Wow, I hadn’t even thought about that aspect of it. This kid will probably feel some guilt for sure.

I got my license in 2001 and I did spin training. It is CREEPY, pointing straight at the ground. I actually don’t think it is required anymore, and many newer planes are spin-proof. You are correct, you need a good 1500 to 2000 feet to recover even a partially-developed spin. Some bad decisions making here.

GA pilot here (my company owns 2 206's like this, among others) - low, slow, and in a steeply banked turn is NO place to be. Even guys with Redbull logos on their wings don’t do it slow. I don’t see or hear any evidence of mechanical failure, which says this is very, very poor decision making by the pilot. From the…

Seriously. I’m about to buy a Miata RF, and one big appeal is that it is not supercar fast (so can be enjoyed on a real road), sounds pretty cool, and I can engage with it on a level I cannot with other cars, even my GTI. It’s maybe the last non-electric car I’ll ever buy, so I’m going to cherish it. I understand on a…

My last car has ergonomics that were dead perfect for knee driving. I swear I could have driven the Nordschleife at speed using just my knee. I’m a 9/3 monogamist these days, especially since I began track driving. Still, the knee still comes into play on deserted highways sometimes, but I hold the wheel when near any…

Agreed, once a convenience is there, it cannot be taken away. The invisible hand of progress will not allow it. We can only push to make it cleaner.

I think it is a bit more nuanced than greed. Certain economies are better at producing certain things. Just like we are all not doctors and engineers, and we need the dancers and musicians. Some countries can do things more efficiently -and often better - than others. Trade is as old as time. So where would one…

I recall reading back in Dieselgate the 5 largest ships produced more NOX than all the diesel vehicles engines in the world. Just...perspective. And to those railing against heavy fuel oil, it has to be used SOMEWHERE. Otherwise it is waste and must somehow be disposed of, so might as well burn it. Sure, it could be…

And then the car exits and parks on the shoulder at the bottom of the off-ramp, waiting for the driver to wake up. The cars could mix in with all the big rigs who do the same with their sleeping drivers.

She should have called the cops to report a bank robbery in progress, the bank stealing HER money.

Kids and other idiots today.

If only he’d been in a Maserati, he could have hit 185.

Back in ‘93 we did a multi-day 4-college tour with my friend’s parents driving us in their Sable wagon, so a 2+3+1 configuration and an S-Car-Go on the roof. Was a great time and thankfully we were all skinny XC runners so fit nicely enough.

Agree, Torch picks on all the right things about cars, he is an excellent writer and analyst, IMO. I’m a borderline VW apologist - we had a TDI wagon that I loved to the moon and back, and I DD a 2016 GTI. That car has 85,000 trouble-free miles on it, and I track it. Its infotainment is instantaneous and the…

Yep, these are the bullet points. Even if this has strayed a bit from a perfect matching numbers and complete log book Ferrari, it still seems like an awesome car. And IMO looks way better than the alien-inspired cars Ferrari makes these days that all have automatic transmissions.

Ha, ha, it amazing what desperation will allow your brain to find entertaining, especially at 11PM in the middle of nowhere. We are too spoiled these days with satellite radio and podcasts.

I’m old enough to have taken long road trips where this was the only option. Also radio shows where people would just call in listing things they were selling. I became an expert at listening to 99% static and being able to pick out the words of a show. Where I grew up you used to be able to get the ABC affiliate on…

Agreed! Was happy to see a My Cousin Vinny reference as I think 98% of the population has gotten all of their differential information from that movie. And that ol’ timey differential video - while I’ve seen it before - is still the best demonstration of what is happening. Thank you Patrick for an excellent article…

I agree there needs to be some recognition that much of our food is made possible by shadow labor and we should protect that labor - it’s both a moral and economic imperative. But there is a certain political party who is willing to die on that particular hill. Also, I’m not sure of the ethics of creating basically a…

Seriously. I live near the PA/MD border, and last spring there were stories of farms having crops rot in the fields because their seasonal/foreign/traveling immigrant workers were trapped either in other states or south of the border from COVID...and they could not pay American workers enough to harvest things, so…