Neighbors

What the snap--here're a couple Missoulian Volksies I spotted recently.

What is with some people? (He's referring to the customized license plates, in case you're wondering.) (also the third picture here) Air-cooled VWs are not, are not, any more death traps than any other cars in their class.
It's discouraging trying to dispel the myth (the myth) that the engine somehow protects you in a collision. Volvo, maker of some of the safest cars around, specifically designs their cars to get the engine the hell out of the way in a head-on (they're made to go under the passengers). Porsche, arguably the maker of the finest--and some of the fastest--cars in the world hasn't thought twice about strapping their drivers and passengers in front of the engine in almost all of their cars for over fifty years, and some of these are 600 horsepower beasts (typical passenger cars have less than 150hp; Ludwig has about 60 (!)). Indy cars race around in traffic with one another at speeds in excess of 200mph, and their engines are in back. The Bugatti Veyron develops a truly astounding 1001hp (that's a 250mph car; one-third the speed of sound), and guess where the engine is? That's right: in back, where it belongs. Give it up, people: engine in front≠safe, and engine in back≠dangerous. (I've elided over the distinction between mid-engined and rear-engined cars here, both of which situate the engine behind the people, but the point remains.)
Whew. I'm glad I got that off my chest.
We also discussed this topic in one of our earliest posts. You can read about VW front-end collision safety under FAQs & other snide remarks.

This handsome late bay looks so much like a candy bar that I'd almost expect him to be filled with nougat. Normally I think bays need a spare mounted on the nose to look "right", but this one looks just fine to me. Spotted in the Lower Rattlesnake.