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The never-ending Bond 24 thread

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Post  Iago Sun Mar 15, 2015 5:51 pm

I was never terribly fond of Tomorrow Never Dies, even when I saw it the first time theatrically.  It seemed like a letdown after Goldeneye.  Michele Yeoh was kind of wasted in the film, which is a real tragedy, plus Jonathan Price's villain just did not work.  Shame, too, because I love Price, and by all rights he should have been a classic villain.  But I think that the biggest offense, once again, was the action scenes.  Even if you do not care for Martin Campbell as a director (and I do!), the action scenes in both Goldeneye and Casino Royale are very good, and well-integrated stylistically into the rest of the films.  But TND started the Brosnan trend of ridiculous, physics-defying action scenes.  No, I do not expect action scenes in a Bond film to be physically possible in the real world, but they still have to at least look somewhat believable.  TND just looked silly.  When the helicopter stood in one place while tilted forward, I pretty much checked out of the rest of the film.


I have not had a chance to see Kingsman yet, but it is definitely on my must-see list.


Yes, I will give at least the first new Star Wars film a chance, and probably the first standalone film as it is being directed by Gareth Edwards.  But I am not giving J.J. Abrams any benefits of the doubt here.  I thought that his first Star Trek film was tolerable, even if it is not really Star Trek], but Into Darkness is genuinely one of the worst big-budget features that I have ever seen.  I have even liked a few Michael Bay movies better than that.  It is actually worse than Star Trek V, which is a helluva accomplishment.  So while he appears to be genuinely trying with this one, and supposedly is using a lot of practical effects instead of all CGI, all of his other features have been CGI fests, so I am skeptical that he can restrain himself.  But I will try it out, and I am certainly hoping for the best.  I would love to be able to get into the series again.


The 2016 ATS-V is also a mightily tasty automobile.  It is in my official pantheon of cars depending on budget.  Those are the cars that I would buy at a given price point, if I was willing to spend that much money.  So here it is, from dirt cheapest to dreamy dreams:  Fiesta ST, Focus ST, 2017+ Focus RS, 2015+ Chevy SS (the one with the magnetic ride suspension and a 6-speed stick,) 2016+ ATS-V, 2016+ CTS-V, Aston Martin Vantage GT, Tesla P85D, BMW I8, and after that you get into dream territory filled with Bentleys and Aston Martins.  Probably the Continental GT Speed for the Bentley, and I honestly do not know what I would do with Aston Martin.  Probably a V10 Vantage, maybe a Vanquish, and a real long shot at the Rapide S.  (If I have to be honest, the latter would be the most practical, and it is still an amazing car.)
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Post  Seamaster Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:25 am

I fly hobby-grade model helicopters, and that particular scene bugs me too. It's just not possible. Ironically, it didn't bother me in Planet Terror, when the helicopter is pitched forward to slice and dice the zombies. Apple and oranges, I suppose.

If you have the time, try to see Kingsman while it is still in theatres. It is good fun, done well, and I think you'd enjoy.

I haven't given that much thought to a list, though there are cars that would be at the top of my list, depending on price range. The Fiesta ST and VW GTI are tops for hot hatch. The two Cadis come in for the luxury sports sedans, although I would also have to consider a BMW M3, maybe even M1. The new Mustang is also interesting, particularly now that it has a proper suspension in the back end. In Aston land, I'd be quite content with a Vantage V8 (it's one of the few models that comes with a proper transmission). The Jaguar F-type and a few others are nice. I'd love a Nissan GT-R, so it needs to be in there somewhere. If money were no object, I still think he Lexus LFA is a smashing vehicle. Yep, I'd need to give such a list some thought.
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Post  Iago Sat Mar 21, 2015 4:52 am

Had to test-send a message -- I have been getting a maintenance message every time that I try to post, and in Spanish, no less. Seems to be working now.


The helicopter scene in Grindhouse is perfectly acceptable. That is a case where context makes the difference. Cartoonish siliness in a cartoon is entirely appropriate. Bond is a bit different, though again I do not expect perfect realism in a Bond film. But it at least needs to look plausible, even if it is actually not physically possible. And even that can vary a bit from actor to actor and era to era. For instance, I really have no problem with the 360 degree AMC jump in The Man with the Golden Gun (though I despise that stupid slide whistle in the soundtrack.) It fits the tone of the film perfectly. In Brosnan's case, the action scenes in Goldeneye may have had their own questionable physics, but they worked fine in context of the film. I even like the somewhat over-the-top tank chase (though yes, I could do without the tie-straightening.) The expectations for Craig are obviously a bit different, and so far they have not gone significantly too far with him. The high fall in Skyfall is probably one of the iffiest moments so far, but to be fair that simply follows the standard movie trope that you can fall from anything and survive as long as you land in water.


Probably going to have to wait for video at this point to see Kingsmen, but I will let you know what I think when I do.


Obviously, I have given that car list a great deal of thought. I happen to be someone who can make a window-shopping wish list easily without losing any sleep over the fact that I may never own anything on the list. It is just a fun exercise. Though I should point out that there may be a new car on the list:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/03/16/ford-fiesta-rs-spy-shots/

If that really goes into production, I may just have to start saving the pennies. It would likely still top out at just under $30,000, though that is pure speculation.


You may enjoy this: a detailed analysis of the Tom Ford suit that Craig is wearing in SPECTRE. There are links in the article to more pictures. Granted, those pictures are all casual "spy" shots, but it does appear that the jacket is too tight again:

http://thesuitsofjamesbond.com/a-first-look-at-spectres-suits/

And speaking of wardrobes and callbacks, it looks like Mendes is making a deliberate reference to Live and Let Die with the outfit that Craig is wearing in this new poster:

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Post  Seamaster Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:23 am

Here's irony for you: Overall, I find the tank scene frustrating, but the tie straightening makes me smile. Funny how everyone reacts differently.

That was an interesting read regarding Bond's wardrobe. Thanks for the link. I also like the covert, in-the-field look they've given Bond for Spectre. And a nato strap on his watch, no less. How fitting.

Even though the Fiesta RS is a possibility, I think I might be more content with the Fiesta ST, which seems better balanced for what that car is. Mind you, it is hard to overlook all-wheel drive.

I'm sure you've seen, but the teaser trailer for Spectre is out:

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Post  Iago Mon Mar 30, 2015 12:47 pm

The tank scene still works for me because while it is over-the-top, it is still below the threshold for what worked in a Brosnan Bond film.  Unlike the next three films, which regularly sailed over that threshold and shot for the moon as well.  But for me, the tie-straightening takes it just a tiny hair over that line.  But like you said, it is funny how different people react to things; I had no problem with the cuff-straightening in Skyfall, while you did!


One of the big selling points on the Fiesta ST is how well-balanced it is, with minimal torque steer and very little understeer due to the torque vectoring with the brakes.  And yes, putting more power into it would throw off the balance, but probably not much more so than the Focus ST, which is already more prone to torque steer and understeer.  Problem solved with the Focus RS, by adding the new AWD system.  It would be amazing if they could do that with the Fiesta RS, but boy, is that a tiny platform for an AWD!  Regardless, it is lovely to see Ford deveoting the money and effort into building more performance vehicles.  I can get behind that strategy.


I think that I have watched that SPECTRE teaser four or five times now.  I love it, because it is just that: a tease.  It really reveals very little, and shows next to nothing in the way of "money shots" -- save for the one at the end of the trailer, but even that reveals so little that you can only speculate about what it means.  Is that a SPECTRE meeting, and is Waltz's "Oberhauser" Blofeld?  It certainly looks like a SPECTRE meeting as described in the novel Thunderball, though fortunately nothing like what we have seen in the movies.  But my favorite moments are the quick ones dropped throughout, such as the shot of the picture of Bond with his parents.  (Or are they?  The figure on the left is surely a young Bond, and the figure in the middle is presumably his father, but why does the figure on the right have her/his head cut off?)  I know that some speculation is that Waltz/Blofeld is actually going to be Bond's brother, which would be a disappointingly silly twist, but if you examine the document in that shot closely, it lists Oberhauser as being granted guardianship of Bond, so that would seem unlikely.  Or is there a father/son Oberhauser pair?

