Uh, Sure Thing John, Totally, 100 Percent: COTD

John Z. DeLorean was an automotive legend with a frankly impressive resume. He had his hands on everything from the iconic Pontiac GTO to the Pontiac Firebird and the Pontiac Grand Prix. But for all of his hits, DeLorean also had some misses. One of them was the Vega and how he pushed the thing as a top-notch handler. “Today I would say that at Chevrolet we know more about handling than anybody else in the world. And I mean anybody else in the world including any of the guys that make racecars.”

Going even further (or shoveling harder, if you prefer), DeLorean elevated the Vega’s solid rear axle as superior to independent setups. “I think that you’re going to see the expiration of independent rear suspension on all cars before long.”

This brings me to David Tracy and Huibert Mees’ totally nerdy rundown of the new Scout trucks’ engineering. In it, Huibert offers a much more sensible view of solid-axle and independent suspensions:

“If you’ve ever driven an old solid axle car around a bumpy turn, you will probably have experienced the sideways dance these cars would do as the tires lose contact with the ground and lose grip … this whole phenomenon is the main reason solid axles are no longer used in passenger cars and independent rear suspensions have taken over. It is just not possible to get the level of ride, comfort, and handling with the unsprung mass of a solid axle these days.”

Cheap Bastard got a deep laugh out of me for this response:

“There’s nothing that comes within a mile of the Vega for performance and handling. This car will outhandle almost any sports car built in Europe.”

“I think that you’re going to see the expiration of independent rear suspension on all cars before long.”

– John Z “Cocaine is a HELL of a Drug!” DeLorean.

What Cheap Bastard is referring to is the August 1970 issue of Motor Trend where the magazine let DeLorean write an article about the Chevy Vega. Cheap Bastard took the direct, hilarious quotes from DeLorean. I referenced them in my piece about the Cosworth Vega, and it’s worth repeating the other statements DeLorean said:

“By virtue of a number of different things, the Vega is going to be built at a quality level never before attained in manufacturing in this country, and probably in the world.”

“Today I would say that at Chevrolet we know more about handling than anybody else in the world. And I mean anybody else in the world including any of the guys that make racecars.”

Lewin wrote a review of the surprisingly expensive Fiat 500e Abarth. Joke #119! gave me a sensible chuckle with this:

Fun thing about it: with the sound off it sounds just like a Fiat from the 1960’s.
Also acceptable: continuous loop of cranking and not starting.

I, too will consider one, in a few years and at least half off.

And now, let’s go back a day because I missed some great comments in the article about Elon Musk not wanting to sell a $25,000 Tesla. Permanentwaif opened the thread with:

So, anyway, basically, I think having a regular 25K model Cybertruck is pointless. It would be silly. There, fixed it for you.

Boyd Sloane replied:

The CT is now profitable according to the 3rd quarter numbers.

Then the accountants came in, starting with Spikersaurusrex:

That sounds like a manipulation of the COGS based on amortizing the development and depreciating the tooling and over a less than conservative projection for total unit sales in the long term and it probably only holds up if sales continue at high levels. I don’t think they will.

Then Red865:

Accountants can make quarterly numbers say whatever the Chiefs want them to say…will catch up to them later, but still.

Spikersaurusrex returns:

As an accountant, I’ll say you’re correct.

Another accountant, NC Miata NA, concurs:

As another accountant, I have audited this statement and determined it was correct enough.

Spikersaurusrex:

In all material respects.

I now wonder how many accountants are in our readership. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Top graphic images: GM; Netflix