Extinct car features

[waynne]

Which options and features do you see becoming extinct on cars over the next 5-10 years?

The humble cassette player made its disappearance years ago but what about steel wheels, cd changers, 4 speed gearboxes and the like?

What other things do you reckon will be phased out and why?

[pgarner]

proper throttle cables, or are they pretty much extinct already ?

[HDi fun]

Cup holders need to go ASAP.

[Jakeymd]

I quite enjoy cup holders. They hold apples particularly well. I never actually use them to hold cups, just about everything else.

[HDi fun]

Jakeymd: "I quite enjoy cup holders. They hold apples particularly well. I never actually use them to hold cups, just about everything else."

Get a BMW. The back ones under the rear air vents (in the centre console) break if you even look at them the wrong way. In fairness they're one of the few poorly designed bits of interior. Strangely or not, BMW offers a replacement oddments tray which fits in place of the cup holders. Be nice to the dealer and they'll give it to you for free

[aston]

proper spare wheels, Engines which can be repaired at home with a bent spoon and a hammer

[T9 man]

Originally Posted by aston

Engines which can be repaired at home with a bent spoon and a hammer

Aah the good old days, reminds me of working on my old Cortina MK1

[Loz]

Originally Posted by HDi fun

Cup holders need to go ASAP.

I haven't yet had a car with cupholders!

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Loz

I haven't yet had a car with cupholders!

lucky you

[Puntopimp]

I reckon the 12v Cigarette slot will go soon as they are trying to ban smoking in cars and also with new technology i just think it will be a thing of the past

The cup holder is detrimental for having loose change for the Dartford bridge and parking machines!

[waynne]

I have a dual USB converter in my cigarette lighter slot and this is quite versatile so I do think a USB charging port should become standard on cars.

[Puntopimp]

A USB Converter!? Nice!!

I think too these should replace all Cigarette lighters! like you said so i can charge my ipod while driving would be handy for my 14 hour drive to the south of france this summer

[Jakeymd]

what will current sat navy systems plug in to?

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Jakeymd

what will current sat navy systems plug in to?

Someone in China will get rich by manufacturing an adapter and selling it on ebay.

[bigbadjoe]

The fag lighter and ashtray are on thair way out shurly. No one lights a fag with em these days. And no one uses the ash tray in the car either. Cos it stinks it out. The fag lighter is only around now days for things like your sat nav and phone charging. Somone will make a new port soon that will take off. I recon it will be a usb port there for uploading files and songs to the car, then eventually over 5 years or so, manufactures will stop making the big round plugs and make usb ones instead.

[xavier]

Our cars will auto drive and we won't have a need for a steering wheel!

BBJ - the ashtray is where I keep my parking money, I'd be so sad to see it go.

[Puntopimp]

I keep my money for parking in the ash tray n all! haha I think Autodrive would never properly come in as people like to be in control rather than let a machine do the work.

Just like the option of Automatic and manual gears

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Puntopimp

I keep my money for parking in the ash tray n all! haha I think Autodrive would never properly come in as people like to be in control rather than let a machine do the work.

Just like the option of Automatic and manual gears

I'll take a good automatic over a manual. Let's be fair here - the gearbox was only invented to make up for the internal combustion engine's inflexibility and if could have been made fully automatic at the start then it would have been just that.

I think that the traditional torque converter auto will disappear fairly soon and be replaced with something like the DSG units employed in many VAG models.

[Puntopimp]

Automatic is Lame as you have less chance of pulling away at the lights against a manual as they can dump the clutch and get more torques down

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Puntopimp

Automatic is Lame as you have less chance of pulling away at the lights against a manual as they can dump the clutch and get more torques down

Can't say I've noticed this to be honest in the automatics I've driven. Mine still clears 60mph in about 7.5 seconds. But in smaller cars you're probably correct. A 1.2 Punto with automatic transmission would be a bit of a plodder I expect.

I still think that manual clutches will disappear soon.

[T9 man]

Originally Posted by Puntopimp

Automatic is Lame as you have less chance of pulling away at the lights against a manual as they can dump the clutch and get more torques down

Oh really!!! Fancy a drag race on the track of your choosing against my lame automatic old Saab?

[Yugguy]

Aye, look at the figures for dsg 0-60s, they're the same or better than manuals these days

[Puntopimp]

yeah sure T9 when we have equivalent horses XD

[HDi fun]

Originally Posted by Puntopimp

yeah sure T9 when we have equivalent horses XD

Automatics have come a long way and there's further to go yet. Mine is a traditional torque converter type of box (but with full ECU management); it does have six gears and a Steptronic mode (which is pointless, in my opinion). It's pretty lively, even from a standstill - more than enough torque to give the DSC cause to intervene. I doubt I'd have too much trouble staying with your Punto at the lights.

[Zwaf]

I suspect that in some future the engines powered with fossil fuels will be baned.
Look at the Mate Rimac on google or you tube. It does not help he is from small country with no strong loby to support him, but he claim he made an electric car with 600 km radius on one charging.
He also do drag races with his electric BMW.
Those things will be our standards in future. I got the feeling that major manufacturers dismissed all ideas about Hydrogen and all of them trying to find solutions for use of electric current. Just waiting to other lobys overfill their pockets with what's left of oil.

And because of the way the torque develop in electromotors we will need no torque converters. At least not the ones we got on our minds now.