Barren Realms?!?! I used to play at college (before I failed out). THWACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't heard those words used in reference to a MUD since 1997 or so.

Not even the tacked on ones. The ones from the factory that are useless (Buick comes to mind, as do the ones on my MINI) and do not actually vent anything. Because it's hard to vent through uncut bodywork and solid plastic.

True story: We went into Costco for glue sticks (School Supply season). That was the only thing on the list. $380 later we left. We finished up with a round of their delicious Pizza and I helped myself to one of their new BBQ Pork Sandwiches (delicious) because a $380 box of glue sticks requires a little bit of extra…

Excellent point. However since this is 'Merica we only care about two things: displacement, cylinder count, and NASCAR.

A big +1 on the brakes. I picked up some nice pads and rotors for my wife's Audi but it was February in Minnesota so I called up Audi to get a quote for the labor. They guy told me $800. I explained that I already had the parts and just needed the labor at which point he repeated the $800 quote. Needless to say that I…

I saw something like this at a track day. A fellow enthusiast had a Mercury Marauder and I was impressed with his eclectic choice of vehicle. 1/2 way through day 1 of the track weekend he pitted and later we all saw why: brake rotors that looked like this. The thing is he had been talking to me earlier about the…

I thought that since seals didn't have cloven hooves they would be kosher but alas, no. Wait, I'm not Jewish!

Take the PCH. It's a lot LONGER (in time and distance) but you get a lot of cool places. Like Big Sur (duh?) and San Simeon (Hearst Castle), and a whole mess of little towns that could use some Jalopnik love. I drove it back in 1998 in a borrowed Chrysler LeBaron Convertible and it was quite memorable. Change your…

It all started with the LEGO Bricks. It wasn't this particular set but it was an universal set that had an electric motor and instructions for a car. It taught me how gears work, how a basic rack and pinion worked, and a whole host of other car-related things. I'm about to blow my own kids' minds since they are about…

Sisu is the word that Mikka Hakkinen used to describe the Finnish mindset when he was teaching James May to rally. Nice.

I believe it's a screen-capture from a PBS documentary.

I'm still wishing I'd held off on buying my MINI. I would have the Ford ST in a heartbeat over my MINI. Far cheaper and more of what I'm looking for.

Not a yooper, central Minnesota. Although I have spent some time with the UP-Finn's as well.

All those Finnish names are bringing back memories of my youth. There is a rather large Finnish population in the town where I attended elementary and middle school. Raisanen, Kivinen, Woullet, Ylitalo, Houtari... so many. It was unusually common for people to have real wood Saunas (pronounced Sah - uu - nah, not…

The XRS thing started with the Matrix. The XRS was the top-end Matrix that had the 6-speed and the 180 HP Celica GTS engine. The XR had the AWD. All the other Matrices were quite beige but I think the XS got a the roof spoiler or some other body cladding (because PONTIAC!).

The appeal is that minivans are so unbelievably practical. Need to haul 4 kids across country with all their stuff? Minivan. Need to load up a kind size bed frame and bring it back to the house? Minivan. Need to load up all the supplies and food for your giant work function from Costco to the park? Minivan. Need to…

Seoul. The cops drive underpowered Hyundai econoboxes with CVT transmissions; there are plenty of long highways and bridges with multiple lanes for some real speed; there are 6 or 7 large hills/small mountains onto which pavement has been laid with crazy switchbacks and tight corners; lots of tunnels; and at 3am the…

One of the few sites that I actually watched through to completion.

Am I the first to point out that after spending the entire commercial building up to a "smooth" CVT ad, Nissan follows it up with their "SHIFT_" motto? I'm not Alanis Morissette but I'm pretty sure that is ironic.

I have a hankering to head out to the normally populated streets of Seoul and do a little Getaway in Seoul (GiS) action. It's normally impossible to drive like I want to, here but at 3am the roads are generally clear. I'm thinking of starting in Yongsan 용산 heading to Seocho 서초, skirting the loop to Yangjae 양재,…