That is the best kind of teaser: one that makes you speculate pointlessly.
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Post  Seamaster Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:37 pm

I found the cuff straightening was unnecessary given Craig's Bond character, and the overall tone of the Craig Bond films, although I must admit that it hasn't bothered me as much, if at all really, during my last two viewings.

I get what you're saying, but there's more to it than adding AWD. Sure, the platform can handle more power, but that doesn't mean the car will be as fun to handle (even if the numbers suggest better grip and turn in). Feel is a big part too and AWD can sometimes detract from that. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of an RS anything; it's just that the Fiesta ST sounds like a perfect little fun car that is easy to live with and maybe more isn't better in this case; even if it's faster, it could be hairier. But, hey, I'm happy to have Ford prove otherwise. As for it being a small platform for AWD, I agree, but it is done all the time in rally cross. Cars like the Fiesta and VW Polo get AWD treatments, a huge turbo on a 2 L engine, and about 600 horsepower. Those cars have a faster 0 to 60 time than F1 cars, and they blow flames out of the exhaust out of necessity, not for show. Completely different beasts, of course. We're talking production, which must be much more civil.

Oberhauser appears to be quite older -- both in the photograph (assuming its him, that it's a young bond on the left, and judging by the difference in height) and present day. I suppose he could have had guardianship for a short while when the boys became orphans (big bro looking after little bro). All speculation. I loved the overall tone; still dark, still sinister, still mysterious. I also liked the Bond theme played delicately on what I think was simply a triangle.
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Post  Iago Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:57 am

Unless, of course, the Oberhauser on the guardianship documents is the father of Waltz's character, and the picture is not of Bond's parents at all, but rather the senior Oberhauser in the center, and Waltz's character is the one missing its head on the right? Making them sort of step-brothers? I kind of hope not, but time will tell.

I agree about the ominous hint of the Bond theme. While music in a teaser or trailer is generally not even from the score for the film, I hope that they really are going to use that somehow. I have not read who is scoring the film, but since Mendes is buddies with Thomas Newman, I can only assume that Newman is scoring SPECTRE as well as Skyfall. (Speaking of which, while I grabbed Adele's single for the latter film, I never picked up the score album. Need to get on that one.) But at this point of production, while the film is still shooting, Newman has likely not even been brought on board. It would be unusual for a composer to be brought in just to write music for a teaser (usually they just spot it with similar music, either from the same composer or from similar sounding things.) But of course there is history of cool music in Bond trailers that never show up in any movie -- such as that wonderful version of the Bond theme by Parodi/Fair that was used in the Goldeneye teaser. I think that I mentioned before that when they finally released that minute-and-a-half long track on a "best of Bond" compilation CD a few years later, I bought the whole CD just for that one track, despite owning every other track on the disc, many times over.


I keep going to the Ford website and configuring STs. I need to stop torturing myself. I can still configure a pretty much fully-loaded Feista (with the Recaros, full nav/Sync system, the Molten Orange paint and the painted wheels) for just over $24,000. For giggles, I tried the same with the Focus ST, taking the ST3 package with the full leather Recaros, Nav and everything else, and that comes up a shade over $28,000. Bigger, more powerful, more comfortable car, but for the extra four grand, I think that I would just stick with the baby brother.
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Post  Seamaster Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:43 am

I hadn't even thought about that, but you're right. Teaser music and film scores are often different. I have never heard the ominous Bond music before. I wonder who put it together. While it is cool, it's not overly complicated; I suppose someone in the sound department might have thrown something together.

I also have a few Best of Bond collections . . . . Hell, I even have the same money clip that Bond uses in Casino Royale.

The only reason I would go with the Fiesta ST over the Focus ST is driving dynamics. The little one gets it right and the Focus is little too squirrely. But I would treat it as a little sports car, so I wouldn't be too worried about space, and I could accept less comfort. The money savings is an added bonus. Have you test driven one yet? If you want to really torture yourself, do that!

