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Hardware Hacking Transportation Build

Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Hackable Car? 195

Posted by Soulskill from the aside-from-the-delorean dept.
An anonymous reader writes: When looking for a new (or used) car, I have readily available information regarding features, maintenance history, and potential issues for that specific model or generation. What I would really like is a car that is readily hackable on the convenience-feature level. For example, if I want to install a remote starter, or hack the power windows so holding 'up' automatically rolls it up, or install a readout on the rear of the car showing engine RPMs, what make/model/year is the best pick? Have any of you done something similar with your vehicle? Have you found certain models to be ideal or terrible for feature hacking?
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Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Hackable Car? More

Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Hackable Car?

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  • Which part? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by TheMiddleRoad ( 1153113 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @01:21PM (#48435449)

    The Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru WRX probably have the most hacked ECUs around. Loading something like ECUTek onto a BRZ or FR-S gives you equal control. Convenience systems are usually controlled with some kind of aftermarket device, though for Toyotas, you can download Techstream and control a few options via a cheap cable off ebay. A Tesla offers the most toys to play with out of the box, but you can't do a think with the actual drive system. An M-series BMW like an old M5 will give you loads of settings to play with between the engine, transmission, and suspension.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jaime2 ( 824950 )

      Unfortunately, most of the stuff mention in the OP aren't controlled by the ECU. Windows, lights, starter, really anything other than the engine aren't controlled by the ECU. The climate system is wired to it, but only so that the ECU can adjust the radiator fans to handle A/C load.

      BTW, I'm certain of this because I just used the ECU/engine from a WRX to build a custom car.

    • First off I'm a GT86 [FR-S/BRZ] owner and let me say if you're ready to put down the money it is an absolutely fantastically hackable car. If you're only talking about electronics the entire dash is super easy to take apart and it's super clean and organized in back with very nice access to core system lines and power. There are plenty of aftermarket ECUs and ECU extension units and of course it's a new generation Toyota so if you wanted to you could hook up to one of the data lines and play with all sorts

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mjwx ( 966435 )
        For an older car, the Nissan Silvia (S13/14/15, 180sx, 200sx) is considered a modders car. Considerably cheaper than a WRX or EVO.

        There's also the R32/33/34 Skylines... but they were never made in LHD.

  • I just want to... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by dlkwnt ( 521328 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @01:21PM (#48435451) Homepage
    ...turn that damned chime off. Why can't I leave my keys in the ignition and the drivers door open at the same time??? Yeah, I know, blah blah blah, people forgetting their keys blah blah blah, but at least give me the option of turning it off without having to start pulling fuses.

    • Re:I just want to... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Maxwell ( 13985 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @01:41PM (#48435659) Homepage

      have you searched online? There is sometimes a way to "program" it. On a modern GM (2010+ ) hold the Information and Reset buttons at the same time. A menu will pop up on the multi display and you can set various things. There are often hidden codes (Chrysler used to use the headlight switch as a selector, with the horn as feedback - so you are sitting in your driveway , honking horns and flashing lights :) as well...

    • NO KIDDING!! We needed a new car back in 2012 and we decided on a 2012 Ford Escape. Oh if I had it to do over, I would SOOOOO not buy that vehicle.. We went with Ford, since I wouldn't touch a GM car for all the tea in China.. Let me count the ways I hate it...The braindead beeper that beeps endlessly with the key in the ignition EVEN if I'm sitting there in the drivers seat... The way the radio shuts off after 10 min EVEN if the key is in the ignition and I'm sitting there listening to it.. You have to fli

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by PRMan ( 959735 )
        Moral of the story, you shouldn't touch a GM, Ford or Chrysler for all the tea in China...
      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

        • Why not just have a decent aftermarket radio installed and be done with all those problems?

          Assuming the manufacturer hasn't stuffed major functionality of the car inside the radio/nav system and you're willing to risk a hit on resale value by losing some of the standard features.

      • To counter this; I have a 2014 ford fusion, and love it.

        Sync works flawlessly over bluetooth with my cheap as shit tracfone (flip phone!) The 10 minute timeout thing is your own fault, just put the car in 'accessory mode', voila! (half turn of the key)

        Mine has remote start/RFID fob, so the ignition thing is a non-issue.

