Afford the badge?

I can't even afford to follow the link...

Hey Detroit's actually been making some hot cars these days, at a bit more affordable prices. Is the new Dodge Challenger available in the UK?

...and wasn't it an absolutely riveting qualifying session? What the hell's gone so right for Force India?

With those ugly F1crap cars?

Don't believe anything that happens in F1. It is now an official farse.

Recent advertisement in the U S midwaste has a self-
propelled motorcycle side car, 2 seats at $12 + USD.

Some clown driving a gull-wing will sell it to ya....

Low downforce configuration, Adrian. They only run it at Spa and Monza these days, so it's much the same as backmarker teams often doing well at Monaco or Hungary, I suspect: a car that's quick on most circuits sometimes can't cope with an unusual setup, and one that isn't sometimes can. Look at Williams: they just can't take low downforce this year. And they have the anaemic Toyota engine in the back while FI has the beefy Merc. Wait and see if they're still up there at Singapore, then I'll be really impressed. (As opposed to “fairly”.)

As for the Gullwing, it's nice, but it's a bit too new Mini for me. “Look, we've made a car that looks a bit like an old one, but is actually nothing like it. Aren't we clever?”. The McLaren MP4-12C is much more interesting, to my mind. It has the brake steer system they developed for the MP4-12 F1 car, subsequently banned by the FIA for being too in-keeping with the spirit of Formula One or something. And - orange paint job aside - nobody's harking back to a more glorious past.

I like much more the Mercedes or the new Ferrari than Mclaren. Mclaren is a redundant design. It is even a bit annoying.

Perhaps I shouldn't really crash a car-love post, but I'd quite fancy getting my hands on one of these old things, if I could spare the cash.

"As for the Gullwing, it's nice, but it's a bit too new Mini for me. “Look, we've made a car that looks a bit like an old one, but is actually nothing like it."

Totally agree - much the same thing with bikes:

Early to mid 1970s touring motorbikes - Triumph and Honda (no Harleys, please) - just beautiful. I cannot stand the sight of their fat and ugly modern equivalents.

I currently own four bikes; love them to bits and just cannot bring myself to sell - despite my girlfriend's protestations! Would love to have one of those original Goldwings as well.

Ah... (sighs), when I make my millions...

I hope I get through this time:

Perhaps I ought not to crash a car-love post, but I sympathize with Sam Duncan's comment:

"As for the Gullwing, it's nice, but it's a bit too new Mini for me. “Look, we've made a car that looks a bit like an old one, but is actually nothing like it. Aren't we clever?”"

I rather think the original is far more attractive than the modern remake.

There is a similar tendency in the biking world. For me, the original 1975 Honda Goldwing touring bike - along with others like the 1971 Triumph Datona - are among the most beautiful bikes ever built. Yet I cannot stand the sight of their modern remakes - which is especially true of the Goldwing.

I currently own four bikes and there are a number of reasons for this, but one of the most important to me is aesthetic value. Two of the bikes I own are scooters - for practical reasons. Yet I continue to pour money into maintaining the two motorcycles largely because of their aesthetic value. Were it not for the prohibitive costs of maintenance, importation hassles and so on, I'd love to splash out on an old Triumph or Honda (no Harleys) and keep it around for the odd early morning drive into the mountains on the weekends.

Just sublime.

I think it looks pretty, but you'd have to be careful where you parked it. There are those who would find it amusing to park just that little bit too close.