Will Cars of Today Become Classics?

[BRE-240Z]

I'd rather have a Turbo Pontiac Solstice then that Honda you are talking about.

Was the thread about what cars might have value, or what cars you, personally, would prefer? I'm confused.

You solicited opinions, didn't you? And I think that while you are likely right about the 80's being a dead period in terms of automotive classics, you probably weren't buying up old Mopars twenty years ago, in the expecation that they'd be worth a half million dollars, either.

[JimmyZ]

IMHO Cars as we know them today won't be in use in another 20 or thirty years. The push for developing hydrogen or other means of energy for use in cars will make even our Z's showpieces for your living room, garage, or shrine like the Ferrari's in Ferris Beuler's Day Off.

In time we'll view fossil fuels much as we'd view using gas lamps for lighting.

2c

[Stickerman]

In time we'll view fossil fuels much as we'd view using gas lamps for lighting.

2c

You know they were saying that in about 1975 also....

[JimmyZ]

When gas goes for $6+/gal people will get motivated. Like the bionic man opening line... "We have the technology"

There has alos been a discovery of how to get electricty from nuclear waste which has some promise. Eventually someone will make the next leap. Steam>gas>??? We live in exciting times.

[The Wingnut]

Gasoline is already at that price in many other parts of the world. The shift is not to different sources of power, but to more efficient use of it. Petroleum exploration will not cease as long as mankind wishes to produce polymers, lubricants, solvents and myriad other petroleum derivatives. While billions of gallons of petroleum are used annually for fossil fuel production worldwide, yet more is used for other purposes. It would remain one of the most important commodities even if fossil fuel production were to cease entirely. Disregarding the consumer level, fossil fuels are essential to rail, ocean and air cargo transport and the methods of powering these transports - especially ships and aircraft - is next to impossible without fossil fuels. The global switch to non-fossil fuel powered transportation would not only be impractical, it would create other unforeseen loads into different methods of power production. In California, the state that styles itself as leader in environmental consciousness, the majority of electrical power is produced by coal and natural gas fired plants. A 31 year ban on the production and upgrade of nuclear powerplants is in effect and will not be lifted until a '100% safe method of radioactive waste disposal' is achieved...meaning never. If our own crippling of our power generation continues(year after year of power scandals and rolling blackouts have plagued California because of its elected officials' and bureaucrats' mismanagement of electrical power generation), how can we hope to produce alternate means of energy at the consumer level? This is the state that is leading the charge?

The solution is not to eliminate the current technology, but continue to refine it and supplement it with means that fit the existing infrastructure. The internal combustion engine is not going to disappear anytime soon.

[JimmyZ]

Time will tell. The cost of not advancing may be too high though. I'm not a tree hugger but believe that anyone can see this writing on the wall.

Iceland seems to be giving it a try.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/archive/2208013.stm

Here in my backyard NASA is giving hydrogen a try as are some CA city buses etc.

You are right that we'll never drop petroleum due to it's many uses in modern life. We can curb or stabilize it's consumption though. Believe I read somewhere that the world's population will max out in 2017 roughly.

I did find a neat article on recycling nuclear waste. seems that politicians and scientists are against it for economic reasons. Perhaps this is just a bunch of bull.

http://www.nuclearwasterecycling.com/

I agree that there are certain means of transport that are unlikely to use another means. Planes trains semis etc.

The average person's transportation will see great change in the next 15 years though. Europe's diesel version of the Smartcar is one example. Too bad we can't get them here...yet:)

[ta240]

So people won't be doing Hydrogen power conversions on their Z's? I think the guys at hybridz.org will be all over that

IMHO Cars as we know them today won't be in use in another 20 or thirty years. The push for developing hydrogen or other means of energy for use in cars will make even our Z's showpieces for your living room, garage, or shrine like the Ferrari's in Ferris Beuler's Day Off.

In time we'll view fossil fuels much as we'd view using gas lamps for lighting.

2c

[ta240]

Europe's diesel version of the Smartcar is one example. Too bad we can't get them here...yet:)

I get nervous on the freeway in the Z with some of the monster vehicles out there and can’t imagine being in one of those tiny things. I know there are all sorts of videos of them crashing into walls and each other showing how safe they are, what I want to see is one getting plowed into by an SUV. It is much like the current frontal crash tests for cars they smash the car into a stationary object so the smaller the car, the smaller the force. That is why the small print on the frontal crash stars says that they are only valid as a comparison between cars of the same class.

I keep reading articles about how you are twice as likely to die in a crash in a small car as compared to a midsized car.

When gas goes for $6+/gal people will get motivated. Like the

I remember seeing a biodiesel z on ebay once. Any one do an electric Z?

[JimmyZ]

I remember seeing a biodiesel z on ebay once. Any one do an electric Z?

Can you imagine how much space would be left and what the weight distribution would be like with an electric Z?! If it moved like the lexus hybrid that would be OK I guess.

We could always hit up the restaurants for their cooking oil. (Ref the oil powered suburban)

In keeping with the thread all I'm trying to say is that cars as we know them today are going to be more than nostalgic once newer technologies come along. Doesn't matter if it's still fossil fuel or alt fuel powered, we won't be driving them much in 15 -20 years.

[KDMatt]

Ahh yes, alternative fuels will play a role... Hopefully we'll have teleporters/transporters and people will drive purely for entertainment which means that any car that's remotely fun to drive will be a 'classic' ... well... maybe...

[ta240]

Can you imagine how much space would be left and what the weight distribution would be like with an electric Z?!

you are thinking old technology. Even the latest stuff can be smaller and lighter:

http://www.teslamotors.com/ <- I'd take one of those any day.

just imagine when battery technology makes its next jump.

[mbc]

Here is a list of some cars that I think have a chance of being classics:

'97- '02 Camaro SS/ Firebird WS6

'03- '04 Mustang Cobra

'07- Jeep Cherokee SRT-8

'06- Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky

'00- '06 Honda S2000 ( I hope)

'03- '06 Chevy SSR

'05- '07 Pontiac GTO (Holden)

'97- '03 Ford F-150 Lightning

'02- Mini Cooper S

'83- '87 Buick Grand National/ Olds T- type ( I know these are '80's )

'01- 05 Chrysler Prowler

I'm sure there are more that I can't think of.