Important institutions saddled with debt that are run by erratic leaders are all the rage these days, and I’m sure there’s one that’s been on your mind lately. I am, of course, talking about Franco-German hypercar producer Bugatti. The brand was briefly the jewel in the crown of Volkswagen’s previous regime, and then it was a drag, which was how it ended up with Croatia’s Rimac. Now both of the company’s owners reportedly want the automaker. Awkward!
The Morning Dump has been dominated by tariffs lately, because that’s been the biggest automotive news story since the pandemic. I’m not leading with it today, and I’m not even going to make it the second story. Instead, I want to take a bit of a longer look into Q1 sales to see what we can glean. My guess is there’s been a lot of pull-forward of sales, which makes sense given the tariffs.
Ok, let’s talk about the tariffs a bit. First of all, hilariously, the “90-day pause” announcement was timed to a lunch with a bunch of race car drivers. The photos are killing me. They also don’t seem to change the automotive imports issue, as a 25% fee on imported cars that are not USMCA-compliant is still being applied. Will that change?
Do I want to end on tariff news? I do not, so let’s talk about Moke.
Why Porsche And Rimac Are Butting Heads
I hate to be one to lean on cliché, but these TMDs have to get written every morning and sometimes sprawl to 3-4,000 words, which means shortcuts must be taken: The German playwright Bertolt Brecht once reimagined the story of King Solomon’s proposal to split a baby as the closing scene of his epic “The Caucasian Chalk Circle.” In this version, there’s a coup in a remote state, and the governor and governor’s wife carelessly abandon their child. The royal infant is found by a commoner, Grusha, who rescues the boy and raises him as her own.
Many years later, the governor returns to power, and it’s discovered that the boy in Grusha’s care is their son and heir. Both the governor’s wife and Grusha are brought before a wily judge, Azdak, who we see both getting beaten by the authorities and taking bribes before the trial. He draws a chalk circle on the ground and has the two moms fight to see who can pull the boy towards them, proclaiming that the stronger mom is the one who loves the boy most.
As in the story of Solomon’s judgment, Grusha cannot bear to see the boy hurt, and so she allows him to be pulled towards the mother. At this point, spoiler alert, Azdak says that this proves that Grusha is the one who is the true mother as she refuses to let harm come to him.
Because it’s Brecht, the whole thing ends with a cheery, didactic quote:
“You, you who have listened to the story of the Chalk Circle, take note of what men of old concluded: That what there is shall go to those who are good for it. Children to the motherly, that they prosper, carts to good drivers, that they be driven well, the valley to the waterers, that it yield fruit.”
The original creator of Bugatti was also caught between two forces, having been established in a then-German city by an Italian engineer and designer. After WWI, the border between Germany and France moved, leaving the company’s home of Molsheim on the French side. The Germans got the best of it, eventually, when VW boss Ferdinand Piëch resurrected the company to create the ultimate Bugatti Veyron.
Gargantuan prices aside, Bugatti never seemed like a good business, and with Piëch gone, VW boss Herbert Diess was looking for options to offload it so the company could spend more money on electrification. As it just so happened, Porsche AG and Mate Rimac’s Croatian EV company were working together, so a deal was done and Rimac Group ended up with 55% of the newly formed Bugatti Rimac. To make it a little more complicated, Porsche owns 21% of Rimac Group.
A quick peek at Volkswagen’s balance sheet shows a fun number buried in the filing: $156 million. That’s how much money Porsche said the Rimac Group was down for 2024. And Bugatti Rimac? Even worse at about a $170 million loss. Something had to give, and it was reported last week that Rimac was looking to buy out Porsche’s shares in Bugatti.
Today, we get a different view of this from Germany’s Manager Magazin, which reports that maybe it’s Porsche that wants full control of Bugatti again:
Porsche critics also complain that management isn’t yet working optimally. Mate Rimac’s decisions are sometimes too erratic, his organization doesn’t fit the Bugatti structure, and the CEO doesn’t pay enough attention to profitability. The financial situation has also been criticized: Too much cash is being burned. The result, according to people close to Porsche, was clear: There are only two options: exit completely or take over the leadership.
