Car Nerds: Describe your fanaticism in 2023
Poll: Car Nerds: Describe your fanaticism in 2023
Total Members Polled: 65
Discussion
It never ceases to amaze me to level of passion expressed by both sides of the ICE/BEV line in any topic even vaguely related to the topic, so I apologise in advance that this will probably go the same way.
But what strikes me is that whilst the passion is very much there right now, the balanced view often gets lost (unheard of on the internet right?)
So I figured a poll might help bring some objectivity and see if we're not doomed to infight into the oblivion...
For my part, I accept the move away from ICE and find certain aspects of electric drive to be most welcome, but am taking the opportunity to make the most of ICE whilst I can and whilst they are still a sensible choice for daily motoring.
I will miss rowing my own gears, but TBH that pleasure is fast diminishing with the rise of the automatic, so in many ways, I am already losing the spark of enthusiasm and it has nothing to do with electric propulsion. Perhaps worst of all though is the homogenisation of body shapes - the cursed crossover!
My hope for the future is a return to separate rolling chassis (of sorts), onto which we can specify coach built bodies that can provide increased choice of - hopefully - style to the cars on offer. If we can get back to truly beautiful, svelte cars at affordable price points, I'd be quite happy.
But what strikes me is that whilst the passion is very much there right now, the balanced view often gets lost (unheard of on the internet right?)
So I figured a poll might help bring some objectivity and see if we're not doomed to infight into the oblivion...
For my part, I accept the move away from ICE and find certain aspects of electric drive to be most welcome, but am taking the opportunity to make the most of ICE whilst I can and whilst they are still a sensible choice for daily motoring.
I will miss rowing my own gears, but TBH that pleasure is fast diminishing with the rise of the automatic, so in many ways, I am already losing the spark of enthusiasm and it has nothing to do with electric propulsion. Perhaps worst of all though is the homogenisation of body shapes - the cursed crossover!
My hope for the future is a return to separate rolling chassis (of sorts), onto which we can specify coach built bodies that can provide increased choice of - hopefully - style to the cars on offer. If we can get back to truly beautiful, svelte cars at affordable price points, I'd be quite happy.
The only exciting portion is the luxo barge market - silent, torquey and ultra-smooth progress will be a step up again for the big barges.
Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
Krikkit said:
The only exciting portion is the luxo barge market - silent, torquey and ultra-smooth progress will be a step up again for the big barges.
Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
Big diesel ‘barges’ are pretty quiet at cruising speeds, mostly tyre noise, and some slight wind noise around the mirrors (aerodynamic cameras with screens inside will reduce that on ALL power trains), very little engine noise.Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
I’ll keep my cash for now.
Pica-Pica said:
Big diesel ‘barges’ are pretty quiet at cruising speeds, mostly tyre noise, and some slight wind noise around the mirrors (aerodynamic cameras with screens inside will reduce that on ALL power trains), very little engine noise.
I’ll keep my cash for now.
They are when locked in gear, but not at idle, and you have a gearbox in the mix.I’ll keep my cash for now.
Electric will be a big change again.
Krikkit said:
The only exciting portion is the luxo barge market - silent, torquey and ultra-smooth progress will be a step up again for the big barges.
Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
Agree with this. Very hard to have the slightest enthusiasm for future vehicles if you're a driving enthusiast.Otherwise very dull - not a single electric sporty car sounds fun. The daily hatchback stuff will be a huge improvement in refinement, it'll be a revelation for people who've had manual diesels for decades to drive something so smooth in future.
EV can make barges better, it'll make dross cars a lot better, probably neutral for show off driving up and down Knightsbridge bellend cars, they'll even have speakers to make the all important "look at me, meeee, MEEEEE everyone, LOOK AT MEEEEE" factor, but it's absolute death for real sports cars that get driven properly.
SweptVolume said:
I will miss rowing my own gears, but TBH that pleasure is fast diminishing with the rise of the automatic, so in many ways, I am already losing the spark of enthusiasm and it has nothing to do with electric propulsion. Perhaps worst of all though is the homogenisation of body shapes - the cursed crossover!
I won't miss that because I'm hanging on to ICE cars with manual gearboxes for as long as I can, although it does mean they are old - but then so am I. 
Everyone seemed to be desperate to buy all sorts of other stuff in the 2000s with Autos, Automated manuals, twin-clutch boxes and ideally Play Station style flappy-paddles.
