You're cute, but I'd love to see you try to pull the rear bearing on a 2004 Explorer.

Be a lot more "ask a parent" and a heck of lot more NSFW.

Yes they did.

Found a press release.
http://www.renovomotors.com/marty-press-release/

"MARTY was built in collaboration with Renovo Motors, an automotive start-up based in Silicon Valley that specializes in building advanced electric vehicle technology. Working closely together gave the Stanford team early access to a brand new platform derived from Renovo’s electric supercar that delivers 4,000 pound-feet from on-motor gearboxes to the rear wheels in a fraction of a second – allowing precise control of the forces required to drift."

It starts in Rear Window land and then goes into mostly Kubrick films (maybe all Kubrick... although I may have seen one or two Vertigo shots). Is there some larger connection I'm missing? Or just for the hell of it...

Where's the slow motion of the rear of the cart spraying the foam off of a latte cup left artfully at the edge of the desk? and the time shifted clip of the guy in an office chair flying over his head between two desks in a monkey suit?

The past week on my facebook newsfeed, has been a damn horror show. The sheer amount of xenophobia and hipocrisy that reared its ugly head, is unbelievable.

The motorcyclist who got rear-ended says

"Hey everyone thanks for the thoughts. I am all good now. Took a little bit to get back on motorcycles but it's my love and passion."

"Hahaha. Turn it over and spank its butt. I don't know. Hahaha."

Umm, hello, dumbass. Pull over and call 911 maybe? Perhaps turn the freaking camera off or put it down, pull the car over, and comfort the baby and baby mama? Freaking comedian.

Knowing the police they'd probably pull you over and give you a ticket for no child seat. At worst you could get t-boned or rear-ended and... not good.

@vil - well, the Tour starts in a different country each time and the Grand Depart was from Utrecht this year. Perhaps his starting weight was 80 but delivered some of it? Perhaps he has another 40 to deliver after? 20 kilos per bag is reasonable, i've mounted ~40 kilos on a rear bike rack before. I don't know how Dutch postmen dress, but it didn't sound like the security were speaking English to me - the woman at the start was speaking Dutch, as was the man holding on to the bike. And people are allowed to ride the route.

But how did a hard boiled northerner (UK) like this end up delivering huge amounts of post in Utrecht?

Weight distribution is just as important too. the beetle has the engine right at the back sot he weight is over the driven wheels. Very little weight up front and the body is relatively tall. That means from the start the rear wheels grip and bite hard, then any weight shift as the car accelerates and the front lifts puts more weight to the rear axle meaning even more grip. Beetles win drag races in the first 20m or so. As you can see in this video the difference in speed in the first second or two is massive. Stop the video at 39 seconds and you'll see in that first launch the beetle has gone twice as far as the mustang. That speed difference that early on is very hard to catch up.

First, about the leaving room part. In most car racing, you don't have to 'leave room', as long as you don't touch. Cutting off another driver's line is part of racing, you don't just LET other cars pass you, normally. Turning into a car's rear axle, that's NEVER OK in racing (except demolition racing).

Secondly, and more to the point, there WAS room. Not much, but definitely enough. If you look really close, at 21-22 seconds is when the contact happens, and the yellow car is at least 1 foot away from the white line, and no where near the 'run out' (red and white striped 'curb') for the corner. He intentionally turns into the rear of the white car, hitting it instead of just keeping it straight and coming in behind. I don't think he even would have used the run out had he just kept it straight, and certainly wouldn't have been off the track. His other option would be to let off the gas, then move right once the car in front is clear, but then he'd be in second. I think he expected the white car to crash, but not take him with it. He certainly should have known what would happen when he turned into the other car at that speed coming out of a turn, and that it would be terrible.

The car behind has the greater duty to avoid an accident on the track. At least, that's how it was when I did off road racing.

Side note...at :46, I'm pretty sure some poo came out of the guy with the blue flag.

So it would seem that the concept of red-light cameras is debated by special interest groups on both sides, with strong lobbying from red-light camera vendors. The wikipedia summary explains the controversy thus: "Authorities cite public safety as the primary reason that the cameras are installed, while opponents contend their use is more for financial gain. There have been concerns that red light cameras scare drivers (who want to avoid a ticket) into more sudden stops, which may increase the risk of a rear-end collisions."

The same Wikipedia article summarizes the research thus: "A report in 2003 by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) examined studies from the previous 30 years in Australia, the UK, Singapore and the US, and concluded that red light cameras "improve the overall safety of intersections where they are used." While the report states that evidence is not conclusive (partly due to flaws in the studies), the majority of studies show a reduction in angle crashes, a smaller increase in rear-end crashes, with some evidence of a “spillover” effect of reduced red light running to other intersections within a jurisdiction. These findings are similar to a 2005 meta analysis, which compared the results of 10 controlled before-after studies of red light cameras in the US, Australia and Singapore. The analysis stated that the studies showed a reduction in crashes (up to almost 30%) in which there were injuries, however, evidence was less conclusive for a reduction in total collisions. Studies of red light cameras worldwide show a reduction of crashes involving injury by about 25% to 30%, taking into account increases in rear-end crashes, according to testimony from a meeting of the Virginia House of Delegates Militia, Police, and Public Safety Committee in 2003. These findings are supported by a review of more than 45 international studies carried out in 2010, which found that red light cameras reduce red light violation rates, crashes resulting from red light running, and usually reduce right-angle collisions."

There are enough interesting sources there that you can still find confirmation for your particular bias, whatever it is, if you so choose.

As I heard it, the problem is that some people will tend to slam on the brakes on an orange light when they see a red light camera and then get rear ended.

I admit to only briefly perusing the list, but the descriptions on some of the links mention a similar conclusion.

yeah maybe. i dunno, i've seen people just freeze like a deer in the headlights whenever something unusual happens on the road.

Literally last night we pulled up as an accident had occurred ahead of us, and for the next five minutes the number of people who blasted past a line of stopped cars all with their hazards on and full headlight beams illuminating the crash site and so on, was staggering. Last minute they'd realize that yes, there's a car blocking one lane and facing the wrong way all smashed to bits and yes, there's glass and oil on the road. One after anouther they'd slam on the brakes, almost hit it, then almost get rear ended.

People drive with total tunnel vision i think. It's kinda scary how little awareness some people have. On the other hand maybe they're an asshole. hard to say.

My motorhead's guess, no differential but instead a spool in the rear and still turning while adding power caused differing loads in the rear tires, causing a terrible wobble as the tires fought each other (and the suspension), ending by ripping out the rear suspension.
EDIT: That's why I use a Detroit locker in my Jeep, it's a spool when you add power, and a differential when you let off power.

If I'm not mistaken, that's the cover for the VTOL fan that resides right there. Note the outflow vents below aimed rear/downwards for takeoff...I think those move forward and backwards to achieve VTOL, hover, and slow flight. I've never seen it open during forward flight, so I'm not certain, but that seems right.