Cars, cars, cars...

focuszing723

“Aptera represents California’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit when it comes to electric vehicles, harnessing the power of the sun to go further on truly zero-emission solar energy,” said CEC Commissioner Patty Monahan. “The Energy Commission is proud to fund Aptera to manufacture the world’s first mass-produced, three-wheeled solar car. Meeting California’s goal to zero out pollution from transportation over the next 15-25 years will require innovation and thinking outside the box.”

It's a great concept suited to a sunny state. It won't suit everyone, but I'm sure there's a market for it.

Stevo_666

pinno said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0D11031RFA

Weird but interesting sub-culture. You can't knock the country that created Evos, Skylines and Impreza WRXs though.

pinno

Hegarty has produced a number of Youtube 'icon' videos about cars and they are very good.
Jason Camissa can get a bit annoying but there's so much information crammed into each episode.
The evolution of the Porsche 924 is fascinating and puts to bed a lot of the myth and rubbish said about the 924 and the 944.
There's the Renault 5 turbo, the BMW M1, the 240z, the Miura, Mercedes 500e. the BMW E46 (M) and so on. Worth a watch.

Saab turbo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY-xA2w7JHQ

Toyota 2000GT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7cFP2s1s3I

Nissan 240z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imsbLkTT9Ac

pinno

Porsche 924
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qLwd44C4iU

The gorgeous (and diminutive) Honda s500
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BdhHtgPvKY

BMW M1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5KkOC-8Vc

pinno

Lotus Carlton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYfyPtA9sNI

Lotus Elise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0jXhOmL7Xg

BMW E36 M3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xatzi2Whnjo

pinno

Lamborghini Miura
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io0zK9Kb9gQ

Ford GT40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKIYUGNNEWk

Mercedes 300sl Gullwing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmuAfoO4ig

Mazda RX7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quLmDySyO7k

pinno

Renault 5 Turbo RS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEahqyc_Jgc

rakkor

pinno said:

Renault 5 Turbo RS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEahqyc_Jgc

When I was out in Germany with the Forces in '84 I was looking at getting a new car Tax free and they had one for these for sale, it was an incredible drive - I can't remember the price exactly but it was only a couple of hundred quid more expensive than the Panther Kallista I eventually bought. It was a very near thing though, both were totally impractical 2 seaters, but the rag top won out

pinno

Panther Kallista - had to look that one up.
(looks like a Dutton to me ).

rakkor

Hand built at the Brooklands industrial site, with an ally body. Mine was a 1600 based on the Escort 1600 CV - nippy but not fast - The 2.8 was the fast one

wavefront

If you all like car videos, I shall suggest looking up petrolicious on YouTube. You’ll lose half your life just watching beautifully shot and composed car films, featuring some of the most beautiful or tasteful old cars. Be warned!

veronese68

pinno said:

Panther Kallista - had to look that one up.
(looks like a Dutton to me ).

A continuation of the Panther Lima that used a Vauxhall engine and MG Midget doors.

secretsam

wavefront said:

If you all like car videos, I shall suggest looking up petrolicious on YouTube. You’ll lose half your life just watching beautifully shot and composed car films, featuring some of the most beautiful or tasteful old cars. Be warned!

I am completely ambivalent about cars, but find High Peak Autos and Harry's Garage fascinating.

focuszing723

Solar electric vehicle start-up Aptera Motors has announced its first fleet order from SustainabilitySooner, Inc. The initial pre-order is for 101 of Aptera’s 400-mile range solar EVs and is expected to deliver millions in future revenue. However, what may be more exciting is the prospect of future fleet orders as SustainabilitySooner looks to eventually operate a fleet of over 100,000 SEVs.

https://electrek.co/2023/03/21/aptera-secures-first-fleet-order-solar-evs/
It's good to see an interest in a very efficient design of car.

First.Aspect

Will Thule be doing a rack and roof box for that one?

wavefront

Arguments about EV’s being the way forward aside, the new VW ID2 is a bit of a watershed moment. An EV for the masses at a critical (cheap??) price point. No longer for early adopters this car is mass market and whilst it may be ‘dull’ or ‘safe’ to some, VW have executed it superbly and know it’s market. Reliably classy, and going back to its roots of being a ‘people car’ ie a more human design language rather than endlessly becoming more mechanical or odd looking. Makes the ID3/5 look strange.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/355735/new-volkswagen-id2all-concept-previews-future-affordable-electric-car?amp

rick_chasey

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

focuszing723

wavefront said:

Arguments about EV’s being the way forward aside, the new VW ID2 is a bit of a watershed moment. An EV for the masses at a critical (cheap??) price point. No longer for early adopters this car is mass market and whilst it may be ‘dull’ or ‘safe’ to some, VW have executed it superbly and know it’s market. Reliably classy, and going back to its roots of being a ‘people car’ ie a more human design language rather than endlessly becoming more mechanical or odd looking. Makes the ID3/5 look strange.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/355735/new-volkswagen-id2all-concept-previews-future-affordable-electric-car?amp

I heard about a seventeen grand entry. I tell you though, the way new/used prices are going it will be pushing more like twenty five. Typically for and ICE to EV similar specs it seems to be about eight to ten grand on top.

