Lucid Air

[Buster]

I'm not so much interested in this car in particular. But it illustrates what I perceive as the future for the auto industry. Car companies will be coach builders with slight variations on a skateboard chassis. As the industry matures, these cars will just be off the shelf mass produced components. If you are a car enthusiast, you will be talking like Matt and Zack here: "look at the buttons! look at the textured fabric!"

This really reminds me of the beginning of the smartphone era. There were things to talk about with phones for a while, but now we're reduced to talking about bezel sizes and slight variations in camera quality.

I know people think that ICE cars will be these valuable artifacts. The truth with car values is that for the most part the ones that gain in value are the nostalgia plays for a particular generation. You saw relatively crappy 60s/70s muscle cars go up when the boomers got money. You see that 80's japanese and germans go valuable when the Gen Xers got money. I think millennials might be the last generation that values a generation of ICE cars. We might see a bubble of values go through the back catalog of ICE cars, but the time for when ICE cars will be treated more like blackberries and Motorola Razrs is much closer than we think.

[killramos]

What’s most telling is the relative disinterest of young people these days towards cars in general. Many in cities don’t even bother to get drivers licenses.

So… Detroit is once again going to be the new Detroit?

[Buster]

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What’s most telling is the relative disinterest of young people these days towards cars in general. Many in cities don’t even bother to get drivers licenses.

So… Detroit is once again going to be the new Detroit?

Cars used to be a form of entertainment/hobby. Nowadays who needs that? We have the tiktok.

[ExtraSlow]

Drivers licenses have been pretty passé for kids for more than 10 years.

[bjstare]

ICE cars are already being treated like blackberries by young kids. Coworker of mine recently had to explain to his 7 year old why he got a hybrid instead of an EV.

I think we’re only a couple decades away from performance cars being like horses. Spend a lot of money to buy a nice one and drive it at a track, maybe even keep it there. EVs will be used as conveyances for the vast majority once charging/battery capacity improves.

I still think we’ll see power units/power storage become differentiators, in addition to materials and UX… but mostly agree that cars for enthusiasts will start to disappear (probably along the same timeline as us enthusiasts start to die off).

[Buster]

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ICE cars are already being treated like blackberries by young kids. Coworker of mine recently had to explain to his 7 year old why he got a hybrid instead of an EV.

I think we’re only a couple decades away from performance cars being like horses. Spend a lot of money to buy a nice one and drive it at a track, maybe even keep it there. EVs will be used as conveyances for the vast majority once charging/battery capacity improves.

I still think we’ll see power units/power storage become differentiators, in addition to materials and UX… but mostly agree that cars for enthusiasts will start to disappear (probably along the same timeline as us enthusiasts start to die off).

I think it will happen sooner. I'm a car enthusiast, but I've been finding it harder and harder to be enthused.

[nismodrifter]

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I think it will happen sooner. I'm a car enthusiast, but I've been finding it harder and harder to be enthused.

This is exactly how I feel. I just do not care anymore. I have no idea if this is an aging thing, a becoming a dad thing, a COVID thing, or an EV/hybrid bullshit thing. I want to be like @Team_Mclaren is with his fleet of tasteful cars but I can't muster up the enthusiasm. There is no pill that can help me with this problem either. I see cars in traffic and they are just blobs. One uglier than the next. Often a wild Maybach/Phantom/GT3 RS/458/Aventador appears and I don't even care.

There are 1 or 2 90's, and early 00 era cars that are on my radar. Thats about it. They WERE obtainable, not sure about now. I used to spend time hunting for the perfect example, but as of late, I don't.

I don't like the way this is headed.

[dromz]

Yes but, collector cars hit an all time this year through online auctions and apparently young buyers are getting in on the act.

[killramos]

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Yes but, collector cars hit an all time this year through online auctions and apparently young buyers are getting in on the act.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of the state of current new vehicles…

[vengie]

These cars are soon just going to be a computer driving you A -> B, I think in the next couple decades people won't be driving at all.

I'm more curious what the plan is for mass scale electrical generation/ distribution once everyone plugs in their EV('s) every night.
We already have massive power constraints in adverse weather.

[Buster]

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This is exactly how I feel. I just do not care anymore. I have no idea if this is an aging thing, a becoming a dad thing, a COVID thing, or an EV/hybrid bullshit thing. I want to be like @Team_Mclaren is with his fleet of tasteful cars but I can't muster up the enthusiasm. There is no pill that can help me with this problem either. I see cars in traffic and they are just blobs. One uglier than the next. Often a wild Maybach/Phantom/GT3 RS/458/Aventador appears and I don't even care.

There are 1 or 2 90's, and early 00 era cars that are on my radar. Thats about it. They WERE obtainable, not sure about now. I used to spend time hunting for the perfect example, but as of late, I don't.

I don't like the way this is headed.

This exactly.

The price of a car that is interesting to me has gone up dramatically. But even then, I'm like..."meh". I saw a 720s on the road the other day. It caught my attention for about 3 seconds, then I forgot about it. As you say, it's hard to tell if it's a dad thing, or whatever. But it's definitely a thing.

