They call it vampire capitalism: corporate loan sharks preying on the poor and having them thrown in jail when they can’t pay interest rates often in excess of one thousand percent. The newest and most distasteful face of vampire capitalism is the title pawn provider. Although TTAC has discussed the issue in the past, I’m embarrassed to note that we’ve failed to be as aggressive as we could be in discussing the evils of the title pawn business, in part because this site was previously affiliated with a contributor who had strong ties to that industry.

Not to worry, I suppose; what we were unwilling to do, the New York Times has ably accomplished.

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Two Chryslers, both alike in dignity (In fair Miami, where we lay our scene)

When it comes to junior “supercars”, the Ferrari 458 is as good as it gets. So why is it in second place, with this significantly less well-rounded and well-realized McLaren on top of the podium? Mostly, it’s focus, and preference. The focus is courtesy of McLaren; the preference is all mine.

It costs $233,509, and it’s genuinely worth the money. That’s the first thing I want you to know about the Ferrari 458 Italia. The second thing is that, once again, I’m driving the wrong 458 for the job.

The idea of a rear-wheel-drive Gallardo was so obvious that it’s a wonder it took six years for it to appear on the market as a limited edition and another year after that to join the standard lineup. Indeed, the 550-2 was popular from the moment it appeared in dealer order sheets, though not for […]

I truly love the Best&Brightest of TTAC. So much so that one of the common attack vectors used by my involuntarily-celibate, low-T, sub-neurotypical detractors is to parody that affection in a manner that reveals more about their fumbling attempts to interact with their “MLP:FiM” Meetups than it does about my admittedly wide range of personal […]

Let’s start with this: Under no circumstances is a Lamborghini Gallardo “just an Audi R8”. The Gallardo was already old hat by the time the R8 arrived, having gone through three model years and one major revision. If anything, the R8 is a Gallardo, not the other way ’round. Except it isn’t, which is both […]

When it comes to rental supercar tests, the people have spoken! And you’re going to get five of the original eight cars ranked between today and Saturday. But when you choose five from eight, you still have three that didn’t make the cut. I’ll explain why below.

Hey! Remember that movie Drop Zone, with Wesley Snipes? No? Well, there’s a character in the movie who won’t speak to someone until he’s jumped out of a plane with them. After all, his reasoning presumably goes, you can’t know what someone’s made of until you skydive with them. Luckily, he ends up doing a very daring jump with Wesley Snipes and therefore he can talk to Wesley Snipes from then on.

I felt the same way about Jalopnik’s Travis Okulski. Until he and I drove the inaugural AER enduro, I didn’t know or care much about him. Over the course of two days, I saw his character as a racer: fast, careful, intelligent, conservative when necessary. I grew to really like him. Which is just one of the reasons I’m so pleased to read his latest editorial on The Site That Reports On Cars Almost As Often As They Raise Awareness On Gender And Race Issues.
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The lives of Millennials are often filled with regrets about the previous night. You spent too much money on craft beer; you lied to your eco-aware, renewable-resource-friendly, feminist-ally boyfriend about your whereabouts so you could meet some convicted felon in a stairwell of an “Aloft” hotel and have unprotected intercourse; that old Ra Ra Riot song came on and you started crying so hard you pissed yourself.

But for many Millennials and people of other generations as well, last night’s strongest regrets have to do with a car-sharing service.

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Hey! You! Over there in the corner! I see you looking at that leather-interior Accord or Camry or Altima or Fusion or whatever. How’d you like to buy a lot more car for just a little more money?

Long-time followers of my racing adventures, if there are any, will know that my trips to Houston have been less than perfectly satisfying and/or marked by misbehavior. By contrast, my stint behind the wheel of a 944 Turbo in the LeMons Gator-O-Rama was probably my sanest Texas trip in years. It didn’t hurt that I […]

How many government employees does it take to equal a cellphone app?

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Can you surry, can you picnic? I’m still trying to figure that one out. But I’ll tell you this: if you drink and drive in Surrey, you’re going to be put on blast, as the kids say. (“Kids”, in this case, means “35-year-olds who listen to Eminem”, btw.)

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Today’s young drivers don’t believe it, but before 1973 and from 1995 to 1998, there really was effectively no speed limit on Montana freeways. In 1998, in response to a traitor’s motorist’s decision to contest his “reasonable speed” tickets all the way to the Montana Supreme Court, a limit of 75mph was imposed.

That limit may be raised in short order.

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