The Porsche board decided to buy. Since then, negotiations have been ongoing – and at other times, frustrated silence has been maintained. Meanwhile, the new CFO, Jochen Breckner (48), has taken up his duties in Zuffenhausen. Solutions involving additional investors are also being discussed. Rimac apparently has a financial player on its side who is looking for potential financiers for a deal.
Porsche and Rimac did not comment on the status of the talks. Mate Rimac confirmed to manager magazin in December that “talks about a possible transaction are ongoing”; the company is doing so well “that I would prefer to increase my Rimac stake myself.”
When these kinds of negotiations within a company play out in public, it’s rarely ever good.
Rimac clearly loves Bugatti and is investing a ton of money into it, whereas Porsche/Volkswagen has already tried to offload it once this decade. Who truly deserves to keep it in this situation?
I don’t think this is quite as cut-and-dry as Brecht’s case. The motivations here are sixteen varieties of interesting. Rimac ultimately seems to be in control, and if he wants to buy the rest of Bugatti to elevate his company, then he’s counterintuitively incentivized to drive up the expenditures as much as possible now so that the debt level of the company makes it harder for Porsche to justify a higher price for its shares. No one I’ve seen is suggesting this is happening, but I can’t escape the thought that Rimac played this extremely well by getting a famous brand on the cheap with borrowed money while his mostly unknown brand was valued to the sky.
What happens next is not clear. Rimac has reportedly rejected Porsche’s takeover, whereas Porsche hasn’t yet rejected Rimac’s counteroffer. Give the valley to the waterers, that it yield fruit, I suppose, though who the “waterers” are in this case is going to depend on whether you’re sitting in Zagreb or Zuffenhausen.
How Much Of March Sales Were Pull-Forward Sales?
The first quarter was mixed in terms of sales. It felt like there would be a slow start to the year, and then all of a sudden sales shot up. Why? Just like consumers interested in EVs jumped at the chance to buy a new EV before tax credits were removed in December, consumers afraid of tariff impacts in March bought cars.
These sales are called “pull-forward” or “pull-through” sales, and they typically net out at the end of the year as annual sales are indifferent to a car purchased in March or June. How much of Q1’s 4.4% increase was attributable to these kinds of sales? A lot, probably.
Here’s the analysis from Automotive News:
After the rush of March and early April, the outlook remains unclear, though risks of a downside are clearly growing. The longer U.S. tariffs remain in place, analysts say, production will slow, inventory will drop and prices will rise. Another wild card is consumer sentiment, which already had declined in recent months.
“Consumers are well aware of the risks that these tariffs pose in terms of future cost hikes, with price increases potentially moving from in the hundreds of dollars to the thousands,” said Rick Wainschel, vice president of data science and analytics at Cloud Theory. “Consumers, in anticipation of these higher prices, rushed to buy new vehicles in the current period. While this provided a boost in the short run, the ‘pull ahead’ effect of these accelerated sales runs the risk of leading to a hangover effect that depresses results going forward.”
New car and light-truck inventory and selection will be heavily scrutinized in the coming weeks and months.
My long-term view of the market this year is negative right now. Sure, there might be more sales in April, and the jobs market is only showing signs of minor softening at the moment. Overall, I think fundamental recession fears remain, and I’m concerned about employment numbers going into the summer.
The Trade War Is Paused, Sort Of, Here Are Some Race Cars
Parked my Championship car outside the @WhiteHouse today. ???????? It was an honor to see President Trump again and celebrate our multiple @Team_Penske accomplishments together. ????????’s pic.twitter.com/YtFyGQfZpo
— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) April 10, 2025
I was at the race track yesterday morning working on a new format of car review. This conveniently pulled me out of the news cycle for a few hours (thanks to Thomas for filling in here yesterday). When I got back in the Corolla GR I have this week, I had Bloomberg Radio already cued up, so I decided to listen to the updated news. Stocks were up. How?
What I heard was an impromptu press conference from President Trump where he talked about bonds, a little, and kept referring to Roger and cars. It was confusing for a few minutes until I realized that Roger Penske and the Penske racing team must be doing an event with the President, and the disruption in the bond market just so happened to time with the pre-planned photo op.
What happened? There’s now a 90-day tariff pause, sort of, though there’s still a 10% tariff on anything coming into the country, and cars are still at 25%. Many outlets are reporting that President Trump “blinked” when he saw the bond markets freaking out. Republican lawmakers are saying this is just President Trump’s “genius” negotiating tactics. Your view of this is going to be colored by politics.
