When speed is no longer an issue, what would make you buy a new car?

[shogun32]

The system sets a laser on the target, tracks it, stabilizes the image, determines the range, calculates the bullet drop, adjusts the sight picture to accommodates the drop, and then, when the muzzle of the barrel crosses the target point, it fires the cartridge.

we've had that for what 20 years? on the M1 Abrams. It even accounts for the tank bouncing down terrain at 40mph so it can shoot on the run.
Drone pilots play video games to 'fly' and don't need any actual flight experience to send the Hellfire on it's way.

Humans are always the weakest link. I personally hope we don't design out the human from everything but I'm not confident we won't pursue "engineering perfection" to the limit.

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[Zooks527]

we've had that for what 20 years? on the M1 Abrams. It even accounts for the tank bouncing down terrain at 40mph so it can shoot on the run.

Yes, but now it's small enough to clamp onto the top of your hunting rifle, as opposed to needing a tank to haul it around. Sure, it worked on the Abrams, but it made a hell of a mess of the meat.

 

[Balr14]

Is any 3200 lbs car that holds full size adults in the back seat possible with modern govt car design requirements?

I'd say it might be possible with electric power and much better batteries... or maybe nuclear fusion.

 

[Stranger706]

For a street/daily driver 100 hp per 1000 pounds of car is the sweet spot and plenty for me. So my current GT is more than enough right out of the factory. More power than that is not any more fun. How is 800 hp fun? You're just trying not to kill yourself the whole time.

My coworker has a built camaro with 800 whp and is going for 1000. He doesn't even enjoy driving it on the street anymore and it sits in the garage all the time now. I don't know why. Just for bragging rights I guess?

I'm a fan of all sports cars. I hope this segment stays alive in the future. The technology will continue to evolve I just hope they don't numb everything down to nothing.

 

[cosmic charlie]

For a street/daily driver 100 hp per 1000 pounds of car is the sweet spot and plenty for me. So my current GT is more than enough right out of the factory. More power than that is not any more fun. How is 800 hp fun? You're just trying not to kill yourself the whole time.

My coworker has a built camaro with 800 whp and is going for 1000. He doesn't even enjoy driving it on the street anymore and it sits in the garage all the time now. I don't know why. Just for bragging rights I guess?

I'm a fan of all sports cars. I hope this segment stays alive in the future. The technology will continue to evolve I just hope they don't numb everything down to nothing.

800HP is lot's of fun!

 

[Fly2High]

I tinker with model aircraft. When it comes to electric power, there is so much that can be ton to tune them. The number of wraps per stator terminal, the spacing of the magnets, the gauge of wire, the timing of the motor, number of poles, etc.

It is just going to be very different than what we are used to but you will be able to 'tune' an electric motor.

For me, not sure what would cause me to buy another car or desire to. The '19 GT PP2 does so much right. It has several features I never knew existed and many I could take or leave. Sure, I do like several of the premium features like heated and cooled seats, leather but I have no use for satellite radio, touch screen and, if there was USB support, maybe even the phone link software. I have no problem listening to the radio and, on long drives, changing the station trying to find a local one I might enjoy. I do not need memory seats and mirrors since I am the only one who drives my car. I do not even need an automatic (which I do not have) favoring the simplicity of a manual and the connected feel with the added bonus that , should the tranny fail, I can tear it down and rebuild it. Hard to say that about most automatics over the years. Add in the computers to the automatics and that is just something else that can break/fail and that might need special tools to diagnose. Throw in the fact that it is possible that computer might not be available down the road and you have a nice paperweight after 10-20 years. Sure, any part could become obsolete but I would think manual parts to be easier to find something to make it work (and sometimes work better) keeping your beloved running a few years longer. I am not the kind that discards a car after 3-5 years. Mine stay with me between 9-16 years and only get sold or junked because a repair needs professional help and the cost is beyond the love I have for the car. With this car, that will be a lot.

As for the comment about making a car sub 3200 lbs, the Civic Type R is that. I bet they could have dropped some more weight if they wanted to and even pumped up the engine a bit higher.

The limits to weight , to be, are dependent on the engineering budget set up for a particular model and how much money they can make from it. No one cares if a car can go from 0-60 in 4 seconds. What people do care about is status and having a lighter car means nothing to most but having an extra 50-100 hp means everything even if the end result is the same. Even if you tie in the fact that a lighter car will probably have better fuel economy, no one cares. Show me what more I am getting for my purchase!! the yell. Less weight is not more. Also, many feel with the SUV craze that weight is safety. I see several lighter weight vehicles get 5 star ratings in crash tests but many will not buy a car unless it has a certain 'safe' weight range that is defined in their heads. Of course most simply forget that if everyone gets lighter then even more people will be safer in accidents. With our ever increases in weight, we are making it less and less safe even at our 55 - 65 mph highway limits and I really doubt anyone really wants to drive slower. We have evolved the car to where it can outdo all cars from when the speed limits were put in place even fuel economy, stopping distance, automatic safety measures, tires, etx. and yet we have not changed the speed limits.

