Tim Blair

Woo hoo! I owned a supercar!

A 1975 Chevy Nova. Did 127 (mph) in it back in 1982 on a deserted strech of highway. Great to see that Europe is catching up with us. I'll have to keep an eye out for them in the rear-view mirror . . .

Wyoming is on the Central Coast? Is Margo moonlighting as a sub (normal) at the Tele these days? If it happened at Wyong, I could understand an E33 full of bogans going into a tree- it's the only viable form of birth control in the area. Wyoming, it should have been a pickup jacklighting varmints.
What's the Tele going to think when the Honda NSX comes up on the low-volume list next year?
(BTW- I've got a '69 Mercury Cougar 429 leaving Savannah Ga in a week's time- Santa's coming early this year).

I wondered about that too. As sickening as the crash is, reading the hypocrisy in the print is awful. "He was a good honest responsible bloke and will be missed" just doesn't jibe with "He was travelling over 160kmh with 2 passengers in a car he stole from his father when he crashed & killed everyone". Sorry relatives, that does not bear out "responsible", "honest" or "good".

And then victim's groups want to remove telephone poles from the side of the road and have powerlines underground. Way to completely miss the point.

b. (351 Ford owner, but someone who IS responsible and alive)

Padgham pleaded guilty to using the internet to procure a girl under 16 for sex, carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 and two counts of indecent dealing.

I blame the internet, high speed connections, chat rooms, color monitors, Bill Gates and Intel. All must be heavily regulated and taxed into oblivion in order to save the children.

I hit 200 km/h for a few minutes on the A1 Autobahn near Koeln, but soon slowed down to a nice, sedate 160. Too much like hard work, *not* a relaxing drive in an Opel Kadet.

Here I drive a 16 year old Daihatsu Charade ( with, count em, 3 cylinders! and 993 cc! ). It will do well over 200 km/h. (If dropped out of the back of a C-130 at 5,000 metres, anyway).

Actually, on long trips I have to be careful I don't exceed 110 on even a slight downhill slope, it's easy to go from just-barely-105 at the crest to 120-and-rising-rapidly two seconds later.

As for the victims of the crash - call it Evolution in Action. Sorry, but irresponsibility and stupidity is sometimes a Capital Crime. Unfair, Unjust, but there it is. The parents have been punished enough by losing their kids - or rather, carelessly throwing them away.

The wallopers are useless. I got hit head on at the Meccano set of lights cnr Hume and Woodville @ Villawood while turning right with green arrow. Car took 2 months to fix and the idiot who came thru the red reveresed into a driveway, got out of the car (80s Ford falcon) and decamped in a westerly direction.

The Fairfield coppers still haven't got back to me on the owner, registered in Goulburn.

Speed kills my arse! Dickhead drivers kill!

Today a Copper got creamed while conducting a
U-turn on a country road. Obviously he didn't check his mirrors before attempting this manouver (no doubt to catch a speading driver going in the opposite direction) and was subsequently cleaned up by the Toyota 4WD following him. 1 Cop KIA, 1 Cop in serious condition

What was the message the Police Minister had for the great unwashed? Don't speed! and more demerit points for Modile Phone users. Mmmmmm

That was brilliant Tim.

Maybe certain subs need some re-education about discerning the true bloody news angle in stories like this.

"Padgham pleaded guilty to using the internet to procure a girl under 16 for sex, carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 and two counts of indecent dealing."

I blame the internet, high speed connections, chat rooms, color monitors, Bill Gates and Intel. All must be heavily regulated and taxed into oblivion in order to save the children.

i blame al gore

The Daily Telegraph is running a campaign against the menace of young drivers in "200km/h supercars". It isn't a very rigourous campaign, as may be judged by the fact that the Telegraph thinks a supercar is something that can reach a mere 200km/h (125mph).

I take it you believe there is a time and place (apart from on race tracks) for cars that can do 200km/h? (Allbeit not in the hands of P-platers in 50km/h zones)

Andjam,

Yes, I do. Big fat freeways and quiet backroads are safe places to explore such speeds, under certain conditions. We should go for a drive some time.

You Aussies are nuts. Here in the US, if all a "supercar" could do was a measly 125 mph, you'd be laughed off the street as a l4m3r. I think my Camry can do that.

And here I thought Australia was full of wide open spaces. There's a time and place for everything, of course, and finding the limits of a car is not appropriate when there are others in the car, especially underage impregnated young ladies. I won't even comment on the boyfriend's Motley Crue headliner; sounds classy, though.

