Shhhhhh don’t remind them they left cars off and are not as bright as they think they are. If they believe that list covered the issue and will resolve all ills just wait.
Most of these weenies call the Challenger a Charger anyway. I experience more D-bags in Audis, BMW's and Subarus around here than the typical Pony car or Charger.
I was reading reddit because I am a moron and wandered over the the /r/audi and the amount of people who tie their very existence to a 2016 A6 is staggering. I like cars, they are cool, fun and can be beautiful, but they should not define your existence. You aren't a better human being for buying an Audi... Unless it's an S4 of course.
7,500 for a custom color is what the salesman told me if they'll even do it anymore. I'm tempted to get a ridiculous green or orange wrap. Dark blue being the wildest color they sell was depressing. 8 different colors with 7 of those being some variant of gray.
I tried to see if they’d still do the Porsche color thing on an S3, wanted to get one in Yachting blue with red interior. The answer was a solid no; dealer didn’t care to bother doing it.
10 years ago ordering our rs7 the dealer had computer access to about 30 colors--with no pictures of any of them! they were just opening some sort of factory customization deal i haven't heard any more about
I was filling my car when a young lady pulled up in a new Nissan Z with, of all things, a white marble pattern wrap. The thing looked like a rolling sculpture. I would not consider it myself, but it was truly striking.
Part of me wishes they would still come with stick but I promised the wife I'd get something she could also drive. The biggest difference I noticed between the A4 and S4 was the sound. The S4 sounds awesome where the A4 sounds exactly what you'd expect a 2.0 liter turbo to sound like.
Replace every “Audi” mention with “Tesla”, change “2016 A6” to “2022 M3P”, and strike “Unless it’s an S4 of course.” I made the mistake of laying eyes on the Tesla subreddit once... biggest cluster of circle-jerking I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing.
Back in my (much regretted) Audi days I found Quattroworld very helpful with troubleshooting advice, of which I had much need. A friendly group back then.
I think more V8 Challengers also get picked up as cruisers by older boomer types who want a “fun” weekend or daily car versus the Charger crowd. Kind of like the American lower priced BMW 6 coupe.
I had one a couple of weeks ago as well. My initial impression was that the tires must have had 50psi in them, they didn't. How can a car with so much body roll ride so poorly over expansion joints and cracked pavement?
The only, obvious reason for Final Edition press cars to exist is so that these jagoffs can write yet another hackneyed story about the bold transition to an EV future it represents.
The most recent episode of the Carmudgeon (Cammisa) podcast featured nearly an hour of his proclamations about the best handling car … in the world … ever.
The Lucid Air Sapphire!
I really want to drive one - any trim - to see for myself what the fuss is all about.
If I could get a half decent senior tech role in "The city", by which I mean Columbus, I could see being very happy with a Lucid Air Touring. The only issue is that I'd be at work while the sun was on my solar panels, and at home when it was dark!
full of badass battery power as they hi ho hum down the road. Just like your refrigerator, your dishwasher, and your vacuum cleaner, now your car can be electric, too!
I’ve finally listed my ‘01 Miata. It needs to be gone by thanksgiving, because my Boxster needs to take its place in the garage for the winter and because I just don’t need it anymore.
136,000 miles, blue over tan LS, new continental extreme contact tires, new alternator, window regulators, top. I love the car, bought it with my first ever political paycheck. But it’s time.
I’ve got it listed at $7450, which seems lower than what’s on autotrader rn. But since it needs to go, and since I appreciate the advice and wisdom of our commentariat and Jack’s frequent kindness to me, I’ll offer a significant discount to any ACF reader who wants it. If you’re in WV, OH, PA, VA, KY, or any nearby state I’ll drive it to you; if you come get it (car is in Parkersburg, WV) I’ll buy dinner at the nicest local restaurant or throw in a detail.
Jack should have my contact info, but my email is p c g b r y c e at gmail dot com. If nobody bites, I’m selling it at a mild loss to the dealership I worked at in high school; the Boxster top is leaking and it can’t spend winter outside in my driveway.
I'll be level with you: If it wasn't for the fact I'm out of cash and out of space, I'd be making tracks your location as we speak. I trust pretty much everyone here implicitly. I'm just annoyed at the decisions I've made that prevents me from taking you up on what would amount to a screaming deal on a Miata (and food).
That would likely upset the rather pretty ex-stripper (who has, strangely, become the first girl out of the last 10 to actually win my mother’s approval--of course, mom only knows she’s in cosmetology school, nothing else) snoring away in my bedroom at the moment while I’m working on something for said client.
It’s entirely possible I buy a Bandit or Ninja or VFR, but at this rate probably more Zegna trousers and silk ties. My mother can only stand so much cardiac angst with my Boxster. It also half goes to repay a loan to my dad, which covered a lack of liquidity when I bought the A4.
Something something “I’ve pulled your chestnuts out of about 53 fires, from the time you crushed your kindergarten nemesis with a lifetime table to the time you simultaneously managed to blow two Golf tires in Volga, West Virginia in the dead of winter. Repay me”
My father is a lot of things, struggling not among them. He’s thrice retired from IT consulting and still goes back to consult with old clients, owns several businesses in the real estate and contracting realm, and multiple homes. He doesn’t need the money in any way, what he gave me he probably made back within the next 2 or 3 days, but we’re both Eagle Scouts and reciprocity is expected. It’s an honor thing :)
We took a moderate ($30k) 10-day bridge loan from my in-laws between when we bought our current house and sold our old one. Literally just to avoid having to move same day or put stuff into storage or whatever. Brought him a check for the amount after 10 days and second closing. He said “give me half, pay me the second half next year.” Wife says fine.
Couple months later she’s at his house and he starts giving her a hard time about “well I was gonna do X but you haven’t paid me back yet…”. To her credit, wife drove home, got her checkbook, and wrote him a $15k check right then and there. And then told him to fuck off. Looking forward to pissing on his grave. Fuck that guy.
Yup. He was an exec at Motorola for years. He’s sitting on plenty. And because he was a “big shot” (basic VP, not that big a shot) he thinks no one can ever tell him shit. He’s probably got some Aspergers and has a real tough time with interpersonal relationships. I don’t care, fuck him.
Yeah, I paid off my first in-laws IMMEDIATELY because I knew that I'd hear about it for the rest of my life. There wasn't even a pretense of doing anything beyond the easy minimum
We had some difficulty when we first moved to Japan and my wife's parents gave us some money to help us out. We saved a bit and within a year showed up at their house to repay them. He tried to refuse, but our mother-in-law made him take it. He's gifted it back to us several times over in the years since, but I think the gesture helped him accept a filthy foreigner as part of his family.
My mom offered to cover a new floor for my house when money was tight. Something like three grand. Not a ton of money. She reneged on the offer when she didn't like the flooring we picked out. I'm used to it, she's a control freak, annoying but I moved on. My parents have paid over 100k for my education, gave (gave, not loaned) me the 20k bridge I needed to get to 20% on my house, and I currently owe my dad just south of 100k because he helped me with the down payment on buying out my old boss/his former business partner which I can probably pay back early to mid next year.... but my wife will never let the fucking 3k for the floors go.
I was OK with the initial loan. It was 10 days and there was no way we wouldn’t have the money. I was not okay with the “pay me back next year.” I wanted to be out from under his thumb.
I covered drinks and food for who was at the time my best friend over the course of a year or so. When we agreed on the $265 he owed me, he split from me on everything when I asked for it back.
He also bought a bike in this time and some other things.
Conversely, blue cars are my favorite. If it weren’t for my dad’s recalcitrance to ride with me to Baton Rouge, I’d be driving a blue A5 Sportback Prestige.
Part of me is tempted in spite of the color, and the fact that NBs are my least favorite. I have the garage space, and the money, and I'm less than three hours away.
