facthunter Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Yeah they are CUTE and have the "Look". Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 (edited) They're owned and built by BMW and the name stands for "Bring Many Wrenches". After seeing my workshop neighbour working on his Beemer, and examining all the disassembled componentry, I wouldn't buy one for all the tea in China, they are utter crap in their construction and design. Shitty plastics everywhere (including vital engine components) and none it designed with quality in mind, just cheap as they can make them. Not to mention the dreadful markup on parts prices. $97 for a simple engine sump (oil pan) gasket. Fasteners everywhere with special heads, requiring specialised BMW tooling. One company here makes some nice earnings from selling the special tooling need to work on them. A need to dismantle half the engine just to replace commonly-worked on components, such as starter motors and timing belts. I reckon most BMW mechanics must be nut cases. https://www.ozwidetools.com.au/bmw/ Edited July 13 by onetrack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 7 minutes ago, onetrack said: BMW and the name stands for "Bring Many Wrenches" I thought it was "Big Money Waster". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 Yes, another good nickname is "Break My Wallet". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 They drive (handle) pretty well, though.. Nev. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgwilson Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 BMW doesn't have the best reliability record but when new they have heaps of power and superb handling with a pretty good driving experience. This has always been their hallmark. Anything that is highly strung is going to suffer in the reliability stakes. German engineering is no better or worse that any other. It all depends partly on how much you pay, how complex it is and how difficult the task it is designed for is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 Some of them had fibre optic circuitry and if that got damaged the car's a write off. In the early days of F1 a BMW road car engine was used. their aero radials were good their supercharged pre war motorbike was unbeatable. Most high performance cars like Lamborghini early Aston Martins Ferrari, McLaren etc were not sensible road cars. Hard to service and hard work to drive in traffic. Lotus are a bit better. The latest V8 Ford Mustang does it pretty well if you lust for that kind of thing.. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 Here's one for you... https://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/news/cheaper-than-a-tow-truck-electric-car-owners-devise-roadside-charging-solution/ar-BB1q20uc?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=b2657ec4af0f4b5ff02b2b10e81bbd15&ei=54 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
octave Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 Another method of charging. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man emu Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 I liked 50% of that video. The bit about recharging under tow. I didn't like the rest where they tried to compare the efficiency of a sedan with a truck. I don't know how much each vehicle weighs. That would be a factor in the overall efficiency. I'll not knock the results for each vehicle. I just don't like the experimental design. To me it's like trying to compare apples with water melons. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted July 19 Share Posted July 19 You need only worry if they are Lemons. Yes weight , drag and speed are also factors. Remember the charger and motor are of high efficiency. Above 95%. Nev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 20 Share Posted July 20 I read where raccoons in the US are trying to break into Tesla Cybertrucks because they mistake them for dumpsters. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted July 20 Share Posted July 20 They are NOT a "Musk have" in my HO.. That bloke is a DH. Nev 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted July 20 Share Posted July 20 (edited) Make that, the worlds richest DH who has scammed an unjust amount of financial reward out of "his" company. RIpping off shareholders and clients alike, and even making a judge aghast at his blatant financial renumeration greed. The scary part is, Musk has now thrown his multiple billions into wholesale support of Trump - to the tune of donating a regular US$45M a month, to one of the Trump PAC's. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/19/elon-musk-trump-endorsement. Edited July 20 by onetrack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_d Posted July 21 Share Posted July 21 Well, just like the value of Twitter, I hope he loses his money 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 In the carpark at Forest Hill Chase, Melbourne today and noticed these two EV's, a Tesla Model Y and a Mercedes, plugged into the public charging station. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litespeed Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 That's a Jaguar f pace. But at least it's made in Austria, so close to a Merc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacesailor Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 Saw my first " Smart car " , petrol powered . I had to stop them to ask if it was a modified ' battery ' car , Supriseingly the first lot ' were ' petrol . spacesailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_Atrick Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 The Smart Car first rolled off the production line in 1998. I don't think EVs were going mainstream back then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 Mercedes and a dangerous thing to boot. About as long as they are wide. Nev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red750 Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 One of the guys at the Men's Shed drives a SmarttCar. Has had it for a couple of years, loves it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 There's a YouToob video showing the crashworthiness of a Smart car as it's run into an angled concrete block at 70mph (112kmh). The car is destroyed, but the cabin remains relatively intact. The kicker is - any occupants of the Smart car would have died anyway, because of the sheer abruptness of the stop, which tears major body organs from their critical connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litespeed Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) For its size and weight the Smart cars are very safe. They have a hugely strong alloy space frame not a chassis that relies on thin panels for its strength. Hence light plastic panels that can be replaced. They would make a easy and excellent electric conversion. Many get Resto modded with a motorbike engine. A BMW K1200 motor at 130hp would be plenty. But some go Hayabusa and 180hp. Unlike anything else around this size, they are rear wheel drive. The Smart Sports car is excellent. Edited July 30 by Litespeed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetrack Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) Back to EV's - the EV manufacturing projected output is slowing down so much, that LG are suspending construction of 3 new battery factories in the U.S. There is also concern about the high possibility of Donald Trump being elected President in November. Trump considers EV's a "scam" and will dismantle all subsidies and Govt encouragement for the manufacture of them. And to add to the EV manufacturers problems, 46% of current EV owners state they will likely purchase an IC-engine car next time around. The reasons given were inadequate charging facilities, their cost to repair, the need for dedicated EV repair shops, and the often-overstated range of EV's. https://batteriesnews.com/lg-energy-solution-gm-jv-suspends-construction-of-3-battery-plants-in-us/ https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/07/gm-and-lg-slowing-down-construction-of-ultium-cells-lansing-plant/ Edited July 30 by onetrack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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