Why Autonomous Cars Might Be A Good Thing For Real Driving Enthusiasts
Driving To The Future In A 2002

Many of us have seen or heard of the Terminator movies where robots rule and no one is free. To some, this is what AI (artificial intelligence) means for the future, but to others, it opens up endless possibilities to make the world a better place – even for car enthusiasts.

While many car enthusiasts might not be interested or in favour of not being able to drive their cars in the future, I’m actually looking forward to it. Now, before you pick up your torches and pitchforks, there’s more than one valid reason for my excitement for autonomous driving. What if I told you that traffic would be a thing of the past, as would people driving slowly in the fast lane, and that there would be far fewer fatalities on the roads? These are just some of the aspirations that Ali Javidan, engineer and head of prototyping at a secretive tech startup – and the owner of one of the best BMW 2002s I’ve ever seen – hopes to achieve.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Some of you might be thinking, ‘what does some guy who probably rides a bicycle or drives a Prius to work know about being an enthusiast?’, but Ali’s M3-powered 2002 – and his history in the tuning aftermarket – should dispel any misconceptions you may have.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Ever heard of a suspension company called Ground Control? A BMW tuner called Dinan perhaps? Or how about one of the biggest revolutions in modern automotive history, Tesla Motors? Well, Ali has previously played vital roles in all of those companies.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

He’s also one of the most passionate car enthusiasts you could ever meet.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Ali worked hard in college and his dreams of becoming an automotive engineer came true when he landed a job at Ground Control straight out of college. His job entailed assisting with the design and engineering of suspension parts and packages for numerous race and street applications, including the BMW E36 and E46 platforms. After building numerous highly successful road and race cars, including lending his expertise to the iconic Cyber Evo time attack machine in Japan, Ali accepted a job at Tesla.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

What started out as development work for Roadster Sport quickly escalated to building Tesla Model S prototypes, and from there Ali headed up the team that built the actual car; from first proof of concept all the way to the Beta test vehicles.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Not only was he responsible of the engineering side of things, he worked on the driving side of the Model S project, including calibration and handling. This meant Ali was giving feedback on everything from spring tuning and damping, to steering and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness).

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

During the development of the Model S, he was also leading and working on other Tesla programs including the Model X, Mercedes-Benz B-Class, and the Toyota RAV4 EV. After leaving Tesla in 2012 to work for Google, Ali built himself a Porsche 996 Turbo track car along with an E46 BMW M3 track car.

Throughout all this there’s been one constant though: the 2002. We’ll get into the details of that shortly, but firstly I thought I’d rack Ali’s brains on what he sees the future of driving looking like.

The Future Of Driving
Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Three years ago Ali left Google to join ZOOX, a the secretive tech startup looking to transform mobility. While Ali can’t say too much about what they’re working on and the possibilities of the tech, he is adamant that safe and reliable Level 5 autonomy – that’s complete autonomy without the need for a driver or any driving controls for that matter – isn’t too far away from becoming a reality.

While Ali is focused on changing the future and the way we travel, he believes that Level 3 and 4 autonomy can be a dangerous half-step due to the fact that it can give the driver a false sense of security. Many drivers think that when they enable the self-driving feature, it means that the car is completely self-driving and that they can possess a false sense of security. Then, when the vehicle requests for the operator to take over control, it can be in an extremely dangerous moment.

Level 3 and 4 may be hazardous to roll out, but it does provide a developmental platform for technology that is needed in Level 5 and it allows manufacturers, engineers, and innovators a chance to enable and work with things like LIDAR (defined as a detection system that works on the principle of radar, but uses light from a laser), radars, and cameras. Ultimately, he affirms that Level 3 and 4 can be a safe place to develop the tech given the right safety precautions.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Ali’s also confident that ZOOX will win the race for autonomy. In regards to the EV race, he believes that the VW group, along with Mercedes-Benz are in prime spots to fight for the top spot.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t super interested in Level 5 autonomy, even if it is 20 years away, especially if it meant that I wouldn’t be able to drive. But then Ali informed me of just one of the future benefits: zero traffic congestion.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

He’s certain that autonomous cars won’t replace enthusiast cars, but will ultimately make them easier to enjoy due to those people with no interest in driving or not particularly skilled at it ending up in the autonomous-only lanes. Roadways will become safer, organized, and more efficient than ever.

