oldshurst442

15 hours ago, Wings4Life said:

http://newatlas.com/ev-charging-station-network-united-states/44522/

 

..... 

DOW is up in record high numbers....HA!!!

De-regulation in the 1980s by the guy you have in the pic there started a greed on Wall Street that continues on today...

I cringe when I hear anything coming out of Wall Street because I simply don't trust ANYTHING they say...

Ford of Europe and GM of Europe's shares probably went up...which benefits Detroit headquarters...but that is good for Europe's future not America's...

Wings...this is about the EV infrastructure...in Europe...

....

And yes...If the US would embark on building a 350kW infrastructure in North America. Canada and Mexico would jump on board and we could have a new Industrial revolution...

6 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I think the crumbling EU and the rise of infighting among European countries wills end shock waves through the European auto industry. Plus a lot of people will want to move production out of England now that they are no longer part of the EU.

Interesting times!

I did not think of the Brexit...I forgot about it...OOPSIES!

but it sure is an interesting time...

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I could really see the French doing this.

But they would have to be willing to have a long term cash infusion to get the three to market.

I think they are willing.

Tesla could boost their own flagging car industry.

Tesla could put a boost in their industry.

Maybe at the expense of Citroen or Peugeot or Renault?

It don't matter. If their car industry could still employ Frenchies...and their factories don't end up being vacant....

Germany has put a strangle hold on many European car manufacturing countries...

Letn us not go too far into this...

Bottom line is that Europe and its people are looking into the future to try to better their transport and pollution.

To better the lives of every European.

To live in a European Dream.

7 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Exactly why I said in the Cadillac thread that our luxury cars will  eventually be built to Chinese tastes and not US tastes.

 

Americans want all of the benefits of living in a first world, first rate society with none of th effort...let me know how that works out for them...

Tesla has enormous cash flow problems that will get orders of magnitude worse under the Trump administration, my thought is put a fork in it, but I could be wrong...and hope that I am.

I aint arguing there!

But...Tesla could move their headquarters to another country. Sure the mega battery factory will still be in the States, but they could move their headquarters elsewhere...and France...

France already has told Tesla they could use one of their old Nuclear electricity producing plants to use for building their cars  AND France WILL fit the bill for converting that plant if they choose to move there...

If Europe surpasses the USA for electric car sales along with China...Tesla might bolt out of the US...with little money involved as I imagine England or some Nordic country would court them with France...

Coincidently...that is why I think Tesla will survive and continue on...

Because the both the industry and the people view Tesla as the benchmark.

The industry does not want to admit this...but the consumer is not shy to express that opinion.

Tesla is the one to continue to innovate AND IMPLEMENT these changes without HESITATION.

Unless Tesla STOPS their passion for electrification and another player sweeps in to take their place...I don't see Tesla stumbling.

We make fun of Tesla with some of their moves and decisions...

But this is a NEW formula where nothing is written to base of what must be done.

Tesla is the one to write the formula going forward and many of their ideas WILL be misses.

But THAT is how technology rolls anyhow...like I said...if Tesla continues with their passion for electrification...Tesla aint going nowhere but forwards.

Europe and China sadly...looks like THEY will be the NEXT hubbub of giving us the way of how we humans live in the current future and will leave the USA in the dust...in the past...

Make America Great Again...

Sure!

Yup...I wanted to comment on this.

It goes to show you how the rest of the planet seems to want to embrace electricity while us in North America are dragging our feet.

IRONY...at the turn of the last century...the 1900s...when the industrial revolution was starting to heat up...England and the USA was at the forefront of this revolution and the USA as a young nation exploded unto the scene with its youthful enthusiasm regarding revolutionary life style changes...

Sure there were other nations that were industrializing themselves, but not at the fervour and rate the USA was.

At the turn of this century...The USA is like a caveman, grunting and scratching his testicles reminiscing about the  good 'ole days of making America great again...but little do they understand that moving forward into this world of electrification WILL make America great again...

FORD of Europe and GM of Europe are in this with the other European car makers...

You add Tesla into the mix and you got the NEW Detroit Big 3 LEADING the way...

