Off-topic, but your post reminded me of the original Volkswagen Beetle. I owned one as a teenager, and there were still a bunch of them on the road when I became a firefighter. I believe that it was the most dangerous vehicle ever put on the American road in large numbers. The heater worked through the exhaust system, and after about five years, the piping rusted through, pumping pure carbon monoxide into the cab. The front seats were attached with very small bolts that broke loose in accidents. The only thing between the driver and the other car in a head on collision was the gas tank. The car would change lanes from the wind when passed by an eighteen wheeler. The battery was under the back seat, and after a few years, the rubber pad that protected the battery posts from contacting the rear springs would rub through. This caused quite a few fires. The fuel line ran very close to the air-cooled engine, and if not replaced every three years or so, the heat from the block would degrade the line, spraying fuel over the block. This invariably caused a fire, usually resulting in a total loss of the car.
Like I said, off topic, but your tailpipe quip brought back some old memories.