Linux Powered Dodge

Dan Koppenheffer writes "Wow! Linux (and Java) underlies the Dodge Super8 concept cars's Infotronic information/entertainment system. " The car looks pretty terrible, but hey, embedded Linux! You'd have to be a lot more careful hacking on that system, then, say, your Tivo. (Segmentation Fault: Welcome to Idaho)

Car cracks?

The infotronic center in this car uses a JVM running on top of Linux. This represents a good move on their part IMO, since the software is easier to code and maintain, and the speed hit of a JVM isn't critical in a real time system unless you're using a GUI. It also makes remote administration of the car easier, assuming that they wrote in an XML layer.

My question is, how easy is this car going to be to (maliciously) hack? Imagine some script kiddie rooting your infotronic center and uploading a new version of the software...or sending signals to lock/unlock your doors...or tracking your car's location via the infotronic system....

I really hope that the designers kept privacy and security in mind, and that the infotronic center code was thoroughly tested for cracks. Otherwise we're going to see some really ugly cracks (and scripts!) and another round of oppressive anti-hacker legislation and prosecution in the not too distant future.

ObJectBridge [sourceforge.net] (GPL'd Java ODMG) needs volunteers.

Future Problem Report to lk

I crashed my Dodge into a tree and it took forever to fsck the engine.

You think that car looks terrible?

Two Words :

Slashdot Cruiser

Now there's an ugly car.

Pretty hideous

Good lord, what WERE they thinking?

Part of it looks like a 50's Chevy. Part of it looks like a truck front-end. It makes old Volvos look rounded, when viewed from the front.

Maybe that's why it's wired up? To distract you from the fact you're driving a god-awful dog of a car?

HEMI is more important than Linux!

The car looks pretty terrible, but hey, embedded Linux!

The car looks pretty terrible, but hey, big V8 without silly things like extra valves per cylinder or front-wheel-drive. And it's a Hemi to boot!

That's the *real* priority. Linux was just a smart business decision.

But the big Hemi-head RWD V8 setup means that the automakers have finally realized that there's a segment of the population that really responds to big, brawny, unrefined American V8s. Myself included.

Sure, it'll be a gas pig, but that's okay. If I can afford to daily drive a 1976 Dodge Ram with a 400 CID (6.6L) big-block V8, I can afford to drive this.

Sadly, it doesn't look anything like one of the concept cars they've had kicking around, the Hemi-powered V8 Charger. I hope this is a signal that the platform is going to happen and that they'll make the Charger, too.

As it is, that's a great market niche for Chrysler. Police departments are screwed, because Ford's dropping the Crown Victoria, GM has already killed the Caprice Classic. And cops love rear wheel drive because it handles so much better than front wheel drive.

You'd have to be a lot more careful hacking on that system, then, say, your Tivo. (Segmentation Fault: Welcome to Idaho)

<grin> As long as you're not hacking the traction control, ABS or airbag computers. It's still not a teleporter, you know.

A Point-by-point Refutation.

This car would sell great in the US. Here's a list of the strong points:

1. Big doors - to allow people who weren't malnourished as children to get in and out.
2. Lots of headroom for tall people unstunted by Communist ideas of proper nutrition
3. Great big wheels for improved handling
4. Styling - this looks like a car, as opposed to, say, a bar of wet soap
5. Gigantic engine, because in America, we have geographical features such as "mountains".
6. Ample cupholders, because drivin's powerful thirsty work
7. Bench seats so your girl (or girls) can sit right up next to ya!
8. 22 inch wheels, because everything's bigger in America
9. Pushrod engine technology - proved effective, even before we saved Europe's ass in Doubya Doubya Two

Remember that car that was so great, and came from some other country? Me neither.

New Dodge marketing slogan...

Our cars can't crash!

Aspen was a *compact*, and RWD is a good thing.

363 Horsepower? Rear-wheel drive? Sounds like a 70s-era gas guzzler to me (see also Dodge Aspen).

Okay. Where to begin. Hmmm...

First thing, is the Volare and Aspen were made from 1976 to 1980 as replacements for the compact, efficient and highly reliable Plymouth Valiant [valiant.org]. They were not gas guzzlers, even when equipped with the optional 360 CID (5.9L) V8.

