The Car Thread

[Kirby101]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yH8DYc72eF8

[achilles]

You know how pro athletes have riders in their contracts prohibiting certain activities that might be dangerous and hurt them, such as riding motorcycles or skydiving? Maybe they better give that another think for current and former F1 drivers. We have Shumacher got reduced to a vegetable skiing on a bunny slope and hitting his head on a rock after a fall years ago, and now we have Alonso, a two time winner, getting his butt put into hospital by....riding a bike. Not a motorcycle, just a bike, for fitness. It must be said the car that hit him, (irony much?), also had something to do with it. Injuries, but nothing life threatening AFAIK, unlike poor Shumacher.

Ironic that one of the most dangerous sports in the world manages to hurt its competitors outside of the actual sport. To be fair, they drop like flies in the sport, especially in the past....

[Kirby101]

The all electric Cadillac Lyriq, coming next year.

[achilles]

The all electric Cadillac Lyriq, coming next year.

You can knock me over with a feather, a Caddy whose looks I don't hate! Cats and dogs will start living together...

Reminds me a bit of a Range Rover Velar. Same sort of squashed look, like a bored elephant sat on the roof for a bit. Not bad for the model though.

[Kirby101]

2021 Toyota Supra

[achilles]

2021 Toyota Supra

Just about the best looking semi somewhat affordable car out there.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

2021 Toyota Supra

Do tell. That looks sharp, far removed from what it looked back in the late 80's:

[achilles]

Oh, this isn't good. Land Rover/Jaguar, owned by Tata motors, is going all electric by 2025 on all it's cars and SUVs. Though they are also investing in fuel cell cars.

Which brings to mind a question; which is better, all electric battery powered cars, or fuel cell cars? The problems with the battery powered cars are...expense first of all, lack of charging stations---it is getting better, but I don't want to be part of the "getting better" phase, time it takes for charging, danger---these things burn like crazy after an accident, and can keep reigniting for days after, the batteries are very expensive to replace...and you will need to do that eventually, making the cars and fueling them is more environmentally harmful than just running a clean, modern gas car, the car's limited range, and a few other issues no doubt. The problems with fuel cells are mainly that at present, we have no idea how to cheaply and safely make hydrogen without again using more energy to make it. It, like electric, is economically unviable without heavy government subsidies. And of course the name Hindenburg comes to mind when thinking about safety there. And the even greater lack of refueling stations for them.

I am curious as to which tech comes out on top.

[DanMad1977]

I don't know, but I will try to drive a car with lpg as long a I can.

I don't want to have an electric car, but they will come out on top in the near future. The time of fuel cell is coming later and making electric obsolete

[achilles]

I don't know, but I will try to drive a car with lpg as long a I can.

I don't want to have an electric car, but they will come out on top in the near future. The time of fuel cell is coming later and making electric obsolete

That's my feeling as well. When I can only get an electric, I will. Until then however, or until they improve the tech and infrastructure to support it quite a bit, I'm driving something with a gas powered engine. Or at least diesel, if it's a truck. Or an Audi. But it will happen, and probably sooner than I think. I actually like the idea at least of fuel cell tech. When your most harmful emission is water....that's a good thing. Other aspects of the tech need work however. I think you're right, and it's on a slightly longer timeframe than the battery cars.

[achilles]

A '57 T-Bird of course. Classic car beauty. Somehow, somewhen, we lost the ability to make a truly beautiful affordable car. Personally, I think it was the early '70s, after the last bloom of the '60s muscle cars. But I think car design in this country was at it's peak in the '50s. I don't know why this happened though, why we lost that ability. Most cars mere mortals can afford these days are...ugly. Or at least not especially nice looking.

[Kirby101]

One of the problems with electric cars is recharging. I live in an apartment in a city. My car is on the street or in a neighborhood driveway I rent. I have no access to plug my car in overnight. And who knows where charging stations are around me. Even if close, that is an impractical way to keep a car charged. I suppose fuel cells, when affordable will be more practical for areas like mine. Or a big infrastructure in charging stations. But in America, half the population is angered at the mention of moving from fossil fuels and helping the environment. They want more coal, more fracking, burning more oil. So the prospects are dim we would do anything.
I was in Amsterdam a few years ago and saw recharging stations on the street where people parked.

[Ravin' Ray]

Not to be a downer, but those videos of that disastrous I-35 pile up in Fort Worth left me cringing as car after car (and trucks as well), rammed into the whole mess.

[Kirby101]

[/IMG]


A '57 T-Bird of course. Classic car beauty. Somehow, somewhen, we lost the ability to make a truly beautiful affordable car. Personally, I think it was the early '70s, after the last bloom of the '60s muscle cars. But I think car design in this country was at it's peak in the '50s. I don't know why this happened though, why we lost that ability. Most cars mere mortals can afford these days are...ugly. Or at least not especially nice looking.

One of the reason there is a sameness to the average car today is because it is driven much more by safety and fuel economy than style. The shape and look of the cars are related to these priorities. Also, SUVs by their very nature, can only be so different.

If there is a line of cars that look different, it's Cadillac, but you hate how they look.

[DrNewGod]

One of the reason there is a sameness to the average car today is because it is driven much more by safety and fuel economy than style. The shape and look of the cars are related to these priorities. Also, SUVs by their very nature, can only be so different...

^Pretty much this.^ Additionally, the tools used to shape the metals and fiberglass in cars have become more standardized across the industry than they were prior to the 1980s. Some of that was driven by Detroit's frantic attempt to economize operations after getting their fannies kicked by Japanese imports.