24 Hours of Lemans dominated by... diesels...

[Ivar the Red]

Ok, I'm home to an uncensored puter so now it's time for movie reviews.
CD's first one- all I can say is....ouch
CD's second one- That was awesome. A bad day for those bugs though. I wish there had been some telemetry on that one.
Andrew's- Damn that's crazy...almost 200 into a corner on 2 wheels.
CD's third-didn't work???

My contributions...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ECe9SIJ_RZg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ziPMNg0sHTI

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vfpmpEE6nrA&feature=related

enjoy.

[Wolf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOP4eLRA0xc&feature=iv

This driver just about losses his head!

[caseydog]

Ok, I'm home to an uncensored puter so now it's time for movie reviews.
CD's first one- all I can say is....ouch
CD's second one- That was awesome. A bad day for those bugs though. I wish there had been some telemetry on that one.
Andrew's- Damn that's crazy...almost 200 into a corner on 2 wheels.
CD's third-didn't work???

My contributions...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ECe9SIJ_RZg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ziPMNg0sHTI

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vfpmpEE6nrA&feature=related

enjoy.

Top fuel drag racing just doesn't work on TV. You have to actually be there to understand how quickly they accelerate, and feel the noise.

CD

[caseydog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOP4eLRA0xc&feature=iv

This driver just about losses his head!

[caseydog]

Here's one that shows the big huevos and never-say-die determination of a WRC champion...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoMSDrcSe0k

And some Loeb in the dirt...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD3yTIXikG4

And onboard with the late Collin McCrea (you can understand the co-driver in this one)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsNW8TX2vGs

CD

[Ivar the Red]

Watched Collin McCrea on the summer X games for a couple of years now, I think it's called "Ralley X" they race in and out of an arena, with a couple of jumps. It a cheap version I know but I salavate at the chance to watch races other than Nascar, and my cable service doesn't have the speed channel...so I take what I can get.

And that is sooo true CD, I've been within arms reach of several funny cars as they were doing the burn out. There is nothing like that in the world except maybe front row center at a Metallica concert.


You said "late Collin McCrea" when did he die? Maybe I watched someone else.

[caseydog]

You said "late Collin McCrea" when did he die? Maybe I watched someone else.

Collin McRae died in a helicopter accident in September of 2007. His 5-year-old son and a couple of McRae's friends died with him.

CD

[Ivar the Red]

You said "late Collin McCrea" when did he die? Maybe I watched someone else.

Collin McRae died in a helicopter accident in September of 2007. His 5-year-old son and a couple of McRae's friends died with him.

CD

That sucks.

[angib]

I've wanted to go see the Isle of Man TT for many moon. Andrew, have you ever been? Where do people hang out to watch the race? I'm sure all over the course, but is there a really cool place?

Joshua, sorry - I missed this post first time round. It's 12 years since I last went to see the TT, but I came across a stock of photos of TT visits this week so it must be fate that I show them.

I won't clog up bandwidth by posting them here but if anyone wants to see them, I've made a short album of them:
http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/ ... le_of_man/
(Someone please tell me if that album doesn't have public access, yeah?)

I think it's a toss-up between Sulby Bridge and Waterworks for 'coolest', just because you are soooo close to the action (as in scary close). Watching the TT isn't like other motor sport as the riders only come past you every 15-20 minutes, so listening to the race radio is essential to know what's going on.

A couple of links:
- good TT circuit map;
- excellent set of steerable panoramas of major TT corners.

Racing on the Island isn't like other racing because it is so, so dangerous - these are narrow, bumpy public roads lined with stone walls. The best TT riders are not lunatics (those guys don't get to do more than one TT) and they are nearly all very quiet gentle guys off the bike. This video shows the crash that one of them had - it is surprising that it isn't fatal and only gave him a punctured lung, kidney failure, missing spleen - broken bones are minor and don't count!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TLQnvL__Dc
I'm pleased to say that after he recovered, he kept his promise to his wife to stop racing.


