the car

ok since i've got the car for 2 days now, i should write a little about my new swift. it hasn't been a worry free experience i have to admit.

• i can't seem to find a perfect sitting position from the seats for a start,
• and engine couldn't rev up easily. always at an idling 2-3000 rpm.
• air conditioning pipe under the bonnet unprotected, so dripping water when aircon is turned on.
• on the way to airport my right window developed a irritating rattle.
• the seats are too stiff.
• no pull handle on the boot carpet for easy access to spare wheel.
• slight understeer coming into a corner
• steering wheel a tad too light and uncommunicative
• passengers report rear space quite tight, although i personally haven't sit there under movement. might be a bit smaller than yaris' back seats space
• engine has aweful smell at first due to some sort of greasy oil on the engine but later starting to be unnoticeable.
• no ignition illumination
• no boot illumination

6/3/06 12:50 am

just got back from the screening of match point in south bank cinemas. well the website is cineplex.com.au for future reference. i'm amazed to find that sunday rate is an even lower 5 dollars for student. i thought 5.70 on fridays are pretty damn low already. woody allen has delivered yet another thought provoking film with great dialog and aura. johansson and co. have vivid performances in this london based drama. protangonist Chris has phenomenal streak of luck and one thing leads to another, he is married to the daughter of a gold mine and at the same time enjoying a passionate affair with the curvy figured american b-grade actress johansson. what unbelievable luck has adorned Chris that enabled him to dodge everything that are bound to materialize. how is this story differ from the classical love and lust cycles of man, i'm not completely sure. looks like it's simply a story of how big a part luck plays in the destiny of man.

movies aside, yesterday we spent the whole afternoon wander about convention centre gawking at various cars under the spotlight of brisbane motor show. several highlights i'd like to put to the record:

• citroens are totally funky. C4 sports or wotever its french name is, has 5+1 cd changer system, steering wheel whose center doesn't move and unsymmetrical steering wheel spokes, rear screen wipers in a useless place, precious centre console real estate wasted for seemingly no particular reason, and unusually huge moonscreen. sales chics in the show are generally attractive and didn't incur eye sore. boobs are well exposed throughout the show.
• pagani zonda s open top. a cool 1.3 million for the barebone car without options, how about that. jet engine rear square quad-pipe so menancing that it has more attitute than that micerlago nearby.
• mazda mx5 must be a hugely delight to drive around, because it's so fun just to sit in it with a f1 driver position. the cloth roof is operated with hand to save space and weight. Rx-8 is even better,
• proton savvy has the most flimsy door closing feel of any car i've ever seen. feels like it's made out of recycled coke cans. inside it's narrow, dull and uninspiring, a stark contrast to the wide body swift.
• head-room wise, my head hit the roof in a number of cars including 3 series, volvo s40 and i thought a audi s4. granted i'm not short but i'm not tall by definition either. i'll hate to be the passenger sitting behind a tall driver in a beemer 3.
• a lot of talk is on about diesels cars mainly stem from andy. reps are saying aussie diesel isn't up to the same standard as those used in Europe so car manufacturers are reserved to bring more diesel powered models down under.
• FIAT is introducing their punto and punto grande ( i thought it's grand punto but anyway) to our market towards june this year. seeing fiat boss is falling victim to drug use and transexual influence in italy, this car seems especially interesting. the head is distinctively Maserati Coupe-resque. i don't know how anybody can reasonably see what the head of the car is doing driving behind a punto. inside it's a story of so-so's. the rep says expect pricing between 20-30, with diesel fetching 30. that's in the golf territory and i'm sure TDI enjoys a better reputation both in europe and down here.
• volvo has XC90, a very solidly built SUV with ample head room and leg room. leather seats are especially good.
• (to be continued)