Justin Hughes
@justinhughes54.com
A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a nerdy writer, editor, motorcycle rider, ham radio geek, former van lifer, and current all-around weirdo. Writer at Jalopnik, ADVRider, and elsewhere. a.k.a. Smokey Da Van, Knerd Rider.
Reposted by Justin Hughes
I've been seeing the ads and teaser videos on Facebook for weeks, and I don't even follow Subaru there. All that hype, and it turns out to be a car we already have in the U.S. undeserving of the STI badge.
Subaru Gives Us World Rally Blue Balls With Yet Another Half-Baked STI Revival - Jalopnik
We won't be getting the WRX STI Sport# in the U.S., and it doesn't matter, because we already have it as the WRX tS.
www.jalopnik.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:22 PM
I've been seeing the ads and teaser videos on Facebook for weeks, and I don't even follow Subaru there. All that hype, and it turns out to be a car we already have in the U.S. undeserving of the STI badge.
Good. That's where it belongs. Intact, not cut up and hacked back together again just to move to another museum where people have to pay $30 a pop to see it rather than free (except for parking).
Space Shuttle Discovery To Remain At Smithsonian Where It Rightfully Belongs - Jalopnik
It looks like Space Shuttle Discovery won't have to pack its bags for the Lone Star state just yet.
www.jalopnik.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Good. That's where it belongs. Intact, not cut up and hacked back together again just to move to another museum where people have to pay $30 a pop to see it rather than free (except for parking).
156 mph is way too fast. In the dark, in the fog, without lights, on New Year's Eve, makes it that much worse. They never caught the speeder, and it's amazing they didn't find it wadded up in a ball of metal.
Blink And You Might Miss This NYE Driver Outrunning Cops At 156 MPH - Jalopnik
That, for many reasons, was very illegal.
www.jalopnik.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
156 mph is way too fast. In the dark, in the fog, without lights, on New Year's Eve, makes it that much worse. They never caught the speeder, and it's amazing they didn't find it wadded up in a ball of metal.
Reposted by Justin Hughes
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell (1984)
January 8, 2026 at 3:32 PM
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell (1984)
Reposted by Justin Hughes
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
January 8, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
If the claims are true, this could be a game changer. IF the claims are true. We shouldn’t have to wait long to find out. #motosky
Verge Unveils First Motorcycle With Solid State Batteries, Says It Is Ready For Production - Jalopnik
The solid-state-equipped TS Pro boasts some impressive stats.
www.jalopnik.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:04 PM
If the claims are true, this could be a game changer. IF the claims are true. We shouldn’t have to wait long to find out. #motosky
Reposted by Justin Hughes
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
DHS Is Lying To You About ICE Shooting a Woman
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
www.404media.co
January 7, 2026 at 10:30 PM
At least four videos show what really happened when ICE shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday. DHS has established itself as an agency that cannot be trusted to live in or present reality.
Reposted by Justin Hughes
Google the video & see for yourself.
This is not law enforcement. This is murder.
Sickening.
This is not law enforcement. This is murder.
Sickening.
January 7, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Google the video & see for yourself.
This is not law enforcement. This is murder.
Sickening.
This is not law enforcement. This is murder.
Sickening.
Reposted by Justin Hughes
DHS and MAGA are spreading propaganda claiming the Minneapolis driver tried to run over ICE. That claim is completely false. Multiple videos from different angles (recorded by people on the scene) clearly show that this did not happen. ICE killed a US citizen. Justice is required for this killing.
January 7, 2026 at 8:58 PM
DHS and MAGA are spreading propaganda claiming the Minneapolis driver tried to run over ICE. That claim is completely false. Multiple videos from different angles (recorded by people on the scene) clearly show that this did not happen. ICE killed a US citizen. Justice is required for this killing.
I left my opinions out of this article, so I'll share them here. Mitsubishi shouldn't have to pay $1B in liability for a design from 1992 that passed all standards of the time. That verdict was overturned on a procedural technicality rather than the sheer ludicrousness of it all, but I'll take it.
Mitsubishi Gets New Trial, May Not Owe $1 Billion For Alleged 3000GT Defects - Jalopnik
It's still possible that Mitsubishi could be found liable, but at least it will be held to the proper standards this time.
www.jalopnik.com
January 6, 2026 at 6:23 PM
I left my opinions out of this article, so I'll share them here. Mitsubishi shouldn't have to pay $1B in liability for a design from 1992 that passed all standards of the time. That verdict was overturned on a procedural technicality rather than the sheer ludicrousness of it all, but I'll take it.
Firefighters are finally getting the hang of putting out EVs. It's not their fault that it's taken this long. The proper equipment didn't exist. So they invented it themselves.
Firefighters Use A Blanket And A 'Turtle' To Put Out EV Fire At Gas Station - Jalopnik
Brooklyn Center Fire Department said the blanket was there to "control the vapors and smoke" rather than smother the fire.
www.jalopnik.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Firefighters are finally getting the hang of putting out EVs. It's not their fault that it's taken this long. The proper equipment didn't exist. So they invented it themselves.
It only affects legal immigrants (yes, immigrants who are here legally are allowed to get a Real ID), but who knows what additional hoops they'll have to jump through because of a software glitch dating back to 2006.
More Than 300,000 Californians Must Get New Real IDs Because Surprise, The DMV Screwed Up - Jalopnik
As if Real IDs weren't enough of a pain to begin with.
www.jalopnik.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM
It only affects legal immigrants (yes, immigrants who are here legally are allowed to get a Real ID), but who knows what additional hoops they'll have to jump through because of a software glitch dating back to 2006.
