I remember when the first movie came out the forums were just covered in caricatures of peoples cars. Mine was not exempt either.

Looks like my alloys...

But in truth the plebeian buried in the phone texting driver who thinks the magic is going to save them wouldn’t have a clue what ECS, TCS, STM, etc even is, let alone know how to turn it off in the first place.

Dumbing down driving and giving people a false sense of security is part of the problem. When the systems fail or there is a event outside of the scope of the system, people won’t know how to react.

Doesn’t the trackey (red key) on a Boss Mustang do just that. Or does it only change engine parameters?

I get it, people suck and lack the ability to take responsibility for their own actions and safety in our sue happy society. I also get that it’s just easy and/or lazy to set precedent that all systems should but be in a default mode with a momentary user setting. But it does serve to make the user experience all the…

I keep mine disabled, and turn them on when I need them. But this wouldn’t be an issue if the dash in every new car wasn’t lit up like a Christmas tree during normal operations in the day. People who pull away from a parking lot with just their DRLs on would go, “oh I can’t see my speedometer, I’d better turn my…

It can be on by default, the first time you run the car, but once it’s turned off it should stay off until re-enabled. Like I said burn a light in the dash as a reminder that it’s disabled. Make a chime or something on first startup. Just quit turning the crap back on.

On an aside.... Will Megasquirt even work in a…

As much as the NHTSA loves to mandate things left right and center like backup cameras, and it makes me crazy. These electronic nannies are likely to be one of their next mandates. But, I wish part of the mandate for things like this was not only the ability to disable them, but the ability to do so permanently using…

1,3,5,6,4,7,2

It just boils down the same old reasons that Ferrari and Lamborghini have also moved on to Auto’s only. (and yes a dual clutch/DSG whatever you want to call it, is an automatic) It’s easier for a novice driver to achieve closer to the cars reported potential with an automatic. Plus, the car is simply faster and more…

Woohoo.. COTD!

My MkII GLI had a dashboard full of twinkling lights starting at about 7k miles. That car had enough electrical gremlins to make Lucas Prince of Darkness appear a pillar of reliability. Hmmmm...that was my last VW...wonder why...?

They also used to sell the Jetta GLI as a 2-door.

As someone with a newer car with leather, in which I’m constantly chasing creases and conditioning those bastids, you are better off.

Yeah... mkIVs took the turn toward being baby Audis. A move I’ve still yet to forgive VW for. I’ve owned 2 Mk2s (both GLIs, still have the white one) and 2 Mk3s (a GTI and a Harlequin Golf, still have the Harlequin). Plus a handful of other similar generation VWs sprinkled in there.

Found another pic of it... a somewhat older pic.

I was just reacting to your “If this car came out a year ago its review would have just been a list of all the things it looked like the grille could eat” comment you posted ;)

One of the things that made the Jetta good was it’s platform sharing with the GTI. It’s poor planning and cost cutting that has lead VW down this path. There was a time in fact that the GLI was actually a better handling car than its hatchback sister back in the mk2 days. The Jetta actually had more chassis regidity.