If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on here at the Autopian, it’s being on the bleeding edge of news! We give you the news when it’s hot! Especially when it’s news about ourselves! That’s why I’m delighted to make this announcement of some new hires that have only been working here for months! In one case, many, many months! That’s how on the ball we are – getting you the latest, hottest, gossiest goss only months and months out of date! So, with that in mind, please welcome to the Autopian Family Peter Viera and Lewin Day.
Lewin is our Australian Bureau Chief and Peter is our, um, Editorial Production Manager as well as our Social Media Manager, and, should we ever expand into the food service industries, our Saucier. You’re likely familiar with the work of both of them, since Lewin has been writing stories for us for a while now and Pete has been the witty, very Autopian-voice behind our social media channels for, shit, even longer.
So, it’s probably high time you get to know these two young go-getters better! With that in mind, we have crafted a series of insightful, and deeply-probing questions, the answers to which should tell you as much about these fine humans as if you spent a solid week, trapped in an elevator with them. So, with that mind, let’s roll up our sleeves and slide our hands deep into the warm dampness of these fellas’ brains!
Lewin Day
- What do you drive? Tell us about all your miserawonderful project cars and the pain and joy they bring you
Lewin: When I was 25, I realized that despite being a car fanatic, I’d never actually owned a sports car. Before that, my most beloved vehicle was the glorious Daihatsu Feroza, far superior to the early carby Suzuki Jimnys, in my opinion. Anyway, within six months, I’d scored myself a junky Miata and crossed that off my list. It taught me how to wrench better and how to make a race car really handle. I also grabbed a Volvo 740 Turbo, which taught me the stoutness and reliability of Swedish steel. Oh, and how bad a big wagon is when the shocks are all shot to pieces.
Those two have since left my stable, and I’m currently running a 1998 Mercedes E240 and a 2008 BMW 320D. The former, I used as proof that you could buy an old German luxury car without falling into financial ruin. Thus far it’s only let me down once, and the fix was… topping up the coolant.
In contrast, the 320D has been a massive pain in my ass. It was supposed to replace the Mercedes, but I’ve never been able to trust it long enough to sell the Merc. Hell, I decided I’d sell the BMW this weekend, and then all hell broke loose…
- What drew you to The Autopian? How would you like to see it develop?
Lewin: Years and years ago, when I was an engineer, toiling away in the bowels of a filthy auto plant, I was consumed by sadness. You’d walk the aisles between machines, nod to your fellows doing their time in the trenches. It was a dim, dark place, filled with grim faces.“How’s it going?” you’d ask one of the operators. “Livin’ the dream, mate,” they’d respond.You learned to stop asking after the first week or so. It was a difficult place to work, where hope was a rare thing.
In between meetings and tending to the disasters of the day, I’d sit at my computer and fire up Jalopnik. All those years ago, it was a little bit of joy in a string of bleak, tiresome workdays. I’d read about cars, laugh at the excellent jokes, and have a ball bantering with everyone else in the comments.
Eventually, I built myself a career that pulled me out of that factory and into a far more enjoyable position in the blogosphere. I started out writing in tech, but it was always my dream to get into auto journalism. Moreso than that, I wanted to work somewhere that wasn’t just rewriting press releases about the latest option packages on some new mass-market SUV. I wanted to write somewhere that understood what cars actually mean to enthusiasts. It’s the love stories, the grand tragedies, the comedy of errors when someone buys an old Land Rover. I knew that’s what I was supposed to be doing.
Now I’m here, I’m having a ball. As for development, I think all The Autopian needs is more. Ever bigger, grander projects and adventures. I know I’ve got a few wild ideas of my own on the boil.
- If you could have any car in the world, why would you make a big thing out of not picking an Isuzu I-Mark?
