(BroBible.com)
Monday, October 17, 2016
So That's How They Managed To Stay Afloat
How Subaru saved itself by marketing to the gay community
Almost everyone who's in the car community, and even people that aren't, have probably heard the stereotype that lesbians drive Subarus. What you may not realize is that stereotype was fostered by Subaru, and it helped make the company relevant again in the '90s.
This is the story told by NPR's Planet Money podcast. Apparently, as the company was trying to figure out who was buying its cars, the marketing folks discovered that gay and lesbian people were a large segment – along with all those outdoorsy types. The discovery led to subtle advertising directed specifically at what we now refer to as the LGBT community, which in turn led to more sales to gay and lesbian consumers. There were other components to Subaru's sales strategy in the '90s, but this particular campaign was an important part and quite successful. Thanks to that success, today we still have Subaru around building reliable, all-wheel-drive transportation, as well as rally-inspired sport compacts.
(AutoBlog.com)
Almost everyone who's in the car community, and even people that aren't, have probably heard the stereotype that lesbians drive Subarus. What you may not realize is that stereotype was fostered by Subaru, and it helped make the company relevant again in the '90s.
This is the story told by NPR's Planet Money podcast. Apparently, as the company was trying to figure out who was buying its cars, the marketing folks discovered that gay and lesbian people were a large segment – along with all those outdoorsy types. The discovery led to subtle advertising directed specifically at what we now refer to as the LGBT community, which in turn led to more sales to gay and lesbian consumers. There were other components to Subaru's sales strategy in the '90s, but this particular campaign was an important part and quite successful. Thanks to that success, today we still have Subaru around building reliable, all-wheel-drive transportation, as well as rally-inspired sport compacts.
(AutoBlog.com)
Did You Know - Automotive Tint Edition
How to Spot a Bad Tint Job
Your No. 1 visual clue: good tint has small, clean edges
Your No. 1 visual clue: good tint has small, clean edges
- To tell if a car has a quality tint, see how close the film comes to the window edge, and take note of how consistent and clean the line is. A top-notch installer uses computerized templates that pre-cut the film as much as possible, resulting in a line that's close to the edge of the window pane and doesn't waver.
- No, I'm not talking about the space-traveling robot with the built-in virgin alarm. The little dots you see at the edge of many car windows are 3D, and the textured surface makes tinting exceedingly difficult. Often you'll see film that sticks to some spots but not others, and the result is a horrendous zig-zagging line. Sometimes, an installer will attempt to fill the blank spaces with glue so it looks filled in, which might work in the short term, but is more likely to fail down the road.
- A lot of films are made with metallic elements -- think silver or gold, like an '80s limo -- to help reflect light (and thus heat energy) away from the car. It's actually highly effective and for years it was the (no pun intended) gold standard... but be warned: it does have a tendency to interfere with things like cellphone and radio reception.
Someone's Got Some Explaining To Do
Jeep owner inadvertently receives 2018 Wrangler hood from scrapyard
After an apparent mix-up, FCA may be looking for a new scrapyard to which to send prototype parts. JLWranglerForums.com member Redrockjk recently purchased a used Wrangler hood from a yard near the FCA proving grounds. When he ordered it, he thought it was from a 2014 model, and while it looked very similar to his current hood, after installing he discovered something unusual. It was too long.
From what we can see in the photos from JLWranglerForums.com, the leading edge of the hood sticks out roughly two inches from the top of the Wrangler's grille. The greater length is also clear when the hood is placed next to its likely predecessor. The receivers for the exposed latches are also too far forward to be used on a current Wrangler. Redrockjk also said there wasn't a VIN or a part number anywhere on the hood. As if those details weren't a big enough red flag, Redrockjk reported that the used parts supplier contacted him to ask for the hood back.
We reached out to Jeep to see if they could confirm if this is a hood for the next-generation Wrangler. Unsurprisingly, the company had no comment at this time. Considering the details, and the proximity of the scrapyard to an FCA proving ground, there's a better than zero chance this is from a pre-production 2018 Wrangler sent to the yard to be scrapped.
No word on whether the hood was aluminum, as has been rumored. Except for the length, the part fits pretty well on the current model. The hood vents present are also similar to those found on some current models. It's one more piece of evidence that the next Wrangler won't stray far from a proven formula.
(AutoBlog.com)
After an apparent mix-up, FCA may be looking for a new scrapyard to which to send prototype parts. JLWranglerForums.com member Redrockjk recently purchased a used Wrangler hood from a yard near the FCA proving grounds. When he ordered it, he thought it was from a 2014 model, and while it looked very similar to his current hood, after installing he discovered something unusual. It was too long.
From what we can see in the photos from JLWranglerForums.com, the leading edge of the hood sticks out roughly two inches from the top of the Wrangler's grille. The greater length is also clear when the hood is placed next to its likely predecessor. The receivers for the exposed latches are also too far forward to be used on a current Wrangler. Redrockjk also said there wasn't a VIN or a part number anywhere on the hood. As if those details weren't a big enough red flag, Redrockjk reported that the used parts supplier contacted him to ask for the hood back.
We reached out to Jeep to see if they could confirm if this is a hood for the next-generation Wrangler. Unsurprisingly, the company had no comment at this time. Considering the details, and the proximity of the scrapyard to an FCA proving ground, there's a better than zero chance this is from a pre-production 2018 Wrangler sent to the yard to be scrapped.
No word on whether the hood was aluminum, as has been rumored. Except for the length, the part fits pretty well on the current model. The hood vents present are also similar to those found on some current models. It's one more piece of evidence that the next Wrangler won't stray far from a proven formula.
(AutoBlog.com)
Good Eats, Anytime Of Day
10 Best Late-Night Eats in Los Angeles
2. Pacific Dining Car (24/7)
2. Pacific Dining Car (24/7)
- In a town with very few true late-night options (and by "true late-night" we mean past 1 a.m.), it's amazing that one of the most iconic dining experiences in town is available 24/7. The Pacific Dining Car oozes old-school charm in a 1920s train car, and the late-night menu, served from 11 p.m.-6 a.m., offers classic egg dishes, steaks, sandwiches and salads as well as blueberry pancakes or french toast. There's nothing like 4 a.m. steak and eggs to fortify you for the hangover ahead. 1310 W. Sixth St., downtown; (213) 483-6000; 2700 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; (310) 453-4000, pacificdiningcar.com.
- There are so many options for all-night eating in K-town. Will it be "hangover soup" at Al Bae Ne, kal gook soo (a broth-y noodle and ground beef soup), pork mandu (dumplings) at Myung Dong Kyoja or that kimchi fried rice at Hodori and Nak Won House? All are Koreatown hangouts open 24/7 where we'd be happy to find ourselves on any given late night. But for midnight rounds of fried mackerel and soon tofu (a boiling pot of diced tofu with seafood, vegetables and red chilis with a raw egg alongside), we're going with BCD Tofu House. The dumpling soup is killer, too, and the banchan is endless. 3575 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown;, (213) 382-6677; 869 S. Western Ave., Koreatown; (213) 380-3807, bcdtofu.com.
- Were Langer's open even until 6 p.m., we'd be tempted to make a pastrami exception to our definition of late night. But for those midnight moments when satisfaction is about so much more than what's on the plate, we head to Canter's. There's something about lounging over a Reuben in the Kibitz Room bar adjacent to the main dining room, listening to a band we've never heard of (and at that hour, can't be certain we really like) and wondering if they might be the next Black Crowes. The final rock/jazz/pop set bacon bonus here: It's always time for breakfast. 419 N. Fairfax Ave. Fairfax; (323) 651-2030, cantersdeli.com.
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