gbaker

For PariS2K:

Here is a link for the luggage rack sold by one of this webs good sponsors: MG Racing.

It is a German product so you may be able to find it over there. Just go to exterior accessories once on the site.

Congrats and welome aboard!!!!

http://www.auco.de/aucoadr.html

SFDukie

Rick,
Definitely more interesting cars in France, and in Europe in general, but it is not all US consumer's fault. Some manufacturers don't even attempt to get their car US legal- ie the lotus elise (admittedly it would be difficult). Others, like alfa, renault, citroen, etc just quit trying to sell cars here...

Ewan

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rick Hesel
[B]
Boy, are you right. The designs of even average cars in Europe are far more varied and stylish and make American cars look downright dowdy.

Vincelio

Just to answer to the the initial debate, I would say that France allways applied very protective policies towards japanese cars.
Nowadays it is said that Honda and consequently Honda europe doesn't support Honda France enough, and Honda don't plan to place French market at the top of their mass cars marketing priorities.
Here in France, Honda is trying to recenter their brand image on the pleasure cars market (Accord type R, integra, S2000), their may want to build up another reputation from the ground, more close to their motorcycle image, i.e. based on technology, reliability and pleasure. I think they will succeed but it is not for right tomorrow.

However, French honda cars fans still exist, Honda cars are famous for their reliability, but French people appreciate honda for bikes rather than for cars. As far as I know less than 350 S2000 have been sold in France since sept.99. Most of french people are ignorant whenever you talk about japanese cars, that's too bad and not allways easy.

Here in France, Peugeot, Renault and citro

le car

well, quite interesting, I have to say. I've been away from the site for a while, and when I come back again I find out that the debate I've always tried to launch (europe vs US), being the arrogant and sarcastic frenchman that I am, happened without me!

So everything said here is true, especially those comments about american tourists from Trojanhorse, but one subject hasn't been talked about : the driving.
I just came back from 4 days in NYC an 3 in Miami, and I think this is the main difference between the US and europe, and the quality and specifications of cars made overseas are affected by the way people drive them.
It's a vicious circle : people drive badly, so manufacturers make cars easy to drive and effortless to manoeuver, so people drive even worse.
I rented a plymouth neon in miami, and I have to say that the automatic gearbox is actually DANGEROUS, you never know when the acceleration is going to come, you can't use the engine brake while downshifting, not to metion the way people overtake you by the right on those awful concrete motorways...
The big gap between the 2 continents is also the notion of speed : speeding in the USA is usually just an idea develloped by young "rice" (can I use the word?) boys at red lights, whereas in Europe driving fast is more of a lonely pleasure, enjoyed on empty mountain roads or perfectly groomed autobahns. street racing is considered extremely ridiculous and childish over here.
Average speed on highways here : 170kmh / 105mph
Average speed of fast drivers : 200kmh / 125mph
I seldom go under 200kmh on higways, and I've been forced to let porsches & bmw 750's overtake me at 230kmh (143mph), only to watch them vanish in the distant horizon.
Top speed I drove the s2000 to : 262kmh (163mph)

Plus we have the most beautiful girls and best cheese!

Rick Hesel

Re-read the entire thread after leCar's new post. My experience with the French people in Paris has been wonderful. They're friendly, courteous, helpful, and appreciative of (and often amused by) our attemtps to speak their language. But then again, we always stay in a residential part of Paris not frequented by tourists -- lots of families and children and small shops that cater to the neighborhood.

And yes, honorable. My son's friend left his expensive digital camera in the back seat of a taxi on the way back from the Picasso Museum. The taxi driver called our hotel that night to let us know and returned the camera the next morning for the cost of the fare from the taxi garage to our hotel. I can't imagine that happening in any US city I frequent.

The only thing I don't like about Paris is the dog s**t. People just don't curb their dogs and you have to watch every step in a residential neighborhood.

vmb

My only trip to France was in 1988. I remember noticing that all of the cars had yellow headlights! Has that changed?

PariS2K

I can tell you that there is at least one car in Paris without yellow headlights...that'll be my stook!
Regarding the nature of french people, I couldnt agree more with the comments regarding what a nice race of people they are in general. Since moving out here, they have been nothing but hospitable, generous and welcoming to me. And thats not even taking into consideration the better weather here...21 degrees and beautiful sunshine all day today...perfect for open-top stook driving...i think i might even be a little sunburnt!
But it is totally true about the dogs and the hazardous pavements...how do so many rat-like dogs manage to produce such an enormous amount of waste?!

PariS2K

Oh yes, I forgot...there is one thing about Paris that sucks...and thats the police. I was driving back into the city on friday evening, in heavy traffic...there was a police motorbike leading a police car, both in the slow lane. I passed them both, staying well within the speed limit. Just as I was starting to pull clear of them, all the lights lit up, and the bike undertook me, and then pulled in front of me, whilst the car pulled very close behind me, also with the lights blazing. The police motorcyclist gestured for me to pull over, which I did. I turned the ignition off, and got out of the car. The first words the police bike guy said to me was that I should remember to put my seatbelt on BEFORE i see the police, not after...the implication being that i wasnt wearing my seatbelt till i had already been spotted...this was of course complete crap..i never even start a car without my seatbelt firmly in place. Anyway, he then asked to see my licence...which was an english one, and which i had been led to believe was adequate for france. Apparently if you have lived in the country for over a year, you need a french drivers licence to be legal on the roads. So there was the first 900FF fine. Next he asked for my insurance document...now in england, it is not necessary to carry your insurance with you at all times, however apparently in france this is not the case...voila, my second 900FF fine. Next he asked for the vehicle registration document, which fortunately i had with me, however, its only a temporary one, since im waiting to pick up the permanent one next week (having only bought my car 7 days ago). This the cop grumbled about, but was unable to fine me over. Next he wanted to see my identity paper, a small plastic ID card that every french resident has...unfortunately the car dealer had asked me for this in order to get the permanent vehicle registration document ready for me next week. Anyway, he was going on about this, and i thought he was going to get me to pay another 900FF.
At the end of the day, I started feeling really angry talking to this w*nker...he had no valid excuse for pulling me over in the first place...I had infringed no traffic laws. Having stopped me, he was just looking to give me a hard time. As my blood started to boil, I told him that I refused to pay him. He said that I had the choice to either pay, or get my car towed right there and then. He also asked me if I would argue with an english policeman in the same why...I responded "im not arguing with you, im discussing...and if I was being treated in a way that I thought was unfair by a police officer of whatever nationality, I would challenge it".
The final result of this is that I ended up being let off (but then to be honest, I hadnt done anything anyway) without paying anything. But it really left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth. I then started to reflect on how it could have been different if I had ACTUALLY been speeding or something...he would have taken the opportunity to slap me with absolutely the maximum fine, and point penalty. Im sure he only pulled me over so he and his car driving colleagues could have a look at my car.
So let this be a lesson to all you out there, just as it was to me. Make sure that all of the required documents you need in your countries are up to date, and that you carry all your driving documents with you when you are in your cars...it is a fact that as so many people have previously observed...our car (quite rightly too) draws attention from genuine admirers, complete idiots, and cops alike...so dont lets give them extra reasons to sh*t on us!
Safe driving to all!

Vincelio

Sale flic!! tous des enfoir