Wednesday 13th March 2013

Reasons to be cheerful: PH Blog

Why we need to take the rose tints off and embrace the future with both flappy paddles!

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The way a lot of talk, both editorially and on the forums, has been going of late I was wondering about organising a PH Luddites tour. While not, perhaps, going to the extremes of a trip to Getrag to smash up every dual-clutch gearbox in the place with lump hammers or burning down ZF's electric steering development department it could take in a slightly more civilised approach of handing in petitions. Or polite tutting. The itinerary could take in a ferry crossing to Dieppe to have a moan about five doors and flappy paddles on Renaultsport Clios. Thence to Stuttgart to express displeasure at the 991 GT3's new focus on tech over tactility. Before heading over to Garching to play the sound of classic M engines over loudspeakers to jolly well see how they like it.

Clio's new direction has inspired soul searching

Of course, the trip should really return via Harwich to drop by Lotus to celebrate the business case for playing strictly to the purist, enthusiast elite and see how well that's served the boys from Norfolk.

You may, by now, have spotted the flaw in this argument...

Yep, if manufacturers listened to us we'd now be on our next generation of stupidly thirsty M cars with high-revving engines and jerky gearboxes. Lethal 911s that prove our manliness by demanding Rohrl-like hand-eye coordination and commitment. Or a fiery demise at Schwedenkreuz. Clios with powerbands 500rpm off the redline and mid-20s fuel consumption.

Actually they did listen to us. And the latest technology means they can build cars that deliver the visceral thrills all but a noisy one per cent demand while making them liveable with and appealing to a vast new audience. Let us not forget, manufacturers exist to build cars they can sell to us in numbers sufficient to turn a profit according to their particular business model. Not satisfy some romantic dream. And most of them are getting better at it.

'Too fast, too fat, too fake!' comes the cry

Those of us in that noisy one per cent will moan we're being sold out to the marketeers by the very cars whose iconic status we've helped forge. That we're at a tipping point where technology means these cars have outpaced the ability of drivers to enjoy them, let alone roads or even racetracks contain them.

Thing is, it's not really reason to feel gloomy. New GT3 too tech heavy to be fun? Drive an old one then. Don't want a turbocharged five-door Clio with flappy paddles? Cash in on the majority turning their back on high-revving, manual ones and pick up a bargain. New cars too much about power and grip? Buy a Toyobaru or MX-5. There are enough cars of all vintages to go around and suit all tastes and budgets.

Dual-clutch apologists are no more wrong than manual die-hards are right. Technology enhanced speed at all costs no less valid a goal than going a little slower but feeling more involved.

There's much to celebrate about the new age

Doesn't mean to say we can't argue the toss though. Soapboxes will be clambered upon on occasion. But after last week's self-indulgent 'they don't make 'em like they used to' paean to GT3s of old I've come round to a more optimistic view. That, far from the end of proper driving as we know it, we could actually be on the cusp of a technologically exciting age of amazing cars that really push the boundaries of what's possible. Be they million-pound hypercars or cleverly engineered 100mpg runabouts.

And if that doesn't float your boat we've still got the classifieds.

Dan

[juansolo]

"Yep, if manufacturers listened to us we'd now be on our next generation of stupidly thirsty M cars with high-revving engines and jerky gearboxes. Lethal 911s that prove our manliness by demanding Rohrl-like hand-eye coordination and commitment. Or a fiery demise at Schwedenkreuz. Clios with powerbands 500rpm off the redline and mid-20s fuel consumption.'"

Sounds like bliss.

Cars should scare you, not lull you into a false sense of security.

They should be demanding to drive, otherwise there's no satisfaction in driving them well.

Yup, luddite and proud. I certainly doubt I'll buy another new car lets put it that way. To this day the thing that pisses me off in the Cayman is that f**king bright yellow light that comes on right in the middle of the rev counter when you switch PSM (Please Save Me) off. It's like the car saying "ARE YOU MAD, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IF I LET YOU DO THIS YOURSELF!". Most annoying feature EVER on a car that really, really doesn't warrant it.

[juansolo]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

juansolo said:

To this day the thing that pisses me off in the Cayman is that f**king bright yellow light that comes on right in the middle of the rev counter when you switch PSM (Please Save Me) off. It's like the car saying "ARE YOU MAD, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IF I LET YOU DO THIS YOURSELF!". Most annoying feature EVER on a car that really, really doesn't warrant it.

Really? A yellow light annoys you? I'd be more worried about the yellow check engine light on a cayman dashboard if I'm honest

It's a fair point, and a good thing given that's all there really is to complain about it.

It's more that it's a big bright yellow warning light to make you not disable it for your own good. When there is already a perfectly good light on the button itself and it flashes up a big message on the dash when you do it. It's like they really don't want you to press it and they're doing everything in their power to urge you switch it back on. The problem is that when it is on, it gets in the way.

I don't want it and I want to be able to make the choice of turning off the unwanted feature without it getting all nannying about it. It really is a trivial little thing, but it's a trivial little thing that pisses me off on what is supposedly a drivers car.

[juansolo]

To me the fact that the GT86 is selling proves that there still is a market there for people who want something involving to drive. Hopefully it goes on to be a success as otherwise, the future is looking bleak for us luddites.

[juansolo]

ewenm said:

jayb289 said:

if there are so many hardcore drivers on ph, who dont even need traction control or fancy electronics why isnt lotus/ginetta/etc selling more cars?

"Talk the talk" vs "walk the walk"

Pah, I've been doing my part

Though to be fair the only reason I still don't own the Lotus is that it fell apart every time I drove it.

[juansolo]

ewenm said:

Indeed, me too. It doesn't mean that I think dual-clutch cars are bad though. I like being able to choose. Currently both our cars are manuals. When we come to replace the family wagon (not likely for the next 10 years) it'll be interesting to see what options are available.

When (if ever) I replace the Caterham 7, I suspect it'll be another lightweight, basic, manual car, but as I've had it for 12 years and 80,000+ miles, replacement isn't in my plans. I'm prepared to make the creature comfort compromises to experience the "purity"

Everything has it's place. If I were to replace the Merc with a modern mile muncher, it'd likely be a modern diesel and I'd want it to be an auto. However if it came to it, I'd be looking for another 80s-90s Merc because they have more character. Modern cars are so devoid of character that I just want to get from A-B as comfortably and easily as possible. Modern diesel autos are pretty flawless at that.

For sports cars I want it to be as involved that is what I enjoy. The Elise was one of the best cars I've owned for that (2nd Westie was better but far from practical), and even so I got the wrong one. Not because it was a nail, but because it'd been dialled down from an S1. The car understeered safely, and had assisted brakes. Little things, but they diluted it. On track the ABS did odd things. It was unwelcome. Now they're adding auto boxes (because the manual box they fit to the V6 is awful. It's not just about it being manual, it helps if it's actually good...) and traction control. Things that I don't have an interest in. Why I haven't got a Lotus currently is because they don't build them well enough and they're no longer making cars I'm interested in.

There is still however, an S1 Elise out there with my name on it...