ITT things that you wish would return to modern cars. I'd have to say hidden headlights or pop up headlights...

Same familia, I love me some pop-ups but those old american hidden headlights are fuggin neat too. I'd love to see them make a return in the form of dual-purpose aerodynamic/cooling vents or maybe some of that electronically-colored smart glass in the same color as the body

Chrome, in general...

Cars need to be flat again.

BRING

BACK

THE

50s

Agree 100%. 50's cars had so much character cause of all the chrome, the grilles looked amazing, and the tail fins. The 50's and 60's must have been an interesting time to live in

This

>things that you wish would return to modern car
Style

...

I totally forgot to mention Ponton styling...

1. low weight
2. compact sieze
3. doors not as thick as they are now.

Doritos

1958 was not a good year for GM, fucking hell. Every marque looks ridiculous that year, especially compared to the much more subdued 57s.

literally any interesting toyotas

I know pop-ups will never come back and have sadly accepted it, but for second place I miss the fuck out of flat beltlines, tall windows, and rear pillars that give way to an actual rear windshield and a long trunk instead of the retarded semi-hatchback shit every single fucking car from shitbox to land barge has nowadays that makes it impossible to see out the back and gives you massive blind spots to the sides.

Does it run on Mt dew

Thinner A pillars would be nice, you can´t see the corner you are driving in some cars.

I want bench seats and column shifters.

For cars:
>popup headlights
>boxy styling

For trucks:
>Bench seats
>also boxy styling

fiat tipo has them

We just need more rectangular cars. Nothing does it for me like a 70's Cadillac Fleetwood Limo or Camaro or some shit.

>in 1994, the first generation Aurora, with its thin-ass pillars and big windows, was not only strong enough to support its own weight on the roof, but broke the fucking machine GM was trying to crush it with during testing
>now we can't even design a car without angry headlights and a beltline that runs at a 45 degree fucking angle with window sills up to your nostrils and C "pillars" that are more like mountains with a rear windshield the size of a Testarossa's

What the actual fuck is everyone doing these days?

Oops. Meant to add
in

Actual keys, and holes for them in the doors and ignition.

Pointy fronts.

Obnixious amounts of chrome.

Front bumpers.

Everything closer to the ground but with good ground clearance.

Front bench seat.

Heavy, solidly built turn signal stalk.

And oil pans with a fucking steel insert welded in SO I DON'T HAVE TO GET IT FUCKING FIXED AGAIN.

>tfw Microbus in the captcha

the Aurora was a beautiful car, with a really fresh, modern take on the classic sedan look. It's the direction sedans should have gone in.

Better go find and buy yourself a B-body or a Panther body now, 'cause in a few years they're gonna go the way of the dodo and no one will even realize it happened.

Only because they will stop being used as fleet cars. Already in NY, (especially after Sandy wiped out tons of them) I've stopped seeing them. Ford has shilled their Taurus really hard as the new PI, and taxis have diversified into all sorts of cars.

Though personally, I'm seeing a lot more panthers on the road as private cars than i used to. A lot more Grand Marquis on the road and a lot more late model G body Buicks. I've even seen a Caprice or two

I bought my first car last summer and I bought a Grand Marquis.

I get the feeling that on some level, people are getting nostalgic for that kind of American car.

>mfw also got myself a Marquis last summer
My very own clone! Now neither of us will be virgins. How're you liking it?

Where are you at in NY? Here upstate, Crown Vics have almost entirely disappeared as fleet cars; taxis don't exist outside of the occasional collegedown minivan and nearly all the local police have switched over to Chargers, Explorers and Tauruses, the latter of which in these infuriating white paintjobs with hidden white POLICE text on the side that only shows up if you're looking at it dead-on. The staties seem to have entirely phased out the CVs as well (even if all their new cruisers use the same reflective strips on the back as the Crown Vics did, I wonder how many thousands of those yellow cutouts they had ordered?).

I'm seeing a surprising number of Panthers lately, even dating back to the earlier pre-98 aero body ones, both in traffic and parked- oddly, I never, ever see any of them driving at night other than the occasional whacker's P71 going through Taco Bell. To this day I still don't know what the turn signal courtesy lamps look like lit up on a Marquis because I never see any at that hour and I always forget to stand back and look at my own. Haven't seen any G-bodies at all, but there's more than one wood-sided Roadmaster wagon around which is cool.

