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That's kinda like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it? After all, Apple stole the Mac/Lisa interface from Xeroxs' Alto (1973) and STAR Information System (1979) pioneered by their Palo Alto Research Center (often referred to as PARC Labs).
Best Regards,
Shipo
SMG: I had the opportunity to drive a 530 with SMG for about an hour a couple of months ago and, to me, it felt like BMW's engineers had done a fair job of imitating a manual. It did not feel like an automatic or the much hated Triptronic. For example, when you put it in first or reverse and let off the brake, the car did not creep forward like a slush bucket equipped car would. This, I assume, because when you shift an MT into first it doesn't start to move till you let the clutch out and, usually, give it some gas. So, the engineers designed SMG not to move till you give it gas as well.
I also noticed you got a little hesitation and bump between first and second and second and third but not in the higher gears much like the experience you're used to in a proper manual.
What I couldn't tell was whether this was just a good job of BMW mimicking a manual or whether, it really would perform like an MT. I've thought about getting one in my 545 but am just not sure it'll be as pleasant as an MT over time.
Would very much appreciate other opinions on this.
Manual or SMG? For the purist, there is no substitute for a true stick. That being said, SMGs are actually quite good at replicating the driving experience of a manual. At least that is the impression I got after driving my uncle's 04 M3 SMG conv.
There is an SH-AWD badge in the back.
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Here's what doesn't look like a 7 as I see it. The top of the trunk on the seven angles back and the honda goes forward so, the top of the shape is opposite, totally opposite. Looking down from that you can see that the BMW has a light bar that extends horizontally above the license plate mounting and extending. The honda has a chrome bar that looks like a camry, malibu or sonota. The proportion of the back in relation to the rear window is smooth on the honda and flows in a line with the top of the car. The proportion of the trunk and rear on the BMW is its own with a transition. Look the taillight shape is exactly the opposite. The shape is different. The proportion is different.
They are nothing alike.......what are you talking about?
And, the M3 with SMG is going to shift faster and more precise on a consistent basis than humanly possible with a manual clutch.
Read warthog's post. He hit the nail on the head.
The point is that the rear of these two cars are not similar. And, if we look at things objectively, it's clear they are not similar.
In the post, did I say somewhere I do not like the 7-series?
In the post, did I say somewhere I like the RL? the RL more than the 7-series?
I merely said the RL rear has hints of 7-series back end, which it obviously does. How that translates to not liking the 7-series only you know. Good luck finding out.
Not really. I have read many comments in other forums as well that the rear theme of the new RL and the 7 are similar.
So just because YOU think they don't look similar, that makes it objective? LMAO...
Let's get away from making this personal, folks.
I agree with the notion that it has a 7-Series theme going on in the rear. The side profile is where the car falls apart imo. It simply looks like a giant Accord. The front kinda looks like a Phaeton to me. The new RL isn't an ugly car by any means (very few Honda products are), but it surely isn't a looker either at least not in pics. The front end really looks like the Phaeton to me though. The overall look is kinda like the TL, a collection of other themes from other cars that don't add up to make a good looking Acura. Still too generic.
I'll still hold off on final judgement until I actually see the car in person though.
M
Well....Actually the prototype for windows was designed by a team at IBM. IBM did not want it and offered to sell it to Steve Jobs. Steve sent Gates (his friend) to assess the value of this program. Gates declared it useless, then had his own team copy it after IBM and Apple passed it by....
http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2004/07/28/206184.html
http://www.media.audiusa.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=9472
Looks like a well equipped A6 3.2 Quattro will be around $48,000. Nice car...
The current A6 sells about 1800 per month.
what gives?
ksso
ksso
Back in the 1970s and 1980s IBM was the 900 pound gorilla. Feds were pursuing possible anti-trust violations. Competitors were afraid of its market dominance. I remember when people were afraid IBM might dominate hardware and software. MS was relatively small. Would be interesting to see how their products were priced and bundled. Did IBM charge more or bundle in proprietary systems? Now MS is the 9000 pound gorilla, while IBM seems to focus more on computer business intergration management. (Will be interesting to see outcome of European anti-trust action now that MS has settled its American actions.)
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Many people don't consider it on this forum b/c it's an American car, but I think it's a worthy member of this class.
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100963
Lexus & BMW both sell more than 200K in the US, why can't Jag sell that much worldwide?
I think platform sharing is the killer. S type is off LS, which is almost 10 year old. X type is off Mondeo.
Memo to Ford: if you want to play with the big boys, don't do it on the cheap.
It'll be interesting to see RL/M/GS duke it out for Nippon performance sedan supremacy. My guess is they will fight to a draw!
