New Ford Mustang May Have Electronic "Burnout" Button 290
cartechboy writes "Ford has decided to take the burnout into the 21st century for the new 2015 Mustang. The Mustang's new 'electronic' burnout system is intended to enable perfect burnouts every time, much like launch control has made it easier to accelerate quickly from a stop. So think of every new Mustang with a bright red 'burnout' button. While the details on how the burnout control system will work remain secret, it's possible that a combination of the features used in a typical launch control system, including traction and rev-limiting controls, together with a front brake locking system, could enable Ford to pull together existing technology in a completely new way. So far Ford has no comment."
1940s technology, here today! (Score:2)
You have this low-tech piece of equipment that brakes the non-drive wheels while spinning the drive wheels (called a "line lock"), problem solved. I guess they are going to do that, but with some electronics?
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IIRC, when the guys did this when I was a kid, it was about the fun of managing to do it properly yourself.
Of course there was also the bit about having enough of the manhood-substitute horsepower to do it. But the point remains: it was something the guys did to show off. With this, what's to show off? "Look folks! I can push a button!"
Meh.
Re: 1940s technology, here today! (Score:5, Insightful)
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Quite agree. Its also why Ford and Mustang owners feel the need to resort to this kind of shit to get their new cars noticed. Except they clearly don't understand the "not in a good way" thing.
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Shouldn't it be the 'P' as in P for poseur or P for pollute, hell it could even be a really tiny 'p' and we all know exactly what that represents, at least it would be accurate.
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Apples to oranges maybe, but:
It's been called the 'M' button for quite a while now and installed in certain 'M-class' automobiles.
The Ford version will probably end up being a toy version of it - you can do a burnout once you engage, but for the front brakes to release you'll have to disengage the 'B' button. You know, the 'safe' way.
Goddam lead fingered drivers. Get off my lawn.
Re: 1940s technology, here today! (Score:5, Informative)
There were no 1963 Mustangs.
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There were no 1963 Mustangs.
Yep - Appeared in Goldfinger in 1964 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLuNstLjP1c [youtube.com]
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Re:1940s technology, here today! (Score:4, Insightful)
Cars are so fly by wire now it becomes difficult to do things like a burnout. You can argue the need for such a thing but some people do value it. Basically the only reason there's a button to turn off your traction control is because some people wouldn't buy the car because they couldn't do a burnout. Then, once they've disabled it and have done the burnout they are now driving around without traction control on. Solution? A button that controls the burnout, does it better than the human ever could, and then automatically re-activates safety systems. Maybe they can even keep control of the car, detect if somethings gone wrong and fail out of the burnout.
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>. the only reason there's a button to turn off your traction control is
Not true, every car has times it needs to be off. Drive you car home on a spare without burning up brakes. Not to mention most suck at things like going through mud holes, deep snow. Even the really good factory systems when turned off allow pro drivers to go faster. I understand a race system in a race environment is a winner, but has nothing to do with need to disable the production systems in intense driving (but not while co
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As someone who's built a mud truck/rock crawler from the ground up, I can tell you that traction control cause me any problems on the trail. My truck has a 5 point long arm suspension, 6" lift, etc... etc... and I rarely turn the traction control off. About the only time I can remember doing it was when I broke a drive shaft, I was able to lock up my diff to drive away but the traction control went nuts because it thought the right tire was in a skid. I doubt the average public would ever have such a proble
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Most cars can't get out of a snow drift with the traction control on. Sometimes you need wheelspin.
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I guess it wasn't traction controll, but stabilty controll that causes me problems. The switch only says traction. The problem is if I try to maintain speed through a hole, it sees the rear end slide... and reduces throttle and pulls on the brake to go straight, more important to maintain speed than be perfectly straight but stuck in the mud usualy.
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People don't want to turn off traction control to do a burnout, they also probably want to slide around corners.
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Try driving a 4WD Honda Pilot across deep, slushy snow or through a mudhole with traction control on...you'll end up stuck. Turn it off, gun it, sail free.
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Cars are so fly by wire now it becomes difficult to do things like a burnout. You can argue the need for such a thing but some people do value it. Basically the only reason there's a button to turn off your traction control is because some people wouldn't buy the car because they couldn't do a burnout. Then, once they've disabled it and have done the burnout they are now driving around without traction control on. Solution? A button that controls the burnout, does it better than the human ever could, and then automatically re-activates safety systems. Maybe they can even keep control of the car, detect if somethings gone wrong and fail out of the burnout.
