26 - Friday, July 24, 1992 — North Shore News

Sunvisors, Sunfires and other little-known facts

DID YOU know that the light green color that shades the

roof of the Hotel Vancovver
per? Can you believe that
Singapore?

Sometimes, it’s fun to just sit
and ponder interesting facts that
surround us. I’ve decided this
week to be a little different by
listing some ‘‘not-so-obvious"’
facts on cars, guaranteed to sur-
prise even the utmost car buffs.

In the U.S. during the 1991 cal-
endar year, Americans purchased
more Cadillac DeVilles than
Nissan Sentras. Fuel consumptions
(city) and Canadian prices:
Cadillac DeVille: 14.6 litres/100
km, $37,388; Nissan Sentra: 8.0
litres/100 km, $12,395. Who said
large, full-size luxury cruisers are
adying breed?

Sometitnes you get less space
for more bucks. The price tags
and trunk capacities of three
European cars: Volkswagen Jetta:
$13,715, 550 litres; Mercedes-Benz
600SEL: $169,500, 444 litres;
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit:
$206,650, 340 litres.

Most cars have two sunvisors,
one for the driver and one for the
passenger. Buick Park Avenue,
however, has six sunvisors. Four
visors in front, and two in the
back (for the front, each side gets
two so that both the side windows

is the result of oxidized cop-

chewing gum is banned in

David
Chao

OVERDRIVE

finiti J30, on the other hand, has
three sunvisors. The third one
flips to cover the space between
the rear view mirror and the
headliner. Can we expect to see
nine visors soon?

At any of the North American
car companies, employees can
park in the employee-only parking

always the case. Honda
employees, for example, who own
non-Honda cars cannot park in
the primary parking areas. Suzuki
employees who own other makes
get lectured by the managers.

Proof that you don’t have to
spend a fortune to buy a fast car:
Acura Integra GS-R’s 0 to 100
km/h acceleration time: 6.8 sec.
Volkswagen Corrado VR6: 6.4
sec. Ford Probe GT: 7.5 sec.
Porsche Carrera 2: 6.1 sec. For
the price of one Carrera, you can
buy the Integra, Corrado and
Probe.

Truth about airbags: They
deploy faster than we can blink.
Airbags only deploy in frontal
impact, not side or rear impact.

The recently introduced Asuna
Sunfire is basically a re-badged
Isuzu Impulse. You want to see
proof? Just take a look at the
airbag-equipped steering wheel —
the Isuzu symbo) is still there (two
truncated pillars).

Average number of hours I
need to really clean my apartment:
one weekend. Average number of
hours needed to assemble a car:
18 to 25 hours.

Are Canadians more keen on
buying domestics than Americans?
In Canada, Chevrolet Cavalier
was the best-selling car in 1991,
with 52% more sales than Honda

more Honda Accords than any
other car, which sold 54% more
than the Cavalier.

We like to refer to industrial
robots as ‘‘smart’’ and ‘‘in-
telligent,’” but are they? They
have a huge memory bank, and
can perform an enormous number
of calculations, but one fact re-
mains: they are useless and cannot
perform any duties until they are
programmed by, of course,
human beings.

The reason why the $13,000

OFFER EXPIRES JULY 3192

Toyota Corolla and the $60,000
Lexus LS400 have identical power
window switches? — To save costs
and reduce development time by
sharing components. This is a
common strategy for Japanese
and European automakers, but
not so common among the U.S.
carmakers yet.

Most cup-holders in cars are
circular holes designed to hold
pop. Nissan Sentra’s cup-holders

See More page 34

Oil & Filter

and front windshield can be

covered with the sunvisors). In- owned.

area regardless of the type of car
In Japan,

Accord. In the U.S. during the

this is not same period, Americans purchased

Photo submitted

MOST CARS have two sunvisors, but the Buick Park Avenue has six.

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

Ssshhhh.

(it thinks it’s a sedan.)

Introducing the new Volkswagen EuroVan.

The all-new Volkswagen EuroVan offers the
drivability of a German road sedan with the
capacity of a mini-van
«German engineered and built © Sedan styled driver's position
© Seats 7 adults comfortably 7 2.5L 5 cylinder engine

e Four wheel independent suspension © Front wheel drive
July Special including metaltic blue paint & crutse control

$20, 375 « sh rosea

Rough it with dignity.

Introducing the all-new EvzoVan camper.

The EuroVan Camper offers
all the comforts of home
white you’re away from home
» Standard wheel base sleeps 2 ¢ Includes fridge, stove, sink.
adults and 2 children Power and water hook-ups

© Automatic Transmission * Power locks & cruise control
* Aniitock brakes. © White alloy Wheels

July Speciat including ail the above

EuroVan $31 21 B su. ase

camper

WE SURROUND YOU
WITH SATISFACTION

"253-4221
1550 E. HASTINGS ST., VANCOUVER

SAVINGS STRETCHED TO THE MAX!

Based on $2500 down. Ist & last payments over 48 months
OAC. Total paid $21, 652.

Torque

4 Wheet Disc Brakes
Power Driver Seat
Power Passenger Fr. Sex!
Kayieas Entry System
illyen. Entry System

AIC with Tamp. Control

EXTENDED WARRANTY +
CARPETED FLOOR MATS
ABSOLUTELY FREE WITH EVERY
MAXIMA PURCHASE

1991
A risean
Award B

“ Nees >] cS

Merrany,

(Major Components)
Total fuel cost {rearty)°*
MSRP

{igo waninie DRIVE”,
| NORTH VANCOUVER