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74. Not without something being physically plugged into the car at the time

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 02:52 PM

Jul 2013

It's not possible to remotely add malware without a device being physically attached to to the car (see the two papers cited about so-called 'car hacking' ) , especially not on a low-end model such as the one in question, which is not drive-by-wire. Hacking the ABS (the computerized part of the braking system) means one will have to pump the brakes, as one does in a car not equipped with ABS. I do not believe that model has stabilization (the years I've driven do not); my car allows the driver to disable it manually if desired so disabling that does not render the vehicle uncontrollable (it does allow the car to be 'drifted.').

Ever driven a car where the power steering has gone out? I used to drive Pontiacs, so it's happened to me more than once. The car becomes EXTREMELY difficult to steer into hard left/right turns, but is driveable and controllable. (Pontiac had a well-known issue with the steering racks of their mid-80s through early 90s mid-size sedans - despite that, loved all three of them).

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"Mercedes Says THEIR CARS JUST DON'T BLOW UP!": The Michael Hastings Car Crash [View all] Segami Jul 2013 OP

I put "Mercedes crash fire" into Google and got plenty of examples hack89 Jul 2013 #1

There is a difference between fire Harmony Blue Jul 2013 #27

It didn't "blow up" hack89 Jul 2013 #30

Where is the other car/s involved in the accident? xtraxritical Jul 2013 #44

It hit a hard, unyielding object at a high speed hack89 Jul 2013 #48

'it exploded like a bomb' ~ eyewitness statement right after the crash. sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #47

"It sounded like a freight train going through" - heard after every tornado hack89 Jul 2013 #58

Didn't say it was a bomb, it was someone acting way out of character over the days preceding sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #62

well something changed the direction of the motor questionseverything Jul 2013 #70

The engine went south hack89 Jul 2013 #77

ty 4 link questionseverything Jul 2013 #106

Considering that the car hit a tree hack89 Jul 2013 #107

He was under enormous pressure. He sent an email that scared his friends hack89 Jul 2013 #78

In this rare instance, I'll side with a corporate statement over the government's. reformist2 Jul 2013 #2

corporate vs. gov't naaman fletcher Jul 2013 #18

perforate any gas tank... add a spark and you'll get a fire ProdigalJunkMail Jul 2013 #3

At about 2:00 in the video you can see water bubbling out of the fire hydrant he sheared off FarCenter Jul 2013 #10

Hydrant's are mounted with shear bolts so that they shear off easily when hit. xtraxritical Jul 2013 #46

They are heavy and strong and can damage the underside of a car even after they have sheared off. FarCenter Jul 2013 #81

Doesn't matter NutmegYankee Jul 2013 #94

The questions here are really not about the car or even the speed, but about Cleita Jul 2013 #11

My thought exactly. tblue Jul 2013 #34

Over 100mph in a residential neighborhood I believe? Very strange indeed anneboleyn Jul 2013 #83

That's not true. Authorities believe it was less than 80 MPH but frankly until the forensic Cleita Jul 2013 #91

yeah, but they usually still have a relatively intact drivetrain... nebenaube Jul 2013 #21

these investigators say hastings was working on endgame article questionseverything Jul 2013 #71

Doesn't anyone know how to place an apostrophe anymore? mattclearing Jul 2013 #4

Why comment? Auntie Bush Jul 2013 #14

why not? if news outlets can't get the language right, i doubt they get the news right either. HiPointDem Jul 2013 #53

It's a post about a journalist, so it's relevant. n/t mattclearing Jul 2013 #96

Discussion board? nt woo me with science Jul 2013 #108

It's beyond me... xtraxritical Jul 2013 #49

That's an extremely important observation as opposed to the topic of the OP. sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #51

it's actually fairly important, as it tells us something about the media's ability to gather & HiPointDem Jul 2013 #55

thank you. i can't believe how awful 'journalism' has become. it used to be something like HiPointDem Jul 2013 #52

My problem exactly. mattclearing Jul 2013 #97

also care & quality in general. the ptb make a great display of talking about it, but i notice HiPointDem Jul 2013 #99

No. They are to be sprinkled about liberally, like birdseed REP Jul 2013 #75

I'm 37, and I feel like a fossil for caring. mattclearing Jul 2013 #98

the crash is stankily suspicious Berlum Jul 2013 #5

Duh! malaise Jul 2013 #7

He was speeding through a residential street. Beacool Jul 2013 #6

And family says this was highly unlikely from Hastings nadinbrzezinski Jul 2013 #22

Not without something being physically plugged into the car at the time REP Jul 2013 #74

Dr. Kathleen Fisher of DARPA Trailrider1951 Jul 2013 #102

Thanks for the info. There are many unanswered questions, but I guess Cleita Jul 2013 #8