        The one thing i truly don't like about it is the leaving the car running in park causes the horn to honk if i stray more than 5 feet from the car (IE, checking the mail.) With a keyless ent

      • Re:I just want to... (Score:4, Informative)

        by nabsltd ( 1313397 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @02:36PM (#48436095)

        We needed a new car back in 2012 and we decided on a 2012 Ford Escape.

        Most of your complaints can be fixed with various tweaks listed in the manuals. For example, you don't have to listen to chimes because the key is in the switch. As for Sync, update the software (easy to do with a download to any USB stick) and you should be able to connect any Android at least for voice, but your phone has to support a later level of Bluetooth to support reading/sending texts using the car.

        I can't help you on your satellite drop outs, as that's caused by brain-dead placement of the antenna by Ford. No, that thing sticking up at the back of your car is not the satellite antenna. The sat antenna is pretty much inside your glove compartment.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by bws111 ( 1216812 )

        You do know about the 'accessory' key position, right?

      • When you run the radio with the engine off, doesn't that drain the battery though?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Reapy ( 688651 )

          Yes sir. Waited for a friend to have an interview in my car when I was in highschool, listened to the radio for about 45 minutes. When he got back, went to turn the car on and, boop, no power... Had to get a jump from the guy my friend was interviewing with.

          Pretty ignorant on my part but lesson learned. Could have used a 10 min shut off timer ;)

          • Waited for a friend to have an interview in my car when I was in highschool, listened to the radio for about 45 minutes.

            Wow. That's bizarre. Back in the 80s you could listen to a double-feature at the drive-in on your radio then easily start up your car and drive away. 4+ hours of the radio had little to no impact on the battery.

          • Unless you had a giant booming stereo system installed in that car, your battery should not have died after 45 minutes of the radio being on. You *should* have gone and had your battery / alternator checked, and replaced whichever was defective. :P

      • You do know there's an upgrade for Sync right? It's just the Ford makes it nearly impossible to get said upgrade. And yeah, the fact the Microsoft has it's mitts all over Sync leaves me with the same feeling.

        And what scares me more - the CAN buses have almost zero security. The reason behind the fear is that certain geniuses in the NHTSA think it'd be good to have the cars communicate with each other. And you just know the comms will be tied into the CAN bus. Think of what a nefarious actor could do in t

    • I'd like my passenger to be able to program an address into the navigator without having to have the darn parking brake on. Yeah, I know, safety blah blah, but why is it less safe for a passenger to manipulate the console while I'm driving? (Assuming we aren't watching a movie or some other profoundly stupid thing.)

  • There are a lot of cars out there that don't take well to remote starters, due to the electrical systems that are found in most cars now. Even if you fancy yourself an electronics god, you'll find that there are some cars where people have basically thrown their hands up in the air and given up on trying to install starters.

    Generally, the newer the car is, and the more sophisticated the manufacturer-installed electronics care, the harder it will be to hack it. If you want something that won't leave yo

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bws111 ( 1216812 )

      This is true. I got a remote starter for a Hyundai Santa Fe, and it took the installer several days to get it working 'mostly' right. And this is a very experienced car electronics guy. It involves a whole lot of things - door locks, headlights, brake lights, security system, and obviously iginition and starting systems. He finally got it to the point that it starts the engine, but once the engine is started (with the remote) you can no longer use the factory remote door key, you have to use the physica

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by nwf ( 25607 )

        I'd suspect that's a safety feature, so you don't accidentally use the remote to open the trunk while driving or something. I know my car does that.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by bws111 ( 1216812 )

          Oh, I'm sure that it is something like that. My only point is that it is very hard to 'hack' it to get the feature that the manufacturer could have put in. The systems are all related. I am sure that if you had the 'official' starter it would work correctly, because the car would know that you remote started it, thus the key fob should still let you in the car.

    • Total. Fucking. Bullshit.

      Unless you're trying to use some remote starter kit from the caveman era there are plenty of ways to implement a competent remote starter system. If you already have a keyless starter you can actually do it with an ODB-II plug-in - no line splicing and no engine bay work.

      Of course I'd really question why people want remote starters in the first place. And while we're on the subject cruse control and throttle control are two things I continue to think are awful ideas.

