OT: how far we've come?, 35 years of non-progress Options

[lapuwali]

Hybrids are the buzzword now, and people marvel at how the latest Civic hybrid gets 50mpg.

Autoweek had a short article on the early Civics, which got 55mpg with a carb. 1.2L, 50hp, 1500lbs. Sure, they were slow, but they were described as still being fun to drive. The way most people drive modern Civics, I doubt they'd notice if they suddenly only had 50hp.

(yes, I know emissions are much better, it's quieter, it crashes better, yada, yada...)

[charlesmac]

For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers
have enhanced our lives, read on. At one computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates
reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM
had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving
$25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon." In response to Bill's comments,
General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like
Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I
just love this part):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to
pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart
it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would
simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to
shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the
engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times
as fast and twice as easy to drive -- but would run on only five percent of the
roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced
by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to
let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and
grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive
all over again because almost none of the controls would operate the same way as in
the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.