RE: Chris Harris video: Bentley Conti vs Audi S4
Discussion
Good video 
IMO brand DNA has become brand inbreeding. Harris was bang on the money when he spoke about the weight, feel and position of components being the same across the entire group. You could get in to an Up! and your hands would move in to the same positions to access the same controls.
Think for a moment of all the things you could do to the controls while still being ergonomically sound. Exhibit A, the Lexus LFA's digital dials. Exhibit B, the Ferrari california's delicate and thin wooden steering wheel, Exhibit C the hand brake in Ken Block's fiesta, Exhibit D... OK this could go on for a while so I'll stick with handbrakes, why has no one made a handbrake that's a grab handle on the roof? Like that chord a steam train driver pulls to sound the whistle, only with more of an operatic sideways. (Think about it, not as daft as it sounds).
One of the worst forms of this inbreeding comes from the modern MINI, where the steering feel has been lifted straight from a 3 series. There's a sick part of me which wishes they'd copied the feel of the old mini, but milliseconds before you went backwards through a hedge the ESP would save you and flash up a sign saying 'only kidding'. That would be proper use of the German sense of humour.
Harris also mentioned the computer screen in the middle and it's a bloody good point. Why shouldn't they move the volume control to the driver's door so that no other feker can touch it? Why should I have to look down and left to see the traffic reports when the map could be easily put in front of me? Frankly the only reason for having the screen in the middle involves me telling DJ Gimp in the passenger seat what tunes should be playing. Ergonomics? Rubbish, lazy design more like.
Another form of brand inbreeding that's perhaps even worse than the interior is the copy/paste front end. I know this is PH so others will disagree but I think the rear of the Volvo C30 is a modern classic that still looks fresh today, the sort of sweet ass you'd approach in a bar only for her to turn round and you find grandma Volvo's raisin face leering at you... buy you a drink?... No, I just wondered where the toilets were...Exit.
So yeah, brand inbreeding. Turns out that sexy time with with your auntie is as bad for cars as it is for humans. Who knew?
IMO brand DNA has become brand inbreeding. Harris was bang on the money when he spoke about the weight, feel and position of components being the same across the entire group. You could get in to an Up! and your hands would move in to the same positions to access the same controls.
Think for a moment of all the things you could do to the controls while still being ergonomically sound. Exhibit A, the Lexus LFA's digital dials. Exhibit B, the Ferrari california's delicate and thin wooden steering wheel, Exhibit C the hand brake in Ken Block's fiesta, Exhibit D... OK this could go on for a while so I'll stick with handbrakes, why has no one made a handbrake that's a grab handle on the roof? Like that chord a steam train driver pulls to sound the whistle, only with more of an operatic sideways. (Think about it, not as daft as it sounds).
One of the worst forms of this inbreeding comes from the modern MINI, where the steering feel has been lifted straight from a 3 series. There's a sick part of me which wishes they'd copied the feel of the old mini, but milliseconds before you went backwards through a hedge the ESP would save you and flash up a sign saying 'only kidding'. That would be proper use of the German sense of humour.
Harris also mentioned the computer screen in the middle and it's a bloody good point. Why shouldn't they move the volume control to the driver's door so that no other feker can touch it? Why should I have to look down and left to see the traffic reports when the map could be easily put in front of me? Frankly the only reason for having the screen in the middle involves me telling DJ Gimp in the passenger seat what tunes should be playing. Ergonomics? Rubbish, lazy design more like.
Another form of brand inbreeding that's perhaps even worse than the interior is the copy/paste front end. I know this is PH so others will disagree but I think the rear of the Volvo C30 is a modern classic that still looks fresh today, the sort of sweet ass you'd approach in a bar only for her to turn round and you find grandma Volvo's raisin face leering at you... buy you a drink?... No, I just wondered where the toilets were...Exit.
So yeah, brand inbreeding. Turns out that sexy time with with your auntie is as bad for cars as it is for humans. Who knew?
So, what's better? A low-volume car manufacturer that does the midnight raid on the parts bin of the Fords and VW's of this world as they did in the '80s and early '90s, or a little family resemblence with the chance of a subtle tweak here and there to the parts they borrow with consent?
I would presume that even with today's profit margins on these überwagens, there still isn't enough cash to afford the development of bespoke solutions to ABS, electric handbrakes, DSG's, and the like and, if they tried, you wouldn't want to use them...
It's nothing more than like Samsung supplying the display module to Apple's latest must-have iPhone gadget.
I would presume that even with today's profit margins on these überwagens, there still isn't enough cash to afford the development of bespoke solutions to ABS, electric handbrakes, DSG's, and the like and, if they tried, you wouldn't want to use them...
It's nothing more than like Samsung supplying the display module to Apple's latest must-have iPhone gadget.
JREwing said:
Is it just me, or was Chris suspicious that the speedo on each were in similar places? As well as the satnav screen and the gearlever and the handbrake switch. Are those things not in broadly similar places in the majority of cars?
