Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 23/05/2026Never thought of it in this way, but yeah that sounds clever. Kinda like the reverse BMW M, Merc AMG strategy, Hello, we are Ferrari. If you, Mr. most benevolent Sheik, need a car for your accountant, kindly consider our selection of Alfa Romeo vehicles. 240
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 23/05/2026<3! My sisters and I basically grew up in a (slightly later) 1303. 040
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 23/05/2026I'm fine as long as I get to take over Lancia and Alfa. Almost impossible not to do better job than STLA, even as a side job. 110
Reposted by Kolbenkopp… but at what cost? @electronicfuture.bsky.social · 17/05/2026I can only echo the sentiment 1127
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 16/05/2026... you have the rest of your hopefully long life to be mildly disappointed (spiritually) with performance EVs. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Gee. I don't know what is in the US waters that makes Euro machinery blow up at the slightest hint of a crosswind. Seriously though. I researched the Giorgio stuff quite a bit. The QV is solid. From trawling the German and Italian AR forums where they speek freely. Last chance to do this... 220
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Pretty thorough campaign & funding, and obviously some very skilled drivers. Still hope they get their arses handed by the local Ring aristocracy. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Looks fab, they've done a very un-VW thing and gave a Polo GTI proper handling upgrades (locking diff, adaptive dampers, reworked front suspension). Not for me as for Autobahn speeds the pack is too small. But in countries with sane speed limits? Should hopefully do well. 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Loudest I had was also one of the slowest. 05 Smart Roadster. Loads of meeting surfaces in the needlessly complicated canvas targa assembly, shrunk rubber seals all around, deafening noise above 100 kph. Fab car, but I now have mild tinnitus ;-). 020
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Who knew there is a value stream between our mid sized German company and the best of west coast plastic surgery clinics... 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Guess who's CIO recently forced the thing on the entire enterprise IT org :-/. Explains a lot indeed, not serious people and it rubs off on the product. Depending on level of sarcasm, it internally goes by ServiceNo, *Later, *Sometime, *Notfrommyteam, *Eventually... :-) 020
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 27/12/2025Yup. Perhaps best to take it as a credit to the car's looks though? 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 27/12/2025It's so annoying. By "modern standards", everything is slow including whatever the posers in the comments drive. A frigging b-segment Volvo crossover does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. Does it matter? No. 330
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Not sure where that came from. People often forget to remove VAT (typically 20%) in EU when comparing prices. And ignoring we don't have markups here, but discounts. Couple of years ago, I paid 23 k€ for a fully loaded mk 8 Fiesta ST. Something like 20% under list (German prices). 020
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 23/12/2025Honestly. this seems like the most likely thing. Already had a few more "late camoed" Benz sightings in our block this year. Just no phone with me. But we have an MB plant just across the river and the HQ of a dealership group in town. 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 21/12/2025Yeah. Looks really close to year old pics from GLBs. Hm. Will see if I can spot this again. Really need to go out for a walk anyway... jesmb.de/26484/jesmb.deMercedes GLB Erlkönig auf ErprobungDie Auslieferung des neuen Mercedes-Benz GLB wird 2026 starten - als EQ Modell sowie als 48 Volt Voll Hybrid 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 21/12/2025That looks super close, well spotted. Wonder why it's still in disguise now. Hm. Some unreleased trim level garnish? Or they are double bluffing and it is actually a smart disguised as a Benz in disguise :-D. 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 21/12/2025Yep, totally. Unfortunately spotted this while out with very non cary friends who already think I'm rather weird :-D. Hope I can take a closer look if it pops up again. 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 21/12/2025Someone on our street must be working for MB. Gotta find out who that is :-). At any rate, looks like they brought some work home over the Christmas break. 1111
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Yeah, half explained from my side. Sorry. Not sure this is global, but probably is. Over here, the customers are 55, pretty wealthy and need a company car. Criteria: status, comfort, performance, practicality. So they make them posher, faster Audis. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 19/11/2025Think that is exactly what their management is aiming for. The money comes from selling luxury crossovers to old people. Unfortunately, that worked *so* well, they have to listen to these customers now? 120
