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Post by mikael on Sept 7, 2019 10:13:20 GMT
I thought it could maybe be of interest to share some experiences regarding our road cars; hence this thread.
I will open up the thread with a bit of bragging ... about - yes - a car battery. I got my present car from new, in 2005 (a Mazda RX-8 - yes, it's getting old ...). The battery has never been changed. When a car reach a certain age it needs (here in Japan) to go through a bi-annual check. This check can be done by the dealerships. The dealership I use have been asking me "for ages" if I don't think they should replace the battery; but I have been continuing to say, "no, don't fix anything that isn't broken". Now, in its 14th season, it finally gave in - and in a quite dramatic way. (By a small tour, with my wife, the car started OK - but perhaps just barely- at home. Then, I wanted to pick up a book at my workplace, just some 300m down the road. After having fetched the book, the battery was completely dead. Luckily a couple of friendly guys helped to bump-start the car ...)
I checked various internet sites regarding battery life. One says, "normally 5 years, but sometimes 6, or even up to 7, years". So the double life span, 14 years, seems very good indeed. |
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Post by chrisb on Sept 8, 2019 6:35:30 GMT
nice story Mikael, the RX-8 was a really nice looking car, I always feel Mazda do a good job but were terribly under-sung and I am not surprised you've hung onto yours, on battery tales this is more related to my motorbike a Triumph Tiger 1050 circa 2011, put away for winter last year with a three month old battery and a brand new optimiser- now I am never quite sure whether or not it is for the best to keep starting the bike up once a week or fortnight when she is locked away, but this year as it was a new battery and a new optimiser I didn't, well of course it drained itself and because of the dreadful weather this year by the time I managed to get out on the beastie it kept going flat. However after a summer riding it now starts first time every time, dohh
I have a Jag XF, I love it, my last car [or a cashcow as I called it] was a very old Porsche Cayenne, it was so unreliable I will never touch one again, the Jag has been a joy, but also getting on a bit, rather like me, but as it's MOT is due this Thursday I won't say too much - he says nervously, the battery is 7 years old and thus far has been great, even when I've not started it for a couple of weeks
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Post by mikael on Sept 8, 2019 9:34:04 GMT
Thank you Chris. I was surprised to read your verdict of the Porsche Cayenne; I had imagined all of Porsche's cars to be of excellent build quality. I have a long-standing dream of an old (20+ years) 911 - some time; but (economically) it might be a "dangerous" enterprise (and they continue to be too expensive ...). The Jaguar XF is a truly beautiful car. I imagine any of the models, any of available engines, has plentiful power and torque.
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Post by mikael on May 3, 2021 19:37:13 GMT
From the MSM website:
"The Lotus Emira will be the final petrol-powered machine before a shift to electric cars ..."
I found this almost shocking, but then again ... Is anyone of the old major manufacturers going to follow suit soon, I wonder ...
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Post by chrisb on May 5, 2021 6:36:31 GMT
it is interesting Mikael, I wonder what Colin Chapman would have thought about it, and I do question if electricity is the future, mind you Triumph Motorcycles have announced they are investing in an electric bike so maybe it is
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Post by charleselan on May 5, 2021 10:13:48 GMT
The question is, are we being led into electrification of vehicles as a result of environmental issues or is it because it is currently politically expedient and or that motor manufacturers can see a big advantage in sales by this change in motive power. Also are we going to see people who own and run classic vehicles being made to feel like a pariah, or at the very least what will it cost to own and run such vehicles in the future. Hopefully I will be long gone before that day comes to pass  . |
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Post by René on May 5, 2021 15:41:23 GMT
Hate to bring it to you guys  but electrification is the future, like it or not. And whatever the arguments are, the success of Tesla and the investments already made by the major manufacturers means this transition to electric will continue and will go faster than you might think. Volkswagen, Volvo, Opel, Ford, they are all moving towards a 100% electric offering in their showrooms within a handful of years. Volvo has even developed electric trucks so also that market will change fast. And Ferrari will also launch an electric car...
What this means for racing is another matter. FE doesn't do it for me and probably not for most race fans who have been around a bit longer. It's not only the (lack of) noise, these FE cars are just too slow. But electrification will become more important in all forms of racing, you cannot stop that. For now, certainly in the premier classes, hybrid engines will still be the norm. And maybe hydrogen technologies can play a bigger role in the future, who knows.
But for road cars (and bikes), it will be electric. Younger generations will only know electric and will look at the combustion engine the same way we look at a steam engine ... old technology. And in all honesty, an electric car drives magnificent. A Tesla model S does 0-100 km/h in 2.5 secs ! ... but without the thunder of a V8 behind your back...  |
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Post by mikael on May 6, 2021 18:29:41 GMT
You are undoubtedly right, René. Still, I was puzzled about Lotus's plans, as it was my impression that they make cars for car and racing enthusiasts, cars for track days, pleasure rides, etc., and not cars that are used as a "daily driver".
