Okay, I have to leave a comment regarding the iDrive system even though this article wasn’t really discussing it. Damn I hope the Editor doesn’t delete it!
I recently drove the new 540i 6-speed and it had the laugh-inducing iDrive in it, and *it alone* was the reason I would not purchase that car. I sat in the cockpit for 20 minutes the drive just playing with the system and talking with the BMW dealer at the same time. We were *both* messing with it, and it was really difficult to use, especially if I were to drive and try and use it.

Disclaimer: I’m a user interface designer, so software interfaces that look like shit really get under my skin. Why couldn’t BMW take the other Designworks USA car interface instead of the iDrive? One can only hope…..

Call me old fashioned, but I like to just rely on my instincts to drive. Give me a place in the dash that shows me how much gas I have left and I am good to go.

Or on your M5’s Heads-Up Display…

That would work as well.

HUD? I like the (if vague) idea of a completely safe future where we all get to spend time with our families instead of driving as much as anyone, but I also like the fact that I’ve got some degree of control.

I mean, just the other day I managed to unscrew my 1971 Mercedes 220’s fuel pump to drip some petrol in directly (hey, aren’t we all allowed to forget filling up once or twice…?)

With a new one, I’m not even allowed to put oil or coolant in myself! What happens if I get stuck in the middle of nowhere?

My car is decided low-tech. It’s also one of the lightest and beste-handling cars on the road. It’s a throwback to when cars were just plain F-U-N.

Don! Our site is now blessed properly.

I think we need to start a Drop Cash Campaign to buy Don as many Spyders as he wants.

Great article Sage, keep it up.

I’ve driven a 545i through some twisty mountain roads. Its very difficult to determine where the limits are with the Active Roll Stabilization (ARS). On a traditional suspension with coil springs, you can feel the suspension working, and it makes sense. It fits a mental model that is intuitive. However with the ARS, initial roll is fairly soft for a smooth straight-line ride. As soon as you enter a corner it gets progressively stiff (very quickly too, but not quick enough, there is still a slight ‘computer delay’). As a result the initial roll is big but then immediately stops giving the driver the impression that the car has reached its limit (or its limit of roll). But the car has so much more grip, it just doesn’t feel like it, and it is hard to figure out what the computer is doing (which is almost never what you really want).

After driving the car, I wanted my Subaru’s traditional Strut/Spring/Bar suspension back that was predictable, drivable, and intuitive.

All of this technology is obscuring the ability to create a straightforward mental model, and requires the driver to generate a whole new mental model that takes much longer to create.

I love my Subaru WRX because there is no traction control that cuts the power, there is no stability control to brake individual tires, there is no computer to change the radio volume, and the AWD uses simple and predictable viscous differentials. I’ll leave the fancy shmancy electronics to the rich people who don’t know what they’re missing. In my opinion, driving experience is being in tune with the machine and all of its workings, not masked from it.

I think high tech cars are awesome. The more technology in a car the better. I am a technology guru, I guess you could say. I love high tech gagets and stuff.

A friend of mine bought an M3 on ‘03. It is definately a nice car. The engine was not yet broken in (only 19 miles… do not ask!) but I did get a good feel for the frame and stick shift. He was unsure of this, but after my advise and his experence he has not looked back. I guess he will be one of the last real drivers on planet Earth (or at least BMW drivers).

I’ve been driving stick for over 10 years. I guess that is not a long time, but for some reason my parents were sheltering me way to much. In any event MY first stick was a great experience and I never looked back. My measily 150HP seemed like nothing, but I could often and easily keep up with those 200+HP cars (mostly autos and mostly drivers without a clue), not that I could beat much, but the 5 SPD game me a lot for what I got.

I have since upgraded and have a few more ponies. I do like ABS and traction control. I also love it that traction control can be turned off - and infact does need to be turned off from time to time. So few people really know the limits of their car - until it is too late and they have already gone beyond the limits - in traffic, during rush hour on the beltway (maybe in bad weather). I also strongly prefer rear wheel - as anytime I’ve gone a bit beyond it is fairly easy to let off and wait that split second for the car to come back.

I do think the tech has a place - but if the car is going to drive - it had better have an auto pilot (that I trust) and would allow me nap time during the commute or trip. I do love to drive, but I do not like to fight traffic and the daily grind can get annoying … a BMW with no feel - might as well get a Mercedes :-p

As a service consultant for Lexus, I can attest that the new cars seem to have a few more problems becuase the parts are getting more and more complicated, and are too dependent on the computers, servos, and microswitches that run them.

The oldest models tend to require a new ECU (or ECM), every ten years or so. And these puppies generally run about $1200-2000 a pop. After all, it’s like wrapping your desktop computer up in a tight aluminum container, and sticking it under the hood of a car, expecting nothing to go wrong…

Power windows have largely given way to computer-operated windows; timed and switched to perfection that doesn’t take much to make imperfect. Combine the windows with a key fob-operated feature, and it’s one more problem to malfunction.

I notice the older models of a previous-model’s generation always seems to have few less “stupid” problems…yet the newest model of each, even when on the market for a few years, still seem to have annopying little failures that can’t be corrected as easily. Throw in the myriad of emission control features, complex automatic A/C’s, 20-way power seats, navigation/HVAC/notepad touch-screens, et cetera…and you have a very delicate balance of computerised equipment that makes people tear their hair out.

It’s also rather doubtful that high-tech cars will have a market once they are 20 years old; software-upgrades and engine computers will be very hard to come by, not to mention the pace of the technology in the car may be passé to a future generation of car buyers.

‘My car is decided low-tech. It’s also one of the lightest and beste-handling cars on the road. It’s a throwback to when cars were just plain F-U-N.”

Don, I agree wholeheartedly with you. I have a similar car, a Miata, and love its simplicity. Manual mirrors, seats, windows, steering, soft top. Cuts down on weight, complexity, repair costs, and numbness.

I’d rather feel the front wheels get light to detect understeer than have a computer apply brakes. I’d rather spend the same time folding a top by hand than holding down a button and waiting for it to fold up. And of course I want to decide when to shift!

But I guess the companies need to cater to the non-enthusiasts, which I’m sure make up the bulk of the buying public. The typical BMW owner would probably prefer to show off gadgets than his ability to drift around a hairpin.

But then again, how long will people put up with their vehicles gaining weight and repair costs? Fuel prices are still going up.

The oldest models tend to require a new ECU (or ECM), every ten years or so. And these puppies generally run about $1200-2000 a pop. After all, it’s like wrapping your desktop computer up in a tight aluminum container, and sticking it under the hood of a car, expecting nothing to go wrong…