Things/ideas that never really caught on?

[Eighteeteewhy]

I regularly drive an old Audi 80 TDI not the most interesting. But it has a system on it called Procon 10, remember the adverts?
It's a system when in the event of a crash pulls the steering wheel/dash away from the driver. A good system but obviously succeeded by air bags.

So what else was only seen in a few cars or models?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ooL3Afzx8&fea...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLwfN8SRFJk&fea...

@

[Ari]

Four wheel steering. Had it on a Honda Prelude fifteen years ago, seemed to work quite well (especially parking) but never seen it on anything since.

[KiaOra]

"Talking" dashboards of the old Maestro?

[furrywoolyhatuk]

Ari said:

Four wheel steering. Had it on a Honda Prelude fifteen years ago, seemed to work quite well (especially parking) but never seen it on anything since.

My skyline has HICAS which does the same thing as your prelude. The only modern car I'm aware of with it was the new Renault laguna.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2206...

[Baryonyx]

furrywoolyhatuk said:

My skyline has HICAS which does the same thing as your prelude. The only modern car I'm aware of with it was the new Renault laguna.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/2206...

But the Laguna had passive rear steering, not four wheel steering?

I always thought 4 wheel steering was a nice idea, but I hear it can feel quite funny when pressing on...

[Dr Interceptor]

Square steering wheels

[Phunk]

You can get 4WS as an option on BMW 5 Series and 7 Series

[EmmaJ]

The 4WS on the Mitsuibishi GTO worked a treat, would change lanes on a m-way like an exocet missle

Was a tad odd on roundabouts esp ones taken a low spend with a fair amount of lock, felt like the back was stepping out (which it was due to the 4WS!) but it was great once you were use to it.

[750turbo]

Dr Interceptor said:

Square steering wheels

That would be the quartic then

[Eighteeteewhy]

Dr Interceptor said:

Square steering wheels

Square wheels.

[Dr Interceptor]

How about the V4 engine... widely used in bikes, but aside from Ford (Corsair?) and Lancia, never really caught on in car use.

[JimmyTheHand]

Directional Headlights - for a long time only found on old Citroens.

[slevin911]

Ari said:

Four wheel steering. Had it on a Honda Prelude fifteen years ago, seemed to work quite well (especially parking) but never seen it on anything since.

The porsche 928 had 4ws.

[rumple]

Headlight washwipe.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Ari said:

Four wheel steering. Had it on a Honda Prelude fifteen years ago, seemed to work quite well (especially parking) but never seen it on anything since.

poxy hateful system, i almost stuffed a brand new 4ws prelude at paddock, turned in hard, the 4WS adjusted the back felt like the rear end was going i corrected and then ended up with the ass out 45 degrees and the honda rep going white ..

blated a new carlos sainz GT4 around as well, great car

[sjabrown]

Most electrical things in Citroens e.g electric armrest (see Xantia thread in Readers Cars).

[monthefish]

JimmyTheHand said:

Directional Headlights - for a long time only found on old Citroens.

Is that not quite common these days?

[tyranical]

Those suspension adjusting systems, my dads old xantia had one to raise or lower the suspension depending on the load.

[wormburner]

Dr Interceptor said:

How about the V4 engine... widely used in bikes, but aside from Ford (Corsair?) and Lancia, never really caught on in car use.

To be fair, it is rarely used in bikes.

Its packaging advantages aren't so useful in cars, where there's pretty much always room for a cheaper I4.

[HustleRussell]

Dr Interceptor said:

How about the V4 engine... widely used in bikes, but aside from Ford (Corsair?) and Lancia, never really caught on in car use.

Saab used them too.