This isn’t something that’s 20 years away either, this is something that is currently being rolled out and. There are plans to have some forms of Level 5 autonomy in the next five years due to emerging sensor technology and the new innovative ways to use it to process data.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

Many automotive high-end manufacturers like Audi, Lamborghini, VW, Porsche, and Tesla are competing for the perfect EV, Ali has found what he thinks is the ideal formula for the perfect car. Modeling it after the Porsche 918, the idea would be to take a great platform, add a dash of useable performance, a splash of luxury, and a good dose of intuitive design. To him, that would be a near-perfect EV. If he had to choose an EV to drive today though, it would be a blend of the Model S P100D and a modern S-Class.

When it comes to performance cars, autonomy could actually make them better – that is if Ali has his way. He envisions technology that would be focused on assisting the driver to become a better driver. Imagine it as your own personal AI driving coach that can train you to brake later, hit the apex, and time your corner entrances and exits better.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002
Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

For example, you could take a GT3 to a track, and with autonomy assistance, run the same time as a professional racing driver. From there you could wean off the assists until you are running as close to the professional time as possible without any driving aids.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

With the surge of leagues like Formula E and Roborace, it’s not just production cars competing in the EV and autonomous race, but motorsports and race cars too. I must admit, autonomous racing does sound a bit bland and boring, but Ali suggests that they lock a homologated set of hardware and open up the software to each competing team. This would allow teams freedom over the software and give them the opportunity to compete on a software-only level.

The 2002
Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

While Ali looks forward to the day that AI assistance trickles down to production performance cars, I don’t think there’s any chance of him parting ways with his 2002 any time soon, or ever. He’s owned the car since his college days, and has been working on it ever since.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

No stone has been left unturned in the car’s transformation from stock standard to the stunning restomod it is, and the fact that the BMW Car Club of America showcased it in an exhibition speaks volumes of the quality and attention to detail. But don’t go thinking this is some garage queen; Ali drives the hell out of this thing and its performance underpinnings back that fact up.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

While it looks period correct on the outside, the BMW is equally impressive under the skin. The engine itself is fully S14 from an E30 M3, but it’s been further enhanced with Schrick cams and forged pistons, with a full balance and blueprint by Terry Tinney.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

And then there’s the chassis and suspension upgrades, an area of the build that you know Ali would pay special attention to. There’s a scratch-built tubular chromoly front suspension featuring heim joints and reengineered geometry, and at the rear an adjustable rear subframe and reinforced trailing arms with heavy duty axles and billet stub axles. There’s also custom-made E46 body dampers in reinforced 2002 turbo strut housings with Ground Control mounts and Eibach springs.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

The steering, pedal and brake systems have been seriously reworked too. There’s a BMW Motorsport close-ratio steering box with retrofitted speed-sensitive EZ electric power steering, a custom-built reinforced pedal box, and four-wheel discs to aid in stopping.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

And those wheels? Specially made E14 BBS magnesium three-piece items in a 13×7-inch fitment.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

It’s often said that less is more, and when it comes to the exterior Ali stuck with that mantra by just subtly enhancing the 2002’s unmistakeable silhouette. And how good does it look?! Pulling the appearance together is a Kooglewerks air dam and headlight and taillight covers, Marchal spot and fog lights, BMW 2002 turbo rear spoiler, and 3.0CSL-style wind splits on the hood.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002
Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

The 2002’s custom-trimmed interior is simply amazing and features Recaro seats up front, E24 M6 rear seating, TAG Heuer rally meters, custom Speedhut gauges, and a Momo Prototipo steering wheel among other personalized touches.

Keiron Berndt - Ali's 2002

While Ali’s perfect EV doesn’t exist yet, and the reality of driverless cars looms closers, we can rest assured that there’ll always be a place in this world for drivers and enthusiasts alike.

Keiron Berndt
Instagram: keiron_berndt
Keiron Berndt Photography

ADVERTISEMENT

Comments



Comments are closed.

77 comments

by Oldest
by Best by Newest by Oldest
1

Full automated vehicles is a joke for me (sad one) and as the present is showing it will be the future even we like it or not. A simpler and more effective solution tried for hundred of years is available called TRAIN, and it's full automated, just add some fancy sections (maybe a VIP wagon) and that's it, no need for a full auto EV. I have 7 friends in Europe (in different areas) all of them don't have a car, when planning for a road trip they just rent whatever it's suitable and hit the road.
Putting the leader of the world aside and the brain washed communities who both watched a "futuristic" Hollywood movie created by a hallucinating movie creator, that 2002 touched my soul it's a beauty that makes you FEEL.

