Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Still, doesn't bother me as much. No rational reason why.


You like Mustangs with 4 cylindes, you were already broken and wrong. :p
 
That didn't bother me as much, for some reason. Mostly because I don't think they used the word Mustang at all, right? Just Mach.

Amusingly there are no Ford badges: only Mustangs.
 
I'm not liking this. The Lightning was always reserved for the fast regular cab short bed F-150. This will be a luxury truck that happens to be electric (and possibly pretty quick).
Eh, I wouldn't say it was reserved for any particular configuration. Regular cab was essentially the norm at the time (were there extended cab 150's AT ALL in 1993?), and the ninth gen was short bed, yes, but the tenth gen was stepside.

It's not a particularly storied nameplate, being used exactly twice for a total of seven model years (out of 73) and 2 generations (out of 14). It's also an english word nameplate, and we're going to have to accept a certain amount of reuse across multiple genres lest everything be named with Incomprehensible Series of Numbers - especially when the genre it originally pertained to is dead and never coming back.

And let's be real here - all fullsize pickup trucks are luxury trucks now. There is no putting that cat back in that bag.
 
Were most ye olde Mustangs sold with 6 pots anyway?
 
Yes they were.

Also, Lightning is the perfect name for an electric F150. Everything else could have futuristic names. Like, oh, say, FUTURA!

@EyeMWing: I disagree. what they are is the full-size sedans that we cannot get anymore. Especially since a dealer will happily throw you a hard Tonneau cover to seal the deal. so you have your enormous basic car for fleets (F150 XL) all the way to the plutocrat express ($80k Limited)
 
Eh, I wouldn't say it was reserved for any particular configuration. Regular cab was essentially the norm at the time (were there extended cab 150's AT ALL in 1993?), and the ninth gen was short bed, yes, but the tenth gen was stepside.

It's not a particularly storied nameplate, being used exactly twice for a total of seven model years (out of 73) and 2 generations (out of 14). It's also an english word nameplate, and we're going to have to accept a certain amount of reuse across multiple genres lest everything be named with Incomprehensible Series of Numbers - especially when the genre it originally pertained to is dead and never coming back.

And let's be real here - all fullsize pickup trucks are luxury trucks now. There is no putting that cat back in that bag.

Again, I don't have a rational reason for disliking the name, just doesn't feel right.

On the extend cabs, they sure did have them in 1993. Crew cabs in the 250/350 configs as well.

Moving to the 2nd gen Lightning, you could technically get it as a extend or crew cab, as a Harley Davidson model, but those were an odd tie in, so let's ignore it.

I think my possible reason for the dislike of the name might be more to do with the fact that lightning is a large arc of electrical energy. Is that really what you want your electric truck to be known as?


Were most ye olde Mustangs sold with 6 pots anyway?

Yup, most of the first few year were. Many (most?) of the Fox body cars were 4 or 6 cylinders too (the 6 coming in both the inline and vee configurations).


Yes they were.

Also, Lightning is the perfect name for an electric F150. Everything else could have futuristic names. Like, oh, say, FUTURA!

Only acceptable if they style it like the original Batmobile.
 
cpv1zwny9py61.jpg


:wub:
 
A never-ending social experiment:

My trailer is limited by law to 80km/h. Even when I’m trundling down a 100km/h bypass with an empty passing lane, I’m gathering cars behind me. I guess this Golf figured 80km/h was good enough.

The golf didn’t bother me, but these are the same people that create queues behind lorries on roads with no passing lane. It’s frustrating when you’re the sixth in line and need to pass four cars before you even get to the lorry.

33A1AE93-05AE-4DE1-87BC-E05CA1581B2B.jpeg
 
I've noticed the same thing. The worst are the ones who aren't paying attention to their speed and end up driving just under the limit until someone tries to pass, then latch on to their blind spot regardless of the speed. I eventually roll off the throttle and drop my speed, then mat it to shake them free and move out of the passing lane.
 
