The last poster wins

[Vindekarr]

I hear a lot of horror stories about Chinese cars and their safety(lack therof) but I'd always been a little doubtful. I had always believed that "Ok, so they probably aren't as safe as a new Euro, but they can't be THAT bad, surely-people would object" Today i saw a video that basically proved the tin-can stereotype accurate. Now, some car companies, namely Mercedes, Hyundai-Kia and Toyota have actually been calling for Australia to start enforcing harder crash tests, since all of them in the past year have managed to achieve a "perfect 37" with this or that car, including, relievingly, cars well within the reach of the common person. I pity the Chinese brands if they do-the car I was looking at the test of was a brand new Toyota Aurion. A big Japanese family car, it scored a 37.86 out of a possible 38 points-nearly perfect, meaning that while the passengers would be shaken and stirred, they'd be well-and-truly alive and not injured beyond welts and bruises. The Chinese car was a Brilliance B6(LULZ) also a big family car, and only a fraction smaller than the bulkier Aurion, it simply went splat.

 

The Aurion used it's front end to soak up the impact like a big spring, gradually slowing the car down by crumpling up. This, along with a heavily fortified central "cell" for the occupants, and the engine being kept out of the cockpit, made the hefty 62 MPH clobbering it got look pretty survivable-and the dummies agreed-with nobody suffering any injuries. Not bad. The "brilliance" instead went splat. It just went splat. The Toyota used it's splat to cushion the impact. It controlled the impact and used it to the occupant's advantage. This was neither controlled nor to the occupants advantage. It was simply a car going kersplat. Same speed, both front dummies died, rear passenger dummy suffered spinal injuries and a mashed face.

 

Yet the other thing I learned from the program was that while Sports Cars used to have a reputation for being unsafe deathtraps, Swedish monstermakers Koenigsegg(Koh-Nigg-Segg) managed the amazing feat of passing a rear, front, and side on crash test with one single car. Since a Koenigsegg Agera like the one used costs over a million dollars, they didn't want to spend excess money smashing the pricless and very rare cars, so requested only a single Agera be used-and then reused. This has never been done before, but amazingly, it survived all three major impact tests, a rollover and more, and passed the test, with the dummy within having suffured little worse than a sore wrist. Not bad at all. It's also the world's second fastest car, when it's not in a barricade.

[naomis8329]

If I remember correctly, the safest car in the world used to be the Volvo as it was the first car to incorporate a metal cage in its design thus ensuring the safety of all occupants in the event of a collision or rolling over. I must admit they are a wonderful car to drive, tho not as wonderful as a Jaguar or Lexus, but close, really close.

[Iv000]

I still need to make my driver's license :/

 

Yeah, wish me luck I'm going to school.

Look at how happy I am because of that:

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7i2dcCLsk1qcqfgc.jpg?dur=1042

[Werne]

I still need to make my driver's license :/

Yeah, well, good luck with that. I requested mine a month ago, they said it will be done in a week. I still didn't get it, but I did get 3 tons of forms I had to fill out and bring to different offices.

 

Damn country and their damn paperwork :dry:

[brokenergy]

I win

[Vindekarr]

Speaking of Jaguar, Jag got bought by Indian company Tata a few years back. At the time Tata bought them, the general reaction was a collective groan-Tata mostly makes cheap cars for the masses, but it's an increasingly vast industrial juggernaut, and with Jaguar so desperate for money(at that stage it and Land rover were essentialy bankrupt) they and then owner Ford agreed to the sale.

 

Fast forward about 5 years and it's a story of hope; Tata's rule has been great for Jag, as they've introduced a slew of extremely successful and I've got to say-drop dead gorgeous-new models that have put them back in the black. The latest is due next year, and got unveiled, officialy, on the weekend. It's called the F, and it's a small open-top sports car. It's got a nice V6 engine, it looks great, and it's also the direct sequal to the E-Type that Jag fans have been begging for since about 1970. In 2006 when Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston martin became Indian owned, I remember there was a bit of a backlash, some really horrible, and rather racist jokes abounded, notheleast of which claimed Aston martin would soon start making Tuk-Tuks. Well, I guess they showed the racists, eh? Indian owernship's done nothing but good for all 3 brands.

 

That being said, i wouldn't be surprised to see an influx of Indian cars in the EU soon(as in the next 20 years) India's just come out of a dark period into an industrial revolution. Their car industry has gone from producing re-badged 1966 Hillmans and Austin Maxis to making their own, export grade, and really not that bad cars in a timeframe that's almost miraculous. If they keep improving that quickly, and oif India keeps growing, things are going to get interesting.

[Vindekarr]

Ok ok ok a friend just sent this to me, and I don't know why but it's really god damn funny. THE FUTURE HAS ARRIVED!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WX58CZwyiU

[Iv000]

I still need to make my driver's license :/

Yeah, well, good luck with that. I requested mine a month ago, they said it will be done in a week. I still didn't get it, but I did get 3 tons of forms I had to fill out and bring to different offices.

 

Damn country and their damn paperwork :dry:

I was hoping there wouldn't be many problems with that. Sigh, I guess you can't expect anything to work the way it should here.

 

At least I have Guild Wars 2. :P My precious.

[naomis8329]

Anything that involves a governmental run department always takes at least 10 to 20 weeks to process even if they promise to deliver within a week. If you call its because the world and his wife decided to ask for the very same thing as you dog dang it :rolleyes: Yeah right...

 

I love cars, love driving and could drive anywhere for anyone. Cruise control is a must as is a good sound system.

 

I really need to get a new car :confused:

[AnotherAverageName]

:biggrin: