How long before being a petrol head becomes unviable?
Discussion
With the proliferation of smart motorways, average speed cameras slowly appearing everywhere, lowering of speed limits everywhere, the road safety brigade and all the rest of it....
Not to mention driverless cars (take those clumsy humans out of the equation). Then there's the talk of older vehicles being banned in some cities (Paris), which is an idea sure to spread.
It's got me wondering how long we have left before this hobby is all but unviable. When it comes down to it, our hobby, if you may call it that, is kind of anti social to most. How long before big brother watches every road and issues forth fines for every speeding misdemeanor, let alone when we are banned from driving altogether because we're too unsafe to be in charge of a car as a robot does it better.
How long do we have before we're virtually extinct? (Not everyone can afford to do track days all of the time).
Not to mention driverless cars (take those clumsy humans out of the equation). Then there's the talk of older vehicles being banned in some cities (Paris), which is an idea sure to spread.
It's got me wondering how long we have left before this hobby is all but unviable. When it comes down to it, our hobby, if you may call it that, is kind of anti social to most. How long before big brother watches every road and issues forth fines for every speeding misdemeanor, let alone when we are banned from driving altogether because we're too unsafe to be in charge of a car as a robot does it better.
How long do we have before we're virtually extinct? (Not everyone can afford to do track days all of the time).
TameRacingDriver said:
With the proliferation of smart motorways, average speed cameras slowly appearing everywhere, lowering of speed limits everywhere, the road safety brigade and all the rest of it....
Not to mention driverless cars (take those clumsy humans out of the equation). Then there's the talk of older vehicles being banned in some cities (Paris), which is an idea sure to spread.
It's got me wondering how long we have left before this hobby is all but unviable. When it comes down to it, our hobby, if you may call it that, is kind of anti social to most. How long before big brother watches every road and issues forth fines for every speeding misdemeanor, let alone when we are banned from driving altogether because we're too unsafe to be in charge of a car as a robot does it better.
How long do we have before we're virtually extinct? (Not everyone can afford to do track days all of the time).
I would say the onus is on US (PH and car enthusiasts everywhere) to stop this from happening. Wouldn't you?Not to mention driverless cars (take those clumsy humans out of the equation). Then there's the talk of older vehicles being banned in some cities (Paris), which is an idea sure to spread.
It's got me wondering how long we have left before this hobby is all but unviable. When it comes down to it, our hobby, if you may call it that, is kind of anti social to most. How long before big brother watches every road and issues forth fines for every speeding misdemeanor, let alone when we are banned from driving altogether because we're too unsafe to be in charge of a car as a robot does it better.
How long do we have before we're virtually extinct? (Not everyone can afford to do track days all of the time).
There is a huge industry based on car tuning/modifying etc, potentially worth billions to the economy, so i'm not too worried.
20 years or so would be my prediction, but it's going to be increasingly difficult from about about 10+ years onwards IMHO.
Fortunately, being past 50, thsee consequences to me are less significant, and will hopefully only affect me in my twilight years of driving. Feel for sorry for those that are 30odd and less though, but the next generations won't really understand what they've missed out on though.
Fortunately, being past 50, thsee consequences to me are less significant, and will hopefully only affect me in my twilight years of driving. Feel for sorry for those that are 30odd and less though, but the next generations won't really understand what they've missed out on though.
Yes much like the tobacco companies came out to denoucne plain packaging and remind the Govt how much cigarettes generate through tax, I'm sure the oil comapnies are doing something very similar...
There is no reason to think that driving as a hobby will become inviable though there is a time and place for everything and as driving enthusiasts, we should appreciate that "b road hooning" just because we cant afford track days isnt going to help the cause...
There is no reason to think that driving as a hobby will become inviable though there is a time and place for everything and as driving enthusiasts, we should appreciate that "b road hooning" just because we cant afford track days isnt going to help the cause...
It will be a very long time before it goes but there will be more and more restriction year on year.
Driving today is very different to driving 20 years ago when I first passed my test. I remember at that time relatives saying that they felt sorry that I would not have the freedom that they once had...
Driving today is very different to driving 20 years ago when I first passed my test. I remember at that time relatives saying that they felt sorry that I would not have the freedom that they once had...
Apparently before cars were invented they used these things called horses
Then we cars became popular all horses were killed off
Which means the horse as a species is completely extinct in the developed world
Which is a pity as i would like to perv at horsey type women squeezed into tight jodpurs
But i guess as i will never see that
Then we cars became popular all horses were killed off
Which means the horse as a species is completely extinct in the developed world
Which is a pity as i would like to perv at horsey type women squeezed into tight jodpurs
But i guess as i will never see that
I think you can be a petrolhead no matter what you drive - it's about your enthusiasm and passion for cars and bikes, not what you drive.
The reason I say that is that, ok, having some massive engined beast may at some point soon become totally unviable, or taxed to the point where only a few can afford it, but you can still have your fun hooning along some twisty B road in a Citroen C1 for example.
