Jack Yan on Vox

Six hundred cars (well, OK, four)

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:37:14 +1200

Wouldn’t it be fun to look for cars called 600? Maybe not. I know I have missed the Fiat 600 and the BMW 600 (remember when BMW made bubble cars that make the Smart ForTwo look huge?) but how about these with the same name? These are all from Autocade.

Mercedes-Benz 600

Mercedes-Benz 600. 1963–81 (prod. 2,677). 4-door saloon, 4- and 6-door stretch limousine, 4- and 6-door landaulet. F/R, 6330 cm³ (V8 SOHC). Largest Mercedes offered at the time, meant to be an example of the ultimate in German engineering. Hydraulic power for many features, including opening boot and automatic doors. Adjustable air suspension. Customers included the Pope as well as numerous dictators (Mao Tse-Tung, Idi Amin, Nicolae Ceauşescu, Kim Il-Sung). Not directly replaced, though 450 SEL 6·9 did its best; Maybach 57 and 63 probably the closest to a direct successor.

Saab 600

Saab–Lancia 600. 1981–6 (prod. unknown). 5-door hatchback. F/F, 1499 cm³ (4 cyl.). Scandinavian interpretation of Lancia Delta, the result of a distribution agreement with Fiat that also included the Autobianchi A112 (sold in Sweden, as most of Europe, as the Lancia A112). The 600 was sold in Sweden and Norway only with the 1·5-litre engine in three trims. Some trim differences to “Saabify” original car, including grille and Saab typeface on badging.

Dodge 600

Dodge 600. 1983–8 (prod. 309,590). 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible. F/F, 2213, 2507, 2555 cm³ (4 cyl. OHC). Stretched K-car, twin of Chrysler E-class. ES model marketed as a sports sedan that could rival Mercedes W123 and BMW 5-series. Never managed to, but very good alternative to Pontiac 6000 and other GM A-cars. Considered roomy, well sized for mid-size car buyers, and helped Chrysler restore its fortunes in the early 1980s. Convertible actually a rebadged Dodge 400, i.e. K-car, sold from 1984 on shorter wheelbase. Mitsubishi 2555 cm³ engine deleted after 1985 model year; convertibles had 2507 cm³ option in ﬁnal year, 1986. ES replaced in 1986; SE trim introduced.

Rover 600

Rover 618/Rover 620/Rover 623. 1993–9 (prod. 270,988). 4-door saloon. F/F, 1850, 1997 cm³ petrol, 1994 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHC), 1994 cm³ turbo, 2259 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC). Rebodied Honda Accord, sharing front windscreen, doors and roof with Japanese car. Many interior elements identical. Usual Honda dynamics of sophisticated suspension in low, sporting design. Designed by Rover team at Honda; Richard Woolley styling has British overtones.

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Bill Clinton: ‘Chill out’—about Hillary’s lying?

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:59:54 +1200

From the Associated Press:

Former President Clinton says Democrats concerned about what the deadlocked presidential contest between his wife and Barack Obama may be doing to the party should just “chill out” and let the race run its course.

   Not great advice: ‘Chill out about my wife’s lying.’ This is effectively the idea.
   Sorry, Bill, been there before.
   In 1992 and 1996 we were told by then-Governor and President Clinton to ignore his past and focus on the future. Well, we all know what ignoring the past gave us: a controversial president distracted by the Lewinsky scandal, making him an easy target for the Republican Party.
   The trouble is, they all seem pretty controversial.
   But Americans should not forget a candidate’s background and choose not from one who can play the people or promise the earth. That past will impact on how (s)he does the job.
   Of course Mr Clinton has to ask us to forget in order for his wife to be in with a chance. I just would not be surprised if this becomes Sen. Obama’s catchcry if any controversies stick to him.
   My advice, nevertheless, will remain the same. Never forget, America. Not about your values, your freedoms, and certainly not about 9-11.

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Those little touches

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:35:39 +1200

Ian Wylie, one of the journalists championing Ashes to Ashes, points out on his blog that a fan called Wibble refers to the figure on the lower left of the mural in Luigi’s trattoria. Spooky as heck.

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Mercury S-55

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:25:30 +1200

Here’s one for the American Voxers from Autocade: a mid-1960s muscle car from the days when Mercurys were a bit more than Fords with lipstick.

