Rabbers

Each to his own, but I’ve never quite understood why anyone driving on public roads and not a racetrack should want to suffer poorly filtered ICE noises rather than bask in the barely audible purr that traditionally typifies most Lexus models regardless of their power source. The noises made by ICEs do not exist in Nature and, as such, are to be deemed alien to human ears, a principle well understood by Lexus engineers.

“La Grande Abbuffata” in the original. Saw it with a girlfriend and couldn’t face going for a pizza afterwards as planned.

I hadn’t noticed that. I can’t imagine what the warranty might cover. Maybe it’s a simple ploy to convince buyers that the glasses are unlikely to fall apart for at least three years. Or maybe they simply figure that a small percentage of people spending €40 might, if asked, easily be tempted to spend another €4 !

Pursuing your tangent a little further, Bill, I recently read about an apparently not dissimilar energy-saving remote control that activates toilet flushes. This caused me to wonder about the domestic logistics of potential customers for one, until, reading on, it became clear that the product is designed for professional lavatory attendants intending to flush multiple toilets at the same time (hopefully not when in use).

I may be wrong, but am I beginning to detect a certain intolerance among EV owners towards anyone who even mildly suggests that their choices may not be beyond criticism and are simply targets for misinformation?

I received the SIGHTNIGHT glasses last Friday after ordering them on Monday, which is not bad for mail from Lithuania. The frame is not marked, so I can't say if the glasses were also made there. They came packaged in a plain throwaway box, and lack a protective case, which is rather stingy. After a couple of night-time drives I can say the glasses do what they are supposed to do, namely, improve visibility and therefore safety by reducing glare from headlights, brake-lights, illuminated signs, neons etc. I haven't tried them in rainy conditions yet, but don't doubt they will help with the additional glare. My depth of vision seems better, and details are sharper - by which I mean that I can pick out greater numbers of objects at longer distances than before. To what extent this is a subjective impression is hard to say, not that it much matters since any improvement to one's confidence in night driving can only be welcomed. I can't say if costlier products do the job better or if cheaper ones do it worse but, in the absence of points of comparison and evidence to the contrary, I find the price of €39.99 acceptable. As regards daytime use, the glasses appreciably lessen the irritating strobe-like dazzle from intermittent bursts of light within stretches of shadow, but I find that darker lenses give better protection in consistent strong sunlight. In other words, I would not generally consider them a replacement for "proper" sunglasses, though I expect they may well be useful in reducing possible eye fatigue during long drives on bright sunless days. My sole complaint concerns not the lenses, whose effectiveness I can't fault, but the dubious quality of the thin blackened-metal frame. It looks good but feels flimsy, and as such requires more care in handling than, for example, is the case with the similarly light but palpably sturdier frames of premium aviator-style sunglasses such as RayBan or Revo etc. Also, having asked my wife to try on the SIGHTNIGHTs over her daintiest pair of reading-glasses, I can confirm my original pre-purchase suspicion that, contrary to the seller's claim, they are really only suitable for wearing alone - not, of course, that this is a problem for those of us who drive without prescription glasses.

Great photo. Looks like a face-melt special effect in a horror movie.

Yes, I imagine a lot of people would be rather p**sed off.

Unless cat-prints and bird poop are a joint presence on my paintwork, in which case they get equal shares of my hatred, I consider the latter to be the greater evil, largely because it is a potential health hazard. Therefore, when muttering to myself during cleaning operations, I seek comfort - scant as it might be - in the thought that birds luckily seem to target cars (and statues) much more frequently than they do us.

Unfortunately so do I!

Be thankful it only hit the side when it was probably aiming for the middle.

Completely agree. Also recommend SPORT mode as per Bluemarlin above. I hope you realize, John, that over-stimulation of the gastric juices can result in loss of driver concentration, especially on mountain roads.

The name certainly rings a bell. I think I had a pair of yellowish-brown AMBERVISION glasses a long time ago - maybe as far back as the 70s. I used them purely as sunglasses and it never occurred to me that they might have been good for night driving, as indeed they very possibly would have been. Regrettably it came naturally to me to take them off around dusk.

We can only hope the glasses live up to the claims. Having Vlad, generically, plus a Swiss cab driver, brand-specifically, as testimonials, I am optimistic.