I take it back. These would be things that would make me buy a new car:

1. Lighter weight
If I could get a Fox body weight (or lighter - 3,380 lbs with GT, 3442 GT convertible) with a modern V8 with 20+mpg city, I would buy a new car. I would not be surprised if we had the 500 lb weight drop, economy would improve. I just feel the manufacturers are saving the weight drop for when engines can no longer be improved but they still need to show fuel economy improvements. Plus with the SUV craze, they might not be able to. We have to have better engineering today that when the Fox body was built and should be able to do it. I am surprised how we seem to have forgotten the lessens learned during the 80's and 90's with weight.

2. Better usage of interior space
Another thing that would make me buy anew car is if they would thin down the doors and give some of that width to the interior for some room. This car is wider than my '86 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z but has less interior space. I know, safety but why? I just feel there is no demand to improve it

3. Usable back seat
I like my cars to seat 4+ with two doors. My Daytona, Scion TC were smaller cars (with smaller engines traversely mounted) but could fit 4 adults. Mustang, a bigger car, cannot.

4. Less width
Mustang at 76" wide is portly. I love that the 65 - 73 were narrower and used the interior space so much better. I will say the 70's Mach 1 was still fat at 74" but it was still better.

 

[2morrow]

This seems to be a drag-centric post but handling and design are as or more important to me than outright power.

I drag raced a lot when I was a late-teen to early 20's and while fun I moved on to other things.

Keep the Mustang Sexy (Really all my cars have to look good), Keep it handling well and make it go on a diet for christ's sake.

 

[shogun32]

Had the Charger come with the Tremec, I may well have never turned to the Mustang.

 

[tom_sprecher]

I buy cars based on what they look like inside and out. Engine/power/transmission is dictated by intended use. Street car needs a V8, rear wheel drive and a stick, but I also love my YJ that has relatively little power. I will buy one of the small Broncos and the new Corvette at sometime in the future once all my money stops paying for both my kids in private colleges.

I'm all over the place.

 

[Drewgamer]

What is sufficient power for you? What is your upper limit 0-60 or 1/4 mile that you feel you would not want to surpass?

Not sure what my upper limit would be, but I need to be able to drive the car year-round (I use mine as a daily, so this would include rainy and cold weather). I certainly wouldn't want to go LESS than what I currently have (unless of course lower weight was a factor).

If straight line speed is maxed due to your abilities in the cars being sold, what attributes or features would make you buy a new car?

Looks and "gadgets". I have to see (and drive) the thing every day so it needs to look "cool" (to me at least ). Fun / useful "gadgets" and technology are also a plus! (I love the adaptive cruise control and digital dashboard).

Would you buy a car that is a self driving drag car - the car will detect the light, engage the gas (being an automatic) and know when to slow itself after a quarter mile and you are merely along for the ride having to do nothing, not even steer? It will keep itself in 'lane'.

Probably not, unless it was my only option? I love my manual too much.
That said, if I could somehow get all that AND have the option to turn it off to drive manually (WITH the clutch) then I would be 100% all for it. Even if it was "faked" (like driving a manual with a wheel setup in a racing game) I think I'd still go for it.

 

[Interceptor]

I'm shallow. I buy a car from the appearance first, price second, performance third.

 

[Balr14]

I thought a 47 Ford convertible with upgraded running gear would be perfect for me. It's light weight and has a decent backseat. Then I pulled my Mustang up next to one that was for sale and discovered it's nearly a foot longer than my Mustang. It sure doesn't look that big in pictures.

 

[cactus_kid]

I buy cars based on what they look like inside and out. Engine/power/transmission is dictated by intended use. Street car needs a V8, rear wheel drive and a stick, but I also love my YJ that has relatively little power. I will buy one of the small Broncos and the new Corvette at sometime in the future once all my money stops paying for both my kids in private colleges.

I'm all over the place.

I pulled back my deposit on the C8. Simply not impressed. I've ridden in my friends new Z51. It is simply no fun with the paddles. Even he laments the lack of a manual. After having owned two from each of the previous gens, there won't be a C8 in the foreseeable future for me.

 

[RaceRed5.0]

Self driving electric cars? Can you get anymore boring. I'll be done with the car scene I'd probably collect a classic combustion engine car and wait for the flying car to come out.

 

[BuckeyeBOSS]

Self driving electric cars? Can you get anymore boring. I'll be done with the car scene I'd probably collect a classic combustion engine car and wait for the flying car to come out.

Flying cars??? Most people can't even drive on the 2D surface of the Earth, let alone in 3 dimensions. Can you imagine every Karen flying? Oh heck no!

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