With that, my linguistic capabilities are like the British car industry: brilliant in many ways, but also very flawed.
God above, this is a long comment.
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Nik Brudar I have no idea how to actually measure the variables to put into the Gini formula, but I do know the formula itself :)
It would be fun, especially since some of my former classmates already had to redo a class, but I'd rather not be kicked out of school :)
...cock. I meant work-week. That's another consequence of doing everything in English by feel, I guess :)
True, though I mostly use media for this. I've only been to the UK twice in my life, though I'm convinced it'll be much more eventually.
Alas, it's unfortunately underrated. It too would make a good TV programme, amazingly.
Well, fair enough, although my mistakes are probably more frequent. That's not to say I'm not satisfied with how it is now, of course, but there's always room for improvement. I've done the CAE test last year. It tests the C1 level, but I passed it with a score that puts me in the low C2s. I plan to do the final exam next year, the CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) exam.
That's actually true. I'd be a good read, I reckon. 'The Youtube Diaries' or something of that nature.
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Nik Brudar I'm not sure. My maths English is rather poor. Heck, my maths in general isn't very good. At school, we had the choice of two types of maths courses: A, the easier one) and B, the more difficult one (there was also C for people with a culture-oriented course profile, but that was ridiculously easy). I aced A-maths, but I would not have made it through B-maths.
In a way, yes, but I've also heard from others, that it can be quite nice. For instance, you don't have to attend some subjects if you passed them the previous year and you can hand in some assignments using the exact same document as last year. Also, you'll have learned everything once already. Still, I wouldn't want to try it.
Heh, that would be a plot twist! But, like I said, I use aesthetically pleasing English to cover up a surprisingly large amount of mistakes. It's a system that works, luckily :)
I haven't. Both times, I visited London: once with school and once with my family. I would love to visit a few more sights, however. Perhaps Dunsfold :)
What, Goy's appearance? He's bald, but I doubt he counts as ugly. No more than the Top Gear presenters would, anyway.
I think the best description would be that one can only notice the difference between a C2 non-native speaker and an actual native speaker if the two are heard right after each other. My teacher, for instance, appears to have a perfect accent, until she plays clips of actual native speakers for listening tests. That's perhaps what I'm at now. I would've likely been able to pass CPE last year already, but I would rather have the monstrous scores I already got on the FCE and CAE, so I decided to wait another two years.
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Nik Brudar I have a decent insight in maths, fair enough, and I'm very good at it while I have a structural grasp of what I'm doing. However, at some point it turns into witchcraft, and I stop having a clue how it works. Luckily, that's why I can be lazy at A-maths and still come out with a brilliant grade.
There is none. The costs won't be so high in my case either, however, since I'm already a year ahead of everybody anyway.
That's good to hear, actually! Mind you, it's been a year since someone properly checked my English for mistakes, so I may have improved since then. I definitely hope so.
It did rain occasionally, but I've also had good weather on both visits. They were spread 50/50. Mind you, both visits took place in April or May, which may have distorted my impression.
I can see 'goofy', and perhaps 'unappealing' in a judging a book by its cover sort of way, but unpleasant? Not that one. Even still, I will agree that he requires a bit of getting used to.
'Enthralled' (I had to look that up :) is quite a perfect word for this, actually. I like that. But yeah, I'm not really in a rush for this. I'd rather have it two years later with a brilliant score, than immediately with a decent score at best.
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Nik Brudar Really? Is it that difficult? Even a B-maths, we've had over-achievers and maths geniuses with highly impressive grades. Apparently, the talent for maths is genetically determined, so I think it's only fair if the school differentiates people based on their competence.
True, once I'm aware of a mistake I correct it, but 'ridicilous' (misspelled on purpose, this time) is a perfect example of the small mistakes that may slip through. This is where I rely on others to correct me, which luckily has happened thanks to several people, including my teacher and indeed you :)
I'm glad I did. It's a pretty country if the sun's out, although the UK is probably the only country where I wouldn't mind the rain, partly because I'd be fighting a losing battle against the weather and partly because I fell in love with the country through images sometimes including rain anyway.
Indeed. The pay-off is well worth it, luckily. Sometimes, the things you need to get used to at first are eventually the things you like the most, because it provokes loyalty and devotion to a type of media.
The word sounds absolutely gorgeous. I think it has something to do with the elegant aura of the 'th' and the 'l + syllable', the latter being derived from French.
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Nik Brudar I dream of storming in there once and giving a speech where I play their morals. 'You're tough on the outside, but you've failed in life. This toughness is a façade to hide your sheer disappointment with life. Everything you ever did failed, and you take it out on these innocent children. Every bully who ever belittled you, every rejection you have ever had, they are all bricks that form the horrible person that you are. Shame on you, for being so hollow!'
I must admit I did not come up with that myself. I read it in... umm... a reading test. Which I now realise is a very unusual source.
I do wonder that too. Do mind, however, that my appreciation for Britain is merely trivial. I steer well clear of anything that reeks of nationalism.
It very much bothers me that Americans feel they are responsible for every conflict in the world. They think no country is capable of solving its own problems, so they invade everywhere, only causing it to escalate. Of course, oil plays apart in this.