Guarantee I wouldn't keep it too long before it gets traded on something else, though. A new ND if I love it, and a truck if I hate it. So I'd just assume somebody who wants it more gets a shot at it first. Keep me posted if you don't get any takers.
I’d work with you if you’re interested. I’m a flexible seller; just need the space for the Boxster. It’s a very fun car, and I’ve had some good memories in it--not as many as I’d like, but the Boxster is making up for that.
You should probably list it on Craigsilst just in case. The parameterized email alerts are very convenient for buyers who aren't able to be on FB 24/7.
Tempting as I just sold my 2003 GTI but the jury still seems out to me how well a 6'2 200lb guy fits in a miata. The one time I wish for a smaller frame is when Miata is spoken.
Good to know, mostly worried about headroom. I think my 2024 calling will be a LS2 C6 (cheaper than LS3) as I know I fit in those with a Mustang as backup. Challengers, as fond of them as I am, are expensive to insure around here for obvious reasons.
I’m reasonably sure that 300 was damaged or abused in some way before it was placed in to the (apparently already snowy) Ontario press fleet. Years ago (here in Canada) I drove a Saturn Sky press car and while showing it to my friend at his shop, we decided to put it up on the hoist to see what they’d done to a Cobalt or Cavalier or whatever to make it a sports car. Lo and behold, the subframe had an absolutely massive dent in it - this thing looked like it was dropped on an I-beam at some point. I’d guess they cobbled together a literal factory second at the plant or shined up the training mule and sent it out to pasture in the hands of hapless auto writers, various people who apparently are still able to draw (probably a retirement) income off outlets like Driving.ca and would otherwise have no way of telling if a car wasn’t quite right (I’m sure it isn’t)
Hope you have an excellent day, my birthday brother!
Nov 8, 2023·edited Nov 8, 2023Liked by Jack Baruth
A new possible use for EVs?
I must admit that I'm looking at a battery system for my solar power system. Currently I use my electrical co-op. Because battery backups that'll run the house start around $20K and only go up from there and we're on a trunk - so power is dependable.
But then suddenly, a thought occurs: How much are EV's? And don't I get a tax write off? If I don't register or insure it, because I'm really just using it as a back up, will it be CHEAPER for me to buy one instead?
I think I need to run some price comparisons this weekend and find out how much a two-way charger would cost...
Not sure if you're familiar with congressman Thomas Massie, but I remember seeing a tweet from him where he showed that his backup system is the battery from a totalled electric car.
For 99% of people, that's true with all solar. I just had a client pay 95k to set up his house for solar. Net 65k after tax credits. It would take 5-10 years minimum without factoring in the time value of money or repairs to ever get back to making money.
My electrical bill isn't exactly low, and I put in a solar power system to address about half of what I use - and this month they just raised the cost of electricity by almost 20 percent across the state. So waiting for the inevitable brownouts....
I can't wait until we get to start rationing everything! Not just our electricity, but our natural gas, our water, our food. Just think how fun it will be to stand in bread lines with all your friends! You could make a day of it! The bright, bold new future ahead is bright, my friend. Very bright. So long as you ignore the blackouts.
Biden wants to bring an UNLIMITED number of those very same Palestinians who turned Lebanon from the resort jewel it once was, to the hell hole it is today!!
And they WILL because the 'Palestianians' have set up 'states inside of states' where they rule (like warlord despots) in EVERY country they've been in! Hence why Egypt and Jordan will kill them if they ever come back!
So if you don't have a couple guns, better go buy 'em now! Because in a few years, you are going to NEED one, just to protect yourself from those peace loving and ever oppressed people.
Here in the UP, almost every single person I know has a complete arsenal in their closet at home and/or in their cabin out at camp. Occasionally on the weekends I can hear my neighbors shooting. It's very festive.
Like they've been doing with a dozen MENA countries for decades? It just happens to be Palestinians now because the Israelis want to terraform it before the USA goes tits up.
Mass immigration does not benefit mature economies, nobody has a right to be an American except Americans, and we have no moral or philosophical obligation to let anyone in.
Is a $20k battery backup really better than $5-10k of nat gas Generac standby? I guess if you’re in an area with no nat gas, but otherwise, that’s where I’d spend my $$$.
We have propane. And I've thought about that as well. It's about $10K here for a generator installed. The advantage of a battery is that I don't have to worry about the cost of propane going up, or supply shortages.
So it's a matter of trying to figure out what's coming and staying one step ahead. That's why I got the solar power system, because I knew power was going to get more expensive as no one is building any new capacity, but they're pushing electric cars to consume what's already lacking.
Right now, my co-op works as a battery, I get back what I put in for (effectively) free. But they don't generate any power, so for all that I may have faith in them, I don't have faith in their suppliers. Thing is, Texas has known for over a decade that they were running out of power.
But because of all those bribed politicians we got a bunch of windmills all over the place that are a new loss to the system. Rather than Nukes or Gas or Coal, that are net gains.
As for the windmills, the amount of ecological damage they're doing is huge. One of these days someone is going to win a major lawsuit and they'll all be outlawed overnight.
They also missed Challengers somehow? I honestly thought that was a fake/photoshop pic in the spirit of satirizing what these Cars and Coffees have become.
Exotics haven't been exciting for some time. Now, if I see a spotless 90s Eddie Bauer or a clean early 80s Lesabre on the road? Now those are genuine "head turners" for me.
I know how incredibly lame and sad it is, but that is absolutely the appeal to RadWood and the like for me. Went to the Philly one a couple years ago and saw an absolutely *mint* second gen Probe GT. What a fine car that I absolutely never see!
But how else could one truly appreciate a low mileage third-gen Maxima without a seven figure investment from an insurance company and teal hats you can buy for only $35 though?
We have those big button plates to open the door for people in wheelchairs (aren't any here), and everybody pushes THOSE instead of the door bar. However, half the people who work here walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator.
Because hoofing it up two flights of warehouse stairs is fine, but it's too much work to open a door.
The banning specific cars thing is stupendously ill-informed.. those three aren't the only cars that can and will do a burnout, but it sounds more like someone saying "we don't like YOUR KIND around here".
@Jack: You can cream your pants all you want, Yuki is no closer to a Red Bull seat. Arguably he exists more to entertain than who you're calling 'washed up' having dragged multiple dogs up to the podium.
I thought this might be a hard weekend for you! I agree that Yuki will never get that seat, although one wonders why Honda didnt push harder for it. Don't people in Japan drink Red Bull?
Its not a hard weekend for me at all. Any weekend with good racing is good. Note that both the Australians were on the receiving end of a rules quirk that had them a lap down through no fault of their own.
Honda can't just demand that a Japanese driver gets a seat in the best team on the grid at all other expense. They did not commit the level to resources to make such demands.
Also the days of Honda having much sway in the Red Bull fold are numbered.
Yuki on his own has NOT demonstrated anything more than flashes of competence.
You are WRONG, my friend. But when I came back from my years over there and walked through a gas station convenience store for the first time in a long time I wanted to cry at the horrible drink selection available compared to there. Family Mart>Speedway.
When I watch dashcam videos of people driving around Tokyo on YouTube, it seems like there's a Family Mart and a Lawson about every mile. There must be ten thousand of them each in the Tokyo area.
Honda is entitled to one seat of the four that Red Bull controls.
Yuki’s path forward is to hop to Aston Martin - or whatever it will be called at that point - in 2026, when Honda becomes their power unit supplier (and Red Bull is building their own power unit with a Ford sticker on it; note that Ford is PAYING Red Bull $30MM / year for the privilege - and that’s a fucking deal given Andretti’s travails).
Red Bull makes $30MM / year and has someone to blame if (or when) the Red Bull-designed power unit fails to meet Verstappen’s expectations.