The S-type's problems are numerous. The interior of the first generation was just a joke, and while it has gotten better, its still not good enough. They also have not done enough to differentiate the styling of the current car versus the first one, so I think to most people it looks like the S-type hasnt changed at all. And like the X-type, it runs into the same problems. They cant afford to spend enough on the interior, so its not as good as A6 or E500, and its LS platform is basically a joke compared to the class leaders. Then there's the engine, the 4.2L is barely good enough to take on the E430 and 540i. The Germans have new, significantly more advanced and more powerful 8s that Ford's engine cant come close to.
I really dont know how Jaguar plans to get out of this. They obviously cant afford to develop independent platforms like the new XJ for every car, but at the same time, Ford doesnt have good enough platforms in its stable for Jaguar to use against the fierce competition from all over the world. If they decide to not bother with entry and midsized contenders in this "more focused" business plans, and just make XJ and XK8s, its still going to be extremely difficult. People expect 5 to 6 year cycles now for new models, and for somebody like M-B or BMW, thats no problem. When you're a tiny 2 car company though, theres no way you can afford to do that, which would leave them in the same situation they are in now, having their cars outdated and outmatched by the competition.
Honda decided against building a NSX successor. But if anything can change its mind, this is it!
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101005
lexusguy, there's one crucial difference between Xtype and ES330. ES makes no pretense of sports and doesn't try to keep up with the sports sedan crowd. One big disadvantage Jag has is it doesn't have any SUV to sell. Another is all its cars come from different platforms, making for manufacturing inefficiency. Another is it uses British manufacturing practices. I read workers there can bring food to the assembly line! Ouch!
As for the ES, thats basically what I said. The ES enjoys essentially zero competition, its the IS that Lexus is trying to position against Germany and the rest of Japan, and they are still trying to figure out how to do that successfully.
Audi essentially has no SUVs either (the All-road doesnt really count) but they arent in the red like Jaguar is. That British manufacturing process may not apply anymore, as Ford has closed the Coventry plant to try and stop the money bleeding.
lexusguy, GM's proven it can destroy a brand identity faster than imaginable. Saab's having a terrible time in Europe because people know underneath it's just an Opel. Now underneath it's also a Subaru & Chevy! If GM owns Jag, XJ is just an STS, S type a CTS. Ford has done everything it could for Jag, which I think is beyond saving.
I'm surprised no one comments on Toyota's V10 & M6 challenger. I read Toyota's also building a car bigger than LS, probably with V10 as option.
lexusguy, I disagree Honda shouldn't challenge Toyota in hyper performance. Honda has the most F1 experience and talent of any company not named Ferrari. They currently lie in 2nd in F1 standings. They always pride themselves as a non-pareil engine builder. You got to stick to your roots, or else they're going to lose a lot. I think Honda's one of the three top automakers in terms of gross profits (Toy & Nissan being the other 2). So they do have the financial resources to finance a road going V10.
I also agree that GM has essentially ruined Saab. The 9-7x is the last nail in the cofffin. The Jag situation is different though. The CTS platform is much better than Mondeo. And the '05 STS beats the pants off the Lincoln LS, which is a last place finisher thats been forgotten. Ford did serious damage to the X-type and S-type by using its dated, uncompetitive platforms under them. Ford's crappy 3.0L Duratec V6 did nothing for the X-type, and their 4.2L Lincoln LS V8 isnt good enough either. Ford needs to get more power, A LOT more power, out of its DOHC engines if they want Jag to survive. The Mazda 3 platform is great for Volvo S40 and Focus. Now Ford needs to do the same thing with its midsize platform, and the Volvo P2 isnt the answer.
All that F1 talent is great, but Honda absolutely cannot ignore slipping sales of its core cars to focus on some new exotic that might sell a few thousand cars a year. VW let their core sales cars twist in the wind while they worked on the Phaeton, and look what happened there. A V10 street car from Honda, thats a lark. They were too timid to even make a V8. Honda needs to stop that conservatism. Nissan was conservative and slow moving in the 90s, and it nearly killed them. Nissan made a spectacular comeback with bold, brash moves and a "lets give er more power!" attitude. Honda needs to try some of that. Why arent Type R cars even on sale in the US? Its like they are just asking for Sentra SE-R, Focus SVT, Neon SRT-4, etc, to crush them.
Good or bad the XJ is my birthday present to myself when i turn 40. period.
ksso
ksso
Where already well past the '70s era hp wars. Remember those were SAE gross HP ratings, so those "450hp" cars would not stack up with a 450hp engine in todays terms. The V-10 M5 would make even the most powerful GTO or Cuda look like it was standing still.