I think the degree of standardization that happens is often based on small components that are shared. If manufacturers shared a transmission supplier they ended up having compatible parts. I had friends who were big AMC fans and we saw this all the time with various pieces large and small being interchange with…

None of these cars fit even a majority of the criteria. They are, each of them, terrible suggestions. I know, she had a Fiat so maybe her version of reliability is a bit skewed but everything on the list will be broken often and impossibly expensive to fix. While the Saab is interesting it was never a good…

Of course the driver was desperately attempting to go in a straight line...

Transportation has been in perpetual beta testing since monkeys first put on shoes. Holding companies liable for egregious errors is the only method of managing risk.

To all the people arguing about contracts they have no knowledge of be aware that Musk was quoted saying they will honor all existing contracts, they just won’t be entering in to new contracts if the interfere with Tesla’s needs. The workforce is upset for the same reason American workers might be pissed if they had…

These are really great illustrations. I love their overall style and mood. They seem real enough to actually covet.

Mitsubishi Endeavor

The guy deserves every bit of 15 years. Having ridden motorcycles for 25 years I view it as a reminder at how vulnerable we are when on two wheels. How what is a small danger in a car becomes a life or death situation while on a bike. A little ice, hitting a bump on a tight corner, and yes, crazies on the road. …

These stories are generally pointless. Mainly because the “victim” is typically violating an existing statute. We all follow some laws we think are stupid because some compromise is worth it to support a civil society. If the rule is stupid, unpopular or unconstitutional and it is important to someone they can work…

Look, I know these cars were crap. I inherited a base model 4 door from my parents that they purchased new. They handed me the keys in 1988 when I got my license and they had purchased a new GMC Safari. Anyway, the citation had about 80k on it and was completely, and I mean completely rusted. Not just surface rust…

I spent a couple days in one on a work trip that was mostly mixed road use but did have a few legs down gravel roads and a little field work in, well, fields. I was not a fan. It felt cheap, road ride wasn’t too much different than a 4 door Wrangler and worst of all it seemed cramped inside. Also the ones I have…

Bottom of page 4 of the link below. The entire article is worth reading.

GM can’t shrink its way to success but if it cuts the dead weight there will more money to expand in to the future markets. Some of those markets may be geographic, as with China, but most will be with new products that don’t yet exist. I’m not talking about new models or the next generation Volt but of what happens…

I guess 911 diehards have to ask themselves that if moving the engine a couple inches forward makes it a better car but not a “real”911 which they would rather have. Since most expensive sports cars spend the majority of their lives at slow speeds my guess is that most buyers are focused on the style rather than…

I liked the way these looked when they came out. But when I heard about the limited power, no crazy AllTrac version and soft way it drove I was disappointed. Bad timing by Toyota given the success Mitsubishi and Subaru were finding with high powered AWD performance cars at the time.

True, I didn’t compute that TDIs made up that large a percentage. While I personally love wagons they typically haven’t demanded a lot more money in the market.

As for being road legal it depends on the local laws but it is likely that it isn’t. Often the rules differ based on the year or type of car. A Model-T can get away following the rules from which it was built but you can’t drive a new car by those rules. Side mirrors and other safety items (bodywork can be a part…

I understand the thought but there are a couple issues. One is that the gas versions aren’t being removed from the roads so they won’t really be rare unless the only thing you care about is the engine. The MPG with gas might be a little lower but people that buy a classic don’t care much about mileage typically.

A good friend is a DOT engineer and said he will send his info on Monday. He was out at a bridge site today and not in the office. I will post it then.

It seems you drive in places that are truly terrible places to drive. There is no point in having an interesting car in a big city so therefore no point in a manual.