Dream with me - your perfect car

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

Tesla model 3, but with physical buttons, knobs, levers and a proper gauge cluster in front of the driver.

I don't really mind a digital display, but I also prefer physical interfaces that I can operate without having to look at them instead of looking at the road ahead. But nowadays it seems more likely that newer cars with some degree of "autonomous-ready" features would eventually have to resort to a front-mounted camera to show the conditions on the road ahead in that central touchscreen while its driver tries to set the A/C or the stereo. Well, at least that way they won't be able to claim they got "distracted" while messing with that touchscreen...

[freebeard]

Everyone (excepting ASV ))seems to aspire to what they have now with a new dashboard. I want one of these...



...with the three wheels and tires replaced with Shawyer EM drive units. Flying tricycle!

[Daox]

I like the idea of using the correct tool for the job. The vast majority of my driving is with only me in the car. So, I suppose that my dream car would only be a single or two seater. Something similar the VW XL1 comes to mind. Tiny frontal area would be ideal, and low weight. However, I would not want a diesel power plant. Lets start with say 30 miles of EV range. This would suite me for probably 90% of my commuting. A ~800cc gas engine with all the latest goodies like direct injection, high compression ratio, atkinson cycle would be a great pair to it. I'd also like it to handle reasonably well. It doesn't have to stick to the road like glue, but enough to handle the turns with some speed. The interior does not need a million gadgets to suck electrical power. A heat pump for EV mode would be nice.

I think mine sounds a lot like Ecky's.

[freebeard]

It also sounds a lot like an FUV with body panels and a door.

[Daschicken]

My dream car would be a mid engine RWD with a 1.5 liter I6. 7 speed manual, great aero and functional merdith effect.


The mazda MX-6 is the design that inspired me, it just really is a beautiful car.


So, some more details:

All aluminum frame and body panels
.22 Cd or lower
2500 lbs or less curb weight
Functional meredith effect(thrust from cooling system)
Full wheel covers
Rear wheel skirts
Radiused front wheel arches
Manual steering
Crank windows
FORGED aluminum wheels
Well designed undertray for low drag and NO lift
Dank exposed rear diffuser
Active rear spoiler that lifts up under hard braking(But is CLEAR so you can see the person behind you about to crash into you!)
RX-8 style 4 door, rear passengers get to sit next to engine(Which has a CLEAR cover over it!)

Engine:
1.5L I6 capable of 10K RPM, 220 HP, 160 TQ
12.5:1+ CR
Gear driven cams
Titanium valvetrain
Titanium rods
piston oil squirters
ITBs with LARGE horns on them
Water injection
Variable length intake runners
3 sets of fuel injectors(direct, port, and pre throttle body)
Variable cam phasing and valve lift(think i-VTEC)
^Atkinson capable(Think Skyactiv)
Cylinder deactivation capable of switching around which cylinders are deactivated
IMA style electric motor for starter and assist
A proper set of headers, no logs or maniverters here
70 MPH cruising RPM of 1500 in 7th gear
Separate cooling circuits for block and head(faster warmup, more efficient operation)
2nd gen prius style coolant thermoses for storing heat from coolant AND oil.

Looking around,the BMW K1600 engine, which is 1.65L is almost spot on. Compression is a little lower than what I want at 12.2:1, it doesn’t quite rev to 10K, and only has a single throttle body instead of ITBs which are typical for motorcycle engines. Oh yeah, and the whole list of other expensive and engineering intensive improvements that I would want for it. Power isn’t too far off though, 160 HP, 129 TQ.

There are two 7 speed manuals i know of. One is in a Porsche, the other is in the current corvette, both are overkill for how little torque the tiny I6 would be putting out.

And finally, the car. MX-6’s are easy to find and cheap! This is almost doable! Now, it would take at least $20K and hundreds if not thousands of hours figuring out the technical aspects of this project, and I would have to give up lots of things without an automakers budget, but this is almost doable!

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I bought my dream car a few years ago.

The only improvements needed is a taller 6th gear, VTEC to kick in at 4,500 instead of 6,000, and a little more sound dampening.

You could change out the final drive to one from an accord. Go from 4.76 to 4.39. That will probably throw off the speedo, but you could go in the dashboard and make a new speedo panel, then just add a multiplication factor to trip/odo readings. K-tuner can change the VTEC interval, and you can add your own sound dampening!

[freebeard]

I can see it all except the mid-rear inline six. Could it be longitudinal?

Functional meredith effect(thrust from cooling system)
....
rear passengers get to sit next to engine(Which has a CLEAR cover over it!)

Actual thrust or just reduced drag? How much heat would that engine put out?