2
Jay Soh Tsu Chung

The thing most enthusiasts worry about autonomous cars are that, it will imminently find their way to all mass-production cars. What if the likes of Ferrari and Porsche start creating cars that drives themselves and does not have a steering wheel? What driving do you do?

3

don't worry, find an old car in junkyard, restomod it in your personal garage! grow Corn in pots! make fuel from those corns!!!
have fun, go out and drive !
but finally police will arrest you in the charge of illegal driving ! :D :D :D

4

hard to do from a self driving car just brake check

5

I don't think that will ever happen for their sports cars, but maybe for a range of exclusive self driving models which haven't been invented yet. It's not something to worry about.

6
Jay Soh Tsu Chung

Sounds plausible. But I seriously do hope it won't become like the day I said it might be.

7

The 2002 is wicked but this idea of autonomous cars improving things for 'real' drivers is very flawed. Separate lanes for AV and human-driven cars? That might be fine for a big wide freeway but how will that work on fun, exciting single lane roads (like the one in the photos, for instance)?

8

They just need to build in a mode which allows them to be safely overtaken ;)

9

You guys are pipe dreaming. Fully automation is the death of the automobile.

Humans pleasure driving, on the same road as autonomous vehicles? Are you out of your fucking mind? You’ve just created Need 4 Speed: Real Life! Autonomous cars would be like AI controlled “pedestrian” cars, perfect for weaving between....and you know their systems will always take action to avoid you (like driving with the sirens on in a GTA game).

Now, think for a split second, what form of government, on any level, would stand for a human controlled vehicle colliding with an AI controlled vehicle, where the occupants of the AI controlled vehicle ended up dead. Heads would roll, and in the name of safety for the greater good, human drivers would be removed from all roadways.

It’ll only take one asshole to ruin it for everyone, but if safety is the number one motivation for going autonomous, human drivers will not be allowed to share the road with AI drivers - and certainly not humans in high powered performance vehicles lmao.

I think it’s hilarious this guy works for a company called ZOO-X. They want to make life for humans like life for animals in a zoo...fully pampered, no danger, but zero freedom. Welcome to ZooPlanet lmao.

10

Twitch_6 is absolutely correct. It is only a matter of time before human-driven vehicles are outlawed from public roads in the name of safety. A hybrid between human and autonomous vehicles won't last long. This is the part that so called "enthusiasts" who welcome autonomous are blissfully/ignorantly unaware of. It takes only one law passing. They'll role out a program like cash for clunkers, and we'll all have to turn in the keys for good. It's ok though. The robots know better than humans and never crash into walls (Tesla) or run over pedestrians (Uber) or crash into journalists while parking (Volvo). We'll all be fine since the robots know best because the humans who code the software never make mistakes and there are never any bugs in software.

11

All part of Big Tech's "humans will be obsolete in the safe, clean, renewable, tolerant, enlightened, connected future we will impose on you, whether you like it or not" vision.

Maybe a little witch-burning, like a little revolution, is a good thing now and then.

12

Safe overtaking is practically already solved: just use the radar guided cruise tech that's already in place to set a minimum following distance that's large enough for a car to fit in. The current blind spot monitors could also be utilized to aim forward and have the car back off if something longer than your average passenger car tries to hop in front of an autonomous vehicle.

13

nice advertising

14

For a custom old 2002 that's not for sale? Or the product of a secretive tech company which we can't discuss? Or one of the many, many car companies mentioned?

This is not advertising, my friend.

15

im not your friend you gnome fuck, i was stating how utterly pointless the dicksucking in this article is

17

Global multi-product advertising with a teaser for the "secret" product all at the same time. Ah, just forgot the last point, the CV of Mr.Ali to help him find a new job.
That's even worst than the comments of grandma making more money than me by just sitting on the rocker chair.

18

Just no, no, and no...not better, not smarter, and mostly not doable in a realistic way...look at Uber's efforts and even the Washington State trains for inspiration here, can't even BEGIN to make them work without killing people.

19

Looking at how fast the technology is advancing, it's only a matter of time. Alex Roy might be onto something with his Human Driving Association...