They absolutely must have an INDEPENDENT investigation. We need to keep asking questions, too. chimpymustgo Jul 2013 #23

A ruptured fuel tank can make ANY car "explode." MineralMan Jul 2013 #9

So, are all head-on crashes into solid objects Segami Jul 2013 #19

Most are. Some are suicides, too. MineralMan Jul 2013 #24

What gives you the idea Segami Jul 2013 #25

Occam's Razor. MineralMan Jul 2013 #26

So, you happen to see a car with a man and a woman speeding down your street Segami Jul 2013 #32

I did not see such an incident, so I have no opinion about it. nt MineralMan Jul 2013 #33

You also didn't witness the Michael Hasting's crash Segami Jul 2013 #35

That is correct. I did read a number of accounts of the crash, MineralMan Jul 2013 #36

lol! Segami Jul 2013 #38

There's always the Holiday Inn too I suppose! sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #60

William of Ockham -- fallacious to apply to all circumstances anneboleyn Jul 2013 #85

How was I "foreclosing" discussion? MineralMan Jul 2013 #86

"Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate" anneboleyn Jul 2013 #92

They can, but this isn't evidence. caseymoz Jul 2013 #41

Well, sometimes the crash itself is the evidence of murder. Segami Jul 2013 #100

No, the disabled airbag was the evidence caseymoz Jul 2013 #105

And what caused the ruptured fuel tank to occur in the first place? Someone who 'was acting sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #57

Yes, you are speculating. MineralMan Jul 2013 #59

Then why are you speculating if you don't speculate about things like this? sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #63

The physical facts of that car wreck are pretty solid. MineralMan Jul 2013 #65

And you are speculating that the physical facts, as reported, are the entire story of how sabrina 1 Jul 2013 #68

No, I'm not. I have neither speculated that they are MineralMan Jul 2013 #69

Suicide or murder ???? olddots Jul 2013 #12

I believe Michael Hastings was murdered, for what it's worth. LiberalAndProud Jul 2013 #13

Who do you think murdered him? Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #28

I don't know. Nor am I reporting on the facts of the matter. LiberalAndProud Jul 2013 #73

His car didn't spontaneously explode. Cali_Democrat Jul 2013 #15

Maybe so, but they do burst into flames when they hit something -- a lot. onenote Jul 2013 #16

Yes but this was an explosion. caseymoz Jul 2013 #50

I love it - that reporter ain't buying the official line that foul play wasn't involved! reformist2 Jul 2013 #17

Mercedes cars don't blow up according to Mercedes Progressive dog Jul 2013 #20

+1 bunnies Jul 2013 #31

In this case, he's right. caseymoz Jul 2013 #54

How extensive are the test? Has Mercedes tested this with an investigative reporter as a driver? AnotherMcIntosh Jul 2013 #29

Regardless of what actually happened in the Hastings crash.... Jerry442 Jul 2013 #37

All vehicles already have one. Its called a gear slector lever. HooptieWagon Jul 2013 #39

According to Wikipedia... Jerry442 Jul 2013 #43

If for some reason you can't shift to neutral.... HooptieWagon Jul 2013 #64

Car & Driver agrees with you. Jerry442 Jul 2013 #79

i can just see the drop in sales on this exchange. Bodhi BloodWave Jul 2013 #40

Odd that the drive train was in the street behind the wreck. n/t Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #42

could you explain for those of us who aren't mechanical? HiPointDem Jul 2013 #56

Just that the reporter said the engine, transmission, and rear end were scattered Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #95

Here's some photos for perspective. Segami Jul 2013 #101

So, the twinkie was just completely wrong & got the directions bassackward. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #104

Was Michael Hastings' Car Hacked? Richard Clarke Says It's Possible Jeroen Jul 2013 #45

Its also possible Aliens attacked him. HooptieWagon Jul 2013 #82

sometimes, handmade34 Jul 2013 #61

believe in physics questionseverything Jul 2013 #72

Yes, it's suspicious. caseymoz Jul 2013 #66

I don't know; that looks like an extremely hot fire... KansDem Jul 2013 #67

Hasting's Mercedes didn't blow up. Scurrilous Jul 2013 #76

Drive train (not sure about the engine) is BEHIND the car...an impact would have launched angstlessk Jul 2013 #80

The engine landed in front of the wreck - as you would expect. nt hack89 Jul 2013 #84

But the drive train was BEHIND the auto..why is that? Why would the drive train just FALL OFF? angstlessk Jul 2013 #87

There are post in this thread that talk about a sheared off fire hydrant hack89 Jul 2013 #88

It might be better to think of it as the car landed in front of the drivetrain 1-Old-Man Jul 2013 #90

Assignations are not all done by high velocity bullets... angstlessk Jul 2013 #93

! zappaman Jul 2013 #89

I wonder what the crash test specs are felix_numinous Jul 2013 #103