Why aren't people complaining about gas prices?

Which end of Texas, I'm guessing it's the panhandle.

Not sure Deboss.

Khris; See price gouging by greedy douche bags.

Right, because the gas companies are in total and complete control of every single variable of turning sludge in the ground into your ability to go down to the grocery store...

Actually they are.

So, they're responsible for the unrest in Africa and SW Asia, as well as the ~65% or so (IIRC) of global oil pumping that's under national control?

Interesting...

Funny we get more oil from Canada then the middle east as this point. Care to tell me how that makes our gas prices sky rocket? In fact the majority of our oil and gas comes from the Canadians.

One word for you also speculators who work for the oil companies proven time and again to be a huge part of the problem. Price manipulation is old hat.

edited 14th Jul '11 4:45:12 PM by TuefelHundenIV

The oil industry is all about price manipulation. The only industry more dishonest is retail banking.

I would say those two are the biggest offenders but the housing market here in the U.S. also comes to mind followed by the rental market. The rental market is starting to show some disturbing trends that are shocking similar in line with the housing market bubble.

A very interesting note is that in several parts of Texas they are tapping local wells and utilizing local refineries to bring prices down. My buddy says they are paying at most 2.00 Even a gallon.

Finally got my Trans Am running again. Why, hello there Premium Fuel, nice to make your reacquaintance aga- HOLY CRAP YOU'RE EXPENSIVE

Apparently, the new McLaren MP4-12C supercar will get 30 MPG.

That is new territory for supercars in terms of fuel consumption, especially given the twin-turbo V-8 the car uses (V-8's are usually not the first thing one thinks of when thinking about fuel economy).

Meanwhile, in the land of affordability, the new VW Jetta TDI is claimed to get 42 MPG and I think I heard of another car that could get 50 MPG (might have been a hybrid, might have been a concept).

edited 6th Aug '11 8:59:45 AM by RocketDude

Most likely it turns half of the V-8 off when it isn't accelerating. Suburbans started it, I'm not sure how many are going to continue it.

I think most pickup trucks can have a significant mileage improvement if people learned to clean them the fuck out. Seriously, I've loaded too many trucks where the bed looks like a dump for it to not be standard issue vehicle knowledge that a few hundred pounds of crap doesn't cripply your mileage. I only keep fifty pounds of crap in my truck and non of it in the bed.

Then again, I'm just bitter because I had to stand in one of those beds loading concrete and dropped a bag on my foot.

^I didn't hear about anything like that, but I think the surprising MPG is due to the twin turbochargers and the fact that the car weighs so damn little (you have to remember that McLaren has a fetish for Carbon-Fiber and how they can make it better than anyone else can) and the anal-retentive work that went into the design and styling.

But, if you want a car like that, there's always the Dodge Charger R/T (and presumably the SRT-8) which can be switched to using four cylinders of its V-8 Hemi engine.

Actually, the Cadillac Sixteen (concept car that would have used a V-16 engine) would have also had a system like that where it steps up the number of cylinders used based on how intensely you were driving.

edited 10th Aug '11 7:49:04 PM by RocketDude

30MPG for a car that light (and it's really not all that light, honestly) isn't anything special - until you look at what it does. That much power, running boost, all keeping that up in that range - although it's still really good for a supercar.

Incidentally, my car has the same displacement as that, but far less horsepower (and two fewer cylinders). Comparable torque, though. I bet it's a screamer of an engine. My venerable Buick V6 engines is lucky if it can turn 5000 RPM, and this McLaren engine can do 8500. That's impressive.

Well, this is the company that's related to the Formula One team, so engineering magic is to be expected.

Also, I heard that Mazda is making a new rotary engine for the future RX-9, since the one in the RX-8 is apparently a bit of a gas guzzler.

Speaking of guzzlers, I wonder how anyone manages to be able to buy and run a Range Rover.

I think we could seriously improve technology growth rates if we removed the restrictions on stuff like NASCAR.

NASCAR is apparently allowing direct injection in 2012.

edited 13th Aug '11 2:22:41 AM by RocketDude

I mean "any modifications". Seriously, half the shit they tried to pull wound up in everyday cars, I see no reason to prevent innovation for the sake of "fair play". I think it would also benefit from a "weaponized" division, but I'm funny that way.

Well yeah, but if you want a sport with actual relevance to road cars, you watch 24 Hours Of Le Mans.

I'm not interested in the sport (unless they add the aforementioned weaponized division), I just want science to be a larger part of it.

Or Rally Racing. Real-world crash-testing data and thus improved vehicle safety.

Plus it's fun to watch.

WRC is a good one as well.

World Rally Crash? But of course.

I thought the only guy who wrecked was Ken Block.

Pffft, they wreck a bunch. I have a 94-minute video of nothing but rally crashes. Google "rally crash compilation 3" in Google videos, and watch the cars fly apart at the seams.

Good stuff.

Dang it. I can't complain about gas prices now, as my car won't start. SUUUUUUUUCKS.