Like Tim, I am simply aghast that the focus of this story is not about the girl getting knocked up.

Spray job? Hood scoop? Rear wing? Motley Crue mural? 15 y.o. pregnant by 33 y.o.? This is Transluscent Albino White Trash. Sorry, but Australian society improved by a few percentage points with this crash.

Ditto with (most) everyone above - the fact that someone's doing 200 km/h on a suburban street is a testament to the victory of idiocy and testosterone over common sense. It's not a reason for yet more legislation.

As for the families... well, I feel sorry for them, but they obviously have very warped ideas of responsible behaviour.

I gather the Oz Daily Telegraph is your Daily Mirror? In the UK the DM seems to think that the government can solve every problem and there is no such thing as personal responsability.

BTW: Wonder if this arsehat had a copy of Motley's Music to Crash you Car to Vol 1 or 2?

The world is a South Park episode.

This is tragic for the unborn child, and (I believe) for the 15 year old girl. And it is a completely inappropriate news angle -- this Telegraph sounds like low quality asswipe.

But the other two guys in the car sound like candidates for the Darwin Awards.

Well, the Tele is better than the Sydney Morning Herald - though that's not saying much.

But the Tele never claimed to be a serious newspaper, so these histrionics are pretty much to be expected.

Last I read it, the Murdoch-owned Sydney Daily Telegraph was more like The Sun. The Daily Mirror it ain't.

It's now just a matter of time before the personal responsibility challenged begin to blame the automakers for the mayhem and destruction caused by drunk drivers who drive vehicles that cannot compensate for their impaired condition!

You don't blame the dead baby-raping yobbo Labor-voting dole-prole driver because he has no money or estate to sue. Auto manufacturers, tho, have lots of money...

My first car was a Morris major elite. Does that qualify as a supercar?

Having had my SCCA license, once qualified to drive Formula Ford 2000's and currently thinking about acquiring a repro Shelby Cobra [550 h.p.] I'm no whining sister.

But..I have noticed that the Ad's for the sportier cars that younger kids obviously desire do tend to accentuate driving behaviors that will get them in trouble. Don't count on Kids at beginning driver age to get in a hot car and think, "gee am I driving responsibly".

There is now an electric supercar. See http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2004/11/eliica_the_elec.html

Perhaps the real (and hidden) objection to a supercar is global warming, but as you see an internal combustion engine is not needed.

Wallace:

My dad theorized that teenagers got in less trouble in cars they were embarassed to drive. When impressing anyone is impossible, then sullen safety probably follows. His favorite car to stick me with was the yard truck from his company. Nothing hotter on Saturday night than a white 1970 Ford pickup with an attractive "Nevada Tractor & Equipment" logo on the side.

15 years later, I think he was probably right. Didn't appreciate it much at the time.

I thought only Gerry Anderson made Supercar...

Blackfive has had a GREAT idea: Pat Tillman for Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Not only does he deserve it, it would stick a big dirty finger right in Ted Rall's eye! Go for it!

He recently spray-painted it fire engine red and asked Mr Deas to help him purchase a boot wing. Its customised interior had a canvas mural of Motley Crue stitched on to the inside of car's roof.

This individual was prevented from reproducing.

A good thing overall, IMO.

ps: 120MPH = supercar? ROFLMAO!

Thank god!

The scary part: They have a newsletter.

John Edwards, isn't that a line from Bloom County?

"I blame Nikolta Camera Corp. As the manufacturer, they were criminally negligent in not placing a warning label reading Serious bodily injury could result from photographing rampaging Hollywood hotheads"

Words to that effect.

Mojo,
Is the newsletter absorbent?

Matt in Denver

My Dad was the same way. At 16, I wanted a 1966 Mustang desperately, but he was convinced I'd kill myself in it, so I ended up with one of these. It didn't have much grunt, but I had a great time throwing it around on the mountain roads where I grew up. I got the Mustang a few years later; my Dad later restored it and it's now my sister's pride and joy -- and jealously guarded (meaning: I don't get to drive it).

Apparently the girls parents are receiving hate mail.

An enormous amount of moralising from all.

Sometimes sad things happen. Young men speed. People sleep with peole they shouldn't.

The newspapers are so predictable in looking for someone to blame. Most of you guys posting are doing the same thing. Some of you have continually confused the middle aged teen fucker with the driver. This allows you a double dose of moralising.

Posts like these are why the girl's parents are getting hate mail.

Let it go.

And you just couldn't resist jumping in and doing a little moralising too, right Simon?
Thanks, I for one will sleep better tonight!

