EnI said:
I do too. But customer need are changing - they want idiot-proof solutions. Therefore all nannies. And if customers are not active in this respect, their governments & legislators are - creating standards, requirements, regulations concerning safety and eg. environment. Eg. commanding standard ESP & ABS, bigger mirrors, stiffer passenger cells, softer crash zones etc
In the future cars without all the nanny systems won't even be street legal!
Oh, the car electronics! For the last 4-5 years I drive two cars each day, that have 15 years difference. One from 1990 and one from 2005. And the differences are huge!
The first difference is in the overall feel. In older cars, that everything is mechanical, you feel your hands and feet are manually connected to every nut and bolt in the car. You can feel almost anything with a mechanical steering wheel, and you have total control with a mechanical gas pedal. You can enjoy heel'n'toe and synchronized downshifts, and fantastic throttle response.
Yet, in modern cars with hydraulic or electric steering and drive-by-wire gas pedals, everything feels distant. Everything. You get more noise from the tyres or the wind, you don't feel everything from the road, you are more comfortable with the engine, since with drive-by-wire the engine is smoother. The electronics don't let the wheels spin, nor the tail go out. And even when you turn them off, they will go on, if you press the car very hard.
In what do you feel more confident and in what more safe?
Sure, modern cars, despite the distant feel, they feel much more safer. You can feel the weight, the thickness and weight of the doors, the vault-like noise they make when they close, all the airbags and crumble-zones. Yes, you feel safe, but are you more confident?
I am not. I know that the electronics are there and in the very last momment they will kick in and save the day. This make me much less carefull and relaxed when I drive the 2005 car. And more idiotic-prone as well. I have been through many occassions, that I was over-optimistic about the car's capabilities, and nearly killed myself.
On the other hand, with the 1990 car, even though it's been through a lot, and I mean, a LOT, I am more confident. I have better control of the gas, better steering feel, and with the new springs (yes, the Clio is now on harder springs), I enjoy it much more than before.
Not to mention, that the security feel of modern cars, allows the driver to increase his average speed, while the "fear" that comes from the fantastic mechanical feel, of most older cars, makes you more cautious, but give you ten times more fun.
So, in the end, the electronic nannies are there to take all the fun out of a car?
No, they are there to make your everyday life easier. The Anti-spin system works great with a turbo car, and doesn't allow the wheels to spin, when you press it a little more. The ESP is there to help you if you go faster on a corner than you should. They make your everyday life easier and safer, but less fun.
The question is, whether you want to have fun or be safe.
The answer is up to each individual's preferences.
Personally, I want to be safe in my everyday life. But if the "ESP off" button, really turned off all the electronic nannies, I'd be gratefull. I want to experience some lift-off oversteer every now and then, but those damn swedes don't let me have the fun I want. Too much wheel spin, or too much oversteer turns the electronics on, and they take all the fun from you.
So, when I really want to have fun, I drive the old car. When I want to feel safe when going to work, I drive the bloody Volvo. My son will also get a Volvo. But when his balls grow bigger, I'll buy him and E30.