Rear passengers (plural)? Do they sit on either side of it?

Would you consider a VR-6 and a DGS transmissioin?

This article focuses on the 6 speed DSG found in North America but there are also 7 speed DSG for front wheel drive (transverse layout) and longitudinal DSG for rear wheel drive.. The 7 speed transverse DSG isn't available in North America because it's limited to 184 lb-ft of torque and we don't have the low output engines. The biggest difference in the 7 speed is the extra gear and the dry clutch vs a wet clutch. More gears and the dry clutch should give greater performance and fuel economy but dry clutches aren't cooled by fluid and could have limits on launch mode. The torque limit means it won't appear on US TDI engines anytime soon.

VW DSG (direct shift gear transmission) and Audi S-tronic FAQ | VW TDI forum, Audi, Porsche, and Chevy Cruze diesel forum

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I can see it all except the mid-rear inline six. Could it be longitudinal?

Yes, it would be longitudinal, at least that is how I envisioned it.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Actual thrust or just reduced drag? How much heat would that engine put out?

Well, reduced drag through thrust. There will still be more drag than no cooling system. As for heat, its a pretty small engine, so probably not much.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Rear passengers (plural)? Do they sit on either side of it?

Yes, the engine would be in between them, like an armrest, but probably too tall to put your arm on.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Would you consider a VR-6 and a DGS transmissioin?


VW DSG (direct shift gear transmission) and Audi S-tronic FAQ | VW TDI forum, Audi, Porsche, and Chevy Cruze diesel forum

OH HELL NO! Manual all the way. And nothing beats the sound of an inline sex, except a V12. I mean, lets be honest, the likelyhood of me, or anyone else for that matter making this car is VERY slim. It would be a fun project though.

A brand new engine from BMW (without all the other sh#t needed to run it) is EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!

JUST LISTEN TO IT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooo0mOqkvig

[freebeard]

Different strokes... I think my Superbeetle flat four hums like a sewing machine at cruise.

And I remember the 1950 Chevys with the split manifold into twin pipes. Rattiest sound on the road. At least yours is 6 into 2 into 1.

Here a car I may never get built:



The DSG transmission, at least in the Tiptronic configuration Porsche uses, is a paddle shifted manual that always has an odd and even gear engaged at any time, with an automatic mode.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I'm going on a road trip to Sacramento Thursday in a Pacifica plug-in. Looking forward to seeing how it does.

Exactly my thoughts on a vehicle Hersbird. It's a tool, and jobs require different tools.

Not all people treat others stuff poorly. Perhaps in the future there will be a rating system to vett those people who are likely to treat things well. Many online service providers have rating systems like this, such as Ebay's buyer and seller rating, or Uber's driver and passenger rating, or Airbnb's host and guest rating. Compiling this info would be useful for determining if someone is trustworthy, kind of like a FICO score for a person's propensity to be a decent human being. People with low decency scores could still rent as long as they put a down a hefty deposit. Those with "platinum" decency ratings might not even be required to place a deposit.

Have you seen Black Mirror? There's an episode that explores something like this.

Originally Posted by Daox

I like the idea of using the correct tool for the job. The vast majority of my driving is with only me in the car. So, I suppose that my dream car would only be a single or two seater. Something similar the VW XL1 comes to mind. Tiny frontal area would be ideal, and low weight. However, I would not want a diesel power plant. Lets start with say 30 miles of EV range. This would suite me for probably 90% of my commuting. A ~800cc gas engine with all the latest goodies like direct injection, high compression ratio, atkinson cycle would be a great pair to it. I'd also like it to handle reasonably well. It doesn't have to stick to the road like glue, but enough to handle the turns with some speed. The interior does not need a million gadgets to suck electrical power. A heat pump for EV mode would be nice.

I think mine sounds a lot like Ecky's.

I guess my ideal car would start with something like the XL1. Nice streamlined shape (and clean styling--none of the edgy Prius-type styling with body lines that go nowhere for no reason and creases all over the face), but sized up to a few inches wider and taller for more space inside, plus a little more tapered extension on the rear. Ditch the rear-mounted engine, and make all that cargo space+a rear window. Front drive, mild-hybrid drivetrain and battery from a 1st gen Insight with manual transmission. Manual windows and door locks, manual steering, simple and as light as possible. That should give me something that gets upward of 100mpg on the freeway and has enough room to sleep in and carry bikes in.

[freebeard]

The closest thing I can think of to what you describe is Dave Cloud's Dolphin, although IIRC it is pure electric.

Have you seen Black Mirror? There's an episode that explores something like this.

"The future has already arrived. It's just not evenly distributed yet." — William Gibson
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