Click the link: http://www.freelancestar.com/News/FL...152003/1005650


This guy doesn't have a unique bone in his body....He probably drives a white Toyota Corolla that he bought used from Hertz rent-a-car.

And I sold my PT Cruiser for a MINI.... I really have not taste..

 

Can an automotive writer be LESS informed (or qualified?) than this guy??!?!? Sheesh!
_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

Feel free to write or fax him. The address and fax number are at the bottom..

 

You DO realize that by posting this link you've given Free Lance-Star writer Donnie Johnston more readership than he's probably ever had...

 

That's cos he prefers a horse!

Click ME!

 

Actually He admits he drives a truck in this article.

Click ME!



PS he also complains about the price of gas in the same article, you'd think he'd appriciate a small car! DumbA**.

 

I agree that there are some exceedingly ugly cars on the road, like <yourSUVhere>, all Subarus, and too many sedans to list.

In many cases size is an integral part of the appearance. For example: The old Mini is an ugly little car that is widely perceived as cute because it is so small. If you don't agree, imagine an old Mini scaled up to the size of a Mustang. That would be one hideous automotive tragedy. It's diminutive size makes it endearing.

 

Despite this "horse's ***" not listing his email address, one can only presume its djohnston@freelancestar.com if you are also feeling inclined to inundate his inbox with hate mail...

_________________
03 IB/W MCS
Alta pulley and intake, Whalen Shift Machine, B&M SS this Saturday. Next mod? Need some new shoes...

 

I feel relived that this guy only called one of my cars ugly. Besides the Mini we have a Honda Element in the family as well as a 91 Range Rover. Opinions are like A holes everybodys got one.

 

[quote] And I sold my PT Cruiser for a MINI....

 

>>This guy doesn't have a unique bone in his body.....
>>

I work in a design studio and there are certain people of questionable taste that we use as a test of our design concepts. If these people like our design, we consider it a failure. If they hate our design, it's probably a sucess. We have found that if a design doesn't offend x% of people, then it's probably too bland for anyone to really love it. Basically, indiference is the worst response that you can get.

Back in college when I was looking at and lusting after an RX-7, I overheard an old lady walk by and say "That's the ugliest car I've ever seen." She no doubt would not have been offended by a Toyota Echo. :smile:

DesignIt

 

>>I feel relived that this guy only called one of my cars ugly. Besides the Mini we have a Honda Element in the family as well as a 91 Range Rover. Opinions are like A holes everybodys got one.

In your case he definitely picked the wrong one. The Element, which is a very cool and useful vehicle, is a monument to automotive homeliness. A RR of that year is even uglier than all other SUVs, which are, by definition, ugly.

We have an F-150. It's a great truck, but, being a truck, it's ugly.

 

dang, no mention of my other ugly car, the wrx with bug eyes. I am
dissappointed! at the end, you just gotta laugh.

 

Many of our modern cars were designed using "focus groups". These people were interviewd to determine what they found attractive in automotive design. The result is that we have cars that do not offend anyone, yet no one finds them particularly attractive. This has resulted in the rather balnd styling the we see in the many mainstream cars from Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, etc. It is hard to find any one design element on the car that you don't like, but also hard to find anything that really "speaks to you" either. This has lead to a emergence of the "retro-styled" automobile, such as the PT Cruisers, VW Bugs, Ford Thunderbird, Chevy SSR, and our MINI. These are simply cars whose designs were not influenced by committees and focus groups. You know what they say about committees - "a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee!" Everyone will not like the design of the MINI, but that is OK, to those of us that appreciate it, it is a work of beauty and individuality. If you want a bland car that no one can object to, there are plenty to choose from. As for me, I prefer a car with a soul!

 

Out of my three cars, Mini, Element and Range Rover, I would put the Mini at the top as the most styled. The hood is really an artwork. The Range Rover is actually devoid of all styling. It is best said that it is British. The Element is as is said above functional, great for hauling stuff and doing things it is the style equivalent of a nice pair of plaid pants. It is at least not boring as are most Hondas.

 

He´s just expressing his subjective, unknoledgeable opinion. What can you expect from a guy that probably doesn´t even know where Europe is

I bet he thinks a Chevy El Camino is the best looking car, followed by his F-150

 

>>Can an automotive writer be LESS informed (or qualified?) than this guy??!?!? Sheesh!
>>_________________
>>'03 IB/W Cooper

I think we just have to consider the source. It states that he covers Culpeper area for the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. It's not like he's a actual writer with any expertise beyond the Culpeper area.

 

oh, c'mon! just look at the source:

"a guy named Red, an old retired mechanic friend of mine in Big Stone Gap, used to haul his hound dogs up and down the holler with."

Yep, he got taste...

 

Ahhh Some one of us Mini Maniacs probably toasted by ol Donnie Johnson on the highway and he is holding a grudge…

This is the first negative news article iv'e read on the mini..

Davo

 

that was no NEWS article...

must be a great job running off at the typewriter...but me thinks Davo is right: somebody blew by him when he was trying to contain the MINI!

 

Now I in no way condone doing this, it's just a thought i got from some site:

"You know those stacks of printing paper, where the pages
are all connected together? Glue the bottom
sheet to the top sheet, and run it through a fax machine.
It'll use up all the victim's paper!
Better to mark each sheet, so the victim's paper gets ruined.
Faxing black construction paper will use up all the ink,
and make the thing overheat. Enjoy."

In addition, i'd find a cool single color rendition of an MC or MCS and blow it up to fill each page.

Oh, don't forget to *67.

 

Let's see- prefers a horse, has friends who consider hunting and gathering to be a viable lifestyle, is at odds w/ just about any biped w/ an actual brain, and is proud of disliking 3 of the most popular body styles on the road today. If this guy were a film critic, the only 5 Star films on his list would have something to do w/ Ernest saving something important, w/ his reviews being called in from the local drive-in movie thee-a-ter.

 

>>I agree that there are some exceedingly ugly cars on the road, like <yourSUVhere>, all Subarus, and too many sedans to list.
>>
>>In many cases size is an integral part of the appearance. For example: The old Mini is an ugly little car that is widely perceived as cute because it is so small. If you don't agree, imagine an old Mini scaled up to the size of a Mustang. That would be one hideous automotive tragedy. It's diminutive size makes it endearing.
____________________

You have a point there. In this case it's a matter of scale.

 

I just can't believe they put the Mini in the same category as the PT Cruiser. BAH!

 

>>Now I in no way condone doing this, it's just a thought i got from some site:
>>
>>"You know those stacks of printing paper, where the pages
>>are all connected together? Glue the bottom
>>sheet to the top sheet, and run it through a fax machine.
>>It'll use up all the victim's paper!
>>Better to mark each sheet, so the victim's paper gets ruined.
>>Faxing black construction paper will use up all the ink,
>>and make the thing overheat. Enjoy."
>>
>>In addition, i'd find a cool single color rendition of an MC or MCS and blow it up to fill each page.
>>
>>Oh, don't forget to *67.

Nah, its not worth it. Why lower ourselves to Donnie's level of class. I mean the guy covers the Culpeper area for the Free Lance-Star, and his formal first name appears to be 'Donnie.' I think he's already in his own personal version of hell. We don't need to do a thing.
>>