Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Cutting out alternator load for emissions is the single hair-splittiest incremental improvement I can think of aside from maybe variable-geometry water pumps.

The VW dealer is not allowed to reconfigure my car so the tail lights come on with the daytime running lights, because it’s considered messing with emissions.

They’re LED. My car probably uses more diesel in a single unnecessary acceleration than the lights use in a year.
 
Cutting out alternator load for emissions is the single hair-splittiest incremental improvement I can think of aside from maybe variable-geometry water pumps.


Plus, when you consider the shortened battery life, it is probably a net negative..
 
The VP/part-owner/grandson of founder of my favorite guitar company races autocross in a 1958 Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite, with a turbocharged Mazda rotary 13B-REW engine, pushing around 400 hp.

It's called "The Beast", and I think it's fitting.

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The VW dealer is not allowed to reconfigure my car so the tail lights come on with the daytime running lights, because it’s considered messing with emissions.

They’re LED. My car probably uses more diesel in a single unnecessary acceleration than the lights use in a year.
This just in:
Leaving an actual usable phone charger in the power port is emissions tampering.
 
I've recently realized that I'm not much into supercars lately, but then I saw an Instagram account that I follow posting a pictures of a yellow, Parisian Lamborghini Diablo VT, and it got me thinking about the supercars I really like. The list of those would look something like this, order only partially relevant:
  • Ferrari F40
  • Lamborghini Diablo SV
  • Porsche Carrera GT
  • Lexus LF-A
I really wanted to add the Pagani Zonda F to the list, as it was one of my teenage dream cars, but I really don't know nowadays, with that exterior and interior design.

I actually still like supercars, I'd definitely turn my head around if I saw one, and took a picture or two if I had a chance, but I find it less interesting to go over their specs and lust after them nowadays.
 
May 1st is the day where everyone takes their pride and joy out of winter storage. The town square is full of people, hot dog stands and fun fair rides, etc. This year a canary yellow Gallardo pulled up at the lights right next to the square and... had his show stolen by a grey Korean commuter box in the other lane. The Lambo had to rev the engine a couple of times, I'm sure it was to get some attention.

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Looks like an i8 in the back of that shot, which is also more interesting than the Gallardo. Kinda.

I'd rather have 10 or 20 quirky or classic cars than a single supercar from the last 25 years. That neatly skirts around the McLaren F1, which I would have if I had the chance. Don't really see supercars around here, bits of them would be left in the potholes and they would be cluttering up the lanes after getting stuck on hump-back bridges.
 
The VW dealer is not allowed to reconfigure my car so the tail lights come on with the daytime running lights, because it’s considered messing with emissions.

They’re LED. My car probably uses more diesel in a single unnecessary acceleration than the lights use in a year.
I hate that DRLs don't include tail lights. Volvo got it right a billion years ago.
 
I hate that DRLs don't include tail lights. Volvo got it right a billion years ago.

It wouldn’t be so bad if they had mandated a light sensor as well, but the sensor usually comes with a trim level and sometimes not at all.
 
I hate that DRLs don't include tail lights.
A decade+ ago, when you drive until it got dark, your car interior would feel dark, and you knew to turn your lights on even if you could still technically see the road fine.

Nowaways, with dashboards that are always illuminated screens, you don't immediately notice the inside of your car is dark. And combine that with DRLs that give the impression of some light coming out the front of your car, and sooooooo many more people drive without taillights on when it's actually dark enough to need them.
 
It would be pretty simple for manufacturers to pop up a warning to the effect of "HEY IT'S DARK OUT---TURN ON YOUR FUCKING LIGHTS!!!". Most of these cars have automatic lights and the sensors that go with it so the hardware is already there. For whatever reason the automatic lights get turned off and nobody realizes it... Between the always-illuminated displays, every-brighter DRLs, and too-vague headlight controls (whatever happened to a simple dedicated switch instead of the tiny knob-on-a-stalk with invisible markings?), it can be hard to tell from behind the wheel if the lights are on or not. The DRL indicator on the dash usually looks too much like the headlight indicator, so that doesn't help at a glance.
Hell, I've done it myself after the numpties at the dealer turned off the automatic lights in my wife's car when it was in for a service (WHY???). Really easy to get in the car, assume the auto lights are on, and then not realize they actually aren't.
My daily is old enough the gauges don't illuminate unless the lights are on, so it's easy to tell (not that I ever turn off the automatic lights).

I don't have strong feelings about this. At all.
 