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Nik Brudar I think I simply watched too much telly :) But seriously, this sort of speech could work very well on several occasions, including Trump rallies. It combines the aesthetic flair and loudness that most populists are attracted to like honey, while still offering the possibility of providing counterarguments.
True. Sometimes, I find myself so engaged with and fascinated by the text that I forget to look for the answer. This occurs especially (here we go again :) at English tests.
If anything, I try to calm people down by being reasonable ('yes, you have things to be proud of, but no, you're not perfect'), but that doesn't work very often.
This is an exact mirror of my thoughts on Americans, albeit a very expensive and well-made mirror. That was a serious bit of vocabulary training!
Good luck with your exam, then, I see you've practised :)
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Nik Brudar I think part of the reason behind his rise is simply the attention the news pays to him. If only they hadn't. Alas, we've got to live with the possibility of his presidency now.
I somehow manage to be interested in those texts. This particularly goes for English, in the same way that I can pay great attention to narratives with a British accent. However, that doesn't mean my attention span is brilliant. Occasionally, I read a paragraph and suddenly realise I have no idea what I just read.
True, but I'm not going to be dishonest and kiss their arse. Part of being reasonable, in my opinion, is always providing some kind of counter-argument or perspective. Perhaps that undermines the power of my arguments, but it definitely increases my credibility, which is key on the internet.
You did! The bits and pieces themselves were of brilliant quality too, but the whole construction was good.
Ahaha, lazy teachers showing films to kill time. Gives me deja vu's of religion classes. I'm glad to have helped, then. These comments are a training for me as well, actually.
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Nik Brudar You're right! His wife is Slovenian. For one, that completely undermines his credibility on the subject of immigration, but she is insane, if only because she thinks the money is worth being married to a bellend. Alas, at least his daughter seems like a reasonable-ish lady, but she has to suffer from her dad's unhealthy sexual remarks. It really is a distorted family. My condolences for sharing a nationality with Mrs Trump.
Exactly like that, yes. It doesn't help that I'm fairly easily distracted by something, as I quickly start thinking about something else. That's because I refuse to amuse myself with a phone while waiting, so I resort to thinking instead.
Well, some people are only triggered (hate that word, but I can't think of something else) by shouting and insults, but I refuse to lower myself to that.
I like the sarcasm :) But yeah, my vocabulary for negative descriptions is a bit wider than it should be. I know plenty of ways to praise something as well, however.
That's why I insist these comments (as well as watching Top Gear) are a productive way of spending time.
The tenses! I have no idea what they're called and what the rules surrounding their usage are, but while I used to have trouble with the tenses, I now find them very easy to use. Of course, I could be oblivious to my mistakes, as I was with 'ridicilous', but time will tell whether that's the case.
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Nik Brudar She's the queen of the gold-diggers, that's for sure. Not that she should be proud of that. Though, to be fair, gold-diggers are indeed clever (not necessarily intelligent). Maybe they should allow Obama to sit for another term?
Phone addictions are extremely frustrating and ruin social interactions between people. That's why I never use my phone (and am therefore never available for phone contact.
I very rarely resort to anger on the internet, and if I do, I merely use words like 'bloody' in between my sentences. Perhaps an occasional exclamation mark. I refuse to resort to all-caps shouting. The downside is, that I do have some repressed anger because of that at times, but that's another reason to be glad Microsoft released a (limited) version of Forza 6 for PC.
To be honest, it would also be a review full of snarky sarcasm towards the Germans, but the first segment would be enthusiastic praises.
Depends on what they're about, of course.
I've mastered them, then. I'm quite glad about that.
Good luck with your exam! :)
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Nik Brudar I'm not sure it's the skin colour that does it (for most people, that is), but rather him being a reasonable and intelligent person who doesn't use his primal instincts to determine his foreign policy. Americans tend to feel the need to show how tough they are, which makes them look pathetic and hateful instead.
Almost everyone does it to some degree, and it's acceptable if only done occasionally, but some are outright addicts. Heck, it causes traffic deaths. If I'm ever crashed into by someone distracted by their phone, I will ignore my 'don't sue people over everything' rule for once and pluck their every possession off them. Whew, that was some unreleased anger :)
I do sometimes, actually, but only for satirical purposes. Alas, I can restrain my anger very well, but sometimes I really need to release it (as you saw in the previous paragraph).
I'd love to be able to do it eventually :D
That depends on how you look at it. It trains both your English and your sense of journalism.
Perhaps you're not a bulletproof source, but your corrections (or the lack thereof) are a good indication nonetheless.
That's good to hear!
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Nik Brudar I do have a steering wheel, but it's old and I doubt the force feedback still works. Plus, the PC Forza doesn't have wheel support yet. I hope it will soon, although the vibrating controller with conveniently placed handbrake button is nice in the meantime.
It's very frustrating, and shows a tough defence. This is also why the Turkish president Erdogan made a massive mistake PR-wise when he reacted so heavily to a comedian.
However, too much experience can be a burden. If you have a lot of experience with something, you will be able to execute something repeatedly, accurately and solidly. However, you will also see many hindrances and can anticipate more mistakes. Because of that, you'll be less likely to try something new. Inexperienced people aren't nearly as competent, but provide a fresh and creative view on the matter. This is also why I like Italian, British and French cars better than German cars: they're not as good, but they're more of an occasion and less of a routine job.