Lewin: There’s actually a great reason not to pick an Isuzu I-Mark! Out here, they were sold as the Holden Gemini. For a generation before mine, they were, like , the ultimate high-school starter car. Cheap and cheerful but still rear-wheel-drive for the usual Aussie naughtiness (donuts and burnouts). With all that nostalgia tied up in them, they’re far too expensive to bother with now. Plus, the Gemini is somebody else’s cultural icon, not mine
For me, my ride-or-die is still the Nissan 180SX or its sister, the S13 Silvia. I missed a chance to pick one up for $2,500 when I was an impoverished university student. Times changed, and what was once a JDM performance bargain is now a bonafide collector’s item. I might have to buy and then remortgage a house, but I’ll get one, one day…
- What non-car things interest you?
Lewin: I’m living a pretty rich life of late. Music has been going crazy for me in the last couple years. I play hot chiptune sets around Australia (and hopefully soon internationally… :O) as Anti Lag. I’ve released a quality single or two, most of which are too sexy to mention here, and I really need to get another three or four out this year. I’m bouncing out of my Autopian shift later today to hurriedly finish a track for an exciting compilation release. My band Rabbit Sex Mask is also building towards its first single launch in a month or so with a proper beer-drenched Aussie film clip in the works. Now that I think about it, I don’t know why we didn’t ask Laurence to drive down for that one!
As we’ve previously discussed, I’m big into electronics and my solar-powered robot rover which I sent into the Australian outback a few years ago. The project’s been on hiatus for a while, because I need a few weeks of dedicated engineering time to build the new version. But in the back of my head, I’m always ticking over ideas for future missions.
Oh, and I really dig Lego trains. I just ordered $200 worth of track yesterday. Can’t wait.
- What’s your birthdate, social security number (or AU equivalent), and debit card number and pin, being sure to include the three-digit number on the back?
You know, it’s weird, Australia doesn’t really have a single number it uses to refer to individual citizens. My identity is instead scattered across a variety of numbers, all of which can be loosely tied together by government officials or intelligence agencies where necessary.
Finding out the rest, I’ll leave as an exercise for the reader! I’m pretty easy to track down. Thanks to a certain Autopian writer, I’m the #1 result on Google for “Australian Urinators.” Funny that.
Okay, thanks, Lewin! That’s edifying. Let’s leave him to play with his Lego trains and urinating and let’s see what Pete has for answers to these questions!
Peter Vieira
• So, what do you actually DO here?
Peter: I make a lot of the home-page story graphics, topshots as we like to call them, which is a ton of fun. On the copy side, I edit half or maybe two-thirds of the stories that go up each day, which is also fun! Editing skilled writers is a treat, and all the Autopian authors are genuine pros and generous collaborators. I also put together the Wednesday and Friday newsletters (subscribe here!), and I handle the content for The Autopian on Twitter (yep, still calling it Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
• What do you drive?
Peter: Eh, I suppose you had to ask. A 2015 RAV4. That I share with my wife. OK, that’s out there now. But I will be getting a new (to me) car soon. What will it be? I dunno man, I’m all over the place. One day I’m looking at anything and everything with a Buick 3800 V6, the next it’s Kia Stingers, there was a stretch where I was all about Panther barges …
• Tell us about all your miserawonderful project cars and the pain and joy they bring you
Peter: All my project cars are between 1:24 and 1:8 scale actually, with way too many radio-control and plastic-model car projects to list. Like [Shitbox Showdown author] Mark Tucker, I’m really into trail trucks and off-roading with radio-control 4X4s. I also get down with Lego Technics and Speed Champions sets.
• What drew you to The Autopian? How would you like to see it develop?
Peter: I was already a fan of the Autopian gang when they were writing for other outlets, so of course I was an Autopian reader from the jump. When I saw the call go out for a social media person to help out part time, I leapt at the chance to do something with the people I enjoy reading so much. And they’re all fantastic! They say “don’t meet your heroes,” but this was definitely an exception. How would I like The Autopian to develop … just bigger and better, man. More stories, more videos, more merch. There’s so much potential.
• If you could have any car in the world, why would you make a big thing out of not picking an Isuzu I-Mark?
Peter: I wouldn’t. Is this a trick to make sure there’s one more Isuzu I-Mark Turbo RS out there for you? Well, you failed, because I would take one. That, or maybe a Buick Riviera with the supercharged 3800. But probably not as my any-car-in-the-world pick, which would be a nice 1988 Dodge Omni. No, not the GLH, the regular one. I have reasons.