Ford gets to pretend they’re in the big leagues for only $30MM / year; imagine the egg on the face at GM if Red Bull Ford is dominant and Andretti Cadillac is outside the 107% threshold, assuming John Malone doesn’t mercy kill their bid.
Imagine having … $300K (or whatever) … to spend on your choice of mid-engined junior supercar or “special” paint to sample 911 or a monster truck (or whatever) and being excited to spend a weekend morning (1) getting up super early, (2) driving to a parking lot in the burbs, (3) parking your trophy next to other cars just like it, (4) and standing around drinking stale coffee while entertaining the advances of carspotters. And then if you’re lucky, someone in their pony / muscle car will crash into you as they leave.
Nov 8, 2023·edited Nov 8, 2023Liked by Jack Baruth
Shhh, people watching the exotic owners and the gargoyles they let ride shotgun at these events is my favorite part. I don't want them to become self aware and stop coming. There is even a specific show for these people here that requires an annual membership to join. It is always a toss up what there will be more of, Lambos or bad Botox.
The website caption was “people in chicago were jealous of people in LA so they hosted their own event in…. Peoria. “Peoria is a dump probably 2 hours away from Chicago depending on what part of Chicago you leave from.
Depends on you perspective i guess. I go to one a few times a year but it's not check out supercars or to show off my own not-supercar. It's little gems you find in the sea of relatively mundane cars that make it worth it for me.
Last time it was an absolutely beautiful restromod E30 M3
I read somewhere that the reason so many guys cause trouble in Mustangs is because they're the most common, most affordable RWD car, so it's the first step up from that turbo Civic.
"Oh, my EK had 300 horsepower, Just like this S197. No problem!"
Yes problem, if you've only ever driven FWD or AWD, and half of those were slushboxes. 300 naturally-aspirated horses through the ass end is totally different from the dog-dragging-its-ass-on-the-carpet FWD turbo-four you thought was the shit
Most of all they came with some aggressive summer only tires that wear out rapidly and are very sensitive to temperature and conditions. So if you’re used to economy cars, and you get in a RWD car with relatively twitchy handling on tires that you don’t expect to be bald after 6k miles and it’s rainy and under 40*, you’re going to have a real bad time.
I shall not defend the elitist, curated C&C crowd, but the primary reason the Mustang/Charger/Challenger crowd was banned is due to losing two prior venues due to people sideshowing. They averaged out the offenders and here we are.
Note how they didn’t ban any Z cars, Infinitis, WRXs, GTIs, Civics, donks, slabs, C4 Corvettes, G8s, GTOs, or 240SX.
I’d rather have an event with restrictions than no show at all.
I suppose so. I'd rather stay at home and clean my Radicals than drive somewhere to watch a bunch of nerds standing next to 1200-mile brand-new supercars.
But think of all the FUEL RUN and GUMBALL stickers you’re missing out on! Not to mention the rare chance for someone to loudly explain why their 1,200-mile 2018 California T is going to be a surefire blue-chip collectible.
Don’t forget the caterpillar mustaches, telephoto lenses, and autism speaks vibes.
As I said above, the guy with the $300K - or more! - “exotic” car is taking precious time out of his weekend to show up and *perform* for those people.
Alonso might be the most adaptable open-wheeled driver since Rindt. I think Lewis’ bad weekends are so infrequent that they tend to get magnified, while Alonso’s chances to show his skill are so scarce that they get almost over-exaggerated. I appreciate both drivers, and who’s better depends on the conditions and circuit, not an easy answer.
I don't really understand Chrysler's strategy. Setting aside the idiocy of ev stuff Chrysler has been starved of product for over a decade. Killing the 300 just exacerbates that. I don't know why they can't just adapt it for the hurricane 6 and sell it for another decade. As it stands now they are going to roll out with a Pacifica and eventually some EV that costs a billion dollars that nobody wants.
Separate and unrelated, I wonder if the current interest environment will cause manufacturers (not just auto) to diverge from the dollar tree/Tiffany strategy and possibly cater to the middle. Wishful thinking perhaps
The poor HAVE TO buy any piece of crap you put in front of them, regardless of quality.
The rich WILL buy any piece of crap you put in front of them, regardless of quality.
The middle will fight you tooth-and-nail on price, negotiate you to the bone after that, complain endlessly about quality and continually demand improvements.
The Alonso / Checo battle was the highlight of this F1 season for me, along with qualifying in Monaco. It was a good clean drive for Checo, but he's still back battling with Alonso while Max is cruising 35 seconds up the road with pace in reserve.
It's hard to compare drivers in different cars, so I have no idea how Alonso and Hamilton compare pace wise, but it terms of racecraft, I think Alonso blows him away. Of course part of this is because of his career moves, a lot of the time canny racecraft was all Alonso had to rely on.
Re Danny vs Yuki, it's really too bad a flying tire robbed us of a chance to really see them head to head this race. Before Danny's injury, I was in the can Checo ASAP camp, but now I think RBRs apparent strategy of wait and see which Checo shows up in 24 and let Danny/Yuki fight it out in the same car until then is a good one. Checking off the 'finish the drivers championship 1-2' box this year ironically makes canning Checo mid season in 24 easier.
In addition to his well-documented F1 exploits, I recall watching him in person at various races (Le Mans, Indy, Daytona 24, Sebring). One memory in particular: during his Daytona 24 victory, he was in for a relatively early night stint (before midnight). It was cold, windy, and terribly rainy (the race was ultimately red-flagged). He drove his Cadillac like a man possessed, scything in and out of traffic and making series regulars with vastly more experience of the car, tires, track, traffic, rules, etc. look like mobile chicanes. I remember watching from a (mercifully) covered awning in the high banks (from which you can see the entirety of the track). Alonso exited the bus stop sideways and had overtaken two other DPi competitors for position before he reached the spot where Earnhardt crashed. He passed them like they were in reverse!
I have been a Porsche “VIP” each year that I’ve been to the Daytona 24. They typically have three suites in the “high banks” suites that are located near the transition from the tri-oval to the road course. There’s ample outdoor club seating that is covered. I have spent the night in there several times.
The food comes from Daytona’s in-house caterer and is - unfortunately - terrible. The first year we went (2017?), my entourage and I got a talking to for ordering pizza delivered directly to the track.
The GRM brunch was just across the way from the Porsche suites.
In some cases the catering is excellent (Porsche at Le Mans; Porsche at Sebring and Road Atlanta - where Porsche picks the caterer, not the track) - ox tartare, filets, lobster tails, bone marrow, wine pairings, etc. I even had a lobster omelet and a glass of cristal for breakfast at Le Mans haha.
I have nothing to contribute to the thread this week other than the fact that I’m starting to the think the F1 season is too long with a schedule that could stand to trim at least a half dozen races.
Correct, sir. Eliminate all street tracks (sorry Monaco, your watch hath ended). Eliminate all tracks built with slave labor (sorry, middle Eastern oligarchs). Go to Portimao, every year. Race in Germany, every year. Race in France, every year. Istanbul. Mugello.
Singapore was a great race this year, and Monaco qualifying was exciting. Agree 100% on all the middle eastern tracks and the remainder of the street circuits. Also, can we put Interlagos on the calendar twice?
The problem is, if they cut back to 20 tracks, it's all the purpose built European tracks that would get dropped.
Yes, that's right. I recognize that they will never return to Donington Park, for example. But seeing today's gigantic F1 cars blast along a featureless straight with no elevation change is boring. And to think that Germany and France cannot justify a race while countries like China get one is just ludicrous. IMO the racing is best when you have high-speed corners, elevation change, and unforgiving runoff areas.
