[Canada_Rockies]

Not really sure why it doesn’t show.

Try this.

It shows in that post.

[Ex Finn.]

Are there 2018-19 cars that don't have kick butt air conditioning?

I have not sat in a single import that matched the A/C performance of a domestic truck.
My `72 AMC AMX used to blow snow out of the vents on a humid day, daughters Honda's and VW`s struggle, as does ex`s Mitsubishi.

[Racer X 69]

It shows in that post.

That's because I clicked through to the photo, right clicked and copied the url, came here and used img tags to hotlink it here.

I've done this before when a hotlinked image doesn't link correctly here. Not really sure what it is, but I think there may be something amiss with the link code the guy is using from his PBase account that isn't playing well with the forum software. I don't have any experience with PBase, so I can't say what options are available for hotlinking there.

[cooltouch]

I think my only hope for something fun and wagony in the $50k ballpark is a used Jag/Merc/BMW. What I really want is my S4 in Avant guise.

Actually, there is yet hope. Volvo has reintroduced the V90 and is also offering a slightly smaller (thus lighter) V60 wagon for 2019. The performance engine package provides 316hp/300lbft. Not exactly a scorcher, but it should provide spirited performance, at least. And, knowing iPD, there will be performance options available for it if 316/300 isn't good enough.

I don't buy new cars anymore (I'll let somebody else take the depreciation hit), so I might be in the market for a clean used V60 in a few years.

[niblue]

Image doesn't show in the viewer, but will come up if I click the link in the email. Is that Safari problem, or something else? I love the sky in the image, and drool over the SLK.

Pbase gives a direct link URL but then seems to do some kind of redirect with that, which might be causing the issue. I've updated the original post to see if using the redirected URL works better that using the one that Pbase gives to use.

[ThorSanchez]

Actually, there is yet hope. Volvo has reintroduced the V90 and is also offering a slightly smaller (thus lighter) V60 wagon for 2019. The performance engine package provides 316hp/300lbft. Not exactly a scorcher, but it should provide spirited performance, at least. And, knowing iPD, there will be performance options available for it if 316/300 isn't good enough.

I don't buy new cars anymore (I'll let somebody else take the depreciation hit), so I might be in the market for a clean used V60 in a few years.

Yea, I forgot Volvo. They do make some interesting vehicles. I love that Polestar wagon. And aren't they going heavily into electrics? That might be a wild ride - some kind of high performance Polestar electric wagon.

[niblue]

Here's another one of my fleet - my winter weather hack. It's quite unusual for the bigger UK SUV's in that it's not a diesel but instead a turbocharged petrol with 260bhp and is a lot quicker that it looks (it's awful on fuel though).

[Just1MoreDave]

On the way back from a meeting earlier I stopped to take some test shots with a cheap Tokina 19-35mm zoom that had just arrived, so decided to use our SLK as a test subject:

I like the angle on that. Is that 19mm on the K-1?

The SLK sells really well in the UK - probably three or four times as many SLKs in the UK vs. US.

But no chrome hood vent trim!

[niblue]

I like the angle on that. Is that 19mm on the K-1?

I'm pretty sure it'd have been at the widest end and was indeed on the K1. I only bought the lens on a whim (as it was cheap) as I already have the 20-35mm F2.8 but first impressions of the 19-35 are pretty good (although it did flare a bit in that shot) so suspect I'll give it to my son to use on the Z50p he's just "borrowed" from me. Doesn't feel quite as bomb-proof (or heavy!) as the ATX-Pro but it seems much better built than I was expecting for such a cheap lens.

The SLK sells really well in the UK - probably three or four times as many SLKs in the UK vs. US.

Certainly loads of SLK's in the UK. That one was my wife's mid-life crisis car and I'm now trying to persuade her that it's my turn so I can replace it with a Porsche!

[Just1MoreDave]

Certainly loads of SLK's in the UK. That one was my wife's mid-life crisis car and I'm now trying to persuade her that it's my turn so I can replace it with a Porsche!

Yep, my wife did that too, a 250 (petrol, we don't get the diesel). She wants to buy me a midlife crisis truck but I don't agree.

[ThorSanchez]

Here's another one of my fleet - my winter weather hack. It's quite unusual for the bigger UK SUV's in that it's not a diesel but instead a turbocharged petrol with 260bhp and is a lot quicker that it looks (it's awful on fuel though).

I've not driven one, but I've heard that if you're forced to drive a crossover/SUV Mazda is the one manufacturer of those that seems to slightly care about people who enjoy driving.

Not counting the nonsensical, very expensive Porsche Macans and the like.

[niblue]

Used my SLK as a model again today - slightly later in the day this time, and with my other FF wide angle zoom (Tokina ATX-Pro 20-35mm F2.8):

[cooltouch]

Yea, I forgot Volvo. They do make some interesting vehicles. I love that Polestar wagon. And aren't they going heavily into electrics? That might be a wild ride - some kind of high performance Polestar electric wagon.

I don't know anything about Volvo's plans for electric vehicles. But you know, for at least the past few decades, Volvo has leaned toward its wagons as its performance vehicles. For example, I owned an '87 740 Turbo wagon that had the four-speed with overdrive tranny plus a limited slip differential. Supposedly neither of these features were available for that model year's wagons -- at least US spec -- which has led me to suspect my wagon had been a special order or maybe even an import. I loved that old wagon. I'd turned it into a hotrod and having that limited slip diff was a hoot. I'd upped the boost to about 15 psi and I could break loose both rear wheels in 2nd. There were later models that were pretty incredible -- like the 850R. That was one hot wagon.

I don't know how much boost these new Volvos are running, but increasing the boost is drop-dead simple. And with modern, sophisticated EFI systems, they'll probably be able to handle moderate increases easily. Even my '87's EFI system was able to handle an increase in 7 psi, which is a significant amount -- equivalent to about a 50 hp gain. If you combine that with a late model exhaust manifold, a cam, and a high-flow exhaust system, you can probably come close to doubling that figure. There are various other tricks one can use to get more performance out of a charge-air system. It just depends on how far you want to go and how much you want to spend.

[edom31]

Sitting in traffic

[Canada_Rockies]

I don't know anything about Volvo's plans for electric vehicles. But you know, for at least the past few decades, Volvo has leaned toward its wagons as its performance vehicles. For example, I owned an '87 740 Turbo wagon that had the four-speed with overdrive tranny plus a limited slip differential. Supposedly neither of these features were available for that model year's wagons -- at least US spec -- which has led me to suspect my wagon had been a special order or maybe even an import. I loved that old wagon. I'd turned it into a hotrod and having that limited slip diff was a hoot. I'd upped the boost to about 15 psi and I could break loose both rear wheels in 2nd. There were later models that were pretty incredible -- like the 850R. That was one hot wagon.

I don't know how much boost these new Volvos are running, but increasing the boost is drop-dead simple. And with modern, sophisticated EFI systems, they'll probably be able to handle moderate increases easily. Even my '87's EFI system was able to handle an increase in 7 psi, which is a significant amount -- equivalent to about a 50 hp gain. If you combine that with a late model exhaust manifold, a cam, and a high-flow exhaust system, you can probably come close to doubling that figure. There are various other tricks one can use to get more performance out of a charge-air system. It just depends on how far you want to go and how much you want to spend.

And it depends on how much stress you figure the rest of the engine can take and for what length of time