In this relation, McLaren's plan to release, next year, the Godon Murray designed T50 with a V12 engine, and with manual gearshift (with a good old gear stick), seems like a great idea!
But apparently, the sports car of the future will also be electric; so Lotus may want to get a head start in that segment ...
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Post by René on May 7, 2021 14:39:23 GMT
You are undoubtedly right, René. Still, I was puzzled about Lotus's plans, as it was my impression that they make cars for car and racing enthusiasts, cars for track days, pleasure rides, etc., and not cars that are used as a "daily driver".
In this relation, McLaren's plan to release, next year, the Godon Murray designed T50 with a V12 engine, and with manual gearshift (with a good old gear stick), seems like a great idea!
But apparently, the sports car of the future will also be electric; so Lotus may want to get a head start in that segment ...
Yes Mikael, I realize my reply was a bit boring to say the least! But I'm afraid it's the 'dry' reality...
The Gordon Murray McLaren however is going to be a very cool monster, no doubt! I might order one...   |
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Post by mikael on Feb 3, 2022 20:46:13 GMT
Just a little pleasure to report: I'm privileged to be able to enjoy, two times per day, the sight and sound of a beautiful Ferrari FF passing by my window (so yes, it can be concluded that I'm the one that works the more :-D). I'm on the sixth floor, actually, but the sound of a Ferrari V12 engine is not easy to mistake and to miss - an amazing sound indeed, impossible to overhear, even on the sixth floor.
Initially, I was amazed that a car like that is used as a "daily driver", even throughout the Danish winter, where the roads almost always are completely white of road-salt (to avoid accidents due to "black ice", as it's cold enough for that, although we rarely have any snow-fall). But then it dawned to me that cars in that price range rarely are "owned", but rather "leased". And if you pay a heavy lease-fee for a car each month, then better use it - so finally, the winter-driving made sense.
Can you spot a Ferrari among the cars here? (Photo taken from my office window.)
A silver-grey hatchback Ferrari FF is very neutral in the traffic (center in the photos); but the sound is impossible to overhear!
A close-up photo of an identical car, borrowed from Wikipedia.
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Post by René on Feb 3, 2022 21:23:08 GMT
Brilliant Mikael. Nothing beats the sound of a Ferrari V12 and the FF is a very impressive looking car. Not cheap either, looking at the second photo it’s probably worth more than all other cars combined!
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Post by charleselan on Feb 4, 2022 10:49:27 GMT
Wonderful little story Mikael, it is amazing how something like that can capture the imagination. Sorry to hear that they use salt on the roads in your country, just as they do in the UK, an absolute car killer especially back in decades past when cars were built from poor quality materials and not given any protective coverings. Here in France they don't use salt at all and only on main "motorways" do they apply ground up sea shells. Also in some parts of the country it is mandatory to fit your car with Winter Tyres during these months of excessive cold etc.
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Post by Carl on Feb 4, 2022 19:19:53 GMT
Wonderful little story Mikael, it is amazing how something like that can capture the imagination. Sorry to hear that they use salt on the roads in your country, just as they do in the UK, an absolute car killer especially back in decades past when cars were built from poor quality materials and not given any protective coverings. Here in France they don't use salt at all and only on main "motorways" do they apply ground up sea shells. Also in some parts of the country it is mandatory to fit your car with Winter Tyres during these months of excessive cold etc. In the American marketplace, the designation "California car" suggests the absence of rust. It snows almost entirely in high-elevation mountains, and even there roads are seldom treacherous with ice as weather variations limit snow/ice accumulation, so drivers almost never encounter salt. |
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Post by mikael on Feb 20, 2022 21:32:52 GMT
Yes, it's really `heavy' amounts of road salt that are used here. Thus, the cars rust "everywhere", and at the most odd places. Hence, I actually avoid driving during the winter, as far as possible. Luckily, I don't need a "daily driver" - I can get along with a bicycle (which then gets "destroyed" by the road salt, but this is a smaller loss ...)
In Japan, in the Northern Honshu area (from the Sendai area, and further North), the highways were/are actually also always salted during winter. Yet not as `heavily' as in Denmark. Local roads are typically not salted - so, with a good deal of snow, you get your driving ability "sharpened up"! :-)
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Post by chrisb on Feb 21, 2022 14:04:37 GMT
the salt they lay here is a real pain, am really intrigued by the use of sea shells, - despite having a RWD car I do enjoy the snow - ok not as much as driving my Saabs - I did like my Saabs - which were great fun in the snow, especially the automatic one. and would concur Mikael that it really does 'sharpen' up one's driving,
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but electrification is the future, like it or not. 
