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Dec. 27th, 2012 08:08 amThe neighbor up the street has a Coda parked in his driveway.
Never even heard of them. They need to poach Tesla's PR guy.
Never even heard of them. They need to poach Tesla's PR guy.
The war continues
Nov. 8th, 2012 03:24 pmWe squeezed in two games of Risk Legacy. Ken won both! Arg!
( Miniscule spoiler inside )
( Miniscule spoiler inside )
Inauspicious start to the day
Jul. 20th, 2012 09:04 amI waited in line for the auto-wash, and when I was next in line, it broke, wasting all my invested waiting time.
However, my day is starting not nearly so badly as the guy in the ragtop convertible who was in the machine, with his car covered with the stupid multicolored polish goo when it broke.
On the other hand.... donut Friday, so things are looking up. For me, anyway.
However, my day is starting not nearly so badly as the guy in the ragtop convertible who was in the machine, with his car covered with the stupid multicolored polish goo when it broke.
On the other hand.... donut Friday, so things are looking up. For me, anyway.
A bit pricy at $108, and the snoot factor may be off the charts, but there'll be old cars and motorcycles galore at Greystone Mansion on May 6th. It says tickets allow 'access' to the mansion, but I have no idea how much of it will be open.
There are also volunteer opportunities: work 4 hours, and you have the rest of the day to enjoy the place.
Coverage of the 2011 event from Haute (sniff) Living.
There are also volunteer opportunities: work 4 hours, and you have the rest of the day to enjoy the place.
Coverage of the 2011 event from Haute (sniff) Living.
Car of the future
Jan. 25th, 2012 09:48 amIf your Messerschmitt KR200 is just getting too old and feels bulky, you can trade up to a Peel Trident. Prices start at ₤7K.
A wild mini appears
Sep. 3rd, 2011 07:46 pmDr. Pookie's twin suggested (insisted, actually) I take a look at the Mini. I know Kev & Deb&Kev like theirs, and she certainly likes hers. I'm not wild about their looks, but then I saw that a new two-seater version is coming soon, which I think is much cuter than the standard Mini. So, although they're not expected at the dealers for at least a month or more, I raced out and tried out a Mini Cooper S Hardtop, which shares the same engine and (it appears) interior for the front seat at least. Roomier than I expected (once I racked down the seat a dozen notches) and the engine has great zoom, particularly given the excellent gas mileage. But I didn't really care for its handling, and it definitely has a feeling of being a toy. A very pretty, well-designed and appointed toy... but a toy.
In other news
Aug. 20th, 2011 02:54 pmAs noted before, I've been car-shopping.
I did test out the V6 Altima, and it (like the V6 Accord) also seemed lackluster. I think I'm a bit spoiled by my rather pedestrian Sentra, because I understand the gear ratio is tweaked so it's pretty good from a standing start (and I do have the upgraded engine). The Altima also has a truly laughable trunk. Seriously, I'm going to a 2-door because I don't care about passengers 3 or 4. Why are you sacrificing my trunkspace for these losers? Otherwise, the Altima was smooth, comfortable, familiar... dull. But still my favorite of the cars I've tried so far.
I tried the V6 Hyundai Genesis coupe today. Definitely the most fun to ride (apart from the ill-fitting Miata). Slightly too profligate with gas for my taste, slightly too expensive for my pocketbook, but I think I will overlook these defects.
I'm resisting the urge to buy it and drive it for the almost first time in Aaron's road rally, for that would be hubris, and the gods would surely punish it.
I did test out the V6 Altima, and it (like the V6 Accord) also seemed lackluster. I think I'm a bit spoiled by my rather pedestrian Sentra, because I understand the gear ratio is tweaked so it's pretty good from a standing start (and I do have the upgraded engine). The Altima also has a truly laughable trunk. Seriously, I'm going to a 2-door because I don't care about passengers 3 or 4. Why are you sacrificing my trunkspace for these losers? Otherwise, the Altima was smooth, comfortable, familiar... dull. But still my favorite of the cars I've tried so far.
I tried the V6 Hyundai Genesis coupe today. Definitely the most fun to ride (apart from the ill-fitting Miata). Slightly too profligate with gas for my taste, slightly too expensive for my pocketbook, but I think I will overlook these defects.
I'm resisting the urge to buy it and drive it for the almost first time in Aaron's road rally, for that would be hubris, and the gods would surely punish it.
Last night we celebrated ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladyeuthanasia's natal festivities at the Villain's Tavern. We commandeered the mezzanine, which gave us a great view of the goings on at the bar. Good drinks & excellent beer selection. The food menu is small, but you can't go wrong with the demon burger (though I heard less flattering things about the chicken, and how can you trust even a villainous lair that misspells Caesar Salad?). But we were there for the company, and there was certainly no disappointment there. A happy birthday girl and lots of good friends. Nice mix.
In other news, I've been car-shopping. I'm working up the courage to do something I've never done before... buy a new car. I feel woefully unprepared to test-drive new cars. Before now, my checklist for test-driving used cars was to make sure that nothing fell off while I was driving it.
I really wanted to have an American car on my list. But after sifting through the data, the last 'American' car to get crossed off my list turned out to be manufactured in Mexico anyway.
In order of testing:
Hyundai Genesis Coupe - I went in thinking I wasn't going to like it much, but it was actually pretty fun to drive. The controls look like a 747 cockpit and I didn't know what anything did, which is something of a minus. I drove the 2.0L engine version, but I think it may be worth trying out the V6, though that's around at my price limit on paper (and -- who are we kidding? -- once all is said and done we'll no doubt be over my 'limit'. Surely, nothing can go wrong if people spend money beyond their means!) Audio system seemed a little weak, but specs suggest it should be better. Probably if properly fiddled with it would be better.
