As I have blogged before Outback Australia is the original destroyer of reputations. A natural vehicle Terminator. The latest big name to go under is the Mercedes Benz G Wagon. As the film shows had it not been for the convoy mechanics and air support the team would have perished. So don’t try this on your own!
p.s The sole Mil Spec G wagon in the convoy behaved perfectly. The Australian Army have just ordered 2000 of them. Seems they know a thing or two.
A compelling raison d’etre piece on the importance of democratically controlled monopolies on violence, by the Chief of the Netherlands Defence Forces General Peter van Uhm:
Whilst they might have all the fun surely this proves that Norwegians are utterly bonkers!
I have to say that despite the amazing numbers this looks pretty anodyne, particular when you compare it with what Ken Block does.
And the driver is very brave indeed driving at these speeds without, it would appear, any PPE at all: no helmet, gloves or overalls! And I don’t think he’s even wearing a seat belt.
I just love what Ken Block does with cars. How does he do it?
Jezza…eat your heart out!
Tired of Britain’s got Talent? Find the stuff boring and unexciting?
Then tune into India’s Got Talent for something completely different. Tame nutters!
OMG!!!
In a rather astonishing prediction General Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff asserts that:
I should have thought that this is would apply only if we win; by no means a foregone conclusion.
I must say that I am starting to have serious concerns about the geopolitical understanding of our senior military leaders who seem to be living in a colonial time warp.
Jolly good show chaps!
Despite the best intentions of Ron Dennis and Luca di Montezemolo and the aspirations of teenagers this only goes to show that the majority of people who buy supercars are nothing but idiots. The only criterion that you have to meet is being rich. Imagine if Civil Aviation worked like that!
This piece of South African Kit would be ideal for dealing with aggressive drivers in German cars like the one today in his Audi Uberwurst who came within 2 feet of my rear bumper at high speed with Xenon lights blazing because I dared to pull out to pass an Army Landrover when he was at least a quarter of a mile behind me!
Whoa! I like this. If it can land it can take off and you can probably fly it from your iPad.
Think of what you could do to BMW drivers with all that firepower!
I feel the need the need for speed (and a little birdie).
Ferrari have announced the death of Sergio Scaglietti the legendary coachbuilder for the company. Best known for the Ferrari 250 GTO he was creator of many cars from scratch and builder of many Ferraris and one of the greatest car designers of all.
May he rest in peace
Owen Barder, the prominent development economist, has posted this on http://www.owen.org/.
The nice thing about Owen’s blog is that it is both whimsical and serious at the same time. Whilst he blogs about matters of huge importance he is never didactic and always amuses.
David Cameron’s Mansion House speech has threatened to create a diplomatic row because he did an impersonation of Julia Gillard, the wonderfully articulate and erudite prime minister of Australia.
Well all I can say is:
Strewth mate the sheila’s more touchy than we thought.
Judge for yourself:
Toyota have just released a version of the the legendary Land Cruiser just for Australia. The Big Country is harsh and unforgiving. Only the strongest survive. Range Rovers, Discoverys and Mercedes Benz G-Wagens wilt and die as the Outback pounds them into submission, breaking their suspensions and ruining their power trains. 90% of 4WDs in the Outback are Toyota Land Cruisers! And for good reason….they are just about the toughest thing this side of an Abrams MBT.
The Land Cruiser GX is specially built for Oz. This is not the Land Cruiser of Surrey and Bridge of Allan providing Young Mothers with the idiotic notion that their darling kiddies will be safer in a big vehicle on their half mile trip to school.
No this is a real Land Cruiser with vinyl mats, vertically hinged rear doors and a snorkel designed to go where none can go. This is a tough mutha for a tough country
Forget the ill-fated and rather pathetic Wallabies. There are other great Australians in sport this weekend.
Casey Stoner won the Moto GP World Championship:
Mark Webber shared the limelight in winning the F1 Constructor’s Championship with fellow Red Bull team member Sebastion Vettell:
And the Kangaroos demolished the Kiwis – how sweet that must have been!
Well if the Wallabies couldn’t the Kangaroos could.
That’s the other game with a Rugby ball in case you’re wondering. A game beloved by down to earth northern men.
None of your Rugby Union public school Nancy boys here. These are real men!
Just back from our annual trip to Tuscany for a week. This year we had the pleasure of catching up with some old friends from Melbourne – Phoebe and Santo – who by happenstance were staying in Creti, Val di Chiana no more than 30 miles away. So we were able to spend some time with them at their villa:
We had a wonderful day in Pienza for lunch and later in Bagno Vignoni, the Medici spa town:
All in all a great week!
LR (TATA actually) are showcasing a potential successor to the the macho mil inspired all-purpose Defender.
Should appeal to those who want to minimise “blue on blue” friendly fire incidents.
Just now after suffering a huge and uncharacteristic lull in sport, Australian athletes are enjoying a bit of a return to international pre-eminence.
In tennis Sam Stosur won the US Open in fine style beating the legendary Serena Williams and so becoming only the second Australian after Margaret Court to win the title.
In Cycling Cadel Evans surprised the the world by winning the Tour de France; the only Australian ever to do so.
In motor cycling Casey Stoner is dominating the Moto GP title race and looks like becoming champion.
In Rugby Union the Wallabies stung the All Blacks by taking the Tri Nations Crown for the first time in 10 years and are hot faves to take the World Cup as well.
And Australia’s cricketers are showing a resurgence in Sri Lanka.
Now for the Olympics and the next Ashes series!
There is a new champ on the block with full bragging rights having set the fastest production car time round the Nordschliefe circuit at the Nurburgring. A Lexus LFA has bettered the record, previously held by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, by 4 seconds; a whopping margin at the Nordschliefe. So that’s another one in the eye for Herr Uberwurst. BTW Toyota also set the fastest time in an EV earlier this week, nearly as fast as the Lexus!
Siemens is launching an iPad controlled gizmo for managing your home appliances. Let’s hope that it is not vulnerable to Stuxnet, being a Siemens product!
Well they didn’t…the Queen’s Own McKamikaze Highlanders, QOMH, 23 Bn Royal Regiment of Scotland really do exist:
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