# Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter - now the Pit edition (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 25, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442 "2022-04-25T22:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 140
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2782 "2023-01-24T19:49:01Z")
It doesn’t need fingerprint security, just the fob/phone in close proximity. I can walk up to my Nissan and do the same thing as long as the fob in in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2783 "2023-01-24T19:58:26Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2784 "2023-01-24T20:12:22Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Not a standout style-wise to me. It isn’t now, but in all fairness, it was pretty impressive at the time, before all the copycats came out – or maybe it wasn’t copycats so much as a set of design elements that are currently fashionable. In some other thread I posted comparison pictures of a Tesla Model S and a Ford Fusion, just for one example, but there are many others. As for the magic recessed door handle, the thing about how you press on it and it magically pops out is **[the times that you press on it and it doesn’t](https://qz.com/1541060/tesla-model-3-owners-are-griping-about-frozen-door-handles)**. Teslas in general don’t play nice in cold weather – there was a story just before Christmas about some poor sap whose Christmas holiday trip was ruined because his Tesla just wouldn’t charge. I see a large number of Teslas here in southern Ontario, but winters are not generally all the cold here, compared, say, to the Canadian prairies or the US north-central states. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2785 "2023-01-24T20:16:29Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It isn’t now, but in all fairness, it was pretty impressive at the time, before all the copycats came out When did cit ome out though? Most cars, including Tesla, have been look alike and samey-samey for 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2786 "2023-01-24T20:49:52Z")
> [@digs](#): > > "Doc, you bought _a Cybertruck??!?"_ > Does that have the same sense of “I thought you were smart but you just made an unbelievably idiotic move.”? I guess the difference is in 1985, DeLorean had been defunct for three years, so the joke is Doc bought one of those crap sports cars nobody wanted. As of 2023, the Cybertruck doesn’t really exist as a consumer product so the joke would instead be “How the FUCK did you get your hands on this truck?” Either way it’s an, let’s say, eccentric decision by a garage mad scientist, so honestly I do think the joke hits a similar note. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2787 "2023-01-24T21:00:54Z")
"huh? No I built the time machine out of a 2023 jeep Wrangler. Needed something I could take off road if needed complete with an underbody plate. Wouldn’t want something stupid to happen and get stranded. No I built the _second_ time machine out of a cyber truck to prove I went to the future. DAMN you wouldn’t believe how far I had to go ahead to get one. Thankfully the were practically giving them away to get rid of the things…" ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2788 "2023-01-24T21:01:21Z")
Call me clueless, but I always thought (even in 1985) that Marty was _impressed_ with a DeLorean time machine, not repulsed. Sure they didn’t perform as well as they looked, but they weren’t inert dogs, like say a Mustang II. Now THAT would be an embarrassing time machine. DeLoreans were kind of cool. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2789 "2023-01-24T21:12:13Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Sure they didn’t perform as well as they looked, but they weren’t inert dogs, like say a Mustang II. They _were_ inert dogs. A good friend of mine had one. It was terribly slow, with a **worse** power to weight ratio than a Mustang II with the V8. Delorean: 20.72 lb/hp Mustang II: 20.06 lb/hp ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2790 "2023-01-24T21:30:15Z")
Well, some of these videos are almost convincing. > ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2791 "2023-01-24T21:31:42Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > Sure they didn’t perform as well as they looked, but they weren’t inert dogs, like say a Mustang II. > > They _were_ inert dogs. A good friend of mine had one. It was terribly slow, with a **worse** power to weight ratio than a Mustang II with the V8. > > Delorean: 20.72 lb/hp > Mustang II: 20.06 lb/hp Yeah, but it _looked_ cool. To a teenaged boy like Marty McFly, that was justification enough. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2792 "2023-01-24T21:33:20Z")