I've noticed Astons and others are starting to come out of hibernation. Which is about right as I have swapped from winters to summer on one car, and the other car goes in next Tuesday.
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Post  Iago Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:19 pm

That is the only real drawback with buying a car like either of the STs (or the RS, for that matter): swapping tires. The summer tires that they come with would be lethal in the winter in these parts. Would it be better to find a whole wheel set and just have those swapped out twice a year. The winter rims would not have to be particularly fancy. What would be cheaper, swapping the tires or swapping out the wheels, even with the cost of the rims? (Keep in mind that I am absolutely NOT a do-it-yourself-er.) The upside would be that with two sets of either tires or wheels, with the kind of mileage that I would put on, they would last a long, long time.



Just watched the teaser again. As much as I want winter to be over with, November cannot come quickly enough.
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Post  Iago Fri Apr 10, 2015 7:18 pm

Oh, and have you seen the latest stop in the journey of the SPECTRE slate?


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Post  Seamaster Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:46 am

Hadn't seen that. Interesting.

The winters up here aren't brilliant and we also get a lot of snow. I always get my winter tires mounted on separate rims for a few reasons:

1. Because of fitment allowances, you can often size down your tires, and save some money on the winter rubber. For example, if you're car's OEM wheel size is 18 inches, you can often run a 16-inch winter tires with a higher profile. Not only does it save money, but a taller tire is also better for cutting through snow.

2. Winter driving conditions means salt and rocks on the road. And if you ever slide out, it's not as heartbreaking to bump a steel rim against a curb. Steel is also pretty robust, so the damage is likely to be cosmetic. Bottom line, save your expensive alloys for fair weather.

3. It's a pain in the ass swapping tires on one set of rims. You have to pay for mounting and balancing, and every time you swap tires, there is a risk of damaging your rims. Once you have your summer and winter tires pre-mounted on separate rims, you should only ever have to pay a tire rotation fee (about $20 at most places) to swap out your tires.
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Post  Iago Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:05 am

Well, that sounds like a plan if I ever do it. Nothing like having to explain to Eve that I would need to buy extra tires and rims to go with the new car!

On the hot hatch front, did you hear that the Type-R is finally coming to North America?

http://jalopnik.com/america-finally-gets-the-honda-civic-weve-always-wanted-1695072535



One thing that I appear to have missed on that whole Oberhauser deal. The Oberhauser in Fleming's books was Hannes. Waltz's character is named Franz. That either supports the step-brother (or childhood acquaintance) theory, or they are seriously messing with our heads. Or both, for that matter.

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Post  Seamaster Tue Apr 14, 2015 11:19 am

Initially I thought Waltz was playing Blofeld, but it will interesting to see where they take the story, and how they relate Blofeld and Bond, if at all. As far as I'm aware, Blofeld's character hasn't been confirmed. Maybe we won't be introduced to Blofeld until the end of Spectre, as was done with Mr. White in Casino Royale? However, if this is Craig's last outing, I imagine the goal will be to tie up the story for this film, so that scenario is unlikely.

I had no idea the Type R Civic was on its way. That will be interesting, although I'm not sure I care for the styling.

While there is a cost with getting dedicated winter tires and rims, that cost is offset by the fact that you're rotating tires and so you won't go through either your summers or winters as quickly as you would have with one set of tires on the car year-round. Plus, it's safer. Not only do you have better traction for acceleration, you also have better traction when braking, which means you stop quicker and have better control of the car.
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Post  Iago Fri Apr 17, 2015 6:36 pm

Well, give Eon/Sony this: despite the leak issue that the studio had, and despite the internet era being what it is, fans are still confused enough that they really do not know what to think about Waltz's character. MI6-HQ has been taking some shots at speculation, but even they are not sure what to think:

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/opinion-spectre-speculation-nicolas-suszczyk-spectre-of-evolution?t=&s=&id=03882

The interesting thing there is that the picture of Mr. White near the bottom is from scene that was cut out of Quantum of Solace. I did not know about that. Considering that he largely just disappears from the finished film, and is in a very different place in the SPECTRE teaser, I wonder if they will use material or ideas from that cut scene (not the actual footage, but rather the storyline that it represented) in the new film.


That particular Type R is the Japanese version. The version that is coming to North America will be a different one. Details are pretty much nonexistent at this point. But regardless of looks, the Type R is a helluva car, so if a version with that kind of performance but with hopefully somewhat tamer styling cues comes over here, you may have a new hot hatch winner.