>I get the feeling that on some level, people are getting nostalgic for that kind of American car.
If they are, they're in the severe minority- not many people want a low-tech road boat these days, especially one with no seat bolstering, no wireless connectivity, no "sport mode," no real anything beyond a comfortable ride from A to B powered by the world's laziest V8/transmission combo and enough space to sleep in the trunk while you wait for the 2-3 shift to finish.

marauder!

Liking it? I love it.

You wouldn't think an automatic car that isn't really made for much other than commuting would be fun to drive, but it really is fun to drive. Or at least, enjoyable to drive. It's so comfortable. It's also really quiet for a V8, though there's more than enough noise if you put the foot down. And torque for days. Got a 2003 Ultimate, so tape deck, CD player, and basically power everything. It's also got automatic climate control, and that is REALLY nice, that satisfying collumn shifter and pedal handbrake. Leather seats too. which is nice and "luxurious" though they are problematic in the cold and the heat.

I commute in it. I live on Staten Island in NYC. My commute isn't too far and not too hard, so I guess the car never overstays it's welcome.

though this afternoon, coming home from work with that torrential rain, (which the wipers couldnt even keep up with at max) there was a certain comfy as fuck feeling. had the climate control set at 70, had the radio on, nice and snug.

I'll be honest, people talk about them being old man cars, but noone's ever really commented that to me. if anything they just say 'wow that's a big car!" or something, and say something about gas.

My neighbor is maybe in his 40's and he went on about how he missed the one he used to have when he was a bit younger, and it having "the same engine as a Mustang!"

I'll be honest, when i was looking, I was actually hoping for an early 90's Town Car, because I think that was the peak of it's design, and is still one of the most beautiful Panthers.

But i'm happy with what i got.

Noice. Mine is an '01 LS (all the goodies except for the Handling/Performance Pack stuff) so it doesn't have the handling improvements of the '03 onwards, but you're right that it's surprisingly enjoyable to drive- especially around here where there's tons of dirt and gravel roads and these cars love kicking the ass end out the instant you look at the traction control switch. The column shift is satisfying as hell too, CHK-CHK-CHK as you row through to D, even if I still need to crawl under the dash and find that one nut that needs to be re-tightened because mine is getting kind of loose.

You're right about leather being a pain, especially this past winter with the single-digit temperatures so many days- I just threw a towel on the seat, it's ugly but it works. My auto climate control doesn't quite work (outside temperature always reads 127, need to replace the sensor) so it's just "push red button until it reads 80 and scroll the wheel upwards for warm, push blue button for cold." It warms up quick enough.

>(which the wipers couldnt even keep up with at max)
Yeah, the wipers could definitely be a bit faster. The headlights suck dick, too, I can see why so many people do upgrades to them... as do the speakers. And the cupholders. Especially those.

>if anything they just say 'wow that's a big car!" or something, and say something about gas.
>car trunk was used as storage for a few weeks while clearing out other vehicle
>finally got a chance to clean it out this week on the nice couple days of weather
>trunk had my tool set and jack, multiple milk crates, a full size spare tire, a couple small bottles of propane, and a full size gun case with room for enough other shit to fill it right up to the trunk lid
>bag_of_holding.jpg
Does your trunklid also spill a torrent of water on everything if you open it after it rains? I don't know if I have something clogged up somewhere not draining right or if it's just a design flaw like the giant panel gaps.

What's interesting about the Cressida? Saved, by the way.

>Does your trunklid also spill a torrent of water on everything if you open it after it rains?
Shit yes. it's a design thing. water sort of pools on it.

That said, and im not sure if this is the same for pre 03, buy there's a canal built into the area surrounding the lid, specifically to drain water and such.

also the trunk, i've found, is large but has it's limitations. It's not so much large as it is deep, which means If I have to put luggae in it can be tricky, compared to my dad' modern Fusion, which has a wider trunk, even if it doesnt have depth.

the spare wheel's overhang also causes problems in that regard.

Not him, but Cressidas are just neat. They have a dashboard with buttons that literally serve no purpose but to make parts of the dash slide out so you can push MORE buttons, and the clock plays a tune on your birthday. They also had an option for a sweet-ass digital dashboard.

