Read it and weep (laugh, cry, whatever)

[wallew]

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22491&highlight=autobahn

The second thread that is referenced in the (NOW CORRECTED) first thread about the SRT8 driving the autobahns

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22140

And the SRT8 is currently unmodified! Yah, those 'SUPER' Euro cars...:D

Stay tuned and DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!!!

EDIT - my fault - I'm hopefully going to Vegas for SEMA and will be attending 'The Rat Pack' show. But both links are NOW correct - again sorry, I've got VEGAS on my mind right now, as SEMA is but two weeks (ish) away.

EDIT - part deux - Just got word I did not get my request in early enough for this years SEMA show. Oh well, maybe next year.

[Rockefella]

I don't understand what you're trying to get across.

[ScionDriver]

????:confused:

[Radoman]

Yeah.. wtf indeed! What does that second link even have to do with cars?

I'm going to make a wild guess: you saw this commercial and figured "to hell with european cars, they aren't anywhere near as fast as good 'ol american muscle LOL"..

You do realize that the shelby shown there isn't anywhere near as fast as that Carrera GT you see pulling to the right... right?

[pimento]

Wow, that kind of advertising does work... I thought most people would be smart enough to realise they're faking it.

[2ndclasscitizen]

Also, that shows nothing about SRT8s, they just talk about the lack of Charger ads, DCs conservative nature, and how Ford pushes the Mustang.

[adrenaline]

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22140

http://www.travelnice.com/rat-pack-las-vegas-tribute-show-tickets.html#info

And the SRT8 is currently unmodified! Yah, those 'SUPER' Euro cars...:D

Stay tuned and DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!!!

Are you on crack?

[Coventrysucks]

Don't feed the trolls.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/S65-AMG/dnfnoob.gif

[Viper007]

Dude I am so wtfed out after the whole bonneville thing and now this? But yea were making some progress.

[henk4]

Dude I am so wtfed out after the whole bonneville thing and now this? But yea were making some progress.

I am with you on the bonnevill thing. a bloody shame...

[wallew]

Dude I am so wtfed out after the whole bonneville thing and now this? But yea were making some progress.


Viper007,
I'm NOT saying I don't deserve the shot you just took, BECAUSE I DID SCREW THE POOCH. I have corrected the errors in the links.

BUT IF you are going to CRITICIZE ME, at least get it right. It's the CROWN VIC or DODGE CHARGER INTERCEPTORS (NOT the Bonnie) that no one believes can keep up with or possibly whoop up on the 'great Euro Cars'. My contention was that a properly modified Police Interceptor could catch all the 'great Euro Cars' that some here seem to think are the end all and be all...

And the SRT8 in the first link was completely stock. NOTHING ADDED (yet). It hadn't even had it's first oil change.

My contention could best be expressed by THIS INTERCEPTOR with 'ghost' PD markings.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=212521&stc=1&d=1159207146

Which can also be seen on page 4 of this thread about half way down. That's what I'm talking about.

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15603&page=4&highlight=Police+Interceptor

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Hey, wow. Good for you. No, really!

http://www.classicdriver.com/upload/images/_de/3224/img02.jpg

Doesn't need any 'cheap' modifying to catch criminals... :rolleyes:

EDIT: Oh yeah, another one if you actually care about the comfort of your criminals...

http://pmc-marburg.de/images/db_420_1a.jpg

4.2 V8, 0-60 in 8.2 secs (hey, that's quicker than a Crown Vic Interceptor!), and it's also bigger and handles better.

EDIT 2:

Oh looky here, a BMW M3 interceptor... hey, check it out, 321bhp + lighter car + HANDLING! What a novel idea!

http://www.geocities.com/bmw_1999_m3/m3polizei.jpg

Who'da thunk it... :rolleyes:

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Oh well. Might as well boost my post count.

http://www.policecaruk.com/images/Staffs%20DX54BVR%20small.jpg

Volvo V70 T5- not tickled to make more than the 250bhp that the standard car has. And a nice 243/lb ft of torque ain't so bad.

0-60 in 7.1 seconds, and it can handle too. I doubt the qualities of yours, and have no doubt that any of the cars posted would get around a decent track quicker than a Crown Vic. Maybe a little more trouble for the Dodge- but not so much.

[Coventrysucks]

BUT IF you are going to CRITICIZE ME, at least get it right. It's the CROWN VIC or DODGE CHARGER INTERCEPTORS (NOT the Bonnie)

The "Bonneville" reference does not relate to anything in this thread, so before YOU criticise others, at least get it right.

150mph isn't all that fast you know. (http://www.allpar.com/squads/police-cars/charger-police-testing.html) Indeed the mighty V70, well known for being the highest pinnacle of European high-speed sports cars, can manage 153.

