Miscellany: Vehicular Abuse

Those of you who know me personally know me to be a car aficionado, despite my seeming lack of interest while at school. I just changed the oil in the 855T and returned to find this:



Hat tip: Jalopnik.

I'm not really opposed to the Cash for Clunkers program, although it does contain some pretty egregious errors. What I am opposed to, though, is vehicular torture, which is exactly what this is. That's a late '90's or early '00's Volvo S80, one of the T5 turbo models, and a car which easily outclasses the car with which it was likely replaced, a Camry or Accord or other generic, non offensive midsize sedan. I would have taken that car in a heartbeat.

Why destroy a car like that? Why not drill a hole in the block and destroy it in a way which doesn't otherwise damage the vehicle? What's gained by forcing the engine to catch fire and spray oil all over the pavement? How is this "green?" Seriously, this can't be the safest/cleanest/best way to prevent the engine from running again. And for those of us who form bonds with our cars, watching this is disturbingly like watching someone kick a dog, or blend an iPhone, or throw a computer off a building. It's just so unnecessary.