As someone who solicited and edited Brock Yates’ rants, and then didn’t, I can identify the former Car and Driver superstar’s style in a single sentence. “Now I tell the truth for a living,” “The Mechanic” declares on Edmunds Straightline, tweaking TTAC. “A good living. I get big checks to write this garbage. Big enough that I can buy any car I want. OK, that’s a stretch. The Mechanic cannot afford a Rolls or a Bugatti, but I’ve got money to spend. And I’ve got good taste. I’m also college-educated. Literate. And I appreciate the best. When I spend my money I spend it on quality goods. And the car I choose to be seen in must be a quality item. The finest of its kind. In other words, I would not buy an American car. It’s hard for me to even type that. Fact is, I’d like to buy an American car, a great American car. It just doesn’t exist.” It’s hard to tell if “The Mechanic” actually is a [heavily re-written] Brock Yates. But this much is for sure: publishing this belligerent throw-down under a pseudonym demonstrates Edmunds’ fear of losing its advertising revenue. In fact, I reckon it’s only a matter of time before those sponsors fix The Mechanic, if you know what I mean. [Thanks to HarveyBirdman for the link]
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
Literate? “I’ve got …”!?
It’s such a crappy series and idea.
My question to those who demand “the best”:
In your own work, do you provide “the best”?
I once reviewed a book critical of Detroit. The author spoke lovingly of the perfection of her Lexus. The book contained dozens of errors of fact in the first two chapters alone.
Do Americans who demand cars better than those provided by Detroit really think the people creating these cars are a different species than themselves?
It’s easy to say, “Yes, I provide the best.” Detroit says it all the time. But really?
I read that op-ed yesterday, and was almost feeling like writing to that guy that he should chill out a bit. I don’t care about his paycheck or him “wanting the best”, but about reading a good piece. And that one was just poor. Not only does he waste the first half describing how great he is, but his arguments are then full of it.
I’m no GM fan, but didn’t the CTS-V just lap a record time on the Nurnburgring?
Michael Karesh :
I once reviewed a book critical of Detroit. The author spoke lovingly of the perfection of her Lexus. The book contained dozens of errors of fact in the first two chapters alone.
That wouldn’t happen to have been The End of Detroit by Micheline Maynard would it?
She couldn’t even keep the names of some of the carmakers straight. Several times she referred to Suzuki as Subaru and vice versa.
Can’t imagine it’s Brock. Can’t imagine he would boast of getting a “big paycheck” (since I doubt Edmunds has more than three digits on its CheckWriter). And Brock has been able to buy any car he wanted for 20 years or more, little of which had anything to do with what C/D paid him.
Could be wrong–who, me?–but I’m, to coin a phrase, just sayin’.
I read that yesterday. I thought it was a piece of self-indulgent blatherskite. When an anonymous writer says things akin to “I only accept the best” I’m assured he is drinking Maxwell House “Master Blend” in a “#1 Dad” cup (from a garage sale) and putting himself to sleep (alone) after a drinking a bottle of Earnest & Borgnine’s White Zinfandel.
He probably drives a beat up white 240D with ripped leather and a cracked dash (with requisite fuzzy dash carpet) and has a poster of a Ferrari in his bedroom, too.
AKM,
It was actually the writer’s self-absorbed ranting that made me think it might be Yates. Ultimately, it feels more like the author, whomever it is, has been given a column to troll for 2.8 loyalists with bombastic language and bad logic. If this is merely an alter-ego for one of Edmunds’ top editors, the guy needs to get on some tranquilizers or else should be kept liquor-free while writing.
Looking at the entire “Mechanic” blog, there were several “Separated at Birth” entries. Didn’t Car and Driver have these in their opening section fairly frequently back when Yates was on board? Just more pieces to a very strange puzzle.
Probably wrong.
Brock owns a Hummer… and a (once Ford owned) Jaguar XJ…
He’s also a man of substance. Even though many have issues with that mass of mind matter.
I would think his writing of ‘The Mechanic’ is about as probable as the Pirates winning a World Series this decade.
@ Hank and HarveyBirdman :
I hear you, gents.
The writing seems to young to be someone Brock’s age. It reads like too much like typical internet “my car is awesome because your car sucks” crap
Can’t imagine he’d even remotely like the G8.
Very interesting read. What a jackass!!!
His persepective on cars is skewed, too. Engineering a car that’s 90% of a car 200% it’s price takes alot of effort, and all this moron can do is “Yawn.”
CTS isn’t better than the E-class? It’s 20k cheaper, has more HP, and a more modern interior. Haven’t driven it, so can’t comment further, but it’s a good car on paper and pictures. E350 feels like a tank when driving and has the nameplate, but better? On all fronts?
What a loser!!!! -slap Mechanic-
But you guys loved him when he was here. What gives?
It seems to me that Edmunds is merely interested in creating some sort of mythical super-hero alter-ego for this feature, regardless of who the writer actually is. Check out the introduction… total ripoff of The Stig.
AKM: Pretty sure it set a record for production sedan at The Ring.
And the Viper ACR just set a record for production car (period) at The Ring.
But American cars suck, don’t you know.
Sure, there’s plenty of crappy American cars out there. There are also many crappy European and Asian cars, most people just fail to mention them. While America may not have a marque to compete with Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. it does have the capability to build great performing cars. Cadillac has made a great stride with the CTS, but let’s hope GM can hang around long enough to finish the job
The Corvette, CTS-V, and the Viper all show that when the bean counters stay out, Americans can make excellent vehicles.
Is this Yates? I doubt it.
He references a recent conversation with his father. But Yates must be over 70 himself. There’s no way his father is alive; or if alive, is lucid.
Nor do I think Yates is still drawing big paychecks, esp. on the web. In fact, Car and Driver ostensibly let him go because of those big paychecks. And there are plenty of web auto journalists who are just as good as Yates, yet work for less (namely, RF).
Finally, I don’t think Yates would give such a blanket condemnation of American iron. The Yates I know would likely buy imported, but he MIGHT buy something domestic. Yates likely has 4-5 cars in his stable. I’m sure at least one is a recent domestic.