"The Myth" That Just Won't Die

[flaninacupboard]

Minis have been available here for at least a year

But they were released in 2001...............

Your country sucks!

[rallynavvie]

Hey, our Impreza STi is a turbocharged 2.5 litre so eat it :P

Otherwise we get the shaft on cool cars here in the States. The reason I hear the most is that cars from other countries aren't up to our "safety standards" and have to pass all sorts of tests in order to be released here. It's not really a conspiracy with the big three American manufacturers because one very important Ford model is missing from here, the Cosworth powered Escort. Man do I wish I could have one of those over here. On this side of the pond the Escort is not very sporty at all. I'd love to get a Cossie and put big "Escort" stickers all over it just so people know what it was that just walked on their V8. Then there's John Felstead's Cosworth-powered Westy

[Capmaster]

Hey, our Impreza STi is a turbocharged 2.5 litre so eat it :P

Otherwise we get the shaft on cool cars here in the States. The reason I hear the most is that cars from other countries aren't up to our "safety standards" and have to pass all sorts of tests in order to be released here. It's not really a conspiracy with the big three American manufacturers because one very important Ford model is missing from here, the Cosworth powered Escort. Man do I wish I could have one of those over here. On this side of the pond the Escort is not very sporty at all. I'd love to get a Cossie and put big "Escort" stickers all over it just so people know what it was that just walked on their V8. Then there's John Felstead's Cosworth-powered Westy

You don't need a Cosworth Escort to walk on most V8s. Get yourself a 1991 Dodge Spirit R/T - 2.2L 16V DOHC 4cyl, 224 hp. It'll leave most V8s in the weeds, along with many glorified grocery-getters like the Maxima, and many underpowered budget-bin muscle-car wanna-be's like the 5.0L Mustang

Imagine the look on the face of some poor yutz who just spent $26,000 getting all the trimmings on his Rustang GT, cruising home from the dealer, feeling all full of piss and vinegar, and getting blown into the weeds at the stoplight by a 13-year-old Dodge 4-banger

[flaninacupboard]

hang on, you think a ford escort is good....? If only you could see my face right now!!!

Escorts are the emodiment of lame boy racers. they end up with spoilers, oversize bumpers, flourescent lights underneath, 25" subs, home-made blacked out windows and at least one wheel spin per journey. plus of course they never go further than round the town centre. round and round and round.......

[Tool Man]

I don't believe that ABS has made any significant change in road fatalities (for good or bad).

Regards.

Thats because most people don't know what it does, or how to use it.
Personally, I feel a bit safer knowing it's there. Should I have to brake hard in an emercency, I can still steer the car around the obstacle, and not have the wheels 'lock' straight ahead.

[flaninacupboard]

you don't think it would be safer to actually know how hard you can and can't brake? ice is a good example, people with ABS are more inclined to drive quickly on ice because they have "better" brakes, which is of course completely false. and you can hardly steer normally with ABS working, try doing thirty and slamming the brakes as hard as you can, it's not a comfortable ride....

[gastorgrab]

you don't think it would be safer to actually know how hard you can and can't brake? ice is a good example, people with ABS are more inclined to drive quickly on ice because they have "better" brakes, which is of course completely false. and you can hardly steer normally with ABS working, try doing thirty and slamming the brakes as hard as you can, it's not a comfortable ride....

Even worse, that pulsating sensation in the brake pedal when the ABS is active tends to panic some people.

You could imagine a similar look on the face of a driver who had just driven over a pedestrian.

[rallynavvie]

hang on, you think a ford escort is good....? If only you could see my face right now!!!

Escorts are the emodiment of lame boy racers. they end up with spoilers, oversize bumpers, flourescent lights underneath, 25" subs, home-made blacked out windows and at least one wheel spin per journey. plus of course they never go further than round the town centre. round and round and round.......

What do you think those fucks do to Imprezas over here?
A properly modified Cossie plant can put down 450bhp pretty safely. Coupled with the AWD drivetrain on many of them and you've got an economy-sized missile. We can't help what the boy-racers do to the cars, I'm just looking at it from a sleeper standpoint. Over here an Escort Cosworth would be the ultimate sleeper just because the "sporty" version was a 1.8 liter POS that put out 127bhp and was only FWD

[Tool Man]

you don't think it would be safer to actually know how hard you can and can't brake? ice is a good example, people with ABS are more inclined to drive quickly on ice because they have "better" brakes, which is of course completely false. and you can hardly steer normally with ABS working, try doing thirty and slamming the brakes as hard as you can, it's not a comfortable ride....

Even worse, that pulsating sensation in the brake pedal when the ABS is active tends to panic some people.

You could imagine a similar look on the face of a driver who had just driven over a pedestrian.

Thats my point exactly. Most drivers don't know what it does, or what to expect. They simply think 'oh, I've got better brakes, I'll be OK'
But anyone who knows what it does should feel safer knowing it's there.

I know that if some jerk pulled out in front of me, I would rather the brakes didn't lock sending me on a colision course that I couldn't steer out of.

[gastorgrab]

Most drivers don't know what it does, or what to expect. They simply think 'oh, I've got better brakes, I'll be OK'
But anyone who knows what it does should feel safer knowing it's there.

I know that if some jerk pulled out in front of me, I would rather the brakes didn't lock sending me on a colision course that I couldn't steer out of.

Remeber that your life depends not only on you knowing what your doing, but everyone around you knowing what they're doing.

Or put another way, If 1 out of 10 persons know the proper way to use safety equipment, and the other 9 persons have no clue, then it could create more hazzard, not less.

If a "know-nothing" is barreling towards you, then you knowing how to properly apply the brakes won't help you a bit. Your fate is in someone elses hands!

I think its time that everyone take a short test at the time of license renewal on "The Proper Usage of Antilock Brakes".

[flaninacupboard]

I think its time that everyone take a short test at the time of license renewal on "The Proper Usage of Antilock Brakes".

Purchase vehicle hand book. use index to locate section on ABS. open bonnet. flick the off switch.

[gastorgrab]

I think its time that everyone take a short test at the time of license renewal on "The Proper Usage of Antilock Brakes".

Purchase vehicle hand book. use index to locate section on ABS. open bonnet. flick the off switch.