Last time I checked, GM (an American company) owns Holden. I think the GM/Holden/Pontiac G8 was a POS also. All motor and no chassis. Americans love RWD big motor cars no matter who makes it. Slap the Pontiac name on it and the diehards will scoop them up. The quality you saw in Australia did not make it over here. Maybe that's why they no longer import it. Since the auto recession hit, American car manufacturers have rebounded in a big way and have really stepped their game up (and that's coming from a Euro car guy in the U.S).

 

Not sure why you said the G8 (Holden Monaro/Vauxhall VX-R) was a POS. I'm sure GM probably cut some corners on the interior for the US market to keep prices down but its a pretty good car to drive if you like RWD and going sideways.

 

American manufacturers have rebounded big-time I agree but look at how they are doing it, by importing tech and know-how from Europe. Look no further than Ford's current line-up. Fiesta, Focus, and C-Max were all designed and developed in Europe under Ford's One program.

 

As for China, well everyone has to start somewhere. The same thing we're accusing China of doing now is the same thing the Japanese did in the 50's and 60's. A good example of blatant plagiarism was the Toyota 4AG engine which was a knockoff of the Ford/Lotus twin-cam 1600. Look where the Japanese are now. It took the Koreans 20 years to do what the Japanese took 40 years to do.

 

 

Its only a matter of time before China starts doing their own thing.....

We are the world!

I hear you. And it doesn't hurt to repeat the message I think. :biggrin: I've got one of those funny maps, 'the world according to..'. Sometimes, I feel like it wasn't drawn for fun but acts as a snapshot.

 

By this, thanks to all folks not summarizing nations in a sometimes very superficial way and manner. Oh, where was that map again?

 

Bit of information on the engine options and things. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-chinas-new-strategic-airlifter-380780/ Seems like some high bypass pods are planned.

My post was not to say the US is the world, unlike many Americans (sadly) I have been outside my home country and visited many others. Its a great experience as there are many other great countries out there. The only reason I used the United States as a focus was... well its something I can easily relate to and have more knowledge about in the sense of economy. Many countries have been hit very hard by this economic downturn, and in most of the cases China is part of it (not saying China is evil or anything), its just when you move many manufacturing processes away from a home based country to a second source you end up inexorably harming the local populace, this has affected many of us, and is indeed a very sore subject for most people on here.

I think the reason you hear so much of US this and US that might have to do with the US having the largest economy in the world

 

That should read "largest debt!!" If the US paid off it's debt, Europe wouldn't be in the state it's in. But instead of paying off their debt they instead vote an even bigger one each year. That is frankly unsustainable. The US is famous for making things "bigger" than anyone else. Well, they're making the biggest ever blackhole for all the Western Capitalist economies to be sucked into. We are all already spiralling into it out of control.

Could we possibly get back to talking about aeroplanes or at least the vaguely relevant topic of outsourcing and the associated risks and advantages rather than getting any closer to the tipping point of nation bashing? I'm not sure there are too many shining examples of strong economies out there to take any nationalistic high ground.

Fools, you are all fools! Poland will soon take all of you over

 

I have been saying for a while now, If I was in my early 20's right now and starting out as a Mechanical Engineer, I would move to Poland. I think that over the next few decades Poland will become a manufacturing centre for the European/Russian markets due to its proximity.

 

And besides, Krakow would be an amazing city to live in.

Not sure why you said the G8 (Holden Monaro/Vauxhall VX-R) was a POS. I'm sure GM probably cut some corners on the interior for the US market to keep prices down but its a pretty good car to drive if you like RWD and going sideways.

 

Haha, the only reason I do not like it is the same reason its so fun to go sideways in. What I look for in a high performance car is how well it keeps the back wheels behind the front. This is a much tougher engineering task to accomplish then just letting a car under or over-steer.

 

There is so much to say about what Vololiberista has said that its not even worth getting further into here. This is not the place to have that debate. I come here to talk about my passion of aviation and my flightsim hobby. I'll just leave that alone.

 

I apologize for what I said about the G8. If you like to go sideways then it's a marvelous car.

In hindsight with the many different kind of people that come together here I should've kept that to myself. I forgot I was in the aviation forum and not the Euro auto forums I participate in.

Haha, the only reason I do not like it is the same reason its so fun to go sideways in. What I look for in a high performance car is how well it keeps the back wheels behind the front. This is a much tougher engineering task to accomplish then just letting a car under or over-steer.

 

I agree with you there. The reason I like it so much is that it is such a refreshing change from the Crown Victoria's and Caprices, big V8 RWD sedans more suitable for going to a funeral than having fun.

 

I apologize for what I said about the G8. If you like to go sideways then it's a marvelous car.

In hindsight with the many different kind of people that come together here I should've kept that to myself. I forgot I was in the aviation forum and not the Euro auto forums I participate in.

 

No need to apologize. Everyone has their opinion and I agree with you as I am also a euro car fan (partial to VW/Audi as I've had 3 of them :biggrin:) but I appreciated and respected what GM tried to do with the G8. I just think it was the right car at the wrong time.

Could we possibly get back to talking about aeroplanes

I fully support the idea, Mike. :smile:

 

Quoting myself.

[bit of information on the engine options and things. http://www.flightglo...rlifter-380780/ Seems like some high bypass pods are planned.

From the article, it should be a big step coming from the older Russian designs they had in use before. On the civil branch, some 380 orders don't look too shabby for this one. http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Comac_C919 Planned to receive the engine which is also planned for the 737MAX and A320NEO.

I fully support the idea, Mike. :smile:

 

Quoting myself.

 

From the article, it should be a big step coming from the older Russian designs they had in use before. On the civil branch, some 380 orders don't look too shabby for this one. http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Comac_C919 Planned to receive the engine which is also planned for the 737MAX and A320NEO.

 

Since electronics and software companies have scores of issues with China and piracy, who exactly is going to supply them with the electronics and software for that tubeliner?

Chris, can you specify the question a bit? I'm reading something into it which I can't even describe with the word superficial. Hence my thinking that I must be reading it the wrong way. :mellow: Apologies.

 

So, what's you concern again? Another plane of theirs offers a more comprehensive list of suppliers. http://en.wikipedia....iki/Comac_ARJ21 Does that help?

Well it says they will be adding their own turbofans it will be interesting to see which copy they go with.

Chris, can you specify the question a bit? I'm reading something into it which I can't even describe with the word superficial. Hence my thinking that I must be reading it the wrong way. :mellow: Apologies.

 

So, what's you concern again? Another plane of theirs offers a more comprehensive list of suppliers. http://en.wikipedia....iki/Comac_ARJ21 Does that help?

 

It was meant to be a cheeky question

who exactly is going to supply them with the electronics and software for that tubeliner?

 

What makes you think they will need someone to supply them ?

What makes you think they will need someone to supply them ?

 

As far as I know, China does not have a home grown avionics supply base to source the items needed to build a plane. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

There is also the issue of quality. I've seen crash tests on homegrown Chinese cars conducted by the TUV (Kind of like the DOT but much more) and they failed spectacularly. At this time, I wouldn't buy a Chinese designed and built car much less fly on a Chinese designed and built plane.