The contention is rather weak, I feel.

[kingofthering]

150mph isn't all that fast you know. (http://www.allpar.com/squads/police-cars/charger-police-testing.html) Indeed the mighty V70, well known for being the highest pinnacle of European high-speed sports cars, can manage 153.

OWNAGE:D

[wallew]

The "Bonneville" reference does not relate to anything in this thread, so before YOU criticise others, at least get it right.

150mph isn't all that fast you know. (http://www.allpar.com/squads/police-cars/charger-police-testing.html) Indeed the mighty V70, well known for being the highest pinnacle of European high-speed sports cars, can manage 153.

The contention is rather weak, I feel.

Yeah, kinda missed the part about me accepting 'personal responsibility' for the mistakes I made. That I just TRIED to point out that my previous thread was about the Crown Vic/Dodge Charger interceptors, not a Bonnie.

AND YOU want to jump on me for that? Giveth me a break, oh great CS.

And if you actually read the first thread link the SRT8 owner had NO PROBLEMS keeping up with either the GTI OR the M3. He also said top speed was 160+ (ish).

Dude this is a BOX STOCK SRT8 that had not even been broken in yet. Slap a Procharger blower (as I suggested in the Crown Vic thread) for less than $5k and I PROMISE all they would see is his tail lights.

Guess you will just have to wait for Round 2 when he provides video proof.

And I've NEVER ARGUED the Euro Super Cars ARE NOT FAST. All I've ever said is that America is FINALLY starting to see it's own set of Super cars that with MINOR mods can not only keep up with, but surpass its 'vaunted' Euro brothers...

And just for THE RECORD, how much do those Porsche, MB, Volvo V70 or BMW M3 police cars cost? Probably TWICE the cost of the SRT8 (maybe not the V70 or the MB). So, as I have stated in the previous thread, for WAY LESS MONEY the Dodge Charger can keep up with the cars in the pix you showed.

If you go to the last link on the second post I posted on this thread there are pictures (eleven pages worth) of Dodge Charger Police cars. One small town sheriff just went out and purchased a 300C SRT8 and then had it 'converted' (lights, sirens, etc) to police use. And it's STILL way cheaper than the Porsche or the BMW M3.

THAT IS ALL I'VE EVER SAID. That the 'need for speed' can be had for WAY CHEAPER than dropping over $100k on a Porsche or BMW. Can't speak to the V70 or the MB, because I basically never had and never will have any interest in those particular brands.

Which is really funny, now that Dodge and MB merged. Or MB bought Dodge? Or vice versa? Kind of like the 'bastard' child of Ford buying Jaguar and then attempting to put the low end Jag on what was basically a Taurus frame. And then charging the Jag price for it.

[CdocZ]

THAT IS ALL I'VE EVER SAID. That the 'need for speed' can be had for WAY CHEAPER than dropping over $100k on a Porsche or BMW. Can't speak to the V70 or the MB, because I basically never had and never will have any interest in those particular brands.

Which is really funny, now that Dodge and MB merged. Or MB bought Dodge? Or vice versa? Kind of like the 'bastard' child of Ford buying Jaguar and then attempting to put the low end Jag on what was basically a Taurus frame. And then charging the Jag price for it.

I believe those 2 paragraphs just killed your argument.
1) Dodge and Mercedes Benz, yes they share technology to a degree (more Mercedes and Chrysler
2) 160.....so fast.....And, your comparing a straight-line fast sport sedan, to sport cars. Do you really think Porsche or BMW don't know how to pull massive loads of more horsepower out of their engines?
Porsche and BMW sports cars are famed handlers, with plenty of horsepower for their needs - check out some track times for them and a Charger, and see how they compare.

[Viper007]

And I've NEVER ARGUED the Euro Super Cars ARE NOT FAST. All I've ever said is that America is FINALLY starting to see it's own set of Super cars that with MINOR mods can not only keep up with, but surpass its 'vaunted' Euro brothers...

First off thanks Coventry for clearing up the misinterpretation. Second, wait are you serious? Did we just miss the release of the Gt500 although heavy Hennessey is having some extreme numbers with simple mods. Along with that we have some supercars that cannot be denied such as the Ford GT and the S7 TT that have been well established and raised many Europeans eyes. Hell the SRT-8 that car is really really heavy I highly doubt that it will be doing too much passing at a weight of 4100lbs some Euro cars with MINOR mods will pass it like its standing still. I personally am not a fan of this car and can't wait to see it get walked when whoever puts a procharger on it. I'd spend the extra money and get the GT500 and some minor mods. This car is not worth being modified in my opinion.

