RobiNZ Personal Blog

Traffic Light Thought – So Hybrids can be fun?!

A recent work trip meant my first chance to drive a Hybrid car, Toyota Camry, and it was revealing. Hybrid, or compromised? I regard hybrid technology as a poor compromise rather than the best of both worlds. An optimised internal combustion car would not lug heavy, expensive battery packs or the complex electro-mechanical hardware required to manage the mix of power sources. Pure electric can, well should, consider far more radical design unencumbered by the mechanical, cooling and transmission layout requirements of a conventional engine. Hybrid just means both powertrains are compromised to some degree to live with the other.... Read more →

Bye Bye 1.0 Litre Ferrari

After 13 years 3 months & 9 days the mighty Uno 45s has gone. It has travelled 247,000km, 192,000 in my hands, but is unlikely to do many more. A recent WOF signalled rust that was un-economic to repair so the time had come to part. However, it has gone to a Fiat fan so bits will survive, to keep other Uno's alive, or maybe it will be resurrected. So I'm back to owning just one Fiat, farewell RH! Tags: uno Read more →

Obama, the Italian Saviour?

Business Pundit have a pretty good summary of how Obama's move to help out Fiat, I mean, Chrysler will play out: Chrysler/Fiat Merger: It’s All About Fiat Fiat, the Uno for Chrysler? Read more →

Funny Fiat Adverts

Fiat, not George It is about the bike A strange Uno Promo The Italian Job Remix Read more →

Finally...

My Niece’s response to me getting a new(er) , than a 1992 Uno, car: FINALLY! I've started a " My Cars " collection on Flickr for images which, in any way, feature the Fiats of my life. I’ve neve... Read more →

250,001 km in a Fiat Uno 45S

250,001km in an Uno Originally uploaded by RobiNZ I thought I'd blogged this back in January but it seems not. On January 15, 2008 I stopped in the usual park at work only to notice the odometer had ticked over to 250,001 km. Maybe I'll make 300,000 km? Read more →

The Uno lives, another six months...

It’s the six monthly Warrant Of Fitness, road worthiness inspection, time again. Seems like just last month when I got the last one ! Where did the last six months go? The Mighty Uno got through wi... Read more →

The Uno lives, will it make 250,000 km? - Progress Report

It’s the six monthly Warrant Of Fitness, road worthiness inspection, time again. Seems like just last month when I got the last one ! Where did the last six months go? The Mighty Uno, now at 246... Read more →

Is this my next car?

The old battered white Uno is getting near end of days. I kinda feel obliged to get it past 1/4 million km’s but that’s only a few months of city commuting away. Then there is the question of what to... Read more →

Princess Diana and the white Fiat Uno

Yes I do have a white Uno. Yes it does have a few paint chips, dents and dings but they are the result of 245,000 km commuting, stones, errant supermarket trolleys and the like. This isn’t me!... Read more →