October 31, 2008 – According to AutoExpress, Audi is reportedly looking to fill the city car hole in their lineup with a version of the VW up!. The UK mag's even mocked up what they think an Audi version of the sub-sub compact would look like in a color that appears to be... [Jalopnik]
Rick: Possibly. At this point, my plans for Beater Review are up in the air. I would imagine, after a few weeks off the front lines, the bug will bite again and I'll need to start writing reviews. Stay tuned, and thanks for the well wishes.
@EnochEuterpe: Yeah, I hear ya. It's a rough gig right now; actually, it's always kind of a rough gig. The differences between ad copywriting pressures and Jalopnik senior editor pressures aren't less vs more; they're just different.
My advice to you? Find your way onto the digital biz wherever you happen to be employed. Make yourself invaluable. Assuming you're not at BBDO, you'll be fine!
Thanks for all the kind words and well-wishes, guys. You may finally see a new Beater Review article posted -- that or I'm just going to scrap the site entirely. Haven't quite decided yet. Either way, it's been a hell of a ride.
@junkman: I realized after this posted I never mentioned I sold my '73 Mach I back in August and picked up a nice '69 Triumph TR6
@smalleyxb122: I like to think there's some truth to what you're saying. Ad budgets are shrinking and changing, but if the industry manages to keep and attract true enthusiasts rather than pencil-pushers, one hopes it'll be good for all of us in the long run.
@jb carries a sign proclaiming Repent! The endtime is nigh!: Not at all. As mentioned in the post, it's the toilet seat stamped into the deck lid that I object to. That said, I have to agree with rrhyne56 above regarding how these Valiants are so bad they're good.
New 556 HP Cadillac CTS-V Price To Start At $59,995
October 17, 2008 – Cadillac has announced pricing for its 556 HP 2009 CTS-V super sedan will start at $59,995 for the US market. The price includes Magnetic Ride Control and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox. [Jalopnik]
Note that the post changed a little from when it was initially published. Car ME editors got in touch to say their initial 5-star rating was an error and that it should have been 4 stars; also that they in fact published about two hours after the embargo ended. Sorry for any confusion.
125 in an '88 Prelude Si. Yes, I was going downhill.
Automakers To Hit Congress Hard This Month For Loans That Aren’t A Bailout
September 8, 2008 – After a nasty summer of sliding sales and eroding market share, domestic automakers are planning to lobby the US Congress for $50 billion in low-interest government loans. [Jalopnik]
@BlueMenu: It's the new cut: Practical AND capable, all in one convenient word.
Fixed--thanks.
Ford Reports 26% Sales Decline In August, SUVs Down 53%
September 3, 2008 – Ford is reporting August US sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands are down 26% over the same period a year earlier, mainly due to continuing weakness in truck and SUV sales. [Jalopnik]
@mrton: You're right--the ix55 IS a Veracruz; chalk it up to typing too fast and thinking about the Santa Fe Hybrid that was also mentioned. The reference has been changed in the copy but the original has been left as a testament to my shame.
@tonashideska: You may have noticed the sentence about Jim Hall and the Chaparral 2J...
@Vrette: And so let it be done.
I actually had a Yard Machines/B&S combo that I maintained fastidiously. It ran very well for about 5 years (until about two years ago) then the carb/fuel system would act as though it had *gasp* water in the fuel. Fresh fuel, tank drainings, etc, nothing would help for long. I finally gave up and chalked it up to a cheap mower, but now I'm not so sure that was the problem. I have no evidence that E10 was to blame, so this is supplied simply as anecdotal information, but it's one of the reasons the story piqued my interest.
@philibuster: Possibly, or I could have just been typing too quickly. Changed.
@jbownsabmw: I grew up in both the deep south and the plains states, so I kid because I love.
