As you are burning up Dunlop Tires, I saw a recent press release from Carseek.com where they predicted that gas prices would be $5.00 before the end of the summer. The best quote in the release comes from their CEO and President, Wes Mayder:

“We like to be upbeat and optimistic around here. We love cars and everything about them. But the truth of the matter is that in localities with the highest prices and lowest wages, Americans are using about 13% of their paychecks on gas. In big cities with lots of public transportation the figure is about 2%, but across the board those numbers are going to go up.”

This left me wondering, what will the price be on July 4th , the unofficial midpoint of summer?

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I am a big fan of the Mini especially with the new Pirelli Tires I put on mine.. As a fan, I own one and drive it every day. So, when I heard that the Clubman was hitting the U.S. markets I was looking forward to going to the dealership and giving it a whirl.

What attracts me to the Mini is that it is just plain fun to drive. It is nimble, quick, and one of the best handling production cars I ever have driven. I wasn’t sure how the Clubman (a sort of wagon) was going to measure up.

I test drove the Clubman and was able to put it through the same aggressive paces that I put any car that I test drive. Generally, I thought the car performed well. It seemed a little sluggish compared to the Cooper S that I drive every day, but that was to be expected. It handled corners sharply, although I felt a little slippage in a couple tight turns. I was testing the Clubman S, so the horsepower was comparable to my daily Mini experience.

The part that I didn’t get with the entire Clubman is why it exists. I believe the point was to give more cargo room and to make the back seat able to hold someone over the age of six. As I looked in the back seat and checked out the expanded storage area I didn’t really see that much difference. They state that there are two more inches of leg room in the back seat, but I couldn’t notice it. The split-doors of the rear end do offer a little greater access, but I am not sure the slightly enhanced storage space will change who can buy a Mini.

The Clubman left me scratching my head. I think some devoted Mini drivers will pick one up for the novelty, but I am not sure if many American families would want one of these.

Speeding with Kumho Tires and exotic cars? Not always needed to make the news.

Last year, Montgomery County in Maryland installed radar cameras. These cameras are set up on busy thoroughfares and take radar on passing cars. If anyone is going more than 10 MPH over the speed limit, his or her license plate is captured and he or she gets a $40 ticket in the mail.

In the last eight months of 2007, 224 tickets were issued to Montgomery County police officers! After reviewing records, 76 of the tickets were excused for police offers speeding justly in the line of duty, but the remaining 148 were not excused.

Well, of course, the police officer’s union thinks these should be squashed. But the Montgomery County Police Chief, Thomas Manger, disagrees and thinks that officers should be forced to comply with the law like everyone else.

This all leads to a great standoff, and one that is worth watching! But it raises a bigger question, is the use of radar cameras a fair use of technology by government?