TESLA is the GIANT in this and GM is just about the biggest automobile car manufacturer again...Hyundai might have something to say about that...but it don't matter...GM still beats Hyundai in innovations...IF ONLY AMERICA UNCUFFS GM TO LEAD THE WAY IN THE USA AS WELL!!!

Yes with ELECTRIFICATION...

Johan de Nysschen wants to take Cadillac racing with fossil fuel technology...

What a BACKWARRDS step that is...

There is an F1 Electric car race in the making as we speak...

Cadillac should do that instead...but NO!

Americans still believe the V8 motor is the way to go...

The V8 motor my friends is a dying breed....

Tesla has changed that mind set...

OK...

Now for a more commoner hot 100 list.

1958 Plymouth Fury

1966-1967 Pontiac GTO convertible

Any Ford Mustang...minus the Mustang II 1974-1978 years. And the ugly 1973 model year.

Pictured here is a new one.

1932 and 1933 Ford Hot Rods.

Any Chevrolet Impala that actually was produced as a stylish, luxurious for a Chevy family hauler.

From 1958 to 1970. Then from 2014 to today. 1994-1996 could be included...

1967 pic.

Unfortunately Ive never owned a top 100 hot car that deserves to be on a list where people actually would agree that the cars I owned in question are truly top 100 hot cars.

SO...here is what Id start with.

Any Cadillac Eldorado from 1957 all the way to 1970. Ill post a pic of a chopped 1957 version.

Early 1960s Lincoln Continental

1955 Chrysler C300

1965 Buick Riviera. 1964 works too, but its hotter when those headlights are hide-a-ways

1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

1936 Mercedes Benz 500K

1935-1936 Duesenberg SSJ...or an early 30s boat tail J

1 hour ago, Frisky Dingo said:

Guys, relax. Chevy was already competing in IMSA, and this body is on an established chassis. It also uses the engine it has been for several years. GM was going to race anyway, there's no harm in them rebadging their effort as a Cadillac. The development costs for this were very low in the world of sports car racing.

OK....I read the article fast and kinda misinterpreted the existing established chassis part of this whole equation.

I still stand by my rant though, minus the waste of money part as really it wont cost Cadillac that much money.

I stand by what I said about racing will not cure what is ailing Cadillac even if racing does indeed bring exposure.

People that might one day buy a Cadillac TODAY and in the NEAR FUTURE dont  care about racing....irony as this whole RWD Arts and Science project when it began almost 2 decades ago was what people wanted THEN for cars and for Cadillac..maybe.

That ship has sailed...that was 20 years ago.

Today, my guy feeling tells me rich folk are aching to buy a modern Cadillac Land Yacht. Not necessarily a wobbly floaty Cadillac and not necessarily a speed demon either...

Escalade SUV extra premium luxury  and Ciel convertible and El Miraj personal coupe and 4 door sedan in my opinion is what is missing from Cadillac rather than an NSX or LFA or SLS type halo car.

The sports cars they have in the V Series cars

The pedigree to legitimize these V Series cars through this racing endeavor wont do too much to bring people into the showrooms...a sexy long sleek 4 door convertible will....and a dealership experience that is akin to a boutique car maker to  complete the package....

Instead of going racing, maybe they should go to a beauty salon for a dealership experience make-over...

WITH 1 HUGE EXCEPTION...

if Cadillac went ELECTRIC MOTOR racing...THEN it would be beneficial to its image going forward....

TECHNOLOGY.....THAT is what got them the Dewar award a 100 years ago....

Precision engineering was a breakthrough then and was part of technological advancement...

You see...this is where I think Cadillac is spinning its wheels stupidly going nowhere fast!

MONEY WASTED BIG TIME!!!

1. Cadillac's image woes have nothing to do with having a racing heritage...

First of all, Cadillac hardly has a racing heritage. What? Once or twice in their 100 plus year history Cadillac raced in maybe 5-6 races?

2. Cadillac's image woes have something to do with an award that was won by them 100 years ago and them not meeting those standards for quite some time...

