One final lap in the GT-R and my MR2 story
New bylines plus a new video for all y'all who are sick of reading
Good morning and greetings from a beautifully snowy New York. After a miserably rainy winter so far, it's lovely to look out the window and see everything covered in white.
At least, I think it's still covered in white. It's all dark at the moment since the sun's arrival is still a few hours away, but we were pretty well snow-covered last night, and given it's -5 degrees F out there right now (-21 C), the bulk of the stuff should still be out there.
I'm more or less done with travel for the year, so it can snow all it wants. Plus, that gives me more opportunity to test out the plow on the new, $30,000 Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic electric side-by-side that I'll be reviewing in the new year. More on that to come.
"The Trend Maker"
Another feature from Fuji has dropped. Every visit to Japan is special, but I got to do some especially special things this year, including talking to "Mr. GT-R," Tamura-san, about the development of the current generation Nissan GT-R, the R35. That car has more or less retired from American shores and will formally end production next year. I've been lucky to speak with Tamura multiple times over the course of this car's evolution, but it's only as it enters the rearview mirror that I began to appreciate just how influential it's become.
Audi's OLED dream machine
Since last I appeared in your inbox, the embargo on the new Audi Q6 E-Tron has lifted. This is Audi's take on the PPE platform, the same foundational underpinnings beneath the new electric Porsche Macan. How does the one with the rings on the nose stack up? Quite well -- especially when you consider a fully loaded Q6 costs less than a base model Macan. The tech is sometimes a little overwhelming, and the suspension could use some finesse work, but it is a great thing to drive. Two first drives of the thing are live now, with a third to come. In the Engadget one, I focus more on the tech (naturally), while the JD Power entry focuses more on the value and drive dynamic.
My MR2 story
Of all the cars I'm so incredibly privileged to drive, there's one that's not only more special, but more intimidating than all the rest, and that's my own once-humble MR2. I bought this car, already well-used, back in 1996 for something like $5,000, which was enough money to put me well into debt for the duration of my four years at college. But now, nearly 30 years later, I still have that car, and let's just say it's grown up a little bit since then.
This is the second video I've posted since my fledgling YouTube relaunch of sorts. I hope to do more with the channel in the new year, but as ever, it's a challenge to find the time to edit this stuff together, but your likes/shares/comments/subscribes definitely help to make all that worthwhile.
And with that, I'm going to sign off again and see if I can't catch the sunrise over our little winter wonderland. With any luck it'll stay cold enough for a few days that our Christmas will be Bing Crosby Approved. If you celebrate, I hope yours is equally merry, and I wish you a lovely week regardless.