Think about it. Since 1989, when this movie came out, thinking about the future with cars was exciting. What new improvements have cars had since then? Navigation systems Climate control Cup holders, cup holders, cup holders. There has been less technological innovation in car manufaturing than ever, and I think people are noticing. Damnit, I want a flying car that runs on garbage.
Yes yes yes, great point. Actually, the hybrid engine is probably the biggest advance, but I 100% agree, it is friggin 2008 and we should have more technological breakthroughs (look at TV, computers, radio, internet, even kitchen appliances in that same span). And probably we should be able to have a car which a) flies and b) runs on garbage. Or at least does something wicked cool. Also, we should have that hovercraft skateboard.
I'm all for an super-efficient car. There is no excuse of why this is being withheld. It's not rocket science. However, we will never have flying cars. Gravity. I can just picture it now... "27 more die today, when a Honda Jetson S3000 ran out of fuel and caused a pileup on its way down. One observer noted that the new onboard auto-parachutes did nothing but prolong the accident and that future models should have a reserve tank that will auto-activate with just enough fuel to send the vehicle down as fast as possible so as not to get in everyone's way. A group of people concurred and wished that it was 2008 when the speed limit was not 275 mph. The total vehicle count yet to be cleaned on the ground has now exceeded 1,243,432."
LOL, bancrupt. But I LIKE cupholders, Mr. Fatty. Back up, Doc, we don't have enough roads to get to 1985! Roads ? Where we're going we won't need no... ROADS... [swooooooooooooooosh!] [lightning bolt] [cue Power of Love]
Fatty I agree designs have been crappy out of Michigan, but I'm going to say that bigger issue is the unions for the autoworkers. The big 3 are more healthcare providers that make cars. This article is a good read: Link The chart above shows average hourly compensation for the Big Three ($73.20) and Toyota (TM) ($48.00), compared to average hourly compensation for Management and Professional Workers ($47.57), Manufacturing/Goods Producing ($31.59) and all workers ($28.48), data available here. Should U.S. taxpayers really be providing billions of dollars to bailout companies (GM (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler) that compensate their workers 52.5% more than the market (assuming Toyota wages and benefits are market), 54% more than management and professional workers, 132% more than the average manufacturing wage, and 157% more than the average compensation of all American workers? Maybe the country would be better off in the long run if we let the Big Three fail, and in the process break the UAW labor monopoly, and then let Toyota, Honda (HMC) and Volkswagen (VLKAY.PK) take over the U.S. auto industry, and restore realistic, competitive, market wages to the industry. It might be the best long-run solution.
I agree 100%. Screw the UAW, let the big 3 die a horrible death. Organized labor of that magnitude has no place in today's society. Make room next to whereever Jimmy Hoffa is buried for the Big 3 U.S. automakers.
What's sad is that when you look at tech like more efficient engines, renewable energies, and pharmaceuticals, they had these technologies 20+ yrs ago. Not only do big corporations do advertisements and lobby to change the cultural perspective, they even pull funding from research that actually solves the problems! (this is especially sad when it comes to drugs). They're not looking to immediately solve issues because then they'd have no business. They want as many intermediate phases as possible - whatever they can do to ensure their profits are at a maximum as long as possible.
I know it sounds crazy NOW... But the idea of being in a piece of tin, flying down the road at 70 miles an hour, while passing mere inches away from another car going in the complete opposite direction, with no barrier between... I bet that idea seemed like a death trap back in the day too. Our bodies may not be evolving at a rapid pace, but our minds and skills are.
The problem is that if a car breaks down/runs out of gas/whatever then it just stops and stays there. If a flying car breaks down it's going to fall back down to earth. Airplanes get regularly checked whenever they land. Most people don't take their cars in for regular check ups. I don't see it happening.
No argument there. I just think the sky is a different animal. On the ground, we have traction. In the air, it's wind resistance. The dynamics of the vehicle would have to factor in x (side to side), y (forward/backward), and z (up and down). Lots of calculations the vehicle would have to make in order to compensate for the driver, IMO. It's fun to think about though.
The reason GM is going bankrupt is because they keep making cars that look like this. The also have like 8 different SUV's in their lineup.
i'm gonna go with a deadly combination unionized labor and a complete lack of innovation for $400, Alex.
Fatty, you know the ideas of hybrid engines, using water, bio-fuels, and corn-oil to run cars are pretty much products of early 20th century. They've been around for the longest time...but I don't think those ideas are going to make you alot of money. So, I wouldn't expect companies, like GM to go to those ideas. I think the people of the oil industry would be rather pissed, too.
Tree hugging liberals...what do you expect...With everyone worried about hybrids, they lost focus on profitability...No one wants to pay $20K - $60K for a cheap plastic looking interior...
I was watching some show or other the other day, and they were talking about the financial crisis. They had a viewer email that said: [rquoter] What we are seeing is the long-term effects of short-term thinking. [/rquoter] That perfectly describes GM's problems. Blaming unions is the predictable result of the projection of the right wing view of the world on that world. You see what you want to see. If they managed themselves well and the unions existed, they would not be broke. If you eliminate of the unions and GM repeats every one of the crappy decisions that GM's management has made for the last 30 years, they would still be bankrupt. The ultimate cause for GM's woes is the management of GM, not the workforce. They've been making bad decisions for years, and every analyst in the world has known it. For years, I’ve been seeing story after story about how aimless and misguided GM’s direction has been. But now that it comes time to square accounts, it’s the UAW’s fault? No. I know it breaks right-winger's hearts since in their Social Darwininian worldview people in management are superior beings to laborers, and thus logically incapable of causing what could only be the fault of the lesser, base creatures, but it is still true anyway, no matter how much you distain laborers. Management ****ed GM. If they somehow manage to reorgainze and eliminate the unions, who will you blame when the same thing happens 10 years from now? The right needs the unions to avoid having to look into their own heart of darkness.
The reason why GM has gone down the tubes is because they spent years promoting this crap on the American public: The good ol craptastic Pontiac Aztek.
