What if the manufacturer set a base cost on changes (maybe setting one fee for swapping parts compatible with the platform of the base vehicle and its siblings; another for out of platform modifications) and parts cost increases and just didn’t screw around?

You want the car described in the article?
Vehicle cost: VW…

I mistook this for being a Shinya Kimura bike. Not sure how, given how smooth it looks.

Is this 'shopped to get all the closed-eyes, doofy-mouth look? Looks like a composite of each as they blinked in the middle of a sentence.

Not that I'm complaining. Keep the doof-mouth-screenshots going.

I like that Deadspin’s pundit-image style guide seems to dictate goofy screen caps like this.

If you want to put time over money, a lakester. If you try running the run in an organized landspeed attempt, you’ll have to pass tech. You’ll need a full cage, so why not drop the base car and roll your own frame? You can pick exactly the parts you want; go straight for the highest-durability, lowest-cost parts you…

Hey, I wanted to apologize. I was in internet-tough-guy-mode and you did nothing to earn my bullshit response.

So what.

You have a widescreen, you make a widescreen image.

Come on, Lincoln.

Funny cars. This is funny car design. Long, slender, super-aero nose that looks unrealistically raked. sort of appropriate. Maybe it lost the nose to pedestrian safety regs?

I feel like I’m about half my age again and I’m losing my mind because of this little tidbit you have pointed out. I want this car like teenaged-me wanted an ITR. Maybe more. The only thing I would change is a smooth rear bumper and some tires with more than an inch of profile.

Dramatic re-enactment

YES THAT. It's so gorgeous.

If it is offered in Championship White, with red or blue detailing, I’m in. IN. I was super-excited for the Focus ST and RS, but the CTR has cachet from my formative years and was always, literally, unobtainable. I guarantee one sale if the color scheme is offered.

Sounds like a Smokey Yunick thing.

They immediately lose the fully-skirted trailer that works so neatly with every truck. The leading edge of the skirt could be a modular piece, just have to get everyone to agree to a standard mounting.

They look removable, can't imagine they'd be permanently fixed on a setup like this.

Could you do a wagon/five-door overview under this category? I'm looking in the 20-30k range, particularly.

Star Trek: First Contact? It's Zephram Cochran, I remember that much.

I ate many a fine PB&J while hanging out in the trunk of my first car thanks to it being a liftback. I really miss that little bit.

This all also took place in the single lane tunnel of I90 heading to the floating bridge from Seattle to Mercer Island which made the task all the more harrowing, as its somewhat tight quarters to be under the hood of a car and pissing in bottles."