Then we read about Aston Martin offering a service to retro-fit manual gearboxes and E46 M3 CSL owners getting them converted to have 3 pedals!
The new stuff is so far out of my price range & the older stuff I can afford is being legislated out.
All feels really bleak to be honest.
Maybe I just have to accept the fact that owning something a bit fun / different / special is not going to happen?
I do like the idea of electric motors moving vehicles about though, regardless of the power source.
All feels really bleak to be honest.
Maybe I just have to accept the fact that owning something a bit fun / different / special is not going to happen?
I do like the idea of electric motors moving vehicles about though, regardless of the power source.
SweptVolume said:
My hope for the future is a return to separate rolling chassis (of sorts), onto which we can specify coach built bodies that can provide increased choice of - hopefully - style to the cars on offer. If we can get back to truly beautiful, svelte cars at affordable price points, I'd be quite happy.
Do you listen to Smith and Sniff?On the side of shedding and bangernomics these days (I've seen the light!!) and get much joy running a worthless piece of s
t than I do running a needy car these days, being a petrol head can mean many things.
But, looking ahead if we can get whatever is coming in the future that replaces ICE into these two categories, even better.
There are plenty of banged up interesting sheds/hoverships/whatever's... running around in Star Wars, so I'm hopeful
t than I do running a needy car these days, being a petrol head can mean many things.But, looking ahead if we can get whatever is coming in the future that replaces ICE into these two categories, even better.
There are plenty of banged up interesting sheds/hoverships/whatever's... running around in Star Wars, so I'm hopeful
No problem transitioning to EV for transport / commute.
But for fun, the die is cast - it's petrol / manual for me or nothing.
If it becomes no longer an option or I'm priced out, then I'll just invest a couple of grand in an online racing rig for the spare room and accept the world moved on without me. I'm not going to throw my toys out of the pram, it is what it is.
But for fun, the die is cast - it's petrol / manual for me or nothing.
If it becomes no longer an option or I'm priced out, then I'll just invest a couple of grand in an online racing rig for the spare room and accept the world moved on without me. I'm not going to throw my toys out of the pram, it is what it is.
I don't get the whole EV 'silent cabin' thing at the moment, i must admit.
I was ferried around for a weekend last year by a friend's father in his Tesla Model 3 and I was genuinely impressed by it (and I never thought I'd say that!). However, at 70mph on a dual carriageway it was no quieter than most luxury cars I've been in as the dominant noises were tyre and wind-related.
I was ferried around for a weekend last year by a friend's father in his Tesla Model 3 and I was genuinely impressed by it (and I never thought I'd say that!). However, at 70mph on a dual carriageway it was no quieter than most luxury cars I've been in as the dominant noises were tyre and wind-related.
RECr said:
The mandating of ISA, and advanced driver assistance systems is more concerning to me than the switch to electric cars.
I am fairly ambivalent about the switch to electric propulsion.
Yeah, this is a good point, and is kinda where my - admittedly slightly melancholic first post - was heading. It feels like death by a thousand blows, be it the removal of buttons from the dashboard, or variety of body styles, or mechanical interaction (of any kind really). I am fairly ambivalent about the switch to electric propulsion.
I bought a 2019 SEAT Leon and on the drive home kept wondering what was wrong with the road as the surface was sending all sorts of odd sensations through the wheel. I then twigged that the road is sending nothing through the wheel and the car is (of course) yanking and vibrating wheel to remind me that I'm driving on a crappy British B road and should instead be on an autobahn.
What was wrong with just feeling what the road was doing for myself?
bobbo89 said:
SweptVolume said:
My hope for the future is a return to separate rolling chassis (of sorts), onto which we can specify coach built bodies that can provide increased choice of - hopefully - style to the cars on offer. If we can get back to truly beautiful, svelte cars at affordable price points, I'd be quite happy.
Do you listen to Smith and Sniff?SweptVolume said:
My hope for the future is a return to separate rolling chassis (of sorts), onto which we can specify coach built bodies that can provide increased choice of - hopefully - style to the cars on offer. If we can get back to truly beautiful, svelte cars at affordable price points, I'd be quite happy.
A nice sentiment but I'd raise an eyebrow at 'back to' . I have loved cars since childhood in the Sixties but I must have missed a halcyon era of 'beautiful svelte cars at affordable prices '. The Sixties did produce a exceptional crop of beautiful cars, as did the Thirties, but very few were affordable for most of us . Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff