this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

At least performance mods can improve efficiency, with the focus of getting more power from the motor to the pavement. If they are actual performance mods (as opposed to just making exhaust louder or adding a rear spoiler on a front wheel drive car), with exceptions of ones that do that by increasing fuel use.

Though even with that one, driving style can matter. Anecdotal, but my car has a sports mode and an eco mode, as well as a fuel use indicator. I found that using sports mode and then having a range of speed I'd drive at (accelerate hard to top speed of the range, then reduce power so that it slows to the low end then accelerating again) was the most efficient way to drive it. If I tried the same in eco mode, the reduced power meant I spent more time doing the acceleration, and either of those was more fuel efficient than just maintaining one speed. Though it was a frustrating way to drive (both for me and I'm sure for anyone who ended up behind me). You couldn't go on auto pilot doing it that way and had to pay constant attention to your speed.

It's kinda like the race to idle strategy for CPU/GPU efficiency. Use lots of power when it's needed so that it can go back to using much less power.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I don't mind mods that make things better for daily use. I also don't mind big performance mods, or truck get bigger mods. There is a caveat though, please put the mods to use. If you spend 10k turning your car into a racing/performance car, and you take it to the track, good for you for having a hobby, and skill. Need a big fucking truck to hall around your construction site worth of tools, and materials? Awesome, you have what you need. Modify it for off road use? If you go off road, even just for fun, sure, fine. If you need it because you work in remote locations, or something, wonderful, you have what you need.

Having these loud, intrusive, difficult, gas hog, emission machines, and all you do is daily drive it, and show off? Well, I will look down on that behavior.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Can we say the same about motorcycles? I feel like leftists give a pass to motorcycles because of efficiency, but they're always the loudest vehicles on the road, one fucking boomer around me loves cruising the neighborhood blaring his ambiguously gay 80s hairband music louder than I can even get either of my vehicles.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I absolutely feel that way about motorcycles. You love your motorcycle? Hell yeah, but if you’re driving past and I have to stop talking because you’re drowning my conversation out I think you’re an asshole. Honestly, I don’t even get why people think super loud motorcycles are cool. Motorcycles definitely can be cool, but obnoxiousness removes all coolness

Hell, I’m generally sympathetic to loudness, I’m hard of hearing and can struggle with volume control and need things louder than some people like, but there’s a line.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah, the line is causing hearing loss apparently lol. But yeah there's no way those guys don't have hearing loss on those things. And I swear to God, if I ever catch someone wearing earplugs on a loud motorcycle? Hoooo boy! Someone's gonna wish they WERE back in 'nam!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah, and, while they use less gas, they release more particle pollutants into the air.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

A spoiler on a fwd car is not always for downforce. Yeah a giant wing on a fwd car puts more weight (both from the weight of the spoiler, and from the down force acted on it) on the back, and less on the front, reducing grip. However a lot of spoilers just make the car a little more slippery through the air, giving a passive, mild efficiency bonus.