'Motors'

7 Likes
8 Likes

Pulled from a YT story re unusual steering wheels. Tesla Model S Plaid steering wheel shown here was mentioned in the lead up to the main part of the story further down. Note the robustness of the Tesla wheel material. Per the narrator, the wheel got “mixed reviews” and “most people didn’t like it”.

Tesla fanboi response to that part of the story was as one would reasonably expect: Fake! Fake! Fake!

But then these from the wags:

  • It’s not resistant to the acidic combination of Cheetos dust, Mountain Dew, and nerdstench.

  • Elon made it pre-worn, because it would get that way in a few months anyway

  • Tesla owner: no, no that’s a 1st generation steering it’s old and worn. He did that on purpose to ruin the reputation. My stonks are crashing into the negatives but I’m confident it’ll skyrocket next month. Buy more bitcoin.

Main focus of the story:

4 Likes

Odd. Never heard of this. After poking around on several websites and blogs specialising in spare parts for vintage Beetles my working theory (for now) is that this is something only found in export models. Possibly only in export models sold in specific US states; either because of regulations1), as a sales gimmick.2), or it was a short-lived aftermarket part3).

1) Or rather dodging regulations? “Yes, it says windscreen must be laminated glass. But it doesn’t say entire windscreen must be laminated glass.”

2) In which case this might be traced back to one specific importer or even that one retailer.

3) The sort of brilliant invention sold by its genius inventor at trade shows and via small ads in pulp magazines.

2 Likes
1 Like

Are you suggesting VW wouldn’t engage in fraud to appear to comply with regulations because I have some bad news for you if so…

1 Like

Is this the best you can do with the material I give you?

7 Likes

City car or Cute Ute? :thinking:

4 Likes

Size-wise, reminds me of the Fit (though he compared it to a Fiat?)… I’m always amazed by how much I can fit (HAHAH) in mine…

6 Likes

The Fit is basically an automotive Tardis.

4 Likes

NASA tests the ups and downs of air taxi comfort with VR

2 Likes

Went to local car show along with a few thousand of my friends





10 Likes
7 Likes

I used to have a 68 Firebird, which was a baby version of that GTO complete with the same kind of useless non-functional flourishes, and yet it looked so cool.

ETA I don’t have many great pictures of it, and I had to sell it some 15 years ago but here’s one:

It was very much a 20/20 car: looked great but only at 20 feet or 20 miles an hour. It ran like a beast, but I never got around to fixing up the rest of it other than painting it black and fixing some rust damage.

9 Likes

The only pic ever taken of Concorde flying at Mach 2, 1350 mph. Photo taken by Adrian Meredith from the back seat of Tornado ZD902 in 1985:

9 Likes

A rare photo of a captured B-17 in Luftwaffe markings, operated by Kampfgeschwader 200:
B17_kg200

4 Likes
7 Likes

I traveled from Calais to Dover on the last day of service of one of those. Yes it was fast and smooth, but you couldn’t have a conversation for the noise, staff must have had very good ear defenders (or, more likely, suffered hearing impairment).

6 Likes
2 Likes

Still…

c88d92b4-76b9-4bf1-9e81-3defe7d2afc0_text

4 Likes