I've enjoyed watching DTM, FIA GT, and MotoGP races from the Lausitzring and Sachsenring before. I never minded the revised Nurburgring track with the stadium section either, although the old Hockenheim "floor it through the forest all afternoon" layout was way better than Hokey-heim, as you say.
Agree 100%. Elevation change makes tracks for me. That's part of why Miami is so terrible. In general, flat tracks with acres of paved runoff are boring. All the stupid track limits issues this year really bring it home. There wouldn't be track limits issues if going off track made you crash.
I'd love to see F1 on some real US tracks rather than Miami and Vegas, but they'd probably have to ruin the tracks for everyone to meet the modern FIA standards.
The current Liberty Media model of F1 is focused on the following:
~1/3 of races in Europe; ~1/3 of races in the Americas, ~1/3 of races elsewhere (Asia, Middle East, and eventually Africa)
New tracks built near (or in) city centers that can accommodate large crowds with easy transit
To get onto the calendar, you gotta pay to play; so as a promoter, you want to have a race somewhere with lots of people, lots of hotel rooms, easy transit, etc. Saudi Arabia has made noise about hosting TWO races a year, which would run them ~$200MM in hosting fees
Finally, F1 is never gonna go to a legacy natural terrain road course in America, because it doesn’t make economic sense for a promoter
Quoting myself (because why not) "F1 and Liberty Media don’t need my advice but I suggest that all other Grand Prix tracks be plowed under and replaced by an exact clone of Interlagos. Tilke had the right idea with COTA but he didn’t go far enough."
Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers…what about Challengers???
Shhhhhh don’t remind them they left cars off and are not as bright as they think they are. If they believe that list covered the issue and will resolve all ills just wait.
Nobody tell them about the SRT8 Magnum either!
Let them find out!
A young man came to our SCCA race last weekend with his Dodge Magnum to which he's fitted a 2020-vintage Charger nose. It was just lovely.
Did you get photos. This would be a special run for Dodge to specifically give to mommy bloggers and EV enthusiasts to review.
I didn't, because I was too busy trying to get my SR8 ready to run -- but it was really nice and I suspect we'll see the fellow again.
I have had the lust to build a Chargum for some time now. Fortunately, the C10’s are keeping me occupied.
I didn’t realize that you could bolt up a recent LX front clip to an OG car. Or are there apparent modifications?
They pretty much bolt up. The basic body structures have the same mounting holes from '05 to current.
A forgotten gem. An acquaintance had a new one.
Did I ever mention that I'm a station wagon fan? Minvans too but don't get me started.
Most of these weenies call the Challenger a Charger anyway. I experience more D-bags in Audis, BMW's and Subarus around here than the typical Pony car or Charger.
I was reading reddit because I am a moron and wandered over the the /r/audi and the amount of people who tie their very existence to a 2016 A6 is staggering. I like cars, they are cool, fun and can be beautiful, but they should not define your existence. You aren't a better human being for buying an Audi... Unless it's an S4 of course.
Its a lifestyle mannnnn.
Ridiculous.
Has to be a green S5.
7,500 for a custom color is what the salesman told me if they'll even do it anymore. I'm tempted to get a ridiculous green or orange wrap. Dark blue being the wildest color they sell was depressing. 8 different colors with 7 of those being some variant of gray.
man thats lame
Painted stripes rather than the plebeian vinyl were 10k three years ago.
I'll have to look at my sticker but I think Audi Exclusive cost me all of $2500. And I was allowed to cap it in the lease!
I would’ve spent $2500 in a heartbeat for that green in the s4. I need 4 doors so no coupes for me
I tried to see if they’d still do the Porsche color thing on an S3, wanted to get one in Yachting blue with red interior. The answer was a solid no; dealer didn’t care to bother doing it.
Dark blue is their most adventurous color?
That's like how Jack Webb's wardrobe looked exactly the same in black & white and color.
In 2023, I think so. In 2024, they have Red.
10 years ago ordering our rs7 the dealer had computer access to about 30 colors--with no pictures of any of them! they were just opening some sort of factory customization deal i haven't heard any more about
I was filling my car when a young lady pulled up in a new Nissan Z with, of all things, a white marble pattern wrap. The thing looked like a rolling sculpture. I would not consider it myself, but it was truly striking.
True Audi lifestylers drive nothing but the S8
I drove an S4 once. Sounded awesome. Stalled it a bunch. Still awesome.
Part of me wishes they would still come with stick but I promised the wife I'd get something she could also drive. The biggest difference I noticed between the A4 and S4 was the sound. The S4 sounds awesome where the A4 sounds exactly what you'd expect a 2.0 liter turbo to sound like.
It was my friend's car and he straight piped it. Sounds sooooooo good.
4.2 magic
You mean the engine with the timing set behind the flywheel? Must be good at making power...
Usually it's the wife who won't learn stick. In my sister's case, she can drive manual cars and it was her husband who refused to learn how.
We still look down on him for that 15 years on.
He deserves it. Even I can drive a stick.
As well you should.
Rent something fun with a stick shift and teach her.
We barely have time to do the things we're supposed to do. I'd also be more inclined to do it if they sold anything I really wanted in stick.
Replace every “Audi” mention with “Tesla”, change “2016 A6” to “2022 M3P”, and strike “Unless it’s an S4 of course.” I made the mistake of laying eyes on the Tesla subreddit once... biggest cluster of circle-jerking I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing.
its reddit
all they do is circlejerk
I picked on the audi forum cause i have an audi. You could substitute BMW, mercedes lexus. Reddit is a cesspool.
Lots of good amateur porn though so there is that.
Back in my (much regretted) Audi days I found Quattroworld very helpful with troubleshooting advice, of which I had much need. A friendly group back then.
Seems like the Charger has a worse reputation than the Challenger.
Interesting. Rented a V6 Challenger last week and had a lot of fun with it, I could definitely cause cars and coffee consternation with a V8!
My experience is that Challengers tend to be driven by guys who just want a nice car.
Chargers on the other hand, especially Hellcats, are the province of Tough Guys, troublemakers and bass enthusiasts.
Bass as in the musical instrument or bass as in the fish?
You can't feel a fish thumping a hundred yards away.
https://youtu.be/u9S41Kplsbs?si=EoKcy6KQr2DnMhsP
I think more V8 Challengers also get picked up as cruisers by older boomer types who want a “fun” weekend or daily car versus the Charger crowd. Kind of like the American lower priced BMW 6 coupe.
Exactly!
Fo' does, mo' hoes
I had one a couple of weeks ago as well. My initial impression was that the tires must have had 50psi in them, they didn't. How can a car with so much body roll ride so poorly over expansion joints and cracked pavement?
Yeah the one I had would make a thunk over expansion joints.
Having rented the Camaro, two Mustangs and the Challenger this year I’d pick the Mustang
The only, obvious reason for Final Edition press cars to exist is so that these jagoffs can write yet another hackneyed story about the bold transition to an EV future it represents.
It’s all so boringly predictable now.
get more out of reading the dealer brochure then you do from the articles...and then they shove the electric cars up our ass and I tap out.
Badass writers telling us how badass the electric future is gonna be.
none of them look they can fight or have been in one
That and trikes. They're all pimping trikes now.
?
What, are they two or have equilibrium issues?
Nah, it's just where the PR money is flowing at the moment.
The most recent episode of the Carmudgeon (Cammisa) podcast featured nearly an hour of his proclamations about the best handling car … in the world … ever.
The Lucid Air Sapphire!
I really want to drive one - any trim - to see for myself what the fuss is all about.
If I could get a half decent senior tech role in "The city", by which I mean Columbus, I could see being very happy with a Lucid Air Touring. The only issue is that I'd be at work while the sun was on my solar panels, and at home when it was dark!
