Finally, a Hybrid for the Country Club Set

I love the "Finally" aspect of this.

To be honest, I was sitting around and let out a huge sigh of relief when I saw this headline. I myself have been in the market to spend money on an expensive hybrid, while i'm already really crunching just to save money on gas. Would I bitch about my hefty car bill? Or about the 10 or so MPG I was saving on my gas fill ups? Now not only can I help save the environment, I can finally chat with people of a similar caliber at the local country club. Heck, maybe even convince them to trade in all their Range Rovers for one. I guess it's just for really rich people, who actually could give a shit about the gas prices, but want to appear environmentally conscious.

In a world where gas is being treated like dry land in Waterworld, the Lexus 450h is an island of its own.

Killer reference here

Somewhere, Al Gore is smiling. But so might be Danica Patrick.

Yeah, my guess is that she's pretty concerned with the mass amount of pollution those Indy cars contribute, so this is a good thing.

So if Danica Patrick (I went to high school with her and that's my claim to fame) was car shopping, would she go for an expensive luxury hybrid that is maybe a little quicker than the competition? Or would she just go for something fast with a big engine? Judging purely as a stereotype, I would think the latter. Just me.

High point of this article you ask? At the very end it calls out this correction in case you were wondering:

Correction, June 26, 2008: The article originally stated that owners of a Lexus GS 450h living in California could get a Clean Air Vehicle decal that would allow them free metered parking. The car does qualify as a super-low-emission vehicle, but the state of California has given away all 85,000 stickers that it allotted, so they are no longer available.

Damnit!! As if people who are driving around a Lexus need an extra privilege or don't have the spare change sitting around to feed a meter. My company doesn't reimburse me enough in free lunches or gas mileage to worry about such a mundane thing as filling a meter. I'm no longer sold. Go fug yourself, Lexus. (via Slate)