I don't have strong feelings about this. At all.
yeah this hits way too close for comfort :D i do get irrationally angry at idiots out on the road sometimes...
I'm actually quite happy with the otherwise pretty screwed up tesla UI that the state of the lights is very clear on the display (both the icon as well as the 3d rendering of the car). because that way I can also see very clearly when the automatic lights fail to turn on (heavy rain and suchlike) and I need to override. Also: the thing (seems to) defaults back to automatic every time you start - which is a very good thing imo.

also: yes please rear lights with DRLs.
 
Most of these cars have automatic lights and the sensors that go with it so the hardware is already there. For whatever reason the automatic lights get turned off and nobody realizes it...

Every time someone else drives my car, they turn off the lights from the "auto" setting to "off". For a while it was an every day thing, because the parking garage across the street from my office would have to park you car because they "stacked" them 4 deep to max out the floors. When it was every day, I got used to checking every night. But when I started taking the train more and drove to work less, I'd get caught off guard when it would happen since it was only once a week or so. Then every oil change, dealer visit, etc, they'd also get turned off. Ugh.
 
Every time someone else drives my car, they turn off the lights from the "auto" setting to "off". For a while it was an every day thing, because the parking garage across the street from my office would have to park you car because they "stacked" them 4 deep to max out the floors. When it was every day, I got used to checking every night. But when I started taking the train more and drove to work less, I'd get caught off guard when it would happen since it was only once a week or so. Then every oil change, dealer visit, etc, they'd also get turned off. Ugh.

This kind of thing really pisses me off. It’s not like these places leave the car running while they service it. Literally on because they drove it in doors. It turns off when you turn the car off. How fucking difficult is it for these companies? I have this with rental cars too. Just leave it alone unless you really are leaving the key in the on position without the car running.
 
I'm OK with slumming it with manual light controls again, I was still used to always turning them on in the bobtail so it's natural. People fiddling with my car settings would piss me off too, nobody else drives my cars so. 🤷‍♂️

DRLs should definitely have rear counterparts, it's insane that they don't when it's clear that people mistake DRLs for headlights. It costs nothing to add a small set of LEDs and/or a few lines of code in a body control unit.
 
It would be pretty simple for manufacturers to pop up a warning to the effect of "HEY IT'S DARK OUT---TURN ON YOUR FUCKING LIGHTS!!!". Most of these cars have automatic lights and the sensors that go with it so the hardware is already there. For whatever reason the automatic lights get turned off and nobody realizes it... Between the always-illuminated displays, every-brighter DRLs, and too-vague headlight controls (whatever happened to a simple dedicated switch instead of the tiny knob-on-a-stalk with invisible markings?), it can be hard to tell from behind the wheel if the lights are on or not. The DRL indicator on the dash usually looks too much like the headlight indicator, so that doesn't help at a glance.
Hell, I've done it myself after the numpties at the dealer turned off the automatic lights in my wife's car when it was in for a service (WHY???). Really easy to get in the car, assume the auto lights are on, and then not realize they actually aren't.
My daily is old enough the gauges don't illuminate unless the lights are on, so it's easy to tell (not that I ever turn off the automatic lights).

I don't have strong feelings about this. At all.
First time I drove the BRZ at night, I didn't realize I didn't have the headlights on because the LED beauty lights were brighter than *any* conventionally-headlit car I'd driven before. The HIDs may as well have been fucking laser beams.
 
Yeah, but the headlight arms race has to end. Last night I had a hell of a time seeing where the hell I was on I-40 in New Mexico because of all the HID/LED/BVD/PVC/Fuck You headlights they install on semis these days. Well, that and New Mexico doesn't seem to think repainting lines is a good idea.
 
The only time in years I’ve turned my headlights from auto to off was boarding a ferry a couple weeks ago. The ferry employees giving you directions don’t need my headlights blinding them while they’re giving you customer service.

Like I said, auto headlights are usually an extra option here and base models don’t have it. Base spec cars are usually bought as transportation devices by people that don’t care and certainly don’t want to learn. So our roads are full of toyotas and nissans with no rear lights on in the dark.

Some people have made a habit out of turning light knob from off to park. This does make the rear lights come on but the front LEDs dim down to a third because they’re parking lights now, not running lights. To these Nissan drivers, this is the same thing because there are some lights up front and that’s ok. But it’s not. Parking lights are not for a vehicle actually in traffic. That’s why they’re called parking lights.

I don’t have strong feelings about this either, as you can tell.
 
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