Jalopnik's Right This Time

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

We love to trade barbs with Matt and the rest of the crew at Jalopnik, but sometimes they’re just plain right about things, and this is one of those times.



Two BMW M3s were crashed at a recent press event, and Patrick George wants to know who’s responsible. He and Matt are catching a lot of heat for investigating the crashes; the phrase “witch hunt” is being tossed around and it’s being suggested that he is doing the industry a disservice.

I’d suggest that the job of an automotive journalist is not to do the industry a service. It’s to do the reader a service. This is forgotten many more times in this business than it is remembered. Should two crashes be swept under the rug? What if these cars are crashing under situations that average buyers might accidentally duplicate? What if these cars are crashing because they are being incompetently driven by people whose opinion is being taken as fact by potential buyers?

Here at TTAC we’ll join in the call for the two journalists to volunteer their identities and explain how the crashes occurred. It’s real-life data that potential buyers could actually use, as opposed to puff-piece garbage about the new carbon-fiber roof or improved MP3 compatibility. Why shouldn’t they come forward? When I crashed my Lincoln in January, we showed pictures and told the story. It didn’t make my crash any worse, or my injuries any more painful — but it might make someone think twice about waiting for their snow tires to be installed. The same is true here. Unless these two cars were crashed under perfect-storm magic unicorn conditions that could never happen again, the buying public should hear about how it happened.

Unless, that is, we want to accept the idea that we only print “approved” news in this business. And that’s not true, is it?

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

More by Jack Baruth

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 98 comments
  • JD23 JD23 on Jun 15, 2014

    What about the hand-stitched semi-aniline leather seats with adjustable side bolsters that kept you firmly ensconced in teutonic splendor as you rounded "Champion's Turn" at nearly 100 mph?

  • CB1000R CB1000R on Jun 16, 2014

    Reminds me of when the great moto journalist Kevin Ash was killed in South Africa at the BMW R1300GS launch. I can't remember exactly, but it was believed to be solely pilot error.

  • Dukeisduke Is the Volvo EX30 even on sale yet? It was pulled from the NACTOY awards because they were having software problems with the vehicle.
  • Wjtinfwb If you've only got 5k to spend on transportation, I cannot imagine a worse way to spend it than on a GM orphan from Sweden that's 15 years old with 150k on the clock and limited plus expensive parts availability and dwindling techs who'd even want to work on it. Go find a similar vintage Camry or Accord with 150k miles or even a Ford or a Chevy, whatever. Hell, even an old Jaguar is less of a crapshoot than a Saab. At least you can still get parts.
  • Kwik_Shift Brands that were considered from China include BYD, Dayun, Great Wall Motors, Maxus, Nio, Omoda/Chery, Seres, XPeng, and Zeekr. KG Mobility from South Korea also made the list of candidates.That's a lot of car companies from there ready to head here.
  • Analoggrotto Clean sweep and unanimous victory for the world affluence engine of 22nd century : Hyundai/Kia/Genesis. Toyota and Lexus, for 120 years of history have not been able to capture the zenith superlative status of Hyundai Motor Corporation the most awarded, decorated and revered automotive corporation in the history of historical. Featuring best ever, first ever and greatest ever e-ATPs the Hyundai Genesis Kia lineup is posed to become the envy of every country club, ivy league college and fortune 500 corporation in the world. I've been taking a roadtrip in my loaner Elantra N, visiting colleges from east to west, elite universities of higher learning to inspect their parking lots. WHat did I find? Leagues of Genesis models, outnumbering Lexus 3 to 1. When I interviewed faculty and staff at these places of greater learning, their response was unanimous : they chose HMC for the ATPs.
  • Mikey 2019 Chevy Impala Premier FWD with 20 inch factory Bridgestones. I'm looking at replacing tires at the 65,000 KLM's (40,000 miles ) mark ....It doesn't thrill me .. I'm pricing Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires ouch !! ..Up here in Canuckastan ....Big $$$$$
Next