balthazar

Yea- I never could understand the move to put a toyoyo 4-banger in a Lotus. Image-wise, that's a LCD in a HCD. To follow it up with a proposed toyoyo V-8 flagship?? No way Cadillac needs to build it's own motors, and one co-engineered with Lotus is not going to gain any traction in Cadillac's segment, IMO.

Well, isetta was produced under BMW thru '62, so the profit there did carry into the '60s. Good thing; because the other cars dripped red ink out the tailpipes. But the early 3-series/ 2002 cars CERTAINLY were not "look at me" cars- back then, BMW were often bought for tossing around/ sporting drivers cars. Not like today. IMO, the 3-series cars weren't ever anything in the way of visual attention grabbers until they got Banglized.

BMW was actually 'saved from the brink' by the Isetta.

>>"Horsepower... steering & suspension... ride & handling..... THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS is how to beat BMW..."<< :wacko:

BMWs are bought for the badge, not for riding & handling. Only the magazines & the magazine readers get off on those subjectives. Most people react far quicker to simple numbers, like '10-spd transmission' and such. That said, I would definitely like to see the ATS being on par with the 3-series, which is certainly within reach.

Caught part of a promo for the U.S. Top Gear latest episode- looks to up The Bar on Staggeringly Stupid. I saw a Roadmaster wagon filled with water, driving & dripping, and a Fiero intentionally rear-ending a circa '70 Cutlass. I struggle to imagine how they're going to top undercut this feat. Much like the Hasselhoff show- this train wreck should've been stopped after 1 episode.

Clementine is Example 1 of where awful styling crosses over from subjective to objective. Had a hideous, barren interior with awful ergonomics, but I can see how some would call that 'great'. Oooo; that is luxurious! -- -- -- -- -- Quick! Which car is this passage describing : >>"The design was based on a new architectural concept. The unusual proportions respected the fundamentals of executive vehicle design: safety, comfort, ride, equipment. Through a subtle alchemy, (--X--) combined the values of several types of vehicle. It had the (--X--) architecture, space, functionality and user-friendly features of an MPV, the design, drivability and dynamic ride of a coupe..."<< That's right- it also describes this vehicle full of "neat tricks & ideas": I like to think of it as what would happen if a Packard & an Econoline made a baby.

it's the SAME DAMNED CAR!!!!!! At least the hideous, 'broken' Embolado or the Charger-esque Estoque is different.... Damn.

Facts are facts. If some people chose to delude themselves, it is they that are acting 'dumb'.

66.5 MPH in the slalom is within 1 MPH of the 3-series (67.3)- not good for BMW.

BMW 6 should be better than a Mustang too, right? It isn't.

Gee- that's why you EDUCATE them. And I don't think it's stupidity as much as the fact that the information isn't presented to them.

That's where educating the consumer to be more intelligent than just 'morer gears = betterer' is the job of a successful PR department. Get beyond the superficial; get technical.

I didn't realize there were consumers already nostalgic for 1995.

I have no issues sleeping: average time-to-sleep is 3 minutes. Afraid of the odds I might literally go mad if I supplemented the process.

If anyone has any time/interest in delving into that world, take a short (30-60 min), spontaneous nap and set a good alarm- chance you wake yourself up during one is better, I believe. I used to dream like a fiend- to the point I obtained regular lucidity and entered into dream control. I don't catch my dreams as often anymore, but they've always been disturbingly weird. I written some of the most bizarre down, I don't like to go back & read them tho. The Ash People, the skin room {shudder}... Not nearly enough sex dreams, and too many about Roland D LeBay. My twisted mind is pretty busy at night...

So intent trumps repetition ?? Just asking.

@ Olds : LOL I remember once dreaming of a brilliant red '67 Eldorado (it was on it's side in my backyard), but even there the thought that it was strangely RWD flickered thru my dream's mind. They are all like this and I often wake up borderline exhausted from the mental turmoil. It's like they're the dreams out of someone else's head. If I wasn't so well grounded, I could get really paranoid/ worried about it all.

