I just cannot wrap my head around why a parachute can't get this job done. They are able to work well enough to stop fragile humans legs from breaking...but somehow useless for robust metal machines?

I think Space X is really playing is the Military Industrial Complex boondoggle game. As In Space X's real customer is the DoD where they are selling rockets to the military for 10x the cost of what they need to be to do the mission.

Kind of like that other boondoggle, the F-35, which can be beaten in a dogfight by an F-15 adopted in 1976, the F-16 the US has exported to 20+ nations, and every Air-to-Air combat jet Russia has. Meanwhile they cost something like $100 million a peace while Russia's answer, the Su-57 in coming in "hot" at $30 million.

The F-35 doesn't exist to win a war. SAM's are more effective in killing enemy aircraft, and helicopters are better at killing ground units. Further stealth doesn't begin to work as advertised, considering steath aircraft have been shot down with 1950's soviet equipment. So why does it exist? Why to sell the DoD something that costs $100 million a pop and needs something insane like an additional $20 million per plane per year to keep operational.

Its the same insane reason why the USA's main battle tank has a turbine engine that needs a complete rebuild and GUZZLES fuel just idling, when EVERY other tank in history uses a diesel truck engine that is 20x as fuel efferent and 100x more reliable. Why? Well they need a new engine every 700 hours of operation. And to quote...

"The Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command estimates that the Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine accounts for about 42 percent of overall M1 support costs. “It’s the number one target for reducing the cost of operating the tank,” says Abrams Product Manager Lt. Col. Michael Flanagan."

This is how and why this kind of stuff is made, it has built-in revenue streams.

I agree. I never liked the idea of an electric "keyless" starter when they came out, and from there it got worse. I continue to buy older vehicles and work on them.

CVT transmissions were another piece of garbage in the automotive industry. Whoever thought engines with firmware updates were a good idea needs to be shot, and that's not even discussing how the transmission runs like garbage to begin with. Ask an IT guy about firmware updates (extra points if they are in audio/visual, because they really know)

I think the 2017 Toyota Camry was mainly analog, and a regular transmission too, but apparently people didnt like that (so spake the media)

I know someone who works on the new engines. If he doesnt put everything back together properly, it sends a large jolt out and kills him. To make things worse, the insurance companies rides his ass about getting it done faster, and doesn't want to pay for the correct amount of time to perform the job safely. So he's left with "hurry up and die" or "stay safe and don't get paid"

The problem is, for every one of us resilient drivers, theres thousands who arent. Mix that with people who believe the Internet of Things (IoT) is a benevolent dictator, and thats how we got into this mess.

Anything fused with a computer is bad, and you can take that to the grave (and you just might! 😜)

I drive an 84 datsun 720. Best truck I've ever owned. But I need a diesel version..those are all up in Oregon for some stupid reason

(((them)))?