Robert Hall

I was behind a hypermiler this morning, I think. A Prius was right in front of me at the meter at the bottom of the ramp, and they pulled softly out into 65 mph traffic and barely hit 55, it seems...I got stuck behind them in the far right lane for a couple miles until a gap opened up and I could get to the middle lane..

I didn't see him, but my sister just called from the Sacramento airport where she saw and chatted briefly with Robert Redford at the airport bar...she's been a fan for 40 years, so it was a cool thing for her.

Saw a yellow '80 or so Honda Civic wagon today when I was out at lunch. Hadn't seen one of those in ages. Saw a very clean lt blue '70 Impala ht in the same parking lot. Nice, sunny breezy weather..only about 60 degrees today.. Falling asleep in my cube on a dull afternoonnn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

H2 H3 G3 G5 Vibe

At first I thought this was a typo, as the Somerset was an N-body, but apparently there was also a Somerset trim level at some point on the G-body RWD Regals..don't remember that one... I only remember the T-types and GNs.

Saw a black '09 Challenger V6 with uber-lame huge (22 inch or so) directional aftermarket bling chrome wheels.

Based on research my sister and I did a few years ago, my ancestors were 50% English and 50% Irish on my Dad's side, Scots-Irish (Ulster), Welsh, Scottish, and Native American (Cherokee) on my Mom's side..my ancestors all settled in Appalachia in the mid to late 1800s-- western Virginia, eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennesee.

Well, technically, struts and shocks are two different kinds of uppy-downy springy thingys. Speaking of shocks, I think my Jeep may need new shocks..they have about 50k on them, getting a bit bouncy.

yeah, when a thread has gone on and on round and round and jumped the shark, it's time to divert with some randomness and humour..... calling it a night, I think

well how did you become king then?" "The lady of the lake, her arms clad in shimmering Semite, held aloft Excalibur, signifying that I Arthur should be king." "Listen. Strange ladies lying in pools distributing swords is no basis for government...." "shut up!" "...Supreme executive power comes from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony...." "SHUT UP!" "...Suppose I said I was emperor just cause some watery tart lobed a scimitar at me, why they'd lock me away." (random Monty Pythonery)

We are surrounded by chaos. Madness is everywhere.

I like Japanese beers, sushi, teryaki, etc. I've liked Japanese consumer electronics for decades--heck, my last 3 TVs have been Japanese (Sony, Toshiba, Sony), had a Toshiba laptop (ruined by Vista inside), and my home theatre gear is mostly Japanese (Sony, Yamaha). But I prefer Apple for my MP3 player and newest laptop. Not a big fan of Japanese cars in general--too many FWD models, but I definitely understand their success and appeal in the US.

I'm sure GM will be selling the Volt for a loss... I can't imagine people lining up to spend $40k for a Chevy economy car.

Yes...it looks like the battery pack stations will be a reality in Denmark and Israel in the near term, given what I've read about Renault-Nissan and Better Place's efforts. When they will appear in the US is another story, but I'm sure it will be either in the LA or San Francisco area or both first..that's where the cutting edge and innovative technology usually pops up first, like the Tesla...

Riiiight..I'll believe the Volt is for real when it's in the dealers..

I can say the same thing about the Cobalt, it's near the bottom of GM's range, only the Aveo is lower in appeal.

Yes, there is a lot going for the Prius..I can't see myself in one, but they are very appealing from a technical perspective, very modern rather than the same old, same old. Plus, it's real, been around for nearly a decade in the US now, a lot more than unfortunately GM's Volt, which is just vaporware at this point.. if GM had been innovative and introduced something like this in '99, recent history for GM could have been quite different...and the GM fanboys would have been eating it up.

The first person I knew that bought a Prius was back in 2000, my friend and the CTO of an ill-fated startup we worked at, bought it because it was the most high tech and geeky (his words) car he could find. He's still got it, along with a 2nd gen model and an RX hybrid for the family now. I remember driving his a few times and thinking how spooky it was to roll up to a light, hear no sound, then pull away.

Yeah, I'd love to see it.. so they can go toe-to-toe with the Shelby and SRT8. Like the CTS-v and Z-R1, high end speciality models may not be high volume, but they are great for the company's image...

True...not likely to see production in the near future, I meant.

Yes..they are pretty mainstream these days. My CPA and my chiropractor both drive 'em.

I've had a mix of 2dr coupes, 2dr SUVs, 4dr SUVs, 4dr sedans, and 3- and 5-dr hatchbacks over the years. All have their pluses and minuses. I prefer having a 4dr sedan or 4dr SUV for a daily driver, just easier to get in and out of in a parking garage or lot, easier to haul people and dogs around when I need to... but I will always have coupes for fun.

Yes, I know Prius drivers that are normal computer engineers, consultants, DBAs, teachers, etc. Even a CTO. You live in a small town in rural PA, don't you? It's different out here in suburbs of the West....the Prius is very mainstream in my world.

You are full of it... I personally know plenty of normal people driving them. The car has its merits, great gas mileage and it's clean.

Good review...I'd like to see a comparo between the '10 Shelby GT500, Challenger SRT8, and Camaro SS (since the Z-28 is mythical at this point). As far as these 3, I'm going to have to check out all three...they all have qualities that appeal to me..it would be tough for me to pick one.