20

It's not about the tech, it's the implementation or lack of the infrastructure to actually make this happen, AND work. The issue in Washington is not the tech, it's the lack of the sensors and monitors needed to make ANY of this pipedream happen...a problem EVERYWHERE because who pays for it, does it, does it RIGHT...and on and on. Same as cell service and even cable service in the past, look at the coverage maps and you get the idea of the BEST possible coverage for the autodrive network, and which would make it pointless outside of major cities.
Not only that but Humanity's record with this kind of thing has never been good, is not looking good now and IMO cannot possibly get better without a TON of changes that are not going to happen....I mean, here in the Good Ol' USA we have a Wall to build and so many other things we can't actually do already, right? I think that autonomous driving will happen next after we build that wall.

21

Personally, I think this is all very simple.

The technogeek overlords of today pushing this driverless car business, among their other projects, were the bullied nerds of 20 years ago, getting beat up for their lunch money and love of Star Trek.

Now that they're rich and influential, they're gonna get back at all those Normals that ostracized them - by taking their cars away.

"You took my lunch money when I was 10. Now I'm gonna take your BMW."

22

I'm fine with autonomous cars. For anyone who drives in heavy traffic every day, freedom from the tedium of driving is a blessing. The longer the commute, the better self-driving cars seem. If I really want to row my own gears and hit apexes, I would take my weekend car out for a spin when traffic is thinner.

It's not like we won't have classic cars anymore, and the companies that create the "drivers cars" we all lust after will keep making them. Sure, Ferrari and Lamborghini might make autonomous cars or offer "autonomous mode" for their people-driven cars, but the largest part of their audience are people who like to drive, and it would be suicide to stop selling cars that those customers want. At least in our lifetimes, I think we'll always have driver-focused cars with steering wheels. Driving may become more of a hobby like hunting: an activity which used to be necessary to survive but now is just for people who like the experience.

23

Like it's a go-kart on a bigger scale? That's a good vision, the only thing to worry about is the price when they'll go from a massive production to a hobby scale production.

24

Agreed. I would have no problem with an electric Level 5 car for boring daily stuff around the city, but have something interesting locked away for weekends and track days.

25

Exactly how I see it -all it means is the weekend/track car can be even less compromised for daily duties, and actually the way transport is set to change with no need for conventional layout is very exciting to me - I'd love to win back 90 mind of commute per day and sit in my lounge-on-wheels, then go tear it up at the track in a totally focused car at the weekends

26

I only fear that, autonomous car also somehow forced "traditional car" off the road.

27

I don't think that's going to happen. People still ride horses, right?

28

Someone riding a horse down a country lane doesn’t pose the same risk to fellow road users as someone in a human driven performance car weaving through AI controlled traffic.

29

Originally Horses were for the poor and cars were for the rich.
Now its the opposite.

That's not the way I want to head.

30

You can't ride a horse on the 405 Paddy.

31

Challenge accepted.

32

Paddy McGrath presents Horsekhana 10.

33

A Pay-Per-View triumph, to be sure.

But remember, you don't have to shoot a Nissan Silvia when you smash up the rear suspension overcooking a corner.

34

LOL ^

35

That

36

but it is also far more rare and expensive (esp if anywhere near an urban setting) than it used to be. i think it will be hard for jurisdictions to actually legislate human drivers off the road. but effectively eliminating them with exorbitant insurance, licensing fees etc is how it would be more likely to happen.

so like horseback riding (other than farms/ranches), it could become a past time for the wealthy as opposed to something everybody enjoys or has ready access to.

37

That's definitely a possible outcome, although to counter it, road safety should drastically increase with less insurance payouts, which should result in lower premiums.

With driving being one of the last great freedoms that we have, I don't think people will take too kindly to it being taken away from us. There are also other potential issues surrounding what if your 'pod' doesn't want to bring you to a certain area or place? I think because we're acutely aware of what's at stake, that it won't be easy for companies to slip things by us.

38

Hate to say it, but if the PC and the internet had been advertised as technology that makes you fat, causes your memory to wither away, fosters social isolation and has to be replaced every three months if you want to stay on the cutting edge, how many people do you think would've gone for it?

So of course driverless cars aren't sold as freedom-destroying, dependency-inducing things.

39

As soon as automated driving becomes mainstream and affordable for everyone, insurance companies will bill you a hefty premium for a car that is you have to drive yourself. Driving your own car will become a thing for rich people and the only thing less fortunate people can drive themselves will be a bicycle.

