drive-by-wire

[Mark Pitts]

At my tender age of 26 anything over 2L would be more or less =
uninsurable for me. I'm luck, my Spitfire counts as a classic, and so =
get classic insurance rates (they only think it comes out on sunny =
weekends).

Seems to be a different world over there, as petrol here is (quick =
calculation) is about $3.80 per gallon, we need to get into the 30 to 40 =
mpg on cruise, and 20 odd round town. All the same, we still belt round =
the lanes at 70 plus, and 90-95 is normal cruise (usually about 3800-400 =
rpm). I just think its a different culture and attitude to engines.=20

Remeber F1 a few years back? 1000 horses from tiny engines that blew up, =
and even then we didnt give them enough fuel to finish a race!
Indy on the other hand has always been geared to bigger lumps, and fuel =
stops, from what I can work out.
(sorry..I do like Indy, I just cant watch it, 'cept if I'm lucky, so I =
dont get to 'follow it') apart from the year Nigel Mansel went over =
there... when our press went nuts on it.

Mark

----------
From:  Markus Strobl[SMTP:eusmsrt at exu.ericsson.se]
Having grown up in Europe I don't understand how anyone would want a =
auto
(or slush box as I call them) instead of a stick.=20

So it seems Europeans have much more brains when it comes to =
tranmissions
but why do European cars have those small pathetic sub-3 liter engines? =
AFAIK
Europe never had V8 engines in 'normal' cars. Only European V8 I know of =
outside
expensive british sportscars or luxary cars would be the opel diplomat =
back
in the 60s?
=20
> Steve Ravet
=20
Markus '96 Camaro Z28. 6-speed (of course).