Mastodawn

Instead of pushing for the #Enfattening of #cars and subsequent #Enshittification with literal #ransomware by putting heating and rear-wheel - steering behind a #subscription-based #paywall the #CarIndustry needs to fucking learn from #Japan and take a look at #KeiCars!

For those who don't know, a #KeiCar is basically a #PersonalLightVehicle with a restricted build volume & power output dictated by maximum dimensions and displacement and #engineers in #Japan really took that and basically build everything from a sleek "#DriftMachine" to a "#MiniVan" to a "#MiniTruck"...

(Shoutout to @tikibunnyimports which bring these things into the #US! - #NotSponsored but I do have to give credit where it's due...)

Kei car - Wikipedia

Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK Nov 10

@kkarhan @tikibunnyimports

Volkswagen seems to be stalling on building ID.2/ID.Polo (or whatever its meant to be called), presumably they don't want to cannibalise sales of existing petrol cars.

ID3 is basically an oversized Golf, and will be even more likely to eat its wheel bearings. These are *not* a fun job to fix. It is also plagued by software problems and the aftermarket is locked out of working on it unless they jump through more hoops as access to the ECU is locked down and encrypted (same with newer VW petrol cars after about 2020, and many other makes)

A Kei car with basic controller (like e-bike on a larger scale) would be good, but manufacturers have become financially dependent on both the data they get and using customers as unpaid testers..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUUQXcR8WM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il3pPVWoA9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZnVELN_tbQ

@vfrmedia @tikibunnyimports granted #KeiCar manufacturers in #Japan know that #AntiRepairDesign will harm them espechally (ut not only!) domestically even if they didn't gave a shit about #tuning or the entire #Itasha scene...

Kyushu K Meeting, 2022. Kei Cars/Kei Vans/Kei Trucks (360cc/550cc/660cc)

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Tiki Bunny Imports 🍹🐇🛻🏳️‍🌈Nov 10

@kkarhan @vfrmedia Ironically, the modularity is also impossibly necessary for the tuner scene so they can return their cars to stock(-ish) for when their road inspection (Shaken) is due.

@tikibunnyimports @vfrmedia Obviously, #Japan seems to allow a lot more than #Germany's #TechInspection, because shows like #Roadkill would basically be a constant "#TÜV says no!"...

Little Britain Computer Says No

YouTube

Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK Nov 10

@kkarhan @tikibunnyimports

its similar to the UK (indeed, so are most of our traffic laws and we both drive on the same side of the road)

(Although Japan does use metric units for distance and speed, and has different road signs)

@vfrmedia @tikibunnyimports #UK also metrified officially...

Granted I do expect that in #Japan, the #police doesn't look under the car like they do in #Germany...

Kölner Fahrrad-Cops: Die Stilllegung des Mercedes CL 500 – Reportage | SPIEGEL TV

YouTube

@vfrmedia @tikibunnyimports Tho contrary to popular myth #Tokyo does have an anti-#Streetracing unit...

Police don't chase in Tokyo at 180kph (Scene) - 4K UHD (Fast And Furious :Tokyo Drift 2006)

YouTube

Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK Nov 10

@kkarhan @tikibunnyimports the really bizarre thing is indeed that every bit of civil engineering is done in metric, vehicle maintenance is normally done in metric (only old duffers nowadays still use PSI and ft-lbs for tyres and wheels, there is no need for these dinosaur units unless you are restoring an oldtimer, and even those from 1970s are at least /partly/ metric) - but the distances and speeds are converted to Imperial simply for road signs - leading to anomalies where we buy petrol in litres, but measure consumption in miles per gallon, or when I was at driving school my instructor saying "reverse 2 metres down this road, keeping within a few inches of the kerb"