[Misc] The end for petrol cars ?

[Cheshire Cat]

This - long ago mine went to the great scrap heap in the sky, but I remember it fondly.

First car like first love.

 

[jessiejames]

It's not just the end of petrol cars. When petrol cars go, so do manual transmissions. They are critically endangered in the US as it is.

All new lorries now are automatic, alot more easier, but no fun. Loved a 4 over 4 split gearbox, even better 16 speed cummings twin splitter.

 

[Curious Orange]

I hired an ecoboost on holiday a few years ago. It was the most asthmatic car I have ever driven. I’m sure it‘s a hit in Norfolk or the Lowlands but if there’s a hill in site..worry. Absolute rubbish car

Probably depends on what chip is running the engine. My '63 plate Fiesta has no bother going up hills, and that is with the middle of the three versions available at the time.

 

[Justice]

I hired an ecoboost on holiday a few years ago. It was the most asthmatic car I have ever driven. I’m sure it‘s a hit in Norfolk or the Lowlands but if there’s a hill in site..worry. Absolute rubbish car

I have a fiesta van for work granted hills are an issue unless you hammer it in second. You need a fiesta ST for any power in the engine. Tbf it sits on the motorway ok I find it handy driving around London can easily park into small spaces.

 

[Icy Gull]

I have a fiesta van for work granted hills are an issue unless you hammer it in second. You need a fiesta ST for any power in the engine. Tbf it sits on the motorway ok I find it handy driving around London can easily park into small spaces.

Looks like I am talking about a different car to you and @Curious Orange. This was what I hired and thought was rubbish with a 1.0 litre engine. I mistakenly thought that this was called an ecoboost and that this was the only engine offered. I have driven a couple of Ford Focus with bigger engines and thought that they were excellent cars.

 

[The Wizard]

My little DS3 1.6 diesel from 10 years ago with 75k on the clock is still going strong.

Looks like I am talking about a different car to you and @Curious Orange. This was what I hired and thought was rubbish with a 1.0 litre engine. I mistakenly thought that this was called an ecoboost and that this was the only engine offered. I have driven a couple of Ford Focus with bigger engines and thought that they were excellent cars.

View attachment 154808

What a hideous looking car that is.

 

[Justice]

Looks like I am talking about a different car to you and @Curious Orange. This was what I hired and thought was rubbish with a 1.0 litre engine. I mistakenly thought that this was called an ecoboost and that this was the only engine offered. I have driven a couple of Ford Focus with bigger engines and thought that they were excellent cars.

View attachment 154808

You can’t expect much from a 1L engine, Although that model looks to big for a 1L engine tbf.

 

[zefarelly]

You can’t expect much from a 1L engine, Although that model looks to big for a 1L engine tbf.

Yes you can



Little Ford Cosworth engine I built a few years back in a Formula Junior

the reality of cars/engines is you need torque to move weight, modern cars are heavy and efficient engines have short stroke engines that don't make any until you rev them.

 

[BLOCK F]

In my working life, I had a load of company cars from the bloomin’ awful to the rather nice category.
As far as private vehicles are concerned, I’ve always loved old cars had a few classics, including a 1968 3 litre MGC Roadster, 1963 Rover 110 and a VW Splitscreen Camper Van from 1963. I miss them all at times, but am glad to have owned them and hope they are still in existence somewhere.
Now drive a Jag XJ, lovely car, but it is a diesel and besides not doing the mileage, in my dotage, I find it rather large for my needs. Will be changing it for something smaller, a petrol car, not an EV.
I can’t see the end for petrol cars for some time to come.

 

[BLOCK F]

The Fiesta, Britain's best selling car, won't be made any more

Soon after I first met Mrs Wz, she was trading in her company Golf Gti for a Fiesta XR2 and I loved it. It was so much lighter, responsive and better to drive than the Golf (not a popular view at the time). Being a good working class lad, I've always loved the fast Fords, for years growing up dreaming of owning a Lotus Cortina Mk1 (something I never achieved), but I have had a lovely ST220 estate and a Scorpio Cosworth estate when my kids were young. The Scorpio was ugly as shit, but you didn't notice when you were in the driver's seat.

*edit* Fast Fords, I just remembered a V6 3 litre Capri when I was still young and stupid

I do realise that we have to move to electric for the good of my kids, theirs and beyond, but I hate to see these marvellous cars of my childhood (and later) go

I have kept my 25+ year old, mid life V8 4 litre convertible just in case of a power cut, but only do a couple of thousand miles each year

What petrol cars will you miss ?

