@FurySamurai72: Dear NASCAR haters, hear me, for I was once like you. I am a former road-course snob. A former MAJOR road-course snob. However, I recently had an epiphany on oval racing, including NASCAR. Let me share my newfound understanding with you - you may take it or leave it as you wish - so that I might do my small part to bring both sides of this eternal debate together.
1. Oval racing is like hockey - television does not capture its essence. You must understand this. Before you write the NHL (NASCAR) off as a quirky obsession of your Canadian (Southern) neighbors, find a local minor league hockey team (dirt oval) and catch a game (race). Hockey (oval racing) seen in-person at its lowest levels is 10 times as exciting as hockey (oval racing) seen on TV at its highest levels.
2. Jast as drag racing is not road racing, oval racing is not road racing. Oval racing is not road racing. If you are watching a drag race (oval race) waiting for a driver to make a right-hand turn, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. To enjoy it, you must view drag (oval) racing with different expectations from road racing.
3. Right turns or no, driving at the limit for 100% of the track is always hard. This is the most important point, and the source of my epiphany. It came during a skid pad exercise in which we drove in a square rather than a circle. It was 10 minutes at a time of left-hand turn after left-hand turn, and there was NOTHING boring about it. That very night, I watched a NASCAR event and noticed, for the first time in my life, the slip angles of each car on each turn. I finally got it. This is not a leisurely stroll around the track at high speed. It is non-stop 10/10ths driving, turn after turn after turn. And now I like oval racing of all types, as well as drag and road racing. If that doesn't do it for you, that's ok - just understand that there is nothing inherently unsophisticated about appreciating it.
4. Forget the media hype about the personalities and conflicts if you don't give a crap - you only have to get from it what you want to get from it. Personally, I now enjoy watching oval racing for the driving skill. I don't know anything about NASCAR's championship or anything else - I just like watching the driving. You can too, if you want - it's really okay to only invest as much attention as you want to give it.
That's it. That's what I have come to learn about oval racing in general and NASCAR in particular. I hope it helps bridge the NASCAR/road racing divide we have here, even if just for one person.
Oh, and welcome Ms. Motor.
1. Oval racing is like hockey - television does not capture its essence. You must understand this. Before you write the NHL (NASCAR) off as a quirky obsession of your Canadian (Southern) neighbors, find a local minor league hockey team (dirt oval) and catch a game (race). Hockey (oval racing) seen in-person at its lowest levels is 10 times as exciting as hockey (oval racing) seen on TV at its highest levels.
2. Jast as drag racing is not road racing, oval racing is not road racing. Oval racing is not road racing. If you are watching a drag race (oval race) waiting for a driver to make a right-hand turn, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. To enjoy it, you must view drag (oval) racing with different expectations from road racing.
3. Right turns or no, driving at the limit for 100% of the track is always hard. This is the most important point, and the source of my epiphany. It came during a skid pad exercise in which we drove in a square rather than a circle. It was 10 minutes at a time of left-hand turn after left-hand turn, and there was NOTHING boring about it. That very night, I watched a NASCAR event and noticed, for the first time in my life, the slip angles of each car on each turn. I finally got it. This is not a leisurely stroll around the track at high speed. It is non-stop 10/10ths driving, turn after turn after turn. And now I like oval racing of all types, as well as drag and road racing. If that doesn't do it for you, that's ok - just understand that there is nothing inherently unsophisticated about appreciating it.
4. Forget the media hype about the personalities and conflicts if you don't give a crap - you only have to get from it what you want to get from it. Personally, I now enjoy watching oval racing for the driving skill. I don't know anything about NASCAR's championship or anything else - I just like watching the driving. You can too, if you want - it's really okay to only invest as much attention as you want to give it.
That's it. That's what I have come to learn about oval racing in general and NASCAR in particular. I hope it helps bridge the NASCAR/road racing divide we have here, even if just for one person.
Oh, and welcome Ms. Motor.
When a car is legendary for its indestructible engine, and you take out that engine, there can be only one result: crack pipe.
@FodderTheSane: I appreciate wagons - I own one in fact. When I replace my current wagon, it will be with another wagon. And if I can't get another wagon I like as much, I will keep and run my S4 into the ground. I love me some wagons.
But this thing is just wack. The whole reason Americans have bad associations with wagons is cars like this one - ugly, underpowered, and did I mention ugly? The only point in its favor is rarity. The Hyundai Scoupe is rare too, but that doesn't mean I'd pay five grand for it.
But this thing is just wack. The whole reason Americans have bad associations with wagons is cars like this one - ugly, underpowered, and did I mention ugly? The only point in its favor is rarity. The Hyundai Scoupe is rare too, but that doesn't mean I'd pay five grand for it.
I'm generally negative on any non-historical drama (TV, film or print) that involves the president as a central protagonist. Usually they were included because the writers have an axe to grind about who they think the actual president is or should be, or they can't tell a story of global scale without involving global leaders. Either way you're in for some bad writing. Based on this rule, I give "The Event" one season. I hope it proves me wrong.
[Comedies and satires are excepted from this rule (take a bow, "Dr. Strangelove").]
[Comedies and satires are excepted from this rule (take a bow, "Dr. Strangelove").]
@snap_understeer_ftw: Nothing hypocritical about it at all. I'm glad the thing has been driven so much by someone, but unfortunately mileage does count when you're looking at a used car - if you disagree then I'll gladly swap any car you want to give me for an identical higher mileage version (Italian supercars excepted - on those I firmly believe higher mileage is a good sign).
I, for one, LOVE the E36 M3 in sedan form. They're also hard to find with 3 pedals in the US, so that's a bonus. The mods seem acceptable, maybe even appropriate, though I'd prefer the stock seats for everyday use.
