The car thread ...

[O Really]

And in the US, the gun would have been real and the couple would be dead.

[neoplacebo]

Not a car thing, but I saw this motorcycle chase from Brazil this morning....bunch of really close calls.

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/brazil-moto ... 00081.html

Thanks.

Another video from Brazil:

Brazilian Couple Beats Down Carjackers

Brazil is bizarre.

[Vrede too]

Brazil is bizarre.

That's what they say about us. Speaking of bizarre:
viewtopic.php?p=201588#p201588

Chechen warlord invites Musk to Russia after he’s filmed driving machine-gun mounted Cybertruck (with pics)

It's the warlord, not Musk, who has the weaponized truck. Sloppy, AP, sloppy.

Warlord Straight Out of "Max Max" Says Elon Musk Remotely Shut Down His Cybertruck



Technical Issue

... With it geared up for war, Kadyrov claimed that he'd sent the electric pickup to the frontlines of Ukraine, where it has since been "performing well in combat."

That is, until it stopped working all of a sudden.

"Now, recently, Musk remotely disabled the Cybertruck," Kadyrov wrote in a new Telegram post on Thursday, as quoted by Fortune. "That's not a nice thing for Elon Musk to do. He gives expensive gifts from the bottom of his heart and then remotely switches them off."

"That's not manly," he added. "We had to tow the iron horse. How could you do that, Elon?"

Puzzling Provenance

How Kadyrov got his hands on a Cybertruck is a bit of a mystery. According to the man himself, it was given to him as a gift by Musk, a claim he made in August and has repeated since.

But the Tesla CEO has denied this version of events in offensively-worded terms. Responding last month to a journalist's tweet criticizing him for supposedly making the gift, Musk wrote, "Are you seriously so retarded that you think I donated a Cybertruck to a Russian general?" Thanks for the clarification, Elon.

Our guess is that he'd deny "remotely disabling" the vehicle, too. If anything, Kadyrov's Cybertruck probably stopped working because it's a shoddily built piece of junk best known for breaking down all the time. Apparently, Kadyrov didn't get that memo....

[O Really]

I find it believable that Trump/authoritarian-loving Musk would give a "truck" to a Russian general. Whether or not he expected it to turn into an armed war vehicle, I don't know. But given some of the claims he's made about the rolling monstrosity, it would not be surprising for him to give one for a live field test.

[Vrede too]

I find it believable that Trump/authoritarian-loving Musk would give a "truck" to a Russian general. Whether or not he expected it to turn into an armed war vehicle, I don't know. But given some of the claims he's made about the rolling monstrosity, it would not be surprising for him to give one for a live field test.

Speaking of those claims,

Moron Shoots Cybertruck, Alarmed to Discover It's Not Actually Bulletproof

... Elon Musk has long claimed that the Cybertruck can protect against gunfire — ever since the vehicle was first unveiled nearly five years ago, when he infamously smashed one of its "bulletproof" windows. Ahead of the pickup's launch in November 2023, Tesla doubled down on the bulletproof messaging.

But, like a lot of his other claims about the unorthodox vehicle — such as its capability of doubling as a boat — it's proved more than a little dubious.

Naturally, common sense hasn't stopped Cybertruck owners from putting those claims to the test. (Doing dumb stuff is seemingly a rite of passage for owners of the brutalist pickup.)

Add it to all the other tales of the Cybertruck's questionable reliability, and this is just one more drama-laden dent in its image as an "Apocalypse-proof" vehicle.

A Police Department Spent a Ludicrous Amount of Money on a Cybertruck for the Worst Reason Possible

... In a social media post that includes a tacky promotional video — set to a rendition of the "Terminator 2" theme, no less — the Irvine Police Department claims that its flashy new Tesla won't be used to do real cop stuff, i.e. be a patrol car. (It can supposedly respond to emergencies on an "as needed" basis, where we expect it will prove as useful as that one Cybertruck "ambulance.")

Instead, the custom Cybertruck will be deployed to schools as part of the local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. The cost of this purported teaching tool? $153,175.03, according to a department fact sheet distributed to the media, per NBC News.

"For over three decades, our DARE officers have driven attention-grabbing and one-of-a-kind vehicles that never fail to turn heads and excite students," the IPD said in a Facebook post.

... Not everyone's buying the community outreach angle. Bennett Capers, a professor at Fordham Law School in Manhattan, says that this use of taxpayer money feels like "boys wanting a toy" more than anything.

"If you want to encourage youth, you could do things that would help youth, like go to playgrounds and play football and basketball with kids," Capers told KLTA 5. "That seems more likely to help them than a Cybertruck."

Of course, if the goal is to teach kids that drugs are bad, maybe the Cybertruck isn't such a silly choice after all. What else could explain what was going through Elon Musk's mind when he released this behemoth?

How long before the kids research Elon and learn that he is in fact a druggie?

The wastefulness is somehow fitting given that multiple studies have demonstrated that DARE does not work.

Cybertruck Gets FSD (Full Self-Driving), Tries to Drive Onto Median in the Middle of Sunset Boulevard

[O Really]

""For over three decades, our DARE officers have driven attention-grabbing and one-of-a-kind vehicles that never fail to turn heads and excite students," the IPD said in a Facebook post."

FerPetesake, it's Southern California. There are literally dozens of hot rod custom shops within an hour of Irvine. I think they could have attracted attention for a lot less they paid for that monstrosity. Like this one, confiscated from some bad guys and re-purposed as a show cop car:

[Vrede too]

"'For over three decades, our DARE officers have driven attention-grabbing and one-of-a-kind vehicles that never fail to turn heads and excite students,' the IPD said in a Facebook post."