[Coventrysucks]

That I just TRIED to point out that my previous thread was about the Crown Vic/Dodge Charger interceptors, not a Bonnie.

Again, the reference to the Bonneville that you responded to has nothing to do with anything you have posted, in this thread or others.

It refers to the fact that quite a lot of people are sporting a particularly fine example as avatars.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Yeah, kinda missed the part about me accepting 'personal responsibility' for the mistakes I made. That I just TRIED to point out that my previous thread was about the Crown Vic/Dodge Charger interceptors, not a Bonnie.
Yeah, kinda missed everything that happened on this forum over the last week or so... :rolleyes: what happened, did you get bored of getting 3 hundred billion bhp out of an AMC Pacer engine, and decided to project your dubious views on us?


AND YOU want to jump on me for that? Giveth me a break, oh great CS.
Well, as he's one of the peacekeepers of this site, I think he has a right to keep a buffoon under the thumb.


And if you actually read the first thread link the SRT8 owner had NO PROBLEMS keeping up with either the GTI OR the M3. He also said top speed was 160+ (ish).

Dude this is a BOX STOCK SRT8 that had not even been broken in yet. Slap a Procharger blower (as I suggested in the Crown Vic thread) for less than $5k and I PROMISE all they would see is his tail lights.
Excuse me for not being in awe of him beating a hatchback with 225bhp less than him. Ahhh, here we go again. Now, let's do a quick power-to-weight, shall we?
500bhp + 1900kg (I checked a website which sold superchargers for the 6.1 engine, it said 500bhp before you go on about yanking over 100bhp out of a supercharger :p) which is 263bhp/tonne. Now, the "expensive" BMW M3 (about $14,000 here for one of those, and that's expensive ol' Britain), is 230bhp/tonne. Not bad for a compact saloon that's $25,000 less than yours... :rolleyes:


Guess you will just have to wait for Round 2 when he provides video proof.
I live for the day.


And I've NEVER ARGUED the Euro Super Cars ARE NOT FAST. All I've ever said is that America is FINALLY starting to see it's own set of Super cars that with MINOR mods can not only keep up with, but surpass its 'vaunted' Euro brothers...
You actually believe that these overweight, overengined, underpowered (for the size of engine) tanks can meet, let alone beat, a decent piece of Euro? Get real. We have this little thing called 'handling' and 'weight distribution'. Plus, with a Euro driver you only need to add about 75kg, whereas your average American adds 90kg+ to the car's (already ample) weight. A supercharger is not a minor mod- it seriously affects gear ratios, engine reliability and stress on the engine. A K&N air filter kit or new exhaust tip is a minor mod.


And just for THE RECORD, how much do those Porsche, MB, Volvo V70 or BMW M3 police cars cost? Probably TWICE the cost of the SRT8 (maybe not the V70 or the MB). So, as I have stated in the previous thread, for WAY LESS MONEY the Dodge Charger can keep up with the cars in the pix you showed.
Dodge = $39,000 street price.
Porsche = $80,000 street price.
Mercedes-Benz = $10,000.
Volvo = $25,000.
BMW = $14,000.

You were saying? Sorry, all of those cars would be at least double the price?? Math isn't your strong point, is it? :rolleyes:


If you go to the last link on the second post I posted on this thread there are pictures (eleven pages worth) of Dodge Charger Police cars. One small town sheriff just went out and purchased a 300C SRT8 and then had it 'converted' (lights, sirens, etc) to police use. And it's STILL way cheaper than the Porsche or the BMW M3.
Of course it's cheaper than the BMW. Hey- if you bolt a big enough supercharger on and screw your reliability, you can spend enough for the Porsche on 2 new Chargers, so you can have inferior performance and handling! The American way...



THAT IS ALL I'VE EVER SAID. That the 'need for speed' can be had for WAY CHEAPER than dropping over $100k on a Porsche or BMW. Can't speak to the V70 or the MB, because I basically never had and never will have any interest in those particular brands.
The Porsche is $20k under the big one. The BMW is $86k less. Do research before you come here trumpeting your mistruths. And if you're not bothered, why don't you shove off back to Dixie? This site is for people who want to learn something new, not project their skewed ideas of greatness upon us. I respect muscle cars, but I just know that Euros are better engineered and generally faster- but you pay a premium for a reason.


Which is really funny, now that Dodge and MB merged. Or MB bought Dodge? Or vice versa? Kind of like the 'bastard' child of Ford buying Jaguar and then attempting to put the low end Jag on what was basically a Taurus frame. And then charging the Jag price for it.
What planet are you from? Have you lost your mind? They develop their cars separately- I don't think Mercedes would want to risk spoiling their perceived air of quality by using fat-arse Yank tanks as the basis for their models. Hence why they can manage to pull 500bhp out of a 5.4 engine, and Chrysler need to use an 8.3 V10 :rolleyes:

Sure, Chrysdodge might learn something new from Mercedes, but I doubt they have anything to offer to Mercedes.

