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This is a parallel thread to the Bike of the Future thread … but looking at cars – given that the majority of us drive them as well.

So post up here what things you would and wouldn’t like to see as part of your future car and driving experience – or indeed your experience of cars from the perspective of biker, pedestrian or (for Gio) cyclist.

Think about the next 5, 10 and 20 years. Don’t worry if we haven’t yet got the technology to make these things.

…. and why am I asking:
1) I’m interested in what we all think about this
2) It’s about time we kicked off another discussion topic
3) At work I’m responsible for a new R&D initiative looking at future vehicle technology (predominantly electronic based – and particularly information, communication and safety systems) … so I thought it’d be sensible to include the views of a few more people that may have some opinions about what’s appropriate and what’s not …. and not least to get some appropriateness with the safety systems …

Cars.. hmm.. I may have a long list for this... will give it a think and get back to you..

Mmm, well!

I'll go from current experience. I currently have a new Vectra Turbo (Petrol) and find it is brilliant at the motorway cruise. Loads of power, comfort, quiet all the bells and whistles etc and yes, its a rep mobile (one of only 100 ever made so a little rarer) but its bloody good at what it does however, I'd find that something like Mercedes have with the distance control would be good to prevent the constant thing of people stamping on brakes every two minutes would be handy, and to be honest thats about it. What more do you want other than for it to drive itself (boring!).

On the other hand, take all the goodies out and lets get back to driving. My father in law has just bought a Porsche Boxster and yes it has electric windows/cd player/air con but as a car and a driving experience it is amazing. It has something that has been removed from everyday modern cars which is the feeling you of being in control, much like you are on a bike. It is driving as it should be.

Having said that, Newcastle to London - bet I'm quicker, more comfortable and more refeshed in my repmobile!

Notice I said nowt about style versus pedestrian/biker safety. I don't care, just make it look good!

bigun wrote:Mmm, well!

What more do you want other than for it to drive itself (boring!).

Completely agree with you - there is a lot of talk about this - many people believe the self drive car would be a good thing.
If the technology can be developed the self-drive vehicle could well be safer than the majority of motorists out there - certainly more predictable.
I think this appeals to those developing 'safe systems' and those I would regard as 'car users' rather than 'drivers' - ie those that drive purely because it is a convenient way to reach their destination.
We have to recognise that this is a significant group .... but to only address their wishes would be terrible for those of us that enjoy the act of riding and driving.
Somewhere within the mix has to be things that put the FUN back in to driving.
Also if we are developing technology to make things safer, it should be our target to apply this in a way that allows travelling to be faster.
Sorry - rant over.

Hmm.. I'll try and put down what i'd like to see in the car of the future..

Driver's perspective.

1. More user controlled safety features (traction control, etc.. it's been about for ages but base model cars dont have it as standard. plenty of buttons to turn it off mind, cant be doing with it all the time)

2. More fuel efficient engines and the price of hybrids brought down. Great idea, way too expensive at the moment)

3. Better vision. Cars still have blindspots.. WHY!! theyve been designing 'em for decades. surely they can fix that little oversight (or lack of sight)

4. Better designed instruments, less is more, no really. scrap the crap and just have speedo and rev counter in the driver's view. Satnav by voice not screen. it distracts the driver.

5. As with bikes, changing colour screen and audible warning linked to GPS for when you speed. Green dash turns bright red and an alarm activates. not necessarily loud, just annoying enough to get speeds reduced (like those light buzzers, trailer indicator buzzers, seatbelt buzzers)

6. Removable bodies. So for instance a saloon can change to a pickup or van with 15 mins easy work. Might cut down on a few of those bloody topboxes rated to 70mph that you see going past you at 95 in the fast lane. make recycling a more viable option too, easier for peeps to transport things to the tip, collect things from shops, etc reduction in traffic maybe as a result.

