Do Mercedes make petrol cars anymore?

[psmart]

Yes I would be more than happy to drive cars limited to 80 or 90mph. After all in nearly every country those speeds exceed the legal maximum.

What possible sense is there in making cars go faster and faster when in reality we are going slower and slower in more and more congested and more and more speed-camera limited conditions.

You miss the point, like so many points, you have to look at them, then you can see the point

Because (and I know you shouldnt start a sentence with because ) the Germans demand high standard, high speed and resilience to damage in accidents you gain from it so you can drive at your break neck speeds of 70mph much more safely, economically, luxuriously and reliably because that little car your driving has been engineered to be luxurious, safe, economical, reliable at 150mph.

 

[hawk20]

You miss the point, like so many points, you have to look at them, then you can see the point

.

I think you miss the point. It is perfectly possible to make good safe reliable cars fitted with a limiter at environmentally and safety-conscious speeds. After all MB limit most of their models now. The 155 limit could simply be gradually reduced.

 

[psmart]

I think you miss the point. It is perfectly possible to make good safe reliable cars fitted with a limiter at environmentally and safety-conscious speeds. After all MB limit most of their models now. The 155 limit could simply be gradually reduced.

BUT- Why would they? They do it now because the Germans demand it! If nobody demanded a car that could run at these speeds, why would they? Why spend many more Euro's developing a car for high speed, with all its benefits if your target market is half that speed?

Also, that nice E-Class your driving was developed to cruise over 130mph, be reliable and give you a damned good chance of survival at 130mph. If you now drive that car at 70mph, you have a greater level of protection, the car will last longer and be more reliable as the components have been over specced (ie for 130mph but used at 70mph) etc. Get the drift?

 

[hawk20]

BUT- Why would they? They do it now because the Germans demand it! If nobody demanded a car that could run at these speeds, why would they?

We shan't agree. Just wait and see. I believe it will not be many years before we have a Europe-wide set of speed limits. You clearly don't.

I shall applaud. You will not.

 

[psmart]

We shan't agree. Just wait and see. I believe it will not be many years before we have a Europe-wide set of speed limits. You clearly don't.

I shall applaud. You will not.

Called democracy and given the weight of the German public attitude on speed, like the American right to carry arms, it would take a brave politician with big balls to make that change. The current Kanzlerin doesnt have the balls

Yes, we will see, just like the Euro and the UK entering it

 

[television]

A rather remark by your own standards! What are you saying? Europe won't adjust standards to what it is possible to achieve? If so, I am afraid you have not been following the history of European legislation.

Of course they are influenced by what is possible. It would be crazy if they were not.

Since when have regulations ever been relaxed , there would be no point in have targets to meet if that was the case.


Me pompous,oh no,,but I do go and sit in on seminars on the subject, do you
So just one manufacturer get the diesel particles down to meet the new regs, what would they do then

 

[dbanbery]

IMHO it is horse for courses, some people have a bit of a sobby attitude to diesels as they were initially designed for agricultural/industrial machinery [IIRC Mr Diesel actually committed suicide as he thought his invention was a failure!!!] and some purists think that a "proper car" must be petrol powered. i dont agree with this for the argument of petrol/diesel.

Personally i think that like different types of car, different power plants suit different means. i have had a few diesels as company cars and they fitted the purpose well.

it didnt stop me buying a petrol for my own car when i had the chance, but if a diesel had've come along that was the right car i would have bought that. it make a neglible difference to me due to the amount of miles i do. if i was doing higher miles then a diesel would be a "no brainer"

they do sound rubbish [there are a few exceptions including the W201 5 pot i had, and the 3 litre straight six my dad has] which is why i dont understand audi doing an A4 cabriolet TDi. its like that for Kuga 2WD suv, completely pointless.

Diesels are dirtier too IMHO, but as a biker myself i have never had my field of vision incapacitated by a diesel driver putting his foot down.

The Germans have Autobahns because its fit for their purpose, it wouldnt work over here because of the driving mentality and the road structure. just another example.

i dont buy a mercedes because its necessarily a merc, but because it is of superior build quality, we all know some mercs arent up to scratch in this area also, and i avoid those.


apologies if i have repeated some other peoples post, but i read 1 1/2 pages and got bored of people arguing. its like the environment argument, some people just dont want to conceed.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Each to their own. I do 20,000 a year so a diesel makes sense - but if I was doing less than 10,000, I'd be buying another TVR Chimaera. Or maybe an SL500. Mmmm....

The one thing I don't understand, and never will, is people who buy diesel convertibles. Who on earth wants to listen to a banging dustbin-lid in a convertible? Give me a nice V8 or V10 any day.

 

[hawk20]

The one thing I don't understand, and never will, is people who buy diesel convertibles. Who on earth wants to listen to a banging dustbin-lid in a convertible? Give me a nice V8 or V10 any day.

Clearly time you went and listened to the latest MB and BMW diesels. Try the latest 320cdi; quiet as a church mouse.

BMW, Audi and MB all have diesel convertibles. Performance plus economy, plus effortless power even at low revs, make good sales features.

 

[hawk20]

Since when have regulations ever been relaxed , there would be no point in have targets to meet if that was the case.


Me pompous,oh no,,but I do go and sit in on seminars on the subject, do you
So just one manufacturer get the diesel particles down to meet the new regs, what would they do then

Our own govt has set numerous targets and then relaxed them. So has Europe. Do you remember the Euro target that all car makers would have to meet a CO2 figure of an average across their ranges of 120 by 2012.

Not a chance that MB or BMW, or VW, or Porsche, or Range Rover, or Jaguar --- need i go on--- none of them will meet that target. Bet you a fine lunch it will be changed.

 

[antijam]

The one thing I don't understand, and never will, is people who buy diesel convertibles. Who on earth wants to listen to a banging dustbin-lid in a convertible? Give me a nice V8 or V10 any day.

Me too - but book a drive in an Alfa Romeo Spider 2.4JTDm, drop the hood, floor the loud pedal and tell me that isn't a great sound. OK, that 5 cylinder burble isn't a V8 rumble, but it's still enough to tingle your spine. :grin:

 

[discoking]

Clearly time you went and listened to the latest MB and BMW diesels. Try the latest 320cdi; quiet as a church mouse.

BMW, Audi and MB all have diesel convertibles. Performance plus economy, plus effortless power even at low revs, make good sales features.

I'm fortunate and have driven most cars on the road today and while diesels have come a long way they still are noisy compared to petrol.

My friend owns a 2.5 diesel A4 cabrio and I have to say it's such a huge dissapointment when driving with the top down as is the new BMW 330d convertible.Gimme a 330 with a straight 6 anyday of the week,it just sounds so much sweeter and you'll get comparable fuel figures for dodging round town.

You also got to factor in the costs when things go pear shaped with a diesel and finding garages to work on modern diesels is extremely hard so much so I wont sell certain diesels anymore as the costs if things go wrong is just too prohibitive,something goes wrong on a modern diesel engine and chances are your profit is gone.

Hopefull independant garages will start to understand and want to work on modern diesels but I've been saying this(to colleagues)for 3 or more years now but we've had these modern diesels for over 10yrs now so my hope is wearing thin