Tag Archives: average

Cars

This New Report Reveals the Surprising Impact of Paint Color on Resale Value

According to a recent report, the choice of paint color can have a significant effect on the resale value of a vehicle. Surprisingly, gold-colored vehicles experience the highest depreciation, losing 25.9% of their value over three years. This translates to a substantial difference of $11,546, which is over 1.2 times the average depreciation rate. Brown is ranked as the second worst color in terms of depreciating value, while black comes in third. It might be surprising to some, considering the prevalence of black cars, but this is largely due to their popularity rather than consumer preference.

Similarly, silver performs poorly in terms of retaining value among minivans, drop-tops, and off-road trucks. “Safe” colors like silver and black, which are widely accepted, actually rank near the bottom of the list. It appears that their commonality in the market undermines their ability to maintain value.

The supply and demand dynamics of color preferences may change over time, potentially altering the rankings in future reports. Even if people’s aesthetic preferences remain constant, the availability of certain colors can easily shift, and this could impact the resale value. It is feasible that a future analysis, such as one in 2024, may find a new color surpassing yellow as the most sought-after paint option for pre-owned vehicles.

Technology

The Aérotrain: A French Train That Never Made It Into Service

The Aérotrain, unlike traditional trains, resembled an aircraft or the Russian Ekranoplan. It utilized a principle called “the ground effect” to essentially glide on air. This effect occurs when an object flies close to the ground at a high speed, causing air to gather underneath and push it upward, providing a limited amount of lift. After creating small-scale models, the Aérotrain’s full-size prototype looked somewhat like a bus with a propeller at the back, combined with the Disney monorail. In 1966, it reportedly reached a speed of 214 miles per hour on an elevated track. Later, the propeller was replaced with a turbine engine, enabling it to reach 262 miles per hour, slightly faster than the electric Rimac Nevera hypercar.

The viability of the Aérotrain was proven through tests. However, as is the case with many large public projects, politics played a role. In 1974, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing assumed the presidency of France and decided to cancel the Aérotrain project in favor of another ongoing high-speed rail project, the TGV. The TGV, a series of electric trains, still operates today, reaching speeds of approximately 198 miles per hour.