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Nik Brudar I played Forza once on one of those simulator seat things. All the driver aids besides the racing line indication had been turned off, the force feedback had been turned on. This turned a 458 Italia into an undriveable monster. Alas, the trick is to not make it that difficult. The handbrake is fairly useless in real life besides parking, but I used in in Forza to prove that one can drift in an Abarth Punto. If a game counts as a driving experience, I can only agree with Hammond that one can corner the Pagani Huayra like a half-wit and come out the other side alive.
Assetto Corsa? I've heard about that game. It's down on graphics and content, but the driving mechanics are unrivalled.
True. I may or may not be able to do that, but I'm not sure.
Well, there's nothing wrong with liking German cars, especially since they do make several cars for enthusiasts. However, it's partly my tendency to cheer for the underdog that determines my preference. That, and my ability to see the upside of everything, causing me to adore cars that have many pros in spite of how many cons they have. This gives the perfect Germans a disadvantage.
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Mzn T Here in the Netherlands, they're not all that popular. All we generally care about is the theoretical CO2 emission (and the tax advantages that come with it), and downsize turbo engines are more economical on paper, even though in the real world, they use equally or more fuel than a Mazda SkyActiv engine.
Weight isn't all-defining, and making structural compromises on the car (the Lotus filosophy) isn't always necessary, especially on GT's and such. However, the Mazda filosophy (shaving off grammes where they're not necessary, to gradually reduce weight without the sacrifices) can be used on all cars, if you ask me. There's nothing wrong with that; for sports cars, less weight is always better if you don't have to sacrifice anything. That even goes for large, two-tonne four-seater convertibles like the Maserati GranCabrio.
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srba filipovic Mine is from 1996. Originally intended to run Windows 95, I had it run W98 instead. And that works. The laptop is still intact and works properly. It's as fast as a Pentium 2 can be. The screen is occasionally a bit flaky, but the battery is really good. Even nowadays, it can fun for three hours without charge, which is three times as long as my main laptop.
Mind you, I played Midtown Madness on a different computer, namely our family PC. It ran Windows XP. We haven't got it anymore, but I'm typing this on its old keyboard now that the 'i', 'r', 'q', '3' and left keys are flaky on my current laptop
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Nik Brudar Well, I know when a car is comfortable and when it sounds good, but beyond that, I had no reference point. Moreover, there wasn't much in the way of bumps on the track: the only ones were the starting grid's lines. It did feel very stable, much like a go-kart.
Wait, your Colt is the only car you've ever driven?
Motoring journalist is one of my backup plans, should I fail my career. I reckon I might also become a salesman (preferably a car salesman, of course) and if all else fails, I'll become an abstract artist. I can randomly throw paint on a canvas, and I'm creative enough to come up with a farfetched explanation as to why it's art...
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Nik Brudar You'd imagine they couldn't be further apart, but even the vibratons that you feel as you set off in a go-kart, apply to the V8 Vantage. Though I think that's the case for all cars (with the BMW I didn't notice because I was focusing on the clutch; that one had a manual).
Yup. D-segment space and equipment for a C-segment price (and refinement, admittedly). Proton, that's a Malaysian brand, right? You can get those in Slovenia? I know Proton from an old rally game for DOS :D
I have a main plan and two more backup plans, so I doubt I'll need to be a modern artist. If I do, however, I'll create a bubble of art fame, then burst it by saying I was deliberately being ridicilous, hopefully taking down as much of the modern art world as I possibly can.
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mining maniac These are the cars I don't want to buy:
VW Golf, VW Polo, VW Lupo, Vauxhall anything, etc.
Basically every boring hatchback everyone drives, except for the Ford Focus or Peugeot 206.
I would, however, like an ancient Volvo. Those indestructible, prehistoric barges that will never break down.
An old Mini is perfect; low running costs, easy to drive, easy to park and you can be incredibly agressive in traffic without breaking any laws. Sadly, old Minis are surprisingly expensive.
I'd like a 406 Coupé simply because they're stylish. And 18-year-old drivers need a lesson in style, IMO (I hate tuned up Golfs with massive bodykits). And cheap too!
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Ben Weston Spec both cars with the most powerful diesel (180 bhp 2.0 for the Jag, 175 bhp 2.2 for the Mazda) and spec the Mazda up as much as you can with the GT-M equipment level. Make it an estate while you're at it. Then, equip the Jag to the same level. The price tags should be quite far apart, though nowhere near as much as they would be with 'ze Germans'.
Either way, the 6 will provide great value, especially since it's cavernous inside. The XE only seats midgets in the back: I'm just under 1,80 m (6 feet, I think), and I could barely get in, or out, let alone sit there for a prolonged period of time.
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Firemarioflower What if I told you some people weren't badge snobs? Some people judge a car based on its own qualities, not its name. The Mazda holds ground here based on design, handling, reliability and real-world mpg.
Something else bothers me: you hate cars that you think are laptops, with high-tech screens and automatic gearboxes, uncommunicative steering and a small turbo engine for fuel economy's sake. And yet, you defend the Audi A4 (digital cockpit, screens, almost always comes with some sort of DSG, every automotive journalist will agree it has synthetic steering, uses small TSI engine) against the Mazda 6 (much less screen integration, comes with a praised manual 'box, is considered one of the best-handling cars in its class, uses large NA engines on purpose).
