JL Counterpoint: Edmunds GT-R Blog is Righteous Hoonage

Jonny Lieberman
by Jonny Lieberman

I've got more reason to hate Edmunds than anyone at TTAC. After all, they recruited me away from both here, Jalopnik and a good day job, then 4.5 days later fired me for having an unpaid speeding ticket (55 mph in a 35 mph) and saying dirty words on my old movie review site. A month later, I was contacted by an Edmunds recruiter and asked if I was still in the job market, as they were hiring for an Associate Editor. The very same position I was canned from. Talk about piling it on. Another Edmunds employee (that I stayed friendly with) said one of the rumors floating around the office was that I was fired for a DUI. Which is not only totally false, but in this business a death sentence. So, I don't like them very much. However, there ain't nothing wrong with taking a Nissan GT-R out and seeing what it can do. First of all, high speed hijinks are why people read about cars. It's the vicarious experience, stupid. Seriously– I owe the IRS $3,000 because of all the money I make writing about cars and I can't even get into a GT-R, let alone run one (nearly) flat out. Second, since our dear leader admitted to traveling faster than 170 mph in a $400k Porsche. Is RF admitting that video is more relevant than text? Thirdly, since when is speed dangerous? Especially in the hands of an experienced driver, such as Ed Hellwig? As Clarkson said after showing the video of Hammond's 300+ mph crash, "And remember, speed kills."

Jonny Lieberman
Jonny Lieberman

Cleanup driver for Team Black Metal V8olvo.

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  • Nuclearay Nuclearay on Mar 28, 2008

    "Or is that unfazeder?" Most unfazzz...-dest. I was a passenger in Lexus doing a 100mph... I felt like the Grand Mufti on his stack of pillows. It certainly didn't feel like hoonage.

  • Creamy Creamy on Mar 28, 2008
    "I can only counter with the fact that more people are killed by sting rays than by people making the transcontinental record run." that's an argument for the transcon run how exactly? more people die by lightning strikes and more people die by drowning in pools, too. so what? the difference is, when you are playing golf in a storm or running beside a pool - you know the dangers and bring the potential of death upon yourself. with the transcon run, speeds well in excess of 100 mph and lack of sleep bring the risk of death to others as well as yourself. that's what makes him a glory-grabbing putz while edmunds is just stupid for the way they handled your firing and potential rehiring but not for their burst of speed (assuming an open, clear desert highway).
  • Dinu Dinu on Mar 28, 2008

    Already posted this in the original blog entry on the topic, but this is perhaps the better place. Sorry about the double entry! ------------------------------------- 170mph? Yes, reckless. 100? Not at all. Heck, traffic rolls at 140km/h in rush hour in Toronto and it’s safe, because we’re going against traffic and there are few cars on the road. Same road at 3PM when it becomes the direction of traffic… sheer madness! So you see, speed limits depend on more than just roadway conditions, but also traffic density (low) and lane discipline (very good when there’s little/no traffic). When laws begin to reflect these other factors, they will be obeyed. Of course, now with the 50km/h over the limit law where they impound your car and fine you thousands, I’ve never been past 145 km/h. Likewise, if speeding REALLY killed as the OPP claims, they would do the same for going anything over 5km/h above the limit (to compensate for differences in speed reading devices - speedometers on vehicles and radar detectors used by the police). But it isn’t, and everyone knows it. Rant over.

  • Huy Huy on Mar 28, 2008

    I think that criticism was fueled by jealousy and hate. Whatever happened to objectivity?! "Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone." I think if they posted how they were driving on the Autobahn and doing 200mph, no one would object... yet here in America, on some of THE MOST deserted freeways, if someone did that it would be wreckless and dangerous? I've been on freeways/ highways where everyone did well over 100mph and its easy to see why... empty wide stretches of straight nicely paved road. Bravo, Jonny, for maintaining your objectivity...

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