Steve Pankow wrote:
> I'm a little surpised to read just how heavy this thing's going to be.
> Everyone in the automotive press makes comparisons to the beloved Si
> model, but have they completely forgotten the HF? Save for the
> discountinued Insight coupe it's still one of the highest MPG vehicles
> out there, hybrid or not.
>
> I don't see how Honda couldn't make a high MPG CRZ option with either a
> low horsepower gas engine or perhaps one of their Euro spec diesels.
> They seem so focused on providing IMA hybrids that they overlook other
> efficiency options like cutting weight and installing detuned engines.
>
> Opponents to this idea cite high 0-60 times and a boring driving
> experience. Those same arguments existed back in the days of the CRX,
> yet it didn't deter Honda from offering high efficiency models. What
> has changed?
>

"crash testing".

apparently, "someone" has convinced our wise, straight and financially
independent leaders that the 20% of accidents that have a side impact
component, and which by definition are pretty much impossible to provide
significant protection for since there is almost no bodywork to deform
between the foreign object and the vehicle occupant, are worth investing
600+lbs of extra metal in, and thus require car manufacturers to build
accordingly.

of course, the oilcos, which never display any interest in anything like
increasing vehicle weights thereby increasing fuel consumption, have
never been known to show up in d.c. with truckloads of cash in unmarked
envelopes.

and oilcos have never displayed any interest in daytime running lights
either - you know those things that cause idiots not to use their real
lights at night, and which consume ~100W per vehicle at all times. [big
picture, imagine ~100W x 100M vehicles at ~~30% conversion efficiency.
that's a shitload of gasoline.]

oh, and while we're talking "safety", let's quietly overlook the fact
that heavier vehicles are harder to brake, so with the same tire
traction, you are thus more likely to get into an accident because you
can't corner as hard or brake as quickly/take longer to stop.

bottom line - if our wise, straight and financially independent leaders
were really interested in vehicle safety, they'd mandate tubular crash
cages like race cars, 5-point seat belts like race cars, and helmets
like race cars. race car drivers walk away from 100+ mph accidents all
the time, and their cars weigh what?