Boxter or Z4?

Error 404 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from max401:

Bangle made Forbes "10 Best" list:

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/vehicles/2003/12/08/cx_dl_1208feat.html

Excerpt:

Ten Best Car Designers 2003

Dan Lienert

There's more than one guy that people dislike on our list of the Ten Best Car Designers.

Take Chris Bangle, BMW's chief of design. At least one petition circulating on the internet asks BMW to fire him, essentially because he ignored the maxim "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and gave BMW a radical new look. Pundits have made his name into a verb; to "Bangle" a design is to mess with it.

No one can really know if Max hates the Bangle designs (he claimed with certainty that the new 5 series had "chrome eyebrows" when in actuality, they are not chrome, but clear turn signals just like the new Lexus LS has, as do several other non-BMW cars); or it is really Max taking his "adversarial"l relationship with me a little further, since he knows I bought the Z4 (Bangle designed).

BTW, Max...what do you drive??

So the Forbes article quote is accurate. Good thing that Max was fair enough to post the link. Max was able to pick and choose his quote to his purpose. Bottom line is that Bangle was on the list of "Best Car Designers". No one can please everyone.

Why did Max not quote this part of the very same article?:

Whatever you think of their work, designers like Bangle and Le QuÃ©ment are pushing our automotive hot-buttons--making new products that are as revolutionary as possible in an extraordinarily conservative industry. More importantly, they are among the people who are designing the most interesting stuff right now, and our list hopes to honor the vanguard of contemporary automotive design.

Hey, I like the design. I bought the car and chose it over the Boxster, Corvette, and the Audi TT Quatro Convertible. It's all a matter of personal preference. But the fact is, Boxster sales are down, and Z4 sales are up. The Quatro was fun, and I was close to buying it until I drove the Z4. Then the Quatro was completely out of the running. The Audi is built on the VW chassis. The Z4 is a completely new design, based on nothing but itself.

I had 3 Corvettes, and they just weren't put together as well as they should be. (Corvette certainly is the most car for the money in that price range though....Boxster the opposite). New 'Vette is slated for '05. Maybe THAT will be my next car. (in '06 when my lease runs out).

JD Power's customer satisfaction rating for luxury sports cars? Z4 number 1, Corvette and Porsche 911 tied for second.

Love my Z4...so does everyone that comments on it. And it is just a blast to drive. Which is why I bought it. The looks grew on me. I look at a Boxster now, and it looks boring.

Peace,

RS

max401 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from Error 404:

No one can really know if Max hates the Bangle designs (he claimed with certainty that the new 5 series had "chrome eyebrows" when in actuality, they are not chrome, but clear turn signals just like the new Lexus LS has, as do several other non-BMW cars); or it is really Max taking his "adversarial"l relationship with me a little further, since he knows I bought the Z4 (Bangle designed).

BTW, Max...what do you drive??

So the Forbes article quote is accurate. Good thing that Max was fair enough to post the link. Max was able to pick and choose his quote to his purpose. Bottom line is that Bangle was on the list of "Best Car Designers". No one can please everyone.

Why did Max not quote this part of the very same article?:

Whatever you think of their work, designers like Bangle and Le QuÃ©ment are pushing our automotive hot-buttons--making new products that are as revolutionary as possible in an extraordinarily conservative industry. More importantly, they are among the people who are designing the most interesting stuff right now, and our list hopes to honor the vanguard of contemporary automotive design.

Hey, I like the design. I bought the car and chose it over the Boxster, Corvette, and the Audi TT Quatro Convertible. It's all a matter of personal preference. But the fact is, Boxster sales are down, and Z4 sales are up. The Quatro was fun, and I was close to buying it until I drove the Z4. Then the Quatro was completely out of the running. The Audi is built on the VW chassis. The Z4 is a completely new design, based on nothing but itself.

I had 3 Corvettes, and they just weren't put together as well as they should be. (Corvette certainly is the most car for the money in that price range though....Boxster the opposite). New 'Vette is slated for '05. Maybe THAT will be my next car. (in '06 when my lease runs out).

