Packard Forum Index » ZIS, ZIL, and other Packard Cousins!

Quote:
"it's all about fuel cost. Traditional European cars have smaller motors due to the higher fuel costs and stricter air quality rules in Europe."

ok. But here is what i do not understand:

Note that Germany, based on my research, has the worlds best hiway system called an AUtobahn. An Autobahn that seems to exceed the US Interstate system. Maybe exceeeds the US by a great percentage. **** With UNlimited speed limit!!!! ****.

THen why would Germans want 4 cylinder engines ????
HEre in the US, to the best of my knowledge there are NO roads with legal speed limit over 75 mph. I sure wish i could run 100-120 mph legaly like the Germans can. A 4 cylinder just won't cut it. Most production 6 cylinders won't be sufficient either unless we start talking Jag or very expensive hi-performance 6 cylinders.

Or, let me pose the question another way:
Do most Germans drive the Autobahn rarely exceeding 70 mph???

As it was said in Top Gear German drivers are just better and to get a drivers license there is much harder than than in the USA. If there was an unlimited stretch of road there would be accidents all the time.
The accidents would not be just because of people going fast it is because people driving slow would keep getting in front of folks going over 100 miles an hour.
I might be totally off topic but I think that not all folks driving on the autobahn probably drive crazy fast.

From Wikipedia:

"The German autobahns are the nationally coordinated motorway system in Germany. In German, they are officially called Bundesautobahn (plural Bundesautobahnen, abbreviated BAB), which translates as federal expressways. German autobahns have no general speed limit (though about 47% of the total length is subject to local and/or conditional limits), but the advisory speed limit (Richtgeschwindigkeit) is 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph)."

Top 100 car registration list in Germany, 2011 (Q2)

VW Golf, Jetta
VW Passat
VW Polo
Opel Astra
Mercedes C-Klasse
Opel Corsa
BMW 3er
Ford Focus
BMW 1er
Audi A4, S4
BMW 5er
VW Touran
Ford Fiesta
Audi A3, S3, RS3
Mercedes E-Klasse
Skoda Fabia
Opel Meriva
BMW Mini
Skoda Octavia
Audi A6, S6, RS6, A7
VW Tiguan
VW Caddy
VW Transporter, Caravelle
Hyundai I 30
Smart Fortwo
Mercedes B-Klasse
BMW X1
Nissan Qashqai
Peugeot 207
Audi A5, S5, RS5
Renault Megane
Opel Insignia
Seat Ibiza, Cordoba
Fiat Punto
Ford Focus C-Max
Fiat Ducato
Audi A1, S1
Audi Q5
VW Sharan
Fiat 500
BMW X3
Renault Clio
Dacia Duster
Renault Scenic
Chevrolet Spark (Daewoo Matiz)
Seat Altea, Toledo, Leon
Ford Kuga
Renault Twingo
Fiat Panda
Opel Zafira
Skoda Yeti
Ford Mondeo
Skoda Superb
Mercedes GLK
Citroen C4
Mercedes A-Klasse
Toyota Yaris, Daihatsu Charade
Peugeot 308
Hyundai I 10
Mercedes E-Klasse Coupe
Hyundai IX 35
Ford S-Max
Suzuki Swift
Mercedes Viano
Skoda Roomster
Mercedes SLK
Volvo 60
Citroen C3
Citroen Berlingo
Peugeot 206
Ford Ka
Ford Transit, Tourneo
Toyota Auris
Peugeot 508
VW Touareg
Dacia Sandero
BMW X5
Hyundai I 20
Mitsubishi Colt
Nissan Juke
Hyundai IX 20
Volvo XC60
Mazda 3
Mitsubishi ASX
VW Scirocco
Citroen C1
Nissan Micra
Toyota Aygo
Kia Ceed
Mercedes Vito
Kia Sportage
VW Eos
Audi TT
Kia Picanto
Mazda 6
Kia Venga
Mazda 2
VW Fox
Honda Civic
Peugeot 3008

A momentary glimpse shows that 70% of them are compact cars, all of them go at least 81 mph, a lot run 120 - 130 mph, 10 - 15% of them fly faster than 130 mph. My read is that 2 - 3% are equipped with an eight-cylinder and around 15% have a six-cylinder installed.

Quote:

Yes Keith, but how long? Many people like it to open the throttle when leaving the town but as faster you drive as sooner you have to stop because it is energy-sapping to drive fast (concentrativeness, fuel). That levels the average speed to 90 mph.
If you don't own the road, then driving 130 mph or more for hours with tunnel-view and nonstop brake readiness is a strenuous effort, there are trucks, beginners, voluntary brakemen (self-appointed educators), buses, caravaning Dutchmen (no offense), fog, rain (aquaplaning), slippery frost, darkness, traffic jams, cellphones, ... and all your sensors report "you are in danger". If you older than 25 then a long-haired speedlimiter sits next to you, if you older than 30 then one or another short-haired speedlimiter sits behind you, if you older than 40 it starts to whisper "drive carefully, drive save, what is more important: the deadline or your wellbeing?"

Stan (oregonstan) is right in saying that driving on the Autobahn is saver at the mentioned advisory speed (81 mph). To undercut the minimum speed (62 mph) would be dangerous.




The tank capacity of a VW Passat Diesel will take you almost 800 miles at 62 mph or 250 miles at 130 mph. That's a $130 question (one fill) respectively $390 (three fills)!

<iframe width="500" height="369" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cOOcvgNWz5w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

sources
registration list: Kraftfahrzeugbundesamt
pic #1: timeinc.net
pic #2: mygall.net

I don't know what it was that did the trick, but for one day in 2009 Packard dominated the headlines in the world of cars.

If Metro News (2009-09-17, Russian edition) is to be believed then the below shown Venezuelan Clipper is a 1956 ZIS with four-wheel drive and was formerly used by Nikita Khrushchev.




Metro News - Facts & Figures: "World's Largest International Newspaper ... has over 67 editions in 22 countries ... published in 15 languages around the world ... over 25 million daily readers including commercial partners"

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How do the Germans control truck traffic on their Autobahn?
I have driven on the Autobahn and it is not the pleasure one would expect when one is driving a VW Golf.
Our Packard s could not maintain the minimum speed (for long)in their environment.

A good 4 cyl is entirely adequate for 130 km/hr - I ran a 2 liter Alfa all day like this. 200 km/hr is more taxing on a sustained basis.

Driver qualification is much more demanding. Lane discipline is much better.

I think the weakness is poor compensation for weather - there are spectacular multi-cars in the fog.

Quote:
Lowell (Saffron), --> this way please to get an overview.



source: www.roadtraffic-technology.com

Since this has drifted a bit off the "Packard cousins" area, I'd like to ask about a more recent Russian car that Canadians love to joke about, so apparently they were exported to that country: the Lada. Or is it LADA? Has this been a successful car for export? Who manufactures it, it it's still made-- I know nothing. I hope it looks like a tiny '55 Patrician...

This is a very entertaining thread!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada
Check this out.

Tom