“Best handling car in the world!” “Is it any fun at normal speeds on the streets?” “Well no, but…”
I think the Lucid looks like a dung beetle.
(Sigh)...Seriously?
full of badass battery power as they hi ho hum down the road. Just like your refrigerator, your dishwasher, and your vacuum cleaner, now your car can be electric, too!
You just made me realize there's gonna be Dyson CUVs and I'll never forgive you for it.
itll still suck
Touche. But if I'm gonna be surrounded by cars that suck, I'd prefer a few of them be Chaparrals.
I'm not asking for the world here.
So you want an EV with a couple of battery powered fans to pull a vacuum under the host EV? That might actually be kind of cool.
But it will cost 3x as much!
Alright, since this is the open thread:
I’ve finally listed my ‘01 Miata. It needs to be gone by thanksgiving, because my Boxster needs to take its place in the garage for the winter and because I just don’t need it anymore.
136,000 miles, blue over tan LS, new continental extreme contact tires, new alternator, window regulators, top. I love the car, bought it with my first ever political paycheck. But it’s time.
I’ve got it listed at $7450, which seems lower than what’s on autotrader rn. But since it needs to go, and since I appreciate the advice and wisdom of our commentariat and Jack’s frequent kindness to me, I’ll offer a significant discount to any ACF reader who wants it. If you’re in WV, OH, PA, VA, KY, or any nearby state I’ll drive it to you; if you come get it (car is in Parkersburg, WV) I’ll buy dinner at the nicest local restaurant or throw in a detail.
Jack should have my contact info, but my email is p c g b r y c e at gmail dot com. If nobody bites, I’m selling it at a mild loss to the dealership I worked at in high school; the Boxster top is leaking and it can’t spend winter outside in my driveway.
Speed needs another miata.
GOD
DAMNIT
I CAN"T KEEP BUYING THESE FUCKING THINGS
You know my approach to bad ideas: dive in head first! I’ll make you a great deal!
I'll be level with you: If it wasn't for the fact I'm out of cash and out of space, I'd be making tracks your location as we speak. I trust pretty much everyone here implicitly. I'm just annoyed at the decisions I've made that prevents me from taking you up on what would amount to a screaming deal on a Miata (and food).
If you wanted, I’d work with you. I don’t need the money as much as I need the car out of the garage.
As much as I want it, I really can't take it, I have nowhere to put it. Thanks just the same and best of luck with the sale!
I should also make know that the earliest time I can get money/space is April.
You say this and yet we have no evidence that you have asked that home-schooled, christian, daughter of your client out!
That would likely upset the rather pretty ex-stripper (who has, strangely, become the first girl out of the last 10 to actually win my mother’s approval--of course, mom only knows she’s in cosmetology school, nothing else) snoring away in my bedroom at the moment while I’m working on something for said client.
I want you to know I'm rooting for you and your stripper to make it. If not this one, then the NEXT stripper, but I'm really hoping for this one.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
i mean ive already got three whats one more
Is a portion of the Miata slush fund going to a motorcycle, perhaps?
It’s entirely possible I buy a Bandit or Ninja or VFR, but at this rate probably more Zegna trousers and silk ties. My mother can only stand so much cardiac angst with my Boxster. It also half goes to repay a loan to my dad, which covered a lack of liquidity when I bought the A4.
Never repay your parents!
Something something “I’ve pulled your chestnuts out of about 53 fires, from the time you crushed your kindergarten nemesis with a lifetime table to the time you simultaneously managed to blow two Golf tires in Volga, West Virginia in the dead of winter. Repay me”
Hes your dad. Thats his job. You’ll understand when you have kids. If he’s struggling that’s different
My father is a lot of things, struggling not among them. He’s thrice retired from IT consulting and still goes back to consult with old clients, owns several businesses in the real estate and contracting realm, and multiple homes. He doesn’t need the money in any way, what he gave me he probably made back within the next 2 or 3 days, but we’re both Eagle Scouts and reciprocity is expected. It’s an honor thing :)
We took a moderate ($30k) 10-day bridge loan from my in-laws between when we bought our current house and sold our old one. Literally just to avoid having to move same day or put stuff into storage or whatever. Brought him a check for the amount after 10 days and second closing. He said “give me half, pay me the second half next year.” Wife says fine.
Couple months later she’s at his house and he starts giving her a hard time about “well I was gonna do X but you haven’t paid me back yet…”. To her credit, wife drove home, got her checkbook, and wrote him a $15k check right then and there. And then told him to fuck off. Looking forward to pissing on his grave. Fuck that guy.
They are multimillionaires right? Boomers… my wife and my mom get at it. I get along with my father in law.
Yup. He was an exec at Motorola for years. He’s sitting on plenty. And because he was a “big shot” (basic VP, not that big a shot) he thinks no one can ever tell him shit. He’s probably got some Aspergers and has a real tough time with interpersonal relationships. I don’t care, fuck him.
Yeah, I paid off my first in-laws IMMEDIATELY because I knew that I'd hear about it for the rest of my life. There wasn't even a pretense of doing anything beyond the easy minimum
We had some difficulty when we first moved to Japan and my wife's parents gave us some money to help us out. We saved a bit and within a year showed up at their house to repay them. He tried to refuse, but our mother-in-law made him take it. He's gifted it back to us several times over in the years since, but I think the gesture helped him accept a filthy foreigner as part of his family.
My mom offered to cover a new floor for my house when money was tight. Something like three grand. Not a ton of money. She reneged on the offer when she didn't like the flooring we picked out. I'm used to it, she's a control freak, annoying but I moved on. My parents have paid over 100k for my education, gave (gave, not loaned) me the 20k bridge I needed to get to 20% on my house, and I currently owe my dad just south of 100k because he helped me with the down payment on buying out my old boss/his former business partner which I can probably pay back early to mid next year.... but my wife will never let the fucking 3k for the floors go.
Insufferable.
I never loan money. If I can afford to give it, I do. If I can’t, I don’t.
Loans are the best way to cause hard feelings.
I was OK with the initial loan. It was 10 days and there was no way we wouldn’t have the money. I was not okay with the “pay me back next year.” I wanted to be out from under his thumb.
I just gave a loan to a friend. I figure 20% chance i get paid back. If it doesnt happen, oh well.
I covered drinks and food for who was at the time my best friend over the course of a year or so. When we agreed on the $265 he owed me, he split from me on everything when I asked for it back.
He also bought a bike in this time and some other things.
I'd never let trousers or parents interfere with me enjoying a motorcycle.
And especially some sort of trouser/parent combination!
The worst!
Grab a Bandit!!! I still miss mine.
Where’s it listed online?
Just the local FB marketplace and Miata forums for now
Found it.
If I didn’t hate blue cars so much, I’d probably take you up on it. Looks like a fair deal.
Conversely, blue cars are my favorite. If it weren’t for my dad’s recalcitrance to ride with me to Baton Rouge, I’d be driving a blue A5 Sportback Prestige.
I'll take you to Baton Rouge!
Part of me is tempted in spite of the color, and the fact that NBs are my least favorite. I have the garage space, and the money, and I'm less than three hours away.
Guarantee I wouldn't keep it too long before it gets traded on something else, though. A new ND if I love it, and a truck if I hate it. So I'd just assume somebody who wants it more gets a shot at it first. Keep me posted if you don't get any takers.
I’d work with you if you’re interested. I’m a flexible seller; just need the space for the Boxster. It’s a very fun car, and I’ve had some good memories in it--not as many as I’d like, but the Boxster is making up for that.
You should probably list it on Craigsilst just in case. The parameterized email alerts are very convenient for buyers who aren't able to be on FB 24/7.
It's a beautiful car. Wish I had an extra garage space, too.
Tempting as I just sold my 2003 GTI but the jury still seems out to me how well a 6'2 200lb guy fits in a miata. The one time I wish for a smaller frame is when Miata is spoken.