But we are back to investigating with our local Ford dealer if they can get me a Fiesta ST at least close to my specifications, and at a good price. They have treated us pretty well -- they sold us the Fusion at just a hair over their own cost (plus found rebates on it and gave us a more than generous trade in on the Focus.) In a perfect world, I want Molten Orange paint, the black/orange Recaros, and the full Sync/nav system. That specs out to $24,000 U.S., at full list price. There are not a whole lot of them out there -- they sent an email to Eve that they found 5 in a 400 mile radius, and one of them was Molten Orange with the nav system, but he described the seats as "black with silver stitching." There are two sets of Recaros available, the one is the black/orange and the other is black/silver, but from that "stitching" language, I think that he is talking about the basic cloth seats. I sent a message asking him for clarification, but have not heard back yet. The tricky part is that if I have to compromise, what do I compromise? I really do want the full Sync/nav system, so that seems settled. But if I had to choose between Molten Orange and no Recaros vs. another color with the Recaros, I think that I would let the Molten Orange go. So we shall see what he says.
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Post  Seamaster Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:45 am

I think it would be really interesting in Mr. White returns and makes a physical appearance, although I have seen nothing that would suggest that is going to happen.

There is no doubt the Type R will be a performance beast. However, with 300 hp, I'd want all-wheel drive. Alfa Romeo put out a 300-plus hp hot hatch some years ago, and it was apparently horrible to drive. I have faith that Honda will get the driving dynamics much better than that, but I still think the output is a bit high for front-wheel drive (which is what the article suggested Honda would run). Depending on price, too, I think I'd stick with some of the other options: the Subaru STI, the Ford Focus RS, the VW Golf R -- cars that are built on an all-wheel drive platform.

Things are a bit easier in Canada. The Fiesta ST only comes with Recaros; there are no other seat options. And the colour is automatically matched to the outside paint. A molten paint job comes with partial leather orange Recaros. I don't care for navigation systems, so I'd happily pass on that option. However, a car is ultimately meant to be driven, so if I were in your shoes, I'd opt for the options that would increase the driving pleasure. Recaros are a must. If the nav system is important to you, go with that too. The car looks decent in most of the paint options (some of which might actually age better), although I think I would stay away from the green paint job.
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Post  Iago Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:57 pm

You have seen nothing to suggest that Mr. White will return?  Um, you did watch the teaser, right?  He is in it!  That would be him in the cabin that Bond visits -- he makes the comment about always knowing that death would wear a familiar face.  That was why I wondered how that they might play with the unused material from Quantum of Solace; clearly, Mr. White has fallen on hard times.  You may want to give it another viewing. . .


Our Ford dealer got back to me over the weekend and said that one of the other ones that they found was black with the black/grey Recaros, and it had the nav system.  That would be cheaper than the Molten Orange version ($595 U.S.) but it also came with a moon roof, which does not much interest me.  (Though it would probably do well with the resale value.)  The problem is that there are just not a lot of them around -- 5 in a 400 mile radius does not give much in the way of choices.  Not sure how things work if I tried to have them order one from the factory instead, but I assume that would likely cost more.  With the Fusion, that was a car that they had on the lot, and they gave it to us at just over their own cost.  The reality is that before I suddenly became enamored of the Molten Orange, I originally thought that I wanted black with the black/grey Recaros, so really this car fits my original intent (while adding the moon roof.)  I generally gravitate towards black; most of my wardrobe is black, and the Buick that I have now is black.  Metallic Orange is not my normal "style."  So if I can just let go of the irrational (for me) attraction to that colour and go with my first instincts -- and if they can give us a good price on it -- I may end up pulling the trigger.

Oh, and by the way, of of the reviews for the Fiesta ST -- Car and Driver, maybe? -- was given the green version, and they dubbed it "Ken Block Snot Green (TM)."
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Post  Seamaster Wed Apr 22, 2015 4:10 pm

Well, I suck. I have watched the teaser and I have of course gone back and watched it again. I know the scene and quote you are referring to, but I didn't realize that was Mr. White. His haggard appearance, and shaggy hair and beard threw me off. I didn't know who it was. Since Bond mentions that Mr. White's name was mentioned during a meeting (and then places the ring on the table, which I'm assuming bears the SPECTRE octopus insignia), one has to wonder how Quantum and SPECTRE are affiliated.

