I have sympathy for him - of course. And his family. But I put him in the same general category of people, as the Titanic sub tourists. People who got way in over their head and paid the ultimate price for a not insignificant degree of hubris.

That’s a good point. I suppose if I was a billionaire designing this thing (and to be clear, I very much am not), I’d probably choose to go with something like an extra large WW2 Sub - a U-Boat, or Balao class sub with a large flat deck fore and aft and a bigger, livable conning tower. Something designed to primarily…

I agree with your second point about why this is impractical. If the operating costs of a superyacht are something like 10% of the value of the yacht per year - I’d imagine a sub would be far, far more. But I’m also not sure that’d be a billionaire from doing it. I suspect it’s the engineering / design required to…

Reason #3,251 - why I like biking to work.  

I don’t know if I’d go two Subarus - one, for sure though. And probably either the Outback or the Cross-Trek. He probably can’t wait until the new Forester is released...

So why the fast wear? It’s a combination of lots of power that can be put down instantly and wild curb weights. But it also comes down to individual driving style, as Sanchez pointed out. “If you drive like grandma, the type of car shouldn’t make a difference,” Sanchez said.

Sure - but that’s why a reasonable, responsible, company will take measured steps and not market their CyberTruck as the ultimate do anything, go anywhere, conquer everything uber-vehicle. Hell - based on the ranges people are getting, their half-cooked release isn’t even good at the very thing Tesla is expected to…

No manual option is devastating. It feels like a really big automotive nail in the stick-shift’s coffin, honestly. The GTI was always supposed to be the fun Golf - designed for and sold to people who like driving.

Come on people - neither the Clubman nor the C30 are wagons.  The clubman has less hauling capacity than a lot of coupes.  And I don’t even know what to say about including the C30... an actual coupe / fastback.  Which is as much of a wagon as the CRX/Z.

That’s fair. A WRX can get you into trouble quickly in the summer. And that much more quickly in the winter (see the dude who got into a one-sided disagreement with a snowplow).

Absolutely - getting going is tremendously helped with AWD - and we live on a fairly steep hill - so on the few days it snows, full time AWD is amazing. I know there are plenty of arguments out there about AWD not helping you stop, or being much better for cornering - particularly on ice. But starting moving is an…

This is increasingly an issue everywhere there’s water - and is problematic not just from a public health / pollution stand point - but also for the safety of people living on the boats. Responding to emergencies on boats - like a fire or the vessel itself sinking - is far more difficult than responding to an…

When it’s -40 out with windchill pushing -50, sweaters, hoodies, etc aren’t going to cut it.  You need a big coat, and the warmest ones do tend to be at least a little puffy.

The Series 1 E-Type has always been my favorite. A wonderful exercise in form over function while still looking beautiful. I particularly loved it when they have those great toggle switches, before safety concerned had them replaced with far less beautiful rockers. Looks just like something out of a mid-century…

Winter-tires are fantastic, and are probably the single best thing you can invest in if you want to drive safely in winter conditions.

Why non-WRX / non-STI?  

Honda does seem to be more serious about keeping stick shifts around - even if it is a cost they could eliminate. And I suppose if they do become one of - if not the only - manufacturer that allows a person to buy a reasonable, affordable, family car with a stick they might actually corner a small, but very passionate…

Challenger is done

I think the WRX looks great. I mean, no, it’s not a masterpiece from Pinifarina. But I think it’s at least as good looking as most of it’s competition. I get not liking the cladding - but I’ve never understood people that don’t like the rear end. The rear lights are fantastic. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of…

As a recent WRX owner, currently driving the car in winter conditions on 4 winter tires - it is one of the most confidence inspiring cars I’ve ever owned for bad conditions like this. If feels unflappable - it goes when you want it to go. It stops when you want it to stop. It turns predictably. Frankly it almost feels…