Trying to Define What Makes a Luxury Vehicle

At what point does a regular vehicle become a luxury one?

It’s tough to pin down! In trying to find one defining element, instead I came up with a bunch of what it’s not –

  • it’s not price,
  • nor number of units sold,
  • it’s not the type of gas it uses,
  • it’s not the number of features it’s equipped with,
  • nor the type of materials it’s finished with.

Plus! People’s benchmark of luxury can vary greatly.. what’s really nice to one may not to another, like – they’re happy with jewelry from People’s, I prefer Piaget.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

The only argument that seems to hold is in regards to the one thing that can’t be held or touched – perception. Perhaps that’s it, then – luxury is defined by whoever’s advertising dollars are better at convincing us that something is high-end.

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I Feel Bad for Steel

I’m suspicious when a fad takes off quickly. So it’s with a raised eyebrow when reading about the shift in manufacturing from steel to aluminum.

To learn more I speak with Dr. Jody Hall, Vice President of the automotive market at the Steel Market Development Institute.

Short answer – steel will win.

It’s not the first time aluminum has tried a takeover? “This isn’t the first cycle Keri, it’s just the latest,” she says.

It’s not as environmentally-friendly as you may think, it’s expensive to convert a factory from steel to aluminum, and maybe most shocking is that the two types of materials cannot be serviced by the same tools, or in the same service bay. What body shop can afford to duplicate everything?

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line

Hall explains that it takes more energy to produce aluminum than steel, and it produces an abundance of CO2 and emissions. “You’ve contributed to global warming before you even turn the key,” she says.

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I Quit the Newspaper

2015 Jaguar XJ Animated

No big fight happened, there’s no dramatic tale I’m not telling… last Wednesday afternoon I’d been plotting the upcoming Monday, had an overwhelming feeling of “I don’t want to do that routine another week” and that was it.

I wrote for the next 20 hours, now all deadlines are done, called my editor on Friday at 11 am, we had a good laugh and it couldn’t have been a nicer ending. My last column just published, read it here.

Auto for life, to be clear, just not auto at this outlet.

I mark big events in my calendar and set them to repeat annually, so went to document this, opened the app and woah… that’s 3 years to the day.

And a new moon at that. You know I feel strongly about the planets.

What I’m walking away from:

A reasonable amount:

1 – search Google for the paper -theautonet – and there’s me 2nd result. Search with a space, and that’s my column
2 – that’s my reach, 2nd in the country
3 – been a Featured Author for years

Last times to upload to Fatwire, or name 35 car photos – 2016 Nissan Maxima – Exterior 3/4 Rear 2.jpg. Built the last Fact File (won’t miss those for one second.)

Friday night celebration pizza party.

What about the paycheque I just gave up?

I’m great at bootstrapping, so my company’s account is ready for such an eventuatlity, and can carry me for four months while I piece it together.

What will I do going forward?

It’s a rare moment in my very organized life that I have no master plan.

– Daydream, drift around in my imagination

– Drive more cars

– become more specialized in auto security 

– Renovate this blog (I know it’s 2009 around here guys I’m sorry)

– my ‘Keri on Driving’ column continues; find it a great new home.

– Get fit. PRIORITY. Too old now to get away with not. There’s a provincial-level gymnast in here somewhere, just have to find her

– Learn to cook. Okay more realism > learn to feed myself not powerbars for dinner

– Okay fiiine, I’ll make a proper LinkedIn, clean up my social media accounts, and make an About page

– do more sewing, make a quilt for my main room

– learn Metasploit. I don’t want to hack the planet, just try some social experiments I dreamed up, like leave USB keys around downtown, that when inserted, phone home to me – message pops up ARE you kidding me, terrible idea, please never no, instead try help protect the company’s network you almost just tanked

As of writing it’s been 4 days, and I’m a bit dazed from the missing routine of the last 3 years. I didn’t write the news yesterday, it was weird. But overall I feel lighter, good sign.

No risk, no reward.

xo Keri

Let’s work.

 

 

Infrastructure is the Enemy of the Autonomous Car

It’s not that the technology isn’t here, we already drive semi-autonomous cars.

It’s coming, but not as soon as presented.

Why?

– laws and regulations must be established, a precedent set
– roads must be modified
– which means a city will need to establish a new division within their transportation department
– new maps created
– ensure the cell network can handle a massive increase in capacity, since autonomous cars hoover data
– new training courses and licensing, since the psychology of piloting an autonomous car is quite different than a regular vehicle. This is huge… to re-train a mind not to grab at the thing we’ve been trained to keep both hands on at all times…

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

          Who is going to pay for the the above list?

Automakers? Not likely. Our already-stretched tax dollars? Same answer. Does our Ministry of Transportation have a dedicated department to deal with this yet?

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