FerPetesake, it's Southern California. There are literally dozens of hot rod custom shops within an hour of Irvine. I think they could have attracted attention for a lot less they paid for that monstrosity. Like this one, confiscated from some bad guys and re-purposed as a show cop car:

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88777 ... RpAsJcRc-k

I'll bet that your city, Oceanside, did not pay $150K+ for its "attention-grabbing and one-of-a-kind" lowrider:
viewtopic.php?p=195858#p195858

New Oceanside cop car.
(That Primo Market in the clip is where I buy the best tri-tip and other barbeque anywhere in SoCal. )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBy0rWnpN-E

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ocean ... r-BB1ipRTs

[O Really]

Not only that, but those cyber trucks aren't even that unusual. We usually see at least two or three in a given day and there would likely be even more around the Irvine/Huntington/Newport Beach area. As far as I know, nobody who owns any of the ones around here has tried to shoot it or drive it across a lake. Would t want to be behind one at the car wash though.

[Vrede too]

... Wouldn't want to be behind one at the car wash though.

Why not?

[GoCubsGo]

""For over three decades, our DARE officers have driven attention-grabbing and one-of-a-kind vehicles that never fail to turn heads and excite students," the IPD said in a Facebook post."

FerPetesake, it's Southern California. There are literally dozens of hot rod custom shops within an hour of Irvine. I think they could have attracted attention for a lot less they paid for that monstrosity. Like this one, confiscated from some bad guys and re-purposed as a show cop car:

Inspired by the Munster Mobile?

[O Really]

... Wouldn't want to be behind one at the car wash though.

Why not?

Stories of them bricking themselves.
Probably rare, but you never know.

[Vrede too]

... Wouldn't want to be behind one (cybertruck) at the car wash though.

Why not?

Stories of them bricking themselves.
Probably rare, but you never know.

Ah.


1970s German engineering:


Article

[Vrede too]

The Cybertruck Appears to Be More Deadly Than the Infamous Ford Pinto, According to a New Analysis

Yikes. Thanks, Elon.

[Vrede too]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xfYiCTVHv48

[Vrede too]

Canada (BC) Pulls Tesla Rebates as Trade Tensions Escalate
British Columbia ends Tesla rebates, citing trade tensions and a shift toward Canadian-made products

British Columbia has ended subsidies for Tesla (TSLA, Financial) vehicles and charging stations, shifting its rebate programs to favor Canadian-made products. The province cited a focus on domestic goods and reducing reliance on U.S.-manufactured items, a move seen as a response to trade tensions fueled by tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has found itself at the center of controversy in Canada. Musk, a Canadian citizen, has publicly criticized outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and questioned Canada's sovereignty. In response, a petition to revoke his Canadian citizenship has gained significant traction.

The discontinued rebates previously covered up to 50% of Tesla charger installation costs, saving owners as much as $10,000 per home charger. While applications approved before March 12 will still be honored, new Tesla buyers will no longer benefit.

Tesla stock has dropped 40% year-to-date, reflecting broader concerns over slowing demand and increasing global challenges.

FAFO.


Tesla's Being Accused of Something Unbelievably Sketchy in Canada
"Tesla didn’t sell those cars that weekend."

Fraud, Elon?

[GoCubsGo]

Tesla's Being Accused of Something Unbelievably Sketchy in Canada
"Tesla didn’t sell those cars that weekend."

Fraud, Elon?

Can't believe he'd do something dishonest.

[Vrede too]

Tesla's Being Accused of Something Unbelievably Sketchy in Canada
"Tesla didn’t sell those cars that weekend."

Fraud, Elon?

Can't believe he'd do something dishonest.

Nor something abusing a government program.

[Vrede too]

Dodge Drivers Furious After Unwanted Ads Pop Up in Their Cars

[Vrede too]

Cybertruck driver pulled over, vehicle seized over safety concerns: 'An over-6,000-pound piece of steel'

... In fact, the vehicle is banned from the road entirely in the UK due to it not meeting the country's strict safety standards.

What's happening?

A man in a Tesla Cybertruck in Manchester was pulled over this year and had his vehicle seized because the U.K. had banned this vehicle from its roadways.

Idiot.

... The first area where it fails is its size. With a massive weight of 6,898 pounds (or nearly 3 tons) and a width of 7.2 feet, the vehicle is too heavy and wide to drive safely on British roadways. (Anyone who has driven in the U.K. will immediately recognize the concerns with taking a Cybertruck to those roads.)

I've driven on rural Shetland roads - low traffic but narrow with constant blind curves and hilltops.

The fact that Cybertrucks can go from 0 to 60 mph in only 2.6 seconds raises another issue with safety authorities in the U.K.

Forbes reported that America's National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, as having previously told Slate, "The Cybertruck is an over-6,000-pound piece of steel that has no business going a quarter mile in under 11 seconds."

The vehicle's rigidity poses problems, too, because, in a wreck, cars should be designed to fold to minimize injuries, and rigidity could increase injuries. Meanwhile, the light bar across the front of the Cybertruck doesn't meet at least 6 of the lighting regulations required in the U.K.

Finally, the U.K. has a provision requiring cars to have rounded edges instead of sharp ones like the Cybertruck has.

Why is the banning of the Cybertruck in the U.K. important?

... While the Cybertruck's banning is unlikely to have a major impact on the overall EV uptake in any of the U.K.'s countries, it could continue to hurt Tesla's overall European sales, which have been declining at a sharp rate in recent months....

GoEuropeansGo!

[Vrede too]

Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota:

Major automaker pleads guilty in fraud scheme targeting US customers: 'Will be held criminally accountable'

Wow, decades of fraud and excess pollution from well over 100,000 engines.
"Hino will also pay more than $1.6 billion in penalties."
Okay, but who is getting locked up and for how long? Looks like no one, as usual.