If you drive or plan to, I strongly recommend you read this article at Wired on the progress that a pair of hackers have made at hacking into automobiles. Wirelessly. While the vehicles are on the road.
Trigger warning: if you’ve ever experienced Sudden Unintended Acceleration you might not want to read the article.
Hat tip: memeorandum
If I ever win the lottery I plan on buying some really sweet ride from the days before computers in cars.
Don’t forget the manual window cranks. I’ve never had a problem with the electrics, but I’ve never heard of someone who needed their’s repaired who didn’t wish for them back.
There is a list of 20 vehicles that were rated for their risk linked in the article. It didn’t list any of our vehicles, but I’m not sure that is a good thing or bad thing. List here:
http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Screen-Shot-2014-08-05-at-10.08.53-AM.png
Kind of seems like larger vehicles, hybrids, and luxury models, but I’m not good at knowing my cars. Is that where the expected to find a lot of computer usage, or is that in fact where computer usage was potentially problematic?
That stands to reason. The vehicle classes you mention are the ones with more electronics.
That’s been the thrust of development in the automotive world for some time—increased electronics and computerization. Honestly, I’ve always been skeptical for just this reason but try and convince anybody at an auto company of this. Oh, well, more work for your team, PD.
Get an old Porsche Spyder, ice.
Your suggestion isn’t bad, Drew, but I was thinking along the lines of an old Jag E-type. (I mean, it’s already fantasy, right?) And I’d probably want something in the Lotus/Caterham 7 series as well. I’d drive around dressed like Patrick McGoohan as Number Six and have a grand old time!
In the 7 I’d add one bit of independent electronics – a camera n the back with a screen in the cockpit to make it easier to ascertain whether I was being followed by a hearse. Can’t be too careful….
I plead nolo contendere to being a Porsche guy. But please do us a favor and don’t dress to drive, just drive. What next? A scarf and the golf clubs in the passenger seat of the roadster?
I promise, no golf!