Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Le mans 24 hour is this weekend.

Wooden feel, poor initial bite even when hot and unpredictable friction levels. I really hated them.

but if they had said that was the plan last year, I would have made completely different financial decisions.

Not wishing to sound like a dick, but to my knowledge there has always been an aim to ultimately expand the ULEZ.

Maybe that's just because I'm signed up to the consultantion things tho and it sucks that you weren't aware of it.

As a general wider point I think anyone owning a car near any city in Europe should expect to be subject to a ULEZ within 2-5yrs.

Whats a pain is if you're travelling to Europe and now need to check the permit requirements. Eg France has a specific one regardless of whether you fall fowl of it. I think Belgium only needs a pass if your car doesn't meet the restrictions. But the whole thing is a minefield and definitely don't take those last two points on France and Belgium as gospel without independently checking.

Just buy a 4o plus year old car = free from ulez charges, free road tax, no mot requirement, low insurance, many style/cool points.

And punishingly poor emissions for all those around you…

It's ok though, they'll be offset by the emissions of lithium battery production, let alone the manufacture of the new car. But it's ok cause those emissions are in far off lands...

That’s definitely false. Every day emissions for the average car in the US (much more efficient than vintage vehicles) are overcome in 2-4 years when accounting for petroleum production, shipping and burning.

This is more pronounced when looking at our composition of electricity generation as we use more renewables than the US.

https://youtu.be/L2IKCdnzl5k

I might have misremembered but I think this BBC programme concluded that buying a new electric car was better than a new petrol car if you owned it for a long time, but ultimately better to buy/fix an older car

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00162yr

I could be wrong though, I'm pretty tired right now - it was very interesting regardless.

I could have almost bet you'd post that. Too easy! Apologies Soul... Was just poking the bear with the usual kind of response.

I would suggest watching the video I posted. It debunks that myth.

Of course but some people (me included) might think you’re being serious 😅

I think the BBC one is a very specific scenario rather than a catch all verdict, to do with an aged vauxhall corsa

I'm in the fix an older car camp. Mines Euro 2, wifes was euro 5 and actually ran clean and perfect. Both are banned from ULEZ areas or hefty fines. Eyeing up buying a Euro 6 for 2 years now, but prices keep increasing/ choice decreasing, so have said pap it, we don't have to drive in the ULEZ area so just won't, at least we have the luxury of that option.

IMO on newly built but cleaner at the exhaust end of it for those around where the vehicle is being driven, great, but for those often in lower/middle income regions that are producing the raw materials, manufacturing and then shipping out these newer vehicles, they are paying a higher price with their health, for the benefit of our health. Does that make sense?

We also don't do enough/ regularly predictable miles to warrant a new or nearly new car. Our annual per vehicle is 5-45k per annum, try getting a lease that has that kind of variation in it

That is a lovely thing.
I had forgotten just how much plastic tat Alfa put on the last ones. Still the purity of the original design shines through.

Is a jimny cheap enough to warrant the import tax?

No.
Not even if free.

Are you giving me one?
Tax is paid on value here, and jimny isn't cheap here either, so peobebely around 800eur tax, plus same again in fees I'd guess.

I think with fuel what it is, I'll just abuse the Subaru and go from there. It should do everything we need, perhaps once it's had all terrain tyres fitted.

No, but I assumed it would be one of those things where it was a % of OG list price. So a €50k Shogun, (or whatever the RRP was) is a lot, but a €20k Jimmy wouldn't be.

I guess also £2-3k doesn't seem bad for a 4x4 if that's what you need. Even if it's a bit galling paying half the value in tax.

Not really as ulez are about Nox and low state of tune petrols don't have that issue.

It looks like someone went mad in motorworld...but it came from the factory like that.

Earlier cars with thin steel bumpers looked so pleasing to the eye.

Ah yes. To be fair 3k will get you an old patrol which would be better than a jimny. But I'd need a 5dr of anything. So yeah, back to just doing nothing.

Oh no 😱
I’ll just get a silent electric vehicle and knock some poor person over who hadn’t heard me coming as they crossed the road looking at their phone with their headphones in .
That’s progress...

If they weren’t looking and wearing headphones, would they hear a vehicle with an ice?

I find this quirk in the legislation hollows out the entire thing for me