Automobiles are designed by well-trained engineers and tested methodically. Every once in a while, though, some completely ridiculous flaw slips through and makes drivers miserable. What's the stupidest design glitch that ever got through a development process?
Hondas, and by extension Acuras, in the 1980s had superlative manual transmissions. They were smooth and direct, and clutch pedal takeup was all but perfect. In the first-generation Acura Legend, however, that clutch was entirely too small to manage the engine's output and the car's weight. Clutches tend to last about as long as a pizza at a frat party. It's one of the very few Hondas where the automatic is the better long-term choice.
(QOTD is your chance to address the day's most pressing automotive questions and to experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits, and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good Question of the Day, send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)
Photo Credit: Tom Nguyen