coldel

Yep going to be fun - really hope that the crazy hot weather continues - I will be on the Japmad stand pretty much opposite you guys

Hydrogen fuel cell cars don't solve the problem of energy generation. Hydrogen is an incredibly unstable molecule, it wants to react with everything all the time. Isolating it, storing it, transporting it, compressing it is hugely more complicated than petroleum. It took an electrician 30 minutes to install a 32amp car charger at my house 2 years ago, and that charge rate is enough to fill even the Tesla using nothing but really cheap off-peak night electricity. I plug the car in when I get home and wake up every morning with a fully charged car... Far more convenient than having to find even a petrol station to fill up every week. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are like mini discs, trying to be the future but not able to look beyond the way things were done in the past. Electricity is so easy to generate compared to messing around with hydrogen, and if you have a way store it in a battery why would you want the hassle of putting in extra steps?? The public has already pretty much spoken on hydrogen fuel cell cars versus EVs. Whilst Tesla, GM, Nissan, are shifting 100ks of EVs and soon to shift significantly more as battery prices fall, Toyota is stuck trying to flog their Dodo and with not much success..... The MIRAI maybe expensive but a Tesla P100D is more than double the price, yet still no one is buying the MIRAI whilst Tesla current has a 2 month back order on the P100D even in the US market!! Oh I agree, plugging the car in overnight works for more households than getting a hydrogen car - however the above still stands, if half the cars on the road became EV overnight the country would have catastrophic black outs and an energy provision crisis without the capability to move all that energy demand from petrol pumps to electricity. Its great Tesla, Jaguar etc. are having a go at EVs but the government has no plan that I have read of to meet the power provision of this 'predicted' seismic shift to EVs in the country.

The government has such a large part to play in all this, it needs to decide what to do and support it. UK average electricity consumption is something like 4500 to 5000 kWh per year. Lets say for arguments sake the model X 90 takes 90 kWh to charge each time (it takes more as I understand it as the actual on board charger uses energy to charge) and you charge the car say once a week that just over 4000 kWh of power to run your car doubling your household energy consumption. I keep shouting about infrastructure, and its boring, no where near as exciting as pointing at shiny technology and things that move on their own etc. but the tech has never been the problem, for EV to really take off the UK needs to essentially double its electricity power output (assuming all the above is true which I appreciate its not likely to be) - so all this talk of having the majority of cars on the road as EV in a few years time doesn't seem to sit in line with the governments plans on energy provision?

The W brace on the last photo isnt a problem, that can be swapped out, however the rest doesn't look particularly good - I am sure some others more knowledgable can chip in shortly...

I dont think there is that myth, as you say the numbers are there, but also the numbers that show that Scotland would have fell into serious economic crisis with an energy economy over the last couple of years, there needs a proper plan, you cannot base a countries long term future on fossil fuels. RE the thread, we had a scottish independence thread.

Have a read through the original independence thread this was covered. Interestingly the 'take' compared to the 'give' has dropped since the referendum for Scotland, in that England produces more than Scotland per person and takes less, I read that somewhere as the impending row between Sturgeon and May was brewing.

I think the danger of being so energy reliant is when energy prices fluctuate, I think about a year post referendum 'Scottish Oil' had dropped a significant amount in price. Yes financial markets fell to pieces in 2008 but they are certainly less liable to fluctuations that energy is. And as above, Scotland must pay its fair share of debt. Other things like Trident will be relocated as NS hates that also I would guess (happy to be proven wrong) - then who owns what in terms of defence? We divvying up the armed forces based on population size? Separation is huge, so much is co-owned, I see NS rushing to get the vote in but not rushing to provide a valid exit strategy should the vote go in her favour. Or is it another case of getting her name in lights then shirking the responsibility of implementation?

I have the faster Toyota

Styling isnt great at all, it looks like a Tesla

So, how did it drive?