Mercury S-55

Mercury S-55. 1966 (prod. 2,916 hardtop, 669 convertible). 2-door hardtop, 2-door convertible. F/R, 428 in³ (V8). Originally a part of the Monterey range, S-55 “muscle car” (428 in³ quoted at 405 hp) returned in 1966 after two-year absence as a separate line. Lincoln Continental-type styling. Very rare. Independence was short-lived: S-55, with slightly different styling, went back to Monterey range in 1967 (and proved rarer still).

Manufacturing location: St Louis, Missouri, USA

I didn’t paste the plant information before, but it does exist for most entries.

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Rover 75: the English patient?

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:44:18 +1200

I’ve inputted some information into Autocade over the last half-hour about the Rover 75*, a model that saw the end of volume British-owned car manufacturing—and which might mean the beginning of two marques in Red China. Here I chart the history of this tragic car, beset by publicity gaffes from BMW and a British press with its claws out, only for it to begin making good produced in Shanghai and Nanjing. Even in Italy it won an award for the most beautiful car when it launched, but the Brits never warmed to the 75. Summary: fairly timeless look, but I still wouldn’t buy one due to quality concerns.

* It took many times longer to copy and paste this into Vox (hours!) than writing and researching all of the below, due to the site crashing my browser due to a script error constantly!

Rover 75 Mk I

Rover 75 Mk I

Rover 75. 1998–2004 (prod. 169,250, 1998–2003). 4-door saloon, 4-door LWB saloon, 5-door estate. F/F, 1794 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 1997, 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC), 1951 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC). Retro-themed and too-English Rover styled by Richard Woolley, with lavish use of chrome. Soft ride to distinguish it from BMW cars. Very robust, reﬁned car but never appealed to enthusiasts; suffered from BMW’s indecision on and changes to marketing from launch day onwards, as well as British media apathy. Related MG ZT from 2001, after production shifted to Longbridge for all models following BMW sale of Rover. LWB saloon brought back Vanden Plas tag temporarily.

MG ZT Mk I

MG ZT 190_2

MG ZT. 2001–4 (prod. 27,149 all models, incl. Mk II). 4-door saloon, 5-door estate. F/F, 1794 cm³ petrol, 1951 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC), 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC). Sporting versions of Rover 75, ﬁnally with ﬁrmer suspension and better handling. Helped keep MG Rover numbers up for a short time, though package began looking more dated toward the end of the run. V8 model introduced 2003, covered separately.

MG ZT 260

MG ZT 260

MG ZT 260. 2003–5 (prod. 883 incl. Rover 75 V8). 4-door saloon, 5-door estate. F/R 4601 cm³ (V8 SOHC). MG Rover, on a shoestring budget, sourced a new V8 engine from Ford and, in order to get it working, changed the standard 75 platform to rear-wheel drive. Prodrive did the initial work; MG Rover brought it in-house. Hairy, raw car, in line with MG image, and with few visual cues to signify the larger engine other than badging and four exhausts. Facelift one year in, in 2004; automatics introduced toward end of run (bound to be rarest of all), but production came to an end in 2005, with no Chinese equivalent.

Rover 75 Mk II

Rover 75 Mk II

Rover 75. 2004–5 (prod. unknown). 4-door saloon, 4-door LWB saloon, 5-door estate. F/F, 1794 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 1997, 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC), 1951 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC). Essentially carryover technology from Mk I with cosmetic facelift, while Project Drive eliminated certain parts deemed unnecessary to cut costs, which meant less reﬁnement on some models. Never had its full run as MG Rover collapsed and the 75 found its rights sold to SAIC of China. V8 model introduced in 2004, covered separately. LWB model simply called Limousine, rather than Vanden Plas, for these ﬁnal years.

MG ZT Mk II

MG ZT Mk II

MG ZT. 2004–5 (prod. 27,149 all models, incl. Mk I). 4-door saloon, 5-door estate. F/F, 1794 cm³ petrol, 1951 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. DOHC), 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC). Facelifted ZT with minor changes, but no real mechanical changes—and no real improvement to sales. Production shifted to Nanjing, China after collapse of MG Rover in UK, restarted in 2007.

Rover 75 V8

Rover 75 V8

Rover 75 V8. 2004–5 (prod. 883 incl. MG ZT 260). 4-door saloon, 4-door LWB saloon. F/R, 4601 cm³ (V8 SOHC). Short-lived Ford V8-powered version of 75, with platform re-engineered by Prodrive and Rover to rear-wheel drive. Front grille, supposedly inspired by Rover P5B, controversial at the time, accused of copying Audi, and designer’s name not released by MG Rover. No direct predecessor—last hairy Rover V8 was SD1 Vitesse in 1980s. Good performance but car seemed heavy; interior and insulation kept English club-lounge feel. Fuel economy in the high 10s, low 20s (mpg).

