Are you feeling the cold yet? Around BangShift Mid-West, we’re noticing it. The leaves are coming down in massive amounts now, we’re scheduling the last day of lawn mowing season, the ladybugs are swarming like you wouldn’t begin to believe, and when it rains, it rains sideways. For BangShift, our fall really is coming around because our one November tradition is approaching fast. No, it has nothing to do with moustaches and no, we aren’t talking about an expensive dinner followed by a highly satisfying nap afterwards. The 2019 SEMA show is getting close. So as we start gearing up for a week of…well, there’s no other way to put it except “mayhem”…take a look at some of the smaller news bites from this past week. This is Scrapple…enjoy!

1. Buy a classic 911 instead. You’ll be happier.
You want a “canary in the coal mine” moment? Here you go: Porsche’s finance and IT guy is not seeing a future selling cars to individuals. In fact, he doesn’t see private ownership being feasible. Instead, in an interview with Autocar magazine, Lutz Meschke said that not even the vehicle subscription scheme that is currently available is going to compensate for “reduced mobility in cities, and in turn, reduced sales”. Maybe this might be the final nail in the 911’s coffin…because to this point, there hasn’t been another option.

2. No EV-Love here.

One thing that has been noteworthy are people who EV-swap classic automobiles. The idea is to keep the visuals of the classic but to run purely on electricty, thereby easing that burden of guilt on your conscience. For some it’s the best answer, but according to the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens, a global organization representing classic vehicles, it amounts to heresy. They claim that a classic car’s 1,500 miles of drive time per year are of no real consequence, and that even more important, that losing the sound, smell and driving behavior of the old powertrain is truly akin to removing it’s soul.

3. Gotta Go so soon?In America, Datsun hasn’t been seen since the mid-1980s, when Nissan decided to stick with one name and to bury Datsun in the history books. Well, that all lasted up until 2013, when the name was brought back as a value brand for certain markets, including India, Russia, South Africa, and other locations. The name has had a bit of a rocky return, with the Go model ranking a flat zero on NCAP safety testing, but the true downfall of the nameplate, which is rumored to be due for an execution, might be Nissan’s restructuring, which the company believes is needed after the drama and financial fallout of ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn. Ah well, it was an attempt.

4. Looking for a raging clue, are you?I’m not making a joke here. I’m just going to post the quote from California Governor (D) Gavin Newsome: “[California] drivers have paid an average of thirty cents more per gallon. There’s no identifiable evidence to justify that. I’m demanding an investigation. If oil companies are engaging in false advertising or price fixing, legal action should be taken.

That’s a f***ing quote, readers. Anybody care to offer up what the real problems might be? (coughTAXESYOUMORONcough. Excuse me.)

5. Garlic and butter, right?As Steve Irwin did his best to teach the world, Australia has one of the most unique ecosystems on planet Earth, a result of being geographically isolated from other sections of land for millenia. As a result, there are the infamously strict laws on what can and can not be brought into the country…I’m sure our Aussie readers will happily chime in about cane toads and prickly pears and why those laws are needed. Mercedes-Benz could do with some training, it seems, because five shipments of Mercedes cars got turned around and told to go anywhere else due to the discovery of Heath snails (Helicella itala) among the cargo. 900 Mercedes cars, turned back because of a small snail.