Yes, I would. 1) Even after upgrades it would be lighter 2) It;s much prettier (subjective, but hey, that's what I believe) 3) It's a nimble sports car by nature, not a semi muscle/GT car like the Zs. 4) If they did give it 300hp, they'd probably do that with a turbo on the existing 2.0 powerplant. For me this would be epic, it would HALVE my tax compared to the 350Z and be less than 1/3rd of what I would pay for a 370Z in administrative costs/tax alone, solely due to displacement. If it has a V6 in it like a 370z its heavier, bigger brakes etc all add weight. With a 300bhp 2 litre you are now entering VW R territory (entry level Scirocco R £32k ish?) where your BRZ is less practical, maybe better looking (subjective), probably better handling (which would have to be revised to cope with different drive/power/torque etc). On the face of it, you get a fair bit of drivers enthusiasts car for the money - its not 300bhp but then neither is the price. Should Toyota sink another £10m+ or whatever sunk cost it needs to into making this faster? Interestingly, based on said internet search, Subaru claims that sales are bang on what they expected and Toyota say sales (via Scion in the US) are also bang on target its just some markets including the UK it hasnt sold as well as they thought.

You cannot argue it didnt sell because of what it is now and that it would have sold by more by giving it more power though. So, you add 100bhp, you need better transmission, brakes, suspension, better engine etc. which probably puts it up to £35k instead of £25k - this puts it in a different bucket completely and a different market. Would you then buy this over a 370z at £35k? I can see the sales arent high relatively, but I am not sure what the sales targets were for the car? If someone has those to hand (maybe the internet can provide)

Those though aren't really segments in brand marketing terms. For me a more defined segment for this car would be entry level sports car for the driving enthusiast with relatively low running costs. Its going to be a small segment of the overall customer base, but I think they get a lot more media attention and headlines for the brand with this car than any of their best selling models.

If it had 300bhp out the box then its either a turbo engine or a larger NA, which incurs significant cost and possibly a move away from the ethos of the car that the maker intended vs their target audience. Would Subaru want this 300bhp with their current range of cars?

Scotland voted to stay in the UK (more overwhelmingly than Brexit) and are a valued and equal member of the UK, when it came to Brexit each vote cast by someone in Scotland was as valuable as someone casting it in England or Wales. What that doesn't mean is that Scotland has an equal say 1:1 as England when the majority of the population is in England. So Scotland had devolved powers to better self govern, but in terms of deciding constitutional change Scotland as part of the UK (as they voted for) had an equal and fair vote. The feeling will always be there that 'its not fair' because such a huge amount of population lives in the South East 10m in London alone which is more than Scotland in total so I get why it feels that way. I do however agree that any huge constitutional change with the combination of the devolved powers means that Scotland has the right to ask for this, just that I do not agree with the implementation where NS deliberately wants to have it whilst the UK negotiates the exit from the EU, as that gives NS more capability to focus on her objectives whilst the UK government has its resources elsewhere. It makes complete sense to know the outcome of the exit before voting for this.

Because Scotland could re-apply, granted there are challenges, but they can re-apply whereas as part of the UK they can't. Sturgeon though as mentioned has done well to dodge questions on currency, policy, security, etc so far I don't think she is equipped as a leader to do all this. The reliance on oil prices as an economy does create cause for concern, in the same way the UK economy relies so heavily on financial services where we have depleted industry sectors.

As I understand it she doesn't have a mandate until Theresa Maybe gives her the authority, Scotland can still have a referendum its just not legally binding. I agree to a degree that constitutional change warrants this especially given the level of support to remain in Scotland, but I do not agree with NS doing it as she is so narrow minded and has tunnel vision for a separation I genuinely do not think she has anyone except her own interests in mind. There is no thought for the people in anything she does.

I think they look stunning, and not one to 'go with the crowd' would have one in the blink of an eye over and R8 - I mean if we are talking badge snobbery its no worse.

It was in terms of what engine they put in etc.

Worth keeping an eye on what Toyota turn out with the new Supra as well

Is that with the same company?

All sounds a bit familiar though Dan!

Go drive in the rain for half an hour and open the bonnet, generally find plenty of water on engine bay parts - I have seen lots of videos of people lightly jetwashing engine bays, not done it myself though

As per the news report above I posted, some premiums are shooting up if you are a younger driver etc. it doesnt appear to be like for like the comparison to last year even if you live in the same place etc.

They do feel like they have been around a while now...bit like the GTR. Amazing how quickly generations of cars come and go nowadays.