The German car-maker says its "optional power upgrade" is designed to give customers more choice.
    • Joeffect@lemmy.worldEnglish
      76·
      1 month ago

      Even more so when you understand the car already has it… so they take it away just to make you pay for it

      • Death_Equity@lemmy.worldEnglish
        15·
        30 days ago

        Every car has more HP than you get. Cars are tuned to be as reliable as possible in every condition with a variety of fuel qualities. That is why you see test vehicles on the road, they are gathering data to refine the engine tuning.

        That is why you can tune as car and get more HP or even to make them more efficient without changing a single part.

        • Joeffect@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          30 days ago

          Yes, but in this instance are they just changing the tuning of the car or did they litterally just make your car worse to charge you for it? And call it an upgrade?

          Edit: this sounds like they want to charge you for sport mode… which is basically on all newer cars… either way its pretty trashy move

      • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        29 days ago

        What’s more egregious about this to me is that you’re required to maintain the subscription for what amounts to a one time firmware change.

        ECU tuning isn’t something that’s going to need constant improvements and updates like your typical software product where companies can somewhat justify continued development costs. The engine and transmission are what they are from the factory and unless VW is going to send you a bigger turbo or other performance part, your tune shouldn’t need to change past the initial improvement from stock.

  • RejZoR@lemmy.mlEnglish
    38·
    1 month ago

    Own nothing, pay everything. This bs subscription models for everything need to die. And people who thought about them along with them.

  • alterforlett @lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    1 month ago

    When I bought my car one of the first brands I decided against was Mercedes due to their subscription model for their electric car.

    VW going for subscription is a surefire way to give Chinese car manufacturers an even bigger part of the market. So, so short sighted

    • Psycoder@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      I already decided I’m going to buy BYD as my next car. It’s the best electric car out there.

  • Curious Canid@lemmy.caEnglish
    16·
    30 days ago

    I hope companies eventually figure out people just aren’t that stupid. Also, I really hope that people aren’t that stupid.

    On a positive note, this could be the push that America needs to get serious about mass transit.

  • kautau@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    1 month ago

    “Historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency,” they said.

    Lol yeah, with ECU tuning from a third party, you assholes just had a board meeting and realized you could turn it into a subscription and then all came on the table and licked it up

  • bigbabybilly@lemmy.worldEnglish
    13·
    1 month ago

    Sold my Golf R a while back. Wasn’t planning on buying another VW, but this is the nail in that coffin.

  • teamevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    29 days ago

    Y’all know you can buy VAGCOM software and interface and bypass everything VW throttles in a VW right?

    It’s amazing for VWs you actually own too

  • canajac@lemmy.caEnglish
    91·
    29 days ago

    The company that lied to its customers about fuel immissions and did it for years is going to screw us again with this. Fawk VW and its Nazi engineering!

      • Zer0_F0x@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        30 days ago

        You mean like the Nintendo Switch 2, or any iPhone ever, both of which you can only use if the manufacturer allows you to?

        Nobody reads the fine print on anything. I don’t own my phone, my movies, my music, my gaming console, my games, my car, nothing at all and yet I’ve payed for access to all of the above.

        Welcome to terminal stage capitalism.

        • DarkCloud@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          29 days ago

          No you’re just too lazy to realize what you can jailbreak or download, and align your purchases withthat ethos.

          I own all my hardware and can pirate just about anything. Get on the right team.

          • Zer0_F0x@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            29 days ago

            The “I” here is meant to represent the average consumer, who will die never knowing what lemmy is or what a torrent is.

            I am on the team, but it’s a very, very small team and it’ll remain that way until there’s money to be made or a cataclysmic systemic revolution brings order to corporate chaos.

            You can’t fix capitalism with Linux and tor, you need guillotines for that.