Smart Car

Around here (Bergen County, NJ) the Smart Car is carried by the huge Mercedes dealer. Sort of tells you something about "Smart =3D Status" for some folks.

I never heard them called that! But it sure fits.

I remember seeing lots of 2CVs in German garages, with a BMW or MB out in front. I wondered if they never threw anything away, or they were all in the process of restoring them.

Paul

Still preferable to "compacted in a tin can" I think.

Actually the crash cage in the Smart seems to hold up well. But anything inside the cage is broken as they is very little crash deformation.

Around here (Bergen County, NJ) the Smart Car is carried by the huge Mercedes dealer. Sort of tells you something about "Smart = Status" for some folks.

It is built by Mercedes.

I've found they're easier to kill than zombies, though.

Which reminds me of a friend who killed a lot of zombies at a bar one night...but discretion does not allow more on that.

David

Never seen an LA Freeway, apparently. "Thrown clear" equals "Knocked off and then Run over".

Well Wes, there isn't any evidence that Smart's are getting bested. I think it's because people that have them pay extra care and that count's for a lot.

As for getting thrown from a bike, who is going to take care of your drool bucket? That is the real choice.

I put around 80,000 miles on an MG Midget when I was in college. On two occasions I was able to steer out of trouble that caught the car *behind* me. In one case, in very heavy traffic on Labor Day in 1970, the car ahead of me crashed into the car ahead of him, and the car behind me crashed into the car that had been ahead of me. Meantime, I was parked on the shoulder by the time the crashes stopped.

But, as you say, I was always very alert in that little sardine can.

-- Ed Huntress

Yeah, those motorcycle riders are dangerous! Everytime I see one the guy is talking on a cell phone, or eating lunch, or reading a paper, or texting, or putting on make-up, or changing the lumbar support, or talking to the passenger.

Does stupid come natural to you, or are you taking a night class?

Snarl

OK that explains why the Mercedes dealer sells them. Now explain why people buy them :-)

Indeed. I bounced a motorcycle off the back of a Buick in the 70's at about 35mph. Walked away. Well, ok, limped away... Sore as hell, but not so much as a scratched elbow despite not wearing a helmet. Last time I ever rode without one too...

Jon

I once observed a guy on a motorcycle behind me take his helmet off, put it in his lap, take his shirt off and then put his helmet back on (summer time). This sounds simple enough, however were were traveling about 40 mph down a slight hill at the time.

Most of us have done the egg drop thing in high school science class and know that the condition of the exterior cage has little to do with the condition of the contents after impact.

I doubt that there is a citable statistic Ed, but my experience is that the deadliness of the conveyance is directly proportional to the attentiveness and experience of the operator.

I can tell you that is a statistical fact with small private passenger aircraft, business class turbo-props ( Yeah - from the S/M) and business class jets both from my personal experience and the stats. Don't know about anything land bound except boats and ships. The same is true there.

Paying attention, and not just to what you are doing but anticipating the other guy, counts. I'll bet people driving these cracker boxes do that. Good for them!

Only to themselves and their families as a rule. They are hard on deer as well.

Neither, since I don't do any of that stuff. I have, on the other hand, had cross traffic look directly at me - wait, and then pull out. Not while I was driving a car, of course.

OK that explains why the Mercedes dealer sells them. Now explain why people buy them :-)

Cultist? I can see their use in crowded cities. You see lots in Paris and some other Large European cities. But you can park head on to the curb which is a great convenience in areas with almost non existent parking. And they are city cars. Aquaintance of mine bought one. He loves it, but his other car is a Model A. But he does not take long road trips. Interior is large. I am 6'4" and I sat in it without hitting. Would not want to take a long trip in it. The are not buying for mileage. 40 mpg is not that much different than larger cars such as the Prius, but a lot cheaper.

Have a look at what Bright is doing with carbon fiber components. They are an Indiana company and I thing they just got the money to build vehicles as part of the Green Energy nonsense. I know Penske is trying to do something with Bright for his Saturn brand.

On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:44:45 -0400, the infamous Wes scrawled the following:

nuts thing

Hey, my best buddy in high school owned a Hillman Minx. It had 3 lugs on each wheel and the lefts were left-hand threaded. It didn't do over about 35mph, but it never lost a wheel. Gawd, what a POS... but it was made of real steel!

-- Content thyself to be obscurely good. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, the post of honor is a private station. -- Joseph Addison, 'Cato'