Now, they weren't as good on gas as today's cars, but technology has progressed. The Valiant, with its base engine, the legendary Chrysler Slant-6 [tailfins.com], was routinely capable of 20-25MPG; the Volare/Aspent, because of emissions controls, got a little bit less gas mileage than that. For their day, good gas mileage. And for their size, good gas mileage.

The cars that were really bad on gas were things like the big-block powered Cordoba/Mirada personal luxury cars, the New Yorkers, etc. of that era. That's because of the sheer size of the car (which was what people wanted at the time, and apparently again want) and the fact that they had three-speed transmissions with a final output drive ratio of 1:1. At the time, overdrive automatic transmissions were just starting to come out. So, yeah, they were gas pigs.

Rear wheel drive does not itself mean bad gas mileage. However, it does mean marginally more weight. And because the entire drivetrain is not assembled as a single unit like in a front-wheel-drive car, it does mean more time and labor going down the assembly line.

However, for the consumer, rear wheel drive is generally a good thing [rearwheeldrive.org], though most consumers erroneously believe that the opposite is true.

In a front wheel drive car, everything - steering, suspension, engine, transmission, driveaxles, etc. are crammed into a small engine bay. That means that if you have to replace a starter motor, you might have to spend three hours taking out the front axles before you can get at it. It also means that in a collision, everything mechanical is probably screwed, and therefore the car is a write-off.

Finally, rear wheel drive handles better [netscape.net]. Why? Well, if you lose traction on one of your front wheels, you lose the ability to steer. (Ever tried to steer with your front wheels locked up?)

With front wheel drive, how your car will handle on a snowy road depends on how much traction you have, where the wheels are pointed, and how hard you have your foot on the gas. Unpredictably, one or the other wheel can lose traction - when that happens, you lose steering in that wheel. And because there are so many variables for the driver to consider, it's tough to manage.

On the other hand, with rear wheel drive, there's less weight on the driving wheels. Put a bag of kitty litter in your trunk to prevent getting stuck. But the best part is that when you lose traction, your RWD car will fishtail predictably. Let off the gas, it straightens out. If you need to make a right turn, point the wheels a little to the right and punch the gas. With some practice, you can use this tendency to your advantage and control it completely.

(Do your practice in a snowy parking lot so that you don't hurt anyone else, until you've got the technique down.)

I grew up in Ottawa, Canada. It snows a lot there. And now that I live in Toronto, I can spot my fellow Snowbelters - they're the ones who *don't* slow down to take corners, they just fishtail sideways into them, and then accurately pull the car straight. I can take a corner faster in snow than I can on dry pavement.

The same thing occurs on wet or dry pavement, and you can use it to your advantage if you know how. It's a lot more useful than silly little front wheel drive parking brake donuts.

Why do you think it is that most police forces buy rear wheel drive cars [auto.com]?

My car got H4X0R3D!

[smuj@pepper ~]$ ssh -l root admin.yourcar.com
[e-mail]'s password:
admin# /usr/bin/honk -o /dev/horn
admin# /usr/bin/speed
Current Speed: 73MPH
admin# rm -f /dev/axle
admin# echo "Hahahahaha" > /dev/console
admin# exit

'Merkin Cars

This car would sell great in the US. Here's a list of the strong points:

1) Big doors to allow 300+ lb. people to get in and out.
2) Lots of headroom for teased hairdos and cowboy hats
3) Great big wheels for running over tiny animals
4) Antique appearance - this definitely looks like your father's Buick
5) Gigantic engine, because driving 55 in the fast lane is better with 350 horsepower.
6) Probably zillions of beer^H^H^H^Hcupholders
7) Bench seats so the lard doesn't get pinched, plus there's a place to put a whole tray of hot dogs.
8) 22 inch wheels - just like your teenager's Honda Civic
9) Pushrod engine technology - fuck that DOHC shit. This car looks old, so why not use old fashined engines too? Grampa won't get confused when he looks under the hood.

Remember the car that Homer Simpson designed? This is just like it.

Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger.