Cool car innovations that we've seen in recent years

5,303 Views | 56 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Ciboag96
Dill-Ag13
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6:46a, 8/7/20
AG
I saw this click-bait fake news which made me wonder how far away we are from composite con-rods in racing applications. I wonder if such innovations will ever trickle down into production cars or if mainstream combustion engines will have gone the way of the dodo long before.



What's the coolest innovation you've seen in recent years?
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Mookie
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7:15a, 8/7/20
AG
Apple car play
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TxSquarebody
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7:32a, 8/7/20
Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder (OPOC) engines

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aggieforester05
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7:36a, 8/7/20
AG
The new ZF 8 speed and GM/Ford 10 speed have made automatic transmissions not suck as bad as they used to. In some ways they're superior to manuals even though a manual is still more fun. Regardless they're the first automatics I've driven that do not feel like they handicap the vehicle.
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JamesPShelley
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In reply to TxSquarebody • 8:13a, 8/7/20
TxSquarebody said:
Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder (OPOC) engines

They've been around for a long time. Flat-4. Flat-6. Subarus run them. I've a 2.5 in my 986.
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CanyonAg77
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8:19a, 8/7/20
AG
I'm an old fart that has seen the transition from points to electronic ignition, to computer controlled ignition.

Same, from carbs to throttle body to computer injection.

The only other change that's been as significant in my time is longevity. A car with 50K miles used to be worn out. Now its routine to go 4-6x as long.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to JamesPShelley • 8:20a, 8/7/20
AG
JamesPShelley said:
TxSquarebody said:
Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder (OPOC) engines

They've been around for a long time. Flat-4. Flat-6. Subarus run them. I've a 2.5 in my 986.
Take another look.

That ain't a Flat 4

Flat 4:

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TxSquarebody
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In reply to JamesPShelley • 9:37a, 8/7/20
Yeah, that's no boxer!
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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9:50a, 8/7/20
Cars that automatically beep the horn when you lock or unlock the vehicle.

Back in the old days when arriving somewhere late at night or leaving early in the morning, you had to manually beep the horn to wake everybody up.
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JamesPShelley
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 10:08a, 8/7/20
CanyonAg77 said:
JamesPShelley said:
TxSquarebody said:
Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder (OPOC) engines

They've been around for a long time. Flat-4. Flat-6. Subarus run them. I've a 2.5 in my 986.
Take another look.

That ain't a Flat 4

Flat 4:

I was suggesting the technology. Upon closer inspection... that does look new-er.

In which vehicle is that installed? Thanks!
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to JamesPShelley • 10:36a, 8/7/20
AG
I don't think the opposed piston is installed in any current car. Obviously, flat engines are nothing new, have been in aviation for maybe a hundred years. in cars dating back to the VW Beetle and probably earlier.
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CanyonAg77
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10:43a, 8/7/20
AG
A little Googling tells me the opposed piston engine is as old as 1882. Not a typo, first was almost 140 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposed-piston_engine



Was used in German diesel aircraft engines (1932)



And American subs in the 1940s and 1950s

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Stat Monitor Repairman
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 12:04p, 8/7/20
I used to work on them things. Fairbanks Morse opposed piston engines.

There is an upper crankshaft and a lower crankshaft. An injector shoots fuel in the middle of the cylinder and the opposing pistons compress it.

No cylinder head. No valves. Massive blower and two massive turbos.

About the only thing that could go wrong is if you got some dirty fuel. The injectors would get worn down and leak. It was such a simple design that you gould rebuild and bench test the injectors on the spot with basic tools.

Also carbon buildup in the exhaust and turbos.

Would run on pretty much any kind of fuel. Diesel, JP5, MGO.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 12:05p, 8/7/20
AG
Quote:
I used to work on them things. Fairbanks Morse opposed piston engines.
What were they being used for?
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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1:04p, 8/7/20
Main propulsion engines on a ship.
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drumboy
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5:04p, 8/7/20
AG
The safety innovations are pretty cool I guess. And V6 family cars with 300+hp.

Oh and greatest innovation is DD EVs that have great performance.
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agdoc2001
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6:54p, 8/7/20
AG
Truck nutz
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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Old Sarge
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7:12p, 8/7/20
AG
Birds eye view cameras on my Tacoma (with several other vehicles) is pretty darn handy. Still a mirrors and judgement/feel guy, but it's a nice reference.

And who'd a thought that a little 1.25" seat jacker on the front of the seat bases would transform how a vehicle seat changes feel and sight?