It was more the ergonomics and layout of the whole thing ie a fairly standardised layout.But Chris, you must be wrong...the consensus amongst other motoring journalists is that the 2,300 kg is very obvious, that it struggles with corners.
So you expect me to believe it is a very capable high speed GT? Really? As if there are engineers in Crewe that spend a ridiculous amount of time to please the 0.01% of Bentley customers who will drive the car brutally hard at 160mph+.
That, for me, is one important part of the character of a Bentley...depth of competence at speed that other GTs are already getting in a proper flap. Most journalists don't mention it because they never see it, they hold back.
So you expect me to believe it is a very capable high speed GT? Really? As if there are engineers in Crewe that spend a ridiculous amount of time to please the 0.01% of Bentley customers who will drive the car brutally hard at 160mph+.
That, for me, is one important part of the character of a Bentley...depth of competence at speed that other GTs are already getting in a proper flap. Most journalists don't mention it because they never see it, they hold back.
'80s Bentleys didn't have a handbrake - They had a foot operated thing which, only having read about, I never really understood. And the 3 speed auto gear lever was on the column.
In fact anachronistic handbrake placement was a feature of upmarket cars: the XJ-S and the Esprit had it in the driver's sill, and the Aston V8 had that huge chrome vertical affair.
The interior on it is fine, except for the stitched headrests, and I think the steering wheel is too busy and ugly. The old Turbo R 3 spoke was fine.
The Audi to me is as interesting as a microwave oven, but I was intrigued/slightly put off by the flickering lights in the cornering shots. An artefact of the filming and editing process, or do Audi's really blink their LEDs like a bicycle?
In fact anachronistic handbrake placement was a feature of upmarket cars: the XJ-S and the Esprit had it in the driver's sill, and the Aston V8 had that huge chrome vertical affair.
The interior on it is fine, except for the stitched headrests, and I think the steering wheel is too busy and ugly. The old Turbo R 3 spoke was fine.
The Audi to me is as interesting as a microwave oven, but I was intrigued/slightly put off by the flickering lights in the cornering shots. An artefact of the filming and editing process, or do Audi's really blink their LEDs like a bicycle?
londonbabe said:
I was intrigued/slightly put off by the flickering lights in the cornering shots. An artefact of the filming and editing process, or do Audi's really blink their LEDs like a bicycle?
It's an artefact, the LED lights on all cars flicker, it's how they all work but we can't perceive it. The flickering you see on the video I'd an interference effect between the frame speed of the camera and the flicker rate of the lights. You see the same thing on top gear sometimes.
).So basically you're complaining about something that only affects motoring journalists. The Aston Martin comment at the end hit the nail on the head. I suspect (excluding journos) you could fit all the people that have driven a Bentley Conti and a new S4 into the back of said S4. Pointless debate, but I still really enjoy your videos!
Tartan Pixie said:
Another form of brand inbreeding that's perhaps even worse than the interior is the copy/paste front end. I know this is PH so others will disagree but I think the rear of the Volvo C30 is a modern classic that still looks fresh today, the sort of sweet ass you'd approach in a bar only for her to turn round and you find grandma Volvo's raisin face leering at you... buy you a drink?... No, I just wondered where the toilets were...Exit.
So yeah, brand inbreeding. Turns out that sexy time with with your auntie is as bad for cars as it is for humans. Who knew?
The images the missive above conjures up, are the fodder of therapy sessions, it is very funny though ! So yeah, brand inbreeding. Turns out that sexy time with with your auntie is as bad for cars as it is for humans. Who knew?
Good video too.
excellentTartan Pixie said:
Good video
Harris also mentioned the computer screen in the middle and it's a bloody good point. Why should I have to look down and left to see the traffic reports when the map could be easily put in front of me? Frankly the only reason for having the screen in the middle involves me telling DJ Gimp in the passenger seat what tunes should be playing. Ergonomics? Rubbish, lazy design more like.
To be very dull and comment on this, I don't think it's lazy - more like cost efficient for the LHD/RHD switch-a-roo. They've Got to make a few quid after all.Harris also mentioned the computer screen in the middle and it's a bloody good point. Why should I have to look down and left to see the traffic reports when the map could be easily put in front of me? Frankly the only reason for having the screen in the middle involves me telling DJ Gimp in the passenger seat what tunes should be playing. Ergonomics? Rubbish, lazy design more like.
Loved your idea of the ceiling mounted handbrake. Can somebody please do this?
Light n Hairy said:
Borgswagen. We were fed up of spending money on different logos.
Borgswagen 1.0 to 89.4, from £9,000 to £1.4m, and everything in between being a gradient of imperceptible changes, a set of chinese whispers in design that leave one feeling as if Derren Brown has taken over the (inevitably universally-fonted) satnav.
Make them all the same shade of grey too. Anything else is too much hassle. Borgswagen 1.0 to 89.4, from £9,000 to £1.4m, and everything in between being a gradient of imperceptible changes, a set of chinese whispers in design that leave one feeling as if Derren Brown has taken over the (inevitably universally-fonted) satnav.
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