So, the A-1o was designed after the experience of fighting non-peer state opposition with the wrong type of aircraft (Vietnam), has spent the last 15 years fighting non-peer state opposition, but the USAF doesn’t think they’ll need that capability in the future? O..kaay.

Meanwhile...

Its often the case that niche German 4WD cars don’t get sold in the UK because of engineering issues with the conversion to RHD. It was the same with a lot of the early 4WD 5 series BMWs etc.

Yes but it was only a “McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B” in the first place because of American domestic lead contractor and technology transfer rules (see T-45A for another example). Which of course the US can get away with because they’re the US. Smaller countries have to be a bit more creative when it comes to keeping…

Because America never does that, oh no.

For 99.99% of owners; they’re just a lifestyle statement; but for that 0.01%, like the lads I came across in Argentina riding the Pan-American highway, they’re the aspiration made real. But isn’t that true for 99.99% of sports bikes as well? Nobody needs a Panigale, and most who do will never make the most of one, but…

I’ve tweeted them and asked for more info. Museum looks interesting; may take the kids up north at Easter and have a look.

For a plane that only exists because the plane the French actually wanted (the Jaguar M) had too many development problems, its had a good run.

You’re partly right, but lower standards doesn’t mean no standards. Low volume manufacturers in the EU* (under 1000 units) can use something called EC SSTA (European Community Small Series Type Approval), which requires far fewer crash tests etc. (not none, but a lot less, I think it might even be a single vehicle or…

It's called realpolitik and the Americans should have done exactly the same thing in Iraq.

Don’t think it would have made that much difference. They’re in a race to fill every niche with MB and Audi; having Rover around would just given them more fwd platforms sooner.

I can believe that. Aussie customs are the most miserable pricks I’ve ever come across in 60 odd countries. I flew into Cairns a few years back and there was a lad in front of me, crusty backpacker with the beads and the guitar on his back. Customs guy told him he wasn’t letting him in because he’d lied on the…

Pretty much. But with a bit less religion and (these days) gun totin’. But the rest? Yeah.

I really want to like this, and apart from the nose I like the styling, but, unlike the original NS-X which sat in a sweet spot that no one was really filling, this sits in a world of Audi R8s and McLaren 570s (which, by the way definitely has more storage space than the Honda), and I really can’t see why you’d choose…

The international audience for TG was an accident. There was no grand BBC strategy to target international audiences until some bright spark at BBC Worldwide realised how much is was being torrented. Clarkson, May and Hammond would never have got TG made anywhere but the UK (because of the licence fee and the lack of…

Yes. Not so much anymore, but to give you a feel for it, Evans’ predecessor on Radio 2, Terry Wogan, died a couple of weeks ago and there was genuine national mourning. BBC radio has been a big thing because unlike the US its national.

It’s the Express. Nothing that’s written in the Express is ever true. Even the word “Express” at the top is a lie (is it faster than other newspapers? It is not).

No, panicked at the site of cop lights ahead.

Let’s be honest, you’re an edge case. Historically Alfas are definitely less reliable than ze Germans. My 156 and GTV were both shockingly bad compared to my 330Ci or my Audi S3. The 156 lunched its entire engine at 18K miles and I had it in the shop god knows how many times to deal with the Selespeed box. But even…

Yeah...you don't get to ignore who gets shot when you work out the death stats; other countries have criminals too and even they shoot each other a lot less. Besides, the biggest risk is shooting yourself anyway.