Desiri

Great, another super-insulated fordie that has spent his entire career within the company and never lived outside MI.

"the only way this could be a problem for you is if you've been a bit naughty and left your prints somewhere you shouldn't have"

Like on a political pamphlet for a cause that is out of favor with the current regime? I'm sure Joseph McCarthy wishes he had access to this type of information.

"i know people who have blown engines and pulled off the blower, reflashed the computer and taken it in on warranty."

You know some real lowlifes. Make sure you keep them away from your sister.

Please tell me that I can still get one with an old iron block lump and 4-speed slushbox. //sarcasm

Comparing the 2005 and 2006 fleet fuel economy figures we can assume that 0% are interested in vehicles that actually use less energy.

An independent consortium should develop their own standardized/repeatable test based on real driving conditions and publish the results. Consumers Union, IIHS, CARB, and AAA could get together and do this while publishing the results in Consumer Reports and in a free online source.

http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html

"As for numbers keyed to the national grid, two government studies found plug-in HEVs would result in large reductions even with the national grid (50-60% coal). The GREET 1.6 model in 2001 by the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Lab estimates hybrids reduces greenhouse gases by 22%, and a plug-in hybrid by 36% -- see table 2. An Argonne researcher reached consensus with researchers from other national labs, universities, the Air Resources Board, automakers, utilities and AD Little to estimate in July 2002 that plug-in HEVs using nighttime power reduce greenhouse gases by 46 to 61 percent.
...
PHEVs will generally recharge at night using excess power from plants that can't shut down completely -- so they don't add to the peak load."

Maybe you should have done two minutes of research before posting your ignorant knee-jerk reaction.

The batteries are sodium nickel chloride provided by MES-DEA.

The lease is around $700/mo, but congestion charge(~$320/mo) for London is waived and parking is free.

With petrol currently over $7/gal(US) potential leasees should be able to come out slightly ahead.

"no one criticizes the 4 speed slush box automatics... When GM pairs a 4-speed ..the foreigners scream about the archaic GM technology."

Nice straw man. No one complains about $15k economy cars using 4-speed trans. It is only when a $30k Buick Lucerne or a $50k Cadillac DTS uses these antiquated parts that you see complaints.

Here's a better idea: shock the driver when they attempt to use the phone while driving.

Talking on a cell phone has been shown to have an equally deleterious effect on motor skills as being drunk. Do cell phones have an equivalent of MADD yet?