  • All new cars have something called OBD2 and it is a connector down under the driver's side dash. There are plenty of brands/models of bluetooth and wifi dongles you can get to plug in to it ($20 and up)and a matching array of iOS and Android apps that will read all the engine stats off the dongle onto pretty dials on your phone or tablet.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by cdrudge ( 68377 )

      Most of those stats are pretty mundane and generic. It might get you somewhat to what you might be looking for, but I wouldn't exactly call it "hacking". And unless you have the diagnostic tool specific to that manufacturer/make/model, you are unlikely to do anything than read those generic values and reset the check engine light.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sinij ( 911942 )
      OBD II is diagnostic tool/protocol/format. It will let you read error codes, it will show some information about operational parameters that might not normally be available through dashboard functions. It will not allow you to modify. To make things worse, to access advanced diagnostic features on a modern car you will need to have proprietary software and/or dealer keys.

      To further educate yourself, look into work done by Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Khyber ( 864651 )

        "It will not allow you to modify"

        Yea, which is why I can change my injector fuel/air ratio on the fly through the ODBII port using an ODBII-USB cable and my laptop.

        And have been since street racing in the 90s/early 2000s.

      • OBD II is diagnostic

        That's bull. Since 2007 all OBD II ports on cars made for sale in the USA have had the CAN bus on the OBD II port (and many had it before that). With the CAN bus you can send commands to lots of different stuff. The trick is finding out the commands to send, which isn't well documented and varies between manufacturers. But a heck of a lot more than just diagnostics can be done by sending the right commands down the CAN bus.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • and a matching array of iOS and Android apps that will read all the engine stats off the dongle onto pretty dials on your phone or tablet.

      Yet some OBD2 ports output certain data elements and other don't.

      I was looking for battery voltage with Torque on my Forester, and it's a non-reported value, though other cars support it.

      I'm sure somebody maintains a wiki with the matrix of models and values.

      Though when he said "most hackable" I was thinking '82 F150 - no special tools required at all.

  • Back in the day, when I had time for such things, for me 'hackability' meant lots of additional useful instrumentation. For example, in my 1988 Nissan Hardbody Pickup I had additional gauges for things like -

    - Oil pressure
    - Rich / lean fuel mixture (via O2 sensor)
    - Vacuum
    - Coolant temperature
    - Oil temperature
    - Volts
    - Amps
    - Fuel pressure

    If I wanted to wind down the windows I just turned the conveniently located crank-handle.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wcrowe ( 94389 )

      That's kind of what I was thinking. The most "hackable" car I ever owned was a 1980 Jeep CJ7. It was super easy to work on. Lots of room in the engine compartment to put extra stuff. If you wanted something aftermarket in the interior or on the dashboard, you just drilled a hole or two and bolted it on. You could go with a hardtop, softtop, doors on, doors off, bikini top, or no top at all. And you could drive your hacked vehicle virtually anywhere. I wish I still had one.

  • Community is just as important as car (Score:5, Informative)

    by StatureOfLiberty ( 1333335 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @01:31PM (#48435555)
    You need to find a car that has a strong community of people who like to make these kinds of changes. I have a Prius (actually 2). There is a ton of information on the car. For example, someone posted instructions for ordering parts and wiring in accessories that allow you to unlock the car by touch from the passenger door handle and the rear hatch. That feature was only offered by Toyota on the top models in 2011.

    PriusChat is my favorite place for researching maintaining and enhancing my 2 Priuses. Good luck and have fun!

    • More importantly, community will tell you what's not possible.
      For example: or hack the power windows so holding 'up' automatically rolls it up

      AFAIK, almost all auto features on power windows are pure hardware and you have to replace the entire module if you want that feature.

      • Of course holding it up already rolls the window up, but if the person asking the question wants to do something stupid and have the windows roll up with a single touch, that could be implemented without replacing the window regulator. You'd just have to hack together some electronics the latch the circuit in the roll-up position until the current being drawn spikes indicating that it's rolled all the way up.

        • , that could be implemented without replacing the window regulator. You'd just have to hack together some electronics the latch the circuit in the roll-up position until the current being drawn spikes indicating that it's rolled all the way up.

