Don't you just hate when this happens?

[PUCKER]

I just drive a "lowly 2011 vette convertible" (lowly compared to a veyron, anyway LOL) but I tell ya, I feel every bump in the road...even pulling from my driveway into the garage, yeah, I feel that! It's amazing though, the kind of mileage it gets for what it is...wife and I did a 1,900 mile road trip and averaged 24.2 or so MPG while doing some "very spirited" driving. The secret to that kind of MPG, to me anyway, is being able to keep it in 5th or 6th gear and still being able to do some pretty incredible stuff...torque, that's the reason, of course, along with being slipper...and light.

I routinely see others on the Corvette Forum getting 29 mpg on road trips, they must barely be moving! LOL

This morning was fun though, turned off traction control and active handling....nice light mist and precision throttle control = BIG GRINS!!

Oh, and to keep it on topic, I've sank a vehicle before, my old offroading Jeep, up to the bottom of the windshield glass, I think it was on 33" tires, maybe 36" tires, back then...trust me, you do NOT want something that has been sank/flood-damaged! The only reason that I kept it was that it was a toy, nothing more. I spent a whole day at a buddy's oil/lube shop and dropped the fuel tank, flushed it, all the lines, engine, transmission, transfer case, diffs, etc....MULTIPLE times....water is not a fun thing to deal with! I was able to get everything more or less back to "normal" but I did have some electrical bugs for awhile. But everything did finally dry out. On an exotic, or even a "normal" sportscar...well, going for a dip is going to TRASH it...and deplete a majority of the value.

I read where the insurance company was giving the guy grief over the dollar amount (it was over-insured). That is really common, especially in my boating world - a standard yacht policy is "agreed valued"...you set a price, insure it for that and if there is a loss, well, that is WHAT you get paid! After all, it was AGREED upon, you have been paying the PREMIUMS based on that, etc. It's a VERY simple concept.

[bayouhazard]

These are small, light cars with powerful engines. Combine that with testosterone and booze, and the results are not going to be pretty

That sounds like contributory negligence. Assuming it wasn't intentional.

[seamusTX]

I just drive a "lowly 2011 vette convertible" ... but I tell ya, I feel every bump in the road...

Do you just feel it or does it jar your teeth?

I've only driven a Corvette once (probably something like a 1970 model). It was long and heavy, not like these European sardine cans. A 1970 Corvette weighed nearly two tons with a tank of gas, a driver, and a passenger.

I routinely see others on the Corvette Forum getting 29 mpg on road trips, ...

People brag about a lot of things that they can't prove.

...water is not a fun thing to deal with! I was able to get everything more or less back to "normal" but I did have some electrical bugs for awhile. But everything did finally dry out. On an exotic, or even a "normal" sportscar...well, going for a dip is going to TRASH it...

Keep in mind this was salt water. You can rescue metals or electronics from fresh water, but any amount of time in salt water and they're scrap.

- Jim

[PUCKER]

I just drive a "lowly 2011 vette convertible" ... but I tell ya, I feel every bump in the road...

Do you just feel it or does it jar your teeth?

I've only driven a Corvette once (probably something like a 1970 model). It was long and heavy, not like these European sardine cans. A 1970 Corvette weighed nearly two tons with a tank of gas, a driver, and a passenger.

I routinely see others on the Corvette Forum getting 29 mpg on road trips, ...

People brag about a lot of things that they can't prove.

...water is not a fun thing to deal with! I was able to get everything more or less back to "normal" but I did have some electrical bugs for awhile. But everything did finally dry out. On an exotic, or even a "normal" sportscar...well, going for a dip is going to TRASH it...

Keep in mind this was salt water. You can rescue metals or electronics from fresh water, but any amount of time in salt water and they're scrap.

- Jim

Depends on the speed and type of bump/pothole. I've gotta tell ya, it really does drive good though. Feeling the road is part of the experience and the feedback. I would not think there would be much of a comparison between a '70 and an '11, go test drive one, you'll have a grin on your face that won't even go away with a full back-hand slap!

Curb weight on mine is pretty low (3,221 lbs), and that's for a convertible. BTW - curb weight for the Veryon is 4,162 lbs or so. As far as the high mileage claims, vettes are EPA rated for 26 on the hwy, if folks drive really slow and keep it in 6th on a manual, air up the tires (overinflated) for max rolling resistance...sure, it's possible, no skin off my back.

Yep, well aware of salt water (and its issues) and the location/geography of the event in question...that's why my boat came from freshwater!

[ELB]

As far as bumps with my Audi and the German autobahn -- the Germans are (or were then, anyway) fanatics about their roads -- they were very well maintained, and when they patched a section, I could not feel anything driving over the transition from original road to patch to original road again. It was absolutely flat. That's very nice when you are rolling along at Mach 0.21.

[PUCKER]

I like the 'bahn! And I must say, it was *very* well designed. Back in '07 I spent a week in a Mercedes turbo-diesel sedan doing a quick tour of Germany. We made GREAT time, started out in Hannover to Berlin to Leipzig to Wittenberg to Munich to Dachau to Rothenburg ob der tauber to Wurzburg to Frankfurt...whew! Great roads/super highways along with awesome Raststätte (rest areas), was my first time to try a Curry Wurst...yum! The other drivers were amazing too...no ego-driven driving...everyone followed the rules, even at speed. Laws are strictly followed. Never felt unsafe while I was "hauling buns" there! That's the main problem that I see/feel here when boogeying down the highway...difference in speed and the unpredictability of other drivers. Better to just cruise near the speed limit.