Wouldn't "someone without the intellect to actually debate me" (IE; 'stupid') fall under name-calling, or is it indirect enough that it's still 'high-level discourse' ?? :wacko: I take no issue with those who express their subjective opinion, even repeatedly- that shows passion & commitment. What I DO take umbrage with is opposing viewpoints which run to the wall with overblown hyperbole to debate the 1st POV. Repetition of things like 'I disagree, so get a life/hobby/tin foil hat'- juvenile sh!t like that. Telling others what they need to do - who comes here for that? It was exactly that that drove me off of GMI years ago, and is MUCH more tiresome than any issue ever brought up here, no matter how often.

The only positive value I personally see in it is, I can +1 a post I agree with (for various reasons) instead of adding a whole post that basically sez '+1'. Bandwidth saver & keeps the thread tidy. Other than that, it could go away immediately & I wouldn't miss it at all.

... in some sort of hoary blue 1960s EuroEconoBox that I've never seen before, using the side mirrors, but there was no steering wheel, just 2 pencil eraser-sized buttons on the console to steer it. They are off-white plastic buttons & one unthreads, forcing me to press on the sharp threaded stud. It hurts my middle fingertip. I made it up the hill nearly to the top when a tiny orange car rounds the corner and smacks into the snowbank on the left. I park on the right side (the road is quite narrow) and jog over to it. Two girls are inside- they do not speak but gesture; one's ankle is twisted & they have no cell phone. They nod for me call for help when a massive garbage truck rounds the corner. No way will he snake his way thru our 2 cars, so I jump in mine and head off (forward) down the hill. When I reach the bottom the 2other (faceless strangers) I was riding with disappear and my car turns into a 'circus clown'/ cafe racer minibike so small, that when I glide to a stop in the bus stop lane, I pic it up by a handle at the RR edge of the RR fender, and carry it inside the building I am going to, to avoid theft. -- -- -- -- -- The building is bland, brick & modern, like a parking garage or something, yet inside it appears more like a gilt Spanish Opera House from the 1800s. There are offices & office workers, a plethora of doors & heavy drapes, and some sort of production is going on in the center arena of the building. I am on the 2nd floor, looking out the window where I see my brother down below in a dirt-yard, walking his dog. A new faceless stranger is beside me, and suddenly behind a separating fence, we spot an orange spider monkey, which walks on all fours and has most of the proportions of a large pit bull, but no external ears. I yell down to be careful, the dog & the OSM meet, no incidence. I turn back into the building and am with a good-looking tall brunette chick. scenes change, things happen and we deduce we are flickering back & forth thru time, about every 2 minutes. Same building, but the events & people are noisy & frequent in 1 with white & gold colors, and it's nearly deserted & darker blue in the other. As I move thru different rooms, trying to get to the event in the center, thick stubby lizards morph into walking-upright creatures with long fingers, and small, furry, white & golden wallaby-types morph into dark, dog-sized shorthairs with black eyes & unsettling attitudes. I have to carefully step over them in a narrow hall, climbing along on furniture. -- -- -- -- -- There is a lot more detail, but I'm running long already. Yep- a typical dream out of my twisted, moldy mind from about an hour ago. None of the surroundings I've ever seen before, and shockingly I actually knew 2 people in this dream (I almost never dream about people I know or places I've been) : my son & my brother. Fledgling continuity, nonsensical events... but a common thread like a hard-to-figure movie. Read a bunch of dream forums & books, this one isn't quite as wild as many others... but have yet to encounter such regular strangeness & unfamiliarity in anyone's dream world. You'd think I would ONCE dream about the houses I've lived in, or work, or family, but instead I get this. Frankly, it's mildly mentally exhausting. Just thought I would share.

^ actually, in the 'LA show / ULC' thread, you posted this repetitive crap: And you have a +3, so your theory is shot.

^ Yer roon'n it !!

I've been convinced by the sterling logic in here and I reiterate my demand: convert warships to passenger transports and ship in a billion 3rd worlders so we can all sit back & sip ice tea !! While we're at it, toss all copies of federal law books on the fire- it's December and my toes are chilly! But seriously folks, requiring American hires is ridiculous- they have the welfare system to catch their fall- let the indescribably hard working illegals im— whoops! NeuvoMericans do the work; they hate ice tea! While we're at it, since all colors together make black, let's change the horrid, racist American flag to a solid black rectangle! More ice over here, Juan!

I'm with Loki.