I still lust after the Lotus Cortina Mk1. Lovely car, what prices they fetch these days! At least I’ve been in one. A wealthy mate had one many years ago whilst I think I had an Austin A40 (great little car).

 

[Bedsex]

Yes you can



Little Ford Cosworth engine I built a few years back in a Formula Junior

the reality of cars/engines is you need torque to move weight, modern cars are heavy and efficient engines have short stroke engines that don't make any until you rev them.

Lovely stuff, sounds fantastic - Lavant Straight at Goodwood

This is why I don’t think ICE engines have had their day yet - the sound of the engine and the smell of the oil and petrol is so evocative. You might get better straight line acceleration in an electric car and some of the better ones might even handle reasonably well, despite their weight. But that’s not the whole picture.

 

[schmunk]

Lovely stuff, sounds fantastic - Lavant Straight at Goodwood

This is why I don’t think ICE engines have had their day yet - the sound of the engine and the smell of the oil and petrol is so evocative. You might get better straight line acceleration in an electric car and some of the better ones might even handle reasonably well, despite their weight. But that’s not the whole picture.

This thing's pretty cool, for an electric car (and at Goodwood):

 

[Insel affe]

I miss my split windscreen Morris Minor pick up...

I only have a black and white photo of it left, i was bright red with white wall tyres, it got vandalised so many times though.
Yes I am the one doing the shitty pose in Steel toecap boots....

 

[BLOCK F]

This thing's pretty cool, for an electric car (and at Goodwood):

Driven by Max Chilton, I believe.

 

[Seagull58]

I really enjoyed my Alfasud Sprint, stuck to the road like shit to blanket and you could put it in 5th at under 30mph and take it up to 110+.

 

[jakarta]

I miss my split windscreen Morris Minor pick up...

I only have a black and white photo of it left, i was bright red with white wall tyres, it got vandalised so many times though.
Yes I am the one doing the shitty pose in Steel toecap boots....

My Dad was a BMC Dealer back in the day, then British Leyland, all of them crap except the Mini. We had a works hack Morris Minor Pickup. As I was expected to move cars around the yard did my first driving at 14 in it on an ex RAF Airfield along the runway - and no I didn't take off!

 

[Icy Gull]

I really enjoyed my Alfasud Sprint, stuck to the road like shit to blanket and you could put it in 5th at under 30mph and take it up to 110+.

Had one of those, great car but it did rust like a dispersible aspirin. Cheap Russian steel was the reason Alfas of that era gained such a terrible reputation for rusting away. 40 years on and the reputation is still damaging Alfa sales

Also killed Lancia in RHD after Betas engines dropped out from chassis rust

 

[StonehamPark]

I do love cars, and feel lucky enough to have had some really great ones (for me) in the past 10 years.

My highlights have been:
- 2007 Audi A3 3dr. Just the smoothest car I’ve driven, nothing flash, but just great to drive.
- 2000 Audi TT Quattro. Just some good fun.
- 2007 VW GTi (MK5), possibly the best model GTi.
- 2003 Mini Cooper JCW, even more good fun, little go kart with rockets.

Currently driving a 2017 2L Ecoboost 4WD Ford Escape suv. Not much fun to drive, very practical and a decent amount of power, but there’s not much joy to be had behind the wheel.

I’ve had eyes on a Hyundai Ioniq 5 for a while, and as things stand, I think it’s the best EV out there in that price range.
Though I think it’s best to wait another 5 years or so as EVs are still very much in their infancy, imo.

I think I’ll probably always have a petrol car, likely an older manual, back to a golf or mini for fun.

 

[sydney]

there is a lot more to this than meets the eye .....there will never be enough electricity produced for everyone who needs a vehicle to change to an ev........its a load of old pipe imho. still building power stations and petrol stations in asia , africa and australia.

millions of people have trillions of dollars tied up in traditionally powered vehicles , this perceived environmental emergency cannot be allayed by a few million people in europe .

china , india and indonesia produce a massive proportion of pollution and their transport needs are not going to be met by ex's any time soon.

 

[Audax]

Currently driving a 2017 2L Ecoboost

Keep an eye on coolant levels. 2017 ecoboost is pretty much peak unreliability. Ford ballsed up the design of the cooling system. It can fail in multiple places, and once you have one failure it tends to cascade and fail at the other places as well soon after. If not careful, it can end in full engine failure requiring replacement.