I wasn’t talking about Ray Bans, but “classic Ray Ban style” glasses. Try www.sightnight.io or, failing that, www.techfibrr.com for the supplier’s full catalogue.

It's not easy to understand the ins and outs of the motor insurance business, but it would have been logical to predict that, as a result of Covid, when vehicles were used less and accidents and payouts were presumably fewer, that premiums would temporarily have gone down or at least stabilised. That we are seeing the opposite seems to mean that insurers have not seen fit to pass some of their higher profits on to their customers. Or could it be that we are now seeing a delayed higher rebound in premiums after two years of Covid-related stability? The only certainty is that we are not going to get clear explanations from insurance companies and their representatives.

Big swing, that. Like between caviar and baked beans …

I think I might have caught a glimpse of a Polestar, possibly a 2, on the motorway in CH recently, but I've never seen one close up. While seeming rather expensive and perhaps a bit big for my personal taste and needs, they are undoubtedly worth a closer look from a design and performance point of view From pictures I find it difficult to tell if the Scandinavian minimalism of the cabin might not be a bit too spartan for my taste. Interestingly, the association with Volvo should mean that the service network will be adequate from the start, and this is a big plus. Regrettably (though I won't make a drama out of it) I am largely prevented from owning an EV because I live in a building listed as being of historical interest, which means that recharging points cannot be placed anywhere on the outer perimeter or even within view of it. I could probably get around this restriction one way or another but, tbh, I don't really want to. As regards public charging points, Italy is lagging way behind other countries in numbers, and the situation in semi-rural areas and many small towns in particular is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

Although I’ve driven a few Volvos as rentals over the years, I’ve never been a prospective buyer of one. This is mainly because I developed an irrational - and completely unfair - dislike for the marque during the two years I spent working in Scandinavia in the 80s. They were by far the most common “quality” cars throughout the region at the time (and still seem to be today, though less so). You would see them everywhere, often as different generations of the same models with, among them, quite a few ancient but well-kept specimens invariably with “sensible” owners at the wheel. The carefully cultivated - and entirely justified - house image was one of reliability, ruggedness and suitability for the harsh territory and climate. In short, they were solid, muscular and, despite being built by and for people with a Viking heritage, rather boring. Even the company’s CEO, who seemed to give TV interviews every other day, projected an appropriately Viking image in both his name and personal presence. He was called Pehr Gyllenhammar, meaning “Peter Golden Hammer”, which, if you were looking for a horned-helmet vibe, was as good as it gets.

Substitute “RC” for “IS” to exactly reflect my own current thinking.

Nice post, Vlad. It makes me look forward even more to trying the pair I ordered. There’s one thing I don’t quite understand though. Is it the reduced glare that makes things look clearer? I ask because logic tells me that improved clarity of vision should normally occur only with corrective prescription lenses, which neither you or I (hopefully) need.

Malc, I reckon you can already safely un-bate your breath since you won’t be getting much science from me. But, seeing it’s you, and on this one occasion only, I’ll make sure to give my windscreen a few extra wipes before I first try on the glasses.

Yes, I have been indecisive for several years precisely because of the amount of negative literature. And yet it has always been at the back of my mind that thousands of pleased users can’t all be wrong, and that highly reputable lens manufacturers such as Zeiss and Hoya, among others, are not in the business of selling rubbish.

In a cab to Zurich airport last evening I noticed the driver was wearing yellow-tinted classic Ray-Ban style night driving glasses. So, with this thread in mind, I asked him about them, and was told they were called SIGHTNIGHT (not the most imaginative of names, but apt), and are far and away the best of the many brands, including much costlier ones, he has used over the years. Interestingly, he said his personal assessment is mainly based on the ability of this type of glasses to satisfactorily reduce glare from mixed light sources in tunnels in wet conditions (which is a familiar enough problem for drivers in Switzerland and even more of one in countries whose own tunnels are badly maintained by comparison). Anyway, having concluded that the guy knew what he was talking about, I today placed an online order for a pair at €39.99. I should add that the manufacturer claims they can be worn over prescription glasses if needed (which I don’t), but I would be sceptical of this claim insofar as the latter surely come in so many shapes and sizes as to make fits potentially awkward. I’ll report in due course on whether or not they prove to have been a good buy.

I feel this thread should have put a smile on my face but it actually brought tears to my eyes.