          Not the regulator, the actual door pod with the switches.
          Some models can be modified with a little soldering and some trimmed plastic,
          but, because of how they're designed, most require a complete replacement of the entire unit.

          That said, there are aftermarket control units that you can splice onto the existing wiring.
          But you should really only go that route if there's no OEM pod you can pull out of a higher trim level or another model.

    • I have a Prius (actually 2).!

      You forgot to post anonymously!

  • Seriously, if you want a car that's fun to hack go as old as you can find that still looks nice, runs smooth, and has 100k miles (to reduce the odds that poor maintenance habits have caught up with the motor). Avoid any car with theft provention since that will totally block the remote starter unless you get the factory-approved option.

    Which brings me to the next point: If you want convenience you won't get it by spending days hacking your car... You will get it by buying a convenient car. There are so many low and mid model cars that offer complete convenience packages, so just buy it if you want it. Unless you are already an experienced automotive engineer you just won't be able to come out ahead by doing it yourself. Then, to get your geek on buy a OBD-2 to Bluetooth adapter, and a nice app (like Torque) for your smartphone.

    • Project cars are wonderful. Depending on how far you want to go just having most of the pieces initially is enough even if they are in rough shape. With the right project car there can be a very large community and market so tinkering and getting what you want or need is easy. I have a MG midget that I am in the process of restoring and basically you can get every part ever made [mossmotors.com] for them so part availability is a non issue. Add in the large number of vehicles with A-Series engines [wikipedia.org] that weren't really develo

  • BMW (Score:5, Interesting)

    by m2pc ( 546641 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @01:33PM (#48435571)
    Most of the BMWs from the 90's onward are fairly hackable. You can find copies of the dealer software and production line tools on the web, and tools like NavCoder and similar allow you to control tons of the "convenience" features. Most of the modules have had their options decoded by interested individuals wanting to customize their vehicles.

    Some info here [bimmerfest.com].
  • Spend some time on Bimmerfest.com there are a ton of BMW enthusiasts and there are all sorts of ways you can hack into the cars' various electronic systems and change things. For example, mirrors fold in automatically when you lock the doors. Windows roll up and moon roof closes at push of a remote button, turning on cameras, feeding video to your GPS or HUD display (from your cameras or another sources), change the cluster display's colors, info, etc., and lots of other things. Mine already has a digital d

  • You can set many convenience features (and some drivetrain-related ones too, I believe) in VW-family cars. You buy a dongle and software (runs $200 and up) called VCDS (used to be VAG-COM) and connect the car to a PC or smartphone, and go to town. For example, if your car doesn't already have it, you can install a rain-light sensor, and then tell the car to roll up windows and the sunroof when it rains.

  • You need to get VAG-COM from Ross-Tech. A little pricey but it does an incredible job of letting you configure the car.

  • Remember to get the high performance model, not the crappy one!

    Oh, you didn't mean "drop in a new tranny when you said 'hack'??" Damned lazy kids.

  • Totally open platform, well documented, simple wiring and so common that replacement parts are easy to find. Also acceptable, Malibu, Monte Carlo, etc. Get the 350/3speed auto version. I recommend Olds because most them have power windows, 4 speaker radios and other 'luxury' items.

    In 1978 the emissions regs kicked in and things started to get weird.

    Hacking a modern car is not for the hobbyist, the nanny state and sensor system are complex proprietary, closed systems.

  • Most modern cars will provide interesting diagnostic data via the ODB2 interface. Something like this would be a good first project: http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=95037.0 [arduino.cc]

  • Since cars have little security and minimal documentation, being the most hackable is simply the result of having a large enough group of people reverse engineering it.

    The Nissan 350Z/370Z, Mitsubishi EVO/Lancer/Eclipse, and Subaru WRX/BRZ/Impreza are the standouts as far as being affordable for a hobby endeavour. Mercedes vehicles are also fairly well-explored.

    Related models such as the Infiniti G/Q series (premium 350Z/370Z) inherit most of the same benefits from their mainstream brethren, and pretty much

  • I'm biased here because I drive one, but, Subarus are known for being "lego cars." They are ridiculously easy to take apart and put parts in, everything is setup very logically, and parts are interchangeable within a few years of the model. Also, there's a huge community at NASIOC that will give you lots of information and people to ask about whatever you'd like to do.