What matters to us, here, right now, is that cars aren’t getting a break.
Per Reuters:
The Detroit Regional Chamber and MichiganAuto called on Trump to protect the automotive industry’s complex international supply chain framework from harmful fragmentation that weakens its global competitiveness.
“Michigan’s signature industry and the supply chains and employees that sustain it will continue to endure the uncertainty and disruption of these fluctuating trade policies,” they said in a statement after last month warning the tariffs would result in significant pain for autoworkers.
The groups noted that Trump was also leaving in place 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel that are also impacting automakers.
I don’t think that yesterday made anything easier for anyone, especially in the auto industry. If there’s some small glimmer of hope, it’s the idea that this administration will eventually pull its hand off the stove.
Moke Opens Its Wholly Owned Production Facility In The UK
Did you know that Leamington Spa is considered the “heart of the UK’s automotive valley”? That’s fun, though I’m going to wait for someone to say the name of the town out loud in case it’s actually pronounced something like “Lurmeneen Spur” for English reasons.
Moke, longtime maker of cute little cars for resorts and the like, now has its own production facility in the United Kingdom. From the press release:
MOKE International, the iconic British car manufacturer, has officially opened its new, wholly owned manufacturing facility in Leamington Spa, UK, marking a significant milestone in the company’s 60th year. The new facility will boost production efficiency, improve product quality, and strengthen MOKE’s ability to meet the growing global demand for its Electric MOKE. With production targets exceeding 500 units this year for markets including the USA and the Mediterranean, MOKE continues to contribute to the UK economy as a net exporter.
Earlier this month, MOKE International hosted an exclusive reveal event, attended by retail partners from Europe, Middle East and the USA, along with Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, Matt Western, Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles. The event celebrated British engineering and MOKE’s growing international presence.
The new Leamington Spa facility reflects the company’s commitment to British engineering and innovation in the EV sector. The company has created dozens of new clean-tech jobs as part of the expansion, and has tripled its workforce.
At the open day, MOKE unveiled a range of new colourway options for body, Bimini, and wheels, expanding the range of choices for customers. These updates reinforce the company’s focus on sustainability, style and innovation.
Hell yeah! Moke is awesome.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
My favorite version of the murder ballad “Mack The Knife” is the Louis Armstrong take, which aggressively shouts out Lotte Lenya. If you don’t know who she was, the German singer was the wife of Kurt Weill, who wrote the song originally for The Threepenny Opera, which was created with Bertolt Brecht. Man, I love the way he hits “Lenya” in this recording.
The Big Question
Who deserves Bugatti? If you don’t care, what would you do with a Moke?
Top Photo: Bugatti/VW
What do I do with a Moke?
Well, if it’s the 25 mph one, then it supplements the Kawasaki Mule for when I need to get around at the farm.
If it’s the 50 mph one, then it replaces the Mule for when I need to go between different nearby farms.
Manager Magazin. That is all.
It’s a German publication, that’s it’s actual name. Manager Magazin.
I’m not criticizing your spelling! Just pointing out the ludicrousness of German culture.
Mr. Manager Magazine.
Lotte Lenya also played Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love!
The Moke international Moke is U.S. certified as a replica vehicle and as far as I know was the first replica car brought to market under the Low Volume Motor Vehicles Act. The Moke International Moke additionally carries full EPA certification, and is capable of achieving 50 mph.
It is very important to note that these qualities distinguish it from the Moke America Moke, which is classed as a Low Speed Vehicle, tops out at 25mph, and is only U.S. compliant under FMVSS 500. The two companies are distinguished by separate websites, so diligence is encouraged if you’re in the market.
Last time I read up on it, Moke International was filing suit against Moke America for trademark rights to a vehicle named “Moke”.
In any case, I would definitely buy a Moke from Moke International, mainly because I could drive it anywhere I wanted save for a freeway, which I would do every chance I could get because it looks hella fun.
Oh great, another lawsuit over being “Moke”.
Go Moke go 25, or maybe 50 mph.
Apparently, the lawsuit was just dropped. It looks like the court of appeals agreed with the trial court that neither party could claim a trademark in the name MOKE because they were both basically relying on the good will from BMC its original (and now possibly abandoned) MOKE mark.