The thing is, an auto-burnout button defeats the purpose of actually doing a burnout. It's like driving a paddle-shifter at the track or offroading the Ford Raptor's pathfinding guideline feature with hill descent control.
Basically, you are using a computer to remove all skill from the activity. Which, in turn, removes most of the fun from it... unless you like being a poser.
That's why many people insist on high-performance vehicles with the rudimentary control input option. We have computers manage most
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A better question is this: what is this article from the transportation age doing here in the information age?
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"A better question is this: what is this article from the transportation age doing here in the information age?"
One word: Dicedot.
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Remember, it is controlled by a button, not a lever or valve. Buttons are electronic!
I'm going to file a patent right now for doing this from a mobile device.
Labeling Atop Button (Score:5, Funny)
"Press this button to receive citation"
Re:Labeling Atop Button (Score:5, Funny)
Excellent! Somebody buy a dozen of these for Wikipedia, I've heard they need citations.
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Stick beneath the licence plate of a known boy-racer in your neighbourhood:
[Citation needed]
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I had a Chevy citation.
I drove it from Indianapolis to Memphis Tennessee to meet a girl and the fuel pump was completely screwed so i just pumped the gas pedal for 900 miles. Good times.
It got lots of abuse on country back roads as well.
The car?
"Snow and Ice" (Score:2)
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Pretty sure maxxing out the rear wheel spin with the front brakes locked in a RWD on ice/snow is a REALLY BAD idea, unless the car is parked in the middle of a bunch of pillow factories with no walls.
Since that is what the button does and all. We already have traction buttons...
Re:"Snow and Ice" (Score:5, Informative)
Where did you get that idea? Watch this video [youtube.com], starting 34 seconds in.
Um, why? (Score:2)
I guess I'm underwhelmed. I never realized people were that into destroying tires.
Re:Um, why? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Um, why? (Score:5, Funny)
When I was a teenager back in the 70s I knew a kid who put a solenoid controlled bleach dispenser over his rear tires to achieve that truly obnoxious white smoke burnout.
Why, do you ask? What possible purpose could that serve? Well, when his girlfriend dumped him, he backed up into her parent's driveway and blanketed their house in smoke for ten minutes.
This pretty much shows the level of mentality involved.
Re:Um, why? (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess I'm underwhelmed. I never realized people were that into destroying tires.
Mustang Cobras are bought as cars you can bring to the drag strip and maintain a factory warranty.
That said:
At a drag strip, generally before your run, you are sitting in line waiting, and waiting, and waiting, allowing enough time for your tires to cool off to ambient temperature. This is terrible for grip off the line. So generally, you'll roll into the burnout box (a small lowered area in the tarmac containing a little water) and perform a burnout. This does 2 things:
1) Warms up the tires to about 120-170 degrees, an ideal temperature for a powerful grip when the light goes green.
2) Clears off any debris you may have picked up travelling in the pit lanes or at the end of the track.
Both of these are for obtaining maximum traction. Traction generally equals safety (unless you're running a twin-turbo or heavily supercharged engine capable of lifting the front wheels off the ground, then you're asking for trouble on a whole new level and will likely never make use of the burnout button.) Considering how many people out there buy a 400+ horsepower Mustang without knowing the slightest thing about drag racing, expecting to show up at the track, put their pedal to the floor and go without so much a thought, this can prevent many trackday injuries caused by people who can't hold a proper burnout.
Re:Um, why? (Score:4, Insightful)
If you're driving a factory-stock car at the strip to preserve your factory warranty, then the temperature of your tires is not going to be the deciding factor in your performance.
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Consider it a Chinese tire torture test.
If the tire fails after a minute then it's bad, if it lasts 3 minutes it's safe.
New low (Score:2, Interesting)
Wow, this button is a new low both for Ford and for the Mustang.
Burnouts are for morons in the first place, but If you can't do one without a button you shouldn't even be behind the wheel.
