Full disclosure. I've made zero. I'm lucky enough to be in a socio-economic bracket (i.e. no mortgage, no children, write my gas off come tax time) where I haven't changed my driving habits an iota. Case in point, I enjoyed a 1,000 mile excursion up to wine country in a gas-guzzling FX50 (review pending) at pretty much 90 mph the entire time. But Sweet Pete doesn't not agree with my lifestyle choices. More on point, he's utterly dismayed at the direction our country is headed, and is using Detroit's tsores as a bellwether for all that's wrong with our country. According to Pete, plenty's wrong. Solution? He's calling for a near Manhattan Project-like national, "mustering [of] this nation's brilliant technical resources and mind power, and unifying it with our manufacturing expertise to forge a new urgency of purpose, with an unwavering focus on getting this country back in shape and on its game." Of course when people talk about big federal projects, what they aren't saying is that we all need to chip in. Only Pete is saying exactly that. Your thoughts?
Category: Question of the Day
The New York Times Sunday magazine offers a profile of conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. In the main, Zev Chofet's article is about as predictable (and informative) as dittoheads' view on "Club Gitmo's" detainees' habeas corpus rights. Call me an unreconstructed Robin Leach fan, but I found Limbaugh's lifestyle more interesting than his politics. On page two of the online version (you're welcome) we learn that El Rushbo drives a "fully-loaded" $450k Maybach 57S (he paid retail?). In fact, the $400m man garages a "half a dozen similar rides on his estate." Quick name six Maybach equivalents. And while you're at it, how many of them have 25-gallon plus gas tanks? 'Cause that would put the cost of a fill-up Rush's rides over the "magic" $100 mark. And that, according to the same august publication, is a significant "financial milestone" (millstone?). Scribe Christopher Maag uses the C-note-plus fill-up to explore its impact on single-make clubs dedicated to gas hogs. Needless to say, they're having to throttle back. Yes, "for people who love their big vehicles, the pain is acute." More for some than for others. You?
Not that I like to toot my own horn (it's so much more pleasurable when Sam leans over and toots it for me), but I believe I've made some solid contributions to the pistonhead gestalt. There is this website, of course. And I'm the guy who gave GM Car Czar his "Maximum Bob" moniker. I also invented Jalopnik's car review format and their fantasy garage feature– which died when Jalopnik's affable Managing Editor Ray Wert and our rhino-skinned Jonnny Lieberman (inventor of the QOTD) parted company. While I don't fancy re-animating the Garage just yet, Jay's post on the Audi R8 got me thinking. If I had a spare ten million of so, what keys would hang in my lockbox? One thing's for sure: there wouldn't be many of them. I've learned the wisdom of the old Zen expression "That which you own owns you." So I'd stick with my Honda Minivan, get RUF to breathe on the Boxster S and stash a Ford GT somewhere safe. Done. You?
Most Americans take their freedoms for granted. Thank God and our soldiers they can. But there is at least one generally recognized icon of our citizens' liberty: the automobile. Ever since the Model T, the fact that car ownership was within reach of the "common man" has been a point of national pride. A big, fancy car/pickup/SUV is still seen as a potent symbol of success. Europeans have long derided America's "love affair" with the automobile as a selfish extravagance. With global warming joining terrorism (and replacing nuclear war) as America's insidious unseen enemy, with gas over $4 a gallon, the average U.S. citizen may be more inclined to agree now than at any time in the last 100 years. Or are they? Has the recent pain at the pump really taken the bloom off the four-wheeled rose? Does the fact that fewer teens are getting their license indicate financial/legal necessity or the iCarly non-future of passionate personal transportation? Personally, I think we're simply exchanging one automotive lover for another. You?
OK, OK. I get it. Cars need less tech 'cause they're too heavy and gas and the polar bears and all that. BUT I saw something today that (kinda) changed my mind. Driving around Hollywood in an Infiniti FX50, my friend went to parallel park the sharp-looking beast. He shifts it into reverse and besides the de rigeur backup camera, the screen also showed a picture of the FX from above with video images of all four sides. No joke, I could see not only the curb, but the white markings painted on the street to indicate a spot. I kept looking and staring and asked, "Is that a satellite image?" I got laughed at. My poor little brain just couldn't handle the fact that four separate cameras were transmitting info back into the vehicle. But, they were. Brilliant. How many times have you smashed a tire or wheel or worse while backing into a spot? If you're me, many times. Conclusion, I love it. What's your favorite new piece of tech?