[Coventrysucks]

Well, as he's one of the peacekeepers of this site, I think he has a right to keep a buffoon under the thumb.

A select few may disagree with you there.

I think that, in theory, muscle cars would be happily at home in Europe, who wouldn't want a large car, with not-so-shoddy performance at a low, low price.

The practicalities get in the way, namely;

fuel prices - no matter how much people harp on about these V8s offering great highway milage, they are only that efficient when cruising along at 60mph at 1500rpm. Start using those rpms properly and efficiency will drop, a lot, and therefore it costs a lot more at the pumps.

Greedy American companies - For example, Chrysler can happily sell a 300C SRT8 for $42,695, or £22,444 in the USA. Why is it on sale in the UK for £39,040, or $74,270? These cars make sense at American prices, but not so much after the prices have been inflated by often well over 50%, there are better alternatives available at those prices

[CdocZ]

Greedy American companies - For example, Chrysler can happily sell a 300C SRT8 for $42,695, or £22,444 in the USA. Why is it on sale in the UK for £39,040, or $74,270? These cars make sense at American prices, but not so much after the prices have been inflated by often well over 50%, there are better alternatives available at those prices

Almost $75,000 for a 300C? It's a decent car, but at anything over $60,000 you got to be JOKING!

[clutch-monkey]

Greedy American companies - For example, Chrysler can happily sell a 300C SRT8 for $42,695, or £22,444 in the USA. Why is it on sale in the UK for £39,040, or $74,270? These cars make sense at American prices, but not so much after the prices have been inflated by often well over 50%, there are better alternatives available at those prices
an '05 mustang is 125K AUD here :eek: no wonder theyve only sold one...

[Slicks]

What planet are you from? Have you lost your mind? They develop their cars separately- I don't think Mercedes would want to risk spoiling their perceived air of quality by using fat-arse Yank tanks as the basis for their models. Hence why they can manage to pull 500bhp out of a 5.4 engine, and Chrysler need to use an 8.3 V10 :rolleyes:

Your better off using the "my dad can beat up your dad" argument. Dodge doesnt "need" 8.3L to get 500hp, they choose to take the easy, cheap and reliable way. Check out the price and torque curve of the two engines.

[Slicks]

The practicalities get in the way, namely;

fuel prices - no matter how much people harp on about these V8s offering great highway milage, they are only that efficient when cruising along at 60mph at 1500rpm. Start using those rpms properly and efficiency will drop, a lot, and therefore it costs a lot more at the pumps.

What do you mean "use the RPMS properly"? You seem to still not understand, you actually switch gears around 1500-2000RPMs, and can still skip gears at those RPMs (1st to 4th at 2000RPMs is the skipshift 'feature' for LS1 cars.)
If your talking about spirited driving, those who do it dont care about gas at the time.


Greedy American companies - For example, Chrysler can happily sell a 300C SRT8 for $42,695, or £22,444 in the USA. Why is it on sale in the UK for £39,040, or $74,270? These cars make sense at American prices, but not so much after the prices have been inflated by often well over 50%, there are better alternatives available at those prices
Its not your govornments fault for taxing?

[gtface]

Now, the "expensive" BMW M3 (about $14,000 here for one of those, and that's expensive ol' Britain), is 230bhp/tonne. Not bad for a compact saloon that's $25,000 less than yours... :rolleyes:

Dodge = $39,000 street price.
Porsche = $80,000 street price.
Mercedes-Benz = $10,000.
Volvo = $25,000.
BMW = $14,000.

You were saying? Sorry, all of those cars would be at least double the price?? Math isn't your strong point, is it? :rolleyes:

Of course it's cheaper than the BMW. Hey- if you bolt a big enough supercharger on and screw your reliability, you can spend enough for the Porsche on 2 new Chargers, so you can have inferior performance and handling! The American way...

The Porsche is $20k under the big one. The BMW is $86k less. Do research before you come here trumpeting your mistruths. And if you're not bothered, why don't you shove off back to Dixie? This site is for people who want to learn something new, not project their skewed ideas of greatness upon us. I respect muscle cars, but I just know that Euros are better engineered and generally faster- but you pay a premium for a reason.

An M3 costs $14,000 in Britain? Over here you can't get a new one for less than $60,000. Obviously prices vary quite a bit depending on where you live. I think comparing a charger to an M3 is a terrible idea anyway, as the charger is much heavier and only slightly more powerful, not to mention that it can't compete with the BMW in handling. Are we just talking about police cars here or is this another general American vs Europe thread? Maybe you could justify the extra size and weight of the charger as a police vehicle (for ramming and durability or something) but as a car for private use I think the M3 is better overall. I don't see the point of all that size and weight (in the charger), as you get the same amount of seats in the BMW and they are plenty big. You can get a 4 door M3 too can't you?


