Al Gore III (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19601277/)arrested.


LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - Al Gore’s son was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of possessing marijuana and prescription drugs after deputies pulled him over for speeding, authorities said.
Al Gore III, 24, was driving a blue Toyota Prius about 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway when he was pulled over at about 2:15 a.m., Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino said.
The deputies said they smelled marijuana and searched the car, Amormino said. They found less than an ounce of marijuana along with Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall, which is used for attention deficit disorder, he said.

:woohoo:

Doesn't the Prius get better mileage in town than on the highway?

He should have stuck to the side-streets. :)

I'm shocked. I didn't think a Prius could go that fast.

I don't like Al Gore but I feel sympathy for him in this instance. It must be terrible for a parent to have a child slip as badly as Al Gore III seems to have slipped. Al Gore II should not be blamed for the actions of his adult son.

I'm shocked. I didn't think a Prius could go that fast.

While it is true that the Toyota Prius's Permanent-magnet AC synchronous electric motor only produces approximately 67 hp @ 1200-1540 rpm, it does boast a bottom-end torque of 295 lb.-ft. @ 0-1200 rpm.

One can only theorize that young Al Gore III romped on it pretty hard, over-riding the Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride Traction Battery, and igniting the 1.5 liter aluminum double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve VVT-i 4-cylinder engine, which is easily capable of speeds up to 107 miles per hour.

Luckily for the younger Gore, that Toyota also possesses Independent MacPherson strut suspension with tuned stabilizer bar, Rack-and-pinion steering with electric power-assist & a turning radius of 34.1 feet, power-assisted ventilated front disc/rear drum with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and an integrated regenerative braking CPU for added safety and confident handling.

Him being attention-deficit and all.

(Please remember, Toyota vehicles are built with popular option combinations. Not all options are available separately, and some options and accessories may not be available in all regions of the country. So please contact your Toyota dealer, who can help locate the vehicle that's right for you.

Seatbelts should be worn at all times. For details on vehicle specifications, standard features and available equipment in your area, contact your Toyota dealer.

All information presented above is based on data available at the time of posting, is subject to change without notice and pertains specifically to mainland U.S.A. vehicles only, and may differ in the state of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and in other regions.)

http://www.toyota.com/images/vehicles/2007/prius/gallery/jb_prius.jpg

[SIZE="2"]While it is true that the Toyota Prius's Permanent-magnet AC synchronous electric motor only produces approximately 67 hp @ 1200-1540 rpm, it does boast a bottom-end torque of 295 lb.-ft. @ 0-1200 rpm.


Don't forget it has two engines. The gas-powered engine produces like 60 hp too. Net hp comes out to about 110 or 120 hp.

My GF drives a Prius, so I've driven it before. It does okay; it drives pretty much like any compact car. the part I was surprised about was its roominess.

I'm shocked. I didn't think a Prius could go that fast.


....that's something i always wondered about the rodney king thing... they still say he was going 120 in a hyundai. i had one .. barely did 60

My GF drives a Prius, so I've driven it before. It does okay; it drives pretty much like any compact car. the part I was surprised about was its roominess.
Yeah, they are roomy. My friend Chris has a brand new one. I like the cool gauges and the rear view camera when you go in reverse. Pretty nice car. And it can go fast. When Chris drove me and another friend up to western Maryland for a camping trip, he was going 80s-90s most of the way on the highway, and got up past 100 quite a few times. And when it's going fast it certainly doesn't feel like it, very smooth ride. Going 100 in a Prius feels the same as going 40 or 50 in my boyfriend's old pickup truck.

he's preparing to run for president. (see george w bush)

I don't like Al Gore but I feel sympathy for him in this instance. It must be terrible for a parent to have a child slip as badly as Al Gore III seems to have slipped. Al Gore II should not be blamed for the actions of his adult son.

It was probably nasty rock and roll lyrics that screwed him up when he was younger. Tipper was right!

