Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we have reports from New York Magazine, Slate, Grantland and Autoweek.
Uber Might Be More Valuable Than Facebook Someday. Here's Why — New York Magazine
An interesting look into a future where car ownership might become obsolete.
One of the odd things about traveling between the Bay Area and New York a lot is the asynchronicity of mass culture between coasts: That is, the things that get popular in the Bay Area (PostMates, Burning Man) don't always get popular in New York right away, and things New Yorkers think are a big deal (cronuts, Banksy) are greeted with shrugs in San Francisco.
Raise the Gas Tax!— Slate
Food for thought.
Back in 1994, the cheapest Mac laptop on the market cost more than $1,600.On the other hand, a dozen eggs were less than $1, a gallon of milk was $2.88, and a gallon of gas could be yours for just $1.11. Of that, 18.4 cents were the federal tax on gasoline. Today, of course, everything's different. You can get a Mac laptop for under a grand, but that milk will cost you about $3.40, and gasoline has almost tripled in price to $3.28 a gallon. But one thing hasn't changed. The federal gas tax is still right where she was at 18.4 cents per gallon. Legislators haven't raised it since 1993, and because they neglected to index it to inflation, the tax has lost more than a third of its real value in the ensuing two decades.
Director's Cut: 'The Last Ride of A.J. Foyt,' by Ed Hinton — Grantland
Inside look at one of the most amazing drivers to ever come from the USA.
The National Sports Daily was foundering. In May 1991, the newspaper had just weeks left.1 As its shutdown loomed, Ed Hinton, with the support of his editors, Frank Deford and David Granger,2 set out to write about auto racer A.J. Foyt, whose career also appeared to be in its twilight. Hinton felt like this story needed to be "a lithium shot," his swan song at a publication whose ambition couldn't save it.
First drive - Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer — Autoweek
It's a Singer 911 with words and photos by Jalop-alum Davey G. Johnson. You don't need a better reason to read.
Porsche redesigned the 911 for 1989 because Porsche without the 911 had become unthinkable. When the front-engined 928 was revealed as the Neunelfer's intended successor, Porschephiles, having accepted the 911 as totem, cried foul. As such, the 964 might be considered the first sacred 911—at least in terms of corporate philosophy.