What planet are you from? Have you lost your mind? They develop their cars separately- I don't think Mercedes would want to risk spoiling their perceived air of quality by using fat-arse Yank tanks as the basis for their models. Hence why they can manage to pull 500bhp out of a 5.4 engine, and Chrysler need to use an 8.3 V10 :rolleyes:

Sure, Chrysdodge might learn something new from Mercedes, but I doubt they have anything to offer to Mercedes.

Businesses in the same field don't just help each other out for no reason. Obviously Mercedes has something to gain from the relationship or they wouldn't be working with chrysler. It might be something as simple as their mass production technology.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

An M3 costs $14,000 in Britain? Over here you can't get a new one for less than $60,000. Obviously prices vary quite a bit depending on where you live. I think comparing a charger to an M3 is a terrible idea anyway, as the charger is much heavier and only slightly more powerful, not to mention that it can't compete with the BMW in handling. Are we just talking about police cars here or is this another general American vs Europe thread? Maybe you could justify the extra size and weight of the charger as a police vehicle (for ramming and durability or something) but as a car for private use I think the M3 is better overall. I don't see the point of all that size and weight (in the charger), as you get the same amount of seats in the BMW and they are plenty big. You can get a 4 door M3 too can't you?
The M3 I posted will cost you about $14,000 here, now.
And as wallew was happy to proclaim how awesome the Charger was, so I thought I'd post some reasonable competition.The E46 M3 is not available as a 4-door, but the E36 I posted obviously was.

I have seen BMWs in Arabia that have ram-bars on them. Just because a car looks butch does not necessarily mean it is butch- see the Toyota RAV4 for proof of that.

Thanks for agreeing on the M3, though.


Businesses in the same field don't just help each other out for no reason. Obviously Mercedes has something to gain from the relationship or they wouldn't be working with chrysler. It might be something as simple as their mass production technology.
It's nothing to do with that. These days, it's all about a monopoly- car companies merge with larger ones to try and take over the market, just as in the media. It's not necessarily done so that the parents companies can benefit from it, it's done depending on size. Ford tried the formula of quality over quantity by buying Jaguar and Land Rover, but that's sinking. Mercedes are a large company, Chrysler are a large company.

[Coventrysucks]

What do you mean "use the RPMS properly"?

If you only want to use the torque offered by the first few thousand revs, get a TDI, similar torque at the same revs, and much, much better economy.

There is no point in buying a large petrol V8 engined car that revs to 6000+ if you aren't going to use the upper 4000rpm.

Remeber that fuel in the UK is c.$7+/gallon for fuel, so I doubt many people would completely ignore consumption, especially at the price brackets that Muscle cars typically fall into, not to mention the extra tax liability that larger engines are being subjected too, and which will inevitably increase.


Its not your govornments fault for taxing?

TBH, I don't know what the tax %age is on imported cars, but I doubt it is that big, since the vast majority of cars are imported to the UK.

There aren't 40% price differences between say, a German built Ford Focus and a similar UK built Honda Civic.

Even then, if the %age difference between all US and UK prices were broadly similar, say 40-45% more in the UK, accounting for slight differences in specification, then you might be able to say it was tax, but then why are some cars only 40% more in the UK, others nearly 75% more?

[kingofthering]

well, you forgot the shipping, the conversion to RHD, the controls, changing the speedo, changing the GPS, converting to metric, and a bunch of other changes. That seriously cuts into the profits so they must jack up the prices.

[Coventrysucks]

well, you forgot the shipping, the conversion to RHD, the controls, changing the speedo, changing the GPS, converting to metric, and a bunch of other changes. That seriously cuts into the profits so they must jack up the prices.

- Shipping should cost the same from the UK to the US as it does from the US to the UK, so shipping is not a factor.

- A fair ammount of US cars that are sold in the UK are not RHD, because it would be too expensive to do. The cars that are available in RHD are no more/less expensive by comparison than those that aren't. Cars that are sold in mainland Europe as LHD are also subject to large price hikes

- Speedo? Controls? GPS? Even if the UK used something other than MPH, all you need to do is change one small disc of plastic, GPS DVDs aren't expensive, and neither is tuning a radio to different frequencies.

Changes required would probably be a mild ECU tweak to adjust for different fuel qualities, headlight lenses, making sure the windows have the correct levels of tint, which are probably the same as the USA in most cases.