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Firemarioflower My beautiful and amazing mistress I don't think either of you have seen a Giulia in person. Its design bears some similarity to other cars (everything in this class does), but it's properly Alfa-like in that it grows on you, becomes prettier every time you see it. That's what makes an Alfa design. They're rarely perfect, but always gorgeous.
Also, in terms of tech, it definitely has an edge over the competition. Even in plebian spec, it has a perfect weight distribution and all the carbon bits that the Quadrifoglio also has. Whereas a car like the M3 was originally designed to be a traffic jam-dwelling diesel saloon, and then filled with steroids, a rocket for an engine and rock-hard suspension, the Giulia was designed as a Quadrifoglio from the start. The normal versions are based on the high-performance model, not the other way round. This sets it apart from the competition tremendously.
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Firemarioflower What about the divisive SZ? The 8C, which looks awkward from some angles and drop-dead gorgeous from others? The 4C, which balances between beautiful and too short. Most Alfas have design quirks and imperfections. Also, pictures don't do Alfas justice, generally. That goes for the Giulia as well.
But, above all, Alfas should make you fall hopelessly in love with them. And, in that light, I can comfortably say that I've never obsessed over a new car as much as the Giulia. I've never seen one in the wild, besides a faint glimpse of one passing by in Belgium, and it's the only car I actively look out for. I would buy it over its competitors in a heartbeat, and never look back. That's what Alfas do, they're a drug you keep coming back to.
True, but the carbon fibre is in the underpinnings. Any carbon fibre body parts, such as the bonnet, have been painted and look pretty much normal. No carbon wings or anything are applied on the normal Giulia.
Metaphorically speaking, for crying out loud. BMW's current line-up consists of potentially (and usually) very dull company cars designed to be just that: accountant's cars and family saloons. In other words, mostly diesels that spend their lives in traffic jams. The base models (316 to 330) came first. The car may have above average handling for its class, but it still drives like a four-door saloon, because that's its DNA.
The Giulia, however, is a sports car in disguise. In terms of being a driver's car, its engineering is unparalleled in its class, and rivals purpose-built sports cars that are marketed as such. The Quadrifoglio came first, and that performance-minded approach lies deep in the Giulia's DNA, even in the 2.2 diesel. This means it's also well-engineered to the point where it doesn't need a suspension as firm as that of the 3-Series.
Again, the M3 modifications are of course more complicated. What I said was a stylised description of reality: taking an ordinary car and making it sports car fast, instead of taking a sports car and making it an affordable everyday commuter.
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Firemarioflower I can relate, to some extent, to your nostalgia. While I'm not as pessimistic on the new cars coming out as you are, there's generally something missing. Something that only a few regular cars can maintain. The Giulia is one of those cars. I also maintain that the new Mazda MX-5 has been able to keep its roadster purity, while still managing to move with the times in terms of luxury.
The 500 derivatives are ghastly. However, I doubt FCA is going to kill off Alfa Romeo. There's too much to be earned in the premium market. Now that BMW is focusing more and more on luxury rather than driving panache, Alfa is there to fill the gap left behind. Alfa tried many times to revive the brand: the 156, the Brera, the Giulietta: all of them promised a new horizon and all of them were half-baked and unsuccessful. The Giulia is different, it has the ability to make it and it will make it, I'm confident of that.
It's hardly a fake Alfa, genuinely. The old Giulia saloon was also a relatively interchangeable, but somehow uniquely pretty design. It too was a RWD sports saloon with driving innovations far beyond its class. It's a real Alfa, the signs are everywhere.
Like the M3, the Giulia Quadrifoglio is also a no-compromise car, only more powerful, faster and more advanced where it matters (i.e. no WiFi and less huggable dashboards, but also perfect weight distribution and a purpose-built chassis that makes it both more agile and more comfortable). It's definitely not too expensive either, since it matches or undercuts the 3-Series for base price. And that is before you bend over to the options list.
And 'the original'? I see both Alfa and BMW as pioneers of the sports saloon, with the old Giulia (1962) and the 02-Series (1966) respectively. The difference is that Alfa took a nose-dive due to platform-sharing and mismanagement within the Fiat Group, whereas BMW kept going as normal. However, Alfa is back now.
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***** Determining which spelling is correct is a complicated matter. 'Color' is used by Americans. Every other English-speaking country (so that includes Australia, Canada, etc.), uses 'colour'. Technically, that makes the American spelling wrong. However, due to the immense cultural influence of US, most non-native speakers use American spelling. Although I, despite not being a native speaker, prefer British spelling, both can be correct, depending on where you live.
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***** Really? So it's what Flemish is to Dutch, then. I've always found Belarus a fairly fascinating country, partly because it's the only dictatorship in Europe.
Well, it is fairly nice, if you don't mind the occasional traffic light. And, of course, the rain. But seriously, you love cycling?
130 km a week, all of which is courtesy to my school commuting. If you can call it 'commuting'.
It isn't. I do fairly like animals, depending on which ones, though I'm still an avid meat eater.