I had no idea that there were two companies offering it in the US. And since they are replicas, they basically look the same. Thanks for the education.
“The Fourth Circuit vacated the district court’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings to gather additional evidence on the distinctiveness or genericness of the “MOKE” mark. The parties will continue to bear the burden of proving that the mark is not generic. The court suggested that appointing a disinterested expert witness might be helpful in resolving the issue.”
Not sure if that means it’s dropped or just awaiting more evidence? I’m obviously not a lawyer.
As far as the court case is concerned remanded just means that it is returned to the lower circuit court to continue based on the findings of the appellate court. But it’s bad news for the plaintiff and they subsequently dropped the case by filing a stipulated voluntary dismissal. So the case is done.
Can’t wait to see the Sahara or whatever offroad version of the Moke. Tiny winch! Massive tires! Lights everywhere!
If I had a MOKE I would smoke a Doke for a hallucinogenic joke. Rich folks smoke Dokes, you know.
Okey Dokey
Rich BLOKES smoke Dokes, according to this man who was just running by.
Sounds like Rimac and Porsche get along like Gavrillo Princip and Franz Ferdinand.
I’m ashamed to admit that when I read/hear “Franz Ferdinand” these days, rather than “Arch Duke,” I think “slightly-above-average rock band from Scotland.”
“Slightly above average” is the perfect way to put it. They’ve got a handful of great songs and the rest is a sea of mid. IMHO most of the guitar driven stuff from the garage rock era of indie music hasn’t aged very well.
I absolutely love The Strokes and Jack White…and I guess you could maybe throw early Arctic Monkeys in there and their first 2 or 3 albums have no skips…although they eventually went in a more experimental direction. Creatively I respect the hell out of it, but to my ears the music has not turned out well. I just don’t think Alex Turner is all that great of a romantic crooner but that seems to be what he wants to make himself into and I’m not gonna tell anyone how to art.
But anyway Franz Ferdinand? The Black Keys? Jet? There’s just not a whole lot of substance there and I think it’s because the whole sub genre was dedicated to looking back rather than moving forward. That’s really the last time rock had much mainstream relevance outside of the legacy acts and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it hasn’t really been relevant commercially since then.
I was in my mid 20’s when the Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand etc were big so I never got into them. Their music was fine for generic rock. I much prefer stuff from the 80’s and 90’s. Of course, that is most likely because it was the music of my youth.
I was a teenager when all that stuff got big and I still don’t like any of it. I guess I did at the time but I aged out of it quickly. I didn’t grow up in the 80s but if I’m listening to rock it’s usually either metal/metal adjacent or 80s post punk/new wave/etc. My favorite band is The Cure (I’m so sorry Uncle Adrian I know I disappoint you).
I firmly believe that rock music peaked in the 80s. The 90s had some great bands (Nirvana, AIC, Radiohead, Primus, etc.) but a whole lot of really bad shit got radio play too. I will not hear any Gen X arguments that Presidents Of The United States, Toadies, etc. are valid. NOT TODAY!
The only newer rock band that really excites me these days is Wet Leg. If I’m listening to current music it’s rap, R&B, or country like 95% of the time with some indie stuff sprinkled in. And I don’t mean stupid tractor rock shit with country either, I mean stuff like Kacey Musgraves, Orville Peck, etc. My most streamed artist last year was Doja Cat….
I had some hope for Highly Suspect when they kind of came out of no where ten years ago but it was obvious pretty quick that they only had one trick. You can get away with edgy old school rockstar antics in your 20s. Once you’re in your late 30s it’s just kind of embarrassing…
I’m gotten back into The Cure in the last year or so.
Disintegration is my all time favorite album
They played MSG about a year and a half ago and I couldn’t make it *sad trombone*
Mine as well.
Give the band Field Music a try. Several of their albums, like Commontime, give a modern spin on 80s and 90s pop-rock.
Going to see Wilco and Waxahatchee in a few weeks. Alt country/indie heaven.
Waxahatchee doesn’t do it for me personally but I can’t deny that she’s incredibly talented and I get why people enjoy her.
Wow, I’d be pretty stoked for that combo.
Literally driving 400 miles or so (Naples FL to St. Augustine via Tampa to pick up a friend). Wilco is going to be in St. Pete as well but munus Waxahatchee.