    So far, I have (previously having no experience doing work on cars):
    Installed Pioneer head unit w/ DVD player + ebrake bypass (no I do

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sinij ( 911942 )
      Only I wouldn't buy a new one, since they seem to have severe ring problems and a lot end up burning oil while still new.
      • Hadn't heard about this, but my model is a 2010 (I got it new in 2010), and has had zero problems at 40k miles. Still haven't had to even get a brake job done. Worst I've had to do is plug a couple tires -- but really can't blame the car for placing nails in the road :)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by twdorris ( 29395 )

      They are ridiculously easy to take apart and put parts in, everything is setup very logically, and parts are interchangeable within a few years of the model.

      Kind of a bummer, though, that the fun version had port-side injectors and a top-mount intercooler. How long to change plugs? Seriously?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jaime2 ( 824950 )
      If you really want to have fun with a Subaru, do this [factoryfive.com] to it.

  • JEEPS are built, not bought.

    No, I am not talking about the latest contraptions but older Jeeps...CJs

  • The Jeep CJ/Wrangler has amazing aftermarket support. You can build a CJ from aftermarket parts with no real problem. The old Cherokee is in the same level of support. The old First Gen 1960s Camaro and the Corvette line is the same way. You can build a 64-68 Stingray from parts you order online if you want to.
    For a modern car Subarus, Jeeps, and so one are high on the list.
    What kind of car do you want? A people mover, Jeep, or a sporty car? US or japanese? Are you in the States?

  • I have a 1990 Ford that I've done so many mods to in that example....but it's not alone, so i'd say the most is anything you're not making payments on and is out of warranty.

  • With all the past lawsuits over sudden accelerations and other safety issues blamed (correctly or incorrectly) on software bugs, why would any automobile manufacturer in their right minds allow the customer to flash their own firmware? Seems to me that this is something to which any manufacturer who wants to stay in business (and out of jail) would be violently opposed.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jaime2 ( 824950 )

      why would any automobile manufacturer in their right minds allow the customer to flash their own firmware?

      Because that has nothing to do with their liability. As long as they make the lamest attempt to prevent modifications, their PR department and legal team will both simply say "the customer had made unauthorized modifications to the car". The most common reason to lock stuff down is to create a captive market that they can sell to. Tens of thousands of people are driving with tweaked computers in their cars, yet all of the "car software bugs" you see on the news are on unmodified vehicles.

      My first 2014 Mazda

  • Local Motors [localmotors.com], I guess.

  • Current Mazdas use OpenCar for their infotainment system. Wireless is enabled by default and the root password is out there on the Internet.
  • If we are talking about both, I'd vote for one of my vehicles, a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 with the HEMI engine. I bought it for $7500 (in 2012), spent $200 on a cold air intake, $600 on a magnaflow exhaust (got a deal), and $300 on a perofrmance tuner for it ( allows adjusted ECU, shift points, rev limiter, top speed governor, etc). It was quick before, but now the thing HAULS ASS. I never Dyno'd it but I'd guess I'm making an extra 40-50 HP from the combined effect of those changes and runs a high 14 sec 1/4 mi

  • As others have said, Subarus and Hondas are fairly easy to hack if you want to change existing ECU's.
    But if you want a car the way you want it, and are going to do more work, look for older cars.
    I have a 1975 Triumph Spitfire. I added electronic ignition, replaced the mechanical speedometer and tachometer with electronic ones, and am working on a custom fuel injection setup. If I want to put seat heaters in the car, removal of the seat pan doesn't take any bolts at all. It takes four screws to pull the d

  • Volkswagen-Audi group (Score:4, Informative)

    by shuz ( 706678 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @03:53PM (#48436715) Homepage Journal

    VW/Audi group cars can all be easily hacked via a Vag-com http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-c... [ross-tech.com] device which is a relatively cheap hardware/software alternative to the programmer used at the factor or at a dealership. There are great community sites. for instance: http://www.audizine.com/forum/... [audizine.com]

    One simple hack I performed for instance was to enable bluetooth hud. Default from the factory the contact list from my phone would not be displayed one the radio or on the instrument heads up display. One simple code change displays my contact list, last calls received, and last calls made. The only negatives to the vag-com are that engine performance and emissions are locked out. Which means you can't disable the ~130MPH governor for instance.