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Firemarioflower The problem is, that the X3 has no advantages over an estate whatsoever. It's less practical, less sporty, less comfortable, worse looking and more expensive.
Besides, a petrolhead would much more easily sacrifice fuel economy for more power, sound, torque and everything that makes an engine nice. That said, out of two cars that are on par with each other in every aspect but fuel consumption, everyone, including petrolheads, will always choose the more economical car. Not to mention how petrolheads have limited running cost budgets, like everyone. That's why I want a 2-litre Peugeot 406 Coupé, rather than the magnificent, yet thirsty V6.
I simply like the word 'rubbish'
The Captur handles less sporty than the Clio, yet is much, much more expensive, to buy and run. And like I said, even petrolheads have limited budgets. And it's less practical too.
I have a tendency of calling every somewhat hostile argument a flamewar.
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Firemarioflower Mind the word 'almost'.
Stop hating on cars you don't like. I cannot believe you are the one saying that.
At least Dacias are good for something. They're cheap, giving them a niche. The X3 is more expensive than the 5-Series estate, which is clearly the better car.
The Q3, again, is almost objectively ugly. Not only that, but it's not very practical, not very reliable, not very good to drive, not very new or cutting-edge and more expensive than an A3. It's even outclassed by the Mazda CX-5, BMW X1 (the new one), Merc GLC and all the other crossovers of its size.
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Firemarioflower Some people will want to buy new cars, either because they have to (company cars) or because the depreciation is significantly lower. That, or it simply feels better (more longevity). Unlike the X3, Dacias have a niche. They're worse than their Renault counterparts, but the price matches that. The X3 is worse yet more expensive than a 3-Series Touring, leaving it entirely niche-less.
When asked, a vast majority will say it's ugly.
An A3 is just as practical, a C-segment estate much more so. It handles significantly worse than lower cars, as well as the competition from BMW, Ford and Mazda. It's been around since 2011, which is old by today's standards. The infotainment is old, there isn't a lot of safety equipment. And reliable? TSI engines are notorious for their unreliability, same for DSG gearboxes. The VW Golf, which uses the same technology, is known for its rather unreliable electrics.
It's the same car, just slightly higher up, heaver, older and more expensive.
A CX-5 not 'premium'. But 'premium' is mostly a load of marketing bollocks. It's the shiny badge. Panel gaps and soft-touch plastics are not quality. The CX-5's naturally aspirated engines represent proper longevity and reliability. It's great to drive, looks good thanks to the Kodo design, it's at least as practical and much cheaper. It's only 'lower' from a marketing point of view.
VAG-bashers? Given that you're Dutch, I suppose you're familiar with the comment sections of Autoweek?
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Firemarioflower Technically, it's a new car, since you can buy it new and spec it out the way you want it. That's what matters to some people.
The vast majority, so 80+%
How is a higher ride height better, if it doesn't provide comfort or off-road capability?
True, but the Fiat 500 is a relatively bad car that sells on charm alone these days. At least, until the facelift. The Jimny is just awful by today's standards, hence nobody buys one. The Q5 is there, but it's a decent car at best, hardly class-leading.
What's it with you and the Prius? Yes, it's an awful car, but anyone who disagrees with you seems to drive a Prius in your head...
A well-thought out NA engine like Mazda's SkyActiv engines is more economical and reliable than a tiny 3-cylinder turbo engine. That, however, doesn't necessarily make NA engines the better engines in performance cars, that's still up for debate. I think I already said the same thing in that comment section.
Soft touch plastics aren't very important, unless you hug your dashboard. The difference in build quality is only noticeable if you really pay attention. Real quality is reliability and toughness, and Audis are questionable in that regard. Frankly, those tiny details and the badge aren't worth the extra money if you have the self-esteem to not need a 'premium' brand. Oh, and if anything, it's the automotive media that keep the 'premium' myth alive.
The Q3 has one of the worst integrated screens you can get today, it just sticks out on top of the dash: https://www.audi.co.uk/content/dam/audi/production/Models/NewModelsgallery/Q3range/Q3/2436x1552_Q3_Interior_Front_Dash.jpg
At least the CX-5's screen is inside the dash: https://www.mazda.com.au/assets/cars/cx5/interior/gallery/cx5-2015-interior-gallery-1.jpg
Yes, Kodo is presented with a load of marketing bollocks. But at least it's a recognisable design language, a very pretty one at that.
Ah, thought so. You give off the impression that you are one of them. 'lennie' or 'fileflirter', or 'Voitures Allemandes'. Frankly, both the VAG-bashers and VAG-lovers are being ridiculous, since both bring the company into the arguments in the most ridiculous ways imaginable.
It's a matter of fashion, similarly to how coupé-convertibles were fashionable at some point. That, and road presence, which is apparently a big deal. Either way, sales don't determine the quality of a car. Just look at the Outlander PHEV.
And I'm quite curious as to how socialism has anything to do with this...
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***** I don't know about the OP, but for me, I just don't like their looks. I also don't like how their interiors almost all look the same, or how the 3- and 5-Series can't be told apart, unless they're standing next to each other (so you can compare sizes). Same goes for the X3 and X5, X4 and X6, and the 3 and 5 GT. I don't like how they come up with a myriad of useless niche cars, including aforementioned X4, X6, 3GT and 5GT, as well as the X1. And I don't like how they're a tad overpriced.
