The Twins Ten Years From Now(a speculative thread)

[PetrolioBenzina]

At most any car show, the real action is off in the corner where all the old and mostly original cars are. The unmolested FR-S/BRZ's will be in demand.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by Fishbed77

THISx1000.

It might be a little bit more than 10 years, but the day is coming.

When autonomous automobiles begin to saturate the market and prove to be far safer (which they will), insurance premiums on manually-piloted automobiles will rise to the point to which they exist solely as playthings for the wealthy.

.

Originally Posted by KalbiCool88

It will be awhile before cars or transportation in general be fully autonomous. I'm not worried of autonomous vehicles taking over in my lifetime anyway.

It will happen in stages.

Stage 1: Some autonomous vehicles entering general traffic. This is happening now.
Stage 2: Autonomous vehicles will be preferred by governments and a majority of buyers. "Manuals" will be quaint, driven by the poor and the eccentric.
Stage 3: Autonomous vehicles will be the vast majority on the roads, and new advantages will emerge. They will be networking and form close-gap, high speed road-trains and utilize the roads much more efficiently.
"Manuals" will be seen as disruptive and dangerous relics. Like a horse-drawn carriage on the freeway today.
Stage 4: Manually operated vehicles forbidden on public roads in industrialized countries. Motoring clubs with private tracks where people go to play with their gasoline fuelled antiquities.

When? Long before we run out of oil, I'm quite sure.
A decade of transition between each stage sounds reasonable to me.
So I guess my prediction is full dystopia on the roads by the year 2047.

If I live that long I'll be an old man, telling the story of the time I rear-ended a taxi because the driver had the insane notion of stopping at a red light; to kids who will not believe me nor understand why it's funny.
And maybe the story really isn't that funny and maybe it will be a better, safer world.

[PetrolioBenzina]

Who knew....


My uncle has a country place
That no one knows about
He says it used to be a farm
Before the Motor Law
And now on Sundays I elude the eyes
And hop the turbine freight
To far outside the wire where my
White-haired uncle waits
Jump to the ground as the turbo slows
To cross the borderline
Run like the wind as excitement shivers
Up and down my spine
But down in his barn
My uncle preserved for me
An old machine
For fifty-odd years
To keep it as new
Has been his dearest dream
I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car
A brilliant Red Barchetta
From a better vanished time
We'll fire up the willing engine
Responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel
I commit my weekly crime
Wind
In my hair
Shifting and drifting
Mechanical music
Adrenaline surge
Well-oiled leather
Hot…

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by PetrolioBenzina

...
Hot…

... Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware

Suddenly ahead of me
Across the mountainside
A gleaming alloy air car
Shoots towards me, two lanes wide
I spin around with shrieking tires
To run the deadly race
Go screaming through the valley
As another joins the chase

Drive like the wind
Straining the limits of machine and man
Laughing out loud with fear and hope
I've got a desperate plan
At the one-lane bridge
I leave the giants stranded at the riverside
Race back to the farm
To dream with my uncle at the fireside

[Cole]

I don't know why people get bummed about self driving cars. I for one will embrace that.

I was recently (as in yesterday) driving through Toronto on the 401. It happened to be raining. For some reason, I couldn't go faster than 95, and every time the rain went a bit harder, I'd have to slow down. People are not good at driving on the highway. You can tell this by use of brakes, hogging the left lane, cutting across three lanes of traffic because you didn't plan ahead and get over for your exit ahead of time, not leaving adequate space for the vehicle in front of you, etc.

I can't wait for the day that I can hop in my car and have it drive me wherever I need to get at it's top speed for the whole trip while networking with the cars around it to make the most efficient use of the road. Travelling will take no time at all, plus I can sleep, watch YouTube or do whatever the fuck else I feel like doing while I get driven around.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Cole

I don't know why people get bummed about self driving cars. I for one will embrace that.

Yeah but you already drive an automatic.

[Ultramaroon]

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Yeah but you already drive an automatic.