I’m glad to be 5’11 and 175, I fit into nearly everything. My dad is 6’0 and 245 and fits ok in it.
Good to know, mostly worried about headroom. I think my 2024 calling will be a LS2 C6 (cheaper than LS3) as I know I fit in those with a Mustang as backup. Challengers, as fond of them as I am, are expensive to insure around here for obvious reasons.
If you really want to, you can fit.
It won't be pretty.
I’m reasonably sure that 300 was damaged or abused in some way before it was placed in to the (apparently already snowy) Ontario press fleet. Years ago (here in Canada) I drove a Saturn Sky press car and while showing it to my friend at his shop, we decided to put it up on the hoist to see what they’d done to a Cobalt or Cavalier or whatever to make it a sports car. Lo and behold, the subframe had an absolutely massive dent in it - this thing looked like it was dropped on an I-beam at some point. I’d guess they cobbled together a literal factory second at the plant or shined up the training mule and sent it out to pasture in the hands of hapless auto writers, various people who apparently are still able to draw (probably a retirement) income off outlets like Driving.ca and would otherwise have no way of telling if a car wasn’t quite right (I’m sure it isn’t)
Hope you have an excellent day, my birthday brother!
That’s what’s really sad. Instead of giving writers a ringer, you give them an old nail, and they can’t tell.
The US press car ran a 12.5@116 so at least the engine was right!
A new possible use for EVs?
I must admit that I'm looking at a battery system for my solar power system. Currently I use my electrical co-op. Because battery backups that'll run the house start around $20K and only go up from there and we're on a trunk - so power is dependable.
But then suddenly, a thought occurs: How much are EV's? And don't I get a tax write off? If I don't register or insure it, because I'm really just using it as a back up, will it be CHEAPER for me to buy one instead?
I think I need to run some price comparisons this weekend and find out how much a two-way charger would cost...
Not sure if you're familiar with congressman Thomas Massie, but I remember seeing a tweet from him where he showed that his backup system is the battery from a totalled electric car.
I think you can buy just a battery pack from Tesla as a backup power supply.
POWERWALL!
not cheap though.
Powerball, then Powerwall.
I SAID MAYBE
YOURE GONNA BE THE ONE THAT SAVES ME
wait wrong song
The F150 Lightning is bidirectional like that. I could use my solar all day then run off it at night.
Of course at that point you're using an $80k truck to save $100 a year.
For 99% of people, that's true with all solar. I just had a client pay 95k to set up his house for solar. Net 65k after tax credits. It would take 5-10 years minimum without factoring in the time value of money or repairs to ever get back to making money.
For what I installed it was going to take 12 years to earn it back.
Now they just raised the price of electricity, so it's going to take about 9.
As I'm planning on never moving again, I figure it's worth it.
My electrical bill isn't exactly low, and I put in a solar power system to address about half of what I use - and this month they just raised the cost of electricity by almost 20 percent across the state. So waiting for the inevitable brownouts....
I can't wait until we get to start rationing everything! Not just our electricity, but our natural gas, our water, our food. Just think how fun it will be to stand in bread lines with all your friends! You could make a day of it! The bright, bold new future ahead is bright, my friend. Very bright. So long as you ignore the blackouts.
Oh, don't worry!!!
Biden wants to bring an UNLIMITED number of those very same Palestinians who turned Lebanon from the resort jewel it once was, to the hell hole it is today!!
And they WILL because the 'Palestianians' have set up 'states inside of states' where they rule (like warlord despots) in EVERY country they've been in! Hence why Egypt and Jordan will kill them if they ever come back!
So if you don't have a couple guns, better go buy 'em now! Because in a few years, you are going to NEED one, just to protect yourself from those peace loving and ever oppressed people.
Here in the UP, almost every single person I know has a complete arsenal in their closet at home and/or in their cabin out at camp. Occasionally on the weekends I can hear my neighbors shooting. It's very festive.
The bucks we won in poker are the only bucks we got.
We spent two weeks in deer camp, and never fired a shot.
Like they've been doing with a dozen MENA countries for decades? It just happens to be Palestinians now because the Israelis want to terraform it before the USA goes tits up.
No, the Palestinians have always done this.
Have some history:
https://rumble.com/v3tnsi6-heres-why-no-muslim-majority-nations-want-palestinians-in-their-countries.html
when i say im anti immigration i dont discriminate
Mass immigration does not benefit mature economies, nobody has a right to be an American except Americans, and we have no moral or philosophical obligation to let anyone in.
As long as we're importing fictional peoples, can we also bring in Klingons and Wookiees, too?
You're lucky if it's only rationed. Natural gas is banned on new builds in VIC, AU.
I'll be putting solar in my house too, as soon as I can get the magnetic fields stable enough to hold the hydrogen plasma past activation density.
You photovoltaic guys'd be better off hooking up alternators to a catwheel and having a corgi chase a stationary cheeseburger all day.
If the creek down at the back of my property had more of a regular flow, I'd build a dam and put a couple of small turbines in.
Or you could build a vermin collider.
Accelerate Canada geese to relativistic velocities before smashing them together. Make all the electricity you could ever need!
Sort of a prehistoric warp core, and a legitimate reason for the Canada goose to exist at all.
or just smash the geese and be done with it
fuck those things
Economics of our inEVitable future
Is a $20k battery backup really better than $5-10k of nat gas Generac standby? I guess if you’re in an area with no nat gas, but otherwise, that’s where I’d spend my $$$.
We have propane. And I've thought about that as well. It's about $10K here for a generator installed. The advantage of a battery is that I don't have to worry about the cost of propane going up, or supply shortages.
So it's a matter of trying to figure out what's coming and staying one step ahead. That's why I got the solar power system, because I knew power was going to get more expensive as no one is building any new capacity, but they're pushing electric cars to consume what's already lacking.
Right now, my co-op works as a battery, I get back what I put in for (effectively) free. But they don't generate any power, so for all that I may have faith in them, I don't have faith in their suppliers. Thing is, Texas has known for over a decade that they were running out of power.
But because of all those bribed politicians we got a bunch of windmills all over the place that are a new loss to the system. Rather than Nukes or Gas or Coal, that are net gains.
As for the windmills, the amount of ecological damage they're doing is huge. One of these days someone is going to win a major lawsuit and they'll all be outlawed overnight.
And then what?
then we dont have them ruining the landscape
hooray
A prepper acquaintance tells me batteries are better for quietness, as you don't want your neighbors to know you have power when they don't.
They also missed Challengers somehow? I honestly thought that was a fake/photoshop pic in the spirit of satirizing what these Cars and Coffees have become.
Exotics haven't been exciting for some time. Now, if I see a spotless 90s Eddie Bauer or a clean early 80s Lesabre on the road? Now those are genuine "head turners" for me.
I treat FWD C-body spotting with more seriousness than I would a 512BBi.
I know how incredibly lame and sad it is, but that is absolutely the appeal to RadWood and the like for me. Went to the Philly one a couple years ago and saw an absolutely *mint* second gen Probe GT. What a fine car that I absolutely never see!
Sadwood would have been great had it stayed true to its original form: a show for Nineties vehicles without Fat Brad, the DWA nerds, and stupid merch.
But how else could one truly appreciate a low mileage third-gen Maxima without a seven figure investment from an insurance company and teal hats you can buy for only $35 though?
Oooh!
Sign me right the fuck up for THAT car!
But you gotta have merch!
If people can't hawk merch, they have go get straight jobs, you monster!
True, and apparently sitting on his fat ass in a public-funded museum was too much work for Brad.
Sounds like my job.
We have those big button plates to open the door for people in wheelchairs (aren't any here), and everybody pushes THOSE instead of the door bar. However, half the people who work here walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator.
