By now, you may have heard that small news item about the GM recall. A recall that is now quite massive in scale, and that was precipitated by a defective ignition switch linked to at least 13 deaths. Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. I had all sorts of things to say about Recallgate, […]
Tag Archives: Rant
January
03
It’s Not Psychology, Stupid
posted by Motorista
Last week, the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch website posted an article opining that psychology explains why the cars with the highest percentage of male ownership (Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, etc.) are almost exclusively foreign luxury and/or exotic brands. Here’s the ownership chart from their article: Take a look at that, and then indulge me a minute… […]
October
23
“Jaws” on Land, or Prius Rant No. 2
posted by Motorista
So yesterday I developed an urge to make salsa. If you actually know me, you understand how absurd this is. My skills in the kitchen consist of operating the microwave (at which I am merely proficient, not talented) and opening Diet Coke cans (at which I am a master). Deciding to make homemade salsa was […]
October
20
Duh Driving Tip of the Week, Presented by Felix the Cat
posted by Motorista
Dear Driver in front of/beside/behind me, Allow me to introduce you to a marvelous invention of which you may have heard rumors: the turn signal. This nifty little device allows you to indicate, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE AROUND YOU, your directional intentions. For example, say you are driving slowly in the fast lane, and […]
September
16
Would You Like a $1,800 Seatbelt With Your $845,000 Porsche?
posted by Motorista
So I was configuring my Porsche 918 Spyder today when I came across one of those bizarre, inane things that must be shared so that we can all engage in collective head-scratching. As you may know, the base price of the 918 Spyder is $845,000. That’s the price of – what? – three Lamborghinis? I […]
August
11
Time to Step Up, Ladies of L.A.
posted by Motorista
While researching my recent Tesla post, I came across an article in the L.A. Times that listed L.A.’s top ten cars and trucks by gender. I didn’t have to read past the title to know that I would be disappointed. And, sure enough, I was. The lists are based on data from Edmunds, which pulled […]
June
23
Prius Rant No. 1
posted by Motorista
My opinions on the Toyota Prius approach the level of Greek tragedy. I believe that, with the Prius (wonderfully pronounced “PRY-us” by those trusty ranters over on Top Gear), Toyota is seeking to leach all beauty, excitement, spontaneity, speed, performance, imagination and joy out of the automobile, using the word “green” as cover. In short, […]
June
22
The Slows
posted by Motorista
Having spent what feels like the vast majority of my adult life traveling the interstate, I have developed a list of cars I refer to as The Slows. The Slows are particular car models that invariably drive slow in the fast lane (my biggest pet peeve of all time), oblivious to my Rules (which will […]
June
18
Duh Driving Tip of the Week
posted by Motorista
Dearest readers, Although no one has asked, I feel the need to occasionally impart words of wisdom regarding various aspects of driving. I refer to these as Duh Driving Tips because, really, you should not need me to point these things out. They should be intuitive. However, it would appear that drivers in my neck […]
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