UltraViolet

Back in the early 70's in the US, a series of emissions controls were introduced. They required all motor manufacturers to meet very (at that time) strict emission controls. There was general outrage as the collective of motor manufacturers threw their arms up and declared that this was not possible. A small man at the back of the room put his hand in the air and quietly stated that he would have to contradict them. Not only was it possible.... but they had already achieved and excedded these requirements with their new small car - the Life/Civic. (Illustration based on true events - but poetic licence used as I wasn't there to quote verbatum!) No catalytic convertor was used (which was the method most others were trying to use to meet these targets) but a recirculation method. Basically the engineers decided that the error the other manufacturers was making was treating the harmful emissions after they had been emitted. They wanted to get to them much further down the process. The results was a very clean car without a Cat. Adding a Cat gains no benefit - yet we are forced to have them! If the engineering was done right rather than relying on the Cat to clean it up later, we wouldn't need this blinkered and narrow minded law forcing us to use much of the scare resource of platinum, and have these power sapping devices stuck to our cars. Double whammy negative - extra weight and power sapping so you use more fuel to travel at the same speed etc. Plus a waste of scarce resource! It is shocking (but not surprising) that those that make important decisions ignore the engineers and scientists in favour of the market researchers and PR men. I think most people are aware that Cancer now affects a higher proportion of the population than ever before..... wonder if this is linked with the loss of attendant service at petrol stations? Prob not - that will have been simple cost reduction too .... the employer wouldn't value his petrol pump assistant high enough to remove him from the risk just to preserve his health....... /Cynic mode off/

Lol - I was the only person anywhere around,.......... so must have been one of the ducks otherwise you'd have seen the moon from Dorset!!

I went for a cruise/blast and really enjoyed it - roof off even when it got dark! Then I parked up near a duck pond and sat on the bench under a huge willow tree and watched the moon for a while. Back in the car and steady cruise home to a fridge full of beer! Nice. Would have been better though if the boyfriend had been around to join me on that bench under the willow.

Or I could catch a ride in Yours!? :P

Lol - a post of on the Honda Revolutions forum that seems to fit in well with this thread - also made me chuckle.....

You have to take Wildrnes with you too. Zee - cool dude Fro with Supercharged beastie Loz - cool dude Bro with stealthy NOS Wildrnes - Mad dude running round the studio singing "Why do birds...."

I'm not saying the Passat is a bad car (although I personally find them souless and uninvolving - but that is a personal taste thing) .... just they tend to be driven by Muppets! I am only talking TDI too incidentally. Not saying that includes you - we are stereotyping here. :winky: Not a IS problem either - the Passat TDI drivers are a scourge and menace cited by drivers of many marques ...... remember my tool of choice is actually a Honda anyway - and I still find the TDI bunch a menace. BTW - does the Gold TDI only come in black? And the Passat TDI only in silver? :P

Add my support to the 'drive all the Passat TDI's off the road' group ... the more red letters, the lower the driver IQ when he gets behind the wheel..... I also hate those people that pull away from junctions SOOOOOO slowly you almost run into the back of them (I always leave a safety space - but I am not kidding... leaving a roundabout yeatserday, a flatcap in a Fiesta was going so slowly, no-one would anticipate that acceleration at that slow a rate was possible!) Constant speed gimps are another hate. (45 in the 30, 45 in the 60 ......) Prats!

Dave, is yours the auto or the manual as there does seem to be quite a difference in fuel consumption between the two. MPG will improve once your engine has losened up a little (about 4,000 miles, then it is better still after 15,000ish). I also bought my car new and originally was getting about 320 to 350 miles to a tank. I now get 420 miles on average to a tankful. Still not good - but better than 245 !!! I calculate the IS200 Manual driven smoothly but spiritedly cross country (I live in the country, and the office is in a small 'town') costs £12.50 per 100 miles.

Have you seen the twin turbo Smart Roadster??? Very B) Two smart engines fused together into a 1.4, with two turbos.... IIRC about 160-170 bhp in something that weighes little more than a crisp packet and you sit 6" from the floor - sounds like fun to me! Oh - performance was quoted (again IIRC) at 0-62 in about 6 seconds and a top speed of circa 138mph for those brave enough!

"Great - unfastened shoe laces - good for at least another 50bhp!"

It was originally this wide...... they didn't explain the side effects of lengthening.

Put this window back down!!! I'm getting decapitated ...... the car has already claimed one head - look - Steve's head sat on the roof near the Sunroof!

I never got offered a ride ...... boo hiss!

More JAE Pics Not mine - but some nice pics......

JAE 2003 Some more pics here.....

Can't we just put all the Max Muppets in the house ...... but never vote any of them back out again????? :P

Not at all - it was great to be seranaded by two fun guys in a cool car ....... if I'd known your were only serenading Max Muppets though .... I'd have given you both a slap! :winky:

Fab! I think that sums it up!!! Ta for making me welcome - it was great - I get to enjoy 2 cool Clubs!!! Also CONGRATULATIONS to Sporties Daughter for winning the JAE Quiz - well done that girl! Hope you didn't drink all that beer!

Not in this case Loz - one email goes to EVERY club - that would have taken me hours by phone. Plus when the mails come back - I cut and paste into the sheet rather than having to type loads out.

Mail me - quick - I am sorting it now - ordering the questions so you can walk round the fields and the questions are in the right order........ Send me 3 questions (with answers) and 2 will go in (for both Lex and Toys)

21st June was when it was sent ...... your's was the first email addy! <slap legs>

All the emails were sent to the email addy that was input when the club admin registered. If you are fast - I'll include your question(s) - email me the questions (and answers) PDQ Ta

I am just pulling all the quiz questions together. I emailed all the Clubs attending asking for questions which would encourage visitors to your stand - now I have compiled them all I have noticed something strange........ not ONE single Club from the D plots (i.e. Lexus and Toyota) have replied and sent any questions. So there will be hundreds of people wandering round with their quiz sheet - and the questions will take them all around the show EXCEPT for the Toyota/Lexus area. Why is this? I find it hard to believe that all those clubs have admin that have gone awol, suffer from appathy or don't want to associate with other Jap marques ....... Does that mean you won't be submitting teams for the events? Sumo Power have donated a liquid prize for the Club that wins the quiz......

You do not need to modify your car to enjoy it. Seriously, you don't need a fast car, or even a sport one - you can have fun in just about anything. A track day is not a race. No-one cares who is driving quickest - it is only about fun and putting a huge grin on your face. You may also learn more about your car too. In fact - for those considering modding but haven't yet.... do a track day first - you will then learn which parts of your car (if any) are the limiting factors! One chap who was at Croft on Saturday had bought his car 2 weeks ago - stock - a day thrashing it and he knows the weakest link is brakes. Second weakest is dampers. But that isn't the case with all cars....... I did my first track day with my CRX when it was stock - weakest link was the tyres. We did try to get interest for Donington and there was lots of responses of 'I'd be interested' until price was mentioned...... so I'll be honest - I'll still believe it when I see it! I know a couple of Lexus owners that will give it a go - but I have serious doubts that you'll be able to get enough together for a full Lexus session........ Go on then - prove me wrong! :P