The reason orange works is because the Fiesta ST is a cheeky car and so a bold colour befits it. I wouldn't ordinarily go with orange either, but that colour really suits the Fiesta ST. But there is nothing wrong with black, which carries a bit of a menacing note. I also quite like the blue and silver colours. White is a bit plain, and I'd avoid red because I once heard that red attracts the police, and I don't need that kind of help in that kind of car. I say go with whatever. The black and grey colour scheme might be easier to live with on the inside. And you are much more likely to get a better price on a car that is already in stock.

Moon roofs are a big selling feature for me. I like the extra light that comes into the car, the sense of extra space, and the ability to tilt the window on hot days. I have moon roofs on both my cars, and I love them. I wouldn't let that put you off.

Ironically, there is only one Fiesta ST in Calgary. It is also black and spec'd exactly the same as the one you found. Maybe Ford produced more of those cars in that configuration and in black?
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Post  Iago Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:08 am

I am assuming that Quantum is a branch of SPECTRE, most likely some kind of a front organization. Which would be interesting, having an already shadowy organization be a front for an even MORE shadowy organization. But the haggard appearance of Mr. White in that teaser is why I am wondering if they are going to reuse some of the material from the deleted scene in Quantum of Solace. Clearly, something fairly drastic has happened to him since the last time that we saw him in the scenes prior to the deleted scene!

I do not define anything in this io9 report on the footage shown to exhibitors as a spoiler, as it mostly clarifies things seen in the teaser, but this is still pretty interesting. Variety reported that the studio did reveal one spoiler at that event and asked attendees not to reveal it, which the the author at io9 appears to avoid completely. But caveat emptor when looking at other stories:

http://io9.com/weve-seen-the-first-spectre-footage-and-know-whats-happ-1699638685


Still going back and forth on the car. We are also replacing the carpet and flooring in most of our house since we finally put the older dog down (though the puppy is STILL not fully potty trained, so we have to wait for that.) Not going to be cheap! So one the one hand, it seems best to put off the car for me. On the other hand, I really need to move on from the Buick before I literally have to give it away, and the longer that I wait, the less I can get for it. While I have a hard time justifying spending that kind of money on a car for me, since I drive a company vehicle and do not put that many miles on my personal vehicles, on the other hand once the expenditure is done, I will drive that care for a long, long time. I would hit the three years on a factory warranty without even getting close to the 36,000 miles, so in that sense it would be cost-effective. Add in the extra expense for the wheel swapping, and the after effect is that it would be YEARS before I would need to replace any tires. And the Fiesta ST is quite simply the cheapest fun care that I can get, period. Even the Focus ST at a few thousand more has little direct competition in terms of price vs. performance. A Golf GTI with the same add-ons would be much more. A Mazda 3 would need to get the the S Grand Touring level to get to a similar car, and that would be $25,500 and still have a less powerful engine than the Fiesta ST, let alone the Focus ST. A Suburu WRX would spec closer to $30,000, and is a damned ugly car. The STI, of course, pushes into territory where the Focus RS will land -- and is also a damned ugly car.

So, tough decisions. I can certainly live with the black + black/grey, even if I would prefer the Molten Orange.
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Post  Seamaster Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:08 am

Did you just put one of your dogs down? Regardless, I'm very sorry to hear. I know that when the time comes, it's the humane thing to do, but saying goodbye is never easy.

With the tires, one thing to consider is that tire rubber breaks down over time. Generally speaking, tires need to be replaced every six years, regardless of tread wear or miles driven. When you're driving along the highway and you see a blown tire in the shoulder, that is usually because someone was driving on older rubber. Under friction, the drier rubber of an older tire simply breaks down. Since tires are the only thing connecting us to the road, I don't like to take those kinds of chances. It was a blown rear tire on my dad's bike that brought him down!

