If John Staddon’s article in the Atlantic arguing that our roads are unsafe because our traffic laws are too numerous and restrictive had appeared on a forum or as a blog post, it would probably have been dismissed as shallow and juvenile. And had it first appeared in a major newspaper, I imagine there would have been some tedious backlash from the hoards of experienced and safety-conscious drivers who have only a minute or two to skim a few articles while they’re driving to work.

His central argument—that looser traffic laws, more relaxed enforcement, and fewer signs will force drivers to be more attentive and will reduce accidents—echoes sentiments that you can hear at any auto racing event or track day: “I feel much safer driving on the track than I ever do driving on the street.”

Talk to a racer—pro, amateur, occasional track day enthusiast—and he’ll tell you that he’s much more wary and much more nervous driving to work than doing a lap. Motorcycle racers are even more adamant, and some of them are so unnerved by street drivers that they ride their motorcycles only on the track.

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If you have ever seen the BBC show “Top Gear,” you probably noticed the decent-sized audience whenever the crew is at the studio. Well it turns out that you too can be in the audience, but there is a slight wait of 21 years. 336,000 people have sent in applications to be on the show, with some reportedly even putting their new born babies’ names on the waiting list.

I don’t usually post things that amount to little more than a link and some sort of “Oh ho ho, isn’t this funny!” comment. There are plenty of other car sites that do that sort of recycling.

But this craigslist ad for a 2000 Ford Taurus is an exception. Whoever this person might be, he has now come closer to making me consider buying a Taurus than anyone else:

THE WHIP for the P-I-M-P with kids! - $2700

As reported by Loqu, Rinspeed has created a modified Lotus Elise that can drive on land, drive on water, and, best of all, drive under water too. The vehicle (”car” doesn’t seem to fit quite right for this Elise) is called the “sQuba,” and is the creation of Founder and CEO of Rinspeed Inc. Frank M. Rinderknecht. Rinderknecht, a confessed Bond fanatic, apparently dreamed of building a car that would also double as a submarine. Just in case, I guess.

The sQuba is powered by 3 electric motors - 1 for the rear wheels, and 1 for each of its 2 propellers. The Elise’s normal gasoline engine has been removed. The vehicle will do 75mph on land, 4mph as a boat, and 2mph as a submarine. Being a targa, the sQuba is not waterproof, so air is provided for its passengers via an integrated compressed air tank. Time underwater is limited by the vehicle’s battery and air supply, and is generally about 2 hours.

So, is the sQuba an automotive breakthrough, or an unfortunate waste of an Elise? Lets just say that NHMS is prone to flooding during particularly violent rainstorms, and in those situations, the sQuba would definitely win any race…

I was helping a friend replace the front control arms and bushings on his E36 M3 over the weekend. The E36 control arms are a bit unusual: they fasten to the knuckle and to one point on the subframe with ball joints. The rear mounting point on the control arm is a shaft that is set into a bushing; that bushing’s carrier bolts to the frame.

We were planning to use a ball joint press to remove the bushing from the carrier. But the combination of the carrier and the necessary rings and plates proved to be too tall to fit the press. Our solution: that simple but trusted friend, the 10lb sledgehammer. We supported the carrier with a metal ring, used another as a die, and quickly beat the bushing out.

Learning to trust the sledgehammer is an important step in becoming a successful mechanic, whether you’re a pro, a shady-tree mechanic, an occasional do-it-yourselfer, or a casual car guy that just wants to be able to do more than change your oil and top off your fluids. To trust the sledgehammer, you must come to grips with the dumb resiliency of your car. A car, ultimately, is a dumb, smelly, stupid beast that needs to be whacked around every once in a while.

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I was going to head up to Watkins glen with the PDA on July 14-15, but The Glen has canceled that and many other events in July. There was apparently some damage to the track surface which needs to be repaired for professional races later in the season.

There is no official word yet as to what area is affected and to what extent the track has been damaged.