Endangered Specs

[rs73]

Found this interesting read on theage

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/enda...00114-m8no.html

Having driven some late european model cars, I do agree that car key, hand brake (as well as foot operated park brake) are definitely on its way out.

Replaced by smart keys and electronic button-operated park brake.

Clutch pedal might as well soon - even R35 GTR does not want to do anything with clutch pedal.

Lap seatbelt is on its way out - most late model cars now are fitted with lap-sash 3 point seatbelts for rear middle passenger...

Dun think mirror yet, but who knows 10 years from now, no cars will have side mirrors anymore...

[htial]

Dun think mirror yet, but who knows 10 years from now, no cars will have side mirrors anymore...

But you need side mirrors to know you're getting too close to something...

[rs73]

what that article means is in the future side mirror will be replaced by a tiny camera. similar to the concept of reversing camera.

it has been in many vehicle concepts to have side cameras instead of conventional mirror.

[Sloane]

some of these things Id prefer to keep....

but I guess its what the main market wants.. and that is what sells unfortunately

[blackrex]

Most car designers would love to get rid of the wing mirrors, as they contribute around 10~15% of the overall drag figure of a car, the technology is there to totally eradicate the rearwards blind spots with camera's but car companies are afraid to introduce the technology in case it backfires and the public choose not to drive that brand of cars.

[rs73]

yep, if car designers are ready to toss it into the bin, will consumers be ready to opt for rear camera instead of a conventional wing mirror for future 'upgradability' and 'expandability' to one of those rice carbon wing mirror mods or GT-mirror?

[Phatboy]

The Land Rover Discovery 4 already has 360 degree cameras, so you know exactly what's going on around all sides of the car.

Disco 4's cameras

I would love to own one of them... pity it keeps breaking down.

[EeLeYe]

Side mirrors have always been a major wind-drag restriction. The main reason as to why they still exist on today's cars though, instead of cameras or sensors, is purely superficial.

A car without side mirrors is like a person without ears... it looks freakin wierd. Just imagine your rine without mirrors

[sneakey pete]

Lap seatbelt is on its way out - most late model cars now are fitted with lap-sash 3 point seatbelts for rear middle passenger...

Our '97 falcon has a 3 point belt for middle rear passengers. think you'll find that any car post 2000 probably would.

Most of those things i wouldn't mind, however, i would not like to drive a car without a mechanical hand brake (or, as they call them in the US, emergency brake). The American gives you a good guess why i'd like a mechanical one.

[rs73]

Side mirrors have always been a major wind-drag restriction. The main reason as to why they still exist on today's cars though, instead of cameras or sensors, is purely superficial.

A car without side mirrors is like a person without ears... it looks freakin wierd. Just imagine your rine without mirrors

Here we go - the first resistance against evolution

LOL

Probably in 15-20 years of time anyone with a car with wing mirror will be labeled a freak - if all new cars don't have wing mirrors anymore by that time.

I think looking weird is just a matter of subjective taste of an era.