[macintologist]

After watching this video on Youtube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FpOewZhxMMU) which is basically a slideshow of the each model year Pontiac Grand Prix from 1962 or so onto 2007. In hindsight you can look at the car designs from the 1960s and say "yes and now the next logical step in car design would obviously be x and y." Which makes me think.. looking at the general design of cars today, I find it very difficult to predict the next logical step. What ideas do you guys have in mind?

[BasketofPuppies]

[ObiWan Flanders]

Originally Posted by BasketofPuppies 

Thats ridiculous. It would be certain death for my family and dog in a head on.

[moonmonkey]

The car on the right.

[kmkkid]

Design-wise, cars seem to be going back to the boxy shapes. Which I don't like.

[Doofy]

They'll look like this if the environazis have their way:

[mrtew]

Somewhere between this and this is the next step I guess....


http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/to...HS-Concept.htm


http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/to...am-Concept.htm

[sknapp351]

Originally Posted by kmkkid 

Design-wise, cars seem to be going back to the boxy shapes. Which I don't like.

I am quite happy, aesthetically at least, that we are going back to boxy. The Scion XB, Ford Trucks they all are quite nice to me now. I realize that this is hindering the MPG though. There is nothing quite as bad to me as a car that looks like a blob.
SAm

[TailsToo]

[NYK Ace]

ford reflex
diesel / electric hybrid
68 mpg

[centerchannel68]

Pretty much like they do now, only with more retro character, newer lighting technologies, bigger wheels, and funky stuff like diesels, regenerative braking, and direct injection.

[macroy]

I think they talked about this a few years ago (which I haven't seen mentioned since) where either Ford or GM was looking at an electric car that basically is just a chassis (picture a big skate board)... and then they would simply place the body type of your choice on top (be it a 2 door, 4 door, wagon etc)..... And if you like to change it out.. you'd keep the chassis, and just get a new body style.

I thougt that was pretty cool.

[besson3c]

How far are we away from making cars fly?

[macintologist]

It seems like cars are progressing technologically now instead of much in exterior design and shape.

Top Gear made the point that ten years ago you had to buy a Mercedes S Class to get all the gizmos and widgets. Now all you need to do is buy a some Hondo family car and you can get basically the same stuff.

[Jawbone54]

Everything old is new again.

Retro styles will continue to blend with modern for the next decade (my own speculation). I remember reading Disney Adventures (magazine) as a kid, and they showed this car that was sort of Jetson's-like. They said that by the year 2010, they would be available for something like $250,000,000. I thought it was the coolest thing, and wondered if the future would be like Disney Adventures predicted. We all know how that kind of stuff turned out.

My point: who knows? We can't predict future designs, but we can have a lot of fun speculating.

[Kerrigan]

Soon cars and houses will all look like iPods.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Soon cars and houses will all look like iPods.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES!!!



Someone will get mad and demand they be touchscreen-controlled.

[Sub]

Damn environazis...I hate toyotas, and the fugly design of the prius isn't making hybrids look any sexier to me. Can't anyone just come to the conclusion that were are soon doomed, and a few years of some hybrid cars isn't going to do us any good, might was well make the best of global warming and pollution, and not give a damn.

[slpdLoad]

I really liked GM's drive-by-wire prototype car that had the electric motos and hydrogen powersource, etc built into a "skateboard" chassis. The rest of the car/truck/suv/whatever would just then be fastened to this chassis.

[Agasthya]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

How far are we away from making cars fly?

about 3 years.

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

How far are we away from making cars fly?

Son, the future is now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skycar

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

and funky stuff like diesels, regenerative braking, and direct injection.

I love seeing direct injection on a car, it's just gorgeous.

[cjrivera]

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by cjrivera 

That reeks of the early 90s

[turtle777]

I have seen the future and teh future cars. Trust me, they look like turtles on wheels



-t

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

That reeks of the early 90s

I hope your trying to be funny.

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I hope your trying to be funny.

It looks like a Pontiac Firebird from the early 90s.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

It looks like a Pontiac Firebird from the early 90s.

No, it's 80s design through and through.

-t

[xi_hyperon]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

They'll look like this if the environazis have their way:

[snip]

Well, here's to hoping you get your own custom version.

[gargamel123]

Originally Posted by ObiWan Flanders 

Thats ridiculous. It would be certain death for my family and dog in a head on.

Population control

[Cadaver]

My prediction:

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

It looks like a Pontiac Firebird from the early 90s.

No, it doesn't.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

No, it doesn't.

Originally Posted by cjrivera 

Among other years, yeah it does.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Gossamer 

[img]http://www.davidt.com/images/Customer%20Sale%20Cars/eddie%20kwan.JPG[img]

Among other years, yeah it does.