A skill (Score:5, Funny)
Burnouts are a skill acquired when a Bogan (White trash or whatever) is finally able to purchase a vehicle capable of breaking traction on dry ground. After this qualification they are ready for a doughnut (or Dohhy) usually in a carpark where there are plenty of victi^h^h^h^h^honlookers present to qualify you as a full on dickhead.
Like much automation these days, such a feature would automate the process of becoming a dickhead, allowing many more dickheads because, as you are probably aware, what the world needs is more dickheads.
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hey, dickheads keep the economy going by supplying customers and cash to, not in any particular order: bars - dickheads need to buy lots of beer, auto performance shops - hi-performance parts cost money and there's a huge aftermarket for everything to go fast (think SEMA [sema.org]), hospitals because dickheads get injured when their car hits a telephone pole and when they knock up every unwed teenage mother within a 20 mile radius, they buy DVDs of Fast and Furious movies to hear Vin Diesel say something, fast food
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hey, dickheads keep the economy going by supplying customers and cash to
Sure, but I don't think this particular invention is going to help -- the moment a burnout becomes easy for anyone to do, it will cease being useful as a way to impress anyone.
In fact, this may poison the dickhead well, as now whenever someone does a burnout they will be under suspicion of being the dickhead equivalent of a script kiddie.
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now you've offended the dickhead gods and they will smite you for blasphemy against the Diesel one. If you watch his movies you must adhere to the dickhead code otherwise you will cast down into a fiery furnace of Zuffenhausen. [porsche.com]
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because, as you are probably aware, what the world needs is more dickheads.
Is that you, Shaft?
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because, as you are probably aware, what the world needs is more dickheads.
Is that you, Shaft?
Damn Right!
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Shut yo' mouth!
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Shut yo' mouth!
That's no way to talk to the man who protects his brother man.
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Shut yo' mouth!
That's no way to talk to the man who protects his brother man.
Burma-Shave!
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TV Advertizer: "Always wanted to be a dickhead, but were never good enough to do it on your own? Well, have we got a product for you! Just push this big red button and everyone around will know you're a dickhead! It's that simple! Order now and an inflatable floozy will be included at NO CHARGE! (Male floozies not available.)"
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You Brits and your language are atrocious. I'm glad we kicked you out of America way back when.
bzzzzt! Horsetralian!
Meh... (Score:2)
You need a button for this? For me it's apply the right foot to the floor at any speed. You can do this while stopped as well to make the tires break loose and smoke. It's all about applying more force than the mechanical traction of the tires will allow on the road surface. It seems nowadays these kids need a button for everything. I'm sure if they could wire it into an iPhone or Android app it would be even better.
Burnout Button (Score:2)
Does it have DJ Atomika on the radio?
Brought to you by Bridgestone (Score:2)
Wonder how much the tire companies paid Ford to put this in.
Also, if you need a button to do a burnout...
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The AC button was the Turbo button in my CRV, basically allowing the vehicle to hit 75 on an open highway...
The proposition to my wife was "speed or comfort", so we lumbered slowly down the road in a nice cool vehicle environment.
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KITT's turbo boost button was my first thought too. You beat me to it. So instead, this link. [youtube.com]
Better than burnout. (Score:3)
Burnouts may be showy. But you get better acceleration from a standing start if you DON'T break traction.
What I'd find more useful is a "button" for automatic maximum-traction acceleration (to a presetable speed or until you let off the gas). Think "anti-lock brakes" but in acceleration.
(Though what I'd find FAR more useful is integrating "tow-haul" mode with the speed control.)
Re:Better than burnout. (Score:4, Informative)
BMW has that. It's called launch control.
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BMW has that. It's called launch control.
Renault developed it in the 80's for F1 but these days even Subaru, Mitsubishi and Nissan have launch control on their rally and track cars.
They already come this way. (Score:2)
I've made some decent bets about whether or not someone can do a donut as well as my 96 Cougar...
Cars with always-on traction control can't do a donut or burnout, no matter how much horsepower they have.
It really pisses them off when you can do a kille,r around-the-front-wheels donut; and they can't even break it loose. :)
One of my coworkers has a newish Mustang with a blower, and it won't but barely squeak the tires. It won't do anything showy, unless you want to go 100mph in a parking lot. :facepalm:
I'm s
Ford Mustang? (Score:2)
Oh, I thought it was the new Ford Taurus.