They're not necessarily bad cars, but they are overrated. And I personally don't like them; I only like the i8 and the 6 Gran Coupé (the latter still being outclassed by the CLS and A7 IMO)
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***** Yes, but our refugees come from war-torn countries in the Middle East, which are arguably worse than Mexico in that regard.
A wall will not solve drug trafficking...
Belgium is actually quite divided, with the rich northern area of Flanders and the southern area of Wallonia, which is practically a developing country. It's a country of institutional and political chaos, holding the record for the longest government formation time, at 541 days (breaking their own record of 194 days). Molenbeek, the now well-known fertile ground for terrorists, tops off the problems.
You do need to be pragmatic and realistic. There is one very important issue: the rampant inequality, by far the most of any developed country. Quite a few areas of the county look like a third world country, the American Dream is proving itself an illusion and the political culture is turning into a sensation-driven circus more and more. There's plenty of issues, and Trump is not the solution to any of them (and the manifestation of the latter).
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***** I know all of this is true. I'm somewhat up to date with the preliminary tier lists. However, I'm talking about the ones which I specifically can use well. Honestly, I don't quite like Diddy Kong. I think he just doesn't have enough power (or I just need to get used to it). Sheik suffers from this even more, especially because I tend to lose track of such a fast character in 4-player battles.
Same with Jigglypuff; I'm quite rubbish with counter moves (as in, I've never succesfully landed one), and she's rather mediocre otherwise.
I hate Palutena because of her shields; she has two shield specials, and I never actually use any of those. Perhaps I overreacted when I found out and placed her too low, but even then, she's still not good enough to make me want to use her.
Bowser, on the other hand, fits me quite well. Whirling Fortress may be rubbish for recovery, but can deal a hefty amount of damage if all hits connect. I love ground pounds thanks to Yoshi (who is number 1 on the list), and Bowser has one. However, Dash Slam in particular is great; not only is it fairly easy to land and very powerful (especially in 4-player battles, where you can grab one opponent and slam into the other two), but if you don't bother to update your game, like me, you can take anyone out 1v1 by flying off-stage with this move. Add to that some powerful A moves and I don't care about his lack of recovery.
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andyouf Stop saying I'm a 'fanboy'. On a racetrack, the Nissan GT-R (both Nismo and regular) are incredibly fast, and beat cars that are much more expensive than it. That makes it great value compared to many exotic super- and hypercars. However, it shows in the car's looks, interior, luxury equipment, etc.
This is where the Porsche comes in. On a track, it's a tad slower than the Nissan, but compensates for this with a large amount of typical, German luxury and build quality. It's also very pretty. Despite that, it still gets to easily keep up with many, many super- and hypercars, and while it's more expensive than the Nissan, it's still a bargain speed-wise.
Given the choice, I would even go for the Porsche, but I still admire the GT-R for how fast it is.
With the 0-60 times; well, maybe I was wrong. I usually trust the factory figures, but this time, that turned out to be a bad choice. I could hardly have known. That's good to know, then.
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Slif_One That's actually what I tend to do now. I when I beat Steven in OR/AS, the only Pokémon in my team that I got early on was Swampert, my starter. Then, it was Latios, which I recieved at Lv. 30. I couldn't access it until I had Surf. All the other ones were caught between the sixth and seventh gym, except Arcanine, which I caught after the Groudon incident. Noctowl is quite good early on, but as a Hoothoot, it's still terrible. I never actually use it.
But, like you said, its Psychic-type moves are useful against Rock-types, which is one of the reasons why I'd use it as an early Flying-type Gym Leader.
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Leo the Weirdo A lot of cars use transmissions from ZF, the German company that indeed provides the transmission for some Jaguars and Land/Range Rovers. Those Ford engines are just an inheritance from being owned by Ford (who did an afwul job, by the way).
TiddlyOrange Gaming TVR is now owned by a Russian businessman, isn't it? Still as British as can be, like those other companies. Same as Lotus, even though their F1 team is apparently officially from Luxembourg and about to be bought up by Renault.
Also, I would like to make an argument for Bugatti being incredibly complicated in this area: it's a French brand, founded by an Italian in Molsheim, a town in the Elzas area, which throughout history has been claimed by both the French and the Germans. The town itself is currently French, but the name sounds German. Moreover, Bugatti is now owned by the German company of Volkswagen, although the earlier revival in the form of the EB110 was done under the Italian flag. On the outside, the Veyron looks as though it could be Italian or French, but the technology is made by Germans (including the two Audi engines that make up the mighty W16 engine). Confused? That's okay, so am I.
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***** I would say it was aimed at menchildren, given the many cultural references to times well before those teenagers were born. Nonetheless, its appeal is incredibly broad
I wouldn't call them 'blatant attacks', since no actual harm was intended. It was mockery, going near a line sometimes, but never over it.
Opinions of old Bimmers tend to change as the Beamers get older. Either way, when did he say that in the first place?
It's not the only term I know, I'm not soft in the head. I knew his contract wasn't renewed, but I'm not going to say that all the time because it's stylistically very unappealing. Plus, I can't be bothered to in the first place.
