jerryc41 wrote:
.... .... I could smell the clutch slipping. It was a combination of a very steep hill, no place to get a running start, and a low-powered car. We all did a lot of laughing as the car struggled to the top of the short ...
My immediate sympathy went out to that unfortunate litle Brit motorcar.
Three "normal" size Americans on board and a gradient would have been
a challenge. Why didn't two of you simply get out and walk the short distance
uphill instead of sitting there and laughing...? You'd have saved burning the
clutch plate.
Cars there are generally low powered rather than "under powered" because
economics dictate petrol use, not fossil fuel waste. European cars and engine
designers therefore constantly seek sleeker body dynamics and greater
drive chain efficiency.
Still, you're right about the green lanes. They're charming but narrow and
best tackled with moderate speed. And often not in the rain, unless you're
driving a Land Rover or something Swedish. Altgough the Solihull Land Rover
is another vehicle you'd probably find "under powered" compared with a Hum
Vee. But it has definitively the best low range gearing of any 4WD. And they
seem to last forever.
You're also correct in summarising the nightmare of driving in London and
Oxford. But why would you want to..? Taking a Mini or a rag top sports car
through the beautiful Cotswolds, Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and
Ireland can be a delightful pleasure.
But hey, I'm not even a Brit. Just been there several times, backpacking,
cycling, riding a motorcycle, driving a car and stopping in at the splendid
counry pubs.
I come from a country where rural roads can be like driving on Mars.
So what would I know about Brit-US motoring compaisons...!
.