I can't think of anything major that needs to be altered, certainly not to the extent that would increase the value of the car, or cost of manufacturing by nearly 3/4.

There are specification differences, taxes, differences between "OTR" and "MRSP" prices and the exchange rate to contend with, but that still doesn't seem to tally up consistently.

Prices in GBP US/UK %age increase

Ford GT: £79,134/£125,000 58%

Jeep Commander Ltd: £19,244/£34,535 80%

Dodge Caliber 1.8Man SXT: £8,511/£13,790 62%

Chevrolet Corvette C6 Convertible: £27,994/£52,595 89%

Cadillac CTS 2.8: £17,357/£24,895 43%

Cadillac STS V8 Sport Luxury/Luxury Performance: £31,847/£39,995 26%

Going the other way (still US/UK)

Jaguar S-Type 4.2: £27,692/£38,540 39%

Aston Martin DB9: £87,113/£105,000 20%

Land Rover Disco/LR3 V8 HSE: £28,357/£48,540 71%

I'm certain you'll see similar results right across Europe.

[Mr.Tiv]

Prices in GBP US/UK %age increase

Ford GT: £79,134/£125,000 58%

Jeep Commander Ltd: £19,244/£34,535 80%

Dodge Caliber 1.8Man SXT: £8,511/£13,790 62%

Chevrolet Corvette C6 Convertible: £27,994/£52,595 89%

Cadillac CTS 2.8: £17,357/£24,895 43%

Cadillac STS V8 Sport Luxury/Luxury Performance: £31,847/£39,995 26%

Going the other way (still US/UK)

Jaguar S-Type 4.2: £27,692/£38,540 39%

Aston Martin DB9: £87,113/£105,000 20%

Land Rover Disco/LR3 V8 HSE: £28,357/£48,540 71%

I'm certain you'll see similar results right across Europe.
WOW. Most of those are completely inexplicable.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

WOW. Most of those are completely inexplicable.
Welcome to England.

[Mr.Tiv]

Welcome to England.
That made my day.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

That made my day.
Everything here is unbelievably jacked up.

My guitars you can buy for much cheaper there.

PRS Modern Eagle - £4300 in the UK, £2800 in America.

Go figure.

[Mr.Tiv]

Everything here is unbelievably jacked up.

My guitars you can buy for much cheaper there.

PRS Modern Eagle - £4300 in the UK, £2800 in America.

Go figure.
Hey, there actually is something good about the US! Yay!

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Hey, there actually is something good about the US! Yay!
... But I do earn $10 an hour for my low-wage part-time job, and earned $100 in tips tonight :p (that's not as much as usual, I normally make about $120 if I'm feeling charming).

The money is good here. What's the wage for working in a MaccyD's? Here, it's around $8.50 an hour.

[Mr.Tiv]

... But I do earn $10 an hour for my low-wage part-time job, and earned $100 in tips tonight :p (that's not as much as usual, I normally make about $120 if I'm feeling charming).

The money is good here. What's the wage for working in a MaccyD's? Here, it's around $8.50 an hour.
In MD it's $6.15, the national min is even lower though

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

In MD it's $6.15, the national min is even lower though
With every upside comes a downside... :)

The way I look at it is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side- it's just a different shade.

[Mr.Tiv]

With every upside comes a downside... :)
or like four or five... I really don't like it here.

[gtface]

- Shipping should cost the same from the UK to the US as it does from the US to the UK, so shipping is not a factor.

- A fair ammount of US cars that are sold in the UK are not RHD, because it would be too expensive to do. The cars that are available in RHD are no more/less expensive by comparison than those that aren't. Cars that are sold in mainland Europe as LHD are also subject to large price hikes

- Speedo? Controls? GPS? Even if the UK used something other than MPH, all you need to do is change one small disc of plastic, GPS DVDs aren't expensive, and neither is tuning a radio to different frequencies.

Changes required would probably be a mild ECU tweak to adjust for different fuel qualities, headlight lenses, making sure the windows have the correct levels of tint, which are probably the same as the USA in most cases.

I can't think of anything major that needs to be altered, certainly not to the extent that would increase the value of the car, or cost of manufacturing by nearly 3/4.

There are specification differences, taxes, differences between "OTR" and "MRSP" prices and the exchange rate to contend with, but that still doesn't seem to tally up consistently.

