Recent Comments:
Rumormill: 2012 BMW M5 to get manual tranny in U.S. {Autoblog}
Mar 25th 2011 1:58PM Have driven the C6 Vette with the shocks as well as the Ferrari 458 and Audi TT. Have to say I'm not terribly impressed. Good yes, but not as good as the Ferrari F355 with mechnically adjusted shocks. There is a gear on top of each shock that controls orifice size based on inputs processed by a dedicated ECU. It's ability to soak up crappy roads in comfort mode is just uncanny for something so sporty, and yet it never wallows or bottoms out. In sport mode, it firms up markedly, but not to the point where the car becomes unusable.
I mention this simply because magnetorheological are only one of many ways to skin a cat, and that sometimes the new stuff is just new stuff, and not always better.
Alaskan woman kicked by moose while trying to pet it {Gadling}
Mar 15th 2011 12:14PM I lived in a mountain tourist town inside a national park for a number of years. People were always getting stomped by the wildlife that would wander through town periodically. Usually while trying to pet them or stand close and have their picture taken with them. These are wild animals - not a petting farm or zoo exhibits or a Disney set. Some people would get seriously injured, and others killed.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2000/01/18/elk000118.html
Nothing quite rams this home like being late for work because you can't leave the house due to an elk deciding it wants to eat the bushes by your front porch. Any attempt to get past usually ends with a charge where you scramble madly back inside and your house possibly gets damaged by the antlers.
This Is Just To Say, An Editor's Goodbye {Luxist}
Mar 13th 2011 12:50PM Deidre,
Thank you for the tours of lifestyles we might otherwise never encounter. And thank you for giving the site a personal touch without being heavy handed about it.
Best wishes for wherever you land. May it be on a private jet with a glass of champagne in hand!
PSA: Lamborghini offering new Gallardo leasing program {Autoblog}
Mar 10th 2011 1:24PM Actually my Gallardo owning friends report very low running costs for an exotic. It's a remarkably unfussy car to own. Tires and gas are the primary (and logical) consumables. Since the V10 in the G is loosely based on the Audi V8, it runs a timing chain, eliminating costly timing belt services. For the record, the Ferrari F430 and later cars (including Maseratis) also use use a timing chain. It's still not exactly cheap to change the oil once a year, but in light of old exotic car service schedules and overall vehicle costs, it's trifling.
Sheraton Opens New Hotel at Milan Malpensa Airport {Luxist}
Mar 9th 2011 2:21AM While nowhere near downtown and on an outer ring road, Hotel Silver has proven a good choice under the right conditions. Lots of privacy, nicely equipped, good on-site restaurant, right off the autostrada, and about 30 minutes from the airport with several route options to reduce the risk of traffic delays.
Princess Cruises 2012-13 salings to open with a bang {Gadling}
Mar 4th 2011 12:30PM Enough with the cruise articles please! Feels like infomercials disguised as legit stories. I understand a few might help pay the bills and make advertisers happy, but it's starting to feel like spam.
2012 Volkswagen Golf R loses power and choice of tranny on way to U.S. {Autoblog}
Feb 28th 2011 1:31PM Totally agree 100%! Cooler in Summer, warmer in Winter, quieter, breathable. I'm talking a a nice woven cloth, not some nasty mouse fur velour.
2012 Volkswagen Golf R loses power and choice of tranny on way to U.S. {Autoblog}
Feb 28th 2011 1:22PM I recall the outcry among the faithful when VW announced the '08 R32 was to come auto only. A departure from the beloved '04 R32. Enthusiasts voted with their dollars and the '08s languished on dealer lots with huge discounts and incentives to move them. Very few original R32 owners appeared to have made the shift.
I had had an early A3 2.0T with manual, and when that left my household, I thought I might give the '08 R32 a whirl since I'd always liked the sweet sounding VR6. A short test drive was all it took to realize I didn't want one. Too quiet, and lacking driver involvement. So I went out and found an unmolested '04 R32. That was a serious challenge! A year into ownership, and no regrets at all.
Granted, it's not the sharpest knife in the drawer for track duty in stock form, but I have other devices for that job. However, it's an entertaining car to bomb a back road at maybe 7/10ths, and when I meet a traffic jam, it is a nice place to spend time. A good all-arounder. Hopefully the latest version can fulfill the same mission.
San Jose to add "Silicon Valley" to airport name, maybe {Gadling}
Feb 24th 2011 1:50PM San Jose has suffered from being under perpetual construction for many years. Things have been in a constant state of flux. The old layout was distinctly odd, entering through non-descript (using only a small sign) doors that looked more like a side entrance than anything, with what looked to be a small corridor that went nowhere, but had an escalator doubling back on itself out of sight from the door. Even before 9/11, the security lineups could reach through the lobby, over the bridge to the luggage claim on the other side of the street.
I have't flown through the new terminal, but reports on travel sites suggest that the TSA goons can be especially unpleasant, and lines long.
Is your city one of the top ten worst speed traps in America? {Autoblog}
Feb 22nd 2011 2:31PM I'd like to bring up one other thing. In some places this "work" qualifies for additional police hazard pay. On top of that, their pensions are based on an average for a defined period prior to retirement. So anything to artificially boost those numbers is desirable. Combine this the pressure to generate revenue, and it's pretty clear that police are not there to protect and serve anything more than their own financial interests.
