Simanaitis Says

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Category Archives: Driving it Today

COMPLEXITIES OF CAFE COMPLIANCE FEES PART 2

YESTERDAY WE BEGAN ANALYZING Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and their encouraging average mpgs from 13.5 to more than double that today. In Part 2 we continue—and close with a … Continue reading →

June 30, 2025 · 4 Comments

COMPLEXITIES OF CAFE COMPLIANCE FEES PART 1

HEADLINES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, July 26, 2025, are provocative: “Republicans Propose a New Way to Scrap Fuel Economy Rules: No Fines.” Brad Plumer and Jack Ewing report, “For … Continue reading →

June 29, 2025 · 2 Comments

A USED CAR AFTER WHICH I LUST

“THE ASTON MARTIN CYGNET,” this fabled sports car manufacturer said back in 2011, “was designed as a luxury solution to urban mobility.” A city car that’s “Elegant and distinctive whilst … Continue reading →

March 25, 2025 · 2 Comments

WOULD YOU BUY A USED (OR NEW) CAR FROM THIS MAN?

I DON’T RECALL ELON MUSK (aka “The Chainsaw Wielder”) being on any ballots. Yet he has become BBF of the guy who won by a mere 1.5 percent of the … Continue reading →

February 26, 2025 · 3 Comments

THE AUTO INDUSTRY (SANS TRUMP, MUSK)

YESTERDAY WE REVIEWED Automotive News tidbits admittedly gleaned with political twinges. But enough already. There are plenty of tidbits in the auto industry to continue the theme sans you know … Continue reading →

December 23, 2024 · 4 Comments

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS—A PERSONAL UPDATE

I CONTINUE TO MONITOR Automotive News, though with somewhat different focus in retirement than the weekly in-depth scrutiny of my professional years. These days, I let the issues pile up … Continue reading →

October 29, 2024 · 5 Comments

MONDIAL DE L’AUTO PART 1

APART FROM TOYKO, PARIS WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE international motor show. They both had plenty of glitz, though the latter also had the cutest young ladies accompanying the displays. (I’d … Continue reading →

October 21, 2024 · 1 Comment

AUTO TIDBITS—EV COOLANTS GO ROGUE,  A FERRARI EXEC FOILS A DEEP FAKE, MUSK SAYS “FIX MINE FIRST!” 

I CONTINUE TO READ AUTOMOTIVE NEWS as the best way to keep up with an industry that used to occupy me 24/7 for 33+ years. These days, I merely glean … Continue reading →

August 24, 2024 · 2 Comments

KEEPING KEWL WITH AND WITHOUT VAPOR COMPRESSION PART 2

THIS ALL BEGAN WITH LEARNING ABOUT solid-state refrigerants as described in “Sizing Up Caloric Devices,” AAAS Science, August 2, 2024. Today in Part 2, three types of solid-state devices offer … Continue reading →

August 13, 2024 · 3 Comments

HURRAH FOR THE PISTON FOUNDATION AND ITS SCHOLARS!

AUTO JOURNALIST EXTRAORDINAIRE (and another Lithuanian!) Judy Stropus shares information from The Piston Foundation describing its awarding 20 scholarships for 2024 to aspiring auto restoration technicians. This brings the organization’s … Continue reading →

July 22, 2024 · 1 Comment