athens7

Well spoken, Jerry. The torture debate aside (seeking to avoid political hot button debate threads-yes, Mazda, I read the rules:D), I believe we live in a country with a population/government (we get what we ask for) that is very reactive, combined with a short attention span. Regardless of the issue, the result is most likely poorly reasoned, short term decision making, with little or no regard for the long term consequences. Unfortunately, as my CPA is fond of saying, "It's a lot easier to get in to something than it is to get out of something", and the price we as a country will pay down the road for this type of behavior is potentially very high. I was taught when you are angry, take some time to calm down before you respond, as your response will be more rational and will be less likely to cause regret. It's funny how we as adults often forget the lessons our parents taught us as children.

D Mod for me. I never really understood that there was any other option for my car. I run the stock Avon ZZ3s (until they wear out, then Toyo R1Rs or Bridgestone RE-11s) on a Roadsport with a full windshield. Hell, the fastest autocross cars in Atlanta are 20 year old Civics, so I just like to have a good time and drive my car in a way that isn't possible on public roads. It does seem, though, that it is possible to field a competitive 7 in D Mod nationally; last year's National Champion drove something that looked like a 7.

Wiley-X SG-1s with polarized and clear interchangable lenses.

Uh, let's see. Including mine, 1. I sat in an S3, but lost interest in driving it after a pry bar and shoe horn were required to extricate me.

That is one beautiful plane, those guys clearly know what they are doing, and I am SO glad my car is painted!

I'm 5'9", 190 lb., 36 inch waist, size 9 shoe. I was NOT comfortable in a Caterham S3. The SV has a little room on each side for my backside, and plenty of room in the foot box. I found the S3 foot box to be very narrow, to the point my shoe hit the gas, brake, and tranny tunnel when I went for the gas. In my SV, I have the seat all the way forward. I am very happy with the visibility through the windscreen, but I would expect taller drivers would want the lowered floor option, to avoid looking over the glass. The removable Momo wheel is a mixed blessing; It makes ingress and egress easier, but it cuts off the top of the gauges. I don't know how readable the gauges would be for taller drivers.

Ok, that's a funny visual image!

Amazing! I have 244 pictures relating to my car, and not a single one includes the aero cap. I'll shoot one and post.

Cheers!

Yeah, the 1st purist edition looked good, but kind of portly, and talked too much.

Thanks for the link to the original episodes-I watched the 1st one last night. Who cares about the new ones? (of course, I may be the only 7 pilot who had no interest in The Prisoner series prior to my purchase)

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As to the domestic automobile business, rampant government over-regulation over the past 70 years has had more to do with its' destruction than any management or labor decision(s). CAFE, the lack of a coherent energy policy, protectionist legislation on imports, dealer franchise protection laws, are all examples of an unwillingness to make the hard decisions necessary to adapt to a changing marketplace, and in fact were knee-jerk reactions to immediate problems. The government, as well as the management and labor forces of the domestic auto manufacturers all suffer from the same fatal flaw: the unwillingness to sacrifice any current benefit in exchange for long term competitiveness (and therefore, growth and prosperity).

I owned a 1987 Alfa Spider Quadrifoglio for 3 years, a couple of cars ago. It ran exactly 1/2 the time! When it started, it was a fun tourer with a well balanced chassis (after the aftermarket frame reinforcement was installed, to combat the "flexible flyer" syndrome). The engine was no beast, but it was ok for the purpose. The shifter required a deliberate touch, as the synchros, especially 2nd gear, were crunchy right from the factory. Several Alfa styling features made their way onto the early Miatas-the door handles and the valve cover, to name 2. All in all, a really pleasant car to take on a sunny day cruise; just make sure you don't turn it off before you reach your destination! Mine was black with the red trimmed interior; it seems a pattern is developing...

50 years later, people are still (re)inventing the 7.