What's the point? (Score:2)
Reading the comments I eventually got enough context to track down the Wikipedia entry, which says: "drag racing tires perform better at higher temperatures, and a burnout is the quickest way to raise tire temperature immediately prior to a race. They also clean the tire of any debris and lay down a layer of rubber by the starting line for better traction."
So... is this just for drag racing? Or is there some other point to this?
And now the mustang looses cred (Score:2)
There is nothing cool about a factory button that shows off for you.
What "skill" and motor head credibility does a big black button give you?
The button should just cause a speaker to blare out "WANKER!" it would have the same effect.
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Agreed. :)
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There is nothing cool about a factory button that shows off for you.
What "skill" and motor head credibility does a big black button give you?
The button should just cause a speaker to blare out "WANKER!" it would have the same effect.
Lets face it,
People these days cant drive a manual, need electronic sensors to tell them if there's a car next to them or if they dont have their seatbelt on and assistance to brake or even stay in their lane.
Pressing a button is a big ask given the skill level of the average motorist these days.
Stupid but awesome (Score:2)
Completely dumb feature... but who wouldn't actually want it? You might not ever press it. But its there...calling to you... and one drunken night... magic will happen... and automotive landscaping.
Burnout? Needs a second button... (Score:2)
So I can do a "showtime" down the main street during rush hour. I'd like to hit that 25X multiplier and chalk up 30 or 40 million points.
Hmmm .... (Score:2)
If you can afford a Mustang GT, and need a button to do a burnout, you're probably a complete wanker who can't actually drive it.
Just sayin'. This is technology to compensate for lack of skill in middle-aged men.
Why not? (Score:2)
Tesla already has one.
Real Men Use Manual Transmissions (Score:2)
Ford's shitty Mustang has so little power it needs electronic help with doing a burnout? That's pretty sad considering real men only need a good manual transmission to do real burnouts, and I was doing burnouts in an 87 Tercel hatchback equipped with a shitty 4 cylinder engine, and killing the tires or rims every time. Once I killed the pressure pate, that was fun to replace.
Line lock (Score:2)
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This used to be called line lock. For 1/4 milers it was a help to get the engine revved up to the torque band while heating the rubber on the tires to get better traction. When the green light comes on you release the brakes and go.
When I was a kid we got tickets for negligent driving if we squealed the tires. The cops will have fun with this.
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We never had anything with enough power to break anything. We had to go to the strip and watch the nitro boys blow shit up.
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I hypermile mine to 31mpg then blow away pretty much anything from a stop
So, you're an asshole coming *and* going.
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This used to be called line lock. For 1/4 milers it was a help to get the engine revved up to the torque band while heating the rubber on the tires to get better traction. When the green light comes on you release the brakes and go.
When I was a kid we got tickets for negligent driving if we squealed the tires. The cops will have fun with this.
Due to cops being more worried about simple revenue generation activities (i.e., enforcing unrealistically low speeding guidelines and snooping on stopped vehicles where driver is using their phone), all it's going to do is to annoy residents where the local bad boys like to street race (i.e., major road a few blocks away from my house).
Thanks Ford. Just like selling an exploit script to script kiddies - profiting off the misery of the many while catering to the few dumb idiots who are too unskilled or laz
Re: Burnouts are illegal. (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Burnouts are illegal. (Score:5, Funny)
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"Modern Country Band" is the name of my Mumford and Sons cover band.
Was "Trust Fund Wurzels" [google.co.uk] already taken?
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"Modern country [music]", isn't that an oxymoron?
Considering most, if not all, country music played on the radio today is little more than rock/pop with a southern accent and possibly a violin (sorry, fiddle), on occasion, I'd say it's not. I like all kinds of music. But solid body guitars with heavy distortion don't mix well with what I consider to be country music. It's kind of like adding a theremin to an a cappella group. Hell, the Eagles would be considered country music by today's standards.
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"Modern country [music]", isn't that an oxymoron?
Considering most, if not all, country music played on the radio today is little more than rock/pop with a southern accent and possibly a violin (sorry, fiddle), on occasion, I'd say it's not. I like all kinds of music. But solid body guitars with heavy distortion don't mix well with what I consider to be country music. It's kind of like adding a theremin to an a cappella group. Hell, the Eagles would be considered country music by today's standards.
