the importance of electronics

[blingbling]

with the new nissan gt-r outgunning cars with more power, less weight, and larger wheels (like the porsche gt-3) while still remaining comparatively more civilized, i have been shown the light of the electronic side of automotive engineering.

it isn't that I didn't believe in it before, i had just always been more faithful towards the classic combination of light weight and huge engines. but now this new car has substantially shown me how much of a difference electronics can make.

i am a bit saddened by this developement as we head into the new decade, yet i don't want to be the old man who dwelled on the "good ole days". but i used to enjoy being able to gauge how fast a car can be just by looking at their specs. now, it is virtually meaningless.

[henk4]

We can be romantic about this, but fact of life is that cars have become overpowered for most of the ordinary citizens that buy then. In order to protect these, and keep them happy by camouflaging that they can barely drive, electronics have become part of every car. The GTR is just an example of what you can do with them if you can drive, while at the same time it is probably much more rich fool proof than a Porsche.

[aiasib]

You know, with drive-by-wire and anything-by-wire just around the proverbial corner it's hard not to accept electronics as assuming the core of motoring vehicles.

To say that specs are virtually meaningless is a bit much, no?

[Ferrer]

I'm sorry but speed is just overrated. And specificantions (almost) completely meaningless.

Give me my slow Elan on the right road any day.

[clutch-monkey]

We can be romantic about this, but fact of life is that cars have become overpowered for most of the ordinary citizens that buy then.

very true. which is why something should be fast with less power, imo, and lighter weight, so as to keep it's customers out of trouble yet provide thrills for those who know how to look for them.
if i wanted to drive with electronics, i'd turn on my xbox and play FM3

[whiteballz]

While I agree basically out of the back to basics enjoyment and romance of electronic-free driving, I think technological masterpieces have a time and niche, and I think their use to soften a car or their existance for safety is not as warrented as people claim.

Along the lines of the Mistubishi evo, the electronics are there solely to let you go faster and charge harder.

[CdocZ]

Well, at this point I think it would be foolish to not have electronics in cars. They can be turned off; why risk your vehicle x amount more than you need to just because it rained 2 hours ago or because some a$$ ran a light while you were driving it to the track or just around in general. Sometimes it is that single meter of stopping distance less that can save your car and you thousands of dollars. In other words, if a technology that can potentially make things less risky is there, why forgo it?

Whether that means driving will be safer or people less attentive, I don't really know if there are any conclusive studies on that matter.

However I don't like having the electronics and not being able to (easily) turn them off. I like options.

I agree that it is nice to have a feel for what the car is doing mechanically speaking (the feel of the accelerator is something I will miss dearly in non combustion-powered cars). But, I also feel that we should not have to sacrifice being able to feel like we are actually driving something other than an over sized fluffy pillow in order to reap the benefits of the digital age.

[drakkie]

What it does become nowadays is a reason for manufacturers to produce a poor car and make it good with electronics. If you compare the chassis' of cars from the 90's with modern cars they are all better.

IMO though if you make a good product in the first place 9/10 times the electronics are not needed. ESP became a selling point now, so they fit it on as much as possible cars. To save money to fit it the mechanics becomes weaker and less quality.. On the test bench at Koni they produce horrible results sometimes. The electronics compensate.

[Ferrer]

I think there needs to be made a difference. Things like traction control, ESP or ABS are good because they are safety devices, and they can sometimes save you from an accident and they can be disabled usually (except ABS). You still have to remember that they won't save you from breaking the laws of phyisics so you still have to drive responsibly.

However, gadgets like active steering, active suspension and all those sorts are completely unnecessary in my opinion. They may make you drive faster and more easily but the add unnecessary complexity and detract from the driving experience. And my opinion enjoying yourself is far more important than outright speed in a road car.

[G35COUPE]

Please use your traction control in the rain. You will thank me for it.

[henk4]

Please use your traction control in the rain. You will thank me for it.

please gently touch the throttle in the rain, you will thank me for that.

[LeonOfTheDead]

I just noticed the new sportsbike from BMW has both the traction control and the ABS, both disengage-able.

[clutch-monkey]

please gently touch the throttle in the rain, you will thank me for that.

+1
never owned a car with traction control.

[wwgkd]

+1
never owned a car with traction control.

+2
Electronics aren't a substitute for knowing how to drive well. They can help, but not fully replace skill and awareness as long as it is a person that is in control.

I don't mind the electronics mostly, as long as they can be turned off. Some cars should never have them, but those are hardly mainstream. The problem I have is that many cars with off buttons don't actually turn them off, just scale them back.

[drakkie]

+2
I don't mind the electronics mostly, as long as they can be turned off. Some cars should never have them, but those are hardly mainstream. The problem I have is that many cars with off buttons don't actually turn them off, just scale them back.

Or just until 50km/h or something. Very annoying. Also I detest that ABS has no off-switch. In the recent snow my braking distance was kilometer-long it seemed. Long live knowing your way around the switch box