Honestly, C1 to C2 was probably the biggest change so far. The C1 didn't even have an available V8 or manual transmission to start (though admittedly the first was because Chevrolet didn't make a V8 at the time, and Chevrolet selling cars with Oldsmobile engines would have been a major faux pas in the 1950s - once the V8 became available, the I6 was discontinued rather quickly). Styling changed almost every year (as was common in the 1950s) and it had a stick axle in the rear. The C2 was where the Corvette as we know it came into being - the transverse leaf spring IRS started with this generation, and no six-cylinder engine was ever available; from 1963 on, the Corvette has evolved gradually rather than changing drastically. Because it kind of is a right-wing thing (I mean the American kind of right-wing, not the European definition which equates to "Nazi" for reasons unknown). Wanderlust and strong individuality are not left-wing concepts; in fact they are anathema to the left wing, which seems bent on crushing humanity under oppressive central control and destroying all forms of freedom that don't involve mind-altering substances. ...indicates you're scared and want a strong central government to take care of you. Not necessarily the mark of a car guy. It is, however, the mark of a high-handed "intelligentsia" type who wants to make everywhere the same and only cares what's better on paper. In the abstract, is a more "logical" system than the US system of measurement, however forcing its adoption on the US would be a terrible idea. It would create a pointless generation gap between older people schooled mainly in the US system and younger people schooled mainly in the metric system, as well as pointless inconvenience in everyday life as people would have to get used to thinking in entirely different terms (likely the US system would continue to be used for everyday purposes for quite some time). On top of which, changing all the signage would cost an enormous amount of money when we're already getting very close to $20T in the hole, and if handled poorly could lead to dangerous confusion as well. And after all the smoke clears, it'll have accomplished very little, except to please the "systems people" who always just want to run around rationalizing and standardizing everything. The problem is this leads to neutered cars as often as not. The last time, we were lucky, as things like variety and tuning headroom mostly survived, even if only because technology wasn't advanced enough to completely kill them at that point. Now, it very much is. And so the low end is overrun with 1.4/1.6/2.0 liter turbo fours, we have turbo V6es pretending to be V8s, and the latest V8 fashion from Germany is 4.0L twin turbos (I hope it doesn't spread). The great American full-size cargo van is being forced out its by V8less and often FWD European counterparts, which may not work quite as well in the real world as on paper (I've heard that the new full-size Transit, even being the only one that's RWD, still manages to combine the usual "new thing" reliability headaches with a complete lack of power.) On top of, wanting "cleaner" cars leads to thinking that horrifically undersized engines, i.e. 0.8L turbo or 1.3L NA, are enough for a "compact" car (which these days means it could weigh anywhere from 2500 up to 3000 or more pounds), or - perhaps it's the same thing - thinking that a car should have just enough power to move itself around but no more. Except electric cars aren't especially enjoyable in any way. Even if you believe that your government wants nothing but the best for its citizens and that no one within it would ever stoop so low as to take advantage of BEV shortcomings and vulnerabilities to make grabbing "inconvenient" people easier, they have issues. It's not just the limited range and long recharge times that no one wants to admit are issues, it's the major strain on the electrical grid that no one seems to realize is an issue. We're used to thinking of electricity as something that's all around us and all but free, but it turns out charging a car takes a lot more energy than charging a phone. Very often you'll find out that the first person in any area who wants one of those fancy Tesla chargers in their home has to foot the bill for upgraded equipment on their block first. So far so good but what happens when everyone has an electric car, and everyone gets home from work and plugs in at about the same time? How about massive electricity shortages, maybe some rate hikes, maybe even rationing depending on how bad it gets? To fix all this would require building more power plants, thus consuming time, money, and resources that would be better spent elsewhere. Paying for it means tax or rate hikes that no one will want to pay, or more debt that's just a bad idea all around. If the additional capacity involves combustion in any way, the environmentalists will be upset about emissions, if it's hydroelectric they'll say it's ruining the river, if it's nuclear I'll probably side with them because I don't care much for nuclear power myself, and if it's wind or solar it'll produce more dead birds than actual electricity and the environmentalists will probably still find something to object to because they always do. The long and short of it is that widespread BEV acceptance is a sure path to false poverty. Maybe, but I've been thinking that perhaps the reason car enthusiasm is on the wane is that modern cars are so much less appealing, on an emotional level, than the old ones were. Thus, unless we fight to restore some of that emotional appeal, or at least to keep what little is left, we're just going to become more and more of a minority as cars become more and more boring. Mainly because someone who favors those things is likely to also side with crippling environmental regulations when push comes to shove. I'm sorry. There's a better way I could have said that, but I couldn't really think of what it was. Just... what you said came off like you thought being non-American made you better or more enlightened somehow, and that's what got me going, partially because I've put up with a lot of that as well.