The canal on the sides is there on pre-03s as well, Marquis share quarter panels from 1998 to 2011. Those do a shitty job draining water anyway, though, I've gotta constantly clean the damn things because they collect every piece of pollen and leaf that happens to be washed in and somehow I'm sure that part is gonna rust out before the actual body does.

>the spare wheel's overhang also causes problems in that regard.
Yeah, the spare wheel's location is a pain. There's times I have to carry a wheelchair in the trunk and that's absolutely impossible with the tire there, so the first thing I did was unscrew it from the rear shelf, toss the screw into a bag which I promptly lost, and just toss the tire into the deep area of the trunk next to the jack/emergency equipment/etc. Had no problems fitting a (folding) wheelchair in at that point, it just sits on top of the tire and the side curved bits angled towards the rear shelf area and all is well.

For reference I mean one of the full-size folding chairs like this that only shrink width-wise and weigh about forty pounds, not the lightweight ones with a collapsing back that fold to the size of a suitcase.

What kills me in regards to the wheel is also the fucking screw for it. It takes FOREVER to unscrew because the screw is so goddamned long. Like, was that absolutely necessary?

Yes, because fuck you. We'll make the screw to hold the spare tire in place a foot and a half long, and then we'll make the cupholders half an inch of flimsy plastic that can't even hold a soda can! And then we'll give it an auto-dimming rearview mirror that never dims, and an anti-theft "deterrent" light that blinks on the dashboard that you WISH you could dim! And then, for our top luxury model, we'll put an analog clock in the dashboard- right above the digital clock!

And to top it all off, if these schmucks are unlucky enough to buy a car made before 2003, we'll make the entire intake manifold out of the shittiest Chinese plastic known to man so it inevitably cracks at 150,000 miles, spews coolant fucking everywhere, and probably maims their engine- and if they're LUCKY, it'll just be a leaking head gasket fouling their cylinders for twenty thousand miles before the whole thing goes kablooey!

Coupes bigger than vans and SUVS

Mah boi

but Panthers have the most anemic V8 ever

I don't think people understand how big these fuckers got.
I once went to go look at a Gran Torino, fucker was gigantic in person.

The 4.6 is lazy but they've got a long wheelbase and just about no weight over the rear wheels- combine that with its surprising torque and you can break them loose pretty easily while the front end will almost never lose traction with so much weight on it.

>low belt line and scuttle
>slim a posts
>no fucking wedge

>they've got a long wheelbase and just about no weight over the rear wheels
So like almost every RWD V8,

>combine that with its surprising torque

it has less than 300 ft lbs.

It's getting roughly the same power as Ford's old 289 while being so much heavier and taller.

The 4.6 in SOHC is probably the worst example of a V8 in modern times.

I'm only telling you what I know from experience, that being it's not difficult to make the ass end of a Crown Victoria break free. Will it be a controllable drift missile to vape out of? No. Will it do one big one-wheel peel through three gears? No. Will it try to go sideways if you take that gravel turn 5mph faster than you should? Yes.

>The 4.6 in SOHC is probably the worst example of a V8 in modern times.
>when the fucking Northstar exists

>>when the fucking Northstar exists
Further proof OHC shouldn't be anywhere near a V8 engine.

RWD i6

Look up it's cousins the chaser, cresta and mark ii and you'll see that this is a much loved platform that has a lot of potential

Here is your pop up headlights

1. Bench seats
2. Column shifters
3. full frames
4. transmission dipsticks
5. display screens that are integrated into the dash not on top
6. metal bumpers
7. Gauges that light up in a color BESIDES FUCKING WHITE
8. Real keys not gay little remotes
9. door buzzers not chimes
10. aesthetic digital instruments

Shame that the car is a pile of shit.

Compact pickups.

>2. Column shifters
Nigger status: muh

There's always a bigger sporty coupe (Pic related is around 5.7 meters long)
Damn that's nice

That big of a car and he still manages to park on the slashed lines, directly in front of the fucking wheelchair ramp.

...

Wedge aesthetics.

You gunna need a wheel chair after you drive a superbird.

Big chrome floor shifters.

That's a console shifter mate

Well it's basically the same thing. Only difference is the console sits on top of the floor shifter.

