that's straight up creepy.

Some people intentionally force patina on things. One guy I knew had a crazy ritual for new hats. Other people want their gleaming temple of tech to be a frozen postcard in time. Black anodize - when thick enough - can survive a lot of wear.

I'm disturbed the runabout isn't getting any love. The Rio Grande. I thought they were perfect - you could go nearly anywhere a big ship could go, decent armament, maneuverable.

We haven't had such good luck with their packing. They take care of it, but it sometimes takes two tries to get things since the first gets destroyed.

I presume they took apart the mechatronic unit on a DSG before and after the smoothness fix and took some detailed notes about what changed. No sense in reinventing the wheel when you can measure someone else's.

Yeah, I'd like to get through to the Consumer Reports reviewers who want auto-shifting manuals to feel like a lossy slushbox. I hate normal autos after DSG - the engine should disengage when you're off the gas, just like a regular manual, except the computer runs the clutch for you. It's an *automated* manual, not a…

I'm thinking it's the more aggressive, unidirectional rubber like LTIROCKS said. That's going to make a difference in feel compared to the all season they run by default these days. I drove different GTIs with different tires and they felt noticeably different even on the street.

I've asked this question myself - only about Lincoln though.

If they'll let you put food in the chamber, they'll probably let you use the quartz lamp heaters to create a local hotspot even in a cryo chamber.

I put that Happy Thanksgiving from NASA image on the outside of my cube before I left for turkey day today. Brilliant.

It looks awesome in black too.

I just wish they had the RT out already. I looked long and hard at a limited, but it didn't have the sharpness of the 'sport' cars.

There were none to be found in Houston or Dallas when I was on the hunt. Good luck.

I just made that decision, I went with the GTI again, but the Countryman S was my second choice. The new Forester XT (provided they still do the turbo) should be a strong choice too. The no manuals thing limits the field for you a lot - the WRX is out.

If you want the best brisket, get to Snow's before they're sold out. I've had some absolutely great brisket from Salt Lick, but that was one out of probably 30 times. Ever since they expanded, their sauce isn't quite right and it's lost something. Our favorite 'all arounder' is Smitty's, we like their sausage and…

Thank you for your passionate response. You give me hope for our future.

I just hope you didn't suffer the house margaritas at 1308. Ick.

I think #4 is a Corvette now. Still don't know on #8.

1. Nissan Juke

I coughed consuming a "brain eraser" containing goldschlager through a straw, and that was so unimaginably painful I can't imagine anyone snorting the stuff on purpose.