It sounds like Michigan's Oberon effect. The grass is always greener I suppose.

IIRC, Audi's first V8 car in the early 90s had a timing chain on the back of the engine and a timing belt on the front. And the service intervals for those were not the same.

Is the taxpayer going to be willing to foot the bill for that kind of enforcement? It's either more manpower or lots more traffic cameras, which come with their own attendant problems. Reducing the speed limit might not do a lot, but it costs very little to do and won't really slow down the pace of NYC's business.

The other factor is freshness, which I think is key for these big IPAs. I'm a big fan of Devil Dancer but it really has to be on tap. It seems pretty syrupy out of the bottle. The same goes for Bell's Hopslam, which is fine in a bottle, but really comes alive when served fresh from the firkin. It's worth the effort.

A common misconception is that hops are just a flavoring agent. They are not. Oh sure, they provide flavor (and aroma), but they really there to provide balance, adding bitterness to counteract the sweetness of the barley malts. And, in the past, they were there to prolong the life of the beer. The beta acids act as a…

I want the TDI in wagon form (silly Germans). Whatever happened to the AllTrak concepts? That's one that might actually sell, though it was probably killed to prevent Audi poaching.

Exactly. Back in the early aughts VW brought us a Passat wagon with a W8 and AWD. And it was available with a 6-speed. They sold maybe four. But the Touaregs handily outsold it despite costing more. VW discovered it could also sell far more Passats by encasing a version of it (CC) in a swoopy shell.

"small, efficient, lightweight, tossable, RWD rev-happy commuter": You already have two(three): Miata and BRZ(FR-S). Okay, so if you meant MR, there isn't one. And that's because it simply wouldn't sell. The last survivor of that ilk in the U.S. was Toyota's MR-S. Good quality, excellent handling, good fuel mileage,…

The LT4 has an impressive torque curve, but it is not flat. And it relies on a supercharger rather than variable-geometry turbos because reliable VGTs demand very expensive materials and construction to avoid equally expensive repair bills. It is a much cheaper solution, and I applaud the LT4 for what it is. But…

Existing battery technology is NOT inefficient. That's just wildly wrong. Batteries often offer near 100% charge efficiency except at extreme ends of capacity, and discharge losses are typically negligible. Thermal engines... a very sad 30% at best.

Glad to see a reality check. These handle quite badly and are only useful for surprising unsuspecting onlookers. Plus, the necessary relocation of the gas tank to the trunk destroys the car's utility. And, in the case of this car, its safety. If you're going to spend over $20K in a conversion I'd rather see a creative…

Are these really the best. Good god. Volvo: a shaved head and big Webers is modded? Corrado: VW Tuner reject, ugly add-ons. BMW: More corrosion than modification. Fiero: Only if tacky is best. T-bucket: hot rod tribute, not a mod. Civic...done so much, uninteresting. Cedric: ?. Barracuda: First-gen was never a muscle…

And SpaceX, which is about half of his estimated $10-11B net worth.

I had to double-check on the Dino cars. It's confusing because Ferrari used the 'transversale' descriptor on the 348tb and ts when it was launched. They were talking about transmission, though.

Yep. And a lot of old-school Jeeps (Commando, Jeepster, J-truck, etc.) were sold in 2WD. The difference I guess is that those were intended to be farm trucks or hauling rigs. This Wrangler is just a "lifestyle" vehicle.

The V12 is an interesting GT in its own way, and an effortless high-speed cruiser, but the earlier cars are lighter, more balanced, and more akin to what Jaguar was using at Le Mans in the 1950s.

The article doesn't explain the problem. The hideousness is the sum of parts that included rubber bits and a new grille, as well as a 2+2 roofline that makes the car look deformed, a V12 that was difficult to tune and weighed as much as a battleship anchor, and the introduction of an automatic transmission. Granted,…

The 308 didn't have a longitudinal engine placement. It was transverse, just like the 206, 246, 308GT4, Mondial, 328. The 348 marked a switch to longitudinal placement.

The Bosch system placed injectors directly in the cylinders, where the spark plugs used to be. The plugs were situated in the head. This allowed Mercedes to directly dump fuel in cylinders at high pressure. It was very expensive to manufacture and maintain compared to Chevrolet's system, which placed the injectors…

SPICA is considered a mechanical injection system, and cars that retain it (like the Montreal) are generally more valuable than those without it. The only mass-produced EFI prior to Bosch's D-Jetronic was from Bendix in the 1950s. In fact, D-Jetronic is based on Bendix's patents. Both have advantages and…