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If the three of them were sitting there without badging, and I had no handle on the Big 3's styling vocabulary and what their predecessors looked like, I would pick 1) Challenger, 2) Mustang, and 3) Camaro. I've had to work hard at warming up to Chrysler products. There's no denying that the Challenger is an attractive sports coupe from most vantage points. It seems that most people can't specifically identify or verbalize what it is they like about a specific design, but they still know how to, and ultimately do, zero in on good design.

Attractive enough looking vehicle. - - - - - Random thought: While my blood pressure is thankfully close to normal, I seem to get all these animal videos when I open my browser ... I'm guessing that watching dogs, cats, deer, and other critters being goofy sure seems to lower blood pressure.

The actual underwriting is done by a major insurance firm. The OEMs just slap their name on it. Just like how Chrysler Financial is actually Santander Bank.

Some of the market adjustment due to short supply is manufactured. What I mean by that is that some sectors, dealerships included, are intentionally holding back inventory so as to force prices up. Enough companies get on the bandwagon and they can manipulate an entire sector. It happened quite visibly with lumber in the last 18 months and I suspect it is happening with some vehicles as well (though certain models like Bronco or Lightning are genuinely in short supply). It’s hard to call it price fixing because there is no written or verbal communication between the companies, but every RAV-4 Prime that sells for $40k over sticker sends a message to all surrounding dealers. I’m on a Rivian group and several new owners are reporting struggles with their insurance companies because Rivian is too new for the actuary to rate and price. It’s borderline impossible to replace one with the same vehicle right now because the wait is currently years. Rivian is offering insurance to buyers, but I don’t know if the price is competitive.

You know what they about one's head and rent free living right? Guess who is clearly living inside his head, AND on his dime lol? That is all I am going to say because my past feelings on the matter still apply here. Ditch the poison.

There’s something deceptive / off / Marketing Department about all of these numbers. I’m going to do a bit more digging tomorrow.

If they end up rolling this out nationwide it could be a boon for them and the EV driving public. There is a Firestone near my office and it’s in the parking lot of the local Walmart and Grocery chain. If I absolutely needed a charge to get home after work, I could park there to charge, do my grocery shopping, and have another 30ish miles of range to get home by the time I’m done.

It's 350. The naming scheme always rounds to the nearest 50. The 2.0T is weak really only on paper and even then not by much. Most people will find it acceptable because it has strong torque across the powerband. Since they are running it through 9 or 10 speed automatics depending on application, it feels strong in daily driving. You'd notice no difference between it and the Germans in normal driving. The BMW has 13 more horsepower, but the Cadillac has 1 or 2 more gears. The BMW and Cadillac 2.0T have the same peak torque and the BMW get there just 50 rpm sooner... nothing you'd ever be able to notice. The Benz 2.0T has 20 more horsepower and 20 more lb-ft of torque, but the Benz 9-speed automatic doesn't use first gear for efficiency purposes, so it is effectively an 8-speed. So... unless you're drag racing an XT5 v. a GLC v. an X3, you'll never notice any difference between the three. I didn't include Audi because at 201 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 22 fewer lb-feet it's the Audi 2.0Twith a 7-speed that takes the cake for weakest engine. Cadillac 2.0T - 235HP @ 5,000 RPM / 258 lb-ft @ 1,500 - 4,000 rpm BMW 2.0T - 248 HP @ 5,200 - 6,500 RPM / 258 lb-ft @ 1,450 - 4,800 rpm MB 2.0T - 255 HP @ 5800 - 6,100 rpm / 273 @ 1,800 - 4,000 rpm Audi 2.0T - 201 HP @ 6,000 rpm / 236 lb-ft @ not published on their site RPM Acura is the most powerful 2.0T at 272 @ 6500 rpm / 280 @ 1,600 - 4,500 rpm Genesis cheats by using a 2.5T that pushes it to 300 hp / 311 lb-ft (and the best available interior of ANY of them... hands down.. no contest) Infiniti I'm not going to bother looking up because really... who cares?

I've done a fair bit with Docker, can get messy. Working w/ Docker and Terraform a fair bit on my current project, but also have a cloud engineer guy I hand off my prototypes to so they can be productionized. I'm mostly focused now on wrapping up some integration code w/ Graph QL, Postgres, and Constant Contact (their API isn't that well documented). With the snowy, gloomy weather outside, I've been listening to a lot of classic early 90s grunge, '80s-retro synthwave, '80s pop and rock..

Working on a docker project that sucks, so it is Depeche Mode night.

I couldn't take it any longer Lord I was crazed And when the feeling came upon me Like a tidal wave I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave That I would love you to the end of time I swore that I would love you to the end of time! So now I'm praying for the end of time To hurry up and arrive 'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you I don't think that I can really survive I'll never break my promise or forget my vow But God only knows what I can do right now I'm praying for the end of time It's all that I can do Praying for the end of time, So I can end my time with you! Well I can see myself tearing up the road, faster Than any other boy has ever gone And my skin is raw, but my soul is ripe, And no one's gonna stop me now, I'm gonna make my escape But I can't stop thinking of you, And I never see the sudden curve until it's way too late And I never see the sudden curve until it's way too late Then I'm down in the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun, Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike, And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell And the last thing I see is my heart, still beating, Breaking out of my body and flying away Like a bat out of hell Then I'm down in the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun, Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike, And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell And the last thing I see is my heart, Still beating still beating Still beating still beating Breaking out of my body, and flying away

^ I don’t get why you are trying so hard to defend dealers and their sleazy practices. F’em. Obsolete franchise laws keep these bottom feeder scumbags in business. Dealers have an obsolete business model, provide no value beyond warranty work and service.

Reading about Kansas's approach to BEs'. https://www.yahoo.com/news/kansas-build-repair-roads-without-230026436.html Currently they are at 0.3% electric vehicles in KS, but of course 'Protect the Revenue Streams' thinking is having Gov't scrabble around on ways to bill consumers more. BE current registration fees are $100 (IC is $39 under 4500 lbs), and there's a bill in circulation to tax BE owners by the kW hour used from charging stations.