As true as that is, that drive in a manual would have been torture on my ankle. Stop and go makes it feel like it's being stuck with pins while someone is lighting it on fire.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Cole

As true as that is, that drive in a manual would have been torture on my ankle. Stop and go makes it feel like it's being stuck with pins while someone is lighting it on fire.

I know, I know... Just pulling your leg.


...above the ankle.


Next month, Mrs. Ultra goes in for surgery on a bone spur under her Achilles tendon. Was supposed to happen last summer.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by Cole

...Travelling will take no time at all, plus I can sleep, watch YouTube or do whatever the fuck else I feel like doing while I get driven around.

Isn't that why many people take trains and buses and shit?

I like driving. I will miss it when I can't do it any more.

[one2onejackpot]

Originally Posted by Th3rdSun

Examples that come to mind is the Celica body style from '99 up. They look pretty crappy now when I see them.

I think my 2003 TRD Celica GTS still holds up nicely. It was after they redid the horrible italic font gauges from the 2000-2002 Celicas, went to a black dash and changed out the taillights. I wish I still had that car. Here are some pics before I lowered it with some Tein springs and Tokico struts and shocks. Before then, that thing looks like a 4x4 with that fender gap. It has the JDM TRD fogs, TRD exhaust, AEM cold air intake and the JDM smoked acrylic fuel lid with chrome fuel cap. It's wearing a set of Racing Hart Rims and Nitto rubber. (Looking back, I wish I would've went with polished rims) I wish I had different pictures after I finished my mods, but I'm lucky I found those and had to scan them. I bought that car new on my birthday as a gift to myself.

Pretty much all of my cars have been lift backs with a rear wiper. The Twins were supposed to be a lift back but got changed to an tiny trunk instead for weight savings.

But I agree, Celicas without a body kit didn't even hold up when they came out. Especially when I see one nowadays. More so the ones without a spoiler, even the factory one.

[iamjacob]

Originally Posted by Cole

... plus I can sleep, watch YouTube or do whatever the fuck else I feel like doing while I drive around.

And how is that any different from the groups of morons on the road today.

Don't get me wrong. I can't wait either, it's just going to take a loooooong time. I wouldn't doubt the guesses of 2050 being 20 years to soon.

Networked trains of cars going high speed in close proximity sounds great but there's just too many "manual" cars in the wild for that to happen within 30 years of autonomous cars being mainstream. Could you imagine the public backlash when millions of people are told that they have to replace their old ratty "manual" car with a new autonomous car to still be allowed on the road. Now think about the segment of the population that would have old "manual" cars, could they afford a new car?

I'm in my mid 30's. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime but I'd be happy if I was wrong.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

Isn't that why many people take trains and buses and shit?

I live in a city that doesn't have great public transit, to get from my door to my girlfriends apartment is a 94km drive. Without traffic, that's 1 hour and 5 minutes driving, about an hour and a half with traffic.

Public transit? 3.5 hours, and I'm tied to someone else's schedule. Not to mention I'd be spending about 100 bucks just to go and see her for a weekend. I'd pay more in a year for public transit than I pay for my car, and I'd have none of the whimsical freedom I have.

[soulreapersteve]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

Isn't that why many people take trains and buses and shit?

I like driving. I will miss it when I can't do it any more.

Originally Posted by Cole

I live in a city that doesn't have great public transit, to get from my door to my girlfriends apartment is a 94km drive. Without traffic, that's 1 hour and 5 minutes driving, about an hour and a half with traffic.

Public transit? 3.5 hours, and I'm tied to someone else's schedule. Not to mention I'd be spending about 100 bucks just to go and see her for a weekend. I'd pay more in a year for public transit than I pay for my car, and I'd have none of the whimsical freedom I have.

+1 What cole said.


I really, really wished my city would have much better public transportation - to the levels of what other well-developed countries have. I rode the bus everywhere until I bought the car last year. Took the bus once since that time, never again unless something catastrophic happens.. or they improve public transit.