With the Emoji just being a part of the plate type, it really wouldn’t impact plate recognition.  The LPR system would just look for A-Z0-9 for the plate number itself.  The plate type could then be deciphered using a basic machine learning algorithm to categorize the plate image into the proper plate type.  It’s not…

Ah, didn’t realize that.  Then yes, if it’s just a custom plate type, then it’s really no change at all.  Some regions do even allow overlap based on plate type (for instance ABC123/Passenger and ABC123/Commercial can both be issued to different vehicles), which creates it’s own mess - but it is something the system…

I would be very surprised if this ever became a (successful) thing in the US. The only way to properly support emoji characters is to have full Unicode support. Having worked with most state DMV computer systems, adding Unicode support to the plate number field would be a MASSIVE undertaking - easily costing in the…

Only evidence I ever accept is a photo of the gear shift lever.

Had my throttle stick on a formula car once. I ended up hitting a tire wall head on at 60mph.

Yup, just had a $10,000 car totaled after the side curtain airbags went off.  In my case it was a justified deployment (there was an impact, and they did help), but the actual bodywork damage was minimal ($2000?).  The Airbags, and all the interior that goes with them, added up to over $7000 in damage.  My car did…

There’s a billboard right outside my office window for a local bank offering a 4% checking account. Not sure what the fine print is, and I’m sure it’s there, but it does look like checking account interest is on the way up.

I’m thinking it’s just a poor phrasing from the writer. Zooming in on the tire size they appear to be 305/30R20's. That works out to likely a 20x12 wheel, or 20" diameter, 12" width.

That’s still pretty wide, but well short of 20" wide.

I agree.  I heard a Mazda 787B in person, and I can tell you it sounds glorious... when it’s on the other side of the track.  When it’s on your side, you don’t hear anything, as you’re just ducking for cover.

I’ll echo a lot of the options here, but to me the unique “feature” is a small footprint. My garage isn’t that large, and any sq. footage I can free up by having a smaller car, is much appreciated.

The only track employees who will be there during the festival are a few top management people (who will oversee the event organizers), and a few maintenance-type people who (who will oversee the event’s maintenance people).

Anyone who has anything to do with actual racing at the track will either be enjoying a family…

Watkins Glen doesn’t really surprise me as a venue choice for many reasons:

- It may be 3 hours from Bethel, NY, but it’s very much in the same “cultural” area. It’s still upstate NY farm country, and both areas would even agree on the same definition of “Upstate NY” (which if you’re familiar with NY, is NOT something…

I’ve met more people who were arrested at the bus burning at the Bog, than actually attended that race.

The original Bog is long gone, with the site it used to occupy now being partially grand stand and partially sand trap. None the less, I’m sure that when you combine the “Woodstock” name with “Watkins Glen”, there’s…

Had the same “problems” with my Fiat’s rear brakes. That car was so nose heavy that the rear axle did little more than keep the rear bumper off the ground. This mean tires and brakes for the rear lasted forever - I ran ONE pair t of 200tw tires on the rear axle for over 80,000 miles, and they still had life left in…

I’m not opposed to plastic (or really any alternative material) for wheels, if they’re better. However, some of my initial concerns would be:
1) How do they hold up to UV or other environmental damage?
2) Any concerns with loss of strength or brittleness in extreme hot or extreme cold?
3) Any concerns with wear and tear…

The biggest challenge is that you’re buying it sight-unseen, which means no test drives, and no personal vehicle inspections. I’ve done this myself twice now with newish cars still under factory warranty. Both times, I contacted a local (to the car) independent shop and paid them something like $100-200 to give the…

I too don’t change my own oil on the street cars.  That said, I still buy a lot of oil.  In particular, I’m pretty sure more oil goes into the Fiat to top it off between changes, than in the actual changes themselves.

At best, it’s a marketing ploy (see all the names on the side of it?).  The trouble is, such marketing exposure only goes so far.  From the sounds of it, about $33mil short of 1000mph.

I’m not as convinced. My sno-rake can clear the car just as quickly as the leaf blower in the video when dealing with light powder like that. Get into the heavier or icier stuff, and it wouldn’t even be a contest.

On a snowy day around here you’re gonna get woken up early - snow plows and snow blowers will be going pretty constant from 5am - 9am.  Doesn’t really bother me though, because it’s just a signal that I need to get out of bed and go join in the party myself.