Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we've got reports from Hemmings, Petrolicious, Axis Of Oversteer, and Forbes.
Lost Cars Of The 1980s: Dodge Omni GLH — Hemmings
GLH and GLHS are the high powered Omnis from the era when Shelby was working on the cars. What does GLH stand for, you ask? Goes like hell. These were the cars that sat at the top of the hot hatch spectrum, kind of where the MazdaSpeed3 sits now. Dynamically decent, but power up the ying yang. Basically a muscle hatch.
At the dawn of the 1980s, the Dodge Omni hatchback wasn’t exactly on the list of “must drive” cars for automotive enthusiasts. Seeing the missed opportunity to lure hot hatch enthusiasts, Chrysler head Lee Iacocca called upon his old friend Carroll Shelby to infuse a bit of spirit into Dodge’s bargain-basement grocery-getter and the resulting Dodge Omni GLH was released to an unsuspecting public for the 1984 model year.
Lotus Seven Embodies Automotive Simplicity And Purity — Petrolicious
There is beauty in purity, and the Lotus Seven embodies that to the fullest. Everytime I look at one or get in one, I realize just how cool it actually is. I was not a Seven fan for a long, long tim. But ride in one, drive one, then you'll understand.
I recently watched an episode of the excellent PBS show “The Mind of a Chef”, in which the topic was the nature of Japanese food. The host’s conclusion was that ultimately, what makes things like ramen, robotoyaki, and yep, sushi, so special is the remarkable simplicity of these dishes—a conscious refinement, a pared back, raw essence wrought through hundreds and hundreds of years of even-handed, yet deliberate cultural effort. He further explained that simplicity doesn’t mean a lack of complexity or sophistication of the cuisine’s flavor, aroma, or presentation, but that the powerful concentration of these distinct elements in their purest forms only enhanced the experience as a whole—the removal of the superfluous and distracting only condenses the pleasure of the eater. Besides making me incredibly hungry for a big bowl of Tonkatsu, it also got me thinking about the Lotus Seven.
Speed Secrets Saturday: Rain — Axis Of Oversteer
Ross Bentley's series of Speed Secrets books have been making the rounds in racing circles for ages. Here's a little tutoring on the cheap here:
Racing in the rain. Drivers either love it or hate it. There are very few drivers that have a “take it or leave it” attitude towards splashing around a race track. And drivers that hate the rain think that drivers that love it are either weird or stupid – or both.
Yes, Gas Pumps Really Do Need Your ZIP Code (Even If Stores Usually Do Not) — Forbes
I never like to give my ZIP code, email, address, or phone number to anyone. In fact, the other day I was asked to give an email address, and I just said I don't have email. That's one way to beat the system. But the gas station actually does need it. Here's why.
Recently I wrote an article about why so many stores ask for your ZIP code at check-out. With your name and ZIP they can turn to outside data brokers to learn your address, phone number and email — even though you did not authorize them to collect this information. Many readers wrote in to say they routinely give false ZIP codes when paying for items to subvert this process. Others asked what happens when you pay for gas at the pump with a credit card and the machine requests a ZIP code.