JD Power's customer satisfaction rating for luxury sports cars? Z4 number 1, Corvette and Porsche 911 tied for second.

Love my Z4...so does everyone that comments on it. And it is just a blast to drive. Which is why I bought it. The looks grew on me. I look at a Boxster now, and it looks boring.

Peace,
RS

Fu*ck, not allowed to have an opinion on automotive styling because RS7 happens to drive a car with whom my interpretation of the design differs from the highly esteemed opinion of RS7. Well... excuuuuuuuse me!

Interestingly, RS7 finds it neccessary to point out to everyone again that his car is in the number 1 spot of some list. Sounds a little insecure to me. Maybe RS7 should get some magnetic vehicle signs made to put on both doors and back light panel:

"Yes, I am driving the JD Powers top rated sportscar."

Better yet, he could have his body shop guy paint it on while it's in the shop.

EMini-Player · Dec 8, 2003

BMW DESIGNER IS EVIL MERCEDES ROBOT CLAIMS INSIDER

The German car industry has been rocked this week by claims that BMW's design director is actually controlled by Mercedes-Benz.
An anonymous insider at Merc's Stuttgart HQ alleges that Chris Bangle, head of BMW styling for the last seven years, is actually a sophisticated robot intent on slowly destroying the company. "Zis started as a harmless project by ze R&D department," claims the informant who we've given a ludicrous German accent to make him seem more sinister, "But ven ze board discovered it zey hatched an interesting plan. Ve vould send ze robot for a job in ze BMW design studio, just to see vot vould happen. Little did ve sink he would be made design director."
The three-pointed snitch insists that this scheme was just an innocent prank; "I mean, ve made him look like such a clichÃ©d designer. Ze stupid glasses, ze inadvisable facial hair, ze ability to talk complete bollocks about his company's designs and instinctively slag off all uzzer designer's verk; it vas too obvious but zey fell for it!" It was at this stage that the Mercedes management realised the evil potential for their new creation. "Ve haf long admired BMW's design integrity. So ve decided to see if it could be ruined," says the Teutonic tell-tale, "Ve verr careful at first but no one seemed to notice so ve decided to try a bigger experiment on a show car. Ze result vas ze Z9. It vas completely shit and no one complained. Ven we tried again ve got ze ridiculous X-coupÃ©. Zen ve knew our plan vould verk. Even ve verr amazed ven ve saw ze new Compact. It vas completely rubbish yet no von qvestioned ze stupid little headlights or stumpy proportions. Ve even uploaded a picture of ze Lexus IS200 to see if zey would notice ven W290 [Mercedes codename for the robot] stole ze design for ze rear lights. It is good for zem zat zis car is bought by vankers uzzervise zey vould not sell any."
However, Merc's evil plan doesn't stop there according to the Daimler-Benz double crosser; "If you sink ze new 7-series is a big heap of cack, vait 'till you see vot ve haf done to ze next 5-series. Ve vill bring zem to zere KNEES! HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAâ¦"
Fears are growing that Bangle may be not the only terrifying super robot in the car industry. At the Frankfurt Motor Show a senior Ford director was seen squirting WD-40 into Wolfgang Reizle's elbows.

max401 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from Fast_Trader:

LOL! The Brits do have a sense of humor. Does RS7?

Error 404 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from max401:

Fu*ck, not allowed to have an opinion on automotive styling because RS7 happens to drive a car with whom my interpretation of the design differs from the highly esteemed opinion of RS7. Well... excuuuuuuuse me!

Interestingly, RS7 finds it neccessary to point out to everyone again that his car is in the number 1 spot of some list. Sounds a little insecure to me. Maybe RS7 should get some magnetic vehicle signs made to put on both doors and back light panel:

"Yes, I am driving the JD Powers top rated sportscar."

Better yet, he could have his body shop guy paint it on while it's in the shop.

"Fu*ck"??? My, my Max, sorry I got you so excited. I thought we were just butting heads about he design of a car. If I knew you were so sensitive about it as to cause an eruption like that, I would have just let your LATEST bashing of Bangle go.

