You’re absolutely right—and BMW did plan it
as such. That said, most drivers can't distinguish a 2001 740iL from a 2014
320i, so it’s doubtful they’d notice an extra exhaust tip.
Cammisa’s comment regarding the lack of
relevance of the S2000 to Honda’s place in automotive history needs to be
debated. The S2K’s enthusiast-focused capabilities, coupled with its legendary
reliability and price point, clearly place it near the top of Honda’s pyramid.
Cammisa’s
comment regarding the lack of relevance of the S2000 to Honda’s place in
automotive history needs to be debated.
Dave Hayes, Nipomo, California
Funny, Cammisa has wanted an S2000 for at
least a decade. It’s a fantastic sports car—the point was only that the S2000
didn’t change the game by debuting new technology.
Your command of the English language is
superb; of French, not so much. In the July issue, les cous-rouges was
inspired. But saying “the SRT (née Dodge) Viper” was in error. Né is the past
participle of the verb naître—to be born— and takes the gender of the noun it
refers to. Née is the feminine singular form. In using née, you identify the
words “Dodge Viper” as feminine. It is hard to think of a more masculine, even
phallic, modern car. You need to hit les livres français.
Ed Cobleigh, Paso Robles, California
C’est vrai, m’sieur Cobleigh. Bon point.
I’m shocked that no one recognized Puccini
as a reference to Giacomo Puccini, the composer of such operas as La bohème,
Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot. Wikipedia says his “operas are among the
important.” It also quotes Ravenni and Girardi as saying that Puccini was “the
greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi.” You should be embarrassed. It
makes one wonder how many “facts” in R&T are just as fallacious.
Tom Gist, Camas, Washington
A closer read, please: We said Puccini was
a made-up brand name. As influential a composer as Puccini was, he did not also
manufacture high-end car-audio systems.
Sam Smith’s column on gearboxes reminded me
of a remark a friend made while building a motor for my ’68 Alfa Duetto. His
comment: “Automatic transmissions are like artificial insemination. There are
some things a real man should do for himself.”
Sam
Smith’s column on gearboxes reminded me of a remark a friend made while
building a motor for my ’68 Alfa Duetto.
Steve Jasik, Menlo Park, California
So ... a real man should artificially
inseminate himself?
Thanks for your June Smithology column
“Shiftless.” I’ve driven manual transmissions since 1960, in vehicles from a
1959 Volvo PV544 to my 2014 Ford Focus Titanium, a car we had to order twice.
The first arrived with Ford’s dual-clutch automatic. The factory apparently
thought the request for a manual was a mistake.
I could relate to most comments in Sam’s
column. However, his note that “engineers are odd people,” should be revised to
“automatic-transmission engineers are odd people.” Nearly all mechanical
engineers and manufacturing engineers, and even some electrical engineers, are
authentic car guys and prefer manuals. Keep up the great work.
Jim Leonard, Evergreen, Colorado
I have had a 1972 Alfa GTV since new. It is
beautiful and NOT a hunk of crap. The moron who said that should be taken out
and shot.
I
have had a 1972 Alfa GTV since new. The moron who said that should be taken out
and shot.
G. W. Radka, Elma, New York
We have found the offending editor. He has
been taken out and shot.
