At 01:58 PM 9/3/2010  -0700, neil n wrote:
>Is that goofy or what??   ;)

What.  It's a major reason why automobile manufacturers spend so much
time testing.  When that eighteen-wheeler right behind you keys his
kilowatt rig you'd really like your electronically controlled motor
and transmission not to get funny ideas.  Or your electric power
steering or your fly-by-wire brakes, which of course you have not got.

Yours,
David
ps -- did you know there have been serious proposals to run a single
48 or 96 volt bus around an entire vehicle, with all the electrics
simply attached directly to it?  Power and instructions all passed
down the single wire.  Already your typical fancy car has some
ridiculous number like 50 or 60 microprocessors.

Thank God for the '80s, say I.  I think mid-80s to mid-90s are the
sweet spot in modern automotive history.