On the plus side … reduced emissions!

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Last updated on July 2nd, 2017 at 01:27 pm

Terrorists don’t like desert racing:

The Dakar Rally, the epic motorcycle, car and truck race across the Sahara desert, was cancelled Friday by organizers citing “direct’’ threats of terrorism from al Qaeda-linked militants.

The race was deemed too inviting —and too easy —a target for the terror group’s new north African affiliate.

Via Damian Penny, whose one-word email simply read: “Bastards!” (Damian will be married on May 10, after which such language may be moderated). Meanwhile, Michael Rittenhouse has finally bonded with his Ford Taurus after traumatic early experiences with the blue oval:

It was Ford’s column shifters that unnerved me. Like pulling on a stick jammed into a bucket of badly mixed epoxy and river rocks. The détentes felt springy and imprecise. I wondered if r really meant r sometimes, because it never felt the same way twice.

Read on.

UPDATE. Brilliant ad copy from a Volvo 850R owner who’s “sick and tired of getting hit on by milfs in their sexual prime because they think I’m some suave interwebs mogul as I am rearranging my golf clubs to fit more groceries in the massive trunk.”

(Via juice jillionaire Rich Stadnik)

Posted by Tim B. on 01/05/2008 at 09:13 AM
    1. Can’t say I’ve had that problem with my Taurus. Probably because it’s an automatic. Yeah, that’d be it.

      The mechanic decided I needed new spark plugs on my last service. Good old mechanics. Now when I push hard enough on the accelerator pedal it seems to enter some sort of hyperspace mode. Can’t say I mind that.

      Posted by Nicholas on 2008 01 05 at 09:30 AM • permalink

 

    1. Please tell me there’s an Aus-wide race to celebrate!

      Posted by Ash_ on 2008 01 05 at 09:32 AM • permalink

 

    1. I just finished watching Palin’s Sahara. He happened to run into the race (I’m sure it was planned) while filming.

      From Palin’s documentary I learned that one islamic $hithhole country looks like the other islamic $hithole country.  What’s with the english and french obsession with these places?

      Posted by Redd on 2008 01 05 at 10:19 AM • permalink

 

    1. Terrorists don’t like desert racing:

      I’m pretty sure terrorists don’t like pretty much everything.

      Posted by kae on 2008 01 05 at 10:25 AM • permalink

 

    1. Via Damian Penny, whose one-word email simply read: “Bastards!” (Damian will be married on May 10, after which such language may be moderated)

      Yeah – after that it’ll be, “Bitch!”

      Posted by Dave S. on 2008 01 05 at 01:33 PM • permalink

 

    1. I’m sure the French had a lot to do with this pusillanimous decision.  These guys are all supposed to be very tough.
      Next step obviously is arranging a big secret pay-off to all the al-Qaeda affiliates for next year to go ahead safely..
      Or does al-Q have a new interest in Infidel Global Warmers?

      Posted by Barrie on 2008 01 05 at 05:58 PM • permalink

 

    1. This Volvo will smoke the doors off of e30 m3’s in econ mode and will blow a passenger door off of e46’s from a 60 roll…
      Right up until the first corner.
      Then you’ll be reminded of Volvo’s reputation for crash protection.

      Posted by lotocoti on 2008 01 05 at 07:45 PM • permalink

 

    1. I was a U.S. salesman for a dealership selling both Volvo & MBZ in the early/mid’90’s.  The Volvo 850 series were true shop queens, beating out even the over engineered bells and whistles MBZ S-Class, and the turbo’s, ie R’s, were even worse.  The torque steer on the turbo was horrible, so, for normal drivers straight line acceleration was problematic, and road course driving sheer torture were there any turns other than right.  I can’t remember if the turbo was available with a manual transmission, but the non-turbo 850’s had the clunkiest, crappiest shifting manual in the world!
      As far as the smoking and blowing doors off, I’ll guess the M3 is the Beamer but I’ve never heard of e30’s or e46’s nor a 60 roll. Must be Aussie thingies
      The US BMW M3 wouldn’t breathe hard at beating an 850R.  Hell, except for top end, a 1987 MBZ 1.8/16V would blow the 850 off anything, plus, it was really fun to drive, not the chore an 850 turbo was.
      BTW, I’ll assume “milfs” is Aussie speak for really dumb and ugly women!

      Posted by Mike on 2008 01 05 at 09:34 PM • permalink

 

    1. MILFs? Or MILves?

      I’ll ask my wife.

      Posted by Rittenhouse on 2008 01 05 at 09:41 PM • permalink

 

  1. MILF= Moro Islamic Liberation Front (everyone knows that).

    Cheers

    Posted by J.M. Heinrichs on 2008 01 05 at 11:17 PM • permalink