And now you're moralising about my moralising, right rinardman ?
It's kind of a circular argument you're making.

Actually, I thought I was trying to point out your circular argument.
Guess I didn't do a very good job :)

And now you're moralising about my moralising, right rinardman ?
It's kind of a circular argument you're making.

Actually no. You're the one who's complained about moralizing. Rinardman only seems to be pointing out your hypocrisy.

"P" plates are not used everywhere in Australia, while people from "P" areas may not immediately notice their abscence, those who grow to adulthood without ever imagining such things exist, well, we find it quite a shock to venture south & see otherwise tough looking young bucks driving around with a great big incongruous "P" on their car! (P stands for...provisional, - we know now - but when first seeing it, Poofter, Pansy, Prick, Plonker?)

Note also that the young "lady" had quit smoking and drinking because of the impending birth. Let's see now - smoking, drinking, and dating men in their 30's while in junior high. Yep, that's responsible parenting, all right. Mr. and Mrs. Schyf are freaking idiots. Perhaps the Darwin comments apply to their lineage also.

And yes, that's moralizing. The only ones who should have a problem with that are the ones who aren't sure of their own morals. Deal with it.

Most of us don't give a rats arse about who fucks who, and believe fast cars should be able to be driven fast in the appropriate circumstances- what gets on our tits is a pack of web-toed banjo pickers (carrying on as web-toed banjo pickers do) and dying in a fiery crash being used as a barrow to tell us driving fast cars is naughty, and needs banning. The conveniently ignoring of offences by the participants is particularly galling, as is the future issue of another welfare dependant being portrayed as courageous.
The parents don't deserve hate mail, but tied tubes and a vasectomy wouldn't hurt none.

I note that the Sunday Telegraph also mixed up Laura Bush and Lauren Bush.

Tsk, tsk.

I'm with Dave S on this one. The gene pool is enhanced and no innocent bystanders involved.

With this background, what would the kid have grown up to be? What would be his/her contribution to society?

Tim, I don't want to be alarmist, but does it worry you that you and Miranda appear to be on the same side of the argument on this one?

Richard, that's columnist Miranda Devine, not blogtroll Miranda Divide.

Richard, Miranda Devine is an actual real person, not the troll "Miranda Divide" that occasionally pops in here.

Well hey, you type faster than I do, PW.

It's not the fast cars that kill, it's the sudden stops.

does it worry you that you and Miranda appear to be on the same side of the argument on this one?

I gather Tim's a friend of the Devines, considering he attended Miranda's christmas party last year.

Miranda Divide, on the other hand, is a pseudonym for either

a) some hack at Crikey.com.au
b) A disgruntled member of the Arts community
C) Possibly both of the above

So much wrong packed into one column. What's wrong with these people?

As an aside, both the Toyota Corolla XRS and Honda Civic Type-S have a top speed of 130 mph. (The enviro-weenie Civic hybrid manages only 107 mph.) It seems practically everything these days is a "supercar".

What the hell is "indecent dealing"? Sounds low and smutty.

Regarding 'indecent dealing'. Two years prior to this the 33 year bloke was in a deep depression after the death of his 12 yo daughter. Then he met the 15 yo, who was then only 13 ! I'm not kidding you...

200 km/h supercars? Pah! I'll take a 400 km/h supercar over those any day!

http://www.koenigsegg.com/thecars/index.asp?submenu=3

Regarding 'indecent dealing'. Two years prior to this the 33 year bloke was in a deep depression after the death of his 12 yo daughter. Then he met the 15 yo, who was then only 13 ! I'm not kidding you...

Quentin George — Ah. Thankee.

Let's not forget the original supercar, with Mike Mercury & Mitch the Chimp:

Supercar, Supercar
With beauty and grace as swift as can be
watch it flying through the air
It travels in space, or under the sea
and it can journey anywhere

Supercar, Supercar
It travels on land or roams the skies
through heavens stormy rage
It's Mercury-manned and everyone cries
"it's the marvel of the age!"

Supercar, Supercar, Supercar!

Or am I the only own who still remembers this?

How could you forget any of Gerry Anderson's gems?

ras, habib — Where you guys been? I started that riff yesterday...

On a slightly different note, it's interesting that unlike Tim, the Daily Telegraph doesn't count a seven-month, presumably viable feotus as a person.

I got to drive an R34 Skyline GTR last year. truly a mind blowing experience. I recommend it to everyone. It's a crying shame their not sold in the USA. Americans get screwed again.

Any car that gets a commonly accepted nickname of "Godzilla" is okay in my book.

