On Thu, 14 May 2009 05:13:47 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:


It occurred to me that GM, with 15 days left to come up with an acceptable
survival plan to qualify for more bailout funds from the government, may
simply be playing high stakes poker with the government by leaking info that
they plan to export Chinese built cars to the US. In other words, "give us
more money, President Obama, and we'll drop the Chinese export/import plan."

Further convinces me to never, ever, buy a GM product. Let 'em go belly-up
for good.

Meanwhile, our neighbor is taking delivery next week of his new, "Smart
Car". He recently totaled his last car and Mrs.E. lent him the use of her
little VW Beetle until he got a replacement. I am sure I'll be able to try
out the Smart Car and I'll post my impressions of it.

Hopefully he'll rethink that and let some other sucker buy it.

While they do well in crash tests, the real truth is that they are so
rigid that in head-on crashes, you are going to get tossed around like
a rag doll. In side crashes, there is a very real danger of severe
head injury as the head goes through the window an into the grill of
whatever hits you - assuming it's a larger SUV or pickup - hell, even
my F-150 is high enough to cause this type of injury.

George Abel next road over owned one - got hit head on by a F-350
dually at about 30 mph at the curve down by Linemaster on Rt 171.
Threw the Smart Car across the road on it's side into a tree, it
rolled over back onto Rt 171 and was hit by a Volvo station wagon at
an angle which rolled it once more. The car chassis held together just
fine - George, no so much. Mucho broken bones, he's still wearing a
neck brace and, get this, road rash on his face from sliding sideways
on the pavement.

No thanks - you can keep your Smart Cars because in my book they are
pretty dumb.