The State of The Car

[NSXType-R]

By the way, can the Volt/Ampera be considered interesting?

As a proof of concept, sure. But not at the price that it was selling.

The bigger issue with the ELR is that it was always considered to be 'just' a Volt in a party frock, at double the price. Early adopters tend to look into the things they're adopting, and from that perspective a Telsa makes a much more exciting choice than 'just another hybrid' at what seems like it might be a ridiculous markup. For the image-conscious, a full electric car will always out do a hybrid. For tech-heads, same deal - if you're going to go electric, dang well go electric. Also, Tesla buyers can likely afford a petrol car for those times when full electric is not an option, so no need for the hybrid. Why opt for the compromised mashup when you can have your cake and eat it too?

The ELR was almost 2x the price of a Volt with 2x fewer doors. What did Cadillac expect?

Diesel not quite as good as it seemed.

France Wants to Discourage Ownership of Diesel Cars, Automakers Protest

I thought diesels were very popular in France.

Zut alors! We can't have a city of lights if it's covered in soot!

[Ferrer]

As a proof of concept, sure. But not at the price that it was selling.

Well, being a pioneer doesn't come cheap.

I thought diesels were very popular in France.

Zut alors! We can't have a city of lights if it's covered in soot!

Indeed they are. That's why French manufacturers are so upset. Because they've spent the last few decades developing diesels and having sub-par petrol engines.

However if the government now lowers diesel's incentives, that leaves French car manufacturers at a great disadvantage.

Zut alors indeed!

[Kitdy]

However if the government now lowers diesel's incentives, that leaves French car manufacturers at a great disadvantage.

Zut alors indeed!

After "why," that was my instant thought. I've always wondered about the environmental harm of diesel fuel compared to gasoline.

[Ferrer]

Well, since petrol engines have started using diesel-like technology they've gone much dirtier and also they do not have to comply with the same regulations as diesels (e.g. particulate filters).

[Kitdy]

Well, since petrol engines have started using diesel-like technology they've gone much dirtier and also they do not have to comply with the same regulations as diesels (e.g. particulate filters).

Plzelaborate. It was my understanding at least that CO2 emissions were dropping like a rock per unit distance travelled; are you talking about other non-CO2 combustion byproducts?

[Ferrer]

Yes. Find an article which explains it below.

New gasoline engines emit 1,000 times more particles than predecessors, study says

[Kitdy]

Yes. Find an article which explains it below.

New gasoline engines emit 1,000 times more particles than predecessors, study says

Well, that is fairly terrible. I've also heard GDI leads to a lot of problems of carbon buildup in exhaust or something? That is from people that know this crap.

[f6fhellcat13]

After "why," that was my instant thought. I've always wondered about the environmental harm of diesel fuel compared to gasoline.

Noise pollution...

Well, that is fairly terrible. I've also heard GDI leads to a lot of problems of carbon buildup in exhaust or something? That is from people that know this crap.

The turbocharge-this, direct-inject-that mentality raises static and dynamic compression ratios as well as combustion and charge temperatures. All are good way of increasing NOx counts.

This is disheartening though; as an Angeleno, I think emission reduction is certainly a worthy cause. Hopefully the new regs help sort this out. If not, it's Webers for all straight engines and Holley double-pumpers for all bent engines!

[Kitdy]

I look forward to my combustion engineering course.

[Kitdy]

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ts-test-review

Timely; this just came on C&Ds website today. Weren't we having a discussion about these cars elsewhere?! I've forgotten.

A bit OT, I believe that most of the press reviews cars with kid gloves, as not to piss off their advertisers (car companies). Cars do not have as variable quality as they did 30 years ago (i.e. there are less utter pieces of junk on the road today to brutally savage in a review) but it seems like many outlets really like to shower every car and every cars competitor - even in comparisons - with praise. This review of a Maserati is almost as harsh as they come, barring something like a Versa, and that is kinda sad. There should be a bit more honesty and negativity, at least in a relative sense I feel.

[Revo]

Well, after reading that review, I was left totally clueless. All I learnt that Audi S8 is a better car because it is cheaper, lighter (which it is not BTW) and slower?

My problem with car reviewers are that they are so superficial. Very rarely do they give any kind of background info - what is it that they are testing, why is it like that, what is the maker trying to achieve with that model?

Instead of that, reviewers like to play pointless number games (0,90G vs. 0,91G !) and make stupid comments about interior plastic quality.

None of this stuff matters. I want a bigger picture, damn it.

[Kitdy]

C and D, generally, can be a bit superficial and numbers oriented (that test specifically was an instruented/numbers based one, but made vague references to issues I raised and other more in-depth reviews I've read from them). evo is a bit better for in-depth but it can be dense and is strictly performance oriented.

That review was just timely. Anyways, I think I somewhat overstated my dislike (for effect) of the Maser brand but that's because I'm dissaponted by them, and I don't have brand allegiance to any manufacturer.

A website like this is for debate and discussion, and now we are doing that by raising issues we have both with cars/manufacturers and the press!

[Ferrer]

I'm sorry but I'm as puzzled as Revo. Other than listing specs, rivals and prices, what does this review tell us?

[Kitdy]

It... Never mind. Let us move on!

[Koevoet]

C&D tends to be biased towards German cars, especially BMWs. I find it particularly hilarious that they actually said VAG is "the master of hiding parts-bin-related parsimony". Literally every one of their cars looks the same inside. Describing the design as "somewhat bland" also makes it sound a lot like the review was deliberately negative.