I think that’s probably a bit too extremely fatalistic, but even what you’re saying is 100% spot on, your vote still matters because it determines WHICH moneyed interests control the government: https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?id=

My sincere hope with electrification is that you end up with a cottage industry of small fabricator shops making custom bodies to fit on skateboard chassis. In such a world, you could imagine a rally series with cars done up to look like Group B titans. Or an endurance series that sees P3/4s simulacra race against…

Yes, but oil companies aren’t exactly known for their long-term sustainable business practices.

Because if cars use less gas, then oil companies make less money. They’re the ones pulling the strings to move those tiny orange hands.

I really love Albon and wish all the wonderful things in the world for him. If he can navigate the toxic politics and backstabbing that is the Red Bull program, that’s an accomplishment in and of itself.

Porsche reveals its livery colors to be red, white and black?! I’m shocked! SHOCKED!! Okay, not that shocked.

Same. Got a three-year-old 5dr that had already taken the depreciation hit. Affordable, capable, fun to drive. Love it, and will probably trade it in for a 3dr (electric?) when our kid is no longer in a carseat.

The base 3dr hatch starts at $22k these days. MINI has been punching upmarket for almost two decades now, which to me is the saddest part of the brand, given its humble, affordable car roots.

Isn’t lateral gee almost entirely a function of the tires? If you swapped out the standard Michelin all-weathers for, like, a set of racing slicks, couldn’t you get it a lot better?

That's really cool to know!

Oh wow that makes me really happy to hear. Glad to know some stereotypes are undeserved.

“Someone else’s project” to me implies a state of either half-finishedness or uniqueness that would make care & maintenance difficult. This is, for all intents and purposes, a Porsche 930—the only difference is that it didn’t come that way from the factory. If this were a newer car under warranty, that might matter,…

It’s a lot different from a Tesla. These cars aren’t NASCAR loud, but they clock in at 80 dB, and when a dozen of them screamed by me in Brooklyn, I got the tinglies. And the vehicles are so much sexier than F1 cars—I keep a Techeetah livery model as a display piece. My point, basically, is YMMV.

Generally agree, and I’m a huge FE fan, but:

I’m seriously bummed I didn’t get to meet any of my favorite car people—in addition to yourself, Hazel Southwell even brought Stuart “ChainBearF1" Taylor with her—and with our shitty eVillage only passes (I couldn’t see subjecting a 4yo race buddy to un-shaded metal seats in Brooklyn in July) we barely got to see the…

Weird anecdotes aside, it looks like the Countryman is rated pretty highly for safety.

Mini/BMW supposedly sorted out their reliability issues (IIRC they were mostly CVT-related) around 2014, but I’m not sure what the first year is for reliable Countrymen, though.

Seriously?  Is that just some weird trim level nonsense? Or does the LED interfere with the active sensing?

PSA: Guinness are actually a bunch of greedy, autocrat-enabling asshats.