Should technology play a bigger part?

ubersonic said:
This reminds me of a study they did in Japan in the 90's, a lot of JDM cars don't come with ABS as standard even when its standard on the export models. They don't seem to view it as importantly as we do. They did a test where they gave test subjects the non ABS car and tested their stopping distanced in everyday driving. Then they gave them the ABS one and retested and the results showed that stopping distances had been reduced. They then let them keep the cars for a week then retested them and they found that the stopping points had returned to the non ABS standard, the drivers had simply grown accustomed to the ABS and started braking later.
Click to expand...

Source? I suggest this is BS, what I have seen is that JDM's usually do have ABS where the export ones get cut down. Just one example being my car, UK colts didn't have ABS until 2001 IIRC, the JDM models had standard ABS right from launch in 95.
 
I dont think I get the whole 'I like to DRIVE, people with lots of features are more complacent' thing. It's like they actually beleive people drive like muppets because they think it wont matter as they've got safety features. Very few people are like this.

My car has ABS, EBD, DSC with CBC, 6 airbags, cruise, 4 star NCAP etc.

It doesnt change the way I drive it. I don't drive it faster or harder or less attentively because if I crash I might survive. I still dont want to crash into the guy in front. None of the driver aids of technology features fitted to my car change the way I drive or affect my enjoyment of the car. Many of them are switchable, those that are not hardly negatively affect me.

As far as I'm concerned, the more technology crammed into a car the better. I love techy stuff.
 
for me personally, i cant wait for the electric car and to be drove everywhere by computers.. there is nothing exciting about driving the speed limit or motorway driving..

if you're having fun, you're breaking the law..

when it does come to having fun in a car though, the less tech i have the better, in the right places obviously
 
ubersonic said:
This reminds me of a study they did in Japan in the 90's, a lot of JDM cars don't come with ABS as standard even when its standard on the export models. They don't seem to view it as importantly as we do. They did a test where they gave test subjects the non ABS car and tested their stopping distanced in everyday driving. Then they gave them the ABS one and retested and the results showed that stopping distances had been reduced. They then let them keep the cars for a week then retested them and they found that the stopping points had returned to the non ABS standard, the drivers had simply grown accustomed to the ABS and started braking later.
Click to expand...

Why would you test stopping distance? That's not what ABS is for.
 
My guess is that 95% of drivers want to simply get to their desired location 95% of the time. The implications being that a lot of us simply want an equivalent of a train or taxi that picks up when you want from where you want, and takes you to where you want to go to.
To that aim, I see cars and the associated infrastructure becoming increasing automated to meet our majority needs. Personally, I don't see that as a bad thing, at least as long as it's still possible to buy something that's small, fun and can actually be driven legally on the road.
Of course maybe enthusiasts will simply end up marginalised off the roads and into only "fun on the track" conditions.
 
[TW]Fox;17815695 said:
I dont think I get the whole 'I like to DRIVE, people with lots of features are more complacent' thing.
Click to expand...

I like to correct mistakes myself etc, I don't like to rely on technology when I didn't need it in the first place.

It removes the direct feel from driving for me personally.

Yes, I'm still trundling down the road but it's how I interact with that road that I am not keen on.
 
ESP / ABS / EBD and all that lot make 0 difference in how the car feels to drive on a normal day.

However they give you a much better chance of not hitting something should you exceed the maximum level of grip on offer.
 
You don't rely on it. Day to day you don't even notice it.

Have you had a car long term with these features? what was it and what did it remove from the experience?

If I turn all the stuff off it feels the same.
 
Biohazard said:
I like to correct mistakes myself etc, I don't like to rely on technology when I didn't need it in the first place.
Click to expand...
I can correct mistakes myself, such as locked up tyres in the wet, slides etc. Often when I've driven a car with driver aids I've already corrected the problem when I feel the aid kick in and on one occasion it over corrected what I had already accounted for and nearly stuck me in a ditch.

I know when my car is close to the edge, it's not something that 'just' happens. Unfortunately most people don't have a clue and I've seen a couple of posts even on here where people have spun a car out and tried to blame diesel on the road etc. No there wasn't. Just admit you overcooked it and ran out of talent.
 
Makes very little difference imho, things like the steering angle sensor only play a small role in dictating which direction the car will try and head in should you start sliding.

I'd rather have these systems than not, they shouldn’t even come into play with your daily drive and you can turn 90% of them off if you want to get a little naughty.
 
I don't like how cars are about 5 years behind in terms of entertainment.

20GB HDD for music in my car now! Wow welcome to 2000 or whenever it was the first ever original Ipod came out!
 
[TW]Fox;17816253 said:
You don't rely on it. Day to day you don't even notice it.

Have you had a car long term with these features? what was it and what did it remove from the experience?

If I turn all the stuff off it feels the same.
Click to expand...

Yes.

I can feel every time abs kicks in, tcs etc. Can't turn abs off unless you rip it out.

I don't need it, I don't want it.

I can turn a corner, I don't need active steering etc.

Hell, the only thing I really need is the vacuum brakes.

Everything else is superflous.

What Jonny said is kind of close to my perception.
 
[TW]Fox;17816547 said:
My abs rarely cuts in. Perhaps you have poor abs?
Click to expand...

Or stay in a very wet country with poor road infrastructure.

Could well have been the abs system, but its not the only car I've felt it on.

(only ABS I have is on the e36, and mechanically it is fine as far as I can tell)

I just don't like it. This is all hinges on your driving style too, and what you use the cars for I suppose.
 
I found the ABS on the 159 intrusive, the only car with ABS I have had where I have felt that way. It would come in very, very early and even if you lifted slightly and re-applied the brakes it would still be there working away. In contrast, the BMW ABS system let you get a fair way down the road of locking up before it would jump in.

I have no problem with traction control systems really, I dont "need" them but it is nice to know that if I get it badly wrong there is a safety net there just in case. When I want to **** about I'll just turn them off.
 
I found the ABS on the 159 intrusive
Click to expand...

Echo the sentiments on the 156 too. Would fit the 330mm brake upgrade that a lot of GTA owners go for, but dont know if that would help the ABS niggle anyway, plus methinks it will be going next summer anyway. Cant really justify it to myself.
 
when esp kicked in with the bad weather earlier this year it felt inhuman and weird with it correcting itself . but i think they're handy to have, and as firestar stated you can turn them off and get naughty
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom