I have a 79 Trans Am 403/auto (that I'm too lazy to fix) and an 01 Jeep Wrangler. Off-roading isn't very much fun when you're making payments on the fucker. I'm gonna trade it in on a new GTO LS2 (aka Aussie Holden Monaro) or Corvette. Still undecided.
In 1999 I bought the BMW M Coupe - all black with black leather interior. Inside the cockpit I had a 20 speaker Harmon Kardon sound system - nice. Kinda like a sound system on wheels. This car was voted the Sports Car of the Year in Europe. In Silicon Valley here I was the fastest thing on the streets and I have appropriate speeding tickets for pushing the envelope too often. I did find the radar detector very distracting after a while. But did achieve first name recognition with locals CHIPS officers, and deputy Sheriffs. I found it very humerous when waiting at a stop light (left lane) with 5 lanes of traffic and a patrol car pulls up in the far right lane - we looked at each other and waved in recognition. But the car had some disadvantages. Stick shift is OK but I spent most of my driving life on the left and over here using my right hand to shift never became satisfying. And too low, with most cars here being SUVs I felt definitely at a disadvantage. And leather in hot weather and wearing shorts - yuck - sticky flesh. And the huge rear view mirror obscurred too much of my forward view - too dangerous. Now I've come down in status and have the more practical mini SUV - Honda CRV 2005.
In the 1980s, while commuting into London every day from Maidstone, I bought a Kawasaki 750cc. Great for manoevering through all the staionary traffic. But I did see many crashes and accidents with other bikes. When I finally skidded in wet weather and was thrown through the windshield of an oncoming car - I thought - this is too dangerous. Without my crash helmet I would now be dead.
Wow, that's some experience Cris; hope I never have to go through anything so traumatic. I wonder if you were 'meant to live'; did you invent anything profound during your IT career?
Invent anything - no patents yet. I was recognized by Oracle though as having designed and built the world's largest Oracle DB in a TPC-C benchmark back in 1997 - first clustered NT result as well. Not really earth shattering unless you are into industry benchmarks. So no I was just a statistic - of those who have similar accidents some must live and some must die - just a matter of mathematics.
I drive a 1990 Toyota Camry LE. First car I've had in years, first time I've driven (legally) in ... eight years, I think. I'm absolutely in love with the Mustangs right now, largely because it looks like a Mustang should look. Beyond that, if I had the money, I'd probably buy a Volvo, of all things. Of course, I have to look at what's out there. As of August 31, 2005, the issue date on my license, Americans have one more thing to worry about: Tiassa with front-wheel drive. 'Course, I just got the car a couple weeks ago.
Volvo? Child safety? Good choice. This will appear like I'm dangerous but I've had very few traffic accidents - but I did have a near head-on crash while driving a Volvo (rental). The other car was a BMW. The Volvo suffered a loose front fender and a scratch - the BMW had to be written-off. I was very impressed by the Volvo - built like a tank, and umm just as ugly.
Volvo is build to last forever - I travel all over the world - and when I see a truck still able to drive on the worst dirt road in the middle of nowhere in Africa - it always says VOLVO on it Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
car now... Crown Victoria-Ford previous cars 1st was Mercedes, RX-7, Mustang, Park Avenue, Buick Lebaron Convertable, Grand AM, Geo Storm, Green Grenada, Cougar, some other big buick!
General safety, and there is a certain aesthetic quality that comes about with a Volvo. Like the S60. It's pretty. It screams with up to 300 hp. There is a manual transmission available. I mean, I have a thing for the Nissan Z, but at some point family sensibility must necessarily have a voice. It's not that I fear for my daughter's life in a Z. In fact, if there is any common blood between the 350Z and the 260s and 280s of yesteryear, she's probably safer in a Z with me at the wheel than any other car I could drive. I love driving a 280 with six cylinders and a five-speed. (Okay, the Recaro seats helped somewhat, but still ....) As I get used to my old Camry, I find it is sufficient. I don't need to be screaming all over the counties, and the V-6 makes up for the automatic transmission and the bland box aesthetic. And no, the fact that Tigger is dating a barfly getting divorced from a real, honest-to-whatever sham marriage for his green Mustang doesn't turn me off of those beautiful machines, but I remember the Mustang II--my mother had one. By the time I can afford a Mustang, they might well have become a new debacle all over again. I would say something about the delay in posting this response, but ... er ... I mean ... yeah.
i hop on the mercedes and the driver takes me where i need to go yes, i take the bus... details, details