I saw Wilco play Fog Fest in Justin Herman Plaza (where U2 filmed “Where the Streets Have No Name” video). I think this was circa 1996-7.
Alt Country is so underrated. I’m a huge Sarah Shook and the Disarmers fan.
I feel like alt and goth country are almost like the modern equivalents of outlaw country….and I fucking love outlaw country. I’ve got absolutely no time for tractor rock/bro country/etc bullshit but most country that’s gritty, dark, barebones, and introspective will get my attention.
I ran across a banjo player on social media… She’s trans, and posts a lot of videos shredding banjo over bros saying some BS, and reps Appalachia more than anything. I’ve never seen her band, but ordered the shirt. Outlaw is awesome. I’m always here for some rabble rousing hillbilly rebellion against the stuff country was invented to be pissed off about. I have a Woody Guthrie tattoo and I’m not afraid to use it.
There is a ton of good country out there these days. You won’t find it on country radio stations, that’s just pop bullshit, but there is no shortage of amazing real country artists doing their thing.
Have you heard Billy Strings? That dude is special.
Absolutely, just got tix to see him in September.
Nice!
I can support those choices. Of course, I’m a Depeche Mode fan.
I had a brief Black Keys phrase, but I find them boring now. It’s all the same shit. That dude’s best album is the one he did for Dr. John.
I listened to them between like 2010 and 2014 then quickly realized they only had one trick and that one trick wasn’t very good. I legitimately don’t think I could tell the difference between songs, albums, etc. at this point. It’s just gentrified blues rock and it all blends together.
…although I do have fond memories of banging a girl in grad school while the album Brothers was playing in the background so I guess I’m grateful to them for that? Kind of? She wound up being a psychopath so maybe not….
My now wife loved them when she was my girlfriend, so similar fond memories I think LOL. I kind of appreciate guitar/drums duos, but a bass would make all of them better.
Oh for me this was very much a “the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze” situation, whereas you wound up with your life partner lol. But we both were getting laid in the 20 teens and that’s what really matters! I should also disclose at that time I was a dysfunctional, immature drunk so I was hardly an innocent bystander in how that relationship ended haha.
I like The Strokes too!
So good. I’m a guitarist and the interplay between Hammond and Valenci is just delightful. They’re both such creative and unique players. People don’t necessarily think of them as guitar heroes since they’re not in your face shredder types but I absolutely do.
This stuff all hit in my 30s and I was all over it. I still listen to Arctic Monkeys (those first two albums are perfect) Strokes and White Stripes/Jack White. Black Keys were so big for a while but eventually you realize it’s kind of a watered-down version of stuff other artists were doing better in the 70s. Ditto Jet, but they never really took off, so to speak. Franz Ferdinand is one of those bands where you’re glad when a song comes on Spectrum or XMU and then you’ve forgotten about them again two minutes later.
I like Franz Ferdinand enough. They certainly don’t deserve being lumped in with JET.
And I absolutely love Arctic Monkeys more recent and more interesting output.
All those bands you listed are as exciting as a whole-wheat Ritz cracker.
Hahaha. Yeah, I guess most of the time we refer to the historic figure, the title is used.
Is VW’s relationship with Porsche a little looser than a normal corporate/subsidiary relationship? Because it’s hard to imagine Lincoln deciding to buy Aston Martin after Ford ejected it from the mothership.
It’s a truly weird and funny one – Porsche SE holds ~33% of shares and the majority of voting rights in VW AG, which then owns ~75% of Porsche AG. Another 12.5% of Porsche AG is held directly by Porsche SE. So it’s a Porsche sandwich!
Bugatti is in the love to drive one, not own it.
For the Moke, live in a beach town or have a large property? Fun to move around.
Rimac deserves Bugatti. Bugatti, in its original form, was exactly the opposite of the corporate VAG product it currently is. Bugatti was Ettore Bugatti’s vision and it would be fitting if it returned to being the vision of a creative, brilliant and slightly shifty guy just like it was when it started.
Lol, this is my favorite take so far.
Do with Moke? Make a model “S” and call it Smoke…
“Who deserves Bugatti? If you don’t care, what would you do with a Moke?”