• What non-car things interest you?
Peter: I’m a big movie guy and science-fiction nerd, and I have a bunch of vintage mountain bikes in various stages of restoration and repair. Too many projects!
• What’s your birthdate, social security number, and debit card number and pin, being sure to include the three-digit number on the back?
Peter: Again? I just sent them to you!
So there you go! You know have two new friends! Mazel tov!
Clearly we all need to vote on what Peter should buy.
Still kinda weird seeing Peter’s name on articles outside of 20 year old RC Car Action magazines that may or may not be floating around in my attic.
“ For me, my ride-or-die is still the Nissan 180SX or its sister, the S13 Silvia. I missed a chance to pick one up for $2,500 when I was an impoverished university student”
I bought an S13 200SX with a CA18DET in the 90’s before they got cheap. It was a disappointing sofa of a car. Soft and squishy but fast and with a boot/trunk big enough to put a pram in. As standard they aren’t great, unless you need to replace your mk1 MR2 with something that you can get a pram in that also has to have pop-up lights.
A mate had a 400bhp SR20DET in his S13 Silvia, the whole car was competition drift spec, and that was awesome. So grippy and slidey and stable when hanging out at mad angles on a track. It made my competition spec MX5 feel twitchy and evil and dog slow.
They are iconic cars because they were cheap enough to drive like you wanted to kill them. The appeal fades when they cost serious money.
Also Peter looks like Mirror Universe David.
I thought it was David for a second but then realized that his moustache connects in the middle.
My God. There are two of them.
This made me think of Jurassic Park. Adrian walking into Autopian headquarters and being caught by surprise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBgL5EE0wd4
Actual footage of me arriving at Autopian Towers every morning:
https://youtu.be/2PjZAeiU7uM?si=sT-5Jn1A_2C4cWQq
Which one is the evil one? A goatee is usually the dead giveaway, but I don’t know what to do with these mustaches.
It’s a trap. They’re both evil.
It’s only called an “Isuzu I-Mark” if it comes from the Imark region of Japan. Otherwise, it’s just sparkling Buick Opel.
With Adrian and Peter both into RC, we need a once a month open thread for everyone’s RC antics. Like I have several project vehicles that are cars or planes. Some of which are pristine and others of which are definitely beaters. The upside is when they break I’m not terribly affected for day to day life. Unlike a real vehicle.
I would be so for this. There is “Jason and tail lights” levels of useless RC knowledge rolling around in my head that has nowhere to be shared.
“For a generation before mine, they were, like , the ultimate high-school starter car. “
I feel attacked. Not until after high school, but my first car was a 13 year old, 1982 baby poo brown Gemini. Complete with Radial Tuned Suspension, four on the floor, a JVC head unit and all of the glory that comes from an under powered (or on reflection maybe appropriately powered) first car.
It was the car we drove away from my wedding reception and was reliable, but we sold it because we only needed one car and were desperately saving to try and buy a house, so we kept the car my wife brought to marriage, a Holden Nova SL/X sedan with 5 on the floor, undoubtedly near the acme of Senator Button’s badge engineering progeny.
Apologies to all our overseas friends for indulging in a bit of Australiana.
It could have been worse … you could have had the diesel Gemini.
Oh I see how it is. We’re doing THIS for the new people now are we? FINE
*hisses cattily while muttering I was the hot new thing once*
Have you ever owned an Isuzu?
If not, what’s your excuse?
I’m a man of taste and letters. That’s my excuse.
ButButBut the 1st gen Impulse! Giugiaro’s finest creation!!! The Scirocco turned up to 11 and improved in every way!!! The subject of your next Great Design article!!!!!
It was a GM T-car underneath and therefore shit.
Exactly! Giugiaro made a freaking Chevette sexy!!!!
Yay! Moar!!!
Can we get a few more nontraditional writers too?
It wouldn’t technically be an Isuzu I-Mark because the Chevy Spectrum Turbo’s # – patterned alloys, as seen from the Shitbox Showdown car a while back, are better than anything Isuzu offered under their own name.
