Nextourer

But what about the autobahns (those that are unrestricted). I mean I was watching Discovery Civilization channel and they had a feature on it. They were describing how the road is a little thicker than normal and more curved (curvaceous?) than normal to allow water to drain off quickly. So I mean if the Europeans can have nicely paved roads even at 200km/h, why can't we? Are we too cheap and we're thinking "oh it's cheaper to put Material A and thickness x and replace it than to spend more and use Material B with thickness y and not have to replace it as often?)

bagwell

+1

but not if your GM, Ford, or Chrysler...idiots.

mmarshall

That will not stop the sun, in the summer, from baking the road surface and causing heat-related warps and cracks...water will still get in there and freeze in the winter.

Somehow, we've gotten off-topic...from automotive trends to road surfaces.

Lil4X

When we set up our little company ten years ago, my partner and I (who came with me from operating a similar company) vowed that we would never again spend thousands of dollars every month for a prestige address and an office far nicer than our homes. We elected instead to telecommute, using phones and internet connections to link us and our other associates. In time, we convinced a lot of independent contractors that this was the way to go.

The first savings was time. For years I had begun and ended every day with a 45 minute drive (over an hour if I went in a 8 and left at 5 like the other freeway lemmings). Thats two hours, or 25% added to my workday. That doesn't include lunch because many years before we had been taught to build a kitchen into our office suite to save the time and cost of having lunch out. We used the time instead for our company meetings during lunch around the conference table.

Another savings was fuel cost. Think about how much fuel you consume every day simply trudging back and forth to the office. I was driving a 4X4 3/4-ton Suburban early in this enterprise, and was going through a tank (40 gal) every eight days or less. I bought a manual Civic EX and was filling up with about 10 gal every 5 or 6 days - just to ease the gas pains, and let my Texaco card cool off.

Then there was that big lease on the office space, and our costs for phone lines that essentially duplicated what we had at home. Homes that were standing empty while we enjoyed our expensive offices miles away. Why were we commuting back and forth? Habit, I guess.

None of us had any desperate need for the physical presence of one another. By working from home we found that without the distraction of other people coming and going, stopping by to visit, and sticking their head in to ask a casual question, we were more focused. If we had to have an eyeball meeting with our key people, we met at Denny's for breakfast. Efficiency skyrocketed.

We found other savings too. Instead of wearing a suit and tie (I guess to impress visitors), I learned to work in jeans and a t-shirt. I've been known to work all day in a bathrobe. If I have a bright idea in the middle of the night, I get out of bed and commute thirty feet to the office, where I get it on paper - or often just DO it. I have lunch with my wife every day, and breakfast with my furry companion who has learned if she claws at me long enough, I'll put her up on the desk. Here she curls up on a big folded towel at the end of the keyboard and snoozes contentedly to the clatter of the keys.

Telecommuting has worked for me - but there are certainly many professions where it will not replace a drive to the office or shop. Today, I have two offices, one at home that houses me and all of the equipment necessary for my job, and the other is my RX - that is permanently fitted with a briefcase containing my essential office materials, and a second commuter satchel with my laptop, samples, notepads, and literature. The laptop duplicates all of my office files, including the customer database - which synchs up daily with the files on my server. Add a cell phone, and I can do business anywhere with few restrictions. Telecommuting from home or a mobile office has given me two extra hours every day, saved us a small fortune, and made us much more efficient in the way we conduct business.

In about thirty minutes I will grab a large travel mug of coffee and head out on a "road day", working from the car between client appointments until late afternoon - further saving fuel, office expense, and gaining time with my family. It takes a little discipline, planning, and no little re-evaluation of your workday, but I believe that telecommuting for well over half of the workforce is not only possible, but the preferred method for making a living. Think about it. What's REALLY keeping you chained to an office?

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

^^I used to live your life. It was great. My current boss believes in eye to eye everyday. Strange because our sales model is telecomm based with limited travel to customer sites. I would gladly go back to working from home if I could.

kit cat

iTrader: (6)

electronic valves, drive by brakes, lane detection, face detection, ad-hoc system integration to active safety, etc.

drive by brakes....gosh that scares me.

Threxx

What I hope will be the new trend for the next 5-10 years is manufacturers finally stopping with the horsepower wars and beginning the weight reduction wars. Keeping power roughly the same (at best making power bands broader and more usable on the cars that tend to be peaky) while reducing weight to improve all around performance and economy (and even cost).

Nextourer

hahaha sorry.

Jakex1

i would like to see more mass produced exotics... btu its not happening

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Small Car Demand Keeps Prices High



U.S. News link

Rising gas prices are increasingly pushing consumers into smaller cars, and with demand for small cars near all-time highs, they may now be growing more expensive.

The AP reports, "Small cars are now the largest segment of the U.S. auto market, accounting for 18 percent of new car sales. Last year U.S. consumers bought a record 2.8 million of them, and with sales up 4 percent in the first quarter this year, the record almost surely will be shattered." The auto industry has been slow to react, and is only now ramping up production of the hottest-selling small cars. Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst for the Waltham, Mass.-based consulting firm Global Insight, said the spike in small car demand "happened too rapidly for the American automakers to take sufficient action."

Bankrate.com comments that "consumers, who may have become accustomed to seeing thousands knocked out of the window sticker, may have to adjust their expectations" when they shop for smaller cars. "Part of that tough negotiating stance comes from dealers recognizing that small, economical sedans are hot items. But another factor is that these sedans have far less profit built into them when compared to SUVs and bigger, luxury sedans." As a result, dealers often don't have the flexibility to discount the cost of smaller cars as much as they did with the SUVs that many bought in recent years. For instance, "a Toyota Corolla LE has a base list price of $16,650 and an invoice price of $15,067, leaving less than $1,600 haggle room for most consumers." In contrast, "a Toyota Sequoia SUV, which lists for $35,275, has about $4,000 in negotiating room before hitting the dealer invoice."

A few bargains can still be found. Kicking Tires rounds up cash-back offers on the market this week, and finds this surprising gem: $1,500 cash back on the Hyundai Elantra nationwide, except in certain Northeastern states. "It’s not the most exciting to drive, but it comes well-equipped and has a much improved interior and exterior look. $1,500 is a huge amount of money to be taking off an economy car in today’s climate," KT comments. "Thrifty shoppers should definitely take advantage."

mmarshall

At the rate things are going, THIS will be the biggest automotive trend of the next 5 years.......



REPOSSESSION

SLegacy99

My neighbors are pretty happy that they exchanged their Suburban for a Camry a year ago, before they were exiled from used car dealers lots.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

i say scooters!

LexFather

lol.....................

Big Willy

Kenetic Energy Recouvery system