Antonella Abbate • 15 April 2025

Did You Know?



Your Car Has More Lines of Code
Than a Fighter Jet

Today’s cars are more than just machines — they’re rolling supercomputers. In fact, the average modern vehicle has over 100 million lines of code powering everything from the engine to the infotainment system. To put that into perspective, that’s more code than a modern fighter jet, a commercial airplane, or even the operating system of your smartphone.


Wait, More Than a Jet Fighter?

Yes — way more. For comparison:

Modern fighter jet (like an F-35): ~8 million lines of code

  • Boeing 787 Dreamliner: ~14 million
  • Facebook's entire backend (estimate): ~60 million
  • Modern car: 100–150 million lines

Why does your car need so much software? Because it’s not just an engine and wheels anymore. It’s a highly connected, sensor-filled, tech-driven ecosystem on wheels.

What That Code Controls

  • Engine and transmission management
  • Stability and traction control
  • Airbag deployment systems
  • Adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist
  • Infotainment systems, Bluetooth, and navigation
  • Climate control, automatic lights, rain-sensing wipers
  • Keyless entry, theft prevention, and security systems
  • And if it’s an electric vehicle or hybrid? Add battery management and regenerative braking systems to the mix.


The Double-Edged Sword

All this technology adds comfort, safety, and performance — but it also creates complexity. Diagnosing issues now often means plugging into the car’s computer systems rather than getting under the hood. And as cars become increasingly autonomous and connected to the internet, cybersecurity is becoming a new frontier in automotive engineering.


Final Thought

The next time you're stuck in traffic or syncing your phone to your dashboard, remember: you're not just driving a car. You're piloting one of the most complex machines ever made — more advanced in code than a fighter jet.

Apology for April Fool’s Day Joke – The “Scania Ute”

by Antonella Abbate • 11 June 2025
We’d like to come clean… The “Scania Ute” is, unfortunately, not a real product—yet! This concept was part of an April Fool’s Day joke. While we know the idea of a heavy-duty Scania truck combined with a ute bed and powered by our iconic V8 engine might sound like a dream come true, it was all in good fun. We apologise if this caused any confusion or got your hopes (or engines) running a little too fast.  Thanks for being such great sports, and who knows? Maybe one day…

Did You Know?

by Antonella Abbate • 11 June 2025
Australia is home to the world’s longest straight stretch of road .

Australian Car Mechanic - Issue 81

by Antonella Abbate • 11 June 2025
More posts