Turboguy
Well-Known LVC Member
OK all,
So my first hot rod was/is a 1987 Turbo Buick that went from 14s in 1993 when I bought it, to 10.4s at 128mph at E-Town in 2008. No ABS or Traction Control, and weak rear drum brakes. When crazy wheelspin happens, the only thing between saving it and going head-on into a concrete barrier is yours truly. I'm no pro driver, but I've been able to save my own ass in many drag race and road course "incidents" over the years.
As the Dodge Viper PR guy said to a journalist who asked "Where's the traction control?" -Pointing to both feet- "You're looking at it!"
Fast forward to Y2K-up, and our LSs have that "just right" level of safety built in: airbags, AdvanceTrac, etc. but not enough electronic nannying to get annoying.
But the features in newer cars and smartphone apps out there make me shake my head:
Rain Sensing Wipers (after all, why make the effort to actually turn wipers on?)
Lane Change Assist (Never look at the white lines again!)
Blind Spot Assist (And while you're at it, never turn your head again!)
Self Parking Cars (Let the computer hit granny and f up that guy's bumper)
Openometer: Mini Cooper convertible gauge showing how long the top has been down (really?!)
And the apps are even dumber:
Car finder (really?)
Etc.
In honor of dumb car tech that only serves to save us from ourselves, what are your dumbest car features and iphone/Droid/Blackberry automotive apps out there that will eventually lower the collective IQs of humans until we are all Darwin award finalists?
So my first hot rod was/is a 1987 Turbo Buick that went from 14s in 1993 when I bought it, to 10.4s at 128mph at E-Town in 2008. No ABS or Traction Control, and weak rear drum brakes. When crazy wheelspin happens, the only thing between saving it and going head-on into a concrete barrier is yours truly. I'm no pro driver, but I've been able to save my own ass in many drag race and road course "incidents" over the years.
As the Dodge Viper PR guy said to a journalist who asked "Where's the traction control?" -Pointing to both feet- "You're looking at it!"
Fast forward to Y2K-up, and our LSs have that "just right" level of safety built in: airbags, AdvanceTrac, etc. but not enough electronic nannying to get annoying.
But the features in newer cars and smartphone apps out there make me shake my head:
Rain Sensing Wipers (after all, why make the effort to actually turn wipers on?)
Lane Change Assist (Never look at the white lines again!)
Blind Spot Assist (And while you're at it, never turn your head again!)
Self Parking Cars (Let the computer hit granny and f up that guy's bumper)
Openometer: Mini Cooper convertible gauge showing how long the top has been down (really?!)
And the apps are even dumber:
Car finder (really?)
Etc.
In honor of dumb car tech that only serves to save us from ourselves, what are your dumbest car features and iphone/Droid/Blackberry automotive apps out there that will eventually lower the collective IQs of humans until we are all Darwin award finalists?