Roewe 750

Roewe 750

Roewe 750. 2006 to date (prod. unknown). F/F, 1794 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC). Rebodied Rover 75. SAIC acquired the rights to the model in 2005 and proceeded to make its own version on the long-wheelbase platform. British consultants Ricardo did restyle and update. However, SAIC was forced to create a new marque, Roewe, after Ford bought the Rover brand that they wanted; hence, Roewe logo has the same shape as old Rover Viking longship one. Two noses: small grille for lower-spec; large grille (à la last Rover 75 V8) for higher-spec. Not as well built as old 75 according to early reports, with less safety equipment than western markets expect.

MG 7

MG 7

MG 7. 2007 to date (prod. 13,000 approx.). 4-door sedan, 4-door LWB sedan. F/F, 1794 cm³ (4 cyl. DOHC), 2497 cm³ (V6 DOHC). Chinese edition of MG ZT, offered with both Mk I and II grilles contemporaneously. Engines upgraded to comply with latest Euro IV legislation, and quality said to be better than those of the cars coming off Longbridge in 2005 thanks to new factory at Nanjing. Improved speciﬁcation. No estate announced. Played heavily on MG’s heritage when launched.

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Ashes to Ashes’ numbers down, though series average holds up

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:44:42 +1200

Ashes to Ashes’ final-episode viewing numbers were down, sadly, though the series average was still high enough for the BBC to commission a second series.
   They are logically down on Life on Mars because viewers didn’t expect there to be any surprises on Alex Drake’s predicament this time round. (Boy, did we get a big surprise.)
   I believe as word of the final filters out—that Alex Drake’s situation is different from Sam Tyler’s and raises the possibility that Gene Hunt and his team are real—the second series might do slightly better, especially its final.
   Reports are coming in that Ashes “only” scored 5·4 million viewers, still a healthy 23 per cent share, though it is down from the 7 million of the première.
   Compared with Life on Mars, this isn’t too bad given that people thought (and the producers allowed us to think) that there was less novelty to the premise.
   Some figures may help put this into perspective:

Life on Mars’ first series average: 6·8 million
Life on Mars’ first series final: 7·1 million

but:

Life on Mars’ second series début: 5·7 million—despite heavy promotion and YouTube trailers
Life on Mars’ second series, third episode: 4·8 million
Ashes to Ashes’ first series début: 7 million
Ashes to Ashes’ first series, second episode: 6·1 million
Ashes to Ashes’ first series, fifth episode: 6·6 million

While the final’s viewing numbers are poorer than episodes during the preceding seven weeks, the series has averaged well and now that there is an apparent twist, those who watched Life on Mars for a mindbender might just tune in to the second series of Ashes to Ashes. The BBC made the right call to renew.

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How to restore faith in American politics

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:16:01 +1200

American Infidel posted an excellent piece from Cross Action News on how the US political system has been compromised, by Carl Parnell. Some excerpts:

However, as seen in these different opinions, politicians have been blamed for the failure of America’s political system. But, one respondent to the survey voiced a strong opinion that put the blame on average Americans. Her opinion was:

Our Constitution frames the best form of government on the planet. The balance of powers and the system of checks and balances provided a framework that allowed our young country to grow and develop and remain despot free for the last 220 years. The government itself is not what I have lost faith in. “We the People” is what I have lost faith in.

And advice for the electorate follows (my emphasis), and I have to agree with it as I have never, in the elections I have participated in, voted for personal gain. Even for those who do not believe in God or in prayer, the remaining advice is still useful:

   “Of the people, by the people, for the people” means the people should educate themselves and elect leaders at all levels that work for them. The people should watch what those elected officials do and boot them out of office when they no longer work for the people. The caliber of citizens and politicians has declined in the last 220 years.
   Therefore, America’s political system is at a crossroads in 2008. When the American electorate votes for the President of the United States and for any members of Congress in November 2008, they must absolutely know the true facts about each candidate. Citizens of the United States must not permit the race, gender, or political party of the candidate be a determining factor in who wins the election. Citizens of the United States must not let personal economic gain become the deciding factor in which candidate they vote for in any election. Citizens of the United States must vote for candidates who have the true qualities of great leaders, such as those possessed by America’s forefathers. Some of these qualities would be honesty, integrity, morality, faith in the nation they serve, faith in the people they serve, having the character of a statesman instead of the character of many modern-day politicians. Of course, true representative leaders of the United States should always pray to God before voting on any legislation that affects the greatest nation in the world.
   However, if America continues to elect people to office that assume the role of a politician instead of a statesman, America may lose more than just the faith of its citizens toward its political system. America may possibly lose its status as the greatest nation in the world.

