One of the saddest automotive developments in recent history is how several American states have decided that vintage cars imported from Japan are unworthy of being driven on the road. The official stated reason is that these vehicles are unsafe, but it doesn’t make any sense. Now, we have another example of how silly it all is.
Today, Thomas wrote that GM figured out how to make the 9,063-pound GMC Hummer EV accelerate faster than a Corvette. It’s equal parts hilarious and frustrating. 3WiperB:
And some people worry about kei cars being dangerous to others.
MaximillianMeen:
“We have to keep those unhinged kei cars off the roads so the real patriots can drive their 4-5 ton behemoths without the stress of running over one of those selfish toys!”
-AAMVA
To be clear, I am okay with consumers having a choice! If super quick big trucks are perfectly legal, Kei cars should be, too!
Anyway, another sad development is the depressing state of car colors. Jason wrote a Cold Start showing all of the sweet colors of the Plymouth Trail Duster compared to the colors of a modern Dodge Durango. One of the colors below is supposed to be blue. Seriously!
Rad Barchetta gets it:
A dark red, a dark blue, and six grayscale colors
Which one of those is blue? I can’t tell. Is it me? It’s ok if it is.
Today, David wrote about so-called ‘transition model-year’ cars with single-year-only parts that basically don’t exist anymore. David wrote this because he’s probably going to buy yet another Jeep. ImissmyoldScout:
Dave has child, thinks “sensible car” thoughts, throws caution to the wind, buys transition year 2-door Jeep that is totally horrible for toting said child in, and impossible to source parts for.
Yep, that tracks.
Ignatius J. Reilly:
Unobtanium is an essential element when forging a Holy Grail.
Yellowdog’s comment is so true:
Jeep has nothing on VW. VW seems to make transitions because it is Tuesday, or the cat barfed, or perhaps the gods know why. 3-5 changes during a calendar year are not unusual. For a lot of parts, finding the right one is a shot in the dark.
Have a great evening, everyone!
A special endorsement/class of drivers’s license to drive any vehicles over 5,000 lbs GVWR would be a step in the right direction.
If you paid as much money as GM has to certify the Hummer (or bribes to relevant officials) you could get kei cars legalized too.
It’s not about actual safety, it’s about paperwork
Why is it that many of the gargantuan vehicle drivers are also the types that think their poop doesn’t stink and that they have more rights than the rest of us? (Is there a political commentary in there?)
Most of my life (I’m 76) I’ve driven “smaller” vehicles. I currently have a 2002 Miata as well as a Crosstrek. Land cruisers haven’t generally been in my stable, although I’ll admit to a 2014 Ram for a short time. It was just too big for real world driving, whether it was local streets or even interstates.
I think Delmar is going to spend 99% of his car seat life in Elise’s Lexus anyway. Modern cars are so much better set up for car seats with latch anchors in every position behind the front seats. Once he’s tall enough to sit in a booster seat with the regular belt securing him, it won’t matter. He’ll ride safely and comfortably in whichever of his dad’s fleet is running that day.
“safely” might be stretching it with some of David’s collection
Actually Jeeps of those vintages are terrible for kids in boosters. The seat backs are SO short they are basically quadriplegic in any rear impact. One of the main reasons I sold my TJ and XJ was my kids (all of 9 and 6) looked totally unsafe in it.
That sounds like an excuse for David to go looking for a more modern bench with head restraints to swap in and write a story about. Or he could just not drive his son in the XJ until he is tall enough to sit up front.
Yeah, I spent the first five years of my life being wedged between the seats and gas tank of a MG TD , because the door of the passenger seat might open unexpectedly.
Thanks, Mercedes! And thanks for confirming I don’t need a color test next time I see the eye doctor.
I’m still not sure whether David needs a spare fuel pump or an intervention.
Why not both?
I agree. I mean WTF, in many states you can legally drive a rusted out, busted smashed, bad ball joint, bald tires POS legally, or a Suzuki Samurai or geo metro, but not a Kei car..
I was once in the highway behind a first-gen Tundra that was dog-tracking at about a 10° angle. Like, I could see the entire left side of the truck from the same lane. It must have had broken suspension, frame, or both.
AAMVA needs to explain how that is somehow street legal, but smol and/or “foreign” cars are a safety hazard that must be eradicated from American roads.
David seems to think everything is grail rated. It’s usually just a cross and thorns though…
I am pretty sure the big trucks are safe for the drivers but maybe less for the people in the other vehicles. However in the case of the Kei cars the driver in the Kei car is in danger not the other vehicles. But I just Read Colorado approved Kei cars.
Couple points. First, if that’s the perspective states banning Kei cars are taking, then motorcycles should be illegal. Classic American cars without seatbelts, headrests, crumple zone, etc. They should all be illegal too. But, for these vehicles we’ve decided that we’re all adults and can make choices as to the risks we want to take. And at least with classic cars and Keis, they tend to not be daily drivers, and driven more carefully since they’re collectibles.
Second, I think the safety argument towards banning 9,000 lb road missiles like the Hummer is much stronger because of the likely victim’s lack of choice. Again, if I strap on a Crotch rocket or 1,800 lb Kei, I get to make that personal choice whether I risk my safety . But whoever gets pancaked by some douche doing a 2.8 second 0-60 pull in a Hummer? They never got a chance to make that decision.
That kind of ty tonnage+power shouldn’t be street legal; or should only be legal with a special license.