The Dewar award...and how Cadillac aint the Standard of the World anymore...

THAT is what plagues Cadillac...not for the lack of racing cars in 2016...

They build a Ciel and build it right...people will come back...

V Series Cadillacs have torn the 'Ring all right...people aren't exactly breaking down the door to own a Cadillac...

I think this pic drives my point home...

And to compare...

In my eyes, just a stubby blob the Bentley is...

The Benz dont fare any better...although its less stubby and blobby but jelly beany uninspiring non-the-less...

In my eyes at least.

On ‎2016‎-‎11‎-‎26 at 9:48 AM, Frisky Dingo said:

For me...I dont know...

The Bentley convertible looks like a blob. Nothing grand about it exterior wise that makes me feel like a king of England...Its a Bentley for Christ's sake...

The Mercedes convertible. Its awright...but it dont make me feel anymore special either. That is why I chose the 4 door sedan version. The 4door Sedan S Class is a grand car. The Bentley Mulsanne is OK too, but if I owned Trump Towers and Trump Plaza along with a casino or two, honestly, with an ego that goes with slapping my name on everything, a Mulsanne wouldnt do either...

There is something about classic luxury American land yachts that exude that necessary elitism that goes with those high price tags but they those big ole land yachts have that certain je ne sais quoi arrogance that I look for.

Mercedes from time to time succeeds in mimicking Classic Cadillacs, Lincolns and Chryslers, but sometimes they dont.

Rolls Royce and Bentley, the modern ones, have too much German DNA in them...VW and BMW have no clue how to channel their arrogant management ways to style their cars.

The old Rolls and Bentleys had the English pompousness and snootiness that worked well in their designs and their marketing... 

'adequate power' levels is just as powerful a marketing tool that seduces me  as much as big fins and huge chromed bumpers or sleek, low, long, straight lines of a Lincoln Continental...

Sure, modern tech and materials beat the crap outta anything the 1960s gave us...

But really, how could that blob Bentley compare to this?

Cars like this you cruise around in....you dont drive fast, you want people to ogle you.

The only reason people ogle the owners of Bentleys is that even regular folk know that Bentleys cost a ton of money to purchase...its the price tag that gets the attention, not the artistry of the lines of the car...

That is why it  was and still is super important that Cadillac gives us this:

In other words. Neither the Bentley nor the Mercedes is majestic to my eyes.

The price tag is certainly majestic, but not the looks.

37 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Because European car makers feel a need for a billion different models and trim levels.  I like how Benz sells two doors, convertibles and wagons....but BMW and Benz are off of the chain when it comes to the number of different models.

It be awesome if it truly were different models...

Its more or less the same bloody model...

A 5 Series BMW is the 4 door.

A 6 Series is the coupe, is based off of the 5 Series and its platform.  Which is cool as the 6 Series looks nothing like the 5 Series...which is cool as odd numbers in the naming scheme equals 4 doors and even numbers constitute 2 doors....but, there is a 6 Series Grande Coupe which has, um, 4 doors...but that too is cool because like I said, the 6 Series looks nothing like the 5 Series, 4 doors or not...

But it would be cooler still if this pleasant anomaly would only exist at the 5/6 Series level.

The same madness happens with the 3 Series. Not cool.

M-B does the same thing, and will get nuttier still if this rumor in the article is correct.

I prefer when GM did it their way. Somehow GM's badge job engineering made more sense than the madness we are witnessing with M-B and BMW...

With GM, we often got 4-5 different names but twas 1 car...yet it seems less mad GM's way..

@Frisky Dingo

That 1st gen CLS is just mind blowin good.

It is also the first of a trend that even mainstream family haulin' sedans are copying,

Trendsetting awesomeness!!!

I loooooove this gen CLS as much as the 1st gen.

I have a feeling I will love the next gen as well.

The W211 E class was the last E Class I liked.

AMG on the CLS and on the S Class is what I lust over at Mercedes Benz.

And that is as far as it goes for me for Mercedes Benz in 2016 for me.

The SLS for me was OK. I liked it. But had I been a billionaire, I dont think Id buy one. Aston Martin or Lamborghini or Ferrari would get my money over the SLS.