The little things.....
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gggmann
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7:44p, 8/7/20
AG
There's been a lot of advancement in clear coats for matte finishes. They aren't ruined the 1st time a bird ****s on them now. The MB E class AMG gray matte looks really nice.
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longeryak
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9:10p, 8/7/20
Pickup bloat. All those suburban truck owners need one that is three time the size of those from 20 years ago.
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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In reply to longeryak • 9:21p, 8/7/20
Its insane how big trucks have gotten. Makes half tons from the late 90s look like Rangers / S10s. I blame Dodge, they started it all with their drastic new body style and **** escalated from there.
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aggieforester05
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In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 9:57p, 8/7/20
AG
I guess I'm getting old, but I made it a point to get a 4x4 truck that was low to the ground this time and put running boards with bed steps. It's gotten so hard to reach anything in the beds that it's really taken away from the utility imo. I have to have 4x4 for my businesses, but no more big tires and leveling kits for me. The more cab and storage space the better on the other hand.

Something to add to this thread is high quality bed covers like the bakflip and lomax. So awesome to have a huge secure trunk that converts to open bed space easily.
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ccolley68
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In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 10:15p, 8/7/20
AG
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
Its insane how big trucks have gotten. Makes half tons from the late 90s look like Rangers / S10s. I blame Dodge, they started it all with their drastic new body style and **** escalated from there.
I was in agreement with you for a while. But I took my kids to get donuts this morning. I have a stock 2014 F250 4WD. Guy parks next to my truck in a stock early 90's F350. I loved those trucks, so I gave it an extra look. And I distinctly remember thinking to myself how that truck was just as big as my truck. I mean, it's probably a little bigger, but this truck next to mine certainly didn't look like a Ranger.

And to keep things on track, the best innovation for me, and I would have never imagined this would be the case, is air conditioned seats. **** me I will never buy another vehicle ever without them. Heated seats don't do squat for me, but a/c seats are the cats meow.
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FIDO*98*
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10:34p, 8/7/20
AG

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The Fife
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8:39a, 8/8/20
The AUX radio input gets my vote. That time in the early 2000s between when tape decks disappeared and then really sucked if you used an MP3 player.

Otherwise there hasn't been a lot that I give a crap about since then. It's true that power has increased, but at the expense of manuals and cars that are light and low. Don't care about nannies or doing anything with my phone beyond playing music and inputting where I'm going into Waze either.

I do like the current Civic SI / Type R. If my car got totaled one of those would be the replacement.
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TX_AG_10
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9:12a, 8/8/20
AG
Portable Jump starters
OBD2 Code readers

Both of these aren't that new but really come in handy and I've benefited from them greatly!
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EMY92
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11:11a, 8/8/20
AG
Cooled seats get my vote this time of year.
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PharmD4
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11:30a, 8/8/20
AG
The evolution of headlights has been incredible IMO. Have you recently driven a car from the 90s or earlier years??? The beam is like 12 feet of faint amber glow. Driving at night must have been terrifying a few decades ago.

Of course the drawback is that now it's almost unbearable to drive on single lane highways with oncoming traffic.

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TSW2012
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12:16p, 8/8/20
AG
It's radar cruise control and it's not even close.
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PharmD4
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In reply to TSW2012 • 12:43p, 8/8/20
AG
TSW2012 said:
It's radar cruise control and it's not even close.
Squeezing 400+ HP out of a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine might be close...

ie the innovation being engine power/efficiency.
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Pahdz
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2:39p, 8/8/20
Heated steering wheel (I live in MN)
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Mr. Dubi
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3:42p, 8/9/20
Apple carplay.... and the marketing department of every manufacturer selling their cars as a phone accessory
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SA-AG72
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 10:18p, 8/9/20
AG
CanyonAg77 said:
I'm an old fart that has seen the transition from points to electronic ignition, to computer controlled ignition.

Same, from carbs to throttle body to computer injection.

The only other change that's been as significant in my time is longevity. A car with 50K miles used to be worn out. Now its routine to go 4-6x as long.

And I thought it was the cup holder.
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HollywoodBQ
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10:33p, 8/9/20
AG
Best invention:
  • Bluetooth integration with your phone
Worst inventions:
  • Backup Cameras - Everybody becomes super dependent and doesn't know how to backup any more
  • Navigation - People (kids) are so dependent now that logic and dead reckoning are just gone.
Worst enhancement to a recent invention:
  • Disabling Navigation menus while the vehicle is moving - even if it's the passenger trying to use it.
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Flaith
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8:45a, 8/10/20
AG
Koenigsegg Freevalve tech is super awesome.

That OPOC engine is super bad ass
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