Easy. Joking and top speed aside, in this game...a car is much better than a bike due to the handling logic. A 120 MPH handbrake turn with a bike, and it doesn't just throw you off of it? Especially if you slide into a car at that speed?
I've never actually driven a bike (never liked them, to be honest), but that do not feel like proper physics.

As for the Rattler, I take it you chose the Nomad lifepath on your current playthrough? I don't remember exactly when, but if you aren't that far enough into the game yet, you will get a mission later on (also Nomad exclusive) where you'll get the Rattler from the intro mission back.
Doing it the proper way unlike me, who just use the developer concole...

The mission is called "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" if you want to look it up. From your description of the car though, it sounds like you already got it back in yoru possession :)
From the story, It was a project V worked on back when she was with the Backer nomads. Keeping the whole car together on a non-existing budget, steel wire, shoe strings and duct tape.

I like the Rattler mostly from the sound of that engine. Also, any 4-wheel drive car that is powerful enough to make all 4 wheels spin from a standing start get two thumbs-up from me. <3
RIP clutch though. Good thing it's just a game. ^^

The driving physics for everything are pretty wonky, but I still prefer me a motorcycle :P

Splitting lanes between a truck and a bigger truck in a turn at 170mph? That's what great escapism is all about.

I certainly see the merits of using a bike. Especially with an increased traffic mod (definitely noticable in the city). The mod promised to deliver traffic jams...which I didn't believe. And now I can't get anywhere with a car, apart from using it as a bulldozer...

"Great escapism", huh? Yeah, that sounds like me when using a bike in the game - except between said truck and bigger truck, I usually hit the smaller one. Of course always at high speed. Do the phrase 'fly like a bird' sufficiently picture the following predicament? ^^

Not sure if there is a pre-requisite dialogue that has to take place but:

-during "Pyramid Song", one of your answers will prompt Judy to allude to a MaxTac outfit she won in a bet; when you visit her apartment later, sure enough, there's a box with a MaxTac helmet, jacket and pants in her bedroom closet;

The item rarity is random, so try to quick-save once you enter her apartment. If you get a poor draw, just re-load.

(I guess this is another 1.3 item I missed before; sigh)

I havent played the game yet, just one question, does the world feel empty, yes or no ?

By default, I would say yes, Night City feels rather empty.
But that can be fixed with mods, increasing both pedestrian and vehicle density, making it much, much better.

If by "empty" you mean uninteresting or devoid of activity, then I would say no. There's traffic everywhere (people + cars) and a lot of little nooks and crannies to explore around the map. Add to that secret little areas sprinkled around everywhere, RNG events (shootouts, car chases, muggings, etc.) and the city feels pretty lively (until you've seen everything at least once).

If, on the other hand, you mean "empty" as in "full of things to do", then it's like every other open world game to date. At first, you'll be overwhelmed by the amount of things on the map; and then, once you've done them all, yeah -- it'll feel sorta empty.

I'm still waiting for a developer to put in procedural semi-quests or some sort of autonomy into an open world...

...though if they did that, I'd probably stop going outside :)
:( I was hoping they could spawn legendary (the helmet, at least; the rest of the outfit is kinda meh).

Now if only they came stock with the sorta stats MaxTac seems to spawn with... I went toe-to-toe with three of them yesterday and, after they finally ran me down, I couldn't help but wonder if "irritating" is a clothing mod ;)

Oof, sounds like you equipped a used beanie at some point in the early game. Those comes with "lice" as a passive on lower levels...
Is fortunately countered through the hidden cleanse passive of your apartment shower and equipping some other clothes.

You can get the MaxTac gear as legendary, but that requires using the developer console and making all equipped gear legendary with a cheat code.

As for the MaxTac guys and gals, range is your friend when dealing with them. Either though using the ol' trusty Spray'n-Pray­™, or visiting the oh-so (not so) friendly gun vendor up in Watson Northside and picking a brand new, only used on Sundays by an old lady, Nekomata Tech sniper.

Not even NCPD's best can stand up to the physics of a high-velocity armour-piercing rifle round.

-the reward mechanics for finishing the main plot have been re-worked (sorta); now you get an actual little window telling you what all you've gotten for finishing a given plot;

-the two missing Tarot cards are correctly awarded (meaning, you get to keep them after finishing the plot and returning to "Point of no Return");

-Nomad plot correctly gives you Cassidy's "Amnesty" revolver, but it's bugged (you get the rare version and a crafting recipe for legendary, but the recipe does not recognize the revolver in your inventory thus not letting you upgrade the revolver);

Ah, so that's why there's 2 of them in the dev console item list (no, I haven't tried doing the Nomad end quest).
I tried adding one of each to my inventory, but only one got recognized by the legendary blueprint.

You got CyberEngineTweaks installed by any chance?

No, unfortunately. But I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea :)

You should give the Nomad end-game a spin: out of all current endings, it feels like the best one... And if your character happens to be romancing Judy -- it's almost perfect.

Actually, I was considering doing the Nomad end this time. Am at the last mission now, Nocturne Op55N, and I have already done everything else there is to do.

Have already done the "secret" ending with Johnny, where I go solo in to Arasaka Tower, so I was considering a different one this time. Also, I have romanced Judy, so what else can one want for (except for Judy AND Panam in the same bed...)? ^^

Say, would you be willing to share your save game with me? I am still curious to find out whether save games are transferrable between computers now.

Assuming it works, you could send me a list of things you want added through the console on my end, that way you won't have to install anything on your PC. Such as the proper Epic (or directly to legendary) revolver from Cassidy.
Though I can say that River's revolver, Crash, is by far the best one of all revolvers I know of.

£ddie$, crafting components, equipment, vehicles - you name it, I got it. ;)

Thanks, but I'm fine just playing the game for now.

And if (or when) there is so much bugged content that I need the console to add it in, I can always install the mod myself.

Say...can you please explain to me how you managed to do Cassidy's "challenge" to get his revolver?
I did it, but...not with the piece of crap default pistol the game wants me to do it with.

I even tried using scopes and muzzles...only to see those richochet's fly straight through the bottles without doing anything.

Lizzie took care of business, and good thing too, because I was ready to step up to the assault rifles, and using Problem Solver with its increased magazine size if Moron Labe (my favourite gun in the game) couldn't handle it.

Also, I'm not sure whether I should take the gun, knowing it cannot be upgraded to legendary, or let him keep it - and then give myself a working one through the dev console. ^^
Can confirm though - the gifted gun cannot be upgraded to legendary.