I actually bought this months’ Car for the first time in ages; the decline in the quality of the paper stock and binding is palpable; the death spiral of print in physical form.

So can someone explain to me as a non-USAian, how come these guys haven’t been locked up and the key thrown into Mount Doom? Is this some weird quirk of US law?

I’m sorry, for volume production that’s all absolute horseshit. This vehicle is absolutely not form following manufacturing necessity; it’s a style choice from a sci-fi nerd and a very deliberate one.

It’s a totally fair analogy; Porsche enthusiasts were positively foaming at the mouth when the very idea of a Porsche-SUV was mooted, and didn’t shut up about it until they were PR-massaged that SUVs paid for 911 development. Just because it was the manufacturer brand rather than the model brand that was being sullied…

Me too, this is very model-Y-esque. Better looking but very much the same theme.

You could make the same argument for Rush and that was a brilliant movie; so good that my wife wants to see this and she knows nothing about cars. I think it also helps that the film is called Le Mans ‘66 over here, not “trucks v douchebagmobiles” as it is in the US.

It’s a truly lovely thing, and its rarity will ensure it keeps its value (and then some), but objectively it’s not special enough; especially the bog-standard Volvo interior, which is a fine interior in isolation; but way too over-familiar.

Congrats to Lewis, thoroughly deserved. Weirdly though, I have a feeling that may be his last championship although I could still see him eventually beating Schumacher’s 91 wins. If 2020 is a continuation of the second half of 2019, Hamilton has a real fight on his hands.

The Stelvio isn’t “too big” for Europe, its X3/Q5 sized, and they sell like hot cakes. The problem is that its focused on handling instead of the things people actually want in this sector; space, infotainment and low tax; it’s not competitive in any of those areas, and it doesn’t even compensate by being cheap.…

“Books” George, not “Book”. Yeah, that ain’t happening is it?

Hamilton has a 92 wins (or more) target to beat. He won’t be taking any time off for a while. He could become the most successful driver of all time in as little as one more season. 

Aaccording to the article above the 522bhp and 563bhp versions have the same 0-60; which was my point. Especially given that top speed is limited.

So the range is about the same and the acceleration is similarly face-melting, so you’re paying 50 grand extra for a “turbo”badge (but no actual turbo) and a bit of extra power you can’t materially access. Is that about right?

I think this is a great idea and for once its a “mobility solution” that I hope expands elsewhere. Back in the day I bought a scooter when I lived in London and it was by far the easiest way to get around...until it inevitably got stolen. This takes away that problem and doesn’t sound like a 2-stroke. Win-win. 

My worst was west London to Basingstoke; about 50 miles each way including London traffic. In the end I used to cycle the first 6 miles, grab a train from Clapham Junction and cycle the last 2 miles at the other end. It was still faster than driving. Nearly two hours each way. 

Barriers to entry for large scale aircraft production are so high that if you want an aircraft industry, you’re going to have subsidise it to get it going. You can do that directly, as Airbus did, or indirectly, as Boeing (and Lockheed and M-D before them) achieved through military cross-subsidies. Either way, there’s…

Ahem, at the start of your WW2 Japan might have had the most carriers, at the start of ours (1939) it definitely did not.

For a country that doesnt like weapons much, there are tons of privately owned tanks and APCs in the UK. I used to love going to military memorabilia fairs when I lived in London (usually in some muddy field off the M25), watching various lunatics hooning around in their tanks, and not just British stuff, Soviet T-55s…

If the US doesn’t sell weapons systems to other people, it can’t afford them themselves in many cases. The only reason the USMC can fly the F-35B at an even remotely acceptable unit cost is because the RAF made a large order for the things as well, bringing individual unit costs down. This is how modern defense…

It makes perfect sense for Porsche to price the Taycan at a premium to the Tesla S: