TECHnically the game changed

[g48150]

I'm not sure when I realized this, but its been about a decade now, but DAMN, there is a lot more TECH in a car than there used to be. I'm not talking about VVTi, ABS, or anything to do with functional operation of the car, I'm talking things like PS2, Xbox, Wii, iPod, RAZR, etc. Consumer electronics, or TECH as my father calls it, is slowly assimilating us in all facets of life. Enough beating around the bush, here it is:

 

The automobile, to the all-important North American, is ITSELF a piece of TECH, it is no longer a singular piece of machinery that goes from point A to point B. This is a Bold statement, so let me make some arguments for this:

 

1. SAT-NAV on a Honda Civic ? WTF?

 

2. Scion's personalization concepts, mood lighting, style packages, ya know, artsy "cool" TECH stuff

 

3. God-send rear seat DVD players (you know who you are ), with the optional video hooks for a video game console

 

4. The simple fact that a Chilton's guide to fix the damn thing is rivaling Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

 

5. The Fast and The Furious, nuff said

 

These arguments are crude, but the effective point is this: Mechanical and Electrical engineering methodologies are what made Ford great in the early days.

 

The one thing that all TECH has in common? Software.

 

Software has no analogue in Mechanical and Electrical engineering. It is its own thing, with methods and processes that are MUCH quicker, and IMHO MUCH more efficient.

 

Respect the TECH, learn how to do software with SOFTWARE based processes and methodologies and Ford will climb back on top of North America

 

Please, please bring on the dissenters

[ghstwolf]

With the exception of NAV not one of those is software based. Nav systems in many ways are just dumbed down GPS units, something well developed outside the auto industry. Everything else is either PLCs, ICs, or other simple electrical components (LEDs for example). I'm not even sure where Chiltons even fits in this.

 

Funny thing is I agree that Ford has a problem with intragrating "cool" features and gizmos into their line-up. Knowing a bit about the underlying tech, it's not a technical issue (all of them being pretty easy to do). There are 3 reasons for it not happening:

1)Distraction- the engineers responciple are kept busy on other things (this is the best case scenereo)

2)Vision- the engineers don't have it

3)Managment obstruction- pick either of the above or a host of other rationals not to make it happen.

[igor]

well then I will add thingss that changed:

 

VVT/VCT

 

The resurection of TurboChargers, SuperChargers and TwinTurbos

 

Adaptive headlights

 

Adaptive Cruse Control,

 

Automatic parking,

 

keys that sense you are getting close to the car to unlock it, and that you are inside the car, to start it.

 

new from Volvo - alarm that senses heartbeat to alert you somoene is in your car

 

all the Brake electronics: ABS/EBA/EBD

 

the other electronics: TC/ESC/DSC/RSC

 

lest we forget, most modern cars have electrinic throttle bodies and some mad complex and locked MAF's

 

Just an example.. I had a Focus and then I sold it and got a Mazda3.. on a Focus if you didn't get a feature stock - like automatic climate control or variable intermittent wipers, you bought the control unit (HVAC knobs or the steering wheel stalk) and wired it in instead of your old ones and it worked..

 

On Mazda, this does not work, because EVRYTHING is wired through a computer.. wires go in and wires go out, but the computer connects them... we already know variable intermittent wipers (not offered before 2006MY) will not be possible to wire. retrofitting Navi is impossible and we are still holding on to hope that we can add a remote trunk release... all of this trouble is because it is all computer controlled.. if the computer refuses to respond in kind to a signal.. there is nothing (short of swapping out the whole computer) that can be done.

 

Igor

Edited May 14, 2006 by igor

[sparks will fly]

When have any of Ford or GM's cars been on top of the hip aftermarket stuff people do to cars? As long as I can remember from wheel to radios and on and on both have been behind the curve. Real car nuts like to do things to cars to make them different than anyone else, it gives them identity.

[igor]

When have any of Ford or GM's cars been on top of the hip aftermarket stuff people do to cars? As long as I can remember from wheel to radios and on and on both have been behind the curve. Real car nuts like to do things to cars to make them different than anyone else, it gives them identity.

 

Focus had quite a following ... it was awesome, but with the failing popularity, that is going down.. but during peak it was awesome...

 

Above, I was talking about adding stock parts.. but even with aftermarket things are getting complicated. For example . Focus SVT has variable cam timing.. but that thing is sucha PITA to tune, when people we re tunig for Turbo, many tuners simply bypassed the Variable cams and went with a fixed setup...

 

To go even further.. in Focus MAF was writeable, and you could reflash it with custom tunes with awesome flexibility - a much more advanced version of buying a chip.. in Mazda3.. MAF has no writing input.. in the 3 years since release people have not cracked it open to allow custom tunes to go in. the more advanced engine is simplt locked ...

 

SIDENOTE:

Focus migth not have Civic type of Following.. neither does Mazda3, but they do have aftermarket.. and especially the Focus aftermaket has done quite a bit of work.. the current project is squeezing 800hp out of the Duratec engine.. Mazda3 already broke 500hp with just a turbo.. the more advanced approached is a big-stroke kit converting a 2.3l into a 2.6l 300hp NA i4 with forged internals.. and then adding a turbo to that..

 

 

Igor