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Ministers should drive Toyotas...

 
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:31 pm    Post subject: Ministers should drive Toyotas... Reply with quote

What is it with some people lately? Evil or Very Mad

I was half listening to some joker on the Vine show today saying that Government Ministers should ride around in Toyota hybrid cars instead of gas guzzling Jaguars to "give out the right message" and to help save the planet. Rolling Eyes

Where do these idiots come from?

The "car buff" chap on the opposing side of the argument completely ran rigs around the argument saying the "true" carbon footprint of the Toyota is in fact much greater than the Jaguar in the long run and, despite the argument for greater gas mileage for the Toyota, the fact that the Ministerial cars would have to be made Bomb proof with bullet proof glass would knock the stated mpg figures for six! Laughing

Another side of the argument was that Ministers should be seen to be driving "British made" cars rather than Japanese models.
Although I think the car buff's remark about British cars made by a British firm was a little of line... Jaguar is American - soon to be Indian isn't it?
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John W



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Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, British-made means built in Britain surely. They make the Honda Civic in Swindon, the Toyota Corolla in Derby, the Nissan something in made in Sunderland, the London Taxi is made in Coventry......
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gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Ministers should drive Toyotas... Reply with quote

SantaFefan wrote:
the fact that the Ministerial cars would have to be made Bomb proof with bullet proof glass would knock the stated mpg figures for six! Laughing


I dont think any car is totally bomb proof Shocked

In Western Europe where they have greeens in government, they often use hybrids or even bicycles.

Of course in Hollywood they often drive hybrids as well. In fact stars are often dropped of to their private jets in one. Laughing
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SantaFefan



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk

PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Built in Britain yes, but not British owned. They'll only continue to be built here until it suits the owners of the company to move production elsewhere in the world.

Aren't they now considering this with Rolls Royce?

Personally, I find the whole thing a national embarrassment, we should never have sold Rolls Royce and Rover shares should have been made available to the public to save it, instead of being butchered by BMW to kill off the competition.

Why are we so obsessed with killing off any trace of national pride?
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SantaFefan



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Ministers should drive Toyotas... Reply with quote

gfloyd wrote:
I dont think any car is totally bomb proof Shocked


I was trying to keep my posting short as possible but ministerial cars are heavily lined underneath and probably body panels too to make them as blast proof as possible.
The point was also mentioned that Government Jaguars are capable of exceptional acceleration to outrun possible terrorists too.

Maybe we're being brainwashed into accepting these claims? perhaps our political leaders should ride around in Toyotas or on bikes? or maybe we should simply give up on trying to save the planet almost single handed....
I getting really sick of the whole green thing. We're being taken for mugs.
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gfloyd



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The car industry is mid 20th century technology. Its something that is far cheaper to build in low wage economies. If you want to pay Jaguar prices for family saloons, yes build in Britain, but even German companies are now manufacturing outside Germany.

Britain should focus on high tech jobs, but unfortunately with a disfunctional education system it doesnt produce enough people who are qualified enough in these sectors.
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SantaFefan



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But John's point was that many foreign owned cars are being successfully produced here in the UK. It just angers me that the British now seem almost totally incapable of owning, developing and running those same companies. Why is that?

As for high tech jobs and development... well, from what I see in the US and hear about from other countries, we won't hold on to that section for much longer either. The British attitude ( and national pride ) is going down the plughole.

We're great binge drinkers and brawlers though.
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gfloyd



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PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SanteFe,
I wonder how long Honda & others will stay in the UK though. The problem with the UK now seems to be that there are a lot of poorly skilled kids who cant even string a coherent sentence together. I was watching a documentary on BBC2 the other week about Poles coming to Peterborough and it was depressing to see English kids with can of lager in hand standing outside the job centre. Do they think that daytime drinking is going to suddenly make them attractive to employers over the Poles? Shocked
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