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El Kabong

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Everything posted by El Kabong

  1. El Kabong
    25 billion Euro's worth of value in half a week. Insane.
  2. El Kabong
    Hey, I didn't make you look like a moron. That was all on you. Sure was funny to watch you absolutely lose it tho :D And since you brought it up... Ford was as underhanded as VW.
  3. El Kabong
    If you're referring to VW, they're as guilty as sin. That software existed since, what, '09? I mean, this is a huge, and hugely deliberate, attempt to pull a fast one on the EPA. And mark my words, they will be hammered for it. But they'll bounce back.
  4. El Kabong
    The same reason some manufacturers got busted for lying about FE-their marketing folks wrote checks the engineers couldn't cash. My truck uses urea. Still gets awesome FE. Urea usage is pretty modest too Sorry, overshooting and then correcting mpg hybrid figures, based on the updated drive cycles of extreme variability like a hybrid.....is hardly the same thing as intentionally falsifying software to cover your lies, and the whole time you are spewing cancer causing emissions into the environment in HUGE numbers. Ford has nothing to do with this news here. Bring them up again and it's good for some downvotes.......and we all know how you lose it when you get downvotes. I didn't mention Ford ONCE in that post. Perhaps you've heard of Hyundai/Kia? So, tell me... when do you get fitted for your tinfoil hat? :D Turnips. Yeesh
  5. El Kabong
    The same reason some manufacturers got busted for lying about FE-their marketing folks wrote checks the engineers couldn't cash. My truck uses urea. Still gets awesome FE. Urea usage is pretty modest too
  6. El Kabong
    If you had just read my last sentence you could have saved that poor bandwidth a wasted life.
  7. El Kabong
    Sometimes you turn the traction control off. Then you have a more realistic idea of what the limits of FWD are. Computers can make Mario Andrettis of us all. The layout helps determine at what power level that will occur.
  8. El Kabong
    Alright, alright, I forgot to put in the "V8" part of my point. Pushrod V6 engines CAN work well in FWD cars. But the S/C 3.8 was a rough diamond. Even as a guy who used to bolt them together I'll say that.
  9. El Kabong
    True, mostly. Those supercharged Grand Prixs were pretty squirrelly too tho
  10. El Kabong
    This mess is going to be a big litmus test for the concept of government regulation of the automobile. This isn't a situation like with GM, where the media talking heads already have it in for them. This is VW, the darling of the hippie generation who went on to infest the chattering classes. I suspect that within five years, VW will have weathered the storm. Either the old hippies will circle the busses, or the buying public will shrug their shoulders at the EPA's screaming.
  11. El Kabong
    And yet who would have ever considered as little as 25 year ago 4 cylinder engines would hold 85% of the market after coming off an era that the V8 held the vast majority of for several decades?I never said there would never be one. Note how I stated they will be offered in less vehicles and they will be much more expensive. You can even see that is how things are working out today. Give it 10 years and more regulations and few people will be able to afford one.At some point I also expect the Corvette to receive an second engine option with less than 8 cylinders. It won't be right away but the time is coming.I do not say this with happiness but the hand writing is on the wall. When Ford is going to sell a TTV6 car for $400,000 and not even offer a V8 is very telling of where this is going.So far on the Hemi front no one from Chrysler has posted a denial to the loss of the Hemi. I would think if it were false they would have said they had plans for the future and that was not one. Sergio is out of so much money only if they merge with someone willing to save the Hemi may be the only hope. Sergio can not afford to save it himself as of now. A few counterpoints: The demise of the V8 in mainstream passenger cars was brought about as much by the space advantages of FWD as anything else. And as I alluded to, a FWD pushrod engine is not a particularly bright idea. Similarly, Ford's engine choice for the GT is not a particularly bright idea, driven more by marketing shills than anyone who actually has a clue about Ford's performance heritage. There's a reason they're only planning to sell a couple hundred per year-there probably aren't that many takers out there. The Corvette can all but score 30mpg with a non-hybrid smallblock in a 3300-pound car. There's still plenty of wiggle room, both in vehicle development and regulatory fine print. Mopar is Mopar. They will sort things out, or not. The Hemi is just one piece of that puzzle.
  12. El Kabong
    Look. If I had a dollar for every time I heard about the demise of the V8 engine I could buy a dozen cars that had them. I give the companies the benefit of the doubt.
