sanity check ...

[Mark Rosenkrantz]

OK, so yeah, I have a Z06.  Best mileage car I currently own- 28 MPG on the
highway, all day long.

My daily driver is a 2003 Escalade EXT.  14-15MPG, owned it since new,
currently has 165,000 miles on it!  I'm looking for a new vehicle, the GMC
Acadia Denali is on the short list, primarily due to the 24MPG highway
rating, 7 passenger seating, and 5000lb tow rating.  Wish I could get a
manual transmission and a TDI (type) engine.

You want low carbon footprint?  Go old, light, low power, low handling
econobox (with no airbags, crash structure, ABS, etc.), or even something
like a 1980's Rabbit GTi.  Save the planet.  After all, I need fuel for
track events, so I thank-you in advance.  =)

Or a Lotus.  Just don't bring more than a suitcase.

Bottom line- weight is the enemy, and safety requires weight.  More weight
means beefier suspension, stiffer chassis, and wider tires to support it
all.  Ultra light weight materials aren't commercially viable for most of
us.  Audi does lead the way with the A8, but stops short.  Where's the
carbon fiber, or TDI engine?  And that's an expensive chassis.

I'm sorry, pretty much any Audi owner can't complain about others wrecking
the planet.  ;-)

Oh, and lowering a car usually yeilds +2MPG.  One of the few performance
items which RAISE fuel economy under all conditions.

Mark Rosenkrantz
PS- Steve, my 1987 Bertone (FIAT) X1/9 (which I still have in pieces), has
cast magnesium 13" rims.  Super light...  In high school, about 4 of my
friends grabbed the rear bumper (mid engine car), with me in it... and
almost raised the suspension fully so the tires were off the pavement.  I
looked back and said, "do you really want me to spin the tires right now?"
LOL  It got 35-38 MPG with that 1.5L NA engine.

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 4:00 PM, Tess McMillan <tessmc at eskimo.com> wrote:

> ha ha ha ha! &:-)
>
> Good point (made by the guy with the Z06)
>
>
> On Wed, 26 Oct 2011, Mark Rosenkrantz wrote:
>
>  "creating more friction on the road" is an interesting way to look at
>> it.... But isn't that the point?
>> I'll take my luxury and performance, thank-you,
>>
>>
>