Anything the hardware boys come up with, the software boys will piss away.

Sorry, but:
1. US postage is up to 78 cents
2. Pennies are going away

Cut the shuttle in half (lengthwise, of course). Put up giant mirrors so each piece looks like a whole shuttle. Additional benefit that shipping costs are slashed. Easy!

This could be a real benefit to a company like Aptera that is working on super efficient cars covered in solar cells. They claim (up to) 40 miles per day of solar charging. Solar paint could provide more surface area (= more miles) at a lower cost than the cells they are using.

This only imitates an automatic transmission. A true enthusiast wants not only the fake engine noise, but a fake tachometer, a fake clutch pedal, and a fake shift lever to get the entire fake experience.