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Sounds better in German, Porscher - not Porch as pronounced in the UK.
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Well, I hate to be out of line, but as 4x4s go it looks not bad to me.
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Yes, it is. Recently the BMW and Merc 4 X 4's have been appearing here and they look pretty awful too to us locals. definitely not seen as worth the huge money, unless you're a Congressman, in which case it's coming out of the pork barrel. Jumping on the 4X4 wagon (ouch I guess). Have to say the Japs got there first again.
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The market is dropping off here, for various reasons:
(1) Ban on most beach driving just come into force
(2) Prohibitive cost of tyres/servicing/fuel
My boss has had his Cherokee for just over a year, and is offloading it - with the expected huge loss in depreciation.
Again, most 4x4's don't go off road anyway ...
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Ian,
Is SA a right hand drive country? Miles or K's?
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we drive on the right, but operate in km/h.
Speed limit is 60km/h (38, to you imperial sticklers!) where you would have a 30mph zone. 80 (50mph) on the equivalent of a-roads, and 120 (76 ditto) on motorways and national a-roads(between cities).
Car wise, we are a fair way behind uk in many respects, due to years of sanctions.
BM, Merc and VAG are all strongly represented here, as are toyota, nissan, and mazda/ford. all have factories on this side, and the german marques export a lot of RHD to UK and australia.
Delta (the former GM) is represented, but at present do mostly Astras and corsas.
Ford was HUGE here once, up to the sierra days, but over the past ten years, nobody is interested.
Daewoo, Hyundai etc are muscling into the market.
MG, Rover, Citroen, peugeot and Renault all import, but no production yet.
For a list of what's available here, check cartoday.co.za
we even get ladas! (the 4x4 niva! what more can a man wish for~!
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STUPID SOD, i am!
Diverted with a million and one things, or... Too much alcohol (again)
We drive on the LEFT!
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Ian,
Just checking my understanding. In South Africa you drive on the Left. Right.
On hols in St. Lucia on way from airport to resort was sitting next to minicab (R/H drive Toyota) and commented that I thought the island followed the UK in driving on the left side of the road. At this moment we were flying along with offside wheel in r/h gutter. . His reply has stuck with me since. "Here on this island we drive on the smooth side".
Also recall horrifying experience in Jakarta riding in motorised tricycle in rush hour traffic. There its called "going with the flow"
Happy days.
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I agree. But I reckon Jeep got there first with the Grand Cherokee, but I may be biased.
Yes, mine does go offroad (and I don't mean Tesco's car park!)
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does the new Cherokee flip over quite easily. I'm sure I saw it somewhere that some German rag had managed to flip it but GM said that there was no problem.
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Thes managed to flip it both in America and Germany .the reprt was in the Auto Bild but appears to have been hushed up.Iawait the first accident with this vehicle
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Suzuki used to have a flipping problem. Was it the Vitara?
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flipping problem?
that's polite...
In my experiance, all suzukis are a F***ing problem! :)
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My Canadian built Vitara was 100% ok ran it for a year taught the missus to drive init took it off road sold it with 13000km no problem
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Oh dear
Another manufacture jumping on the 4x4 wagon (pun intended) ,why bother ?
Are they not selling enough Boxsters/996 ?
As you say Ian looks ugly, daft name.
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This new 4x4 is actually being made by VAG who also developed it and willl bring out their own version soon badged either VW or Audi
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I've got an X5 Sport diesel sitting outside. Optioned up, the price is £41,660. It drinks diesel in town but you can get 28 on the motorway if you feather. The best bit is the traffic light TV. You can watch Neighbours at the traffic lights as long as you have the parking brake on.
HJ
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No, it wasn't the Vitara, it was the little boxy looking jeep-thingy.
Eventually they sued the AMerican Consumer Protection Agecny 'cos it turned out not to have a flipping problem after all. I don't know if they won.
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or in the shade regardless of steering wheelposition
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Are you sure Ian ?
Very confusing this left/right business :-P
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yeah, yeah, rub it in.
Definitely LEFT!
(or is it right?)
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So it's going to get known as the Porker Pimento.
HJ
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"Well, I hate to be out of line"
Oh no you don't, Tomo - you *love* being out of line! But it's usually worth reading what you say, if only because it helps one to try seeing things from a slightly different point of view.
Funnily enough, I think the "Hot Sausage" looks not bad too, especially from the front, and most 911s (except very recent ones) don't really look that clever from the rear either. In any event, whether we're talking Pimentoes or 911s, surely it's the performance that really matters.
Ronnie
PS Fully agree about the silly name
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Will it have those wonderfully useful helicopter lifting eye things on the roof like a real Hummer does?I just couldnt now be seen in a 4wd without those,I reckon they easily beat two cupholders per person as the most useful innovation of the millennia.And you can put one of those wonderful big butch twin rotor 'copters on the options list,parking need never be a problem again.
I just cant believe how thick skinned all these 4wd owners are,surely they must know we take the piss out of them all the time,or are they insensitive as well as pig thick?
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