Colin McRae was a magnificent driver - often flawed, often crashing, but never less than full commitment. The Swedes admired his ability to jump rally cars so much that they named a leap on the Vargasen stage after him - Colin's Crest. Here is a video of Hirvonen doing justice to it - and please note this is on a narrow twisty road covered in snow and ice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23oYPTjHdSw

Andrew

[sledge]

I'm just an OLD retired Mechanic ,(over 30 years) and I only have one good thing to say about Gas compaired to Diesel , when they start to wear...... you can buy a new gas eng. for what a small repair job or part will cost for a diesel. and folks hear about a tractor trailer eng. getting a million miles ........ well, yes and no....... i have worked on more 400 cummins , and Cats than you could haul in a TRAIN. and I would never say none have, but most don't run nothing like that long without spending some BIG bucks on them. I don't know everything, not even close..... but, out here in the country there are a LOT of duel wheel diesels sittin' with for sale signs in the windows. .......... But........they DO pull good if you can afford to fill them up.

[05liberty]

We purchased 4 2008 F250 twin turbo diesel at the company I work for , because they were getting better mileage than the gas powered F150 ‘s we were running ... well they get about ½ the mileage (8 mpg we estimate) we were getting with the smaller trucks at twice the price ..$64,000 CDN . Im not sure what other diesel powered vehicles are getting but because of this experience I would be very hesitant about a diesel for my personal use .... Oh BTW diesel is running $1.55 L CDN( about $5.90 USD) here in New Brunswick

[caseydog]

We purchased 4 2008 F250 twin turbo diesel at the company I work for , because they were getting better mileage than the gas powered F150 ‘s we were running ... well they get about ½ the mileage (8 mpg we estimate) we were getting with the smaller trucks at twice the price ..$64,000 CDN . Im not sure what other diesel powered vehicles are getting but because of this experience I would be very hesitant about a diesel for my personal use .... Oh BTW diesel is running $1.55 L CDN( about $5.90 USD) here in New Brunswick

I'm not sure what to say about the big Super Duty trucks with Diesel engines.

First, while European turbo-diesels have seemed to advance in leaps and bounds over the last 20 years, the Big Three diesel offerings are pretty similar to what they used to be. Where the Euro-diesels have gotten quiet and don't blow smelly soot, the Big-three diesels are still loud and smokey.

Big-three diesels are also huge. I think the smallest is 6.5 litres. The big, boxy Sprinter vans, with there Mercedes inline fives are pulling 25-30 MPG. http://www.caranddriver.com/car/make-mo ... inter.html

If Dodge were to put that same engine in a half-ton pickup, I wonder what the economy would be?

I don't believe diesels are going to end our oil dependence problem, but they are sure helping Europe cope until something better comes along. Fifty percent of the new vehicles sold over there are diesels now.

I actually believe that one thing that keeps americans from wanting diesel cars is all those loud, sooty Super Duty trucks they see everyday (and hear and smell).

But, go to Europe, and you are presented with a totally different picture of diesels. They are quick, quiet, clean and efficient.

Ford and General motors both sell millions of diesel powered cars over there, so it's not like that can't sell them here -- they just don't. Check out this Ford Focus diesel -- 42 mpg.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/12/04 ... at-42-mpg/

CD

[caseydog]

BTW, in fairness, the new diesel polution laws did strike a blow to diesel sales potential here, but Mercedes solved the problem, and now has four models selling here with diesel engines. VW and BMW have new 50-state diesels coming soon.

It's doable.

CD

[Ivar the Red]

Yeah, I'm more into the high performance as compared to like pulling power of diesels. I do know there is a lot of aftermarket bolt ons and plug ins for diesels now. Every time they build one on the car shows on TV they end up in a parking lot smoking the crap out of the tires.

[Ivar the Red]

Hey CD, we should keep this thread open for car talk so Miriam and the other girls on "The Threads" won't gripe about it.