The Eagles have always straddled the line between country and rock but their last album (particularly the tracks released as singles) was decidedly leaning more to the country side.
Probably because rock radio is practically non-existent anymore.
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So I'd be pretty surprised if this were true... and if it is... lol, noobs.
Back when I was in college I had a monster of a car from the 1960's, in near mint shape with a whopping 425 CuIn (that's 7L in today's parlance) V8 (that's two inline 4's joined at the hip in today's parlance). One night when I thought I was alone on a country back road, I decided to see what it had off the line at a stop sign. It had quite a lot and several left over. Alas, as the tires finished skidding a pair of headlights came on in a parking lot I was unaware of and proceded to pull me over, with t
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My V8 may only be 5.6L, but it will still leave a patch if I let it (realistically, it probably has more power than any of the 60s muscle cars, given the way that measuring power has changed over the decades). I've dione it by accident before in reverse (there's no traction control in reverse).
Re:Burnouts are illegal. (Score:5, Funny)
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what is a burnout
Re: Burnouts are illegal. (Score:5, Funny)
what is a burnout
An IT worker over 30.
Re: Burnouts are illegal. (Score:5, Informative)
31 year old IT worker here, can confirm. The money is fantastic, unfortunately you trade in your soul.
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You're doing it wrong then.
I leased out my soul. I get better returns at the end of each year at tax time.
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Unless the button magically disables itself on DOT roads, you're not going to see it in a production car.
The GT-R (at least the original, I haven't continued to follow it) limited itself unless the GPS told it you were at a known race track and if I recall correctly one of the recent Mustangs required an extra or special key to enable it's full abilities. So it is possible to limit it's functionality in some way (read: limit their liability when you do something stupid).
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The key you're referencing is for the Boss 302, which remaps the engine tuning to provide additional power and less streetability.
I'm definitely of the camp that no auto manufacturer is going to put a burnout button on their vehicle, both because of legal reasons, and because burnouts prematurely wear many components, including brake pads, tires, transmission, axles, etc. The maintenance/warranty issues would be absurd. Imagine you do a burnout with Ford's burnout button, dump the clutch, and it shatters,
Re: Burnouts are illegal. (Score:4, Informative)
dump the clutch
In principle I agree with everything you said except that. If you are doing a burnout that means power is already going to the wheels and therefore the clutch is already engaged.
What you are thinking of there is what launch control systems help with (engaging the transmission at the optimal time for the best off the line start) and all of the cars I'm familiar with that have such an option also use transmission and drive line components that can handle torque values much greater than the engine (from the factory) can provide. I expect constant use, however, would shorten the lifespan of wear components (clutch, transmission fluid, etc..) considerably though.
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If you can't do a burn out with a Ford Mustang, you should probably go buy yourself a Prius or a Miata instead.
I'm thinking that it is pretty difficult to do a burn out in a Prius, but it is pretty easy in a Miata. It varies, depending upon the year, but for older ones, they should be near 140hp in an about 2300lb car with rear wheel drive and a 4.++:1 drive ratio. At these numbers burn-outs are easy to achieve with little problem, even when unwanted. As they say on automotive boards, "ask me how I know" or "don't ask me how I know," depending upon outcome.
Thus, your advice to get a Miata to do burn-outs if one c
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With all of the electronic system between the driver and the actual operation of the car, you pushing down the pedal will be mitigated by a series of computer algorithms including traction control, energy regeneration and dynamic stability control. Meaning you'll accelerate as fast as the car will allow you to accelerate.
As for a Miata, yeah you can set one up so it'll be more fun... [webs.com]
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Agree with you on the "rice burners" with the ridiculous spoilers. Some of these things are so large I think they were designed to keep 747's from taking off.
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For all that, you'll still be in a ricer.
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Ricers will have the last laugh because their cars will last twice as long as the average mustang.
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Then turn while going 80mph dead 90* right without touching the brakes while flooring it mid turn and skipping all four tires as they fight for grip around the corner before a gear-shift and another whiplash back into the seat as the light posts fly by faster and faster until you're casually going 160mph....
I'm pretty sure you typed that with one hand.
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Maybe but other drivers will have a cancel your burnout button or you'll have to take a vote among cars in your immediate vicinity to allow you to use it. Also every time you hit it Google will track the event and send you an e-mail targeting you with tire commercials.