I’m in the ‘I don’t care’ camp. What would I do with a Moke? Commute to work with it of course!
At least during the summer…
There is Moke dealer down the road. Cute little things but I’m having a hard time understanding why someone would pay so much when you can get a golf cart for like 1/3 the cost. I was seriously considering getting one to cruise to the beach or get ice cream but the price was crazy. The local dealer has since started selling golf carts too. I’m pretty sure it’s just a matter of time before that is all that they sell.
Someone that knows about Moke please educate me!
“Cute little things but I’m having a hard time understanding someone would pay so much when you can get a golf cart for like 1/3 the cost.”
Because there are people with enough money that the extra cost doesn’t matter. They want one just because they want one.
It’s like people who buy Ferraris or Lambos. Why buy those when you can get a Corvette for the same or better performance for way less? Well it’s because they want one and they have the money.
The Kardashians own a bunch of them, so it must be a solid life choice.
Per my comment above, a Moke International Moke is suited to highway travel, which expands its use case a bit. My guess is you’re seeing a Moke America dealer.
Yes, it’s a Moke America, limited to under 35MPH streets or something like that. It’s the same use case as a road legal golf cart in Ohio anyway.
If it was faster and could safely go up to 50 that would be a big deal as all the streets leading to my house are 45MPH. Thanks for pointing out the difference.
The Jimmie Dale Gilmore cover of “Mack” is my fave.
I’m happy about the tariffs being delayed much in the same way I’m happy when my dog doesn’t take a dump in my living room. The mess would’ve been entirely your own creation but thanks for not making it anyway.
I look at it like somebody repeatedly kicking you in the balls and having to take a break because his foot is cramping. You’re glad you’re not getting kicked but you know as soon as his foot feels better he’s going to start all over again.
“Frank Sinatra saved my life once. I was being brutally beaten by a group of thugs in an alley. Suddenly, Frank walks up and says ‘ok, boys, that’s enough.'”
–Don Rickles, paraphrased
Retired person came up to me yesterday, big tear running down her face and said “thank you Mr T….I can go buy some 6 buck eggs, or a 3 buck tomato, or a gallon of milk for 4 bucks. It was 3 bucks last week, but I don’t blame you sir. I blame the greedy cows. They are like those god damned Penguins who are totally ripping us off, and screwing our fair country.”
And the screw turns once again this morning as soon as the markets opened.
Same bullshit, different day.
But the obvious market manipulation was truly some grade A shit.
Fuck this.
If you need meds made in China, or just basic shit minus food good luck with a 145% tariff on that stuff.
Eventually this will settle out, but in the meantime most of us are fucked.
Of course when the dust finally settles guess who will claim victory,
despite the price paid by people, even the dumb asses that voted for this shit.
Jon Stewart compared him to a dog throwing up on the floor, then lapping it back up and looking up at you like “see what I did for you, I’m a good boy!”
No, you made a mess, and it’s not truly cleaned up.
My dog does not do this btw, he’ll puke once in a while, but his reaction is to be appalled and leave the room ASAP. Unlike 47, he knows when he’s done something wrong, and he’s embarrassed by it.
My cat does this. I think he was a dog in his prior life.
Yeah. Lost $14k of my 401k, but he got me back $7k of it! Wow! Thanks.
Since Biden left office, mine is down 50K. I lost 13k overnight on Fri, then another 20 over the weekend.
I was fortunate to have a good-sized rollover due to my employee shares being bought out when our company was sold, and this is all I have. No house, or even any hope of ever affording one, and no other accounts.
Meanwhile, him and his oligarch cronies likely shorted the market and made stacks of money, while the rest of us ponder being homeless. It’s time for the torches and pitchforks to come out.
Bugatti ending up in the hands of what seems to mostly be a vaporware company (I guess they’ve made a few vehicles?) always rubbed me wrong.
Like them or hate them, Bugatti was always front and center when talking about cars in the 2000s-10s.
And they were always talked about being incredible feats of engineering during that time even by those that didn’t want one.
I would imagine they have an impressive portfolio of patents to their name. For this reason I hope Porsche gets them and does something a bit more… lightweight with the impressive engineering.
Agreed. Like countless other EV startups Rimac has always seemed like a grift to me. They did manage to make a small handful of very impressive cars but outside enthusiast circles no one has any idea who they are. The same cannot be said of Bugatti.
