The Future and Potential Death of the Car Hobby.
 

So i recently watched a video about a new law passed which will require cars to have 54.5mpg starting in the year 2024. Which isn't too far away. I mean, the year 2000 doesn't really feel like it was that long ago.

The following is a bit of fear-mongering, but it's out of genuine concern for our interests. If these strict laws come slamming down on the auto industry, then our hobby and our cars will likely be squeezed out, i presume. To me, it underscores the importance of getting our cars built and getting as much track/road time as possible.

I worry that the performance market and performance aftermarket will be replaced either with something less ethereal or nothing at all.


Reference video:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj9b971380w&feature=g-u-u"]Higher MPG for Future Cars - YouTube[/ame]

What are your thoughts? Will the performance-car world find a way? Or do you think our passion will be destroyed?

P.S.- I apologize for my cynicism.

Back in the early 1950's the dividing point between getting good or bad mileage was the number 10. If your car got better than 10 mpg it was considered good. If it got less it was considered "not so good".

Considering where our mpg is today our hobby hasn't suffered too much by it. I've got an '02 Miata that does 0-60 about .1 second slower than a '72 Corvette I had many years ago. That Miata, even though 10 years old, can still get 33 mpg on the highway.

Personally I wouldn't worry much about it. However, in all fairness I probably won't be here then.

Perhaps this is a positive thing? Maybe we will see, lighter, more aerodynamic cars, and we will have more cars like the FRS. Perhaps they will be a bit gutless, and perhaps they will all have dual clutch autos, but it's certainly possibly that a manufacturer could release a car that is similar to the Zx6 in its core principles, and still meet the MPG regulations of the time...


Or they might be terrible, bland, electric pieces of tatti. Who knows! :iono:

That's my prediction, boy i'm negative today.

I'm sure our cars would be grandfathered in to such a widespread law just like classics are despite many safety features, etc. they lack. Basically no one is driving a 54 mpg car currently, so that would mean in 2024, every single person would be required to buy a new car, which isn't plausible.

So the aftermarket would stay where it is for our cars, then expand to the new cars, though it would be hilarious if they started measuring aftermarket parts in MPG rather than HP. Like, "get the Greddy Greenback exhaust for just $600! See gains of up to 7 MPG!"

The way I interpret is a manufacture needs to meet CAFE standards such as having one model car like this.

http://www.businesspundit.com/wp-con...concept-07.jpg


And another model in their line up such as this?

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/cro...r-1_600x0w.jpg

I'm hoping so. I know that the way it is now, the manufacturers have to meet an average MPG over their lineup. For example, Chevrolet can afford the gas-guzzling Corvette because they have the Volt which strongly heightens their average lineup MPG.

Nah never happen ....; There are people thinking electric, hybrid...... like a freaking prius hybrid nation ! Does it worry me? No, I'm only seeing car manufactures is currently pushing the horsepower racing. In US, if GM, Ford, Chevy still making Vette, Mustang, Camaro then you don't worry for these mighty 86/frs/brz. See this new latest 2013 C63 AMG black version attached below here with perf achievement at 10/16mpg :) ! C55, C63, M3, ISF are the cars I'm paying attention to. Those were in the 350hp, 400hp, but today it's climbing. You need 500 HP to keep up. I'm interested to see how the new M3 & ISF response to keep up with the new beast C63 AMG black. This is the car hobby I'm talking about so just keep driving harder ! don't worry about doom day yet :)
-------------------------------------------------------------
2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series
BASE PRICE $125,000 (est)
DRIVETRAIN Front-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe
ENGINE 6.2-liter/510-hp/457-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT 3700 lb (est)
EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 10/16 mpg (est)
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 337/211 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS 1.61 lb/mile(est) ON SALE IN U.S. June 2012

That may be some pretty solid advice.

Do you like electronic fuel injection and the ability to tune a car with more than a screwdriver?

That's because of the EPA.

Don't sweat it -- innovation will arise and people will find ways to make cars fast.

And let's not forget the new hypercar hybrid Porsche...

lol, hope it help for good Friday afternoon and long weekend labor day guys ! Man can't wait to hit the road.

Theres more to it than just that. its a complicated average based on size and other criteria.

It's easy to see that number and be worried about performance cars dropping off. The HP wars are already dying down for Daily Driven appliances anyway. But in truth the CAFE number is a fake. There is a number of methods of improving the average without improving the real world economy, many of them for SUVs and trucks. Infact the MPG is still based off the pre-2008 numbers not the lower numbers.

One of the tricks was to give a 33% bonus for making a vehicle FFV. Granted I would like to see more FFVs here. But it was only a trick to give domestic manufacturers an advantage over imports by allowing them to sell more profitable, gasoline guzzling v8s.

don't underestimate the free market. if there is a demand for something, there will always be someone to supply it. if that means a requiring a minimum of 50MPG, then someone will make a 50MPG sports car.