With the advent of managed motorways it's my honest belief that we are seeing the endgame now of being able to cruise at speeds much in excess of the limit at night or when it's quiet; I was talking to the OH yesterday when we were going to a christening - basically from Brighouse on the M62 to us getting off on the A1 it was managed motorway and even with no limit shown I won't take it over 80. This will roll out over the entire network within a few years except for isolated stretches (eg, M6 near Shap) but with the advent of these HADECs cameras I suspect the whole network will be covered 24/7.
I already avoid the bigger roads for hooning on the bike and stick to smaller twistier roads which are more rewarding to ride. If we start getting satellite tracked or whatever - that's the time do change to something that is immense fun, but with no top end - a supermoto for example.
You'll always get petrol heads - even when we are all forced into little electric runabouts there will be a 'scene'.
The reason I say that is that, ok, having some massive engined beast may at some point soon become totally unviable, or taxed to the point where only a few can afford it, but you can still have your fun hooning along some twisty B road in a Citroen C1 for example.
With the advent of managed motorways it's my honest belief that we are seeing the endgame now of being able to cruise at speeds much in excess of the limit at night or when it's quiet; I was talking to the OH yesterday when we were going to a christening - basically from Brighouse on the M62 to us getting off on the A1 it was managed motorway and even with no limit shown I won't take it over 80. This will roll out over the entire network within a few years except for isolated stretches (eg, M6 near Shap) but with the advent of these HADECs cameras I suspect the whole network will be covered 24/7.
I already avoid the bigger roads for hooning on the bike and stick to smaller twistier roads which are more rewarding to ride. If we start getting satellite tracked or whatever - that's the time do change to something that is immense fun, but with no top end - a supermoto for example.
You'll always get petrol heads - even when we are all forced into little electric runabouts there will be a 'scene'.
kambites said:
It will never become nonviable, it will just evolve.
This.As above there is a huge industry for tuning cars and the like for us petrolheaders to enjoy and make the most of, that won't go away as it will hit the economy hard.
I wonder if we'll start to see government funded track days/racing to keep us anti-social lot off the roads but still allow us to have fun?
I have some wories too, which spurred the desicion to buy a 1000 cc motorcycle (yamaha FZ1 Fazer) recently. I want to appreciate something with incredible engine performance (not the most incredible but still bloody incredible) before I cant afford to put petrol in anything (i'm almost certain it'll happen in my lifetime)
Diesel fuel, I understand, can be synthesized using the Fischer-Tropsch process, which utilizes methane as a feedstock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%80%93Trops... so we can al be running about in diesels. Maybe. I dont see why the process can't be optimised to provide shorter chain hydrocarbons i.e. octane (but then I don't know much about it)
Diesel fuel, I understand, can be synthesized using the Fischer-Tropsch process, which utilizes methane as a feedstock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%80%93Trops... so we can al be running about in diesels. Maybe. I dont see why the process can't be optimised to provide shorter chain hydrocarbons i.e. octane (but then I don't know much about it)
Edited by thatdude on Monday 9th March 13:48
Edited by thatdude on Monday 9th March 13:49
On one hand I sometimes think this... but then I see them rolling out new technologies like hybrids, 200 mile EVs, new materials, solenoid actuated valves, engines that can change cycle on the fly etc. etc. and I think we're a long way from being there.
It's not even like all or even most of this stuff is bad for petrol-heads.
It's not even like all or even most of this stuff is bad for petrol-heads.
To paraphrase a very famous quote, they'll have to prize my cars and bikes from my cold dead hands. I'm 26, so I've got lots of tooling about on bikes and in cars left to do.
Honestly, there are few (possibly no other) greater pleasures in life such as waking early with the late spring sun on a clear day. Cool, crisp air, blazing yellow sun, and empty roads. Carving desolate twisty b-roads through farmland and quiet hamlets and villages is something to me, akin to a dream.
I will do it always, and pity the man who attempts to prohibit me from my passion.
Honestly, there are few (possibly no other) greater pleasures in life such as waking early with the late spring sun on a clear day. Cool, crisp air, blazing yellow sun, and empty roads. Carving desolate twisty b-roads through farmland and quiet hamlets and villages is something to me, akin to a dream.
I will do it always, and pity the man who attempts to prohibit me from my passion.
Perhaps I see things differently, but when were M-ways fun? I mean, I've been driving nearly 20 years and I've never seen them as anything but a route from A-to-B and heavily policed (by that I mean, that was drilled in to me, so I do what I'm allowed to and nothing more). I still love driving; I just don't see the big, obvious stuff as being "fun".
Motorways/dual carriageways and towns have never been places that I've particularly enjoyed driving, so nothing has changed there. danjama said:
I would say the onus is on US (PH and car enthusiasts everywhere) to stop this from happening. Wouldn't you?
I would yes, but we are very much in the minority in our liking of cars and fast driving, so although we could try, it'll likely fall on deaf ears.As for motorways being boring, they are yes, but they are significantly more so when you can no longer make decent progress
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff