BBC article on ludicrous cars

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gilesjuk
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BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by gilesjuk »

Nice to see the BBC promoting green issues, erm except they're promoting posh cars which belong on the racetrack not the road.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16869432

This is my favourite bit: "But out on the open road the £90,000 car's true nature is revealed, as Mr Wotke lets rip to overtake a slow-moving queue of cars."

So it's a car that can be used to fly past all those safe sane drivers doing the speed limit.
bensonboo
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by bensonboo »

Where did it say they were doing the speed limit?

maybe they were doing 10 mph, the article doesn't say.

It's not illegal to overtake.
kwackers
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by kwackers »

bensonboo wrote:Where did it say they were doing the speed limit?

maybe they were doing 10 mph, the article doesn't say.

It's not illegal to overtake.

I can put you good money on the fact that if you need to boot a car that can do 0-60 in 4 seconds to get past a queue of traffic there's not a cat in hells chance you're within the speed limit by the time you've cleared the first, let alone last car.

If you are then you could have managed quite nicely in a fiesta... :lol:
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jezer
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by jezer »

kwackers wrote:
bensonboo wrote:Where did it say they were doing the speed limit?

maybe they were doing 10 mph, the article doesn't say.

It's not illegal to overtake.

I can put you good money on the fact that if you need to boot a car that can do 0-60 in 4 seconds to get past a queue of traffic there's not a cat in hells chance you're within the speed limit by the time you've cleared the first, let alone last car.

If you are then you could have managed quite nicely in a fiesta... :lol:

Quite right, I have a Fiesta and I manage in it :D
Power to the pedals
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Mick F
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by Mick F »

Speed is measured in miles per hour.
How far does a car have to travel to break the speed limit?

Is it possible to accelerate quickly enough, then brake fast enough NOT to break the law? Perhaps not in a real car (certainly not a Fiesta) ........ but theoretically?
Mick F. Cornwall
boblo
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by boblo »

I'm pretty sure that if anyone posted a similar discriminatory post as the OP but changed the word 'car' for 'bike' everyone would be up in arms. As the regular recipients of blatant prejudice, shouldn't we at least allow others to go about their business (in a £90k car or not) without too much foaming at the mouth?
kwackers
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by kwackers »

boblo wrote:I'm pretty sure that if anyone posted a similar discriminatory post as the OP but changed the word 'car' for 'bike' everyone would be up in arms. As the regular recipients of blatant prejudice, shouldn't we at least allow others to go about their business (in a £90k car or not) without too much foaming at the mouth?

I think the word ludicrous is perfectly apt taking into account the article.

Fundamentally the guy has bought a fast car so that he can drive like a <rude word removed by author>. He's obviously not bought it because he's an enthusiast who likes something nice to look at in his garage...
boblo
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by boblo »

Oh, Kwackers, you know him! I didn't realise you were complaining about a friend....

Or are you simply leaping to conclusions about another persons motivations?
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hubgearfreak
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by hubgearfreak »

kwackers wrote:Fundamentally the guy has bought a fast car so that he can drive like a <rude word removed by author>.


you could argue that anyone with a car over 50-75 bhp (depending on size) has done the same.
kwackers
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by kwackers »

boblo wrote:Oh, Kwackers. You know him! I didn't know you were complaing about a friend....

Or are you simply leaping to conclusions about another persons motivations?

I think it's all pretty much there in black and white in the article (you have read it?)

His "motivation" seems to be pretty well summed up here - by him (not me).
arrogant driver wrote:"It accelerates like a motorbike so it's really good for overtaking in a safe way,"

I don't know about you, but in my world someone who needs race car performance to overtake on the public roads isn't in any way driving safely. Hence the term ludicrous fits quite well imo.

Perhaps you're right though and he actually meant to say.

"It accelerates like a pram and thus stops me driving like an stupid person."
kwackers
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by kwackers »

hubgearfreak wrote:
kwackers wrote:Fundamentally the guy has bought a fast car so that he can drive like a <rude word removed by author>.


you could argue that anyone with a car over 50-75 bhp (depending on size) has done the same.

And I'd be all for some kind of performance limit on all cars. :wink:
gilesjuk
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by gilesjuk »

I'm personally calling the cars ludicrous because they are cars being used to commute in and take kids to school. Do you really need a V10 Lamborghini powered car to do a journey that is largely going to be urban driving at 30MPH?

Why do you need such a fast car in a country where the speed limit is 70MPH? Germany would be a different matter.

A fast car with flash looks is one thing, they are works of art and design. But if it's just a wolf in sheep's clothing and does mainly urban miles it's just a waste of time.

There's been enough deaths and injuries with these high powered Range Rovers, I can't forget the recent case of a young girl who was awarded £5 million after being badly injured by a 19 year old in a Range Rover.

We don't really need the BBC promoting such vehicles when most of us are trying to get safer roads for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
boblo
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by boblo »

I understand all that but who is to arbitrate between 'need' and 'want'? You? Me? The Govt? No fear....

Yes the RS6 might be a bit overkill for tootling around at 30mph but so what? If he drives it at 30, spends his money on the car, fuel, servicing etc here in the UK adding to the economy then what's the beef? Why should it worry you because someone has something you think is inappropriate?

Ask yourselves this; how many bikes and of what type do you own? More than 1, fancy steel? Ti? Carbon? Dura Ace? etc. Why? surely all we 'need' is an £80 supermarket bike as they do the job for cycling. Anything else is just unnecessary isn't it?

What would you think if some interfering busybody on a motoring forum decided your bike purchasing behaviour was ludicrous?
Last edited by boblo on 2 Mar 2012, 5:50pm, edited 1 time in total.
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hubgearfreak
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by hubgearfreak »

boblo wrote:Yes the RS6 might be a bit overkill for tootling around at 30mph but so what?


it's a good point. he'll also be contributing a fairly hefty sum in VED i imagine :twisted: . it's just the nature of this forum to be shockingly illiberal at times
kwackers
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Re: BBC article on ludicrous cars

Post by kwackers »

boblo wrote:I understand all that but who is to arbitrate between 'need' and 'want'? You? Me? The Govt? No fear....

Cars have a social cost, this cost increases when they're used inappropriately, in this particular case the guy actually tells us that he's using it inappropriately.

If we can't look to the government to make sure the cost to society isn't acceptable who can we look to? They already intrude in our driving habits in an attempt to make things safer so why not by limiting what's acceptable in terms of the vehicles we buy (something they already do anyway).

When it comes to a choice between innocent lives being lost and peoples ability to chose to drive race cars on the road then imo there's only one option.
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