Prices in GBP US/UK %age increase

Ford GT: £79,134/£125,000 58%

Jeep Commander Ltd: £19,244/£34,535 80%

Dodge Caliber 1.8Man SXT: £8,511/£13,790 62%

Chevrolet Corvette C6 Convertible: £27,994/£52,595 89%

Cadillac CTS 2.8: £17,357/£24,895 43%

Cadillac STS V8 Sport Luxury/Luxury Performance: £31,847/£39,995 26%

Going the other way (still US/UK)

Jaguar S-Type 4.2: £27,692/£38,540 39%

Aston Martin DB9: £87,113/£105,000 20%

Land Rover Disco/LR3 V8 HSE: £28,357/£48,540 71%

I'm certain you'll see similar results right across Europe.
It seems that most of the vehicles that have the largest price hikes are the ones that just make a lot more sense in America than they do in Europe (the big ones, the SUVs). I am fairly surprised at the price of the STS though.

[gtface]

The M3 I posted will cost you about $14,000 here, now.
And as wallew was happy to proclaim how awesome the Charger was, so I thought I'd post some reasonable competition.The E46 M3 is not available as a 4-door, but the E36 I posted obviously was.

I have seen BMWs in Arabia that have ram-bars on them. Just because a car looks butch does not necessarily mean it is butch- see the Toyota RAV4 for proof of that.

Thanks for agreeing on the M3, though.


It's nothing to do with that. These days, it's all about a monopoly- car companies merge with larger ones to try and take over the market, just as in the media. It's not necessarily done so that the parents companies can benefit from it, it's done depending on size. Ford tried the formula of quality over quantity by buying Jaguar and Land Rover, but that's sinking. Mercedes are a large company, Chrysler are a large company.

I was attempting to compare the two cars (or maybe it was to show why they shouldn't even be compared) on equal footing. If you're comparing a used car from 10 years ago to a new car that has only been out for a year, it's just going to further complicate things. Obviously an older used car can be had for much less money than a new car. Here in the US, a new M3 is going to cost significantly more than a new charger, even an srt8. I think the extra money is worth it, however, and I don't see myself ever buying a charger anyway (although I was close to buying a 300C at one point). However,if we are looking at it from a police car standpoint who knows, the extra weight of the charger might come in handy when you are trying to ram into someone and knock them off the road (though the superior handling of the BMW would be very useful in a high-speed chase). I am really not too interested in discussing Police cars though, because it doesn't matter who has the best police cars, at least not when you're comparing porsche and BMW to Dodge and to Lamborghini. It seems that US police officers will always use American cars and German police will use German cars. It doesn't seem to matter too much which is better, except for bragging rights (or of course if you're comparing Ford to Dodge to GM or something like that). As far as the Mercedes/Chrysler thing, Mercedes may be a big company but that doesn't mean they have nothing to gain from Chrysler's production technology. I don't really know that much about this for sure, but I don't think these companies are just trying to monopolize the industry and take over the world (not that it wouldn't be beneficial to them. Obviously there are plenty of incentives there). But who knows for sure?

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

I was attempting to compare the two cars (or maybe it was to show why they shouldn't even be compared) on equal footing. If you're comparing a used car from 10 years ago to a new car that has only been out for a year, it's just going to further complicate things. Obviously an older used car can be had for much less money than a new car. Here in the US, a new M3 is going to cost significantly more than a new charger, even an srt8. I think the extra money is worth it, however, and I don't see myself ever buying a charger anyway (although I was close to buying a 300C at one point). However,if we are looking at it from a police car standpoint who knows, the extra weight of the charger might come in handy when you are trying to ram into someone and knock them off the road (though the superior handling of the BMW would be very useful in a high-speed chase). I am really not too interested in discussing Police cars though, because it doesn't matter who has the best police cars, at least not when you're comparing porsche and BMW to Dodge and to Lamborghini. It seems that US police officers will always use American cars and German police will use German cars. It doesn't seem to matter too much which is better, except for bragging rights (or of course if you're comparing Ford to Dodge to GM or something like that). As far as the Mercedes/Chrysler thing, Mercedes may be a big company but that doesn't mean they have nothing to gain from Chrysler's production technology. I don't really know that much about this for sure, but I don't think these companies are just trying to monopolize the industry and take over the world (not that it wouldn't be beneficial to them. Obviously there are plenty of incentives there). But who knows for sure?
Don't blame me, blame Google images :p I searched for 'BMW Polizei' because I knew there were some speedy Germans... just to show wallew that there are cars which are better/faster/both compared to the American slabs of gristle and fat.

The 300C is a nice one, and to be honest I'd rather have a 300C SRT-8 Touring over an M3 here... just for arguments' sake pointing out that America isn't the only one with rapid police cars!

You're right about the weight, an extra 500kg can come in handy. But you're also 100% right about the handling.

I think that you're also right about countries using certain cars- as with politicians' cars, it's a form of patriotism (tell that to the policemen in London with BMWs and Volvos :p).

