Domestics Overseas

[wkpoor]

Me and my family just returned from our 3rd trip to UAE last week. In the last 10yrs we have toured the country of UAE and Oman in the middle east. One thing I noticed was Chevy is well represented and Ford and Chrysler almost non existent. Our host is an Imerati national. I have wondered why only Chevy and he said Chevy was the only brand with Toyota Land Cruiser that can survive the desert. He owned one Ford and it left him without A/C in the desert in 120 degree heat hundreds of miles from home when it was new. He promptly turned it back in. He currently drives a crew cab 1500 Silverato 4x4 with about 80K on it. He drives daily to a construction site he overseas traveling at 120MPH on the highway and then about 10miles through the desert on no roads. Basically beating the crap out it daily and it stays running with the air on all day. I've road with him many times and its down right scary the way he drives in the desert and on the road. Amazing that truck hasn't developed a single interior or body noise. He is the kind of customer the engineers (from all brands)need to be evaluating.

 

[dieselfreak]

Me and my family just returned from our 3rd trip to UAE last week. In the last 10yrs we have toured the country of UAE and Oman in the middle east. One thing I noticed was Chevy is well represented and Ford and Chrysler almost non existent. Our host is an Imerati national. I have wondered why only Chevy and he said Chevy was the only brand with Toyota Land Cruiser that can survive the desert. He owned one Ford and it left him without A/C in the desert in 120 degree heat hundreds of miles from home when it was new. He promptly turned it back in. He currently drives a crew cab 1500 Silverato 4x4 with about 80K on it. He drives daily to a construction site he overseas traveling at 120MPH on the highway and then about 10miles through the desert on no roads. Basically beating the crap out it daily and it stays running with the air on all day. I've road with him many times and its down right scary the way he drives in the desert and on the road. Amazing that truck hasn't developed a single interior or body noise. He is the kind of customer the engineers (from all brands)need to be evaluating.

Nice to know. Thanks for sharing.

df.

 

[BTDT2]

I lived in Europe for a few years and while I loved speeding down their autobahns at speeds in excess of 100 mph, I'm having a tough time with the 120 mph in 120 degree heat with a 4wd Chevy Silverado.

Sorry, but routine speeds of 120 mph in a Chevy 4wd pickup, force some skepticism on my part. Could they be using km?

 

[Egon]

Going 120 MPH what kind of tires does he have for the 120 degree heat?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with the others here. First off, my 05 had a speed limiter at 98mph or so. Go to Brazil and Ford is the dominate US brand. Mexico has lots of Dodges. I seriously doubt the GM product is the only one that can survive but its more a choice of the manufactures where to sell products.

I read a few months back that Chevy and Buick were doing better in Japan than some of there own brands. Its reversed from our county. The GM is the import so it must be better mentality.:thumbsup:

Chris

 

[JESSE1]

I think Buick sells more cars in China than they do here.

 

[Ryan03]

I read a few months back that Chevy and Buick were doing better in Japan than some of there own brands. Its reversed from our county. The GM is the import so it must be better mentality.:thumbsup:

Chris

Buick is also one of the top selling brands in China, which is said to be the main reason GM did not put the kabosh to it like it did to Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer.

 

[Ryan03]

Looks like you beat me to it by one minute Jesse1 LOL.

 

[wkpoor]

I lived in Europe for a few years and while I loved speeding down their autobahns at speeds in excess of 100 mph, I'm having a tough time with the 120 mph in 120 degree heat with a 4wd Chevy Silverado.

Sorry, but routine speeds of 120 mph in a Chevy 4wd pickup, force some skepticism on my part. Could they be using km?

200KM was the norm. I should have taken a pics of the speedo. First time we went there on the way to his place he was doing 220km and moved over to let an Impala SS go by. I said wow! how fast is that guy going? He replied 260KM. Went we got home I looked at my Mom's SS and it registered 280. At 120KM an overspeed warning came on the dash but he ignored it. After a couple days 100MPH seemed slow. some highway limits were posted 160 KM (the Imerates ignore it) (traffic accident is #1 cause of death in the UAE). He said tires got changed once a year regardless. You mentioned the heat. It does get hot but not the times of year we've been there. It did hit 100 several days but honestly felt like 80 here in Ohio. I realize if he blows a tire it all over and thinking about that scared me! Basically everyday driving over there makes a high speed police chase in the states look tame. I figure its only possible do to perfectly smooth pot hole free roads and no rain/sleet/snow or ice.

