A little more to add to my last post.

Alright, I'm back after getting some quality sleep. Few more points I'd like to add to my last post.(Much of it is opinion oriented.)

First, cars are getting more efficient these days. To be fair, the emissions are cleaner But why aren't wee seeing cars that get equivalently good gas mileage? I think car companies are directing more time into output rather than fuel economy. For example, it has become a norm to see cars pushing 300hp with a V6 engine. Consumers are interested in the paper spec so they think, wow, thats awesome. But think about this. How often do you use the max power? Also, that max power of your engine is weighed down by the accesories and other fancy stuff. If you want a fast car with gadgets and accesories, you are putting handicap on yourself voluntarily. Also, car companies can make the engine peaky and high revving just so they can get the horsepower rating. Useless to have torque at such high revs as most people never hit it, and torque at lower revs makes more sense for daily driving. I don't see the need for cars going 120+mph on the road.

Also, people tend to overlook the non visible factors involved with cars and motorcycles. This is something that the paper specs can't show. As far as Japanese motorcycles go, they are cheap, reliable and high output, but lacks something. I'm not sure if its due to cost cutting, or lack of designers who know what driving pleasure is. The two BMW motorcycles I test rode, felt better than any other bikes I've ridden before. Probably attention to details, and superior engineering. Maybe inferior in terms of paper spec, but far superior in actual feel. Just because something uses new technology in engine, does not necessarily mean better.

I believe in simple vehicles that won't get outdated quickly. Simple, small, and light cars will require less resources to put together. It can get great gas mileage while giving good performance. Less does not mean reduced driving pleasure. Higher maintainability and timeless design would mean a car that lasts longer, reducing total amount of waste. Car companies love to add, but not subtract. I think subtracting is the real key to making a environmentally friendly vehicle, and isn't it something thats totally within their reach?

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We don't really celebrate Christmas here, but we do celebrate the New Years called "Oshogatsu". I suppose you can say it's the Christmas/Thanksgiving equivalent in Japan. Instead of Christmas cards, we send letters to all the people we know wishing them a good year. The first three days of January are spent relaxing and spending time with family. Most people go back to work from the 5th or maybe even later. This is roughly how new years works in Japan.

On that note, I would like to wish every one Happy Holidays and a Happy new year!