"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi)
03/05/2015 at 18:41 • Filed to: Counterpoints
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"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi)
03/05/2015 at 18:41 • Filed to: Counterpoints | 8
| 2 |
Blake Noble's last !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! got me thinking about the state of supercar technology and what it means to the average driver and enthusiast today. Mr. Noble contends that supercars no longer provide a glimpse into the amazing technologies of tomorrow, and instead take their cues from the lowly likes of the Prius. While an interesting analysis, I respectfully disagree, and offer this post as a counterpoint.
What may contribute to this perception of stagnation is the fact that a lot of the big engineering developments that go into supercars aren't as easy to perceive or describe as they used to be. Things like advances in the use of carbon fiber and it's associated manufacturing techniques; 3D printing of components; active suspensions and aerodynamics—these are all technologies that will likely be commonplace in many if not all cars within 30 years. This is without even mentioning how much advancement has taken place in computer control.
The fact that these ludicrously powerful cars are drivable by normal people is pretty impressive, and the reason for that is some even more impressive software. Sure it might not be as "pure" of a driving experience, but it makes these cars possible, and ultimately it will make the cars that are right for 95% of the population much safer. The same goes for the hybrid and energy management technologies. Sure the Prius did it first, but it's comparatively easy to optimize the management of a hybrid system when the only goal is efficiency. With the hybrid hypercars, the objective became designing a system that could maximize performance and efficiency, and actively adapt along that spectrum to suit the needs of the driver. Again, technologies such as these will be essential in improving the cars we all drive in the coming decades.
As far as the "new" issue of supercars aping their ideas from major boring-mobiles, I call BS. Yes, the Prius popularized hybrid technology, but not only is the idea much older than the Prius, it took a leap of innovation and engineering to apply this technology to enhancing performance. A leap that represents precisely what makes supercars so super: redefining what is possible. I can't speak for everybody, but I know that when I first heard about the mind–blowing performance of the 918 I had never even considered what wild possibilities could be achieved with "Prius technology". I knew afterward that the game had changed.
There are other precedents for this type of "trickle up" technology. Though a small number of AWD race cars were built at various times throughout the 20th century, it was largely relegated to the agricultural and utility spheres. Only after developments such as the Audi Quattro and Porsche 959 were the full performance benefits of this technology in a modern context realized. Since then the technology has proliferated throughout the model range of most manufacturers. Today, it's not uncommon to see average family cars with AWD that helps them perform better , despite the fact that most got along just fine without it a few decades ago.
In much the same way, hybrid technology spent years as nothing but a boon for fuel misers, appearing in the Prius and Insight and a handful of option packages. We've now realized it's full potential. Though it "trickled up" to the super cars, I think we can fully expect to see it trickle back down and make all of our cars both faster and more efficient.
So Mr. Noble, I respectfully offer you this conclusion: today's supercars are just as super as they always have been, because they're what's going to stop every car from being a Prius in twenty years. You may disagree, but maybe in a few years you'll be sitting in a carbon fiber midsize sedan that leans into corners, changes its shape, and gets to 60 MPH in five seconds flat at 70 MPG. If that's the case, I think some apologies to the men and women in Stuttgart, Modena, and Woking are in order.
DrScientist
> E. Julius
03/05/2015 at 18:45 |
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Thank you.
spanfucker retire bitch
> E. Julius
03/05/2015 at 19:25 |
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Hybrid technology is boring and only used on the Prius?
I'll let those LMP1 teams know that.
Thank you for your well-thought retort to that nonsense.