A motoring TV also reviewed a newer model once, one where the central TV screen in the dash would give info like current g-forces etc. They described the car as "a playstation with a car attached"

While I agree that the Tele is a. sensationalist and b. not well researched (regarding statistics) and c. that this particular accident looked certain to happen (their lives looked like accidents anyway)there is merit to focusing on the issue of road death by young drivers.

The car may be fast but is it safe? To say that I or you drove one and didn't die doesn't make it safe. What is the appropriate age to access and drive one? Then there is the other issue of the rights and responsibilities of passengers.

In our culture it appears to me that the passenger is expected to "cop it sweet" even if the driver indulges in appalling behaviour. Maybe we need a passenger's rights movement.

Speaking of Gerry Anderson's supercars this is the finest

Alan E. Brain
Nah, I drove a Daihatsu 5 door hatchback from new in 1982 until 1997, when my ex traded it in. A friend called it a "Facade" (Charade). I called it 998 cubic centimetres of screaming power.
I traded my ex in too, in 1999.

Kae, 998cc of screaming power it may have been - trust me the 1300 ain't much better.

On the other hand if that irresponsible ex-dill took my car for a joyride... they would probably still be driving... and alive.

I think the only road on the Central Coast that could cope with such a combination of car & speed is the F3. Darwin 1, knuckle-draggers 0.

My motorcycle has a bigger engine.

The Chicago Tribune recently ran a series about the new “super motorcycles” - almost the same article as the Tele’s about “super cars”. Too powerful, too many accidents, too many deaths, etc.

Of course the accident they chose to highlight how “dangerous” the “superbikes” were involved a 35 year-old idiot weaving his bike at approximately 120 mph through rush hour traffic on one of the area’s highways (I think the Dan Ryan). The moron wiped out and flattened himself into a retaining wall - Of course, its all the motorcycle’s fault.

CPatterson, back in the 70's Joan Claybrook, who ran DOT for President Goober, was on a campaign to either ban motorcycles or make them safer. Among the things the DOT actually developed were:

A motorcycle with a roll cage (otherwise known as a naked 77 Civic).

A seatbelt/harness system (also known as, "Yes, please strap me to the outside of 500 lbs of hot tumbling metal...")

An airbag in the steering post for front impacts (also known as an ejection seat).

and a motorcycle that tried to steer by turning the rear drive wheel (also know as what the HELL was that daft cow thinking?!).

Needless to say, results of these and other experiments were, um, mixed.

Claybrook is still with us, she is some kind of public "advocate" who turns up from time to time for soundbites...

It was sad that it was not pointed out that the 33 bloke had committed statutory rape on the 15 year-old girl and that he was still walking around free. Here in the states he would have been in jail for a long time--but that's our “Christian values” for you.

As for Simon: "An enormous amount of moralizing from all. Sometimes sad things happen. Young men speed. People sleep with people they shouldn't."

What an idiot and an apologist. Sure, shit happens but then civil society has laws, too. Those ARE the codes of moral and ethical behavior set out by society. Simon and that other idiot reporter, Luke McIlveen, editorializing about “committing to one of life’s biggest challenges at such a young age…" obvious neither know, respect or disdain the LAW. What an obscenity. Opps, more “Christian values” showing through...

And finally looking down the barrel of a 12 gauge shotgun the words,
"Keep you damn hands off my daughter!"
take on a whole new meaning. That's what's called here in some parts as "old fashion" honor.

Carl Scully is Minister for Roads.
NSW has seperate ministers for roads, and rail (costa I think) etc.

To "mcj is SC"-

there's no point in playing a "Deliverance' rerun, and there's no point in moralizing any more and no need for a shotgun, the parents were happy with the situation and the guy's not going to jail because

THEIR DEAD

Let it go - move on with your life

"THEIR DEAD" what, Simon? You left the sentence unfinished-- Oh, you meant they are dead. Well, dear, the proper spelling of the contraction of "they are" is "they're." And if you are wondering why I am nitpickingly criticising you, it is because 1) you obviously have not received enough criticism in your life, and are therefore unused to it, and I want to help you get used to this unavoidable aspect of the adult world, and 2) you seem not to understand other things such as the need for limits and boundaries on human behavior. By the way, simply dying does not make a person a saint, or render their behavior while alive beyond criticism. I am sure that you have no trouble condemning and holding up as examples of bad behavior the actions of those who have since died who you didn't like. Or when the subject arises among your modern, culturally-diverse friends how bad that, say, early Australian colonists were to the aboriginies do you tell your friends not to speak badly of the dead because, after all, that's all in the past?