>roadster design

My car from 2001 has these. Separate Keyes for the door, trunk, and gas cap. Passenger and driver doors accessible with keys.

>Feels bretty gud.

Engine options, sharp edges, straight mounted engines, room under the hood, nothing other than windows and accessories controlled by wire.

Opera windows.

>could've just as well been a larger proper window
>but let's decrease the visibility because muh faux-brougham chic
>also vinyl roofs well known for fostering rust
They even MADE a version with a normal roof and windows, so why would you buy this bullshit?

Outward visibility

Hideaway headlights will definitely return to LED tech getting smaller and smaller, and one day I am 100% sure auto-makers will employ "2-way mirror" stuff for lights that shine through apparently-solid surfaces.

>lower beltlines
>Bigger windows
>Vent windows
>Complete lack of driving aids and nanny safety tech
>Steel bumpers

You know it won't be executed correctly. Instead of a grille that looks badass regardless of whether the lights are on or not, it'll just be Tesla or the Prius removing yet another feature from the front of their cars.

someone needs to
G E T T H E A E S

Camper vans that don't start at $50k+.

I mean, what the fuck happened? Adjusted for inflation, a completely tricked out Type 2 camper had a MSRP of ~$20,500 in 1970 and my dad's beat-to-shit one that's quietly hibernating in a friend's yard is worth more than that. Why isn't there a bare bones van out there for young people or families who want an RV but don't want a second mortgage?

Actual keys and keys that don't look like a ugly as rectangular turd

Weight reduction bruh xd, fuck off with 4k lbs on a hot-hatch

Interesting designs instead of modern fender flair bullshit

Get rid of all that infotaiment shit and bloated steering wheels.

I wish true base model vehicles still existed. No fancy center console, manual doors and windows, manual gearbox with the a larger engine. All I really care about is having an aux, A/C and cruise control.

umm..

yea but that looks fucking stupid you know

not needing grilles to have 82,000 different little subtle patterns that make them look fucking retarded
just fucking make a grille, it's fine everyone knows what it is you don't need it to have 3 different crosshatching patterns fucking hell

oh also honeycombs look stupid don't fucking do it idiots

I bet you look like a faggot.

Looks like the real Challenger's fat sister

Rwd

Na engines

Big straight sixes eights and 4 bangers over 250ci/4l

Big block V8 that are cheap

Big land barges

Thicc coupes like Supra skyline and s13

Cheap mid engines

BRING BACK VENT WINDOWS!!!!!

>Does your trunklid also spill a torrent of water on everything if you open it after it rains?

I had this 2005 Crown Vic until it was taken from me in an accident in November of last year - the trunk waterfall was something I dealt with every single time it rained. Thanks for reminding me LOL

>Big steering wheels
>column shifters
>no infotainment
>bench seats
>light, simple cars
>'small' cars that are actually small
>low, level beltlines
>big windows
>external antennae
>multiple engine options
>room in the engine bay
>non-angry/non-aggressive styling
>smoker's windows
>fog lights
>real buttons and switches
>mechanical buzzers for turn signals, etc.
>3 door hatchbacks

Seriously, I looked at a new Chebby Spark today, and dispite being 'subcompact' it's big, heavy, and it looks like it's going to rape you. And even the base model has infotainment bullshit. I wanted to like it so much, but it's just dreadful.

I just want a slightly modern Geo Metro :(

MSRP below $10K

I don't disagree with you but the point was that it's a coupe and it's huge.

>would you buy this bullshit?
They make a car that gets 55 miles per gallon and has normal windows and a back-up camera. Why would YOU buy the bullshit of a 70's Dodge? Because we're talking about Art. We're talking about Aesthetics. The opera window looks good. Embrace it.

I got a 1990 LTD Crown Victoria and I absolutely love that box of a car. It's got a gutless 302 and the laziest AOD in the universe but it feels like driving my recliner down the road. The air blows cold, it's dead simple to work on and I have a trunk that could just be filled with endless shit.

>what is inflation

I strongly disagree with your opinions.

I disagree with yours as well. Someone somewhere thought that the best evolution for the '58 models was to make the front ends all look like Duplo bricks and put enough straight chrome on the sides that you can notate Beethoven's Fifth on the bars.