PSA from Road and Track: Don't be That Guy
 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...net-car-forum/

Okay, so maybe it dissolves into a plug for PCOTY, but still very true.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Anybody that has ever read my many rants on the subject will understand that I would get along well with the author of that article!!!!!

"That Forum Guy, on the other hand.... That Forum Guy has never driven any of the cars we drive and review here at R&T. More often than not, he's never even seen the cars in the metal. But he has a favorite car. He's read every article on that car. He's carefully chosen his favorite quarter-mile time and his favorite skidpad rating and his favorite laptime, usually from three different sources. If our real-world testing doesn't meet or beat those times, it's because we're idiots or we're deliberately sabotaging his favorite car. Obviously any negative comments about "his" car will enrage him, but even comments that aren't sufficiently positive are enough to arouse his ire."

I am still kinda surprised that Baruth ranked the FRS behind the Genesis Coupe and the Miata (back in the "The Truth About Cars" days). Felt like they were doing it to be different from the rest of the internet at the time.

Damn. Forum Guy confirmed.

Nah, TTAC always struck me as click-baity, more in line with Jalopnik than R&T, actually more click-baity than Jalopnik who were generally more kind to everything and TTAC was more inflammatory, like wannabe Jeremy Clarksons with less charm and more self righteous bite.

Baruth's writing style is much less aggressive on R&T, I don't expect him to repeat something like this again:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...ce-scion-fr-s/

He's also got a nod to the internet forum goer in his concluding paragraphs here too.

More self-righteous than Clarkson?! Didn't think that was possible.

I'll admit it impressed me, that's why I read so much of them when I was researching this car.

With respect to their criticisms in the article I linked, it was a big positive, the 86 is the middle child, and despite their assertions that Mazda could do it better, they haven't and I'm a happy owner.

:burnrubber:

Some samples from a quick google search, conveniently they put their inflammatory statements right on top.

:cheers:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...song-sixpence/

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201.../#more-1215601


Don't get me wrong, I find a lot of his stuff funny, I'm not a totally humorless bastard, but damn does he come gallavanting in on a high horse.

Notice this is about "that guy" and not "this guy" so I'm safe.

It's funny, having met Baruth and Jevins in person, that article doesn't really bother me. Both are solid guys. I've chatted with Jevins about car setup (former chief instructor at Trackdaze - he knows his stuff) and also rode shotgun with Baruth a few laps when he was reviewing a C7 Vette. I get the sense that article was more click-bait than anything. Baruth is also a fan of big HP cars like the Vette and Viper, so that could be part of it too.

He loved his Town Car too. He's an entertaining writer for sure though.

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Yeah he strikes me as a bit stuck up, with some hipster attitude tossed in there.


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Definitely click baity. This confirmed that I'm definitely "The Forum Guy".... on the inside at least.

Sadly the irony in this is that 90% of "car journalists" ARE The Forum Guy. Much like movie critics, I don't read their garbage and try to experience something first hand before having an opinion on the matter.

You want an internet battle of them forum guys?

Go to any turbo car forum (or hell this one) and say: I just removed the BOV/BPV off my <blah> (MR2 in my case) and the drivability is much better with less loss of boost on shifts.

Then wait for the argument on whether or not you are blowing up your car with compressor surge.

Internet and civility: Never the twain shall meet.