They also mention that modern engines don't have spark plugs. That means either A) They confused spark plugs and distributors, or B) We are all now driving diesels and no one told me.

You forgot "ran when parked."

You forgot "ran when parked."

It's not the size of the stock tire, it's the stickiness of the stock rubber...

I can name that track in one turn. Auotbahn Country Clubin Joliet, IL.

Well, no one would accuse the President of trying to turn to The Right.

Mitsubishi had the Galant Σ (Sigma) in the early 90s, but everyone I knew called it the "E" despite any attempts to correct them...

Oh, a voluntary road trip?>

If I can add two things to this list.

2008 is old? So what's my 1973 BMW 2002? Prehistoric?

Speaking as someone who has lost both front and rear tires at, ahem, super-legal freeway velocities (100mph rear, 75mph front), I would lose a rear tire any day of the week over a front.

It's a K20Z3 out of a 2006 Civic Si. It's 100% stock, minus the intake/exhaust. Factory limited slip! If I decide to commit suicide later, there are plenty of turbo/supercharger options down the road.

I, too, have also tracked mostly Miatas. I have found that our knock-off is ULTRA sensitive to tire pressures and even the slightest changes in ride height and valving. On sticky street tires on our SuperLite, we end up running around 16-17psi on the track, otherwise the tires simply will not grip.

It is a kit called the SuperLite Roadster from a company called Race Car Replicas. They make the tube frame, the suspension arms/uprights/brakes and the body panels (all three of them). The chassis is set up for whatever engine/trans combo you want. K-series Hondas, Mitsu 4G6E, even the VW 1.8T.

I haven't bothered with any aero devices on my car for this reason (and my poor fabrication skills). I'm not sure the surfaces would be functional, and frankly, my home wind tunnel is still in the "hypothetical" stage.

Having built (and tracked) a knock-off Atom, "high-speed" is relative. Even with bonkers power and light weight, the thing is so dirty aerodynamically that you have to really work to get over 140mph. Of course, I have much less power (20obhp), but fifth gear acceleration is as poor as 1st gear's is brutal.

I'm sure it factors, somehow, in to their massive, wall-sized equations that determine premiums. It's somewhere near the smoke and mirrors.

More Explorers get stolen than totalled. The used parts market is high for common vehicles. Fewer high-end cars get parted out, there's less of a demand for parts. Our insurance went down when we from a 1999 BMW 328 (E46) to a 2000 E39 M5.

But, you can get a nicer car for less money if that's what you want. We did this with an older BMW. We got a 7 year old M5 for less than a new Accord. I'd rather drive the M5. The tools and time (which we already had both) and the BMW code reader are worth it to me.

Another pro-tip on German cars: Learn how to cross-reference Bosch part numbers. The MAFs on the M5 from last week (x2) are the same as on the Golf 1.8T. $70 for the Golf, vs. $200 for the M5. Savings: $260. Same story on O2 sensors, wheel speed sensors, etc. Learn how to shop for "other cars" and save some…