Ok so this isn’t the sort of thing I would usually post but I just felt compelled.  If you read my blog enough (or know me) you know I’m a car guy (or have become one anyway).  I’m definitely a fan of hot looking cars (the Aston Martin V8 Vantage comes to mind) – and I equally hate ugly cars.  Easily my all time least favorite car is the Pontiac Aztek (as is almost anything made by Pontiac).  When I read that they only sold 25 of them this year my first thought was why wouldn’t they just cancel the thing.  Quickly my next thought was how stupid would you feel to be one of the 25 people that actual bought one! Then again I guess to be an optimist how proud would you be to have been the sales guys that actually moved one of those monsters, I wonder what kind of award you get for that?

Tonight I traded my 1994 Accord (last picture of her to the left, took it as I drove away) in for a 2008 Subaru Legacy.  Yes, I’ve officially gotten my Boulder residency card now that I own a Subaru.  But this post is about my good old Accord that I’ll miss.  I’ve driven a Honda almost all my adult life and this will be the first time I haven’t driven one in 10 years.  I’ve had a 1984 Accord that I sold with 265,000 miles on it (and in great shape) and a 1987 Prelude (that did sorta fall apart actually).  So Accord I’ll miss ya, you were a great car.  Now my Accord haiku:

Accord you ran well
Lots of driving
Never a flat

Only stranded me once
Not really your fault
Got me where I wanted to go

Hope you find good home
Happy people
Keep you healthy

Some say that he was once a scarecrow, and that his favorite meal is wood dipped in brake fluid. All we know is that he’s called the Stig.

Some say, hes a woman, others say he is a man, we are pretty sure its the latter, but we do know, he’s The Stig.

Some say he perches on rooftops at night and turns into stone, others say he sleeps in a graveyard. What we do know, is he’s called the Stig.

Some say hes more machine than man and that he eats children for dinner, all we know is he’s called the Stig

Some say his teeth are made of carbon fibre, others say he has no neck, all we know is he’s called the Stig.

Some say his earwax tastes like turkish delight, all we know is he’s called the Stig.

Some say he used to be a rocking horse, and that his liver is made of reinforced tin. All we know is that he’s called The Stig.

Some say he can change gear with his tongue, and his hair is made of gravy, all we know is hes called the Stig.

Some say his skin is slippery as a dolphin’s, others say he has no eyelids. All we know is he’s called the Stig.

Some say he can hide in the shadows of an engine, while being hidden in the shadows of tires. While being white with a hint of black, we know him as The Stig.

Some say that he has a fetish for electric fans. Others say his blood mainly consists of the volatile alkali metal caesium. All we know is, he’s called the Stig.

Some say he never sleeps and that his eyes are glued open, all we know is hes called the Stig.

Some say he shot 2Pac, others say he killed Kurt Cobain, all we know is, he’s called The Stig.

Some say he likes castrol GTX on his french fries, others say he is incapable of distinguishing the difference between the colors red and green. All we know is he’s called the Stig.

Some say he doesn’t see normally, he just sees green numbers scrolling down the front of his face. All we know is that he’s called The Stig.

Some say the ancient Greek’s worshiped him, and he has only a single eye. What we do know is that he’s called the Stig.

Some say he is the love child of a tomahawk jet fighter and a 80′s prostitute, but all we know is he is the Stig.

Some say hes blind and drives on sense, Some say hes not human, all we do know is hes called the Stig.

Some say he eats Citreon 2CV’s for breakfast, others say he really does listen to some shocking music, but alas all we truly know is that he is The Stig.

Some say he once had a third hand sticking out of his belly button, others say he’s married to a sasquatch. All we know is that he’s called the Stig.

Some say he uses diesel like we use gravy, and that his arsehole is like twin exhaust pipes. What we do know is that he’s called the Stig.

Some say that all his thinking functions are carried out by his toes, and his head holds a giant stereo. All we know is, he’s called the Stig.

Some say he can fly, others say he has no toes, all we know is, he’s called The Stig.

Some say he’s scared of diesel engines, and hell spat him back out. All’s we know is he’s called the Stig.

Some say he can drive from the passenger side, others say he has no hands and he telepathically drives the cars. All we know is that he’s called the Stig.

Some say his laugh sounds like a broken accordion, others say he can fly using his ears. All we know is, he’s called the Stig.

Some say that he has no face and that his hands are superconductive…. all we know is, he’s called The Stig.

Do you get BBC America? If you do and you have a TiVo or DVR you should be recording and watching Top Gear. What is Top Gear and why should you watch it, I’m so glad you asked.

First let’s start with what Top Gear isn’t. It isn’t a car show. Well ok, sure, it’s about cars but it isn’t a car show. It isn’t a documentary show (but has some truly amazing cinematography). It isn’t boring, even if you can’t stand cars. It’s unlike any show you’ve ever watched actually. it isn’t reality TV but it’s not a sitcom either. So what is it? It’s awesome. Well since that’s not much of a description (unless you’re referring to an Aston Martin V8 Vantage), so what is it for real? Well it’s sort of like a late night comedy show where the cars are the guests. It’s hosted by three of the funniest guys you could ever watch on TV. There’s Jeremy Clarkson, the shows lead and wonderfully funny curmudgeon; Richard Hammond the great looking young guy who almost killed himself in a jet car last year; and James May (Captain Slow) the laid back British gentleman that you’d love to have a pint with. Where the show shines is with the interaction between the three when their great personalities and presence come screaming through. Sure the incredible cars are also the stars but this is a show for people that aren’t even into cars. If you’re reading this thinking “yeah yeah, but I really could care less about cars” trust me, you’re wrong. Remember it’s not about the cars, it’s about the characters and sure the cars are one of the characters but not the only characters.

Then there’s the crazy shit they do. There’s the episode where they turned a Renault Robin into a Space Shuttle (which actually flew and was amazing), the episode where they race a Bugatti Veryon against a fighter jet, and the episode I mentioned above where Richard Hammond crashed in a Jet Car at over 300mph. The greatest thing about the show is how funny it is, it’s easily the funniest show I currently watch on TV. The way the three of them play off each other (and the guests and cars) is just wonderful. Oh and I haven’t even mentioned one of the greatest parts of the show, the Stig. What is the Stig, well I guess you’ll have to tune in and see. Oh, and did I mention the cars? Well yeah, ok, it’s a car show so yes, they do drive cars. Amazing cars. But the great thing is they drive a lot of practical cars too. I was very pleased to see that my 350z did the exact same time on the track as Chris’ M3 (with another friend’s S4 1 second faster than both mine and Chris’). They keep track of all the cars on a giant board so you can see which car is fastest.

So if you get BBC America (Comcast in Denver/Boulder carries it) watch Top Gear (watch at least a few episodes to get into the characters). I think you’ll thank me for it…