J. Clarkson and Harry's garage about todays cars

[911RSR]

I've just watched this vid:


And i think they've nailed it! They not just chat about Jaaaag, but the car industry in general.

Yes they are two old white men, complaining about modern times.
But why can't a sports car not just be a simple sports car anymore? Why do new cars these days have a 1000 options to set up absolutely everything (those air vents in the video - ridiculous!). What was wrong with getting in, starting the engine and drive off. If it's a sports car, it should be set up already perfectly from the factory!
If i had to buy a new car today, it would be an old, 2nd hand one!

Ok, i'll stop complaining. I just thought here might be some car enthusiasts like me


PS. If there's already a thread this post should have been added to, sorry! I thought about searching it, but didn't came up with an idea what to look for.

EDIT: If you'd rather read than watch: Top Gear has an article: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/in...son-says-he-isnt-interested-new-cars-any-more

 

[05XR8]

Well I did just buy a 26 year old sports car that I can get in and drive. Doesn’t have A/C or ABS. Could have bought something current, but I agree with too much digital stuff in cars today. It’s perfect for me.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Another key point I agree with is how cars nowadays are no longer viewed as something exciting or as a symbol of freedom and escapism. Especially when now more than half of all car sales are SUVs and the political hand forcing towards electric "urban social mobility" means cars now look so boring and indistinguishable from each other and are no longer targeted towards what customers and enthusiasts want.

I've had my Mk7 Golf GTI for a few years now and i love it when i thread it down a B-road. I've also become more appreciative of the tactile feel of pressing buttons in my car instead of trying to get the garbage haptic controls to work in my dad's Audi A6.

 

[Tornado]

I've often thought about the concept of peak car, and I'd say at least in the US market it was about five years sooner than the time they came to. A lot of the cars that debuted in that time are fundamentally very similar to cars that either just went out of production or are still limping along until manufacturers decide if they want to commit full electric or not. They'll probably be reliable, built well and they'll be perfectly safe to drive. That last point in particular is why I'd say 2010 and not 2005, because that means basically all of the truly dated cars that had been repeatedly updated and spruced up and reskinned since the early 90s (or 80s or 70s) were completely gone by 2010, when some of them were still hanging around in 2005.
2010 was just before things started getting mandated that are obnoxious to repair and required for the car to not throw a fit or get stuck in limp mode if they are broken; and (other than whatever the hell Jaguar was doing) just before manufacturers decided "Huge touchscreen on dash = interior design". You're also more likely to get a modern, fuel efficient and reliable drivetrain setup because it was on the cusp of manufacturers gaming the standards rather than chasing real world fuel economy.


Pushing it to 2015 like they have allows for some leeway for having just a few more beneficial technologies make more widespread and mature adoptions (cylinder deactivation, start stop functionality and direct injection being in more mainstream implementations) but you also start seeing the shift to "everything is an overstressed turbo 4 attached to a glass CVT" engineering and "Why do you need windows you have sensors" car styling; plus the fallout from the Great Recession leading to cars that were cost cut vs their predecessors.

 

[lbpomg95]

Me personally I'd argue late 1990's or early 2000's is the peak. Some NVH and creature comforts are compromised but to me, the driver engagement and (depending on the brand) reliability is potentially even better. Though at this point it's maybe not the easiest thing to keep a 25 y/o car on the road.

The main point I agree with though, is overcomplication. I read a pretty saddening article the other day, reviewing the new Suzuki Swift. It is an utterly hideous car, but it's dun to drive, very cheap to own, and one of only FIVE cars available brand new in the UK that weighs under 1000kg. And two of them are Hyundai/Kia clones. The Dacia Spring is another, and it's a glowing example of how EVs should be handled. The only other is the Toyota Aygo X, which itself is a bloated, ruined pretender to the car it replaced despite using basically the same engine.

This notion that we can consume our way out of climate change with a near-3-tonne electric SUV that eats tyres and coil springs like Tic Tacs is bonkers.

As @AudiMan2011 mentioned too, the industry is targeting cost cutting and government legislation where brands used to at least try to make cars that people wanted to buy. New cars are no longer aspirational.