Congratulations to the class of 2016! Welcome to the end of your twelve years of fun in the school system. Buckle up, kids, because the fun has only just begun. As we go from one graduation to another, we realize that in our haste, that we might have skipped some interesting news. After realizing that we might have been wrong with the “interesting” part, we dust off some of the better pieces and slap them here for a quick review. This is our Scrapple..enjoy!
1. Just how rich do you have to be to get a one-off Ferrari?
No, seriously…Ferrari’s clientele ranges from exotic-car rental companies to Arab sheiks that have more money than the next three generations of family members would ever know what to do with. That doesn’t mean that each and every Ferrari is custom-suited to fit each and every customer’s whims. If they were, each car would be perfectly different, because Ferrari owners love to stand out. But an unnamed Brit has managed to get their own, special-bodied car. Running gear is from the 458 Speciale, elements of the 488 GTB and the famed 288 GTO have made their way into the styling, and the likelihood of ever seeing this one-off rolling down the street makes the odds of you holding a winning Lottery ticket look absolutely amazing.
2. Sounded like missed gears to me…
So the new TopGear UK series has gone live and…has been universally panned. It was bad enough that my wife went to bed halfway through the airing and I sat through it, choking down bile. First reactions are strong, but let’s go through what really was wrong: Chris Evans acts like P.T. Barnum or a rap concert hype-man, apparently Matt LeBlanc normally appears to be on quaaludes (or is at least much more mellow than anyone ever thought) and Sabine…well, the Queen of the Ring hasn’t changed any, and that’s a good thing. It wasn’t all bad, though: the ExtraGear pseudo-show with Chris Harris and Rory Reid was decent. Here’s hoping that the hosts’ chemistry starts to work ASAP, because this first outing was bad.
3. IT’S…SO….PINK…
“Fresh Fuchsia Metallic”. Smells like desperation.
4. Duramax Ram Air VIII?!
Yes, that’s a scoop on a Duramax-powered Chevrolet Silverado. Yes, that is legitimate: all 2017 Silverado HDs will be getting a legitimate ram-air system. Air will enter an expansion chamber and makes a 180-degree turn before going into the engine, which will allow moisture to collect and drain out through a valve. If the hood is blocked by snow and ice, there is still a redundant fender-mounted air collection system to make sure that the diesel doesn’t starve for air. Next up: rear spoiler?
5. “Obtenez cette vieille caisse de voiture de merde de nos rues!”
As France continues to fight the pollution problem that Paris suffers, the country has taken drastic step after drastic step to clear out the streets in a war against cars and scooters. The latest salvo is a substantial one: starting July 1st, 2016, any vehicle registered before 1998 and any motorcycle registered before 2000 will be banned entirely from the city center during weekdays. How will the police enforce this: through a color-coodinated sticker that organizes vehicles into six categories. If the vehicles are older than 1997, they don’t get a sticker. As the years go on, France intends to keep that year-gap going: by 2020, no vehicle made before 2011 will be allowed, for instance. Yikes.
Except for Sabine Schmitz getting the ” Top Gun” pilot to barf… “Top Gear” is mostly “FUBAR”.
I think that Paris, France as more serious problems on the streets other than cars built before 1998, and motorcycles built before 2000.
The new Top Gear has exceeded my expectations. I expected it to suck, and after watching the new episode, I determined it exceedingly sucked.
The Paris deal should scare the crap out of us. How long will it be before our well intentioned and caring government decides to pull that stunt here?
Guess I’m in the extreme minority again. Against my better judgement I liked Top Gear enough to give it a chance next week. I got a couple of good laughs from it, that’s better than most TV these days. It was bad, but showed promise. If it continues to be Evans aping Clarkson while pointing out how different they are I’ll lose interest fast enough.
I actually enjoyed it. Its the first episode it takes a while before things fall into place, but I’d say it wasn’t half bad. Evans can turn it down a touch, but it can only get better from here.
Top Gear US was awful for the first season and by the end was more enjoyable to me than the original Top Gear. Maybe I’m crazy