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After I watched an episode of NextWorld on Discovery Channel... I thought about the future of cars. The episode was about that and there were interviews from many car producers or mechanics who have built concepts of what they think will the future of cars.

Here are some:

Nissan Pivo 2



Not only does this car feature a sleek, futuristic design and sensors that allow easy parking but it features a mini robot head that uses infrared to sense your emotions or see if you're tired. If you're tired, it'll tell you, for example - "Are you tired? There are two coffee shops ahead, the first one is 700 feet south, the second one is 1200 feet north. The second one is cheaper."

It's the robot companion that's the futuristic element, really.

Splinter



Splinter is a sports car that has a top speed of 240 MPH (368 KPH). However, it is unlike all other cars - for it is made of wood and is therefore, lighter - allowing a higher speed. It uses some sort of substance to protect it from getting burned. The designer behind Splinter had in mind a fast yet ecologically safe vehicle. Unfortunately, you have to chop down trees to make a Splinter car, so I won't be expecting them in large quantities.

Volvo Safety Concept Car

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellane ... 1/05/43656

Koenigsegg Quant Concept



A four-seat solar-powered electric supercar with batteries capable of full charge in 20 minutes that are infinitely rechargeable with no degradation.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090303.037 ... on-planned

Mercedes-Benz myCOMAND User Interface Vehicle



http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Nov08/17_0 ... _2008.html

...

What do you like best... and what are your ideas? I personally like the Pivo 2 the best. Although the idea of a robot-assisted vehicle has been around for quite some time now, Nissan executes it quite well.

The Splinter - WTF, a car made from WOOD!!! That woodn't (ba-dum-ching!) make safety regulations wood it?

I personally think the Koeniggsegg Quant is probably the most likely to exist in the near future. Perhaps when technology excels the Pivo would be made but the Quant seems the most likely. Although Splinter sure wood be cool...

I think that in general when you see these "concept cars" the designers have tried to be a bit too modern

Most of these cars weren't going to be produced anyways and are just meant to lure people to the displays for their "realistic" products. The quaint will probably make it into production, but it sure as hell won't look like that.

Yeah, coz if it did look like that it wouldn't sell a single one

Still, the splinter looks kinda like a Murcielago mixed with Countach...

For now, I think that the myCOMAND system will succeed. Like Houbenheimer said, designers try to be too modern. I'm sure the Quant will prevail in the end though.

Splinter, no.

Splinter = cutting down trees.
Cutting down too many trees = ecological damage.

Maybe so, but you can re-plant trees. I'd love to see somebody recycle a car as easily.

Still, that would have to be a bich in a crash. =O

I don't think it's quite as simple as planting another tree.

I watched this same program. oh and you forgot the changeable BMW.

Oh yeah, GINA.

that BMW was cool. "want more trunk space, just press a button" .

Damn, how could I forget.

That was totally awesome. BUT, what happenens when you crash? Does it just rip itself to shreds?

Probably. And those would be some dang big splinters.

Ahem.

I was refering to the BMW...

I know my future with cars, it involves older cars as from what im hearing you wont be able to modify any car built after 2012 over here(not even spoilers etc)

RSZETEC wrote:I know my future with cars, it involves older cars as from what im hearing you wont be able to modify any car built after 2012 over here(not even spoilers etc)

It's just another press rumour. Unless the manufacturer remains the owner of the car (which no-one in their right mind will agree to), your free to do what you want to your property.

The worse they'll do is make emissions regs stupidly complex. Won't stop me bolting big turbos onto things.

its already happening, andy saunders already had his bently muslanne turbos V5 revoked which triggered a new IVA test which costs £450 and the guys found 33 faults of which 13 where with the rear lights yet missed a track rod end so worn it was about to fail

all modified cars look like their gonna have to have this test(essentially an SVA which could mean it getting Q plated etc)

http://www.306gti6.com/forum/showthread ... &page=last

That doesn't suprise me at all. The legislation has existed since the late 1970's that cars with the chassis and subframe modified to a large degree (which from a brief read of that sounds pretty accurate) need to be passed independently as serious modification to the original chassis esentially invalidates the VIN. It was put in place to stop people cut-n-shutting cars back in the days when people used to weld the halves of two written off cars back together

A properly built car should have no trouble passing regulations. A guy I used to work with recently managed to get a twin-engined Polo registered and that's basically a cut-and-shut. The DVLA, insurance companies and police are on the prowl for cars with dangerous mods, they aren't pissing on everyone's chips- it's just the select few with excessively loud exhaust, illegal tyre protrusion, dangerous/sharp bodywork, poorly done repairs and welds and illegal unregistered engine transplants.

DP ahoy, but do you really want any old muppet with a sawzall lopping the roof of their car, welding it back on in a different position then driving around without someone checking to see if it's going to fall apart and kill someone? I sure as hell don't.

but you could say that about some chav fitting some lowering springs to his saxo/corsa/106/insertname of other pointless hatchbacks here he might not have a clue what he's doing like someone i know who managed to fit half his lowering kit upside down and forgot to tighten up the wheelnuts

That's exactly why if you don't know what the f*ck you're doing, get someone who KNOWS what they're doing to do it for you.

he usually get me to do the work to his car but this time he decided he knew better, i had a shot of his car after he did the brakes aswell......less said about them the better.......apprently you get used to a brake pedal tha travels to the floor

RSZETEC wrote:but you could say that about some chav fitting some lowering springs to his saxo/corsa/106/insertname of other pointless hatchbacks here he might not have a clue what he's doing like someone i know who managed to fit half his lowering kit upside down and forgot to tighten up the wheelnuts

This is why I think ALL modified cars should be subject to a specialist examination before they can be insured. Not by the DVLA though, they're a bunch of muppets, by assessors in the insurance industry who have a history of working with modified cars.

Most of the monkeys who get under FWD hatchbacks and tinker around shouldn't be trusted with an iced lolly, let alone a spanner. At least insurance assessments on modified cars when the mods are declared to the IC should get rid of the majority of those who do it, besides those tosspots who drive without insurance anyway. At least that means that people who know what they're doing, are a bit handy with a spanner and a MIG welder and don't have more teeth than brain cells can pay a little less for their insurance knowing that retards who forget to bleed brakes, fit springs upside down and put directional tyres on backwards are off the road.

he's done that too (directional tyres i mean)