Exactly. It stirred the love of cars for many people. It may not be a great representative of petrolhead culture (as its lack of attention for muscle cars and JDM cars shows), but it's a factor enabling car culture to grow and sustain itself.
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freepieanchips I'm pretty sure you're referring to the episode with the cheap sports saloons. The reason they mocked that E36 was its appalling state. The only instance of E46 'mockery' was the Mazda 626 MPS review, where they simply stated it was very expensive and the MPS was much better value. Neither is mockery.
From where I'm standing, both effectively end the employment at (in this case) the BBC, one just does it more rigorously than the other.
I will concede that the BBC carries more responsibility for controversial jokes. In that light, they're better off at Amazon anyway.
That is your opinion, and I'm not going to try and change it. It is, however, not rubbish. You think it's rubbish, similarly to how I think it's great.
Well, that's fine. But there was a place for Top Gear on telly, even if it wasn't informative.
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***** I've seen a lot of fragments of old Top Gear, actually, and I can confidently say that anything missing in today's range of motoring programmes that old TG did have, has now found its place on informative websites. Those subjects no longer belong on audiovisual media, we live in an era of immediate information access and the demise and lack of replacement of old Top Gear is an example of that.
The Cool Wall is entirely stand-up comedy. I find it entertaining, but one should never, ever take it seriously.
I disagree. Every car enthusiast has a dream car, but almost no-one actually owns their dream car. We can drool over cars, know things about them, appreciate them before owning them. Fair enough, owning a car is a next and crucial step, but one does not need to own a car to be a petrolhead. Heck, I've envisioned every bit of owning a first generation MX-5, something I hope to achieve in the next few years. I've played it out in my head countless times, and I look for second hand ones every day. How am I not an enthusiast?
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+freepieanchips Interest does not equal knowledge. Knowledge is the eventual goal of interest. In fact, you could argue that interest in something indicates a lack of knowledge, although I wouldn't go quite so far. Besides, there's more to be found out about cars than their detailed technical workings.
I do have some limited knowledge about technical aspects of a car, but that's not a requirement to be a car enthusiast. If you can put your hand on your heart and honestly say you love cars, you're a petrolhead for all I care. There is absolutely no reason why some parts of the community should have the undeserved, unnecessary sense of haughtiness that you're displaying right now.
The aforementioned Tim Burton likely sees cars as accessories, as rolling jewellery. And indeed, that means he is not a car enthusiast. He's a 'nice things enthusiast', if you will. Top Gear, with its admiration for hot hatches and classic cars, falls on the other side of the spectrum, that of a more intrinsic love of cars.
Nothing wrong with a bit of loose, if childish, humour. Not everything has to be dead serious and informative. That is your taste and you're completely entitled to that, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with Top Gear being infantile.
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***** Because their inner workings aren't relevant to the driving experience. You don't need to know how everything works, as long as you know what it means. I don't know how a turbo intrinsically works, but I know what the consequences of using one are. That is enough.
If Chapman or Ferrari hadn't exhibited understanding of how a car works, they wouldn't have been car manufacturers. How is that relevant to what being a petrolhead means? The people that design the cars are not the entire car community, clearly.
Because, like I said, there's much more to be found out and wondered about cars than the technical aspects. That's why people love the Alfa 8C. A dream car is a car that someone would most like to own if the means are available. Some people can't afford their favourite car, which is why they have a dream car. That doesn't deprive them of their enthusiast status.
A McLaren, you say? I'll assume the 650S.
3.8 litre twin-turbo V8, dual clutch flappy paddle gear box, RWD, mid-engine, 650 bhp, a few more Nm, relatively natural torque curve for a turbocharged car (high-revving, relatively low and late peak torque), 0-60 in 3 secs, 200-ish mph, advanced suspension (with some kind of liquid) that makes for an extremely smooth ride, made by the people who became world champion F1 numerous times. That's more than your average vlogger can muster off the top of their head.
A joke is hardly harmful to a race or culture. It may upset a few people: so be it, you can't take everyone's feelings into account. It'd be a spineless show then. The punching went too far, but essentially ruining the show by 'sacking' (yes, I know...) the trio was not the right solution in my opinion.
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Colin Morgan I'm Dutch. My country is even more cramped than the UK. Our roads are just as littered with speed cameras as yours. Our tax system appears to be designed to force you to buy a car that's as slow and boring as possible. That, however, would motivate me to take the extra taxes and speed tickets and overtake the VW Polo Slowmotion kitchen blenders at 160 kph on the motorway, while letting the 5.2 litre V10 engine roar. I'd try to make driving as fun as I possibly can here. We don't have nice roads and corners anyway, so if you want to be fast, you'd have to do that in a straight line.
Oh, and the Cayenne is awful. It looks awful and costs too much. The RS6 is no beauty, but it's quite elegant (the old model, without the spoilers, the flaps and all that sort of rubbish). The Superb is a big lump of car and you can see that, but it's still fairly good looking as is. The Cayenne is a footballer's car. If you look past what they do for a living, footballers are awful people.