Yeah, they are roomy. My friend Chris has a brand new one. I like the cool gauges and the rear view camera when you go in reverse. Pretty nice car. And it can go fast. When Chris drove me and another friend up to western Maryland for a camping trip, he was going 80s-90s most of the way on the highway, and got up past 100 quite a few times. And when it's going fast it certainly doesn't feel like it, very smooth ride. Going 100 in a Prius feels the same as going 40 or 50 in my boyfriend's old pickup truck.


Yeah, it actually makes no sound while stopped, because it goes completely electric. It's pretty cool if you've never ridden in one. I noticed it right away when I first rode in it. Of course, that's also why blind peds complain about them :)

It was probably nasty rock and roll lyrics that screwed him up when he was younger. Tipper was right!
I hate her name.

Al Gore III (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19601277/)arrested.
Talk about an inconvenient youth.

:rolleyes:

When I read this news story elsewhere it had a sidebar advertisement for Live Earth, the concerts for global warming awareness brought to you by Al Gore.

Now that was funny, Evakian.

I hate her name.

I've noticed that a lot of wealthy southerners have cutesy-poo names like that (men and women). Which isn't to say it's exclusively southern.

Talk about an inconvenient youth.
Excellent! That was funny, Evak - :)

Pretty nice car. And it can go fast.
Quit it! I can't stop laughing....

A Toyota is only considered remotely "nice" when it bears a Lexus badge, and even then, it's as soulless as a well screwed together '85 Cressida.

Come to Chicago, and I'll give you a ride in a real car, sweetheart.

I don't like Al Gore but I feel sympathy for him in this instance. It must be terrible for a parent to have a child slip as badly as Al Gore III seems to have slipped. Al Gore II should not be blamed for the actions of his adult son.

Why not, if my neighbour's kid did that I would be wondering about them?

Blame is a heavy word. Maybe he should take some blame for it, and maybe he shouldn't I don't know, and neither do you.

Quit it! I can't stop laughing....

A Toyota is only considered remotely "nice" when it bears a Lexus badge, and even then, it's as soulless as a well screwed together '85 Cressida.

Come to Chicago, and I'll give you a ride in a real car, sweetheart.
Nah, I'll pass. I like my boyfriend's old beat up Chevy pickup just fine. :D

Quit it! I can't stop laughing....

A Toyota is only considered remotely "nice" when it bears a Lexus badge, and even then, it's as soulless as a well screwed together '85 Cressida.

Come to Chicago, and I'll give you a ride in a real car, sweetheart.
What do you drive? I live in Chicago, might I be interested?

A Bimmer 3-series, if I recall correctly.

A Bimmer 3-series, if I recall correctly.
That's a "real car"? Oooh, entry-level Bimmer! High roller!

What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine...?

What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine...?
The pricks are on the outside of a porcupine. :)

A Bimmer 3-series, if I recall correctly.
I used to have an '03 330 Ci (E46) with a 5 speed manual, but due to licensing issues, I sold it about a year ago. Why keep making payments on something you're not using, eh? Especially on a car that loses value by the hour. Good memory, though. ;)

That's a "real car"? Oooh, entry-level Bimmer! High roller!
Okay, smartass - there's a fairly large difference between the car I (used to) drive on a daily basis and the cars I have access to.

Nah, I'll pass. I like my boyfriend's old beat up Chevy pickup just fine. :D
You say that now.....:D

You say that now.....:D
Well hell, darlin'. I'm just a cute lil' redneck gal at heart. So says my daddy anyways. And I s'pose it's true since I'd much rather ride around in a big shiny Ford F250 than some flashy sports car (unless the car is a classic muscle car of course...)

And I s'pose it's true since I'd much rather ride around in a big shiny Ford F250 than some flashy sports car (unless the car is a classic muscle car of course...)
OMG...I suppose your dad's right. :D

Oh, and I thought your new boyfriend drove a Chevy Pick"'em"up truck, or is that your other "new" boyfriend? ;)

OMG...I suppose your dad's right. :D

Oh, and I thought your new boyfriend drove a Chevy Pick"'em"up truck, or is that your other "new" boyfriend? ;)
Yeah he drives a Chevy... But I prefer Fords like my dad does. I predict that this shall start a redneck feud at some point in the future, since his family all prefer Chevys...