Nissan Altima Coupe - This was sort of the front-runner going into this, based on specs and also my feeble brand loyalty, since my previous cars have both been Nissan Sentras. They didn't have the V6 version available, so I tried the 4. It was fine, and very familiar feeling, unlike the Hyundai. I wondered if the continuously variable transmission would feel weird, but apart from feeling a little cheated that there weren't any jerks throwing you into the realm of fast, it wasn't weird at all, just a really smooth ride. It was a little boring, and the trunk is really tiny, but I'm willing to drive further from home to test out the genuine V6 version. Audio sounded great; Nissan really seems to have audio figured out, even for base models.
Honda Accord - Again, not quite the car I wanted to test. This time, I got the V6, but the 4-door instead of the 2-door. [As an aside, the tsunami has definitely impacted availability for some Japanese imports, particularly Honda, it seems. The 2012 Accord is expected in the states in May 2012. The '12 Nissan Altima is already here.] The V6 made a pleasing roar, but the actual feeling of acceleration was not as peppy as one would hope. Maybe with the smaller coupe it would feel better, but it didn't sell me. The Accord is definitely worthy of being a super top-selling car. Lots of features and nth-generation improvements, but I didn't click with its soul.
Mazda Miata - Damn, but this car is cute. Yes, it is really fun to drive. The engine isn't huge, but neither is the car, so it's very nimble. Sadly, I am just too large for the Miata. With the top up, I nominally fit inside the car. But worse, the level of my eyes is exactly at the same height as the rear-view, which effectively blocks half the windshield from my view. Seriously. With the top down, the visibility is fine, since I can see to the sides and over the top of the windshield, but with the top up, it's not really acceptable. If I could have an extra car, just for zipping up to Santa Barbara for winetastings, it would be grand, but for me it is not an everyday car.
Future actions:
Test V6 Genesis Coupe
Test V6 Altima Coupe
(As a total aside, Dr. Pookie reminded me that while we were in our hotel in Cuzco, we dimly heard someone playing Shirley Bassey belting out "Goldfinger"... but not the film version... the most excellent Propellerheads remix.)
ladyeuthanasia's natal festivities at the Villain's Tavern. We commandeered the mezzanine, which gave us a great view of the goings on at the bar. Good drinks & excellent beer selection. The food menu is small, but you can't go wrong with the demon burger (though I heard less flattering things about the chicken, and how can you trust even a villainous lair that misspells Caesar Salad?). But we were there for the company, and there was certainly no disappointment there. A happy birthday girl and lots of good friends. Nice mix.In other news, I've been car-shopping. I'm working up the courage to do something I've never done before... buy a new car. I feel woefully unprepared to test-drive new cars. Before now, my checklist for test-driving used cars was to make sure that nothing fell off while I was driving it.
I really wanted to have an American car on my list. But after sifting through the data, the last 'American' car to get crossed off my list turned out to be manufactured in Mexico anyway.
In order of testing:
Hyundai Genesis Coupe - I went in thinking I wasn't going to like it much, but it was actually pretty fun to drive. The controls look like a 747 cockpit and I didn't know what anything did, which is something of a minus. I drove the 2.0L engine version, but I think it may be worth trying out the V6, though that's around at my price limit on paper (and -- who are we kidding? -- once all is said and done we'll no doubt be over my 'limit'. Surely, nothing can go wrong if people spend money beyond their means!) Audio system seemed a little weak, but specs suggest it should be better. Probably if properly fiddled with it would be better.
Nissan Altima Coupe - This was sort of the front-runner going into this, based on specs and also my feeble brand loyalty, since my previous cars have both been Nissan Sentras. They didn't have the V6 version available, so I tried the 4. It was fine, and very familiar feeling, unlike the Hyundai. I wondered if the continuously variable transmission would feel weird, but apart from feeling a little cheated that there weren't any jerks throwing you into the realm of fast, it wasn't weird at all, just a really smooth ride. It was a little boring, and the trunk is really tiny, but I'm willing to drive further from home to test out the genuine V6 version. Audio sounded great; Nissan really seems to have audio figured out, even for base models.
Honda Accord - Again, not quite the car I wanted to test. This time, I got the V6, but the 4-door instead of the 2-door. [As an aside, the tsunami has definitely impacted availability for some Japanese imports, particularly Honda, it seems. The 2012 Accord is expected in the states in May 2012. The '12 Nissan Altima is already here.] The V6 made a pleasing roar, but the actual feeling of acceleration was not as peppy as one would hope. Maybe with the smaller coupe it would feel better, but it didn't sell me. The Accord is definitely worthy of being a super top-selling car. Lots of features and nth-generation improvements, but I didn't click with its soul.
Mazda Miata - Damn, but this car is cute. Yes, it is really fun to drive. The engine isn't huge, but neither is the car, so it's very nimble. Sadly, I am just too large for the Miata. With the top up, I nominally fit inside the car. But worse, the level of my eyes is exactly at the same height as the rear-view, which effectively blocks half the windshield from my view. Seriously. With the top down, the visibility is fine, since I can see to the sides and over the top of the windshield, but with the top up, it's not really acceptable. If I could have an extra car, just for zipping up to Santa Barbara for winetastings, it would be grand, but for me it is not an everyday car.
Future actions:
Test V6 Genesis Coupe
Test V6 Altima Coupe
(As a total aside, Dr. Pookie reminded me that while we were in our hotel in Cuzco, we dimly heard someone playing Shirley Bassey belting out "Goldfinger"... but not the film version... the most excellent Propellerheads remix.)