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Colin Morgan Why, thank you! I haven't actually got a driving license, but I can imagine myself becoming something of a GT driver. Driving rapidly through mild corners for a bit of excitement, but still in comfort, with the big and powerful engine making a reassuring noise as I go along, occasionally producing an outburst of power as I shift down using the paddles on the steering wheel.
I'd rather not sit in concrete Recaro racing seats and be shaken and stirred by a suspension that's as stiff as Silvio Berlusconi on an Italian beach on a hot summer's day, while having a tiny and torqueless, but uptight and powerful engine scream in my ear. And all that, while wrestling with a heavy clutch, a clunky gear lever and the heavy steering, which moves about as the car tries its best to propel me straight off the track with unpredictable handling that may be effective in professional hands, but is downright dangerous for normal people. It would be frightening, and while the adrenaline rush of getting it right is rewarding, I'd rather sit back and enjoy a B-road in, say, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the only car I've ever driven besides a BMW 130i (on a racetrack, with an instructor).
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Colin Morgan It was a day on which teenagers 12 years or older could drive a car around a track. Officially, you weren't allowed to go faster than 60 kph for safety reasons, but I had a very loose instructor who let me go faster than that. He never even said anything, except for when I approached somebody else too closely or when I went too fast for a very tight bend. I hit 110 on the straights, though I thought I'd not go any faster than that, as to not upset the people who organised it all.
I prefer to call myself a car entheusiast rather than a petrolhead. Why? Well, I have no idea how a car works. From reading car reports, I know what understeer and oversteer is, and between driving that Aston and carting, I know what 'communicative steering' and a 'connection to the road' means. But how cars work? I have no idea. But, more importantly, I'm a person who appreciates pretty much all cars. Even something such as the BMW X6M; I don't like it, but I think it's funny for its silliness. I'm even quite fascinated by alternative drivetrains (electricity, hydrogen), and love the Tesla Model S for being a GT and a sleeper, and doing an amazing job while it's at it. I still love the sound of a massive engine, but I'm not as fanatical as most petrolheads. I guess that's the difference between a petrolhead and a car entheusiast.
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DesertStateInEu What exactly is sad about learning English from Top Gear?
'It performs better'. On a racetrack, it does. On an incredibly long stretch of road, it might. But anywhere else? I don't think so.
'Looks better'. It looks like (and is) a Lotus Exige (which isn't a beauty) with too many spoilers. Sure, you may think the Veyron is vulgar, but that's entirely up to your taste. In order to like the looks of the Venom, an age of 8 is required.
'Costs less'. That's true. I can't argue with that (though there is a reason it costs less).
'Will likely last longer'. Rubbish. The engine is a random V8, pushed to near unhealthy limits. Overly tuned engines simply aren't reliable. And that, while there are plenty of Veyrons that have done 50.000 sandy, fast miles through the UAE, without any issues.
An Aston is infinitely more stylish, practical and easy to drive, not to mention cheaper, than a Henessey Venom. And I haven't even mentioned the Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren 650S, Lambo Aventador and, god forbid, the Nissan GT-R.
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I'm sorry, Elektross unfair? Rubbish! His stats, while well-rounded, are mediocre at best. He can simply be forced through with sheer power. On top of that, some Pokémon (Excadrill in particular), have abilities that can negate other Pokémon's abilities, negating Elektross's Ground immunity. As a result, Elektross is in the 'Rarelyused' (RU) tier, which is above Neverused and below Under- and Overused (also known as Standard).
What would've been a better entry? Well, Mega Rayquaza is an obvious choice. He got banned from the Ubers tier, which is already a banlist of the standard OU tier. If you're overpowered in a tier of overpowered Pokémon, you know something's wrong. That said, this video might have been released prior to the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Mega Rayquaza's debut games.
That leaves one other candidate: Mewtwo. While balanced as of now, it was the very definition of overpowered in Red, Blue and Yellow on the Gameboy. Being in the top 5 (out of 151) fastest and top 10 bulkiest Pokémon, as well as being the single hardest-hitting Pokémon in the game, Mewtwo is already incredibly difficult to counter. Combine that with the ability to learn a vast amount of moves (including Amnesia, which doubles the power of, and durability against, special as opposed to physical moves) and the Psychic-type, an already overpowered type, and you've got a Pokémon that can flawlessly sweep through teams. The only thing remotely capable of stopping it is Chansey, which has almost unbreakable special bulk, but it too will eventually fall to Mewtwo's wrath without being able to do much back.
That's a lot better than Elektross.
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***** I'd recommend a Legacy estate (or 'wagon', as Americans call them). Reliable, well-built, pretty without being posh and very safe. It's also spacious, sounds surprisingly good with its flat-four and flat-six engines and comes with quite a lot of luxury (which won't break easily). It comes with 4WD too, always useful in the winter. If you want to go off-road (you know, climbing and stuff), I recommend the Subaru Outback. It's the same car as the Legacy, but with more ground clearance as well as low-range gearing and such. It is slightly more expensive, though, and heavier. If you don't need the off-road capabilities, you're better off with a Legacy.
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***** Any specific demands regarding practicality (boot/trunk size, amount of seats), engine (4, 6 or 8 cylinders, how much power, fuel economy), budget, looks, driving (comfortable, sporty, RWD vs. AWD) and reliability?
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