In less PC times, the distinction was “dot or feather?”

And here I thought it was a VR6 and a VR2. No, wait, that won’t work...

A bottom-of-the-line minivan. No DVD players, no vacuum, just cloth seats and Bluetooth. There have been good posts on Oppo on this subject, but having to do regular and entertaining posts about something relatively mundane should be a great way to test your writing ability.

I think you’re close, but I’m going to go back a little further to the XJ model. I remember back in the ‘80s when this became the must have rolling fashion accessory in my upscale neighborhood. If you didn’t have the gold wheels on yours (Limited package - kind of ironic given the ubiquity), you were a nobody.

With four buttons for the horn, there wasn’t much in the center of that wheel other than access to the nut that held it to the shaft. That center panel easily popped out and was a great place for stashing all sorts of things (keys, money, etc.)

Came here to say that. And let’s get on the same emissions rules while we’re at it. Stop making it so damn difficult to certify cars. We cross-certify each other’s aircraft, and I think there’s a little more at stake there, so why not something as relatively simple as a car?

While conversely, I nearly get hit whilst in a crosswalk in front of city hall, with hardly anyone bothering to stop for me, including someone driving a police department van. Do people not realize what those stripes in the road actually mean?

Maybe I’ve gotten lazy, but I’ve come to appreciate the trouble-free nature of motoring that we’re experiencing nowadays. On older cars, the tune gradually deteriorates over time, and because it takes some time you get used to accustomed to the reduced performance. Since a 2002 would probably be just a plaything and…

Coming from someone raised with, and trained on, fuel injection, carbs, at least to me, just seemed like a step backwards. Great when they’re running right, but unlike FI they drift out of tune and need periodic adjustment. The dual carb linkage on the KG added another measure of complexity, and making sure each bank…

You should see my dad’s 85 year old, 300 lb uncle get in and out of his Civic. It’s simultaneously sad and hilarious. I shouldn’t laugh as that will someday be me (except for the 300 lb part).

We really need to sit down and just agree on a world standard and stop mucking about with different rules in different parts of the world. 30 years ago this might have been a problem, but nowadays safety and emission requirements are closer than they ever have been around the world that separate rules and regulations…

In my haste I misread your post and thought that you didn’t want a carbureted car - my mistake. I’m sure dual Webers sound great, but that would have to be an aftermarket thing as I believe that a standard 2002 came with a simple, single Solex.

As you age, you will find there are certain ingress/egress advantages to the taller cars. Watching my dad’s 85 year old, 300 lb uncle get in and out of his Civic was simultaneously tragic and humorous.

I guess that makes me just plain old :P

I drive a minivan (Mazda5 6MT), dammit, and I’m proud of the fact that I bucked the trend and got what I wanted instead of being so insecure and trying to be like everyone else. I have no desire to drive one of those poseurmobiles with their image of machismo and toughness, but I suspect that in a few years I won’t…

Back in high school I had one of the first Rabbit GTIs, and it was a great car when it was running. Just out of warranty and it was an electrical nightmare. Someday I’ll have another as a plaything, as long as I’ve got something else reliable to drive.

One prod of the right pedal and those cheap wheels will crack and collapse, therefore no threat (except to the eyes...)

When a friend of mine found out he was having a daughter, he remarked to his wife that it was time to get a shotgun. Their 5-year-old son heard this and was afraid that his parents were going to shoot his new sister. Ah, the innocence of youth...

So that shifter must be leftovers from the Daimler days. The SLK I drove was described as having a shifter that felt like stirring a broomstick in a bucket of ice cubes, but butter and rope may be a more apt analogy.

This was in her MB E320 wagon, so it probably did cut in early. But knowing how she drives (she would get frequent speeding tickets in a VW Vanagon, then bought a car with 2.5X the power), I’m sure she came into the turn too hot and was enjoying the g-forces. Thankfully the stability control was there to intervene as…