418531233_6582162508556871_1810181764694759274_n.jpg (960×720) (jazelc.com)
Welcome aboard and no one dare fuck with the I-mark. Especially if it’s a diesel five speed. Those be sparring words newbie LOL If it’s beige or brown you may have put curse on yourself for life. Tan vinyl seats inside, Youve just got a first class ride to the forever pits of car hell. Also known as forever land in a standard interior of a Chevy Chevette Scooter. Forever and forever. Hear me? FOREVER! Eternity without a door arm rest is a loooong time to spend time in hades. ha ha ha, welcome to the The Autopian!
I can’t be the only one who read that headline in Teen Girl Squad voice, right??
i, too, used to run with the home star.
Welcome! Y’all have done awesome work so far!
“gossiest goss” made me think of Stephen Walter Gossin ha ha
THE BEST DAMNED POOL OF TALENT WRITING ABOUT ANYTHING ON THE WHOLE INTERNET, COMMA, PERIOD.
It feels a little awkward to say hello to people who have been writing stuff around here for months already, but I suppose it would be rude not to? So…hello.
Also, it’s interesting that you both went straight for the older RWD version for the I-Mark question. Seems the later FWD ones have all been forgotten.
Please forward Peter’s banking details to stef_cayenne_fund@puffalump.de.
Thanks in advance.
goshdarnit, that’s not supposed to be a real link
Too late, I already used Lewin and Peter’s handily provided personal info to identity theft them into what I think averages out to “benevolence,” or at least “unintentional kindness.”
https://www.godaddy.com/domainsearch/find?domainToCheck=puffalump.de
lol it’s already taken for really real. I tried to go there but got a DNS error, so I guess someone is squatting on it?
They do helpfully note that puffalumps[.]com is available though!
that’s my domain, yes
Welcome to the Autopian 🙂
Welcome to both! I’ve enjoyed Peter’s work on the socials for a while…and definitely stoked to see Lewin over here – long been a fan from the other sights (really enjoyed the EV6 roadtrip from a while back…)
Always great to see new writers and car people. I hope they own cars different than current because the site seems a few vehicle specific.
*Closes Facebook listings for more Smarts and Volkswagens…*
No I like your coverage but we need more cars. I’ve owned 10 cars and only 2 have been mentioned here by anyone but me.
That’s b/c they sold like, what, 10 Vehicrosses total?!
I’m kidding of course…you know we’re all waiting on a readers rides from you so we can actually hear what they’re like, from one of those 10 owners…. 😉
I appreciate the cars they cover. But now 2 years later still the same cars. A few years in the future I suggest new cars otherwise the site will wilt into a limited genre
SWG keeps adding “new” cars though.
So is one of these gentlemen also the mysterious “Rivers” or is another introduction post coming?
They say only The Bishop knows for sure, but his lips are sealed after an incident involving hot wax and a speeding RV.
He’s the weekend guy!
can we get an introduction post about him next weekend?
So THAT’S what Rivers Cuomo is doing when he’s not busy with weezer.
Keep an eye out for the article sometime in August in which he/she/AI-bot Rivers will be unmasked for all Autopia to see.
Howdy lads! Good to have you onboard. I look forward to all the fun misadventures going forward! Consumer grade car stuff is a bit depressing these days, but I try to keep an open mind. I’ve got a rather interesting automotive project that may or may not take place if I should happen to be lucky enough for a full time conversion. We’ll see if I have the stones to ride a bike ; P
God preserve the utes!
Lewin, of course I would have driven to the home state of Coopers Brewery at a moments notice!
Glad to have another Aussie in here, and if those Germans keep giving you grief I’m sure I can drag something out of a paddock for you!
Pete, if you haven’t had a stand-up career colour me surprised! You definitely keep Slack entertaining!
Welcome, gentlemen!
Be not afraid!
The world is a highway winding into the distance.
Find your vehicle, and ride. Ride like there is no tomorrow!
For indeed, there may not be.
Allons-y!