 If I understood correctly...1 car, 2 different names...separated by trim level and performance?

Why the need to separate the car into 2 names?

Whatever the case may be...

As we all know, cars more often than not, are a depreciating asset.

When I went to school, in high school even...high school accounting economics class taught us to amortize depreciating assets...

People today dont amortize their stuff properly and its MANDATORY to do it right on cars....

Meaning....

The first step is to not buy toooooo much car than needed or afforded

The second step is to buy second hand if new is not feasible.

The third step is to NEVER EXCEED A MONTH LOAN MORE THAN 48 months.......

And if possible, take advantage of 0.9% or 1.9% financing...

The forth step is to keep that car up until it dies

The fifth step is to properly maintain the car

The sixth step is to keep in mind that cars need fixin and that means it takes  money

The seventh step is to NOT buy other junk when you are tight with money such as upgrading your cell phone every 6 months and to buy the latest fashion trends and to continually buy 6 dollar lattes at Starbucks...

Meaning...

Dont buy/lease Impala when Cruze is what could be afforded. And even then, buy Sonic if even a Cruze is toooo much car...

Cruze and Sonic too small?

Then a USED Impala should do....

OK....there are MANY options today, no need to buy Impala when specials on Accord is available or to even buy used when sooooo many cars from sooooo many manufactures exist but then again, the used  car market is flooded and so forth and so forth....

Bottom line is:

People dont AMORTIZE PROPERLY ANYMORE....

THEREFORE, I might sound self righteous...but I amortize properly.

Back in 2007....I owned 2 restaurants....

In 2005 I bought a $40 000 CDN Impala SS.

In 2007, I bought a 32 000 Ford Edge base model.

In 2009, the current restaurant I own helped in keeping the other restaurant afloat. It was bleeding money and the 1st restaurant's profits were used to pay the 2nd restaurant's bills.

I couldnt afford the 2007 Ford Edge.

I downsized to a 2009 Mazda 3 base model.

I did not have time to amortize the Edge properly but I had put a substantial down payment on it and when I traded it in for the Mazda, all I did was lower my payments to 200 dollars less per month, increased my loan to just 6 months more  than I would have for the Edge, and at that....the loan for the Edge was just a 48 month loan....

People are dumb with their money and they make dumb decisions with their money and while we could blame Corporations and banks that make it all too easy for the fools to part with their money, the REAL problem concerning this upside down thing rest SOLELY on the CONSUMER.

Yes yes.

Life happens and sometimes we have NO CHOICE to end up upside down....

I aint talking about THAT situation....

I am talking about when people DECIDE ALL BY THEMSELVES TO NOT AMORTIZE their purchases properly.....

And in 2016, there are a shtye load of people in that category...

31 minutes ago, Frisky Dingo said:

I don't recall FWD slugs (Buick) or smog-choked barges (Lincoln) being choices. Nice utter lack of attempts at playing, though, thanks. 

LOL.

1. I did answer the question at hand. I truly do prefer the S600 Guard over the Bentley, but...I prefer the older American cars over both...

2. That Lincoln, the smog choked one from the 70s, is probably LS swapped...so...it aint smog choked...

47 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Actually, I find the pic of Reagan more offensive than the eighties cars...anyhow....

Yes, I want stylish cars to continue, but there are very few modern cars I actually like.

Me and you...we are similar in thoughts....its scary.

I was watching a CNN special(s) the other day on the 70s and 80s...

5 or 6 one hour long episodes on each decade....half way through one of those was interrupted to mention Castro's passing...anyway...

Regan...

I was disgusted by him from those episodes...Rest in Peace Mr. Regan non the less...when I heard the documentary kept stressing the fact that HE KEPT STRESSING that the USSR is EVIL...

OK...back then I hated the USSR...but I was naive...but I was also a teenager...

Imagine how regular average Dimitri (Joe) Russians thought of us and our shytty ways everytime Regan called them evil...

Irony...visions of Donald Trump insulting tirades IMMEDIATELY came to my mind...

So yeah...I share your thoughts on that...

