Where did all the drivers cars go? There used to be a time when driver interaction was the main concern for almost all automakers. I say almost because only recently did car companies like Chevrolet and Lexus stop making cars that steered like seventeenth century, wooden ships.
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But for the car makers that were concerned with driver involvement, it’s the only thing that really mattered. BMW was always at the forefront of driver involvement; the dashboard always angled towards the driver, the seating position and pedal placement were always spot-on and the steering wheel would relay these wonderful feelings of what the front tires were doing.
Most of these things are last on carmakers minds. The main concerns now are the in-car connectivity, being able to reply to Facebook while driving and having seats that massage you in so many ways it almost becomes inappropriate.
There is a reason for all of this, though. Customers. They don’t want driver involvement anymore. They want Bluetooth and satellite navigation, not steering feel and loud engine notes. In fact people want the car so quiet inside that car makers are pumping in fake engine sound through the speakers just so you can tell it’s on.
Many people think that the last truly great BMW was the 1 Series M Coupe.
I can understand where they’re coming from. It only came with a manual gearbox, it didn’t have 15 different driving modes and the engine sound was made by…the engine. So in many ways it is the last of the old-school BMWs. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any more. The M3 is a pretty fantastic car and the M2 is shaping up to be pretty stellar as well.
Car makers, BMW especially, will continue to make fun, driver’s cars. We just have to start wanting them more.
Please, stop with that kind of article.
Who would want to drive a car without ABS or ESP nowadays ?
Who wants to drift on open roads ?
Do you really want to drive a car with no powered brakes and steering ?
You must understand that if even BMW “softened” their cars – less sporty, more comfy – there’s a reason for that.
Re-read the article.
The author doesn’t say anything about getting rid of ABS or ESP… It’s about overloading the car with tech and abandoning the driving experience.
wat r u on about mate
Good article.
Recent BMWs have been more about luxury, size, and gadgets… Unnecessary items for “The Ultimate Driving Machine.”
Or perhaps the definition of “The Ultimate Driving Machine” has changed? Ultimate referred to driving but now it means overall – including all the driving, luxury and gadgets.
Who would want to drive a car without ABS or ESP nowadays ? Me. I have disabled both. The e36 has enough steering and braking feel so that the car is safe enough for an experienced driver without these features. Powered brakes and steering are another matter, these enhance the car’s performance, and BMW has shown that this can be achieved without compromising road feel or responsiveness. It’s very hard to parallel park a car wearing 255mm tires on the front without power steering…
“There is a reason for all of this, though. Customers.” I disagree… Car buyers don’t have a say in a vehicle’s styling and design. The automobile manufactures dictate to us and we fall in line accordingly.