There is still support for the US around the world—but they need a beacon to look up to rather than to criticize. In November, vote to make America great again—not just in economic terms, but in terms of the true leadership and morality that it can stand for.

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Ashes to Ashes’ best lines from episode 8

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:47:02 +1200

Some of the best lines from the whole series were in Ashes to Ashes’ finalé:

Gene: ‘Is it just me, or are you talking in another dimension?’
Gene: ‘I can grow a moustache but I draw a line at a perm.’
Viv: ‘Pickpocket, a drunk, a guy who thinks he’s Sheena Easton. Same old, same old.’
Gene: ‘I’ve seen your rump, and I’ve seen more padding strapped to Ian Botham’s legs.’

and these only work in the context of the show:

Gene: ‘Bye, little lady. Any problems, you just call the Gene Genie.’
Gene: ‘I’m everywhere, Bolly. I was needed and I was there.’
Shaz: ‘I’m good, thanks to you, a guardian angel.’

Final line was ‘Luigi, get me a beer,’ which takes me back to the same point in Life on Mars (final line, ‘Pub’).
Well done Ashley Pharoah!

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Not bad for a posh bird

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:08:12 +1200

Keeley Hawes gave an excellent performance in the final of Ashes to Ashes last night—best I’ve ever seen her in anything. And the story—wow (spoiler alert).
   I know some fans are dismissing it as “not as good as Life on Mars” but I say the series was redeemed in that one episode, penned by co-creator Ashley Pharoah.
   Because Ashes finally gave a good mindf*** that makes you now wonder if it’s all inside Alex’s head as ‘constructs’—or is it now her memory?
   That finalé, where it was Gene, not Evan, who takes young Alex’s hand, was a total surprise to me. Her Dad turning into the evil Pierrot clown—amazing. It is better than Sam finding out that his Dad could have killed Annie. It also becomes very apparent why the première’s director, Jonny Campbell, was called back to do this episode.
   Geoffrey Palmer’s guest role as the real-life Lord Scarman, the comic turn of Alex in the tank, the two sides of Gene, the two ages of Alex in the police station—all these were brilliant elements in an episode that finally sees all eight outings of Ashes to Ashes come together. Talk about nicely tied together in a story arc.
   I can now say, ‘I told you so,’ when I said that Alex’s predicament is different from Sam Tyler’s and that Gene, Ray and Chris exist in another timeline—which brings back the validity of Soozanne’s theory penned this time last year.
   We were promised more of the ‘Gene Hunt mythology’ from Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah—and we got it. Fantastic! Best episode ever.
   The scene is now well set for the second series, which, after this, should do incredibly well.

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Advice for Heather Mills, and behind the cellphone psyche

nobody@vox.com(Jack Yan) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:41:11 +1200

Harry Mount’s column in The Daily Telegraph was a great laugh:

I once saw [Heather Mills] walking down Fifth Avenue in New York and was staggered by the height of her cheekbones and the depth of the groove beneath them.
   But when she opens her mouth—and keeps it open for 11 minutes, as she did outside the High Court—the spell is broken. You forget the cheekbones and drown in the ocean of self-pity pouring out of that pretty mouth.
   During the French state visit, clever Carla Bruni rarely broke the spell by talking. She realised, like the old pro supermodel she is, that all she has to do is look good and say nothing. …
   The real difference between them, though, is in what they say—or don’t say. The answer for Heather Mills in future is to do what John Galliano did with Carla Bruni's cinched Dior outfit—belt up.

Thinking that was all that Mr Mount had to offer, I was pleasantly surprised by the final segment in his column:

A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry claims that mobile phone addiction is a mental illness.
I’m afraid the illness is incurable; it’s related to an addiction that's been around for ever—the addiction to self.
People aren’t addicted to the phones themselves. They’re addicted to the attention they get from other people via their phones. Obsessive phoners send texts purely in the hope that they’ll get one back. They don’t ring people from the train to find anything out; only to get other people to listen to them saying nothing of any importance. Why is it that the person on the train is always doing the talking, and never the listening?

I knew there was a reason I didn’t use cellphones.

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