Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

It also doesn't feel very reassuring to drive a car where it feels like the pedals are hinged on the inside of the outer bumper shell.

I'll stick to my 5 meter wagon, thanks. :p
 
Power is all relative. My Polo had 60 hp and felt slow as shit, my Citroën C1 had 69 (nice) and felt a lot faster because it weighed nothing. It never felt underpowered unless it meant overtaking on the highway
 
It also doesn't feel very reassuring to drive a car where it feels like the pedals are hinged on the inside of the outer bumper shell.

I'll stick to my 5 meter wagon, thanks. :p
Crumple zone? You are the crumple zone!

I understand that and maybe it's because I like lots of cars without many (or any) safety features, but I didn't feel unsafe in it. I was aware that I'm inherently more vulnerable but I wasn't intimidated by trucks, for example. I'd be just as happy driving an original Mini or a little open-top sports car like the original Elan. Being small definitely has its advantages sometimes. #TNWSS

The trick is not to crash. :LOL:
 
photo_2021-01-16_12-13-54.jpg


Curious.
 
Crumple zone? You are the crumple zone!

I understand that and maybe it's because I like lots of cars without many (or any) safety features, but I didn't feel unsafe in it. I was aware that I'm inherently more vulnerable but I wasn't intimidated by trucks, for example. I'd be just as happy driving an original Mini or a little open-top sports car like the original Elan. Being small definitely has its advantages sometimes. #TNWSS

The trick is not to crash. :LOL:

Isn’t there some Fifth gear thing about old big car vs new small car - which is safer? IIRC the newer smaller car turned out to be safer than the old Volvo which was made of concrete and cast iron....

Edit : here ya go

 
Isn’t there some Fifth gear thing about old big car vs new small car - which is safer? IIRC the newer smaller car turned out to be safer than the old Volvo which was made of concrete and cast iron....

Edit : here ya go


Reminding people that older cars are nice to have as a hobby, but not something you want to entrust your life with every day.
 
I really, really hope this is real, and not photoshopped. Someone out there please tell me you have a video of this thing? :D
It's amazing. I'm not sure if it's amazingly good or amazingly bad but it's amazing. I don't see why it wouldn't be real, it's just a Smart body dropped on a gasser chassis by the look of things.

Naaaaaah.


Motorcycle engine swap is much better:
I always wanted the Hayabusa swap in my Smart but in reality they apparently struggle with the low torque of the bike engine, it was never designed to lug something even as heavy as a Smart.
 
It's amazing. I'm not sure if it's amazingly good or amazingly bad but it's amazing. I don't see why it wouldn't be real, it's just a Smart body dropped on a gasser chassis by the look of things.


I always wanted the Hayabusa swap in my Smart but in reality they apparently struggle with the low torque of the bike engine, it was never designed to lug something even as heavy as a Smart.
 
This is clearly the correct answer.
 
We're going to build a new computer to come up with that.
 
It'll take a while to process it though :p
 
Right after our sponsor, Ridge Wallet!
 
Eight wheel drive?
You would think...


In other news, my drive home from work had me thinking, why do I follow the speed limits usually setting my limit to 5 over what’s posted when seemingly no one else does? It’s almost never seen that drivers here can follow posted speed limits, you either have people driving under by 10 mph or 20-15 over. And don’t get me started on the ones who stick with one speed regardless if it goes up or down at the next town.
 
Some people just prefer to "play it safe" and trundle along at 10-15 under if they aren't sure what the posted speed limit is.

Speaking of speed limits, I do find it pretty funny that a freshly built stretch of road that's smooth, straight and safe can have the same 80km/h speed limit as a gravel path across someone's yard.

Yes, there's actually a back road here that goes across someone's yard because the road has been used by locals since before the horseless carriage was invented. The road makes a ~70 degree bend around their house. Their barn is on the other side. Rural areas didn't have speed limits here until the 1970's(?) and I think they just slapped a random number on it and forgot it existed.
 
Well everyone’s cruise control is calibrated differently, perhaps thats why people are slightly under?

I usually set mine to 5 over the limit, because I know the deviation between speedo and reality. It gets bigger as the speed increases, 50 on the speedo is 47 in reality, and 120 on the speedo is ‘only’ 113 actual kph.

But yeah, same here. Either people who drive 50 everywhere, or those that go ridiculously over the limit. Hardly anyone uses the ‘slightly over’ technique I do
 
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