There was once a time in American history where the car was King in California. It’s wide avenues, sunny weather, and exploding wealth and population made California the center of the car culture. But something has happened to the Golden State, and over-zealous regulators have caused no shortage of headaches for major automakers, but especially the Big Three.

The latest case is a great example of how silly regulations can ruin something simply meant to be fun. Jalopnik reports that California’s stringent emissions rules have prevented Ford from providing the performance-enhancing TracKey to BOSS 302 Mustang owners.

Now we’re all for clean air and saving the environment, and a few of us are even fans of alternative fuels. But just a simple look at the facts outlines how ridiculous this regulation is. Since the TracKey is technically an aftermarket part, it has to pass the California Air Resources Board’s stringent tests, which state that any aftermarket part cannot worsen emissions, lower engine durability, or affect the car’s on-board engine diagnostics.

Apparently, Ford can’t pass these tests, which means new TracKey for anybody, no matter where they live in the country. Why CARB feels the need to restrict the use of a device on a very-limited number of vehicles that will only be activated for very short durations compared with overall use is beyond us. Don’t they have better things to worry about than a fancy key that makes a low-production car go a little faster and sound a little cooler?