The Mondays 002

22 July 2019

1.21 Gigawatts: Fahrvomdearborn

The tricky part about lightning is you never know when or where it’s gonna strike.

This one is huge. The biggest auto manufacturer in the world—VW (10.8M units)—is teaming up with the sixth largest—Ford (5.7M units)—to share EV and AI technologies. The play? Underpin 15 million EVs worldwide with VW’s Modular Electric platform (MEB).

Sharing tech like this means sharing costs, which means both groups have more left over for investments in EV performance. Add to that lower costs translating into more people being able to afford EVs and you’ve got a serious recipe for industry disruption on a whole new level.

Things are going to change quickly.

See also: The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance (10.4M units)

C8: Which Corvette is Best Corvette

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, General Motors must really love Ferrari.

The C7 ‘Vette, introduced just five years ago in 2014, at first glance, is easily mistaken for a Ferrari of some sort—especially in red. The all-new, C8 Corvette, revealed on 18 July 2019, takes that unintentional homage to the next level—with a mid-engine layout.

It will, undoubtedly, prove an amazing machine. Especially for anyone wanting a good deal on a C7, which is likely to languish on dealer lots for much of the next year. Here’s to all those brave souls willing to take on the last mile of GM’s QA process with a brand, spanking new platform.

See also: Ford’s homage to beating Ferrari—the GT Mk II

He’s Got a Golden Ticket

We love success stories. Diego’s is one of our favorites. This dude’s gone from being homeless—literally living out of his car—to relocating across the country to work for a forum buddy, teaching himself how to invest in the stock market, building a very respectable nest egg—and winning six figures on a scratcher ticket.

Karma comes correct, and after spending some of his winnings on a new 4Runner, supercharger, and more than a couple road trips, Diego’s just left the country to drive a Lada Niva across eastern Europe in the Mongol Rally by The Adventurists. This is someone doing something on our bucket list.

Travel is a cure-all. Experiences > stuff. You should follow along. We are.

See also: TGP31—Trading stories with Diego Baltazar