Still, the price seems about $5k too high. I met an E36 M3 sedan owner at a gas station a few years ago (pre-recession), and he had just purchased his sub-100k, cosmetically fine, all-stock version for $8,000. Ok, so that was an automatic, so maybe add something for the stick. And maybe add something for the mods, though everyone knows you never recover anywhere near cost on those. Then knock it down a few grand for the terrifying mileage (hey, I'm glad it has been driven enthusiastically for the past 13 years, but this isn't a Subaru - it ain't gonna live forever) and maybe we're in the right ballpark.
Crack pipe, reluctantly.
Still, the price seems about $5k too high. I met an E36 M3 sedan owner at a gas station a few years ago (pre-recession), and he had just purchased his sub-100k, cosmetically fine, all-stock version for $8,000. Ok, so that was an automatic, so maybe add something for the stick. And maybe add something for the mods, though everyone knows you never recover anywhere near cost on those. Then knock it down a few grand for the terrifying mileage (hey, I'm glad it has been driven enthusiastically for the past 13 years, but this isn't a Subaru - it ain't gonna live forever) and maybe we're in the right ballpark.
Crack pipe, reluctantly.
@Elhigh: The Aether! The Aether!
Last time I checked, the "fuck truck" was specifically the nickname of the regular shuttle to/from Wellesley. I'm pretty sure there's not some system of private buses to bring in women from who-knows-where to finals club parties. But then again I wasn't douchey or cool enough to be in one, so who knows? Maybe nowadays those finals club dudes have set their sights a little higher, like BC (just kidding Wellesley, you know I love you).
Otherwise, yeah, this sounds pretty much like Harvard, in all its self-conscious/class-conscious glory... good times!
Otherwise, yeah, this sounds pretty much like Harvard, in all its self-conscious/class-conscious glory... good times!
Amazing. That was more like 3 minutes, if you don't count the time they were driving into and out of position. I love watching military guys work - no BS, just do your job, get out of the way and trust the other guy to do his.
Anything Italian. I'd love an Alfa, and a Lambo Espada is attainable enough that I could put my money where my mouth is (love that car), but in reality I'm too scared of the cost of keeping an Italian classic on the road to ever buy one.
Are you sure there isn't an extra 0 in that price? Or two maybe?
Cool. Watching professional drifting is like watching the Harlem Globetrotters in their heyday... it's not at all like a real athletic contest, but you gotta give it up for the skills displayed.
This makes slightly more sense than an armored Ferrari. But only slightly.
Oh please pretty please be okay Tom we love you and need you you're my hero please marry me...
"Flight 85, this is ground control. Why the F- did you turn? Over."
It's just... so... WRONG!
Yup, this car is now officially a classic, and how do you buy a classic? You pay up for the best example you can find. Nice price.
@Autoghost: I simply question the truthfulness of the quotations and the validity of the "controversy" surrounding them, as I generally do when someone without a recording claims to remember exactly who said what at what time many months or years after the fact. There could be many reasons to write the book, money among them - I wouldn't claim the entire book is propaganda. But just like I question the truthfulness of reality TV, I question the truthfulness of this faux "controvery".
The main point of my post, which I admit I didn't say clearly in any way, is not so different from yours - breathlessly repeating the "controversial" quotes of the book without a full and critical review is silly.
The main point of my post, which I admit I didn't say clearly in any way, is not so different from yours - breathlessly repeating the "controversial" quotes of the book without a full and critical review is silly.
@Autoghost: Yes, and that is part of the point - what matters is getting fiscally conservative swing voters who voted "D" in 2008 to not vote "R" in 2010. These people might consider the auto bailout to be a success, but they are still feeling disillusioned by DC politics and asking for a change. The polls speak for themselves. This book reminds people of a bold Democratic action that was largely well-received, and it does so at the same time it paints the administration as being tough on the bailout recipients. So maybe that marginal swing voter is going to say "Gee, maybe the Democrats weren't the nationalizing communists Glenn Beck portrays them to be...". How does this not look like election year propaganda?
What you think of the auto bailout and how you voted is irrelevant, and I'm not sure what point you were trying to make by bringing it up. You are probably not the marginal swing voter.
What you think of the auto bailout and how you voted is irrelevant, and I'm not sure what point you were trying to make by bringing it up. You are probably not the marginal swing voter.
F1.
Imagine Toyota changing "Camry" to "NASCAR"... Ford and GM would laugh all the way to the bank as they trashed it in ads targeting the American Heartland. Well, that's basically the risk McLaren took with the name F1. An F1 competitor named their supercar F1 for goodness sake! Ferrari would have a field day... only Ferrari wasn't laughing. What could they say? It turns out McLaren built a car that was so far ahead of its competition that more than 15 years after it was first introduced, people are still measuring cars like the Veyron against it. If a car was ever going deserve the name F1, this was it.
The only thing cooler would have been if back in the 60's Ford named the GT40 "Le Mans"... that might have topped "F1". Instead the LeMans was a shitty Pontiac compact. Alas.
Imagine Toyota changing "Camry" to "NASCAR"... Ford and GM would laugh all the way to the bank as they trashed it in ads targeting the American Heartland. Well, that's basically the risk McLaren took with the name F1. An F1 competitor named their supercar F1 for goodness sake! Ferrari would have a field day... only Ferrari wasn't laughing. What could they say? It turns out McLaren built a car that was so far ahead of its competition that more than 15 years after it was first introduced, people are still measuring cars like the Veyron against it. If a car was ever going deserve the name F1, this was it.
The only thing cooler would have been if back in the 60's Ford named the GT40 "Le Mans"... that might have topped "F1". Instead the LeMans was a shitty Pontiac compact. Alas.
