Date:         Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:55:12 -0700
Reply-To:     TC <trclark@SHAW.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         TC <trclark@SHAW.CA>
Subject:      Smart Car Crash Re: : End the hegemony of the US auto makers
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Into a wall
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4104261162559881379&q=smart+car

into another smart car
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3003838502471286036
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: : End the hegemony of the US auto makers


> The Smart car has been for sale in Vancouver for a couple of years now and
> there are scads of them all over, especially downtown. Reliable reports of
> 60-70 mpg (that's Imperial gallons Mark) and very parkable!
>
> There is a great video from Top Gear where they ran one into a
double-sized
> Jersey barrier at 70 mph. Made a big bang, but both doors were operable
> afterwards ie no deforming of the passenger compartment.  Very impressive
> little car.
>
> On 10/25/06, Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@vanagonparts.com> wrote:
> >
> > On the contrary, take your gripes to the manufacturers and the people.
> > Other than trucks, which carry a 25% duty on import, the duty to import
a
> > passenger vehicle is a relatively small 2.5%.  The real costs are in
> > demonstrating the safety of your vehicle and meeting EPA emissions
> > standards.  All vehicles sold in the U.S. must meet the minimum FMVSS
> > standards (airbags, bumpers, etc.).  Additionally, they must have modern
> > emission systems and be OBD-2.  The costs required to make a vehicle
that
> > meets these standards is prohibitive and there must be an expectation of
> > large enough number of sales to make the process worthwhile.
> >
> > If enough people wanted small, efficeint vehicles, I can guarantee you
> > that
> > we would see manufacturers lining up to sell their small, cool cars here
> > in
> > the USA.  We're starting to see a small change in American mentality
> > towards
> > smaller cars, and that is why the Smart will be sold here in early '08.
> >
> > So if you want that really cool Kia, Hyundai, or Mitsubishi you've seen
on
> > the web... no problem, just get 10,000 of your friends to buy one too.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> > Of Loren Busch
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:19 AM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: : End the hegemony of the US auto makers
> >
> >
> > On 10/25/06, BJ Feddish <bfeddish@netreach.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > >> Will we ever be free of the hegemenony of US automaker's dominance
> > over
> > > what is perceived to be marketable vehicles? <<
> >
> >
> > You need to be writing to you favorite Congressman or Senator on this
one.
> > The laws they have passed and the power they have given to the 'We know
> > what's good for you, don't confuse the issue with facts' regulatory
> > agencies
> > makes the cost of entry into the US market by competition from other
parts
> > of the world prohibitive.  RE: Smart Car for an example.  I'm sure that
is
> > why we never saw many of the very desirable variations on the Vanagon
that
> > VW produced for other markets but we never saw on the showroom floor
here.
> > To much red tape and hoops to jump through.
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jake
> 1984 Vanagon GL
> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com