I have to disagree. Formula E is much more of a spec series that allows very little in the way of manufacturers to spend openly on development of batteries, charging tech and electric motor tech at the moment. It is categorically not super beneficial to electric vehicle development in its current state. It is more…

Wat too much money for something that isn’t exactly perfect. At a glance it’s clean and low miles, but there’s some half-assed fixes that make you go.... nahh.

Local fans coming to the track (and some not so local) has improved recently, but I’m talking TV numbers. Sure, 300,000 people at the track is super impressive, it always has been. But what are the TV numbers? There’s always far more eyes watching on TV than in person with any sport. And those numbers are what…

Sounds like you missed my 1996 reference. IndyCar and the 500 were King friggin Kong of the racing world for a long time and had not only some of America’s best, but the world’s best drivers. The last time any F1 World Champion was racing at the 500 (aside from Alonso’s recent effort) was before 1996.

After so many years of not even having a bump day qualifying (did not have more than 33 entrants) this is actually pretty awesome.

Yet another case of an automaker continually embiggening its products, then realizes they’ve gotten so big they need to make a new, smaller model to fill in what the older, original version of the new embiggened model used to be.

As much of a dubs fan as I can be, this is the best Portland team I can ever remember. They’re hungry, too.

Man, my heart says Touareg. The early Touaregs had a kick ass 4WD system, low gear transfer case and optional electronically lockable rear differential. Super comfortable and excellent handling on road, awesomely capable off road.

The 2011 and up versions did away with the low gear transfer case, and the later ones…

I don’t know if anyone here remembers or even ever knew it existed, but there was a Hummer hate website in the mid 2000s. It was FUH2.com. It no longer exists, but the internet Wayback Machine has plenty of captures of it at its height.

I think any old Subaru with the Outback package (back when it was a package, not a model) should suffice. Plenty come with a manual transmission. The 90s stuff before they went to the 2.5L engines were stout and didn’t pop headgaskets near as frequently.

Legacy Outback, Impreza Outback... whatever. Legitimate full time…

Just too bad they no longer sell brown diesel manual wagons.

Sadly, no wagon versions were sold here, though I am aware of at least one swap that’s been done.

Srock TDIs tend to be well out of steam as you get above 4000, but most do redline somewhere around 4700 or so.

I have. And I had a shop mate of mine (co-tenant, if you will) rebuilding an old Chevy small block 283 at the same time I was doing an ALH TDI.

Oh yes. BMW has infuriated me with their lack of consistency in naming lately.

The initial explosion wasn’t a rod letting go or anything like that, it was the turbo. And when the turbo goes, then it can often times begin to ingest its own engine oil. The diesel combustion process being an oil burning one by definition, they often times end up making a massive amount of power for a short time on…

Makes enough sense, it isn’t selling too well. I suspect the Alltrack will remain, though. The Sportwagen/Alltrack are technically standalone models in this market, I would not be surprised to see those stick around.

That’s a great yet bittersweet story. Thanks for sharing.

It is pretty impressive the improvements that have been made since 1994. And in 1994 people then were saying how much safer it was than just a few years before that!

Though the helmet is typically the one spot a driver personalizes and sometimes without advertisement altogether...