Enthusiasts will be looked down upon for driving their own cars, like its happening now for driving cars that are not environmentally friendly.

40

I have no issue with autonomous cars. Hell, half the idiots I see driving around me are on their phones not even watching where they are going, in fact, a friend of mine lost a leg because a girl couldn't wait to check a text. The issue I have is going to be with the do gooder liberals that will inevitably want to remove my choice to drive for the "greater good".

41

one of the biggest revolutions in modern automotive history, Tesla Motors


You what, mate.

42
StealthStar17

Interestingly, from an article that I read, most car manufacturers seem to think that Level 5 autonomy is still a little ways off.

Here's a link: http://www.businessinsider.com/self-driving-cars-not-feasible-in-5-years-automakers-say-2017-1

43

Ali is misleading us. The reason car companies want self driving cars is because they want to charge you for where you go! For example: let's say you want your self-driving car to drive you to Walmart. Great, but you will have to buy the "Walmart Package" from Ford. Travel more than 50 miles from your home? That will be the "Long Distance" package please. Need to tow a boat? $3,000 for the "tow package"! More than 25 destinations in a month? "Frequent Traveler Package". And it will go on and on, just like the "options list" when you buy a BMW. That is what this is really all about, but it doesn't work if they let people drive themselves! The CEO of Chevrolet even admitted that for it all to work he has to take the steering wheel away. Ali is either intentionally misleading us or he is beyond naïve if he thinks they will let sports cars and autonomous cars exist in the same world.

44

You are thinking about from a traditional business model... we will sell a point to point service, like Uber. We will not sell vehicles...

45

Doesn't matter, the point is that even if you rent the vehicle, they will still charge you where to go with it, which means they have to take self drive cars off the road! I call up my rented autonomous car, I want to go to Walmart, it will ask "Please enter in your Walmart package code"..... Deep down you must know you are really hurting car enthusiasts right? I don't blame you in any way, I am sure you paycheck makes it worth it to you, but at the end of the day you ARE working to take freedom of transport away from people. It just is what it is, but don't bullshit us.

46

Ali - that would likely be cheaper for many people than owning a car, but the people who have replied are right to express concern for this. California is trying to implement a 3% labor tax on things to generate revenue because people are leaving...because it's too expensive to live here.

Government has a long standing history of basically f'king everything up when they take control.

47

I would argue that the real reason is that society's elites have been fuming over the invention of the AFFORDABLE automobile a century ago, which meant that no longer did one have to be royalty or a captain of industry to own one.

After all, automobiles were all well and good, but Henry Ford gave the peasants, farmers and filthy nobodies cars of their own.

Why, how dare he! What unmitigated audacity!

So Joe Sixpack hits the road and is instantly uncontrollable by his societal betters. He can go where he wants, when he wants, for whatever reasons he wants, and that is simply unacceptable. Why, how is Joe to be kept under control for his own good?

Chaos! Disorder! Anarchy!

Except now, Joe's betters see Normal People as chess pieces in their grand game of life, to be used and discarded in whatever ways (and quantities) are necessary to achieve Utopia.

So they push "autonomous" cars on society, ostensibly for reasons of safety and environmental cleanliness, when what they really want is to make Joe Sixpack dependent of centrally-provided electricity to power his car and no control over it when it's actually rolling.

In his new, socially- and environmentally- "responsible" transport pod, Joe goes where his betters want, when they want, as fast as they want, for reasons only they may issue approval for.

And this Brave New World will be a jealous god, with no vehicle independent of the State allowed.

Delightful. Pass my musket, please.

48

What are you doing tonight? Me and some friends are going to go dump some tea into the harbor. See you there!

49

If autonomous driving takes the inattentive, the ignorant and the downright incompetent out from behind the wheel I'm all for it. I'd much rather be dealing with a predictable robot that adheres to the rules of the road than some guy or gal trying to set a new multitasking record of eating/applying makeup/texting/putting a kids seatbelt on/looking up directions/missing their turn/etc
And don't even get me started on road rage...
Wicked beemer by the way

50

I agree with Eoin. A great percentage of cars on the road are driverless already. Let the people that don't want drive eat ,text, read, and whatever, and keep the rest of us safer.

51

All this talk about self-driving vehicles really overshadows what is a nice feature on Ali's 2002. I just want to know....