[seamusTX]

I would not think there would be much of a comparison between a '70 and an '11, go test drive one, you'll have a grin on your face that won't even go away with a full back-hand slap!

Thanks, but I don't want to get the salesman all hot and bothered when I have no intention of buying a new car that costs $50-80 grand.

The other drivers were amazing too...no ego-driven driving...everyone followed the rules, even at speed. Laws are strictly followed.

In most European countries, a traffic violation that might get you a couple of hundred dollars' fine here is more than $1,000 there. Some European countries also allow fines to be scaled to the wealth of the person who commits the violation (which is unconstitutional in the U.S.).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38660951/ns ... ding-fine/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[ELB]

Yes, lane discipline was VERY good. Fast guys on the left, slow guys on the right. There were even minimum speed limits for different lanes in some sections. When the Wall came down and all the East Germans invaded in their little Trabis and Wartburgs traveling at about 35 kph, there were warnings broadcast to not run over them due to the speed differentials.

In Germany, at least, driving licenses were also not the easiest thing to get. The course was long and expensive, the test difficult, and the license fee was expensive. The good news was the license was for life...until the EU got ahold of things, and now I think it is only good for about 15 years.

Also, while going fast was fun, you did have to pay attention, since the autobahns were originally built to move military traffic, not just civilian. A German in a BMW (IIRC) obliterated herself when she ran it into an American tank that was part of a convoy.

[PUCKER]

I would not think there would be much of a comparison between a '70 and an '11, go test drive one, you'll have a grin on your face that won't even go away with a full back-hand slap!

Thanks, but I don't want to get the salesman all hot and bothered when I have no intention of buying a new car that costs $50-80 grand.

The other drivers were amazing too...no ego-driven driving...everyone followed the rules, even at speed. Laws are strictly followed.

In most European countries, a traffic violation that might get you a couple of hundred dollars' fine here is more than $1,000 there. Some European countries also allow fines to be scaled to the wealth of the person who commits the violation (which is unconstitutional in the U.S.).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38660951/ns ... ding-fine/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

Well, drop me a line next time you come up to the DFW area. They are a blast! With traction control and active handling you really can't get too out of line...but that always be turned off too...I call it the "fun button!"

I wish they topped out at $80K! The range is essentially $50K-125K (and maybe just a tad more)...ALL kinds of options, levels, packages, etc. They are dealing on them though, some dealers more than others.

Yeah, the fines....but I'll tell ya, it also seemed to be the "driving culture" if you will...I actually got honked at for turning at a red light by the guy behind me! Ooooops, didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that!

[PUCKER]

Yes, lane discipline was VERY good. Fast guys on the left, slow guys on the right.

I noticed this very much! Even on two-lane sections, trucks stayed in the right lane, traffic moved along quickly...on 4-lane stretches it REALLLLLLLY moved. If we could get everyone on the same page/lane so-to-speak over here, it would be grand!

I expected to see all kinds of exotica booking along in the fast lane. But no, all the exotics were cruising in the middle lanes, top down, etc. It was the little eurowagons that were hauling!

[seamusTX]

Well, drop me a line next time you come up to the DFW area.

Thanks. I don't travel much, but maybe the next hurricane ...

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

I saw this today:

http://news.yahoo.com/fleet-ferraris-ru ... 13838.html

TOKYO (AP) — An outing of luxury sportscar enthusiasts in Japan ended in an expensive freeway pileup — smashing a stunning eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes likely worth more than $1 million together.
Police say they believe the accident Sunday was touched off when the driver of one of the Ferraris tried to change lanes and hit the median barrier. He spun across the freeway, and the other cars collided while trying to avoid hitting his car.

My guess is that they terminated his club membership.....

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.rr.com/autos/topic/article/r ... car_pileup

The above link is about a fleet of supercars in Japan involved in a massive pileup.

Ferrari's, a Lambo, and some Benz's bit the dust.

If you follow the above link's link to the video, it may not go to the proper pileup video, but to a sea turtle story. :-)

TAM beat me to it, per the above post.

SIA

[snatchel]

Dang. TAM beat me too. I couldn't imagine totaling a Ferrari... but that is because I lived on a fixed income. Chances are if you can afford to buy a Ferrari, you can afford to buy another after you crash your first. What seems like a fortune lost to me probably feels like a drop in the bucket to these guys.

[PBratton]

I saw this today:

http://news.yahoo.com/fleet-ferraris-ru ... 13838.html

TOKYO (AP) — An outing of luxury sportscar enthusiasts in Japan ended in an expensive freeway pileup — smashing a stunning eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes likely worth more than $1 million together.
Police say they believe the accident Sunday was touched off when the driver of one of the Ferraris tried to change lanes and hit the median barrier. He spun across the freeway, and the other cars collided while trying to avoid hitting his car.

My guess is that they terminated his club membership.....

And do you think they'll give awards to the other guys for being able to hit the spinning car?