Before you answer, I suggest you click on over and check what Forbes' Senior car dude Jerry Flint has to say on the subject. Jerry blames "greens," the unions, California, the lawyers, the Asians, the Federal government, bad luck and then, ultimately Detroit's executives. He also raises an interesting point — do we need a domestic auto industry? Back to the blame game, I had a long talk with a friend about the Bullitt Mustang. Why, he wondered, could Ford make such a superlative, desirable muscle car but not a decent small car? And he's right — Detroit excels at making fantastic trucks and stonking sports cars. Viper, Vette, 'Stang? Hell yes. Caliber, Cobalt, Focus? Hell no! Here's my theory — the men and women that go to work for the big 2.8 like building muscle cars and boat haulers. They don't like fuel sippers, and don't want to build them. What do you think?
When word that GMC wouldn't be bothering with a 2nd Gen Acadia hit, I was a bit shocked. But only a bit. The world needs more CUVs like I need a hole in my head. That said, of the three four Lambda based crossovers, I've always liked the Acadia's styling the best. As does the rest of The General's public; it's the best-selling of the bunch. Even weirder, GM is planning some Lambda-based SUTs (4-door pickups) and GMC, the truck division, ain't getting any. The General pulled a similar weird move a few years back when they neglected to kick down an Avalanche to their "Professional Grade" division. The elephant in the room seems to be saying GMC's about to be put out to pasture. Chevrolet is fully capable of handling GM's truck needs. Furthermore, with gasoline cresting $143 per barrel this very morning, an all-truck brand must be screaming "red ink!" into the accountants' ears. You think GMC has a future? Really?
In case you missed it, a GM test engineer named Jim Mero just poppped off a 7:26.4 lap of the famed Nurburgring. This is just weeks after Nissan's GT-R ran the 'Ring in 7:29. What's significant about the ZR1's run: the Chevy did it quicker than the real record holder for production cars, the Pagani Zonda F (7:27). But don't despair– Nissan will soon have a GT-R Spec V with more power and carbon fiber (i.e. faster and lighter) to (probably) dethrone the fastest ever Chevy. And Honda's going to make a push with their new NSX. And Porsche's refreshed 911 Turbo might beat the ZR1. You know Lexus' LF-A will. And my question is: So? Who cares? What difference does it make if car A can go around a stretch of German road faster than car B? Right? But, there's always another hand. The Nurburgring Norschleife is favored by companies looking to tune road cars; the 'Ring offers nearly all possible road condition in one (kinda) convenient seven-mile stretch. Also, the track is in fact open to the public– which makes it much somehow more interesting. I mean, imagine you're hot lapping a billion dollar test mule, you come upon Bergwerk, heel and toe to slow yourself and suddenly come upon some jackass in a GTI having the joyride of his life. How cool is that? Or is it?
Gas is more expensive than ever and because everything else costs two arms and/or legs, much more painful to purchase. Many consumers are switching to fuel-sippers or looking for something completely different (EV and Hydrogen, not hooning sheiks). Regardless, cars are more powerful than ever. Even cars that aren't here yet are going to be more powerful than ever. Examples? The new 911 Turbo is up 20 hp. The M5 is growing in displacement and probably leaping in power. MB's upcoming Gullwing will be in the 750 horse ballpark. Audi's S4 will be dropping two cylinders, but gaining 10 hp and gobs of torque. And that's just the Germans. The 2009 Maxima is up to 290 horses. The 2010 Mustang, despite losing its big-block 6.2-liter Boss V8, should grow to 5.0-liters and make much more than 300 horses. Then there's that Camaro SS which very well might have over 500 horsepower, the 550 hp CTS-V and the 638 pony ZR1. These are just off the top of my OCD head. Is "more POWA!" the future, or has the entire industry been caught without pants and excuses?
A bit of navel gazing is good for the soul. When I sent in the Volkswagen V10 TDI review, I knew that ranking it as a 5-star vehicle would prove to be a bit controversial. But, let me restate why I rated the behemoth like that. First and foremost, the Touareg has the finest interior in terms of materials, controls and fit & finish I've yet encountered. The power is Biblical. The ride is subliminal. The handling is an engineering feat for the ages. And did I mention the power? I'm well aware that the fuel mileage, price and badge are wrong, but so what? If I'd driven this car when diesel was cheap, I only would've loved it that much more. Yet reading through the comments, people were shocked I gave such a gas hog so many stars. Though I remember almost zero complaints when Sajeev gave the Ferrari F430 5-stars, and it's gets much worse mileage. Others couldn't believe I didn't take depreciation into account. Still others were upset that the Touareg could "only" tow 7,700 pounds. Towing? Depreciation? Really? These should be part of our star system? When I was writing up the review I remember thinking to myself, "If this sucker isn't 5-stars, what is?" So I'm asking you — what is?