  • CAN bus enables access (Score:3)

    by itomato ( 91092 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @04:02PM (#48436773)
    Check out the CANBus Triple: https://www.kickstarter.com/pr... [kickstarter.com] They have huge adoption in the Mazda community
  • Check out the CANBus Triple: https://www.kickstarter.com/pr... [kickstarter.com] They have huge adoption in the Mazda community

  • sense of the word (Score:3)

    by DriveDog ( 822962 ) on Friday November 21, 2014 @04:25PM (#48436945)
    I think of hacking as almost anything to alter almost anything about the car, but it sounds like you're thinking mostly interfacing with the electronics to get there. I can't answer who's best, but I know for sure that some manufacturers make accessing and interpreting CAN bus information a lot easier than others. Search for CAN bus interface info for various makes in which you're interested and see how much is out there and how difficult it looks. When I find time (yeah right) I want to grab events from pushing steering wheel buttons and use it to control my own devices. So I'm not really looking to put messages on the CAN bus, just read from it. In general, models that have cult followings (not just "ricers") will have a lot more info out there that their owners have accumulated and shared. MINIs are not among the easiest cars to interface with (as with other BMWs), but there's a lot of info out there because of the interest among owners. On the other hand, something like a Camry, popular as they are, is unlikely to have been explored as much because they're appliances that people buy to reliably get them where they want to go and not for providing fun or making a statement.

  • If we're talking about the kind of hacks you'd normaly think of when thinking of cars that would probably be some 2-3 decade old ex-soviet military car. In a pinch you can repair those with a paperclip. Some of them also have awesome features. I've heard of a transporter that can deflate and inflate its tires... while driving! They used that feature to adjust the tires to the ground the transporter would pass over. More traction in snow and sand and stuff like that.

    An old us-army jeep probably is pretty hac

  • Land Rovers are like Meccano for grown men.

    Chassis come in 90,110,127 inchs. Engines in V8 Petrol, TDI, Drive/Transmission in 4x4, 6x6 and even tracked varients.

    Bodies include Utility, Pickup, Van, Station Wagon, Double Cab, Hicap, Light Weights and Forward Control, Trybacks.

    Special Vehicle varients as Ambulances, Fire Tenders and Pumps, Armoured, Recovery Truck, Fire Tenders, amphibious and breaching vehicles to name a few.

  • In a Soviet Lada, you will be hacked!

  • With a Tabby [wired.co.uk]

    Get yours today!... Er, tomorrow... Would you believe... [osvehicle.com]

    Okay, okay, already. Apologies in advance for the snark. This really is a cool project.. And one worth watching. I do think the name is poorly positioned, however. Hey! What about Carduino? No? Anything but Tabby. I got it.. I got it... The Stallman! Hmmm. On second thought not for a car. I'll keep thinking.

  • Must it be a car? How about a motorcycle? HUGE modding community; Long history. Also, helmets like the Skully AR-1.

  • BMW's are very hackable - there's hundreds of little settings that can be coded in nearly every module of the car, there's 3rd party ECU firmware available as well to boost power, especially on the turbo models.

  • Not sure about most hackable, but... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by wolrahnaes ( 632574 ) <sean AT seanharlow DOT info> on Friday November 21, 2014 @07:45PM (#48438181) Homepage Journal

    The BMW E46 (3 series between 1999 and 2005) and other BMWs from that era all use an in-vehicle network called "I-Bus" which operates things like the windows, the sound system, the lights, and more. Most non-critical vehicle functions are exposed there and are fairly well documented by the community. You only need an inexpensive adapter that looks like a serial port as far as the computer's concerned to access it.

    IIRC the first generation or two of Mini as well as a few Land Rovers of the time that used BMW engines also have I-Bus.

    Newer models have an optical system called MOST running the infotainment system, I'm not sure where the windows and lights are connected in these days.

  • The most hackable car is obviously the Adobe [google.com]. You can hack it into damn near anything.

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