Exhaust FumesView All

Learning About The Audi TT Cured Me Of My TT Yearnings
Earlier this year I started casually shopping online classifieds for first-generation examples of the Audi TT coupe, because apparently I am an automotive masochist who can’t count how many parking spaces I have available. Then, I wrote this feature for Inside Hook, which instantly cured me of any TT-related yearnings…. read more »

I Kinda Want A Jeep Wrangler Renegade Now?
I’ve never been a big fan of early Wranglers. I’ve always appreciated them, but never felt the need to actually own one, and compared to the current crop of JK and JL options, generations like the YJ do present as fairly primitive when driven on asphalt. There’s one exception, though:… read more »

The ‘Routan Boom’ Was Brooke Shields’ Anti-Breeder Moment, Courtesy Of VW
Almost 15 years ago, Volkswagen produced a full mockumentary starring Brooke Shields shaming sexually active Americans who were having kids exclusively so they could sample the ‘German engineering’ of the Volkswagen Routan, a badge-swapped, Dodge-built minivan that was neither German nor particularly ‘engineered’ past a few cosmetic updates. Doubling down… read more »

Unnamed Automotive Podcast Ep. 269 Is Live!
I haven’t posted a link in quite some time, but the Unnamed Automotive Podcast, a show I’ve been hosting with Sami Haj-Assaad for the last five years or so, is still going strong. On this week’s episode, we talk about the redesigned 2022 Land Rover Range Rover (and it’s bird-killing… read more »
Comics

Why Would Someone Blog About Every Star Trek DC Comics Issue? #11 – Mindmeld
‘The Tantalus Trap’ picks up immediately following the cliffhanger from the previous issue (‘Mind Meld’). The Enterprise crew is trapped on the ‘Mirror’ Enterprise after Evil Kirk remotely activated the self-destruct sequence (which can’t be overridden). Stop me if you’ve heard any of this before—actually, don’t, because if you walked… read more »
Music BusinessView All

Retro Tape Deck Review: Top Gun Soundtrack
In 2020, I made the absurd decision to spend a ridiculous amount of money refurbishing the stock cassette tape player in my 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, rather than invest the same sum installing a more modern audio system. I wanted to preserve my analog memories of enjoying music in my… read more »