Features on cars that you no longer see but you miss

[GeordieInExile]

Willy Nilly said:

Black bumpers

Two for one here - bare steel wheels as well!

[alangla]

WarnieV6GT said:

I also miss cars having their engine capacities displayed on the front wings. I used to be fixated with the cars in our street with the big engines, especially the granada 2.8, the rover 3500 and the capri 2800i.

New Mustang has "5.0" or "5.0 V8" on the wing, it's the only new car I can think that does this. I doubt the Ecoboost has "2.3T 4-pot" somehow.

[TheOversteerLever]

I miss gauges I don't have any idea of my cars coolant temp, oil temp, oil pressure or anything else important/interesting but I do have a tacky, pointless LED boost gauge, wow! I know it's possible to 'code' some of the functions in so they show up on the multi function display but I just think it's wrong to build a 'performance' car nowadays without even a coolant temp gauge!

My old GTi-6 was great as when you turned the ignition on, the oil gauge showed the level and then once the car had started, it showed you oil temp. Great idea (and car)!

[Vaud]

TheOversteerLever said:

I miss gauges I don't have any idea of my cars coolant temp, oil temp, oil pressure or anything else important/interesting but I do have a tacky, pointless LED boost gauge, wow! I know it's possible to 'code' some of the functions in so they show up on the multi function display but I just think it's wrong to build a 'performance' car nowadays without even a coolant temp gauge!

My old GTi-6 was great as when you turned the ignition on, the oil gauge showed the level and then once the car had started, it showed you oil temp. Great idea (and car)!

I don't miss gauges. I like the minimalism. I like the car to warn me if there is an issue, and I like access to the data via a screen, but I don't want it accessible all of the time. It's like modern autos - why have a rev counter?

[grumpyscot]

Warmed air to continually heat the rear windscreen (a la Saab 99), and day running lights that lit up the rear lights too! (again, a la Saab). Plus, a clutch you could change in 30 minutes without removing the engine and no special tools needed. (guess what -- a la Saab 99!)

[boz1]

I miss any tremendously complicated solution that was engineered to solve a problem that is now entirely redundant.

e.g. the way my widescreen sat nav (on my 2002 BMW) electronically folds out of the way to enable access to... a cassette deck!

[TheOversteerLever]

Vaud said:

I don't miss gauges. I like the minimalism. I like the car to warn me if there is an issue, and I like access to the data via a screen, but I don't want it accessible all of the time. It's like modern autos - why have a rev counter?

Hmm, I probably miss-worded my post.

I'm not bothered if the information is available by a gauge or screen but I'd like it to at least be available! I get what you're saying about minimalism so I can see why designers may chose not to have their dashboards cluttered with gauges any more.

I just don't get why manufacturers think that owners of half quick performance models have no interest in coolant/oil temp/pressure.

[Truckosaurus]

Thankfully, as dashboards are now being fitted with computer screens rather than dials we'll be able to configure the display to include whatever virtual gauges we want.

[spyker138]

Vaud said:

I don't miss gauges. I like the minimalism. I like the car to warn me if there is an issue, and I like access to the data via a screen, but I don't want it accessible all of the time. It's like modern autos - why have a rev counter?

Yes this is horrible isn't it:

[SteveSteveson]

TheOversteerLever said:

Hmm, I probably miss-worded my post.

I'm not bothered if the information is available by a gauge or screen but I'd like it to at least be available! I get what you're saying about minimalism so I can see why designers may chose not to have their dashboards cluttered with gauges any more.

I just don't get why manufacturers think that owners of half quick performance models have no interest in coolant/oil temp/pressure.

I guess because it is now useless information. As the volt meter above cars no longer need to show us that information as they take car of it. ECUs stop you from being able to rev a cold engine too hard and engines no longer piss oil out. Personally I want a car with a big speedo and Rev counter.

[Vaud]

spyker138 said:

Yes this is horrible isn't it:

To my eyes, yes.

I want the minimum amount of information possible, and the car to inform me if there is an issue to look at.

The Saab Night Panel was brilliant at night. Just speedo was lit. Anything else lit up if there was an problem or you were pushing the limits.

[CraigyMc]

spyker138 said:

Vaud said:

I don't miss gauges. I like the minimalism. I like the car to warn me if there is an issue, and I like access to the data via a screen, but I don't want it accessible all of the time. It's like modern autos - why have a rev counter?

Yes this is horrible isn't it:

I think that looks awful.

Edited to add:

Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 27th May 09:25

[anonymous-user]

WarnieV6GT said:

Back then you could tell straight away what trim it was and you could also make your 1.3 popular look proper 'bad ass' by sticking some 14" alloys on it. Nowadays corsa's come with 18's, side skirts and massive spoilers as options on even the basic models.

I could just imagine myself in the 80's when I grew up seeing my 3.2 Alfa. I would have loved it, 3.2! and it's got 180 mph on the clock! and it sounds mega just like when the big engines in my street used to start up!

I was obsessed with cars from a very early age and still am now, but every car these days looks sporty and fast and the kids today have got used to them being that way so the really special models don't stand out like they used to.

This is spot on. Not that I'm as old as you are, born in 92 so I missed this era of cars, in the sense of I didn't have an interest at the time.

But yeah the trim and engine specs are certainly separated now, not sure if they were back in the day for you old timers?

You see all these cars with the sport spec options, m sport/amg/s line and even as mentioned the corsa are styled to look sporty and fast yet have a bloody 1.4 in them! Just seems stupid to me as having a top spec sporty looking car should have the performance to back it up

That's what the masses want though, cheap easy finance, regardless of being able to pay it off or go into big debt, a high spec sporty looking car which is cheap on fuel. All the diesel reps, I'm looking at you. Mind you the benefit is they become cheap and affordable on the second hand market after a few years which is great.

[Vocht]

TheOversteerLever said:

I miss gauges

The latest/facelift Scirocco now comes with some nice gauges. I'd love them in my Golf R.

Edited by Vocht on Friday 27th May 08:58

[CraigyMc]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Headroom. Sunroofs usually reduce headroom.

[Vaud]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

When it became quite cheap, engine power increased so that it made no noticeable difference and people saw the benefits of "climate control" and demisting in winter as well as cool in the summer.

[jshell]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

And they leak, all of them!

[Nik da Greek]

The sunroof in first-gen RX-7s doesn't cost any headroom. Mostly because it's so primitive you have to actually lift the entire panel out and put it in the boot Gives lovely a airy cabin, but not the most practical thing to do halfway along the M40 (other long roads are available)



...plus it tends to mean if, like me, one is slightly too tall for their hair and thus one's head sticks out through the top of it, you get a monstrously sunburnt swede

[anonymous-user]

Vaud said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

When it became quite cheap, engine power increased so that it made no noticeable difference and people saw the benefits of "climate control" and demisting in winter as well as cool in the summer.

I'd say it was after the first time they tried it and thought "fk me, this is miles better than sweating my bks off or having the wind blowing everything all over the car when I'm at speed".

A sunroof actively puts me off an older car as they are somewhat prone to breaking and very much prone to leaking, I can't quite believe people pay £1k+ for the option.

Edited by dme123 on Sunday 29th May 00:30

[Shakermaker]

I miss the ability to unlock the entire car with one click of the keyfob.

On mine (Skoda) one click opens drivers door only, second click then boot, i think, only on third click do passenger doors open up. That is in addition to the separate (and useful) button to unlock and pop up the boot.