Following on from Neat Touches of the past and present, what touches do you dream of for the future...
To start off, I would like to see some sort of front mounted brake lamp (not sure on colour) so that you (as the driver in front) can see that the car behind has 1. noticed you 2. has applied the brakes as appropriate.
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Its on its way but
Head up display's
Infa red combined headlamps.
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Not futuristic concepts but certainly somethings that would be good to happen on "normal" cars of the future,
Ceramic brakes. Would these ever become the "norm" like disc brakes did?
Other things that are on the top spec cars - sat nav. I know it's filtered down onto more mainstream cars now - even Mondeos and Vectras have them as an option. Could you imagine a Nissan Micra or Ford Fiesta being sold with sat nav as standard?
To not be completely boring, I'm with RF - a HUD would be good. Having seen it on a 5 series, I can see it happening in the not too distant future on other cars but a more refined version so that there's no need for any gauges or dials.
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Adam
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Tyres that keep themselves inflated to the correct pressure for the load the car is carrying.
Reactolite windscreens.
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Tyres that keep themselves inflated to the correct pressure for the load the car is carrying.
Great idea.Reactolite windscreens.
Bad idea - have you ever driven a car while wearing Reactolite sunglasses (and they only darken very slightly inside the car)? Driving into shade, or a tunnel, enclosed car park etc, would be a nightmare.
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Standardisation on ALL cars of:
- full size spare wheel
- combined ignition / starter switch
- mechanical handbrake.
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Sat Nav connected to front and rear sensors plus radar plus steering and brakes and accelerator and all other controls. So the cars drives me where I want to go...
Then I can use a mobile phone and watch TV:-)
madf
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An automatic engine "kill" sensor which senses when the vehicle behind is too close for the speed and "kills" its engine until the gap is wide enough.
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I would like to see mandatory public release of the required data to diagnose electronic faults on cars, and the mandatory standardisation of vehicle wide diagnostic systems, algorithms and protocols - to enable people and garages to obtain diagnosis with only one scan tool.
Number_Cruncher
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How about a USB port built into the car? Then, with the aid of an LCD screen in the instrument bezel, you can choose your own layout/colours/design of the instruments.
On top of that, your car could provide more details, and even a servicing guide on your laptop.
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Diagnostic software and codes are readily available - all you need is a laptop to run it on and the necessary cable.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Diagnostic software and codes are readily available - all you need is a laptop to run it on and the necessary cable. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
I think that you will find that isn't generally true.
It might be true for some makes or models.
It might be true for some systems, eg, OBDII.
Diagnostic codes are not in any way the same as diagnostic information. They represent an early stage of the diagnosis process. What does the code mean? Under *exactly* what conditions is the code set? What are the expected values you might read off the running data list for a good component? What are the limiting values beyond which the ECU thinks there is a fault? What are the appropriate checking conditions and procedures required to pin down a fault with confidence?
Number_Cruncher
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Under EEC regualtions OBDII has to provide a fixed set of basic diagnostics only. Any analsys or proprietry diagnostic information needs specific manufactuer equipment.
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My suggestion is to build a hand-crank option into the starter motor in such a way that if your battery fails to have enough energy to start the engine then you simply insert a large cranking-spanner and give it a few turns.
On motorbikes, it would surely be relatively straightforward to incorporate the above suggestion into a foot-operated lever.
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Variable brake lights that get brighter/larger/wider the harder the brakes are applied.
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I've often thought of that one. Maybe the lights flash rapidly if you stamp on the brake pedal.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Brake lights which turn off after an extended period when the car is stationary for those drivers too lazy to use the handbrake!
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We already have cruise control, but how about going the whole hog and having autopilot?
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How about some little device in the fuel filler tube that stops that splash back when the tank reached the nozzle to cut it off piont.
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A device that autmatically cleans and purfumes the Diesel pump handle after mr freezy above has used it.
Messy Blighter!
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Not me boss I use the green pump.
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I'd like to see a little warning lamp in the rear window of cars that shows when cruise control is enabled. At the moment you 'cruise' past someone and then next thing they overtake you and then slow down again. I'm sure if other driver's realised cruise was engaged they'd settle down a bit.
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I'd like to see some sort of device like a big fan to lift the whole car off the ground and take it over the traffic and then bring it back to earth again.....
Nah - stupid idea...It would never work....
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Lights on each corner of a car to indicate which direction the driver is turning at roundabouts etc. They could be orange and made to flash so as not to mistaken for brake lights.
Seriously though.....
I'd like to see some sort of two-way radio that only has a range of about 25 yards, so that information/warnings/abuse can be passed between vehicles.
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I'd like to see some sort of two-way radio that only has a range of about 25 yards, so that information/warnings/abuse can be passed between vehicles.
You could use bluetooth for this, though it would be complex to set up with the way it is currently installed on mobile phones.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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To be honest, the two-way radio would be used for the pure purpose of screaming abuse at tailgaters. I know that's what I'd use it for.
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Gullwing doors. And stainless steel, unpainted bodywork.
And, in case there's anyone left who doesn't know where I'm gouing with this, a flux capacitor.
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A mute button for the missus.
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Been thinking about this.
The neat touches I like are those that give me information. Like dashboard clocks. All cars have had them for years, but when I was growing up, they didn't. (btw, anyone know when last a car was on the market without a dashboard clock?)
And I remember the first time I got a car which buzzed at me when I left the lights on. That was useful.
And I really like it when I hire a car that tells me the outside temperature - useful for warning of ice in cold weather, but I like to know what the temperature is all the time. Curiousity, you know.
Some cars, like my Ford Ka, don't have rev counters. I miss not knowing how many revs the engine is doing.
SO - what I would like is more information. I gather some cars have an engine oil guage. I'd like to have one, so I can know if I'm running low, or if the garage has overfilled it - without having to open the bonnet and use the dipstick.
And how about a guage for the screenwash?
And how about a guage to tell me the pressures in all the tyres (I gather this is already there on some cars, but it seems a lot more useful than the alloy wheels and CD changers and MP3 sockets that are finding their way into cheap cars.)(Especially for lazy folk lime me who couldn't be bothered to do it manually.)
And how about a guage to tell me the weight of the car, and what pressure I need to inflate the back tyres to if the car is somewhere between normal load and fully laden?
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