RE: PH Fleet: C63 AMG Going Nowhere...

RE: PH Fleet: C63 AMG Going Nowhere...

Tuesday 8th March 2011

PH Fleet: C63 AMG Going Nowhere...

With 97 RON at £1.40 a litre, do we care? Yes, and no.


The PH M-B C63 AMG - just back from Geneva with the travel stains to prove it
The PH M-B C63 AMG - just back from Geneva with the travel stains to prove it
Having spent 45 painfully congested minutes driving the length of the Strand in the PH fleet C63 AMG estate this morning, I was naturally drawn to a press release that arrived at work some time before me...

When the going gets tough...
When the going gets tough...
Rush hour drivers are spending almost half their journeys - 43% of the time - sat in stationary traffic, an increase of 13.7% compared to five years ago, it says.

The new research found that over a one hour journey at peak times, the average inner city commuter could be spending around 25 minutes 39 seconds - or 43% of their trip - at a complete standstill. The study was carried out by Citroen to promote the new C4's e-HDi 'Stop & Start' diesel engine technology (whatever that is!), and the findings reveal that London and Manchester have seen the biggest increases.

Drivers in the Capital were static for 19 minutes 20 seconds on average in 2006, but this had risen to an amazing (sic) 36 minutes 28 seconds at the start of 2011, says the press release. Manchester leapt from 21 minutes to 28 minutes 39 seconds but in contrast, Cardiff saw an average 10 minute reduction in the time spent stationary.

Not only are many urban roads feeling more congested, motorists are also paying significantly more on fuel costs. Since 2006, the average price of a litre of diesel has risen by 46%, from 93.5p per litre to 136.38p. (As if we hadn't noticed!)

"Our continued research shows the overall congestion in UK cities is not getting any better for traffic weary drivers. The spiralling cost of fuel is a raw issue and an idling engine in stationary gridlock only adds to the bill," says a Citroen spokesman who predictably thinks we should all drive e-HDi thingammies as a result.

...there's always the wireless.
...there's always the wireless.
Having just spent over £1.40 a litre filling up the C63 with posh petrol, at least my lesson in commuter-nomics was less painful than it might have been thanks to the super snug leathery seats and an upmarket wireless that made it sound as though Justin Webb and Sarah Montague could have been sitting in the back seats.

Finally released from the bottle neck into an empty Pall Mall, I turned down the radio and spent most of £1.40 on a few seconds reminding myself why not everyone wants an e-HDi. Seriously, for the sort of visceral thrill this car provides at the dab of your right foot, petrol almost seems cheap.

Riggers has had the best of it recently though, returning full of praise for the car after blasting it down to Geneva and back on the PH expenses account. More on that soon.

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
11.6MPG. Brutal. If a Prius driver read that they'd die.

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Quote:
"Since 2006, the average price of a litre of diesel has risen by 46%, from 93.5p per litre to £136.38."

I knew it had gone up but that's taking the piss and it's considerably more than 46%.

gumsie

680 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
PSBuckshot said:
11.6MPG. Brutal. If a Prius driver read that they'd die.
Then perhaps we should make billboards out of it?

louismchuge

1,628 posts

183 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
^ maths fail?

carl_w

9,154 posts

257 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Motorrad said:
Quote:
"Since 2006, the average price of a litre of diesel has risen by 46%, from 93.5p per litre to £136.38."

I knew it had gone up but that's taking the piss and it's considerably more than 46%.
No, I make it 45.9%-ish. How do you get "considerably more than 46%"?

markh1

2,845 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Filled up at Tesco's on the W/E and their momentum 99 was the same price as the regular stuff @ circa £1.30 a litre. Anyone else seen this at Tesco's or was it just a mistake?

Chris-R

756 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Motorrad said:
Quote:
"Since 2006, the average price of a litre of diesel has risen by 46%, from 93.5p per litre to £136.38."

I knew it had gone up but that's taking the piss and it's considerably more than 46%.
I don't understand maths at all, so have no means of checking.

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
1000TCR said:
It's 4586%
where did that post go?????

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
carl_w said:
o, I make it 45.9%-ish. How do you get "considerably more than 46%"?
read the quote

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Motorrad said:
where did that post go?????
Ah, he would be right by the letter of the article. Apparently it's now rather over 100 pounds a litre. hehe

W00DY

15,467 posts

225 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Chris-R said:
I don't understand maths at all, so have no means of checking.
Decimal point in the wrong place. Fuel won't be over £100/litre until at least September.

I really am glad I halved my engine size. I couldn't cope with less than 20mpg now.

vr6dom

8 posts

223 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
"Finally released from the bottle neck into an empty Pall Mall..."

Hope you kept her under 30 wink

1000TCR

161 posts

207 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Motorrad said:
1000TCR said:
It's 4586%
where did that post go?????
Sorry, didn't want to take all the fun out of e mystery so early and deleted the post...

ZOLLAR

19,908 posts

172 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
I remember when my dad was complaining about the price of petrol being 93p and my mum saying she doubted it would ever get over 100p frown

Chris-R

756 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
W00DY said:
Decimal point in the wrong place. Fuel won't be over £100/litre until at least September.

I really am glad I halved my engine size. I couldn't cope with less than 20mpg now.
Phew, not maths then. In which case I can fix it. Hopefully...
getmecoat

TVRWannabee

524 posts

246 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
Hang on. How do they KNOW how long we spend in stationary traffic? I haven't seen anybody watching me.

confused

tallmat

50 posts

189 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
I was stuck in the same jam this morning. But only for a few seconds -- on the pedal bike! No idea what was causing all the mayhem but police everywhere and several roads closed.

Loved it when I saw a traffic cop stare at a bus driver, pointing to empty road in front of bus, and then yell "There's a bloody big gap in front of you - fill it!"

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
gumsie said:
Then perhaps we should make billboards out of it?
I'm actually for people having crappy little save the planet cars, means less fuel is used and there is more for us petrolheads.
Jay Leno said something similar, mentioned it like how the car saved the horse.
I could never drive an eco car though, it'd ruin me, be angry and annoyed all the time.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
PSBuckshot said:
I could never drive an eco car though, it'd ruin me, be angry and annoyed all the time.
You couldn't drive anything built in the last five years then, because they just about all seem to be designed with an eye on fuel economy these days.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 8th March 2011
quotequote all
kambites said:
You couldn't drive anything built in the last five years then, because they just about all seem to be designed with an eye on fuel economy these days.
That's why I drive a 72 Mini Cooper.