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 19/11/2025I'm not sure how / if they do QC. My China made model 3 had the axial bolts only on finger tight. How on earth can that be missed? That was 5 years ago. Looks like this is independent of where they make them or how mature the company is. Which makes me think this is their accepted standard. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 19/11/2025This is hard. I gave up and ended up with another Golf. Same vein, less boring (looks wise), Mk2 Leon? To match the GSA by vibe... Advanced tech in a compact car... Seems to be very rare nowadays. Early hybrids perhaps. First gen Prius or second gen Insight? CRZ if it's ok to be 2 door. 030
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 17/11/2025I don't think this will work over here. Crossover market is ultra competitive. Why would people buy a Ford? Especially those that exprienced powershift and/or ecoboost issues. Tragic really. I wish I had $$$ to hoard a couple of ST models. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 11/11/2025Hah. Have they tried getting through "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" while commuting? Proper physical exercise! 020
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 07/11/2025How else can you ensure the reliability of their three-position switch (dim, flicker, and off)? 020
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 01/11/2025What ever shit he comes up with, I hope it will be preserved. Like the WW2 U-Boat bunkers in Northern Germany. As a grim reminder for future generations. 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 01/11/2025Shameless cultural appropriation. This is reserved to German tourists landing at PMI. 000
Reposted by KolbenkoppWorld Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 31/10/2025Happy Halloween everyone. #WorldBollardAssociation 👻 231811242
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 30/10/2025Top of that, these are basically only slightly larger c segment cars which might be a bit too small for US preferences. So why chance it? Hope they don't screw up the GT version. 010
Reposted by KolbenkoppTamara Keel [Scary Remix] @tamslick.bsky.social · 30/10/2025You can always call in well. “Sorry, boss, I just feel entirely too great to come into work today.” 131
Reposted by KolbenkoppRoberto Baldwin @strngwys.bsky.social · 30/10/2025Today has big friday energy. let's just not show up tomorrow. 3134
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 30/10/2025Bravo! Thank you very much for taking us along. I really. really need to go next time I'm somehow close. Lovely! 010
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 30/10/2025He's got the first line wrong as well. Looks like what is drving the growth is Chinese fossil cars. EVs seem to be pretty much flat since mid 22. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 28/10/2025Kia EV4 GT and Hyundai Ioniq 3. But that is it. Over here in Europe we're not getting the affordable interesting stuff anymore. 110
Reposted by KolbenkoppAndrew Burns @mrburnsns.bsky.social · 28/10/2025Even though he's closely associated with the UK, most Queen fans don't realize Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar & went to school in India before his family fled to the UK during the revolution. 041
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 28/10/2025I like more granular configurability in cars. There's a lot of stuff I don't want even if it was "free". But this is setting up some first time EV buyers (especially those coming in via BIK subsidies) for a surprise. Should be standard, but failing that I hope their sales staff has been clued up. 100
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 28/10/2025A looong time ago we had something like this happen. Actually three semis. Full of W123 steelies. The fairly primitve parts ordering algo back then needed manual plausibilty checking. And sometimes stuff would get missed. So when an old fleet of W123 taxis came in for winter tyres one week... 041
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 28/10/2025I read the one for AfD and it's as you'd expect. Complete with a take on msm bias against them. Citing a "scientific" study conducted by - drum roll - an AfD member. 000
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 28/10/2025Fantastic! I bet their opsec manual now has a profile on both of you ("do not leave unattended!") ;-). 000
Reposted by KolbenkoppRichard Porter @sniffpetrol.com · 27/10/2025In today's Smith and Sniff, aside from reviewing the new Honda Prelude, Jonny and I talk about the time we were left alone in a room at Google's London HQ and got so bored we covered a whiteboard in made-up business toss. Just found my photo of that... 15695
Kolbenkopp @kolbenkopp.bsky.social · 27/10/2025Paint under pressure seems like a less lethal solution. Think Tesla is experimenting with that. It's a real problem. Earlier this year, a gang took out all 4 local to me Aldis with DCFCs. I know because I only realized they note service status on the app when I was at the 4th :-/. 000
Reposted by KolbenkoppThe Register @theregister.com · 27/10/2025You have one week to opt out or become fodder for LinkedIn AI training www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/l...theregister.comOne week to opt out or be fodder for LinkedIn AI training: Nations previously exempt from scraping now in the firing line 01712
