Peak Car

"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12) 02/11/2020 at 18:06 • Filed to: None

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Cool piece from over-view, a site that posts daily top-down pics of the world.

I think that even if we haven’t hit peak car, and cars continue in abundance for decades to come, we’ve hit peak in terms of enjoyment.

Cars from now on will be more efficient, quiet, and rely on less human input than ever. We saw it with the move to SUVs and the move away from sports cars that’s been happening since the mid 90s. We’re seeing it with the decline of manuals in favor of CVTs and 8+ gear autos where the engine and transmission’s workings are less of the driver’s concern. And we’re seeing it with electrification and driver aids moving to self-driving.

Maybe Doug was right and the Carrera GT is the peak. Maybe Clarkson was right about the V12 Vantage like 10 years ago. Maybe every bloody journo, using the term “swan song” in endless click-bait has it right. Hard to say, but I think the moment has passed.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 18:29

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I sometimes worry this with EVs coming. Not to say they can’t be exciting and such, but even cheap ICE cars seem to have more of a personality than EVs to me. EVs are just more....appliance-y.

Makes me sad and makes me hope I’ll still be able to enjoy a classic car with an ICE at some point in the future even if my DD is electric...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 18:32

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Car more as appliance...

fintail > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 18:34

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“Cars” in terms of an analog or visceral experience are waning. Soulless personal transportation pods have a long road in front of them.

For Sweden > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 18:39

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Maybe the V8 S80 is peak car

Jim Spanfeller > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/11/2020 at 18:43

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This is why I don’t like it when people convert classic cars to electric. I feel like the people who are into that stuff don’t understand half of what makes classic cars so enjoyable. They just want the appearance of a classic car and some specs, not an interesting old machine with character and personality. If you remove the drivetrain from a VW bug and replace it with an electric skateboard chassis, then there’s no soul left. It’s just not a Bug anymore. At that point, it’s just an appliance that looks like an old bug. It’s just sad.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 18:45

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Cars were always supposed to be a tool. People just developed a hobby out of using and maintaining them because those tools used to be labour-intensive to operate and maintain.

As car maintenance becomes less and less labour-intensive (electric cars bring a significant reduction in regular maintenance), the scope of working on cars as a hobby shrinks.

As transportation becomes more and more autonomous, the same thing will happen to driving cars as a form of recreation.

When teleportation is achieved, air travel and planespotting will cease to exist, and there will no longer be Sam Chui-types producing aviation videos .

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Jim Spanfeller 02/11/2020 at 19:05

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Same, I’m not against EVs, but converting classic cars to electric just ruins the soul of the car in my eyes. With you 100%. There’s more to it than the looks, there are the smells, the feel, the noise. It’s not the same!

Chariotoflove > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 19:16

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Zooming around and going fast will never go out of style. Only the vehicles with which we do so will. 

gettingoldercarguy > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 21:05

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I’ll give you my keys when you pry them  from my cold, dead hands.

functionoverfashion > For Sweden 02/11/2020 at 21:52

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W12 Phaeton

For Sweden > functionoverfashion 02/11/2020 at 21:55

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also a good car

Nauraushaun > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/11/2020 at 22:49

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That’s the thing. People don’t want personality, they want an appliance. This is the modern view on the car.

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 02/11/2020 at 22:50

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This is exactly right. They will be better than ever, there’s no denying, but not better for the likes of us.

Nauraushaun > For Sweden 02/11/2020 at 22:50

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It probably is

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 23:02

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It saddens me to no end... :(

AestheticsInMotion > Nauraushaun 02/11/2020 at 23:23

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When I look at the automotive landscape as a whole, I think to myself, “there are so many vehicles I want, that simply don’t exist in any form”. Rwd manual hatchbacks, high-performance *small* sportscars, engines with screaming redlines, etc....

Getting into the motorcycle world recently has been a breath of fresh air. I can't think of a single manufacturer that isn't making bikes I'm interested in currently, and the vast majority of them have plans for upcoming bikes that I like too. Seems like the best time to be a bike enthusiast. 

Jim Spanfeller > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/11/2020 at 23:36

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Yeah... I didn’t really know how much soul a car could have until I started daily driving my ‘66 Thunderbird. That car has so much personality that it feels like an old friend by now. I can’t imagine converting it to electric... it would feel like killing it in a way. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 02/12/2020 at 13:58

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I’m guessing the motorcycling community is super excited for the day that every car will be driven by a computer, with eyes in the back (& sides) of its head.

Nauraushaun > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/12/2020 at 18:00

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As long as I can keep driving proper   cars for my lifetime I’ll be happy