mercedes CLK GTR

[izzyloveslizzy]

There's one more reason the European unification is good. If there's anywhere where cooperation would ever start it'd be Europe.

[thepolarfoxqx]

europe is moving toward economic unification, which will yield a new sort of world power. it will be interesting to see. It will be in a way too bad though, there are so many unique, efficent, and interesting systems in place in europe. 190k is a huge amount for that car. Here in the US, sub 130k all together - and a euro is more or less equal to a USD.

[GIR]

Yes I know. In germany the catalog price is also 130k euro's, yes you actually save 20k if you'd buy the car here without taxes. The high envoirment, road and car taxes have been a point of debate for many years. Everybody agree's on that it has to go but how?

The government has worked out a plan where by 2006 we will move to a variable system. All the current taxes would be dropped in phases and highways/roads will be fitted with electronic transponders which would allow the government to track how much and where you have driven.

I say we move to a variable system because it seems more sensible to me. My mother has a Suzuki Alto and she uses that car just to drive round town. She doesn't use the highways that much and she doesn't create a big impact on the envoirement. So it would make sense that she would pay less taxes. But she is bound to the same taxes I am.

The new electronicaly tracked system would mean lower car prices and cheaper gas. But it would also mean that you'd get a bill from the government at the end of each month.

If the government would decide to drop all the taxes and suddenly introduce the new system it would mean a chaos on the market. The 42.5% tax you have to pay for a new car wouldn't be there anymore so the prices of current second hand cars would drop dramaticly. Also the 10 billion euro of tax the government receives wouldn't be there anymore.

Anywayz lets see where this all goes. Up until now the euro only has been a pain in the arse for me.

[izzyloveslizzy]

I'd really rather not comment on a system (or sub-systems) I know almost nothing about.

Just one thing really interests me though: Countries like Germany ad France that have always wanted to rip each other to pieces are beginning to be friendler and friendler, be it in business and government relationships, or in border-managemtnt and trade and what not, or in the relationship between their peoples). That's quite an achievement. Those two have historically been enemies so it's nice to see them agree on everything and get along so nicely. Much like Iran and Greece: they fought for 4000 years (the longest war in the History of Human Civilization), but nowadays Iran and Greece are very friendly allies of one-another, and their people love each other too. It's this kind'a thing that makes opportunities pop out of nowhere, and prices and taxes drop/disappear. Maybe that's what you're seeing in Europe in the near-future, GIR.