Missed cross-WWDITS / KITH connection (and chance to give Mark McKinney some additional work):

Congratulations, Mercedes, you found something more expensive to repair than your Touareg.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a good thing to have domestic chip producers given that massive shortages have crippled multiple industries in the US. Putting all of your eggs in one basket, especially a basket that is potentially as volatile as China and its neighbors might actually be a bad idea.

I’d love to see a return…

Oh sure, pile on Tesla, but give the motorized cart company a pass when it comes to its autopilot feature.

Now make a station wagon version for 50% less money with the same range, and I’m in.

(Not an SUV. Not a crossover. A station wagon.)

Reluctant ‘no dice’ as that’s probably the last semi-reliable M5. If it were 6,000 lower, perhaps...

(or better yet, if it was an E39 5-series touring that some nutjob had converted to full M5 spec)

I have to say, for driving, I much prefer modern vehicles to my old Squareback, especially when driving at speed into a headwind (when the front end would get a bit loose). But there is something comforting in the sheer ease of working on an old VW.  

I could have used this in Walla Walla, in January 1992 when I was having to fix my VW Squareback in the driveway. I was only able to work for 5 minutes at a time, then would have to go inside to warm up for 15 before heading out again.

Oh for a time machine.

Easy fix if you want a modern radio for the E39:

This is going the wrong direction. The new 3W doesn’t need more cylinders. It needs less.

I dunno - I wrecked my knee in a freak accident the first month of my freshman year in college.  I’m know in my 50s and have had four surgeries on that same damn knee.

I’ve owned a Mazda Protege 5 (MT), a Volvo V70 (A), a Mk6 VW Sportwagon (MT-TDI), and a Mk7 VW Sportwagon (A-TDI) over the last 20 years.

I keep challenging Dave Grohl to a melodica battle but haven’t heard back yet.

Get yer feckin’ hand off the gear lever, ya knob!

(seriously, that pisses me off to no end - two hands on the steering wheel, motherfucker - especially when you are driving an automatic)

Update - they just posted Episode 36 last weekend where they finally got the motor into Binky and fired it up (sans turbo) for the first time).

So at least one if not two more episodes forthcoming.

Did you say wedge?

Honorable mention for the M42B18 in the e30 318is. Floggable, fun, light... everything a great engine needs.

Not that I expect Christina Applegate will be trolling through the comments on AVClub, but she should look into HSCT as opposed to the standard pharma-based treatment for MS.  

Used Nissan LEAF is a great idea, but right now with the chip shortage / used car price grift, they are going for stupid money.

This is rather salient for me as my son purchased his own car this summer (out of his savings - he’ll have his license in December). He went with a high-ish mileage 2004 E46 330Ci mostly…