Oh hell, it’s almost worth that just to say you had an interesting Lancia at one point. And the Zagato is a bit more Lancia than, say the Beta.

So it carries over to Audi as well. This not only broadens the damage, it broadens the number of people within VW/Audi/Porsche who had to know about this little trick. Audi had to run its own tests, which means the engineers in it’s certification department had to notice that NOX was going through the roof every time…

Excellent idea, but Benedict shouldn’t play George Westinghouse, he should play Nicola Tesla, who was a very intense individual.

Does anyone else find that he bears a distinct resemblance to the pre-dress Bruce Jenner?

A lot would depend on how you plan on surprising your date.

I was thinking the same thing, and as I just took a job with a long commute, was eyeballing TDI’s a few weeks ago. So when the news broke, it occurred to me that I might be able to find a panicky owner who wanted to ditch one quick.

Alas, the time to buy that one would have been five or six years ago when you could have picked it up for $1k, if not less. Old 911’s have risen in price too much, too quickly. That will stop and reverse to a degree in a few years, when people get infatuated with another vehicle. By the time you spent a fortune to get…

Wow, that is risky. If they let cosmetic issues go, they probably weren’t particularly fastidious with required maintenance. What happens to that engine if the oil isn’t changed regularly? Remember, while it might only sell for $35k, you’re buying parts and service for a $200k car.

One thing I noticed in my time working in the auto mfg industry, there’s a lot of ‘not my job, not my responsibility’ endemic in the professional ranks. The guy in charge of production isn’t concerned with quality, he’ll push the envelope to make his numbers until the quality person pushes back. The guy or gal in…

I have just been contemplating a more economical car for a new job that involves a long commute. Haven’t noticed that TDI prices have dropped any in the last week or two, might take a bit longer. Then again, I have heard that VW’s quality control isn’t what it once was, and that is a concern. I’ve heard quite a few…

There is PR to consider. Clamping down on 50 or 100 illegally imported Defenders is one thing. Harassing a few hundred thousand TDI owners, who acted in good faith, and are also registered voters... politically, not a wise thing to do.

Tech changes markets. In this case, the high reliability and high output of the large gas turbines mean that a 4 engine large plane isn’t necessary any more, nor are the higher fuel and maintenance costs.

Looks like a modern update to the Republic SeaBee. And, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I have idly daydreamed about spending my lottery winnings on a SeaBee, Lake 250, Grumman Widgeon, etc... I’d still have to win the lottery to get that one, it would just be a smaller lottery.

Probably wouldn’t fly... financially. Flying boats also have a weight penalty - the hull has to be strengthened to withstand the rigors of takeoff and landing, and that adds weight. Plus additional drag. Airports are so ubiquitous today that the concept of a flying boat isn’t financially viable, when compared to the…

A few issues here...

Somewhere, I saw a photo of Hound Dog 1, another Elvis owned Jetstar. Painted flaming red, it’s sitting in a scrap yard somewhere.

So, are they selling off the retirees? Our tax dollars paid for those planes, the very least they can do is cut us taxpayers a deal on a slightly used one.

Also, it’s a dated design, doesn’t fly much like the aircraft the students will eventually be flying. The newest naval aircraft are all fly by wire.

Is it that simple? We’re assuming that air superiority is the only issue, and that may not be the case. Yes, we need air superiority, so a couple hundred more F22’s might be a good idea, but not at the expense of everything else.

I can think of a reason Egypt might want them. They aren’t as vulnerable to terrorist attack as an air base, because they move around and there isn’t a lot of cover in the ocean.