Oh...I just realized de-regulation that he made opened up the door for Wallstreet greed that is stll alive and well today...

OK...I dont know if de-regulation was the way to go to get America out of that economic rut, it did work, but a WORSE can of worms opened up...

Sorry for the political post..

Regarding car styling...

The expensive cars, the so-called luxury stuff...well...other than Aston Martin and the odd M-B CLS 4DOOR COUPE  and BMW M6 Grand Coupe, no modern car tugs at my passions.

I actually prefer the mainstream stylings of cars today rather than the expensive cars...BMW, M-B, Audi, Lexus, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Porsche (Panamera), Bugatti...all blah!!!

Here.

Here is another American land yacht Id rather...

If Im gonna spend a ton of money on a ride, I might as well choose something that has style and says to the receiving party that awaits my arrival: "Hey! I'M HERE!"

I want stylish cars to continue...if 4 door coupes is what it takes then HOORAY!!!

I remember a time when this rolling crap roamed the planet of America.

Let us present a VW product also during this same disgusting era of automobiles

Bricks on wheels

This is funny to me as it was during the 1980s that Mr. Ronald Reagan told Mr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev:

I dont know what all this means, with all that bricks and walls coming down, but I really dont want to go back to the 1980s automotive styling....sure there were some nice cars around, most were FUGLY. I AM FULLY GRATEFUL WITH 4 DOOR COUPES ROAMING AROUND!!! 

Never liked a Bentley. Especially these modern ones.

I would take a 4 door S Class AMG.

Bullet proof and bomb proof version...

The S600 Guard....

But ultimately Id rather a classic restomod American land yacht from Cadillac or Lincoln or Oldsmobile..

While I agree with what Mr. DFELT and  CCAP, I personally will ALWAYS put the onus on the BUYER...

WHY?

Because he/she shoudnt be buying or leasing, especially leasing, new cars regularly if he/she cannot afford them. Leasing is good for some people, for most though, it shoudnt even be a thought let alone an action.

If people PREFER to bite off more than they could chew, let them choke...

Sure, banks and finance people and dealerships want to make money and morally they shoudnt take advantage of these people, but...this still falls under the responsibility of a consumer being responsible of his/her own finances...

Personally, I have some cash saved up in my bank account(s)...I CANNOT wait when interest rates sky rocket again so I could start making money off my hard work and smart consumer choices with my savings...

And no....while I do have some investments going on, I refuse to do heavy "investments" as greed fuels the dudes controlling the investment industry and I dont want any shyster telling me: "yo dude, the market had a hiccup today and poof, your money is gone..."

I remember the crazy '80s all too well...and sure enough, history repeated itself 20 short years later...

If somebody wants to keep up with the Jones-es and they end up hurting...not my problem.....and why do I feel like that?

Because while its great to have low interest rates when I buy big ticket items for myself...at this point in my life, it would be better if high interest rates would be available to me for the money I have earned and saved, high interest rates dont exist because it protects those fools that part with their money easily...

@A Horse With No Name I dont know why the need to change a good working car so often...

Then again I do...

Image and status and shyte...

Vanity is a sin....but then again, who listens to HIM anyway?

Im having a rough time with this.

1.  1974 Pontiac Trans Am

Why 1974. Because she was rated at 290 HP with the 455 SD as the 1973 is rated above the cut off point. The 1977-1979 Trans Ams barely made 200.  Its kind of a blur but I still get to have a 455 big block V8 with 290 horsies...I get the pre-catalytic converter mess too  and while the shaker hood was not functional, I  could remove the back plate easily...

2. 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. 260 Horsepower.

3. E39 BMW 540i

4.4 V8 rated between 282 and 291 HP. Saw one the other day in mint condition and I wanted it so bad!!! (you did not read that last part)

4. 1st generation Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 V8 250 HP

5. 1987 Buick Grand National GNX

Rated at 276 HP

Jeep SRT I said...as a joke....

You did say you missed the first 4Runner  you had. I had that 4Runner in my mind when I mentioned the Jeep SRT....

Well good for you for going back to it!!!