EVERYONE knows about Bugatti. They’ve penetrated the cultural zeitgeist in a way that very few super/hypercars do. Rappers name drop them all the time. Depending on your perspective they were either the beginning or the end (I don’t care for them or the concept of a hypercar at all), but there’s no denying that they’re absurd feats of engineering that changed how we look at cars.
I agree. They deserve a better caretaker than a vaporware Croatian sort-of-car-company. If anyone is up for the job it’s Porsche.
The rise of Rimac has confused the hell out of me. The few vehicles they’ve made were certainly impressive, but there’s just been too few of them. They don’t seem like a real car company, even among boutique car companies. They’ve somehow been able to rise to the top, despite having very little to show for it.
TBH, the first thing I think of when people talk about Rimac is that Richard Hammond crashed one for The Geand Tour
“The Caucasian Chalk Circle.” I think if you referenced Kramer and Elaine fighting over the girls bike storyline, it would have been more impactful. And Newman being the judge and voice of reason is just chefs kiss.
Another classic.
Bugatti drama? First world problems. Maybe just have a tow strap tug of war hillbilly style between a Rimac and a 911, with an old Veyron in the middle.
What would I do with a Moke? I don’t think there is anything to do with it besides use it as a fun little local runabout, including taking it over some of the local, easy 4wd passes. Next winter would be donut time. If it had tracks, I’d take it up some winter snowmobile trails as well.
Leamington is a nice little town; to my ear it’s closer to lemming-t’n with emphasis on the first, not the ‘ing’ (and not lemon-t’n).
Far enough from Coventry, but still close to all of JLR’s mess of Gaydon, it still maintains a smaller town feel than it is.
Hardigree bemoans lengthy TMDs, states sometimes shortcuts are needed, immediately proceeds to pen an apt, but almost 1000 word, Brecht/Bugatti analogy.
Reason #632 why I am a member of The Autopian.
My thought, too! At first, I read it as “Fair enough. Cut and paste, MH”.
3 minutes later I thought, “Umm, MH? Did you do the ol’ switcharoo for funsies?” lol
We have fun here.
How many times has Jason mentioned that he is fighting off sleep in the early morning hours to get the Cold Start despite the fact that he could have a folder with a dozen emergency, pre-written cold starts? The writers here like to torture themselves for our amusement.
Right? Hardibro always has the best tie-ins between the news and something entirely unrelated to cars, like Brecht here or the Job story the other day. And it always makes sense. He’s like a rum-swilling storytelling Mr Rogers.
I am particular to the Nick Cave version:
https://youtu.be/-LnZkFBd-cM?si=dEKt2kZsEZ68VOsh
The same album has PJ Harvey doing the Ballad of the Soldier’s Wife:
https://youtu.be/YoW-j0g4z2E?si=2YJGP728DJohCC6L
I was just going to recommend that!
As it happens, my wife’s best friend lives in Leamington Spa (full name: Royal Leamington Spa), so I can tell you that it’s pronounced pretty much the way it looks: “Lemmington Spa”.
Having only heard Bobby Darin sing it, this version of “Mack the Knife” is a revelation. Next rabbit hole: identified. Thanks Hardigree!
I only knew this version and later heard Bobby Darin. Hearing the original in German is also a treat.
Holy shit, there are so many versions… This hole goes deep.
Nothing compares to “Daddy Mack Daddy the Knife” by Kris Kross, though.
LMAO!!! Underrated comment. QOTD material.
I thought it was wiggedy wiggedy wack.
Nah, you got it backwards.
I’ve only heard the Mac Tonight version when Ray Charles was shilling for McDonald’s a few decades back.
A moke would be a great platform for a K- swapped deathcart.
Probably the same thing I did the last time I had the opportunity:
https://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LAZ17/793-_MG_4339.jpg
https://i.giphy.com/XXAKgZR1EbAqmuGBE9.webp
Based on that, my answer is “convert it into OJ’s Bronco.”
Just in case anyone wants some context for that:
https://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LBW16/0511-DSC_5216.jpg
I was the one who built most of the “body” out of foam.
I was the one who spent most of that weekend not driving because of… let’s go with “digestive issues.” At least I eventually got on track long enough to kill the engine in the Toyohog.