Because hoofing it up two flights of warehouse stairs is fine, but it's too much work to open a door.
The banning specific cars thing is stupendously ill-informed.. those three aren't the only cars that can and will do a burnout, but it sounds more like someone saying "we don't like YOUR KIND around here".
@Jack: You can cream your pants all you want, Yuki is no closer to a Red Bull seat. Arguably he exists more to entertain than who you're calling 'washed up' having dragged multiple dogs up to the podium.
car racism
I mean yeah actually. Specifically Chargers and Challys but broadly the rest are super popular in the black community.
i literally mean being racist towards dodge ford and chevrolet as a company rather than the owners
But what if it's a WHITE car...with limo-tinted windows?
quadruple the penalties with no chance of bail
I thought this might be a hard weekend for you! I agree that Yuki will never get that seat, although one wonders why Honda didnt push harder for it. Don't people in Japan drink Red Bull?
Its not a hard weekend for me at all. Any weekend with good racing is good. Note that both the Australians were on the receiving end of a rules quirk that had them a lap down through no fault of their own.
Honda can't just demand that a Japanese driver gets a seat in the best team on the grid at all other expense. They did not commit the level to resources to make such demands.
Also the days of Honda having much sway in the Red Bull fold are numbered.
Yuki on his own has NOT demonstrated anything more than flashes of competence.
Alonso: Stroll :: Daniel : Yuki.
Ricciardo doesn't seem to have any volition.
If luck puts him at the front he gets a good result. If luck puts him at the back, bad race.
NOR, VER, and even HAM have the ability to change their luck (and even PIA (to prove I'm not a traitor))
That's partially true but I haven't given up on him just because there is a young driver that could replace him.
His record reads similar to those drivers you mentioned before he made the ill fated switch to McLaren
“Ill fated” implies forces beyond his control put him in a McLaren seat. He made the decision, so I would suggest ill-advised.
Depends on how you define it. He DID make the choice, but do you hold Alonso's rough second McLaren stint against him?
I simply meant to imply that he didn't know what we now do about that car being on the slide down the grid.
Now we're referring to people with capitalized letters?
Are we now all airports?
😄
No, 'we're' just lazy!
They have nicotine energy drinks in Japan. Why the fuck would they drink red bull?
they have what
I am probably wrong. But the jokes still funny.
You are WRONG, my friend. But when I came back from my years over there and walked through a gas station convenience store for the first time in a long time I wanted to cry at the horrible drink selection available compared to there. Family Mart>Speedway.
Reddit lied to me again!
When I watch dashcam videos of people driving around Tokyo on YouTube, it seems like there's a Family Mart and a Lawson about every mile. There must be ten thousand of them each in the Tokyo area.
Really? 🤣
Honda is entitled to one seat of the four that Red Bull controls.
Yuki’s path forward is to hop to Aston Martin - or whatever it will be called at that point - in 2026, when Honda becomes their power unit supplier (and Red Bull is building their own power unit with a Ford sticker on it; note that Ford is PAYING Red Bull $30MM / year for the privilege - and that’s a fucking deal given Andretti’s travails).
That IS a deal, isn't it?
It’s a deal for both sides, actually.
Red Bull makes $30MM / year and has someone to blame if (or when) the Red Bull-designed power unit fails to meet Verstappen’s expectations.
Ford gets to pretend they’re in the big leagues for only $30MM / year; imagine the egg on the face at GM if Red Bull Ford is dominant and Andretti Cadillac is outside the 107% threshold, assuming John Malone doesn’t mercy kill their bid.
Very good points. Who's John Malone?
Liberty Media chairman (and largest shareholder).
Stefano Domenicali works for Greg Maffei who works for John Malone.
Cars & Coffee is the lamest shit of all time.
Imagine having … $300K (or whatever) … to spend on your choice of mid-engined junior supercar or “special” paint to sample 911 or a monster truck (or whatever) and being excited to spend a weekend morning (1) getting up super early, (2) driving to a parking lot in the burbs, (3) parking your trophy next to other cars just like it, (4) and standing around drinking stale coffee while entertaining the advances of carspotters. And then if you’re lucky, someone in their pony / muscle car will crash into you as they leave.
What a bunch of nerds
Shhh, people watching the exotic owners and the gargoyles they let ride shotgun at these events is my favorite part. I don't want them to become self aware and stop coming. There is even a specific show for these people here that requires an annual membership to join. It is always a toss up what there will be more of, Lambos or bad Botox.
This is absolutely true. But it’s not worth it to me to devote any of my time to attendance.
The people watching at the Amelia Island concours is also top tier.
where? i wanna go look!
Look into Cars and Cappuccino they might have one in your local area, I'm sure the attendees are the same regardless of the city the event is in.
The one in Illinois is in Peoria. If you've ever been to Peoria, you would understand how funny that is.
I don't actually know if that's funny but it sounds like it is.
The website caption was “people in chicago were jealous of people in LA so they hosted their own event in…. Peoria. “Peoria is a dump probably 2 hours away from Chicago depending on what part of Chicago you leave from.
The old marketing slogan, "How will it play in Peoria."
Who cares?
Nobody but racists lives there.
🤣
Depends on you perspective i guess. I go to one a few times a year but it's not check out supercars or to show off my own not-supercar. It's little gems you find in the sea of relatively mundane cars that make it worth it for me.
Last time it was an absolutely beautiful restromod E30 M3
🤣
I read somewhere that the reason so many guys cause trouble in Mustangs is because they're the most common, most affordable RWD car, so it's the first step up from that turbo Civic.
"Oh, my EK had 300 horsepower, Just like this S197. No problem!"
Yes problem, if you've only ever driven FWD or AWD, and half of those were slushboxes. 300 naturally-aspirated horses through the ass end is totally different from the dog-dragging-its-ass-on-the-carpet FWD turbo-four you thought was the shit
See “S2000s driven by the kids of moderately successful dry cleaners 2000-2010.” It’s just a Honda, right??
Right...
Its gotta take some work to take the back end out on a s2k right? Not exactly know for torque
The AP1 cars had a reputation for being a bit twitchy.
Most of all they came with some aggressive summer only tires that wear out rapidly and are very sensitive to temperature and conditions. So if you’re used to economy cars, and you get in a RWD car with relatively twitchy handling on tires that you don’t expect to be bald after 6k miles and it’s rainy and under 40*, you’re going to have a real bad time.
Or the best time ever!
Yeah, but maybe for a short time
I shall not defend the elitist, curated C&C crowd, but the primary reason the Mustang/Charger/Challenger crowd was banned is due to losing two prior venues due to people sideshowing. They averaged out the offenders and here we are.
Note how they didn’t ban any Z cars, Infinitis, WRXs, GTIs, Civics, donks, slabs, C4 Corvettes, G8s, GTOs, or 240SX.
I’d rather have an event with restrictions than no show at all.
I suppose so. I'd rather stay at home and clean my Radicals than drive somewhere to watch a bunch of nerds standing next to 1200-mile brand-new supercars.
But think of all the FUEL RUN and GUMBALL stickers you’re missing out on! Not to mention the rare chance for someone to loudly explain why their 1,200-mile 2018 California T is going to be a surefire blue-chip collectible.
Well, now you've convinced me!
that's my favorite latemodel car!
Don’t forget the caterpillar mustaches, telephoto lenses, and autism speaks vibes.
As I said above, the guy with the $300K - or more! - “exotic” car is taking precious time out of his weekend to show up and *perform* for those people.
That's what happens when you give money to people who are uncertain as to its use.
Sir - that’s why it should be given to ME!
Who's got more money than they know what to do with?
The Guv-Mint!
It's pronounced gummint (no "v" sound). Watch some Reagan speeches. You can still emphasize the "mint."
