It's Time For the Tide to Turn on Automaker Junkets

Ripples on a pond. Waves on the ocean. On the surface, they’re innocuous. But make enough waves and you know’ll you’re either doing the right or wrong thing, taking the right or wrong action, getting the right or wrong result.

In this particular case, the waves were building in the form of private messages and an email from a public relations representative from an OEM. It read:

From:
To:
Subject: Seriously?

Honda…

That was it.

Even with only two words, the email was a no-brainer. The flack was talking about the Honda Odyssey launch.

Just weeks before that email, some members of TTAC had an at-length discussion on our participation in the event as TTAC’s invite to the program sat unanswered in my inbox.

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In Defense Of: The Press Junket

You know, it’s getting goddamned hard for a chap to enjoy a decent corporate-sponsored nosebag from time to time what with the ever-imminent prospect of Jack “Banquo” Baruth popping out from behind a silver soup tureen and shouting “J’accuse!” like some sort of admonitory, jort-clad Visigoth. At least, such I was thinking to myself as I lined the walls of my pericardium with the rich yellow fat best produced by overly-sauced food and moderately crappy wines.

This was in the latter stages of a lunch – sorry – launch I was attending in, admittedly, a very unprofessional capacity. I’m still not entirely sure how I ended up here, but I’m one of those people who can’t say no when offered work; here though there would be no byline, and theoretically therefore, no conflict of interest.

Still, I was keeping one eye open, metaphorically-speaking, for our own favourite Sword of Damocles, as – pardon me good sir, but I believe your trotter is in my trough!

Lifer Automotive Journalist the Size of a Small Moon: “Oh, do beg pardon. Snarfle-snarfle-glub.”

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  • MrIcky I'm not bashing iphone, I'm pretty cell phone agnostic but the iphone 15 has had a really rocky start, particularly the titanium back plate model (the aluminum is much better apparently). The titanium back plate model has a number of reports about getting extraordinarily hot with wireless charging and has caused issues beyond just in a BMW. It's also been fracturing under fairly low bending pressure. Apparently the aluminum case model is sturdy enough just like the i14, but the high zoot titanium model has a super thin titanium plate for the rear and sides and it isn't close to as rigid because it's so thin. They think the thinness and titaniums properties are part of the heat issues. Maybe hired some Ford materials engineers? Haaay-yooooo
  • RealTalk Keep up the good fight. I’d wager that none of the corporate bootlicker commenters here have ever worked in automotive manufacturing. As such, their understanding of the conflict is tainted and their opinions are wildly out of touch.
  • EBFlex Absolutely useless truck. Ford trying to make this pile of garbage seem more appealing because they can't sell them.Funny that they announce this a day or two after they cancel dealer stock orders due to quality issues. This company is a ship without a rudder
  • RealTalk Time for the Regressive automotive enthusiasts to move the goal posts again.
  • Dukeisduke Meanwhile, the Automotive Alliance for Innovation, that represents the Big 3, blasted NHTSA's CAFE proposal, stating it "exceeds maximum feasibility", and will cost the automakers $14b in fines between 2027 and 2032.NHTSA's reaction: Lol, just build more EVs, you silly gooses.What happens if consumers revolt, won't buy EVs, and hold on to their old cars instead?