Millions of full-size pickup trucks are sold every year, but none of them, regardless of their badge, have any of the myths and legends that the Ford Ranger does. Go ahead, dig into an Internet car forum. You’ll see jokes about how the Ford Ranger “can’t be overloaded” and that its towing capacity is “unlimited.”
Part of that myth comes from all of the crazy stuff people do with Rangers, and yet the trucks just keep working. The other part is an internet meme. Anyway, Thomas wrote about how the new Australia-spec Ford Ranger Super Duty has a seriously impressive spec sheet. It’s almost like Ford made a truck for the meme. What’s that meme? Mikkeli, help me out here:
Obligatory sh!t post:
I know this truck,
I ain’t no stranger.
I know that truck,
that’s a Ford Fuckin’ Ranger!
We wrote a whole article about the meme, but if you’ve somehow missed the whole phenomenon, watch this:
Today, Jason wrote about how at least one kind of self-driving car might be, well, smelling their environment. TheDrunkenWrench:
Didn’t the President say he was bringing Olfactory jobs back to America, or something?
Rick Garcia gives a boring, but plausible explanation:
100% making sure you aren’t having the car drunk drive you home. Here in the SF Bay Area a city council member was caught asleep at the wheel having his Tesla drive his drunk ass home.
On yesterday’s COTD, I nominated a comment about being safer with lithium batteries. The comments in COTD were great. Ash78:
I live my LiFePO a quarter mile at a time.
TheDrunkenWrench makes a return:
Hooray! ‘Ol Gil is finally back on top!
How many COTDs can I put ya down for? A lot? Please say a lot. I need this.
This last one isn’t a COTD nomination, but a hilarious note from this morning’s news dump. We often use press photography in our articles, but delete their often nonsensical descriptions. This time, Matt kept one in because it was too silly. You noticed.
Church:
“young adult male and mid adult male”
Could the Autopian please not use AI to caption images?
But, surprise! It wasn’t our doing. Matt Hardigree:
Lol, that’s the caption from Isuzu. It was just so silly I kept it.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Probably someone at Isuzu using AI for that delightful photo caption.
Also, I’ve only driven Rangers a couple times (not in the past decade) and ridden in a few more. They’re fine. The ones I drove were extremely agricultural-feeling w/loud, weak engines, rattling bodies, and very loose steering and shifters. They weren’t even super-old or anything… just regular 10-year-old work trucks. They’re fine.
I’m sure a Maverick couldn’t quite take the same abuse, but since I rarely have to haul bison in the bed or tow combines, I’d probably prefer a Maverick hybrid to (even a new) Ranger. Better yet: how ’bout an actual Toyota Hilux from Mexico? I saw a blue one in Hollywood the other week (with Mexican plates) and I had to compliment the driver on his choice of conveyance (he smiled widely because of course he would: he knows what he’s got).
Finally: please Uncle Sam, just let me buy a Toyota Hilux Champ in Mexico and register/drive it in California! It’s supposedly available in Mexico but I didn’t see it on Toyota’s Mexican website last time I looked, not even in the commercial section for some reason (dunno why). Single cab short bed diesel manual with A/C for me please, in green or blue. Not counting the late 90s Mercedes CLK 320 I briefly leased years ago, the Hilux Champ would be the first, only, and last new car I every buy.
I still reserve the right to purchase used cars though (sadly, the seller of that orange Opel Manta Rallye already has taken a deposit, but I left him my phone number just in case. 😉
The Ford Ranger is a pretty good truck but until it accomplishes driving to the North Pole with two older out of shape gentlemen, using that term losely, gets sunk in the ocean for 12 hours, parked at the top of a 10 story building that gets blown up and still runs it is my number 2 at best. Maybe the Hilux just needs a good song.
I drive a truck
It doesn’t suck
It is a Hilux
If yours isn’t it sucks
Since I don’t get on youtube or have social media I never see any of these memes or videos “everyone’s talking about” unless they eventually make their way to a blog or article I come across. I have yet to see one that I’ve regretted missing out on.
COTD inception is a great way to start the weekend. Thanks Mercedes!
We have to go deeper, and I’m here for it.