Something that I love about each comment section at the Autopian is that you are bound to learn something new, and maybe, you’ll have a laugh, too. That is thanks to our wonderful cast of readers, and the comments of today delivered. Did you know that an Oldsmobile makes for a great starting point for puns? Did you know that so-called vegan leather is sometimes made from plants?
We wrote about the 2026 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, and V10omous has a valid complaint:
There’s no vegan leather to be found
This is a phrase that should never have existed, but at minimum should never be uttered or printed again.
Just call it vinyl, because it’s vinyl.
I’ve long found the marketing of modern non-leather, leather-like materials to be fascinating, because it seems automakers have cooked up interesting names for these seating surfaces. However, Cerberus makes a great point:
Plant-based textiles exist.
Which is pretty neat! Who is right? Technically both! Tesla’s standard vegan leather is a polyurethane-based, fully synthetic material. However, you can also retrofit your Tesla with Banbū. It’s an organic material that is 83 percent plant fibers, primarily the fibers of bamboo.
Mark wrote a Shitbox Showdown featuring a 1992 Oldsmobile 88 and a 1998 Honda Accord. KYFire nails the first COTD slot:
There might not be much of a Delta between the two but I’m Eighty Eight percent sure I’d take the Olds over the Honda on Accord of the rust.
Perfection. Jason published a rant about how all cars should be able to just tell you a problem code. Rad Barchetta:
I got a check engine light once. So I opened the hood and checked. It was still there.
Michael Beranek:
Jason, Jason, Jason. Your heart is in the right place, and it’s so pure that you might not be able to see how absolutely, totally, completely Communist this idea is. You’re taking money directly from the shareholder’s hands. This will not be tolerated in 2025 America.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Huh… and I thought vegan leather was made from real vegans.
And of course vinyl just means plastic. Everything’s plastic.
I don’t understand this surprise:
“Cerberus makes a great point:
Which is pretty neat!”
Cerberus makes a great and obvious point. Because you know what else is a plant-based textile? And you don’t have to look to exotic bamboo cloth…. cotton. Cotton is a plant based textile and has been around since about 6000 BCE. Dyed flax fibers have been found dating from 36,000 BCE.
So yes, plant-based textiles definitely exist; and have for quite some time.