Yeah I think it looks good more akin to the current Polo. I'm not keen on the ID3 design, a bit farty.

focuszing723

rick_chasey said:

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

I know what you mean in some respects. The Ioniq 5 is a great design in my advanced superior opinion, deceptively a big car though.

wavefront

rick_chasey said:

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

Obscure. Do you mean the front and rear reads of the lamps graphics that cross the centre (is that what you meant by tron?) or something else? Not sure as designers we have any ambitions to design as a 16yr sees a tron car!

focuszing723

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla is working on a new entry level model, and it could start from just £18,000. Details of the technology which will underpin this new car will be revealed at the Tesla investor’s day on March 1st 2023, and the design has been teased in a video on Twitter.

• New entry-level Tesla confirmed
  
• New manufacturing process to cut costs
  
• Revealed in exclusive renderings
  
• New tabless battery design
  
• Lightweight construction
  
• 180 miles of range possible
  
• Fully autonomous driving promised
  
• Will cost from around £18,000
  
• Won’t use Model 2 name

https://www.carwow.co.uk/tesla/news/5220/new-tesla-ev-compact-electric-car-hatchback-price-specs-release-date

Again, more like 25k probably.

DeVlaeminck

I assume car design these days is largely constrained by practicalities such as drag coefficient, crash protection etc. There are very few cars in production that in terms of aesthetics you could reasonably describe as distinctive, characterful or even quirky.

photonic69

One of the big costs of EVs is the battery. People have range anxiety so the manufacturers have to factor in large and heavy batteries. If the UK develops a good charging infrastructure network with easy charging* then they can produce smaller, lighter, cheaper cars albeit with less range. Most people on average do 17 miles a day in their car. Pointless having one that does 300 on a charge. It's a bit like obsessively keeping your fuel tank brimmed even when going to the shop and back.

*(it's never going to happen under this government)

Pross

That ID2 certainly looks like a step in the right direction for most i.e. similar price to an ICE equivalent and looks like a 'normal' car. Bloody big boot for a car of that size too meaning it will make a small car practical for most people's needs.

rick_chasey

wavefront said:

rick_chasey said:

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

Obscure. Do you mean the front and rear reads of the lamps graphics that cross the centre (is that what you meant by tron?) or something else? Not sure as designers we have any ambitions to design as a 16yr sees a tron car!

All angular and weird thin strips of lights.

DeVlaeminck

photonic69 said:

One of the big costs of EVs is the battery. People have range anxiety so the manufacturers have to factor in large and heavy batteries. If the UK develops a good charging infrastructure network with easy charging* then they can produce smaller, lighter, cheaper cars albeit with less range. Most people on average do 17 miles a day in their car. Pointless having one that does 300 on a charge. It's a bit like obsessively keeping your fuel tank brimmed even when going to the shop and back.

*(it's never going to happen under this government)

Not every day is average though so until that charging network is in place range anxiety is just common sense.

It's a bit like when there are fuel shortages - you bet I fill my tank up to the brim if I think I might not be able to find petrol in the next couple of hundred miles.

pinno

focuszing723 said:

rick_chasey said:

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

I know what you mean in some respects. The Ioniq 5 is a great design in my advanced superior opinion, deceptively a big car though.

What do you think of the design of the Tate Modern?

veronese68

DeVlaeminck said:

photonic69 said:

One of the big costs of EVs is the battery. People have range anxiety so the manufacturers have to factor in large and heavy batteries. If the UK develops a good charging infrastructure network with easy charging* then they can produce smaller, lighter, cheaper cars albeit with less range. Most people on average do 17 miles a day in their car. Pointless having one that does 300 on a charge. It's a bit like obsessively keeping your fuel tank brimmed even when going to the shop and back.

*(it's never going to happen under this government)

Not every day is average though so until that charging network is in place range anxiety is just common sense.

Indeed, half the mileage my car does in a year is bimbling about. The other half is driving to Italy and back. Rather different in way of demand for energy.

focuszing723

pinno said:

focuszing723 said:

rick_chasey said:

I do wish they'd stop designing cars like they'd asked a 16 year old who watched Blade Runner and tron to do it.

I know what you mean in some respects. The Ioniq 5 is a great design in my advanced superior opinion, deceptively a big car though.

What do you think of the design of the Tate Modern?

It's been a while since I've been, not very nice. I prefer the architecture of places like Bath.

Stevo_666

veronese68 said:

DeVlaeminck said:

photonic69 said:

One of the big costs of EVs is the battery. People have range anxiety so the manufacturers have to factor in large and heavy batteries. If the UK develops a good charging infrastructure network with easy charging* then they can produce smaller, lighter, cheaper cars albeit with less range. Most people on average do 17 miles a day in their car. Pointless having one that does 300 on a charge. It's a bit like obsessively keeping your fuel tank brimmed even when going to the shop and back.

*(it's never going to happen under this government)

Not every day is average though so until that charging network is in place range anxiety is just common sense.

Indeed, half the mileage my car does in a year is bimbling about. The other half is driving to Italy and back. Rather different in way of demand for energy.

Good point. A fair bit of my driving is shortish journeys - maybe 30 miles in a day. But I head North and West to see friends and family quite often and I really don't want to be hanging around waiting for my car to charge (or waiting for a charger), especially when I'm travelling late evening.