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balthazar

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Everything posted by balthazar

  1. I've said here before- I support Tesla & Rivian and any new American OEM. U.S. could use more players, no question. I'm also fine with improving the environment... as long as we don't ram head-long into complete poverty doing so. That doesn't mean I blindly accept all the flowery prose and hyperbolic press releases that accompany them (or ANY OEM) at face value. Electric cars are generally viable (if not yet always on parity with same-segment ICs) and they can become great for many, probably even most consumers. Some folk like to accept every claim & statement made publicly. I prefer to apply a little critical thinking, esp when the claims come off as 'too good to be true'. Never forget the MONEY behind these ventures; they're not purely benevolent gestures despite the grandiose prose. The entire statement is not 'flawed'. If there are about 380 million vehicles in the US, and the average 'normal' yearly production is 15 million, that's 25 years' worth of vehicles. IF by -say- 2040, 100% of the US market is BE's, it would take a mathematical 25 years to replace those... except it never will- it will only 'dilute' the number or IC's, not eliminate them. There will always, and I mean always be IC vehicles. Recall; we've had production BE's for 20 years now. New U.S. vehicle BE marketshare is still only 2-3%. It's not going to be 100% in 8 more years- no way.
  2. It won't "have no effect" on air quality not because some projections show BE's to be cleaner over X-number of years of operation, but because even at 100% marketshare, BEs will ALWAYS be a minority share of ALL operating vehicles. People leaning one way on the issue continue to ignore how many IC machines there are in the world, and that they will continue to operate for the rest of our lifetimes, even if at a slowly decaying rate. The issue isn't a snapshot of new vehicle sales in a given future decade - that's a thin sliver of every vehicle out there. It's like stamping all the ants you see on your driveway dead, then yelling to your neighbor "I'm 100% ant-free!".
  3. If its the first month of sales then ignore my post- I thought it was around since mid-last year.
  4. EV6 was 0.002% (two-tenths of 1 %) of KN sales in December.
  5. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Wow- they really screwed up the body proportions on that re-creation (it's certainly not a 'continuation of the original'). OR..... you could buy an ACTUAL, recognized continuation GT40 from SuperPerformance, still go 0-60 in the mid 3-sec range, plus get all the visceral sound and feel of a V8 supercar, instead of an annoying, anemic, whining sound.
  6. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    '65 Chrysler 300-L, 1 of 76 factory-built as a 4-speed (glass headlight covers banned for '66) :
  7. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    1878-1903 railroad bridge over the Raritan River, New Brunswick NJ.
  8. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    ^ I looked at a worn, unrestored '55 Handyman probably 10 years ago, at a rural repair garage. I was tempted, but thought the $5K they were asking was too steep for it's condition.
  9. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    I certainly prefer the more factory nose on the other car that was built, but the above job is still nice :
  10. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
  11. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    It’s true the vast majority of people never use the max capabilites of their vehicle often. Just like the vast majority of BE drivers never go 0-60 in 4 secs. ? But in a world where products are promoted on specs, the numbers both resonate, and move product.
  12. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    How this one - 6.6L Duramax can tow 35,500 lbs. Magna is stating its powertrain is good for only 14,500. '22 GM 3.0L Duramax does up to 13,300 lbs. Not there yet.
  13. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    I watched it elsewhere... the drag race for a HD truck is like a towing test for exotics- it's a non-factor. BE makers need to address the needs of the segment they're targeting. There's a lot of 'misdirection' on a lot of these BE trucks. It's not going to play out to the volumes they think it will; the segment's buyers are not looking for a 'reinvention of the truck', and the historically high sales of pickups in this country is proof positive of that. A Duramax currently has 910 TRQ @ 1600 RPM, and is supposed to bump to 1087 next year.
  14. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    I strongly hope they do built a 'Celestiq'.
  15. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    No-oooooope. Front fender 'relief' is out of place. Coved rear too dissimilar to Cadillac design language. I'm in the 'wait & see' camp regarding the Lyriq's nose... which this is lifted from. GM Design will do much better.
  16. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Revenge for Godzilla ~
  17. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Same car ~
  18. balthazar replied to oldshurst442's post in a topic in The Lounge
    So many folk wandering (intellectually) aimlessly around, fully believing everything they interact with should be done at cost. ‘How dare you secure a loan, operate a physical location, co-ordinate my order, receive /prep it, take care of registration/financing… and make an entire $700 on a $50,000 vehicle!! THE NERVE!!!’ ?
  19. balthazar replied to oldshurst442's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Escalade buyers aren’t going to switch over to the Lyriq- no the same demographic/ size/ look/ image. A BE Escalade would have a theoretical good chance tho. RE dealers/ profit: I’m of the same opinion as previously: All the consumers who are moaning & wailing over paying over MSRP had better not utter a peep at NOT paying under MSRP. Ofherwise- they might choke on their hypocrisy vomit. Further, once dealers are (hypothetically) capped on what they can charge, so should private buyers be on selling their vehicles. And houses, while we’re at it. PRICE CONTROL ALL THE THINGS!! ?
  20. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    'Vivant' concept designed by Pontiac engineer Herb Adams (but not thru GM). Pontiac 389 powered, circa '64. I remember the internet buzz when this was 'discovered' 5-10 years ago, has been restored since. 2010 : https://bringatrailer.com/2010/02/07/ghia-ish-1965-adams-pontiac-aluminum-special/
  21. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
  22. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Talk is cheap.
  23. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    Location to the 3rd power. Was 'street crusin' thru Tucumcari NM (via googliemaps)... and for $80K-$180K, you pretty much have your pick of the entire town. As long as you don't mind eerily-empty streets...
  24. balthazar replied to TaurusSHO's post in a topic in The Lounge
    You don't have a fixed rate??