WHY NO RENOWN STEERING WHEEL???!!!

Author52
Keiron Berndt

I think wheel choice on it is prime!

53

Wow, are you guys turning into buzzfeed now with that title?

54

I'm not sure what Level 5 AI is, but it sounds like KITT from Knight Rider - a computer intelligent enough to make navigational decisions without ANY human input.

There's still the problem of EV, though.

All forms of internal combustion engine - gas, diesel, turbine - have plenty of life left in them naturally, and if they were gradually phasing out of use like landline phones and VCRs for the same reason - that something genuinely better came along - then so be it.

But governments are slowly making it legally impossible to build an affordable car, which i think is the point of all these safety and emissions regulations.

That's not okay. That's a perversion of the marketplace and of technology, one that hurts us all.

When EVs can outcompete fuel cars on their merits - when they cost less to buy, less to run, less to fix (or replace outright), can go farther, and can be recharged faster and easier than gas cars, in more places, only THEN can you honestly say its time to switch technology bases.

Not until then.

And definitely not when The New is being driven by dishonest rationales like "climate change" and "carbon dioxide is a pollutant" and "insufficient fuel economy."

55
peinwienerstien

dishonest rationales like "climate change" and [b]"carbon dioxide is a pollutant"[/b]



.... Go put a plastic bag on your head, then get back to us about the whole pollutant thing.

As an alternative experiment, go into the garage and let your car idle whilst spending the night sealed in there. Once again, report back with your findings.

In this case the thought experiment is sufficient, please don't actually do this.
or do, whatever.

56

Carbon dioxide's a plant food, not a pollutant.

You wanna starve the plants that make the oxygen we breathe?

57

110%. None of this has anything to do with saving the environment or any of the other BS they are trying to push. It's all about money. Al Gore is getting a fat check off of all this shit lol.

58

Who gets sued when the car hits someone? What do we do when terrorists figure out how to hack the entire network and take control of 1,000 cars that are all going 70mph?

We will likely get forced into this and then taxed per politicians usual bullshit. I'm not looking forward to it at all. One less thing for humans to take control of in their lives. Sad really.

59

Just the tip of the iceberg really, and like you I am NOT looking forward to the first days of this crap when/if (and I hope it dies from deserved uselessness) it hits the road. I just can't see how it can work well considering it's known failures to date with all of the traffic hassles and so many different vehicles all jammed together during a "typical" USA commute.

60

Yeah I've read some of the accidents that have happened recently. Sorry but I trust my own hands over an algorithm any day.

61

Terminator Salvation rise of the machines!

62

if autonomy becomes the norm, the frequency of speed cameras will go down, as will the revenue from them since people aren't making the choice to speed. Then again, cameras and detection will get smarter too so it's likely that even the back roads we hold dear may be reigned in. I'm not advocating speeding I'm just acknowledging that it happens from time to time, and in some peoples eyes, certain limits are way too low for the kind of corners there ;)

63

"He’s certain that autonomous cars won’t replace enthusiast cars, but will ultimately make them easier to enjoy due to those people with no interest in driving or not particularly skilled at it ending up in the autonomous-only lanes."

I think there's a problem. Every road will be autonomous-only. Of course because "that's the best for everyone".

64

Ali knows this, he is lying to us! It's a con, and he doesn't care as long as he gets paid. I don't hold that against him, but don't pretend to care about the enthusiasts when you are trying to take their passion away from them.

65
Martin Hejtmánek

That all sounds very nice, but there's a very significant dark side to of all this, and that's the extent to which governments and other interested parties will abuse this technology as soon as it becomes available. 

AI driving instructor like in a videogame sounds great, but how long until law prevents you from turning the assists off, or prevents carmakers to have such settings in their cars? 

Autonomous driving in heavy traffic sounds great until turning the autopilot off will only come at your own risk, will not be covered by your insurance and god knows what else. 

Sorry, but no matter how much sugar you put on, this technology will always seem like the death of the love for driving as we know it to me. 

66

How do do a feature of an S14 swapped 2002 with only one photo of the engine bay! Though the topic of this piece may be about EV, many of us still want to see those ENGINES while they last.