Hyundai may be getting into the midgate game that GM started over 20 years ago. I had a few other ideas Hyundai might want to consider for its new truck, too.
Hyundai Wants In On The Midgate Revival With This Clever Pickup Patent - Jalopnik
A midgate is a handy feature we first saw on the Chevy Avalanche.
www.jalopnik.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Hyundai may be getting into the midgate game that GM started over 20 years ago. I had a few other ideas Hyundai might want to consider for its new truck, too.
It's kind of like Two-Face, except both sides are good.
This Minivan Doesn't Know Whether It's Coming Or Going, Which Is Why It's Awesome - Jalopnik
When is a minivan not a minivan? When it accidentally becomes a sedan by welding two front halves together, back-to-back.
www.jalopnik.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:08 PM
It's kind of like Two-Face, except both sides are good.
Reposted by Justin Hughes
My son put it best when he was a young kid: "Cats are great because you get happy every time you encounter them. You turn a corner, and there's a cat there, and it's like there's a cat, and that's great."
I always think about it whenever I turn a corner and encounter a cat.
I always think about it whenever I turn a corner and encounter a cat.
January 4, 2026 at 11:04 PM
My son put it best when he was a young kid: "Cats are great because you get happy every time you encounter them. You turn a corner, and there's a cat there, and it's like there's a cat, and that's great."
I always think about it whenever I turn a corner and encounter a cat.
I always think about it whenever I turn a corner and encounter a cat.
It’s a great idea, using up materials that would otherwise sit in a landfill, and the rubberized roads are quieter, too.
What Happens To Old Tires? Many Of Them End Up Paving New Roads - Jalopnik
The compound also reduces road noise, since the rubber helps absorb some of the sound that tires create just by rolling down the road.
www.jalopnik.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:53 PM
It’s a great idea, using up materials that would otherwise sit in a landfill, and the rubberized roads are quieter, too.
Though not as weird as it used to be, Utah still has some of the weirdest laws around alcohol.
Utah Bans 'Extreme DUI' Offenders From Buying Alcohol, Cards Everyone - Jalopnik
Utah already has the harshest drunk driving laws in the U.S., and they're about to get even harsher.
www.jalopnik.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Though not as weird as it used to be, Utah still has some of the weirdest laws around alcohol.
I would never recommend immobilizing any ICE vehicle by throwing a little bit of snow under the tires, because apparently that's all it takes to get them stuck. So that's definitely not what I'm doing by sharing this.
January 2, 2026 at 8:13 PM
I would never recommend immobilizing any ICE vehicle by throwing a little bit of snow under the tires, because apparently that's all it takes to get them stuck. So that's definitely not what I'm doing by sharing this.
I also traveled (almost) all of Route 66 in my camper van a few years ago. I’ll be following their journey closely.
Route 66 Is Still The Great American Road Trip After 100 Years - Jalopnik
U.S. Highway 66 was established in 1926, which makes the upcoming New Year its 100th anniversary.
www.jalopnik.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:21 AM
I also traveled (almost) all of Route 66 in my camper van a few years ago. I’ll be following their journey closely.
I'm sure somebody's crabby about this.
Thieves Pinch $400,000 Worth Of Costco Lobsters Just In Time For A Very Fancy New Year's Dinner - Jalopnik
Some shellfish thieves made off with $400,000 worth of lobster from a Massachusetts distribution center just a few days after Christmas.
www.jalopnik.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I'm sure somebody's crabby about this.
That’s certainly one advantage electric has over gas engines. It doesn’t need air to breathe.
The Electric Stark Varg Sets 22,000-Foot Altitude Record - Jalopnik
Zak is no stranger to high altitude record attempts on motorcycles.
www.jalopnik.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:28 PM
That’s certainly one advantage electric has over gas engines. It doesn’t need air to breathe.
It’s a neat idea, and some will want it. But I’d save my money and get a power station and portable solar panel that isn’t built in for less than just this tonneau cover.
This Solar Tonneau Cover Is A Neat Idea, But How Useful Is It? - Jalopnik
Don't go thinking that you can slap one on the back and never plug in your Rivian again. It's a great idea, but it does have some limitations.
www.jalopnik.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:27 PM
It’s a neat idea, and some will want it. But I’d save my money and get a power station and portable solar panel that isn’t built in for less than just this tonneau cover.
Like EVs, it's all about the refuelling infrastructure. Hydrogen still has practically none, while charging stations keep popping up like whack-a-moles, rendering the need to bring your own fuel cell with you as if you're flying to the moon irrelevant.
Mirai Owners Suing Toyota Because Hydrogen Is The Most Common Element In The Universe But It's Damn Difficult To Find On Earth - Jalopnik
The Mirai's reliance on fuel cell technology requires hydrogen filling stations, which are pretty much non-existent in the U.S.
www.jalopnik.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Like EVs, it's all about the refuelling infrastructure. Hydrogen still has practically none, while charging stations keep popping up like whack-a-moles, rendering the need to bring your own fuel cell with you as if you're flying to the moon irrelevant.
Can’t stop the signal, Mal.
Of course they are — good luck putting the cat back in the bag, Bari. All you’re doing is guaranteeing more people will see it. #CBSNewsmax
December 23, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Can’t stop the signal, Mal.