Yeah he drives a Chevy... But I prefer Fords like my dad does. I predict that this shall start a redneck feud at some point in the future, since his family all prefer Chevys...
I still don't understand why anyone is loyal to the shit Detroit makes.

I still don't understand why anyone is loyal to the shit Detroit makes.
Because it's "our" shit. IOW, no other country really has the need (or desire) to drive around in poorly made trucks that they use for recreation, and not work. In Europe, they laugh at our shit, and rightfully so. The Japanese have taken turns at copying our product while continuing to make it better year after year (surprise, surprise....and when you're dealing with trucks, it's not that hard a task - pushrod engines, frame rails, leaf spring dampening, and live real axles...real complicated shit, for sure).

Take the Toyota Tundra, for example. It's a markedly better truck in every aspect; handling, safety, braking ability, power, and economy, but people will still buy our shit because we set the fuckin' bar lower than anyone else, period. Not only do they NOT sell Tundras in Tokyo - they kick our ass at everything else they make too. It's really sad, actually.....

But thank god for the UAW and the US government. They're doing their part to make it more costly to manufacture here, hence bye-bye piss poor cars - and hello to superior foreign products. Thanks, Uncle Sam....;)

I was a loyal purchaser of American made cars for years but there came a point when they were just so much more poorly made than German or Japanese automobiles that I gave up on them. I grew up a Chevy man but I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for today's Chevies.

I was a loyal purchaser of American made cars for years but there came a point when they were just so much more poorly made than German or Japanese automobiles that I gave up on them. I grew up a Chevy man but I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for today's Chevies.
That's why you buy old ones! I've heard that Fords are gaining in reliability now though. :)

That's why you buy old ones! I've heard that Fords are gaining in reliability now though. :)
Old cars are worse in reliability, far worse. Seals dry out, hoses leak, transmissions break. Age and mileage both have impacts.

Besides, even a modern Chevy Cobalt is more well-made that a 70s Toyota.

I like old cars.

I like old cars.
So do I. I'd love to own a 69 GTO. But I wouldn't use one as my everyday car, and I wouldn't even consider buying one until I was fairly rich, or maybe after I'm retired as a hobby.

Screw you Borg! I'm going to drive my model T to work every day and that's that!

Screw you Borg! I'm going to drive my model T to work every day and that's that!

I heart my Stanley Steamer.

Nice av., Lionel - :)

Screw you Borg! I'm going to drive my model T to work every day and that's that!


As soon as you are old enough to drive, right, Evakian.

In Europe, they laugh at our shit, and rightfully so.

I've forgotten where I read it (Consumer Reports?), but, actually, American cars have passed European cars in terms of reliabilty....the stat I read was that American cars averaged 19 mechanical problems per unit X while European cars averaged 20. Of course, Asian cars still whooped on both of them with a figure of like 9 or 10.

On a different note, I sat in on a presentation once that made a good case for why Japanese cars have become so much more reliable than other makers. According to this guy, it was because Japanese makers implemented a better managerial system that encouraged employees to report defects, whereas Americans stuck to a model that rewarded employees based on their output rate (and employees that spent time dealing with defects had reduced output). As you would imagine, Japanese makers began to remove defects from their products at a much higher rate than Americans.

Now, I'm not sure how accurate this guy's presentation was...I've never studied Administrative or Managerial problems/theories, but he made a pretty convincing case. The presenter gave the name (now forgotten) of the guy who thought of the Japanese system...the guy was actually an American who had his ideas rejected in the U.S. Was an interesting story and a good lesson for me.

Of course, nowadays, Detroit has caught on and switched over to the Japanese system but they're still behind (according to the presenter).

As soon as you are old enough to drive, right, Evakian.
I'm on my second year of doing so. The world hath felt my wrath.