67

Lol the future is autonomous and that’s a beauty. All these nancies worried about “driving” and whatever didn’t look at the publishing industry, or even archery. There is a level of bookmaking and bow science that makes even the traditional wood stuff an affordable beauty belonging across the ages. Today the auto industry dictates what you drive because you are all incapable losers that likely dont know stick, even less how to choke the oil or even clean a spark plug. All of you “enthusiasts” cried like babies when Tesla came out with the model S. You just dont belong behind the wheel of a real motor, and you are the reason car manufacturers make giant, cost-cut, automatic... you get the picture. YOU drove the market.

Now buy that sexy new Benz/VW/ZOOX model that lets you text and eat while your commute is done for you. The rest of us will love roads again, keeping our vintage, home made, or Boutique-built sports car running on whatever we can - just like the real archers and readers that actually do it for the love. No dealerships and warranties needed.

68

strong and coulorfull words are running through my head right now and I would love to use the middle finger.

69
Christian Schmidt

The future (20 - 30 years) is the end of individual mobility with cars but no one will tell us...

In the United States, in 1983, 58.8% of those aged 20 years or younger and 91.8% of those aged 20-24 years held a driving licence; by 2015, these rates had fallen to 40.4% and 77.5%, respectively.

http://www.institutmontaigne.org/ressources/publications-pdfs/what-s_role_for_cars_in_tommorrow-s_world_report.pdf

70

Some of you might be thinking, ‘what does some guy who probably rides a bicycle or drives a Prius to work know about being an enthusiast?’
Well I am a Car enthusiast (Volvo 460 - although not a "High-Performance-Car" it's fun to ride and a reliable dayly driver) and ride my bicycle every day to work - I can see no conflict here - I mean come on it is almost 2020, we are already "living in the future"! Of course there will be autonomous cars sooner ore later and no one will have to suffer from this. Car enthusiasts will still have their fun and ways and also when we run out of petrol because we peter out of oil, we will surely find alternatives to then retrofit our beloved classics and "fire them up again". Isn't that whole car-culture-thing about "out of the box thinking"?

71

And I almost forgot - that BMW is absolutely gorgeous - I wish I hat the skills and/or the money to make/get my own exactly like that one (mine would maybe have some period corect Alpina wheels but that's just personal taste and not meant as criticism) Really this car is a dream (come true) and a wonderful restomod-collage that brings together "the best of different worlds and ages". Respect and love.

72

Who remembers éX-Driver?

73

Talk about a throw back...Ex-driver was cool.

74

You're Under Arrest was better.

75

So you believe that, in a world where level 5 autonomy is commonplace, social justice warriors, environmentalists and clueless government bureaucrats would allow you to drive your car on the open road? Have you been living beneath a rocky outcrop where EV tech is in its infancy but governments across the western world are announcing plans to end sales/production of IC vehicles? Where diesel cars are on the cusp of being outright banned because one manufacturer got caught cheating on tests? Where 51 accidents per million people in europe result in fatalities? Under that rocky outcrop no-one will ever go #NeverAgain when a passenger in an autonomous car is struck and killed by a driver in a non-autonomous car, there won't be any fender-bender 'survivors' hailing via megaphone into TV cameras, "The right to drive ... does not and never will overpower the individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

"We cannot protect cars before we protect our children"
And how am I as an enthusiast supposed to be excited by the notion of sitting passive in a grey bits-and-bytes controlled box as it drives itself with no need for me to even be there? And sure they'll always be a place for non-autonomous cars in the autonomous world; it's currently occupied by horse-drawn stagecoaches and passenger steamers. I envy you and your kopje, really I do, it must be absolutely idyllic.

76

How about not?

First off, it'll completely destroy the availability of manual-drive "mainstream" cars. Not everyone can afford a sports car, and not everyone who can is at a place in life where they can make use of one. It's already hard enough to find a non-sports-model car that doesn't use a cute little eco-turbo engine and automatic transmission, and if you do it's probably a poverty special.

Second, this technology is incredibly abuseable. Whether it's an oppressive government, a terrorist cult, a prankster who's figured out a way to fool their cameras and sensors (this one has already happened), or just a vindictive spouse, someone somewhere is going to figure out how to control and/or harm people with this technology. No security is perfect.

Third, mark my words, if this technology achieves any significant degree of market penetration, it WILL get rammed down our throats at some point.

77
Arash lashgari

علی آقا عالی، دیدم پلاک ماشین 2 هزار 2 هست، فهمیدم ماله یه ایرانیه خوش ذوق هست. خیلی ماشین عالی یی شده.

OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS