Friday Snippets
It’s good to be back!
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Over the summer here, we had a TV station asking for video auditions for an Australian version of Top Gear. The ones that made it on to You Tube were mostly quite poor. Thankfully we haven’t heard too much of it again since. Maybe the Aussie producers have realised that there really isn’t an imitation that would be suitable?
It seems the Americans have realised the same. Thank goodness!
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I still hate Cadillac, but this is impressive. The question is whether or not Europeans would find it impressive to the point of wanting to purchase one, or many……
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Per Eklund finished 14th overall in the latest round of the European Rallycross Championship. More over at Mike Jager’s site.
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Some guy named Joe Jacuzzi is taking over brand, product development and technology communications for GM Europe, including Saab.
Surely he’d be better off with a health and recreation store?
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I paid $1.75 a litre for fuel today. I’ve never paid that much before and earlier in the week it was around 12 or 15 cents per litre cheaper than that. That was for 98 octane. Regular 91 was $1.60 per litre.
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How much do Saab need the 9-4x and 9-5?
In Europe, just about every manufacturer had a positive sales month in April due to Easter falling a month earlier than usual. Saab were 0.1% off having a double digit decline.
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JL Racing kick off their 2008 season this weekend.
Good luck, fellas!
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Monday will see workers return to the 9-7x-building-plant in Moraine, Ohio. The plant has been offline for some time due to the strike at American Axle. It’ll be interesting so see if sales pick up once stocks replenish a little.
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My rental car this week was a Mitsubishi 380. That’s their large sedan and it was supposed to be the car that would save their Australian operations. It didn’t.
The lighting on the gauges was blue and quite dim. To adjust it, you had to press a number of buttons in a certain sequence according to a display on the dashboard and instructions in the owner’s manual. And it still didn’t brighten up very much.
What’s wrong with a plain old dimmer switch?
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About that Caddy lap on the Nordschleife… Even Lada or Kia would probably be able to build a car that is that fast on a track. But that alone would not make the brand more premium or attractive in Europe. Sorry…
Normal price in Sweden today for 95 octane is about 2.20 USD…
The dimmer switch doesnt look hi tech…
Just as the new seat heater in Audi A4 isn’t a switch, it’s a menu you have to go through to adjust the bump heater…No way you do this while driving (not the first 10 times at least)
Can’t really agree with you there, ctm. The caddy is a road car thats loaded with all of the luxuries and toys, etc. It’s much faster than the BMW M5, the car that all fast sport sedans are gauged by. It’s truly impressive.
I paid US$3.959/gal (AU$1.107/liter) in Philadelphia for premium (93 octane, the highest of the three grades available here). The highest I’ve seen around here is $4.399/gal (1.229/lt for Swade).
Since I just replaced my 2.0T with a Turbo X, I’m really very aware of the difference in fuel economy. (The fact that I’ve been “playing” with the car to the tune of 400 miles in 6 six days with lots of hard acceleration has nothing at all to do with the difference.
)
Paid $1.23/L CDN for regular(87 oct). Premium (91 oct) is usually 10cents more and diesel is typically the same price as regular.
Filled up onto my way to work this evening, €1.46 a litre, (US$2.21, AU$2.39, £1.16) that was for regular.
Here in Utah, we are currently paying $3.59/$3.69/$3.79 per gallon, for 87/89/91 Octane, respectively. Diesel is $4.49/gallon.
If I did the math right:
That’s EU .61/.63/.65 per liter, and almost .77 for diesel.
In Aussie numbers: $1.01/$1.04/$1.06 per liter, and $1.26 for diesel.
I feel like we’re getting gouged with all the recent hikes, but I know I shouldn’t be complaining…
you should really all be laughing at those prices
uk prices are £1.16 per litre for unleaded and £1.21 per litre for diesel, thats around $2.00 dollars per litre i think
There is always one topping the bill.
Yesterday, I paid € 1,529 a liter. That was at a cheap station. Standard price for 95 RON is € 1,62/l That is US$ 2,384 - 2,524 per liter (or US$ 9,55 per gallon) In AUS$: 2,494 to 2,64 per liter.
So now you know why in Europe we use engines that are not sold in the US (like the 1,8 with 122 hp).
albert - Wow, twelve hundred Euros? :p
Who gives a flying rat whether the Euros like the CTS-V? 8 minutes is positively blistering for a car like that, especially one as lux as a Cadillac. ctm, sure, Lada and Kia could build a car that quick, but it would be closer to Caterham than Caddy: tiny, uncomfortable, and very Spartan. Frankly, if you don’t find that lap time impressive, there’s just something wrong with you. Or, you’re only into Ferraris or Lambos, in which case, there’s something very wrong with you.
I meant fifteen hundred Euros, oops.