Oh. Whoops.
hey i represent 1/3 of those things
no its not the mustache one
Autism doesn't speak, it doesn't know when to shut up.
correct
Alonso might be the most adaptable open-wheeled driver since Rindt. I think Lewis’ bad weekends are so infrequent that they tend to get magnified, while Alonso’s chances to show his skill are so scarce that they get almost over-exaggerated. I appreciate both drivers, and who’s better depends on the conditions and circuit, not an easy answer.
Meanwhile I'm getting ready to write up a friend's 30K mile '91 Brougham d'Elegance. Cotillion White over blue velour.
Dear EVs: Die.
Die, die, die.
Die.
Please let it have a 350 and an astroroof
Sadly no, it's a 5.0 with no Astroroof. But 21k original miles. Even has the factory Royal Seal tires!
I don't really understand Chrysler's strategy. Setting aside the idiocy of ev stuff Chrysler has been starved of product for over a decade. Killing the 300 just exacerbates that. I don't know why they can't just adapt it for the hurricane 6 and sell it for another decade. As it stands now they are going to roll out with a Pacifica and eventually some EV that costs a billion dollars that nobody wants.
Separate and unrelated, I wonder if the current interest environment will cause manufacturers (not just auto) to diverge from the dollar tree/Tiffany strategy and possibly cater to the middle. Wishful thinking perhaps
There's no profit in serving the middle.
The poor HAVE TO buy any piece of crap you put in front of them, regardless of quality.
The rich WILL buy any piece of crap you put in front of them, regardless of quality.
The middle will fight you tooth-and-nail on price, negotiate you to the bone after that, complain endlessly about quality and continually demand improvements.
Why deal with that?
Perfect!
Dollar Tree/Tiffany strategy. That's great!
Alonso drove a brilliant race.
The Alonso / Checo battle was the highlight of this F1 season for me, along with qualifying in Monaco. It was a good clean drive for Checo, but he's still back battling with Alonso while Max is cruising 35 seconds up the road with pace in reserve.
It's hard to compare drivers in different cars, so I have no idea how Alonso and Hamilton compare pace wise, but it terms of racecraft, I think Alonso blows him away. Of course part of this is because of his career moves, a lot of the time canny racecraft was all Alonso had to rely on.
Re Danny vs Yuki, it's really too bad a flying tire robbed us of a chance to really see them head to head this race. Before Danny's injury, I was in the can Checo ASAP camp, but now I think RBRs apparent strategy of wait and see which Checo shows up in 24 and let Danny/Yuki fight it out in the same car until then is a good one. Checking off the 'finish the drivers championship 1-2' box this year ironically makes canning Checo mid season in 24 easier.
Alonso’s racecraft is superb.
In addition to his well-documented F1 exploits, I recall watching him in person at various races (Le Mans, Indy, Daytona 24, Sebring). One memory in particular: during his Daytona 24 victory, he was in for a relatively early night stint (before midnight). It was cold, windy, and terribly rainy (the race was ultimately red-flagged). He drove his Cadillac like a man possessed, scything in and out of traffic and making series regulars with vastly more experience of the car, tires, track, traffic, rules, etc. look like mobile chicanes. I remember watching from a (mercifully) covered awning in the high banks (from which you can see the entirety of the track). Alonso exited the bus stop sideways and had overtaken two other DPi competitors for position before he reached the spot where Earnhardt crashed. He passed them like they were in reverse!
Best part of your comment: "watching from a (mercifully) covered awning in the high banks (from which you can see the entirety of the track)."
I have been a Porsche “VIP” each year that I’ve been to the Daytona 24. They typically have three suites in the “high banks” suites that are located near the transition from the tri-oval to the road course. There’s ample outdoor club seating that is covered. I have spent the night in there several times.
The food comes from Daytona’s in-house caterer and is - unfortunately - terrible. The first year we went (2017?), my entourage and I got a talking to for ordering pizza delivered directly to the track.
Hilarious about the pizza! I've been to the GRM brunch a few times and the food was adequate at best. Lately I drive across the street to Panera.
The GRM brunch was just across the way from the Porsche suites.
In some cases the catering is excellent (Porsche at Le Mans; Porsche at Sebring and Road Atlanta - where Porsche picks the caterer, not the track) - ox tartare, filets, lobster tails, bone marrow, wine pairings, etc. I even had a lobster omelet and a glass of cristal for breakfast at Le Mans haha.
Damn. I gotta sneak my way in there somehow.
I have nothing to contribute to the thread this week other than the fact that I’m starting to the think the F1 season is too long with a schedule that could stand to trim at least a half dozen races.
They should pare it back to no more than 20, just make sure they keep Zaandevoort
Definitely Zandvoort, for its many similarities to Imola!
Correct, sir. Eliminate all street tracks (sorry Monaco, your watch hath ended). Eliminate all tracks built with slave labor (sorry, middle Eastern oligarchs). Go to Portimao, every year. Race in Germany, every year. Race in France, every year. Istanbul. Mugello.
Singapore was a great race this year, and Monaco qualifying was exciting. Agree 100% on all the middle eastern tracks and the remainder of the street circuits. Also, can we put Interlagos on the calendar twice?
The problem is, if they cut back to 20 tracks, it's all the purpose built European tracks that would get dropped.
Yes, that's right. I recognize that they will never return to Donington Park, for example. But seeing today's gigantic F1 cars blast along a featureless straight with no elevation change is boring. And to think that Germany and France cannot justify a race while countries like China get one is just ludicrous. IMO the racing is best when you have high-speed corners, elevation change, and unforgiving runoff areas.
What track in Germany would you use? They made Hockenheim into Hokey-heim because of the Greens.
I've enjoyed watching DTM, FIA GT, and MotoGP races from the Lausitzring and Sachsenring before. I never minded the revised Nurburgring track with the stadium section either, although the old Hockenheim "floor it through the forest all afternoon" layout was way better than Hokey-heim, as you say.
It’s sad how they plowed the Forest section under and planted trees so it can never be used again.
Nurburgring is a fine venue. I mourn the bastardization (I think I just made up a word) of Hockenheim. It’s an awful little gocart track now.
Agree 100%. Elevation change makes tracks for me. That's part of why Miami is so terrible. In general, flat tracks with acres of paved runoff are boring. All the stupid track limits issues this year really bring it home. There wouldn't be track limits issues if going off track made you crash.
I'd love to see F1 on some real US tracks rather than Miami and Vegas, but they'd probably have to ruin the tracks for everyone to meet the modern FIA standards.
Silverstone?
The current Liberty Media model of F1 is focused on the following:
~1/3 of races in Europe; ~1/3 of races in the Americas, ~1/3 of races elsewhere (Asia, Middle East, and eventually Africa)
New tracks built near (or in) city centers that can accommodate large crowds with easy transit
To get onto the calendar, you gotta pay to play; so as a promoter, you want to have a race somewhere with lots of people, lots of hotel rooms, easy transit, etc. Saudi Arabia has made noise about hosting TWO races a year, which would run them ~$200MM in hosting fees
Finally, F1 is never gonna go to a legacy natural terrain road course in America, because it doesn’t make economic sense for a promoter
I’d love to see F1 cars at Road America, but that’s a fantasy that’ll never happen.
Oh, come on. That's nowhere near the ONLY reason Miami is terrible.
Oh wait, you're talking about racing...
See my comment above.
Quoting myself (because why not) "F1 and Liberty Media don’t need my advice but I suggest that all other Grand Prix tracks be plowed under and replaced by an exact clone of Interlagos. Tilke had the right idea with COTA but he didn’t go far enough."
https://tinyurl.com/y6y3rdfv
Well, that's just because you have so many other things in your life! I need every F1 weekend I can get.
absolutely!