I'm not sure the other cars you mentioned really compare, when it comes to fun. The GTI, for example, is a nice car (I have a GLI, which is similar, and I have driven a GTI), but my guess is that the Fiesta ST will be far more tossable. A lot of the extra money in the GTI comes from refinement in fit and finish. But I think handling is key to fun. My other car is a Mazdaspeed 6, and while it is has decent power, it drives more like a GT than a fun, tossable sports car. The Fiesta ST seems like a little gem, particularly for the price. But yes, tough decision, when other life expenses come into play. Seajunior got braces two months ago -- a mere $8000-plus adventure. Of course, I'm all for it if it helps him. But unless money is unlimited, budgets are necessary. And the economy is kind of in the crapper again, at least up here with the price of oil.

I haven't followed the link you provided . . . yet. Is the spoiler you mention small or major? I might want to avoid if it is a big reveal.

The way Bond mentions that Mr. White's name was mentioned at a SPECTRE meeting (I'm assuming) makes for a really interesting proposition. Even going back to Le Chiffre's ties to Quantum, it makes for a tangled web, particularly since I think we can fairly assume that SPECTRE won't have the communist ties it did in the past.
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Post  Iago Sat May 02, 2015 5:55 am

Yes, I thought that I had mentioned that we put the elderly one down not long after Sydney's accident.  Eve decided that she just could handle another emergency trip to the hospital like the one with Sydney, and Tessa was frail enough that she was always in danger of being seriously hurt by a minor fall.  We wanted her to go out on a more "positive" note.

I understand that rubber breaks down, though a lot of that depends on the circumstances (like frequency of exposure to sunlight.)  My point was that between the seasonal wheel switches and the limited miles, they would last far, far longer than our tires normally do.  

As far as expenses go, the bid for the carpeting and flooring upstairs ended up at $6433, and the flooring in the lower level would be $3472.  Not exactly chicken feed.  Plus, I have an oil pan leak in the Buick that even getting it done at the cheapest place we have access to will hit around $350-$400.  So, tough to pull the trigger on a new car, however much I want to do so.


I must not have explained the thing about spoilers as well as I thought that I did.  The link was to a story from io9, and there is not much particularly spoilerish there.  It just talks about scenes at the beginning of the film (the meeting between Bond and Moneypenny that we see in the teaser.)  The spoiler thing was mentioned in a story in Variety -- they said that the studio did show one pretty big spoiler, and then asked attendees not to reveal it.  The story in io9 never even mentions that they revealed such a spoiler, so the author apparently took that admonition to heart.  So whatever Variety claims that the studio revealed has yet to be written about.  You are safe, unless you are worried about reading that the scene between Bond and Moneypenny played extremely well!

Have you seen the latest production blog focusing on the cars?  It also has a couple of brief but amusing interviews with Bautista, who is going to be awesome in the film.  (His goatee and hair are definitely dark, but not as black as in that still, so I think that it was just the colour grading in that photo.)  If Mendes & Co. can pull off an even halfway interesting car chase in the final film, I am going to love it.  Oh, did I mention that the blog focuses on the cars?  There are cars in it.  Nice cars.

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Post  Seamaster Wed May 20, 2015 11:34 am

Sorry I've been AWOL again. My partner was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer two weeks ago and we've dealing with the fallout. She started her first chemo treatment last week. My attention has obviously been directed there. On top of that, Seajunior was told he needs to wear a jaw brace (he was fitted for braces two or so months ago), and is causing him grief. He hates it. Then, one of the cats had a distended bladder and was minutes away from emergency surgery. Despite being on drugs, he might still need surgery, as I don't believe he has passed urine since yesterday. It could be a visit to emergency later today . . .

You are right about the tires, but don't let them go longer than six years, regardless of exposure to sun and other factors. Even new tires that have been siting in a warehouse for six years should not be driven on. To that point, be wary of too-good-to-be-true tire sales. New old stock is not a good thing when it comes to tires, unless you're looking for a performance tire that you plan to wear through in short order.

Any updates on a possible ST in your garage?