I personally think that they're going for a monopoly. Otherwise, they wouldn't be buying each other- they'd concentrate on getting their own thing done. Every company wants to achieve the status as the only company to go to, you don't want competition eating into your profit margins. Just think- if you do gain a monopoly in the car industry (yeah, right), you'd be able to spend a heck of a lot less on advertising..!

Rupert Murdoch is taking that approach- Sky, 20th Centruy Fox, MySpace, Google and various newspapers the world over. What's to stop VAG, PAG or DC taking the same route?

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

or like four or five... I really don't like it here.
I've got a spare bedroom, if you're interested. Rent will be $50 a week... cheap for us :p

[clutch-monkey]

I've got a spare bedroom, if you're interested. Rent will be $50 a week...
that would include meals, right?

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

that would include meals, right?
That's extra. $10 more per week.

[clutch-monkey]

That's extra. $10 more per week.
to hell with that! i'll just go back to college. meals, and sex.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

to hell with that! i'll just go back to college. meals, and sex.
I'll lend you one of my girlfriends.

[clutch-monkey]

I'll lend you one of my girlfriends.
you have yourself a deal. Where am i staying again?:D

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

you have yourself a deal. Where am i staying again?:D
Just come to the UK and I'll let you know how to get here... bring some pelicans, bods from UCP, the GT3, some booze, more dancing girls, money (lots), and some fun. We'll tear up my town... :D

[gtface]

Don't blame me, blame Google images :p I searched for 'BMW Polizei' because I knew there were some speedy Germans... just to show wallew that there are cars which are better/faster/both compared to the American slabs of gristle and fat.

The 300C is a nice one, and to be honest I'd rather have a 300C SRT-8 Touring over an M3 here... just for arguments' sake pointing out that America isn't the only one with rapid police cars!

You're right about the weight, an extra 500kg can come in handy. But you're also 100% right about the handling.

I think that you're also right about countries using certain cars- as with politicians' cars, it's a form of patriotism (tell that to the policemen in London with BMWs and Volvos :p).

I personally think that they're going for a monopoly. Otherwise, they wouldn't be buying each other- they'd concentrate on getting their own thing done. Every company wants to achieve the status as the only company to go to, you don't want competition eating into your profit margins. Just think- if you do gain a monopoly in the car industry (yeah, right), you'd be able to spend a heck of a lot less on advertising..!

Rupert Murdoch is taking that approach- Sky, 20th Centruy Fox, MySpace, Google and various newspapers the world over. What's to stop VAG, PAG or DC taking the same route?
I always wondered what they used for police vehicles in the UK. Any Jag police cars? About the Daimler-Chrysler thing, of course there are a lot of advantages to having a monopoly. However, there are a lot of laws and governmental organizations that are meant to discourage monopolies. These organizatins scrutinize transactions like this to make sure the companies have honorable intentions. I tend to be very skeptical of the "corporate conspiracy" theories. I know there is corruption in government and in business but I don't assume that corporations like these two are looking to screw over their customers to maximize profit. Obviously Chrysler stood to gain from Mercedes's image, so why couldn't Mercedes have benefited from the merger as well? It seems logical to me, but I'll probably never know for sure.

[clutch-monkey]

Just come to the UK and I'll let you know how to get here... bring some pelicans, bods from UCP, the GT3, some booze, more dancing girls, money (lots), and some fun. We'll tear up my town... :D
that's pretty much my survival kit and gameplan for any new place i go to :D

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

I always wondered what they used for police vehicles in the UK. Any Jag police cars? About the Daimler-Chrysler thing, of course there are a lot of advantages to having a monopoly. However, there are a lot of laws and governmental organizations that are meant to discourage monopolies. These organizatins scrutinize transactions like this to make sure the companies have honorable intentions. I tend to be very skeptical of the "corporate conspiracy" theories. I know there is corruption in government and in business but I don't assume that corporations like these two are looking to screw over their customers to maximize profit. Obviously Chrysler stood to gain from Mercedes's image, so why couldn't Mercedes have benefited from the merger as well? It seems logical to me, but I'll probably never know for sure.
Here, it's quite a steady flow of small Vauxhalls for most places. Astras (diesel) do for patrol cars, and there are some Omegas with 3.0 V6s for high-speed chases (along with the Volvo V70s). But we do have some Jags- check out this bad boy...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/S65-AMG/pearson22small.jpg

There's also some X-Types hanging about...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/S65-AMG/alexwatson1small.jpg

(Thanks to PoliceCarUK for these images.)

However, some of the stuff I don't normally expect to see in Britain. I've seen some BMWs out and about recently- the new 3-Series, the old one, and the 5-Series is quite popular in London, too. Mercedes are de rigeur in bonnie wee Scotland at the moment, too- the Mercedes Sprinter vans are becoming firm favourites, alonside the usual Transits that the police have used since AD 92.