I've forgotten where I read it (Consumer Reports?), but, actually, American cars have passed European cars in terms of reliabilty....the stat I read was that American cars averaged 19 mechanical problems per unit X while European cars averaged 20. Of course, Asian cars still whooped on both of them with a figure of like 9 or 10.

On a different note, I sat in on a presentation once that made a good case for why Japanese cars have become so much more reliable than other makers. According to this guy, it was because Japanese makers implemented a better managerial system that encouraged employees to report defects, whereas Americans stuck to a model that rewarded employees based on their output rate (and employees that spent time dealing with defects had reduced output). As you would imagine, Japanese makers began to remove defects from their products at a much higher rate than Americans.

Now, I'm not sure how accurate this guy's presentation was...I've never studied Administrative or Managerial problems/theories, but he made a pretty convincing case. The presenter gave the name (now forgotten) of the guy who thought of the Japanese system...the guy was actually an American who had his ideas rejected in the U.S. Was an interesting story and a good lesson for me.

Of course, nowadays, Detroit has caught on and switched over to the Japanese system but they're still behind (according to the presenter).
I will concede we're getting much better, unfortunately, we're still about 10 years behind.

Concerning reliability - yeah, we're better than the Europeans because our products have, like, 6 moving parts (and yes, I'm being facetious here ;)). The point is, our stuff (in general) isn't very mechanically complex. The Europeans are innovators (eg., infinitely variable valve timing, direct injection, valveless diesels, DSG (and variants thereof), carbon composites, etc.) - we're followers, and the Japanese (and Koreans) are clever thieves, period.

I will concede we're getting much better, unfortunately, we're still about 10 years behind.

Concerning reliability - yeah, we're better than the Europeans because our products have, like, 6 moving parts (and yes, I'm being facetious here ;)). The point is, our stuff (in general) isn't very mechanically complex. The Europeans are innovators (eg., infinitely variable valve timing, direct injection, valveless diesels, DSG (and variants thereof), carbon composites, etc.) - we're followers, and the Japanese (and Koreans) are clever thieves, period.
I'd go along with that if Mercedes hadn't dropped so quickly in reliability after they merged with Chrysler.

the Japanese (and Koreans) are clever thieves, period.

You say that in a thread about a hybrid-engined vehicle! It's American companies that have paid out the ying-yang for Japanese technology!

Ever watch the documentary "Who killed the electric car?" It's a pretty good case for why American car companies are not progressing the way they should be.

I'd go along with that if Mercedes hadn't dropped so quickly in reliability after they merged with Chrysler.
Well, Chrysler was a MAJOR mess for them, period. They paid (and this is off the top of my head, so don't quote me here) something like 27 billion in '98 (I think) only to sell them off recently for (once again, I think) like 6 or 7 billion a few months ago.

The reason they bought them was twofold; one to get the dealer network including ports of entry and exit, and to "study" how Chrysler was able to put finished product on to a showroom floor in 1/5 the time they could. They recognized their lack of quality in workmanship, and thought the "merger" (euphemism in '98 for takeover) could be mutually beneficial. Someone lost their career on that one...

You say that in a thread about a hybrid-engined vehicle! It's American companies that have paid out the ying-yang for Japanese technology!
This is true - when it comes to "hybrid" technology (a technology that I don't think will stand the test of time). Other alternatives (read: better alternatives) will be offered eventually, and most likely, they'll employ a simpler design; one that's not reliant on heavy-ass batteries and DC motors to work.

This is true - when it comes to "hybrid" technology (a technology that I don't think will stand the test of time). Other alternatives (read: better alternatives) will be offered eventually, and most likely, they'll employ a simpler design; one that's not reliant on heavy-ass batteries and DC motors to work.

Don't tell Ford that!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/07/10/fa.ford.plugin.reut/index.html

Ford couldn't get shit straight if their lives depended on it (and rest assured, at this point, it very much does). Without their platform sharing with Mazda, they'd be dead in the water. I give them a year, at best. They're in serious trouble if they don't turn it around in the next 12 months; they've recently put up their buildings to secure their current loan - a first in Ford history.