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Around the tracks: TikTok user criticised for Tesla Autopilot stunt

Plus, a bulletproof Beetle, a trailer disaster and the VW Group CEO joins Twitter.


When we’re not creating it ourselves, the CarAdvice team spends a lot of time finding and consuming motoring content from all over the world.

Here’s a handful of the photos, articles, videos or social media posts that most caught our eye last week. Some of them are brand new, others have been online for a while.

Enjoy them – just not too much, okay?


1. This bulletproof, kidnapping-proof Volkswagen Beetle

It's possible that of all car breeds in the wild, the Volkswagen Beetle is the least intimidating.

But despite it's cutesy appearance, you never know when you might find yourself under siege whie behind the wheel of a VW Bug.

At least, that appears to be the thinking behind a custom bulletproof 1978 Beetle that went up for sale recently in Germany.

According to the listing, this "highjacking safe and bulletproof tank" disguised as an innocent Beetle was created by an industrialist from Bologna in response to the rise in kidnappings in late-'70s Italy.

With bulletproof glass and 3cm of steel on the doors, hood and boot, the Beetle can survive a sneak attack unscathed.

To see the full listing, click here. And in case a bulletproof Beetle tickles your fancy – we have good news: it didn't meet its reserve, so it's still available!


2. The Volkswagen Group's CEO teasing Elon Musk on Twitter

Everyone knows that in order to run a successful automotive company in 2021, your executive team must have a solid social media presence.

Just kidding. Or, maybe, not really?

If you subscribe to the Elon Musk style of management, then you'll agree that communication with customers is best done via Twitter.

Now, it seems, Volkswagen Group head honcho Herbert Diess has decided he can only hold out for so long and has joined Twitter – immediately making a playful dig at Musk's own Twitter presence.

Diess has made no secret of his plans to emulate Tesla's electric car success at VW, so it's perhaps unsurprising Musk is front-of-mind for him.

In his debut tweet, he made reference to Musk's prolific tweeting, writing: "Hello @Twitter! I’m here to make an impact with
@VWGroup, especially on political issues. And, of course, to get some of your market shares, @elonmusk – after all, our ID.3 and e-tron have won the first markets in Europe. Looking forward to productive discussions!"

In uncharacteristic fashion, Musk is yet to reply.


3. A friendly reminder to properly attach your trailer

If you're moving house this year, or even just planning on towing some larger items to your holiday house, let this video serve as a warning to you.

A motorist in Dallas, Texas, filmed the moment a trailer attached to a Budget truck detached itself and even managed to overtake the car that was meant to be hauling it.

A handy reminder to double and triple check your trailer is properly hitched.


4. This TikTok star's dangerous Tesla Autopilot stunt

We've written plenty of stories about Tesla's Autopilot system being involved in some fairly idiotic incidents with drivers who think it's an excuse to completely switch off behind the wheel.

However, this latest video might take the cake. TikTok user Johnathon Cook decided to entertain his over a million followers by falling asleep in a bed in the backseat of his Tesla Model 3 while it drove down a freeway on Autopilot, seemingly unsupervised.

In a behind-the-scenes video of the clip, Cook claims the footage was filmed "by professionals on a closed-circuit course", but he's being criticised for potentially encouraging other Tesla owners to try similar stunts.

Concerningly, he also detailed how he tricked the Tesla system into thinking he had his eyes on the road and hands on the wheel when he was, in fact, in the backseat.

Despite the name, Tesla cautions that its Autopilot features "require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous".


5. This Matchbox version of US Presidential car, the 'Beast'

In case you missed it, CarAdvice's own Ben Zachariah wrote a brilliant history of the US presidential state car in honour of President Joe Biden's inauguration this week.

Nicknamed 'The Beast', the armoured limo has taken many forms throughout the decades, from Lincoln Continentals to modified Cadillacs and Chevys.

While it's not yet clear what President Biden will opt for (given his enthusiasm for electric cars, it could even be an EV), in the meantime, we'll be coveting these mini Matchbox versions of the Cadillac One used by Barack Obama during his time in office.

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Susannah Guthrie

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and two-year-old son.

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