US v European car technology

This is interesting as I thought that the Boeing SST project was cancelled on the grounds of being unachievable within a 'reasonable' sum of money and time frame (remember the extra 500 mph, laudable but impractical, at the time anyway).

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Yes, and if hadn't been for that one vote in the US Congress 200 years ago the Americans would have been speaking German, and then where would we have been?

This is an irrelevant road in this thread, innit?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Yes indeed. This is proven by the fact that the 'premium' BMW3 outsells the 'mass' Ford Mondeo here. Despite their premium status both Mercdes and BMW are very much mass market premium builders. This seems not to be widely appreciated in some geographic areas.

Huw

So true...

These usenet roads fork in the oddest ways.

Clearly they lack quality german engineering.

.

Ahem. The exchange about the demise of the Boeing SST was pretty irrelevant to a newsgroup about Mercedes-Benz automobiles, but that didn't stop you from participating in it. If irrelevancy is such an issue, you waited quite a long time to speak out against it.

Geoff

I've driven cross-country (>1k miles) in a 96 GTI. A miserable experience. Lots of road noise. Fair handling. Rock-hard seats. Cramped interior. (I'm a modest 6'1" tall.) Typical VW. It's fine for short and moderate drives, but nothing more than a couple of hours and it's too tiring.

My old, recently-deceased, 91 Camry is one of the best I've been in for long distance. Same with my current 97 E320. My wife's 97 Camry is so-so. Not bad, but not great.

Collin KC8TKA E320/97

Right. While not all politicians have been "bought", the vast majorite still "owe". Sometimes out of agreement and concensus with supporters, sometimes because of selling out to win support. That's what politics is all about -- little feifdom's and bureaucatic control -- and money. But aside from that, the US auto makers could build better vehicles. They all have the same engineers. (Yes, the same personnel.) So much is done here that it's hard to believe Detroit, in its arrogance, would continue to work for 2nd place instead of trying to win.

Hungry? Eat your union membership card.

Collin KC8TKA

And I always wondered what type of bicycle Al Gore rode. But it seems that some are more equal than others. (IOW, he can't live by the standards sought in "Earth in the Balance", which he seeks for the rest of us.)

Collin KC8TKA

BMW and Mercedes are both premium brands for those not paying close attention. Premium brand doesn't mean not mass production. Lexus is another good example...

Marty

So it's just image. You were contrasting: "premium brands at the expense of mass builders".

You did not really mean that, then. More like "premium image at the expense of little image" or similar. One could also bring the word "price" into it.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

1) The SST issue (introduced by T G Lambach) was not totally irrelevant as it involved all the words in the subject line except "car" and in my OP I said "Never mind the brands, comment on the priciple".

2) To quote greek-philosophizer, "These usenet roads fork in the oddest ways."

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

I think you misunderstand. 'Premium' and 'mass' market cars are not mutually exclusive. Both Mercedes and BMW are seen as premium quality vehicles by customers while being obviously produced in massive numbers. They are able to exploit their premium quality image to sell their vehicles at a premium price. They sell in greater volume than many 'ordinary' mass market cars despite their premium price. This proves that very many people do not have the price as the main criteria when choosing a car. They may have any number of other priorities but price does not over-ride.

Huw

Yes, agreed, but you implied the mutual exclusivity. It's pretty clear: "premium brands at the expense of mass builders".

BTW, the singular of "criteria" is "criterion".

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

But I also said "Yes indeed. This is proven by the fact that the 'premium' BMW3 outsells the 'mass' Ford Mondeo here." which indicates that the 3 actually sells more volume.

You don't say. I do believe that you may have a career the in the teaching profession in front of you. Unless you are already one. Perhaps an examiner of exam papers? English as a second language perhaps?

Huw

I am also Hon Sec of the SPCA, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Apostrophes.

:-) DAS

Including the people who died on 9/11?

ahhhh that explains everything.

One thing about them idiots in the middle east, they know their mercedes! :-)

cp

You are a poet, not less good than Sheckley.

"Cheesehead" haute in die Tasten:

Forget about that. A '96 GTI probably was a Golf III - a car which I am not able to drive in properly due to a lack of room. Just lately I sat in a Golf V, this is a completely different experience. I do not remember ever having been sitting better in a car of similar size. A BMW 3' series of today is about as big and comfortable as a 5' series

10 years ago. It is the same with VW.

Frank

"cp" wrote in news:A_JZe.275140$tt5.234087@edtnps90:

The W110 200D produces 55HP!