Honestly if they were ever going to do this now is the time. Cash in on the nostalgia of the boomers who probably have the cash to spend on a modern El Camino. This goes outside the normal jaloposphere to people who "like cars" but not to the nth degree.

I also hear his Maserati does 185, yet he lost his license, now he don't drive.

Definitely agree. An affordable enthusiast car definitely has a market, as evidenced by all your examples above.

Neutral: I’d like to see them pour more resources into the Civic Si, which I am given to understand will be fairly remarkable upon release. But the metaphorical iron is “hot” right now in terms of performance cars. They could test the waters with an Accord Si or Type R. I think the Accord is the most handsome vehicle…

Typically yes.

Reverse: I remember when Petty died. The Petty family is well known near my hometown, and I believe my cousin went to high school with Adam. It was really really sad especially since the family is generally known to be extremely polite and generous to the community. A good friend of mine did some electrical work at…

That’s insane. Your situation sounds a lot like my folk’s. They made a pretty good combined income, but by the time you pay for, you know, life, it gets eroded to a more modest sum, the FAFSA somehow expected 30K cash to come out of the woodwork.

Even better is when that 40K number comes up and its a public institution that costs +/-10K per year to start.

Step 1. Buy a Tacoma

I have not been following this story, so I came here to find out what’s going on, and I’m just distracted by how attractive this guy is. And I'm a straight dude.

I have never needed something so much in my entire life.

Right on. I'm all for treating yourself if you have the means, but understand the difference between want and need, and be humble enough to let go of unnecessary luxuries when life forces your hand.

I think there's a element of relatively stagnant incomes while average auto transaction prices have steadily increased. The only way to prop that up is finding a way to keep the payments the same, by way of longer term loans primarily. Which is fine if your finance a Tacoma for 7 years. It will still be worth 95% of…

So you mean to say it IS being proposed by the Obama admin? I hadn’t heard that, but I'd be a fan.

Good point.

Locally sourced, fair trade, free range crushinator.

Right. And I’m certainly not faulting the agencies for coming down on them, hard, because they should. But whole thing felt conducted under the auspice of “VW caused excessive damage to the air quality, they must be punished.” When in actuality it is “VW broke our rules, they must be punished.”

Well certainly the originator of the fault is, without doubt, VW.

hence the quotations in my original post.

Suuuuuuuure it is.