A never-ending social experiment:

My trailer is limited by law to 80km/h. Even when I’m trundling down a 100km/h bypass with an empty passing lane, I’m gathering cars behind me. I guess this Golf figured 80km/h was good enough.

The golf didn’t bother me, but these are the same people that create queues behind lorries on roads with no passing lane. It’s frustrating when you’re the sixth in line and need to pass four cars before you even get to the lorry.

View attachment 3561119

 
:nod: I see the same class of drivers on the Autobahn.

Say it's three lanes per direction, left lane is mostly empty with the occasional ?️, right lane has a loose following of trucks, trailers, and other slow cars doing 80-90. I'm in the middle, maybe top down, maybe not in a hurry, maybe doing 110-120 ish. Someone closes in from behind doing maybe 130 ish, also in the middle lane passing all the trucks.
They stay behind me, no passing despite the mostly empty left lane. This might go on for many minutes. When there is a massive gap in the right lane I usually take it, and instantly the follower will speed up to pass. Why they didn't use the mostly clear left lane is anyone's guess.



Reminds me of this:
4853789835_177a0e59c1_o.jpg

A very very small number of super-wide-but-still-single-lane-per-direction roads in Lower Saxony have those signs, encouraging trucks to drive over the solid white line, creating enough space within their direction for cars to pass.
 
:nod: I see the same class of drivers on the Autobahn.

Say it's three lanes per direction, left lane is mostly empty with the occasional ?️, right lane has a loose following of trucks, trailers, and other slow cars doing 80-90. I'm in the middle, maybe top down, maybe not in a hurry, maybe doing 110-120 ish. Someone closes in from behind doing maybe 130 ish, also in the middle lane passing all the trucks.
They stay behind me, no passing despite the mostly empty left lane. This might go on for many minutes. When there is a massive gap in the right lane I usually take it, and instantly the follower will speed up to pass. Why they didn't use the mostly clear left lane is anyone's guess.




Reminds me of this:
View attachment 3561120
A very very small number of super-wide-but-still-single-lane-per-direction roads in Lower Saxony have those signs, encouraging trucks to drive over the solid white line, creating enough space within their direction for cars to pass.

That sounds like a wonderful idea in theory, but in practice, I wonder how often that's done.
 
Reminds me of this:
View attachment 3561120
A very very small number of super-wide-but-still-single-lane-per-direction roads in Lower Saxony have those signs, encouraging trucks to drive over the solid white line, creating enough space within their direction for cars to pass.

We have the 'Texas Lane Split' out on country roads here where folks move onto the shoulder and wave you by. Can be anything from a tractor/Harley to a fully laden truck with a 20' horse trailer or a Chevy Cavalier.

It's nice when that happens. Someone should introduce some signage!
 
I've noticed the same thing. The worst are the ones who aren't paying attention to their speed and end up driving just under the limit until someone tries to pass, then latch on to their blind spot regardless of the speed. I eventually roll off the throttle and drop my speed, then mat it to shake them free and move out of the passing lane.
I think some folk have a complex about being passed.

I was going along the motorway about 65mph, slowly gaining on an X5 that must have been doing around 60mph. Pulled into the middle lane and drew level with their rear door before realising I was no longer gaining, I applied a bit more throttle, still keeping pace...
Well, I'm here now, let's see how this pans out. Eventually I'm doing 85mph and the X5 is pulling away. Fine, whatever. I drop back into the outside lane behind them and they blat off at 90mph+...

Until about 10 miles up the road I find that I'm gaining on the same X5, back in the outside lane doing 60mph.

The situation repeats. I go to pass, they speed up. This time I drop in behind straight away as I can't be arsed playing games. They fuck off at 90 again.

10 miles later they appear on the horizon again. Foot to the floor, the Acclaim runs out of speedo digits on a slight downhill. I pass them and don't back off until I can't see it behind me.

As I pass I note the driver, blonde, 30-something woman wearing big sunglasses on an overcast day. Naturally.
 
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