  13. El Kabong
    Because you can't fit a V8 in a Sonic, and you shouldn't put a V8 in an Impala. The V8 will survive. It may require hybridization and/or turbocharging to do so. But it will.
  14. El Kabong
    ...oops, another idea just came to me: what if they need to use extra gasoline in the DI system as an evaporative cooling aid for the extra temperatures the boost generates? The RUF Yellowbird CTR was notorious for this.
  15. El Kabong
    Nailed it perfectly. Well done.
  16. El Kabong
    Doctor Who is back. Peter Capaldi plays Roy Orbison songs on an electric guitar in medieval England. It's the kind of goofiness most sci-fi shows can't pull off, knowhatimean?
  17. El Kabong
    Ok ok... I see your point. And no, I'd never buy a Benz half-ton myself. But if they decided to go for it, you can be sure it would be interesting.
  18. El Kabong
    Re: the boosted four question: Drew, FWIW the only variable I can see in that little riddle is that boost pressure won't be constant, but compression ratio will. That may mean more rapid fluctuations in ignition temps and thus NOx production. Besides that, I will admit to a bit of puzzlement.
  19. El Kabong
    Have you really spent any time with a Turbo DI engine of 300 HP? I have and I would hardly call it adequate. Is it an SS or GT? No but do you see that emblem on it. My Turbo will run tight with some 13 Sec V8 cars if I can get it to hook up. FWD suck but the engine can deliver times better than many big blocks of the past.Perhaps you didn't see the earlier posts where I mentioned that Ford's not particularly honest about the fuel requirements for this car and that, in this application, it cannot keep pace around VIR with a Mini that had a sale price of several thousand less. All independently verified by C/D, and all pointing toward my antipathy for this particular car/engine combo. Once again, let's not forget: THIS IS NOT THE BASE ENGINE. Also, once again a big shout-out to the downvote-happy whiny butts :D
  20. El Kabong
    The thing is, the EB engine is barely adequate for North American Mustangs (C/D once again had to put 93 Octane in the Lightning Lap car, putting he boots to Ford's claims about recommended fuel again), never mind Yurp. The car will sell, in niche numbers, to Germans who like Budweiser and Brits who remember Galaxies in the BTCC races of yore. But after that... pffffffft. It's too large, it's barely faster than a Focus RS to 60, and it can't handle. But now, let us clear out palates of the riff-raff from Dearborn, and talk about a REAL pony car
  21. El Kabong
    I enjoy kicking fanbois in the plums as much as anyone, but the G-class was first and foremost a military vehicle. Like the Humvee and Jeep, it is rugged, simple, and rough as a cob. If I laugh at it it's mainly because they force AMG to hot-rod it. VW could have done a good global-Ridgeline kind of thing. But I don't consider that a truck so much as a minivan with a bed. And VW has other, more pressing matters at this point.
  22. El Kabong
    It won't even sell that well. You heard it here first.
  23. El Kabong
    The last time I checked (in Top Gear Magazine, possibly-I do forget the source), the RHD Mustang had moved roughly 2,000 units. If accurate, the old Probe was a better representative of the global sport coupe. More interesting was the take rate of the V8: I believe that the Richard Hammonds of England are snatching them up at a greater take there than here... roughly 40% in fact. And if by "several" engines you mean "one that lags the LT1 in power and one that revs to the moon but lags the LT1 in torque," then yes, you are correct. Also disconcerting was the EB's performance at Lightning Lap, where it couldn't beat a Mini around VIR despite an as-tested price of 38 large. Ezra Dyer was particularly cruel in his column that month. Now, since I downvoted you already for deviating from the thread topic (your rules, I believe ), I look forward to your downvote, complete with explanation why :D ...also, the 327 Camaro would completely rule, both in the performance AND sales charts. Ford's middle engine isn't that good.
  24. El Kabong
    Of all the Eurpoean brands, Benz has the best chance of succeeding in the truck biz-mid-size or half-ton. They have diesel and gasoline powertrains, they know how to do BOF chassis (G-Class), and they can build 'em rugged (Unimog). The problem is that unless they simply want to chase the high end of the segment, they may dilute the brand image in North America. Conversely, if they concentrate solely on the top end of the segment than GM is ready for them.
  25. El Kabong
    There are two problems with this scenario: -the cars are not French enough to distinguish themselves as French, -if the cars were obviously French, they would not appeal to North American tastes enough to sell (except possibly for Quebec).
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