Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that the U.S. edition of Top Gear has one thing going for it and that's resident beard-wearer, Rutledge Wood. Now, it's rumored that today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe
‘96 Roadmaster is the Rutster's, so it's got that going for it, but does its price give you wood?
The mighty mighty ZR1, the holy grail of C4 Corvette-dom, faster than pretty much every contemporary contender and with handling to match, if ever there was a car that begged - no, demanded - it be driven, this was the one. Except for yesterday's 1990 25-mile ZR1 which was really quite content to stay inside with its nose buried in some Anne McCaffery book while all the other kids were outside playing. Nerd. They say you have to use it or you will lose it, and with less than a trip to Starbucks and back on its clock, the consensus was that it had lost it, and 77% of you deemed its price to be crackalicious for something so desirable and yet so useless.
Useless, that's also been the consensus of many regarding the American edition of our favorite British car programme, Top Gear. Many have derided Tanner Foust's somewhat wooden delivery, others think Adam Ferrara's personality could grate glass, and the whole series seems to be but a pale reflection of the kippers for brekky original.
There's no denying one advantage that the American version has over the original, and that's Rutledge Wood screaming like a little girl and almost wetting himself anytime they stuff his ample girth into a passenger seat and let Foust do the driving. That's worth the price of admission alone.
But despite all the histrionics and the show's ballooning budget for jumbo Depends, Wood is an avid car nut - just like you and me - just more famous and with douchier hair. And one car that he had a jones for was a 1996 Buick Roadmaster wagon, which he bought earlier this year. Rutledge may have lusted after its Corvette-based LT1 power and Amtrak commuter-like comfort and room, but apparently his wife did not, because he has now put the bad-ass Buick up for sale on Craigslist, and tweeted about it so his wife would see he's serious.
The Buick pushes all the right buttons, which the aforementioned LT1 powering it. But it also comes with a lowered suspension that's been Hotchkis'd on the lips and 17" Eagle alloy wheels. But what really will really give you pokies is the fact that Wood's Roadmonster has wood - that is, it's a woody, not that it has wood like its priatic or anything. That and the eight-passenger seating make this 153K Buick the perfect suburban commando, ready to pick up the kids from soccer and then lay down some rubber on the way to Round Table to celebrate the win
That make you wonder why, as Rutledge is claiming in his twitter feed, his wife is demanding its diappearance like a Mafia Don? Who know's, but her animus is potentially somebody's minor-celebrity owned Roadmaster win. That is, if Wood's price proves nice.
The Roadmaster - which is claimed to have been recently detailed - comes with a $6,500 asking price, as well as the note that over $1,000 has gone into it since its last ownership change. What's your take on Wood's price for his Buick, is his being whipped resulting in a can't miss deal? Or, is that a price that you Wood-not pay?
You decide!
H/T to Bagel Oversteer and Kevin from his Blackberry for the hookup!
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Picture Source: Joseph Gagliardi - thanks, man!