 

[wkpoor]

I agree with the others here. First off, my 05 had a speed limiter at 98mph or so

First time we went there in 2000 his Suburban was speed limited. He tried to get the dealer to over ride it and they wouldn't so he got rid of it.

 

[Redneck in training]

200KM was the norm. I should have taken a pics of the speedo. First time we went there on the way to his place he was doing 220km and moved over to let an Impala SS go by. I said wow! how fast is that guy going? He replied 260KM. Went we got home I looked at my Mom's SS and it registered 280. At 120KM an overspeed warning came on the dash but he ignored it. After a couple days 100MPH seemed slow. some highway limits were posted 160 KM (the Imerates ignore it) (traffic accident is #1 cause of death in the UAE). He said tires got changed once a year regardless. You mentioned the heat. It does get hot but not the times of year we've been there. It did hit 100 several days but honestly felt like 80 here in Ohio. I realize if he blows a tire it all over and thinking about that scared me! Basically everyday driving over there makes a high speed police chase in the states look tame. I figure its only possible do to perfectly smooth pot hole free roads and no rain/sleet/snow or ice.

I work in ME quite bit and can confirm the speeds. They don't tow so I am guessing they have lower ratio difs. Even if the traffic is heavy the main stream on the four lane road (including trucks) moves between 130 to 140 kph. Most passenger cars drive much faster than that weaving from lane to lane. 180 kph is normal speed.
Road mortality is very high. I used to drive to work about 75 km one way daily. I am guessing that I saw or saw the results of a deadly accident in about once week in average. I saw a crashed Impala at a gas station with headlamps perhaps a foot from the windshield.

 

[wkpoor]

RIT thanks for the confirm.Unless you go there and experience it, its hard to believe since 100MPH in the states is way excessive speed. Amazingly after a few days 100MPH felt like 60 does here. The other thing that got on my nerves was 120 and not 2 but 3 cell phones constantly going off while weaving in and out of traffic at speeds in excess of 100MPH. If we were on a 2 lane rd (thankfully not many times) drivers in front being overtaken are to take the berm. They are expected to get out of the way of faster traffic. Hard o comprehend here. On divided highways trucks stay in R/H lane and the faster you go the more to the left you drive but if being overtaken always get over. Now here is the kicker. Pedestrians are allowed on the highway and were everywhere. Also you can pull over anywhere and just sit in the sand if you want. My host pulled over one night to eat our pizza. Watching cars go by up to 150MPH was pretty scary. It was like watching NASCAR but on a straight track. When a car pushes that much air it made an erry sound.

 

[Mace Canute]

I just came across this:
According to the World Health Organization, the following are the 10 deadliest countries in which to drive a vehicle.

No. 10: The Gambia. Population (2007): 1,708,681; Number of registered vehicles: 14,450; Number of on-road fatalities: 54; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 36.6.

No. 9: United Arab Emirates. Population (2007): 4,380,439; Number of registered vehicles: 1,754,420; Number of on-road fatalities: 1,056; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 37.1

No. 7 (tie): Angola. Population (2007): 17,024,084; Number of registered vehicles: 671,060; Number of on-road fatalities: 2,358; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 37.7

No. 7 (tie): Niger. Population (2007): 14,335,521; Number of registered vehicles: 76,061; Number of on-road fatalities: 570; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 37.7

No. 6: Iraq. Population (2007): 28,993,374; Number of registered vehicles: 2,242,269; Number of on-road fatalities: 1,932; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 38.1

No. 5: Afghanistan. Population (2007): 27,145,275; Number of registered vehicles: 731,607; Number of on-road fatalities: 1,779; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 39

No. 4: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Population (2007): 6,160,483; Number of registered vehicles: 1,826,533; Number of on-road fatalities: 2,138; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 40.5

No. 3: Egypt. Population (2007): 75,497,913; Number of registered vehicles: 4,300,000; Number of on-road fatalities: 15,983; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 41.6

No. 2: The Cook Islands. Population (2007): 13,325; Number of registered vehicles: 10,692; Number of on-road fatalities: 6; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 45

No. 1: Eritrea. Population (2007): 4,850,763; Number of registered vehicles: 60,849; Number of on-road fatalities: 81; Fatality rate per 100,000 people: 48.4

The Cook Islands is a strange one, only 13,325 people and they had 10,692 registered vehicles!