Jerry Senfield had a show called _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee_, in one episode he starts with one Delorean and has to switch to another halfway through because the first one breaks down. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2793 "2023-01-24T21:57:36Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Yeah, but it _looked_ cool. To a teenaged boy like Marty McFly, that was justification enough. Yeah, I always thought that McFly was impressed by the DeLorean. If the writers intended for him to appear derisive of it, they didn’t try very hard. And while, the Cybertruck may be a complete mess if they ever make it, the DeLorean was a mess from the get-go, but people still collected them. I knew of people who were restoring and taking care of them after they were featured in the movie. Mustang II performance and sketchy quality control with Euro styling? Ok, go for it if that’s your bag. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2794 "2023-01-24T22:59:33Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I knew of people who were restoring and taking care of them after they were featured in the movie. Unfortunately (fortunately?) every one I see is a BTTF replica. I never see them stock anymore. There used to be one here at work. Someone had painted it red. I am all for individuality, but I think that missed the point. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2795 "2023-01-24T23:11:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Call me clueless, but I always thought (even in 1985) that Marty was _impressed_ with a DeLorean time machine, not repulsed. It was all in those doors, man. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2796 "2023-01-24T23:11:17Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Yeah, but it _looked_ cool. To a teenaged boy like Marty McFly, that was justification enough. I was about 10 when BTTF came out, and I’d never heard of DeLorean before that. I was mildly shocked when I was older and found out they’re shitty cars and aren’t terribly well regarded. As a kid, I’d assumed they were The Coolest Cars Ever. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2797 "2023-01-24T23:34:12Z")
Well, I was the one that assumed that the DeLorean was used for its humor value in BTTF. I guess I misremembered it, filtering it through my current prejudices. > [@icon](#): > > //i\\ I’ll bet someone here knows what this stands for. I canNOT find any clue here, or anywhere online, as to what this is… a pyramid of irony? That’d be appropriate; it was used right after this (a perfect example): > [@icon](#): > > Jerry Senfield had a show called _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee_, in one episode he starts with one Delorean and has to switch to another halfway through because the first one breaks down. > > //i\\ ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2798 "2023-01-25T00:16:44Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > There used to be one here at work. Someone had painted it red. I am all for individuality, but I think that missed the point. > [@Biffster](#): > > It was all in those doors, man. Perhaps they were fan of the old cartoon M.A.S.K. and wanted to (crappily) replicate one of the vehicles… [![](https://i0.wp.com/toyhabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Red-Gullwing-Ramen-Toys-MASK-Thunderhawk-Vehicle-and-Figure-Reveal.jpeg?resize=1024%2C655&ssl=1) ](https://i0.wp.com/toyhabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Red-Gullwing-Ramen-Toys-MASK-Thunderhawk-Vehicle-and-Figure-Reveal.jpeg?resize=1024%2C655&ssl=1) Although the ‘real’ vehicle the toy came from appears to be [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Camaro_(third_generation)) instead. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2799 "2023-01-25T00:29:23Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > Yeah, but it _looked_ cool. To a teenaged boy like Marty McFly, that was justification enough. > > I was about 10 when BTTF came out, and I’d never heard of DeLorean before that. I was mildly shocked when I was older and found out they’re shitty cars and aren’t terribly well regarded. As a kid, I’d assumed they were The Coolest Cars Ever Exactly. Look at those doors! The bitchin’ angles! Surely this car can smoke my Dad’s lameass Lincoln Continental (150 hp)! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2800 "2023-01-25T00:39:34Z")
I was sixteen when the movie came out. A guy down the block had a DeLorean, but it was always sitting right there in his driveway. We watched _ABC World News Tonight_ every evening after dinner, so I knew the whole saga of DeLorean’s disastrous downfall and the failure of the company. I also knew that there was some minor trouble involving John Zaccarro (the husband of vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro) and John DeLorean, but I can’t recall what. To me, the appearance of the DeLorean on screen was an immediate recognition of a spectacular implosion of a company and its founder. Yes, we all knew it looked cool. We also knew that it was completely submerged in the stink of failure. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2801 "2023-01-25T00:44:27Z")
Hey, I was also 16 when it was released. The way I remember it, at the time, the intended effect was neither that Marty was disgusted nor was he impressed. The joke, rather, that he was flat-out perplexed, and lampshading how _strange_ a choice it was. Like, the equivalent of, “You made a hat … out of a lunch box?” or some such. Pure incongruous juxtaposition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=141)