Count Ricotti and the 200 % Gas Tax

[Thymeclock]

Was it called the Ricottamobile?

In my mind's eye I'm envisioning a huge cannoli on wheels.

[RobertSmalls]

For perspective, here's what you could buy off the shelf in 1914:

Which, as you can see, could use some aeromods.

[99LeCouch]

Yeah, there are much better things to use the money for than an ostentatious guzzler. Like a solar panel and wind farm for your custom Tesla. And giving a pet engineer free reign to make said Tesla go 200 miles on a charge while flooring it from every f'ing stoplight in southern Cali kind of crazy.

If I had 10 billion dollars that's what I'd do with it. Of course the enviro-whackos funded by Big Oil would say the endangered Spotted Lesser Bumblebird lives in my backyard where the solar/wind farm to charge the Tesla would go, and the neighbors across the valley would say the windmills ruin the view from their second bathroom.

Every time a rich person wants to do something truly eccentrically good for the planet, they get a bunch of little yapping dogs yapping how much it'll destroy something. And so we get the status quo extended to its logical, wasteful extremes.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

For perspective, here's what you could buy off the shelf in 1914:

Which, as you can see, could use some aeromods.

In 1914, if a car couldn't travel much faster than 30 MPH, why would it need aeromods?

How many gas stations do you think were available at that time? And how many paved roads were there?

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

In 1914, if a car couldn't travel much faster than 30 MPH, why would it need aeromods?

How many gas stations do you think were available at that time? And how many paved roads were there?

Aerodynamics is still a big deal at 30mph. Punch your car in to the calculator and see. For the calculator's default car, 50% of power goes to aero drag at 30mph.

For a 1914 Renault with a Cd of 0.6 and super high rolling resistance tires, it's probably more than 50%.

[payne171]

I don't know how things are around other parts, but here around Columbus, Ohio, rich people don't buy Hummers. People who want others to think they are rich and are willing to spend an inordinate portion of their disposable income to encourage those thoughts drive Hummers. Oh yeah, and rednecks. Wealthy people in central Ohio drive entry level luxury cars and/or SUV's. I'll give them a pass on the SUV because I have lived through 33 Ohio winters now. The truth is, I don't much have a problem with a Hummer because it is a new enough vehicle that it is likely in proper working order with a modern emissions system. Yes, I would rather they used a bit less carbon emissions, but there are almost as many Iroc Z's in the road around here as an episode of Jersey Shore. Or any older car for that matter. My wife's car is a Wrangler Unlimited, which isn't a particularly efficient auto, but my wife is an RN, and she doesn't get to call work and say, "I can't make it; the roads are too bad."
That's my rambling way of saying sometimes 4wd is necessary, and that even the vilified Hummer is often a better choice than the old civic with worn out o2 sensor and a gutted cat. converter.

[gone-ot]

...if a 4x4 honestly gets dirty on a regular basis, it's probably the better vehicle for the task; however, owning a huge 4x4 that will NEVER go off pavement in its life, is sorta useless.

[RobertSmalls]

My 4x4 Subaru had 5.9" of ground clearance and 30mpg on a good day. It never got stuck, but then, neither has the Insight with its 5.9" of ground clearance and good winter / summer tires.

If you get stuck all the time in your Civic, despite your dedicated snow tires, then I'll give you a pass to buy an Outback or a Ford Five Hundred, or some other 4x4 tallwagon. But even for 99% of northlanders, a regular car with appropriate tires will do just fine.

[payne171]

...says the guy from Arizona. Really, maybe you lived somewhere where snow can shut down the STATE for a couple of days at a time at some point in your life, but I have done it my whole life. I can take a little criticism in that regard from the poster from Buffalo. He probably understands better than I do. But even then, he can stay indoors when the weather gets really bad. My wife cannot. Just to spell it out, my she is a registered nurse at the Ohio State University hospital (Arizona ought to be pretty familiar with the Buckeyes; the Fiesta Bowl is our second home field I think ). If there is a foot of snow on the interstate, she has to go in anyway or get stuck trying. The nine inches of ground clearance, limited slip differential, and four wheel drive system (antiquated yet supremely effective at maintaining traction) ensure that the Jeep can get her to work to help pregnant women deliver their children during conditions when emergency vehicles are the only vehicles legally allowed on the road. And yes, I do get it dirty as often as time and my wife allow. If they made a more efficient vehicle with comparable traction and ground clearance we would likely own one. Scoobies are nice but not Jeep nice. For what it is worth, my goal is a 1st gen insight or used civic hybrid. My ultimate goal would be a nissan leaf or DIY EV with a custom generator trailer that only comes along when you know you will exceed the designed range. Or a civic gx, but the phills compressor is too expensive. Until then, we will jeep it.

[payne171]

Sorry if I got a little defensive, but remember that there are people out there who genuinely need off road capable vehicles. Unfortunately, the only efficient one of those I ever drove was a Geo Tracker and they started growing them out of their efficiency (or rather, the Suzuki twin they still build). The sad thing is that there would be very few of those out there if only the people who needed them bought them. The posers are what make them profitable. I still maintain that a great solution to a lot of our problems with pollution and oil supplies is to demand vehicles be maintained in some semblance of proper running order. A cheap fair smog test required for license renewal would make a lot more useful move than trying to convince the nouveau riche they don't need an Expedition for three people and a dog.