7. recyclable parts.. more green components. Dashboards, interiors, etc less plastic, more recyclable plastic stuff. recycle the crap sent to the tip. points collected towards these new cars from manufacturers.. Recycle.. X amount of things with manufacturers, they then give you dosh off cars that use those things you've recycled (get the idea what im getting at?)

8. Better lights. Not blinding ones like Lexus/BMW's have, etc but proper lights that work better without being brighter. (I know what I mean!!) Those projector lights are bloody dangerous to oncoming traffic at times.

Okies.. so from a Pedestrian's perspective.

1. Less emissions, better designed cars so the roads arent clogged up with 8m long People carriers. Make em 6m and use the space, design em better.

2. Softer bumpers and bodypanels.

3. Audible (soft) indicator buzzers for pedestrians o be aware a car is turning somewhere. Maybe automatic indicators, so many drivers fail to use em.

As a Biker?

Ban em all.

But seriously. Do it.

Naah.. Softer bodypanels, better vision (see driver's wants listed above) for the driver

Less controls inside em so drivers arent distracted,

More pressure for cars to become smaller. makes filtering easier and safer.

A chauffeur and built in web access with a 19" screen.

Having hated diesels all my life, a little under two years ago I bought an Alfa 156 JTD 20 Valve 2.4 5 cylinder turbo diesel.
Previously had a Vectra 2.6 SRI V6 petrol for 4 years and a similar 2.5 V6 for 3 years before that. The Alfa JTD is faster, does twice as much to the gallon, has nearly twice the torque and is cheaper to insure. Averages 45 plus to the gallon in traffic, but I often get well over 50 commuting to work through rush hour traffic. It has 175 bhp, but can be chipped to 200 (in 159 spec) or 220 bhp (in Brera spec.). The best bit is 278 ft lbs of torque at 2000 revs, 2 more than a standard Porker.
I hate the look alike people carrier type styling and the Alfa is styled by Giugiaro, looks great and is pretty rare on the road. So a beautiful Italian, styled by a famous stylist, pretty rare, looks a bit different from the crowd, has shed loads of low down torque, so has instant power that will take out most other tin boxes on normal roads without having to try very hard at all.
Something maybe sounding a bit familiar to the Falco owners on this site!
Sad I know, but I had got used to leaving the garage and always looking back at the Falco, now I often look at Alfa as well. I’m a petrol head, (can I still say that), and I love cars as well as bikes. Neither are just transport for me, although I do understand people who see them that way particularly bikers, I had become like that before I bought the Alfa.
I can see the advantage of people carriers but I don’t need one any more now my family has grown up, (anyway, my Vectra estate was just as versatile).
So the car of the future would probably be a modern turbo diesel, (if they keep improving at this rate, the mind boggles at how good the will get).
Forget people carriers styled as they all are now with a ¾ front blind spot to help you take out bikers on roundabouts. The standard car type shape has thinner pillars and avoids this. Style the things properly, so they make you proud to drive them, and make them look different from other similar sized cars, people who need them can still have people carriers, if they must.
With front wheel drive cars, keep the traction control and obviously anti-lock brakes, and possibly some sort of electronic stability control, not sure about any sort of cruise control especially, the Merc stuff that stops you getting too close to the car in front etc., that’s one nanny too many. People need to stay aware in a car if they want to stay alive and not kill people, not stuck in Merc with auto cruise control switched on, whilst the “driver” has a two hour conference call on his hands free.
Sorry about the non green bit, but all cars should have aircon, keeps you relaxed and much more aware on long summer trips, keeps the kids cool as well. Extra air bags? Yes they seem to work well in most cases, just keep ‘em off bikes! Build the car bodies stronger but not with thick pillars and blind spots all over.
Just one final thing, on any new Alfa or similar, have a linked soundtrack of a V6 Alfa 24 valve petrol engine, (or an M-Power V8), piped though to the interior with volume control), so it reminds you of how things used to be.
I still hate the sound of a diesel when I open the window.
Sorry to drool on, that's about it for me, sorry it's not too radical Andy.

Ariel Atom for me, please.

Kid and wife - use a bus to silence the greenies.