Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]as someone who reached driving age in the 70s, it is astonishing how fast cars are nowadays. i am particularly amazed at the new Z06 Corvette: 505 hp/470ft-lb LS7, 3147 lb, .98G skidpad, 11.7 E.T. @ 125 mph, 60 in 3.6 , 198 mph top end, while getting EPA of 16/26 MPG. add a huge 22 ft^3 of trunk. all for $68,500. (all figures R&T, "Best Performance Car", Jan 2006) -rei On Jan29 11:39, Jim Laurel wrote: > You're absolutely right, Don. And no of the alternative energy > sources will be "cost effective" or "economically viable" until all > the oil is gone. So I say burn as much now as you like. the sooner > the oil is gone, the sooner we'll get alternative energy. > > If you ever wanted a real fire-breathing car that runs on gasoline, > now is the time. The new BMW M5 has a 507hp V10, sequential manual > gearbox with paddle shifters, goes to 60 in 4.1 seconds (per Road and > Track's recent review) and with the limiter removed, hits 204mph. > > Burn it up now because between the time when the oil gets scarce and > when battery technology really improves, we are headed for a period > of extremely boring cars. (think Toyota Prius) The light at the end > of the tunnel is that pure electric cars have much greater > performance potential than combustion-engined cars. But the energy > storage problems have to be solved first. > > --Jim > > On Jan 29, 2006, at 11:23 AM, Don Dory wrote: > > >Seth, > >I get the feeling that if we want to drive something resembling a > >car in ten > >years or so, then the first manufacturer to figure out how to cut > >1000 lbs > >or 450 Kilo's from the current automobile will win a large slice of > >market > >share. Less weight means a smaller power source which opens up new > >technologies for similar performance. Even with an IC engine less > >mass > >means less power inputs required for similar performance. > > > >As the oil producing states become a little more radical, and as > >the world > >demand for cheap energy grows, traditional hydrocarbon inputs will > >become > >very expensive. Up to now, the western world has been very > >resistant to > >cutting back on life style, but has instead found alternative ways > >of doing > >things. We will see if the Western world is still up for > >challenges or > >whether the baton will be passed on to other cultures. > > > >Don > >don.dory@gmail.com > > > > > >On 1/29/06, Seth Rosner <sethrosner@nycap.rr.com> wrote: > >> > >>Frank is factually right; BUT - regulatory requirements have added > >>a huge > >>weight penalty to every automobile produced today. Crash-ability, > >>bump-resistant bumpers, airbags (that entail electronics, motors and > >>bags... > >> > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- Rei Shinozuka shino@panix.com Ridgewood, New Jersey