I haven't been following any Bond updates lately. I did enjoy the car video you posted.
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Post  Iago Sat May 23, 2015 6:42 pm

Well, sorry that it took me a few days to respond, but I have been up to my eyeballs with work & my civic responsibilities.  Not too much to say about what you are dealing with other than "ye gods."  Best wishes to both you and your partner -- keep me updated on how she deals with the chemo.  Seajunior, on the other hand, may be a massive pain right now, but he will get over it.  He is probably still too young to grasp having a sense of perspective considering what else that you are going through, but that day will come.  

Did your cat make it through without surgery?


Still no ST.  I got the Buick fixed at the dealer where we bought it, and it only ended up being $320, which is really a bargain when you consider that on that model they have to remove the entire engine mount to get at the oil pan.  But we have put the new flooring & carpet on order, so that took priority over the car.  Ford is offering 0% right now, which is a major incentive, but if you take that you have to give up the $1000 instant rebate.  Makes sense from their perspective, but it keep us thinking about how we want to do it.  

Not Bond related, but very car related, and I am sure that you are completely overwhelmed right now, but did you get a chance to see Fury Road?  Let us just say that you can believe the hype.

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Post  Seamaster Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:51 am

The cat is still without surgery, although I have an appointment to talk to a specialist. For now, he gets medication with meals in the form of prazonsin and diazepam. The drugs keep him relaxed, allowing him to go to the bathroom. My concern with surgery is that it is fairly major and obviously irreversible. I want to make sure we're doing the right thing. On the other hand, we basically have a stoned cat right now, and I'm concerned about he long-term effects. The vet told us that there aren't any, but I'm not convinced.

The chemo is starting to take its toll, but she is staying positive, which is key, and we are finding time to get away for short weekend trips. We can't go far because she is fatigued and we have to stay out of really public areas because her white blood cell count is low (common among patients). So just little road trips, but they help. We're also making sure to eat healthy and are generally just taking it one day at a time.

Because I'm so absent, I guess I'm left to ask again: Any ST news? Seems like there might be, based on your last comment?

I haven't seen Fury Road. I feel like a dumbass for asking, but is it in theatres?
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Post  Iago Mon Jun 15, 2015 5:56 pm

Fury Road should still be in the theatres.  It opened a few weeks ago, but it is dropping fairly quickly.  If you cannot catch it soon, you will have to wait for video.

No ST news, as the project with the carpeting and the flooring just started today.  One big expense at a time, in my book.  The only interesting wrinkle is that a local used car dealer suddenly had a black Focus ST appear on its lot, so I stopped to take a look.  It was fully loaded, and most interestingly, it had a Hennessy badge.  I never knew that Hennessy did a Focus mod.  They were asking $24,000 for it (a 2014) and it had 14,000 miles on it.  A fully loaded Focus ST tops off at over $28,000, plus the Hennessy kit was $2500.  Supposedly it has over 300hp.  But since I knew nothing about that car, I went online and found a lot of stuff about it on the various ST forums, and they were almost universally panning it.  Granted, many of those forums are sponsored by companies like Cobb, so we are talking about fanboys, and much of the vitriol seemed to be directed to John Hennessy himself.  But no matter what, they all seemed to agree that it was grossly overpriced; all that it was was a flash plus a new intercooler (and optional tailpipe) that should have cost no more than $1000.  Plus, I can find no reference to a 2014 Hennessy -- it was all 2013.  That all gave me cold feet.  I was still going to test drive it, but I just went by there earlier today, and it looks like it is gone.  So clearly it was not meant to be.

Well, best wishes to you and your partner.  One day at a time is the best that you can do sometimes!

In the meantime, on a more upbeat note, have you been too busy to see this?  No spoilers, but glimpses of more footage at the end, including some chase scenes, and Bautista kicking ass:

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Post  Seamaster Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:46 pm

Hadn't seen the updated trailer until now. Hard to judge Bautista's performance at this point -- the scene flashed by very quickly.

I haven't heard of Hennessey mods for the Focus either, but I also don't follow the mod scene for that car. A cost of $2500 is steep for what you described, unless of course it's somehow approved and backed by Ford, meaning the factory warranty still stands.

No need to explain priorities to me; I totally get it. A dealer in town has two Fiesta STs in the lot: one in black and one blue. It's tempting. Although so is that Focus RS that's arriving next year. I really like the performance cars that Ford are producing these days.
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