Like all of TTAC's writers, Glenn Swanson came to us as a reader with a "real job:" IT administrator for a Connecticut public school. As a public servant, Glenn specializes in stories where personal liberty and automobiles intersect– sometimes literally. He wrote our three-part Presidential Primer, investigating White House hopefuls' stances on auto-related issues. He also has a taste for true crime, such as this piece about a stripper who "borrowed" someone's identity to buy a 2005 Maserati. In all cases, Glenn brings righteous indignation and a sardonic sense of humor to the keyboard; he's also the only contributor whose OCD rivals mine ("this is the final version"). Glenn's wife emails: "About 3 weeks ago, he ended up in the hospital and has been diagnosed with a form of Leukemia. Therefore, he won’t be able to write for TTAC for awhile as he focuses on his recovery. He does have his laptop with him in the hospital and is keeping up to date with the site." I reckon Glenn doesn't need any of that "fight the good fight" stuff. I bet he needs a good laugh. So, what's the funniest thing that ever happened to you in a car? For me, it was a cop shining his flashlight on some hash wrapped in aluminum foil. "What's that?" he asked. "Aluminum foil," I replied. "Oh," he answered. Happy times.
[for more of Glenn's work Google site:thetruthaboutcars.com "glenn swanson"]
Warning: Today's question is not about your first car. Though we suppose there could be overlap. But what I'm interested in is the car that was used to teach you to drive. When I was eleven-years-old I got into a weird fight with my dad. He said that no Japanese car could be worth $20,000. This was in 1986 and the Legend (so to speak) had just been born. I explained to him that the buff books were all saying very good things about Honda's new luxury brand. My dad loved Datsun Zs and sporty Hondas, but just couldn't wrap his head around that level of sticker shock. So the two of us went down to the brand new Acura Dealer to investigate. A few hours later we drove off with a brand new champagne-colored Integra. It had leather seats (the first car my father ever had so equipped) and a $13,995 sticker price. I mention this because when it came time to get my learner's permit and then take the big test, that Integra served me well. But was it the first car I learned on? My memory banks are a bit foggy. I remember when I was seven or so sitting in the passenger seat of a Nissan Sentra wagon and yelling, "Clutch!" Dad was teaching me how to shift. Then when I was ten I remember he let me drive our enormous Buick wagon up and down a dirt road. His logic being that he learned to drive at twelve, and had never had an accident, ten-years-old would be even safer. But in truth, I gotta go with that brown on brown Integra. You?
While my old man was a died-in-the-wool hoon, there were certain cars he'd never buy. Convertibles were the big one. He must have lectured me 500 times, "Contrary to what people assume, the convertible is always going to be heavier and slower than the hard top." Cowl shake, too. Of course he's right, as anyone familiar a 3-Series drop top can attest to. However, little in life feels as right as driving with the top down. I mention this because I'm thinking about a Miata. My girlfriend's lame duck (to put it kindly) Ford Focus needs to be put out to pasture. We need a second car. And since my WRX already has 5 doors and there's only two of us, why not a convertible? I mean, hello, LA? If not here, where? Feel like talking me out of it? Better yet, talk me into it.
There's a fascinating new study out of Colorado that suggests bumper stickers are actually road rage warning labels. Here's the jist: "Equating bumper stickers with a warning label, the research of social psychologist William Szlemko indicates that people who apply the rearward-facing declarations to their cars are much more likely to use their cars to show rage on the road than people without such stickers, reports the Washington Post. The message of the bumper stickers themselves has no relevance to the result; peaceful messages of unity are just as much a warning sign as are offensive or hostile statements." I've never thought too highly of announcing anything to the world from the back of my car. Full disclosure: I've had one bumper sticker in my life– my old band. However, when I was in junior high a friend and I ordered a bunch of screw stickers from the back of National Lampoon (squares with a picture of a screw) and ran all over town modifying Chevy Suburbans to read "I [screw] My Children" and "I [screw] My Horse." Hey, I was 12. You?
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