[madfast]

funny how they made no mention of government laws causing manufacturers to do what they do... electric steering is a DIRECT result of tightening fuel economy standards. the rise of the AT/DCT is also very much mpg related considering 7 speeds are normal, 8 speeds are becoming common, and we are on the verge of a ZF 9 speed AT (with a 10 speed in development). not to mention the proliferation of CVTs...

traction/stability control is for safety, and most sporty cars allow you to turn it completely off so there is NO argument against that. ABS is also something 99.9% of the population should want.

anyways, while i do agree with almost everything they say, it seems they completely overlook the external factors that affect manufacturers' decisions.... and chris harris is from the uk. over there they can legally drive ariel atoms, caterhams, radicals, etc. on the road. if we could do that in the US, i wouldnt care how detached road cars are, i'd get a weekend track toy that i can drive there with, and i'll get my fun that way...