Well, well, well…
“But but but what about TOLERANNNNCE, Kim?”
Yeah… what about it?
Given that Islam is the most intolerant socio-political institution ever inflicted on mankind, it’s about time we had a little turnaround, methinks. And if the famously-tolerant Porros are doing this, then ya gotta know things are getting bad.
Your suggestions in Comments.
Forgive me a little mansplaining here, but I was recently taken to task because “not everyone has had the education you’ve had, Kim” — leveled at me because I was talking about something that I just assumed everyone already knew, but in this particular case, not.
Anyway, the “Q-ship” concept came from the First World War, when, in an effort to combat the U-boat menace, the Royal Navy took ordinary merchant steamers, and added droppable shields to the desks — “droppable” in that when a U-boat would surface to sink the helpless merchant ship (which is what they often did), the prospective victim would lower the shields to reveal a nasty-looking gun which could easily sink said U-boat, and often did.
So put plainly, the Q-ship concept is to disguise power in an apparently-innocuous outer packaging. Like in this case:
Now that’s a 1993 Mercedes E-class car, done in Standard Boring Mercedes Trim & Shape. So why would this one, in particular, be on sale for just under $240,000?
Because it’s no ordinary Merc E-class; it’s an E500, which has under its hood a growling monster 6.0-liter AMG V8, putting out 369hp. (I know, that’s small potatoes compared to today’s behemoth engines, but back in the 90s it rivaled Ferraris.)
As I recall, Mercedes only ever made a couple hundred or so of these beasts, so the scarcity no doubt contributes to the price.
I once knew a guy who loved cars that looked unassuming, but were hidden dragons, simply because they didn’t attract the attention of Los Federales in the same way that his rosso Ferrari Testarossa did.
I have to say that if I were in the market for a powerful car and had a spare quarter-million to drop on it, I’d want it to look just a leetle more impressive than something that looks like a banker would drive. This Maserati MC20 comes to mind… and they cost a lot less than the E500.
I guess I could have just called it a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and saved myself the tiresome mansplain at the beginning, but that only occurred to me after I’d written the thing.
Besides, I think “Q-ship” fits this E500 better than “wolf”, anyway.
I’ve stayed at Claridges before, but it was on a client’s tab. Two of the best nights of my life, they were.
Now here’s my story. I went back about eighteen months later — not to stay, but just for a teatime meeting with someone.
The concierge remembered my name. And was absolutely distraught that I wasn’t staying with them this time. (I didn’t dare tell him that I was staying at some flophouse in Earl’s Court, since demolished thank gawd.)
Per night cost in an ordinary room nowadays: about $4,800. It was a hell of a lot less back in the late 1990s. I very much doubt if a client would put me up there now.
And before anyone gets all sniffy about the price (having spent most of their traveling nights in Ramada or Red Roof Inn), just remember that most stays at places like Claridges are done on expense accounts, and/or written off against taxes as a “business” expense.
It’s the world we live in — or rather, the world we mortals just look at through the bubble of their privilege and wealth. And no, I’m neither envious or jealous. If I were some kind of crypto- or Silicon Valley nouveau riche guy, I’d probably do exactly the same… because I’ve stayed at Claridges, and honestly? the experience is kinda worth it.
From Carl Hartley (of the Tom Hartley supercar dealership):
“The McLaren F1 tries to kill you. It treats you like you shagged its wife and beat its kids.”
Actually, it’s being a little cheeky: trying to kill you while it first plundered your bank balance to the tune of millions of dollars..
And he loves driving the thing. Go figure.
Mayfair, London (2000)