Maybe since I actually own a car of his design, there is a small reason for me to have an interest. Not a really big interest, but I admit that it exists. I guess that's human nature.

But why are you so interested in Bangle and his designs? Why all the negative posts? Don't like the car...don't buy one. Seems simple to me. Why keep bringing it up? Then you say I bring up AGAIN that the car has the highest CS rating from JD Power. So I have overdone this by mentioning it twice. How many times have you mentioned that you hate the design? Why is two times from me one time too many, but an infinite number of times from you just the right amount?

My car is indeed still in the shop. (Hopefully getting it back Wednesday). I will see if I can have "This Design is Not Approved by Max 401" painted in little tiny letters by the door handles. A nice classy gold leaf deal. Or maybe a little plaque on the dash. (There is a lot of room for that....).

Anyway, Max, what else is new? How's things with you? Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, etc.

BTW, as I had said, I would be using "Error 404" while not trading, and would resume the RS handle when I started trading again. The plan was Sept., but my other interests prevailed, and delayed that.

However, stay tuned. RS is about to re-emerge. See you soon in that incarnation. Then you and I can start arguing about trading instead of just cars, politics, whatever. You can tell me how my trading style is ugly, poorly designed, ineffective, and generally full of inaccuracies, exaggerations, and outright lies

No, really, I am going to try something new for me, and I admit to being a little apprehensive.

Meanwhile, I will be expecting (hoping) the Dr. Jekyll side of Max to be available. I will need the GOOD MAX's excellent brain to pick (possibly). (Yes boys and girls, there is a side of Max I truly do admire, respect and like). For the first time ever, I will be relying on my home computer to trade (scared shitless about it...Max, I hope you will be here for me). I can't imagine not having an IT guy to call and rescue me. MAX??? Can I count on you???

Peace,

RS

max401 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from Error 404:

"Fu*ck"??? My, my Max, sorry I got you so excited. I thought we were just butting heads about he design of a car. If I knew you were so sensitive about it

Hmm... sounds like the infamous "parrot defense" as championed by, uh, one of your well needed "champions." (Docktor ARogue, I believe.)

Error 404 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from max401:

Hmm... sounds like the infamous "parrot defense" as championed by, uh, one of your well needed "champions." (Docktor ARogue, I believe.)

Max, if the shoe fits.....

Now, more importantly, can I count on you in a pinch when I start trading from home? (It will not be during regular mkt. hours). Isn't that what friends are for??

Peace,

RS

max401 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from Error 404:

Max, if the shoe fits.....

RS7, the shoes you continually have on offer, never fit. However, I'm sure with some PR posts you can convince a few of your needy brethren. Don't worry, for as usual, your sensational, heart tugging spiels will receive only mild rebuttals, if any. I know a good shoe salesman when I see one.

Error 404 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from max401:

I know a good shoe salesman when I see one.

Is this a yes or no? Why be evasive?

Peace,

RS

max401 · Dec 8, 2003

Quote from Error 404:

Is this a yes or no? Why be evasive?

Peace,
RS

C'mon, you're being an ass kiss. What's next, another dinner offer?

In any event, it's simply a matter of connection, stable OS/machine and finishing the learning curve of the trading platform. Here's what I suggest:

Add as much memory as your machine will take;

I doubt if I could convince you to install Win2K, but I believe you have XP, upgrade to XP Pro;

Turn off all uneeded Services;

Set OS to not load uneeded garbage programs upon startup (use msconfig);

Ideally, you will have a back-up ISP through dial-up or otherwise, as well as a direct number to implement execution through a live broker in an emergency.

Think about adding at least one more monitor.

Hopefully, the chosen trading platform vendor has a simulator you can completely learn a to z the procedures needed to execute all phases of trading. Beat the hell out of it before doing it for real.

Even though you should find this simulator experience exceptionally boring, don't concentrate at all on making "money" trades, it's only paper; concentrate on all the various bells, whistles and execution options that the platform will have to offer when you go live.

If you are using a platform well documented on ET, read and study the commentary concerning it.

Starting out, go lightly, do 100 shares and make sure the execution of the live trades go the way you expect. Bonne chance.