Drew Dowdell

That was a typo on my part.... the numbers are correct, the model number was not. BMW does produce a s/c4.4litre 7-series that returns 14 / 21 mpg. And yes, I would expect a smaller and lighter X6 to get better fuel economy, however that's not what SMK was saying. He's saying that Cadillac should put the 4.4l TT into the Escalade and it would get better fuel economy than the current 6.2 litre. I really think not.

Diesel is also used as heating oil..... as the temperatures are colder people use more oil.... additionally... even people with multiple storage tanks who filled up in late fall are now probably starting to run low.

Buying credits from other companies is effectively investing in green technology and research if a particular industry can't yet make changes. It's better than paying the government. We cannot live in a mandate free world. There have to be some regulations and there has to be enforcement of those regulations. Giving industry a method of letting the market figure it out is much freer than simply fining industries. BTW, as I understand it, a company can get credit for investing in their own pollution control research as well.

uh, the s/c 4.4 gets 14 / 21 mpg in the 760i with RWD..... the Escalade gets 12 / 18 mpg with AWD. aerodynamics alone is going to cost you 2mpg.

what on god's green earth makes you think that?!

Can I get an AMEN!?!

I like the idea of free markets, however I am quite cynical about the motivations of private companies. Exxon/Mobil, Toyota, Tyco, Enron, Adelphia Cable, Microsoft, Sony, Walmart.... do you really trust any of those companies to do the right thing for the common good? If Exxon weren't regulated and threatened with fines, they would have no incentive to not pollute. What carbon credit trading is doing is putting a different financial incentive on not polluting. If you're a major polluter, you have to pay into the carbon system.... that gives you an incentive to clean up your act. Once you're below the threshold level of pollution, you now get to sell the credits for pollution you don't create to the highest bidder. That gives a second financial incentive to you and the trading market price you set creates an additional incentive to other polluters. The money earned from selling carbon credits can be used <if the company is smart> to buy additional pollution reducing equipment and then get more carbon credits. I'm sure there is a point of diminishing returns, but this is a system that rewards investment in pollution control rather than penalizing for lack of pollution control. Rather than the money going to the government, the money is exchanged between companies. The system isn't sustainable in a static state, so the pollution threshold will have to be adjusted from time to time, which would be the sole role of the government. If anything, carbon trading is MORE freemarket than just fining companies who don't comply with pollution law because it creates an entirely new market <like the stock market>, and government for the most part stays out of it other than setting the bar.

I think some of the people here who claim to be fans are actually just trolls from other brands.

BMW had exclusive use of the design at first. GM got to use it later, but didn't have to pay for the development.

So.... BMW admitted defeat by outsourcing 5-speed auto development to GM for however many years? just askin...

GM could produce a fully working model of Christ himself and people would still complain that the water to wine function only dispenses merlot.

Would you explain it away like this if the vehicle in question were say.... the Cadillac BRX? I'm guessing no. Then of course, if it were a Cadillac, we'd have SMK in here ranting about how it should be a diesel electric hybrid fueled by baby smiles, have a 37 speed transmission, weigh less than 2,500lbs, and be priced like the CRV because Cadillac isn't A-tier. I'm just hatin the fact that you guys are giving the "Fuel Efficiency Leader" a pass on this...... and this thread will arise from the dead if I start seeing rants about BRX fuel economy.

I'm not sure the Queen would use such language.

What is "fraud like" with the idea that you have to pay to pollute?

two words; Bush Administration . two more words; Exxon Mobil

front engine/front drive.

No new pics tonight. The power antenna is installed. We found out that most of the horns don't work... we have one in and will be ripping the rest out of the parts car later. The horns are easy to get to, so as long as it passes inspection for now, I'm happy. Right front fender is now fully installed and bolted down. It lines up decently though the panel gap between the door and the fender is a bit wide. Tomorrow, discovering the splicing needed to wire the headlights. Sedan and wagon have slightly different headlight cluster layouts. maybe banging out the slightly bent core support and getting the left fender in.

Mini-Cooper.

Since I can't draw it, I'll steal it. Take that cylinder head all the way to the right and lop off two cylinders.... notice how much shorter it gets compared to the inline 4? Now it will have the same displacement as the inline 4 but fit in a smaller package..... or Increase the displacement of each cylinder, make the block as long as the other 4 cylinder, but with much more displacement while still maintaining relatively narrow characteristics of an inline.

y?

uh... how? I'm not trying to say that the Roadmaster is better than any of these Hondas. I'm saying that the Honda mileage from a 4 cylinder is pathetic.

there are more examples out there than just stuff from Honda and Driver......I think there were 3 different rear ends for the B-bodies... it matters.

all that is missing is the extra emissions equipment that BMW is putting on their engines. Lutz said in a personal email exchange between he and I that GM could bring it 50 state compliant, it just costs money for the extra hardware.

there have never been unethical scientists?

having a different opinion about a theory is one thing if they have honest and irrefutable evidence to support their argument. Disagreeing with a theory in the face of supporting evidence and without evidence to back up your argument = nutjob. Also, if you believe that Exxon hasn't hired "Scientists" to go out and "disprove" global warming, I have some beach front property here in Pittsburgh to sell you.