Yeah, you see that post down there? The one that’s right below this one? Umm, ignore that, because here’s a podcast! Well, it’s not a full-blown podcast, no matter how much I’d love to make fun of Volvo’s plan to design cars made out of bubble wrap, Styrofoam packing material and down pillows, GM’s Q1 profits dropping $3.25 billion from last year and applaud Volkswagen for preparing an entry for the Baja 1000, I just don’t have the time. So instead, here’s a brief selection of my favorite news items over the last week. Think of it as a Greatest Hits album, except it’s all brand new. However, this will probably be the last podcast until the week after next, unless my physics professor changes his mind in regards to the importance of homework. So until then, I thank all of you who are still bothering to listen in to my voice talk nonsense about cars, despite my greatest efforts to chase all of you away though poor scheduling. I’m still having the time of my life doing these, and I hope you’re all enjoying listening even one-tenth as much as I’m having making them. Anyway, until next time, Share and Enjoy™.

 

 SSL Radio 5/09/08 [8:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Right now, it is 12:23 AM on a very early Thursday morning. I have spent the last few hours staring at a barely quarter-done podcast script, trying to hammer my mind into the shape required to make something that even approaches what I’d consider an acceptable level of quality, and you know what? It’s just not coming. The sheer mental effort required to cram information about the molecular processes behind intercellular communication and the other things I have to be able to regurgitate in a week’s time has completely sucked up all my time and energy. I could try to slap something together, but it wouldn’t be something that you’d want to listen to, nor would it be what I want to put out. So instead of blowing a big hole in both my college grades and the quality of the podcast, I’m taking this last week and this upcoming weekend off. Speed:Sport:Life Radio will be returning in less than two weeks, not necessarily rested, but certainly ready to deliver the high quality mediocrity that you’ve come to expect from us here at Speed:Sport:Life. If there’s anything that’s particularly groundbreaking that happens between now and the end of the semester, I will make a post about it here, but I highly doubt that something like that will happen. So, failing something completely unexpected, I’ll talk to you again in a week and a half.

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It’s not our normal practice to publish “teaser” stories, but given the importance of this particular car to our reader base here at Speed:Sport:Life, I’m going to break tradition a bit to let you know that we’ve just returned from the 2009 Audi A4 press preview at Infineon Raceway in sunny Sonoma, CA.

Upon our return from the 24 Hours of LeMons this weekend at Altamont, we’ll have a complete and detailed drive report on the A4 early next week, including some amusing Tommy Kendall-style in-car, on-track video footage and an exclusive “walkaround” interview with Carter Balkcom, Audi’s product manager.

In the meantime, we can set the record straight on one important point. If you’ve been worried that Audi would “ruin” the new A4 - that this all-new, considerably larger car has deviated away from the pattern that has made the A4 the most successful car in Audi’s history - there’s no need to worry. This one’s a solid winner from stem to stern and we feel confident that it will be the clear market leader in its segment. Our time on the road and around the track revealed a sedan which is superbly satisfying in every regard, packing 95% of the comfort and space found in the A6 in a dynamic package which is far faster around a road course than its predecessor. For the rest of the story - including the “secret” combination of “Driver Select” settings which unlocks the possibility for maximum racetrack hoonage - come back Tuesday morning and read our full-length, full-detail article. See you there!

Our dedication to our listeners knows no bounds here at Saucer Shaped Ligands Radio, and it’s with that in mind that we present to you the latest edition of our patent-pending automotive news adequacy. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t entirely in my right mind when I recorded this. After shotgunning a Mountain Dew or two though, I regained my sanity enough to edit out the twenty minutes of circular rantings about how the stack of papers and soda cans on my desk was slowly rearranging itself into a gestalt of wood pulp and rolled aluminum in order to exact its bloody revenge on me and my family. So if the sound levels in the podcast are a little uneven, you now know why. Share and Enjoy™.

 

 SSL Radio 4/30/08 [7:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download