A volvo could look like Kit at that angle.

Kit is a 1982 Pontiac Firebird.



This is a 1990 Firebird.



Although they both look like Firebirds, Kit looks like a early 1980's car because it was made in the early 1980's.

[centerchannel68]

Originally Posted by slpdLoad 

I really liked GM's drive-by-wire prototype car that had the electric motos and hydrogen powersource, etc built into a "skateboard" chassis. The rest of the car/truck/suv/whatever would just then be fastened to this chassis.

Problem with that is crumple zones, and center of gravity. Instead of having the components integrated into the body, the body has to sit 'on top' of that, making the CG higher... but who knows, maybe that thin thing is really heavy, so the CG is still low even with a body on it. Anyway, I don't buy it. The chassis wouldn't be stiff enough for it...plus... side impact protection, yada yada.

[mrtew]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

A volvo could look like Kit at that angle.

Kit is a 1982 Pontiac Firebird.



This is a 1990 Firebird.



Although they both look like Firebirds, Kit looks like a early 1980's car because it was made in the early 1980's.

Dude I used to think you knew what you were talking about. Those two cars look identical except for the aftermarket nose cap that Kitt had. The moral is you're both right since early 80's firebirds looked exactly like early 90's firebirds.

[TailsToo]

Oh man... now I feel old... How could anyone not know K.I.T.???

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by mrtew 

The moral is you're both right since early 80's firebirds looked exactly like early 90's firebirds.

Doesn't matter.

Even the 90's Firebird looked like a 80's car.

-t

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by TailsToo 

Oh man... now I feel old... How could anyone not know K.I.T.???

Oh man... now I feel old... How could anyone not know how to spell K.I.T.T.

"Knight Industries Two Thousand" !!!11!111oneone

-t

[gargamel123]

[turtle777]

^^^

WINNAAAAR !

-t

[gargamel123]

For some reason I thought you would like it.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by gargamel123 

For some reason I thought you would like it.

It's freaking awesome.

-t

[gargamel123]

I knew VW beetles were useful for something.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by xi_hyperon 

Well, here's to hoping you get your own custom version.

Sweet.

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by gargamel123 

is it just me or does that look like a big green car giving birth??

Alex

[gargamel123]

Looks like a turtle to me. Maybe you need to go to a zoo and see what a turtle looks like.

[brassplayersrock²]

its called a joke son. ya know:

Dictionary
joke |jōk| noun a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, esp. a story with a funny punchline : she was in a mood to tell jokes. • a trick played on someone for fun. • [in sing. ] informal a person or thing that is ridiculously inadequate : the transportation system is a joke. verb [ intrans. ] make jokes; talk humorously or flippantly : she could laugh and joke with her colleagues | [with direct speech ] “It's OK, we're not related,” she joked. • [ trans. ] archaic poke fun at : he was pretending to joke his daughter. PHRASES be no joke informal be a serious matter or difficult undertaking : trying to shop with three children in tow is no joke. can (or can't) take a joke be able (or unable) to receive humorous remarks or tricks in the spirit in which they are intended : if you can't take a joke, you should never have joined. the joke is on someone informal someone looks foolish, esp. after trying to make someone else look so. make a joke of laugh or be humorous about (something that is not funny in itself). DERIVATIVES jokey (also joky) adjective jokily |-kəlē| adverb jokiness noun jokingly adverb ORIGIN late 17th cent.(originally slang): perhaps from Latin jocus ‘jest, wordplay.’

Thesaurus
joke noun 1 they were telling jokes funny story, jest, witticism, quip; pun, play on words; informal gag, wisecrack, crack, one-liner, rib-tickler, knee-slapper, thigh-slapper, punch-line, groaner. 2 playing stupid jokes trick, practical joke, prank, lark, stunt, hoax, jape; informal spoof. 3 informal : he soon became a joke to us laughingstock, object of ridicule, stooge, butt; Brit. informal Aunt Sally. 4 informal : the present system is a joke farce, travesty, waste of time. verb 1 she laughed and joked with the guests tell jokes, crack jokes; jest, banter, quip; informal wisecrack, josh. 2 they didn't realize you were only joking fool, fool around, play a trick, play a practical joke, tease; informal kid, fun, pull (someone's leg), pull/jerk/yank someone's chain, make a monkey out of someone, put someone on.

a joke


Alex

[Kerrigan]

It looks a bit like the car is ******* * **** ** **** ******.

[gargamel123]

I can't believe you actually looked joke up in a dictionary. Apparently you don't get sarcasm, quick go look that up too. crazy fool