I’d like to quote parts of that and give my thoughts on it but I really can’t on my phone at 3am. All I’ll say is that I think such a deeply held belief that demonizes the side opposite of yours can’t be healthy. Generalizing everyone on the left side of being focused on ‘crushing individuality’ and citing facts like solar and wind killing more birds than making electricity while fighting nuclear (one of our best options if put into motion quickly) isn’t only factually untrue in general, it simply can’t be true on an individual level. You are so fixated on an imagined single force against you that you forget that the individuals on the other side really are that, individuals. Saying the left takes away self expression doesn’t make sense because there are just as many people in that spectrum as there are on your side, each with their own views. By focusing so much on ‘us vs. them’ you are actually creating your own box that you complain about.
Dunno. For once it's this guy bringing the politics in where I didn't. But apparently the only car culture is American car culture and anybody that thinks otherwise just doesn't exist. It's funny that he tries to portray me as a narrow minded right wing asshole while doing exactly what the right does and boxing people in as an us v them thing.
Dundundun. The irony that so many American cars are so alike and so non individual, and that the right seeks to destroy public freedoms and individuality. And here we are being accused of a hatred of individuality.
Now here I’m going to exercise my individuality and say our cars aren’t all alike, but I ain’t posting pictures after 3am so this has to be my last post here or I’m not making it to my first class tomorrow. Good night all, hope we don’t wake up with infractions haha
People like you continue to portray the stereotype of right wingers being retarded. Also imperial is the least logical measurement system lmao
That's because you have quite of a limited (and, dare I say, obsolete) concept of "enthusiasm". Elsewhere, enthusiasts welcomed the resurgence of Alpine, crazy-fast Alfa Romeos, Abarth turning the Miata into a mass-market track weapon, the return of the Hachi-Roku... and even working electric cars with sensible real-life range and usability. Just to name a few...
I really need to go to bed but I just couldn't let this one slide. While the right in this country fights with ideas, the left consistently divides people along every possible line and then panders to those divisions, creating voting blocs based on race, gender, sexuality, and whatever else. On top of which, leftism constantly seeks to standardize everything at the highest level possible and make heavy-handed rules from an ivory tower, while the true conservative way is to decentralize authority as much as possible, so that problems requiring legislative attention can be solved at the lowest, most local possible level. I never called you right wing. I'm down with all of these things except the electric one, though every single one of these cars is still encumbered by electronic throttle and too many nannies (the Alfa Giulia even has brake-by-wire, which is a concept that should not exist). The problem is, those cars appeal to existing enthusiasts, but with the possible exception of the Fiat, they won't make new ones - and with the additional complication that comes with all those electronics, DIY modding becomes more difficult as well. Electric cars... well, perhaps a few people will become enthusiasts of those, but it just won't be the same anymore. All the sound and fury that made cars wonderful will be gone. It's always been possible to make a wickedly fast electric car, no denying that, but that's also not the whole story. The numbers will be there, but the soul will not be.
Ok, so enthusiast cars are antiques. Or Lotus cars - zero electronic aids, unassisted steering, yay! Got it.
Massive oversimplification. I'm OK with some assists as long you can turn them all the way off (and don't need the freaking Konami code to do it). But then again, maybe not. When I messed up the Sunbird's engine and had to buy the Escort, I suddenly found myself without ABS, so I had to improve my braking skill as a result. So I did. As far as everything else... if no noise and no DIY modding is your idea of a good future, then we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. Also, anything by wire can burn. Especially the brakes, but throttle too. I want the engine chained to my right foot so it has no choice but to do what I tell it to, when I tell it to, with no programmed tip-in hesitation.
Deal. Which is why backup systems exist? Brake-by-wire is just an electronic aid - no cable can stop your car on its own... It can operate electromechanic-actuators though, instead of just-as-faulty hydraulic systems. System goes off? You get heavier, but still functional hydraulic brakes. Or fully-redundant electric systems that kick in.
I have a subreddit for you r/DeathToAmerikkka it's a sub that finds some of the dumbest comments from people bitching about the US. It's 2018 if it's not political it's shit.