I did just order a new motorcycle that has me more excited than almost any car I could buy...so who knows, maybe that itch is one that is more fun to scratch.

[jutes]

I'm hoping gas prices will come down with more demand for EVs, but I have no idea how any of that works.

[killramos]

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I'm hoping gas prices will come down with more demand for EVs, but I have no idea how any of that works.

Considering gas prices at the pump are very significantly driven by taxation and assorted government policy mismanagement. I wouldn’t hold your breath.

- - - Updated - - -

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These cars are soon just going to be a computer driving you A -> B, I think in the next couple decades people won't be driving at all.

I'm more curious what the plan is for mass scale electrical generation/ distribution once everyone plugs in their EV('s) every night.
We already have massive power constraints in adverse weather.

I’m sure our government will come up with some kind of breadline in true Canadian fashion.

[rage2]

EVs are still in it’s infancy, and for sports car driving enthusiasts, doesn’t deliver the winning formula for a complete package until solid state batteries mature. There’s still a huge difference in driving experience between a Tesla and a Taycan, but the sheer weight of the batteries is holding it back. So ya, I disagree that EVs are just skateboard and nothing to talk about except the interior. Fact is, that’s always been the case, so few people care about anything else but. You can crank out a video talking about how differently a Lucid Air drives, and nobody would watch it.

PHEVs are just starting to get there in offering more than what ICE alone can accomplish, by reducing the impact of the battery’s shortcomings but still deliver something more with minimal impact to the total driving experience. I have faith as a car enthusiast as progress is made.

[Buster]

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EVs are still in it’s infancy, and for sports car driving enthusiasts, doesn’t deliver the winning formula for a complete package until solid state batteries mature. There’s still a huge difference in driving experience between a Tesla and a Taycan, but the sheer weight of the batteries is holding it back. So ya, I disagree that EVs are just skateboard and nothing to talk about except the interior. Fact is, that’s always been the case, so few people care about anything else but. You can crank out a video talking about how differently a Lucid Air drives, and nobody would watch it.

PHEVs are just starting to get there in offering more than what ICE alone can accomplish, by reducing the impact of the battery’s shortcomings but still deliver something more with minimal impact to the total driving experience. I have faith as a car enthusiast as progress is made.

Weight doesn't bother people as much as it should. Just look at how many "raaawr, 1/4 mile times!" fans are on beyond.

[That.Guy.S30]

Lucid are pimp. That is all!

[kJUMP]

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EVs are still in it’s infancy, and for sports car driving enthusiasts, doesn’t deliver the winning formula for a complete package until solid state batteries mature. There’s still a huge difference in driving experience between a Tesla and a Taycan, but the sheer weight of the batteries is holding it back. So ya, I disagree that EVs are just skateboard and nothing to talk about except the interior. Fact is, that’s always been the case, so few people care about anything else but. You can crank out a video talking about how differently a Lucid Air drives, and nobody would watch it.

What's the difference in the driving experience between those two? Like beyond the interiors and fit/finish? I haven't driven the Taycan yet so can't really comment but was nice to sit in.

[rage2]

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What's the difference in the driving experience between those two? Like beyond the interiors and fit/finish? I haven't driven the Taycan yet so can't really comment but was nice to sit in.

Removing acceleration out of the equation, the Model 3 Performance, Model S P100 (highest trim I’ve driven) and Taycan 4S all drive completely differently.

Model S is like an old school AMG E55. It excels in a straight line, but doesn’t do anything notable when thrown into corners. You corner exit by trying to straighten out as soon as possible and planting the throttle.

The Model 3 reminds me of my old C63. Corners decent, good enough grip near the limit, but gets sloppy at the limit, and really sloppy if you’re changing directions quickly. The TC will keep you planted at 8/10ths.

The Taycan feels like a modern 911. Ridiculous turn in, tons of grip, precise at the limit. It’s also way more comfortable over shitty roads than either Tesla. It masks the weight well, but throw in a change of direction and it’ll lose the sharpness and you’ll feel that hidden weight quickly.

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Weight doesn't bother people as much as it should. Just look at how many "raaawr, 1/4 mile times!" fans are on beyond.

Reading or watching reviews of cars has gone in this direction too. Try to find any article or YouTube video reviewing how these cars handle. It’s an afterthought. They just go on and on about acceleration that really doesn’t matter. My 2 minuscule sentences for each car above is probably a better description of the handling than 95% of the reviews out there. All these cars are silly fast in a straight line. Even the Taycan I feel isn’t really balanced when it comes to the total package. It’s so fast in a straight line, even the 4s, when it comes to cornering you feel like you’re pussyfooting around corners. You have to rewire your brain to drive it in a certain way.

It’s weird, back in the day I love reading MT, R&T reviews, they would write so much about how a car handles and when I get to drive one they’ve reviewed, it just clicks how on point their review is. I didn’t have to test drive cars before buying them, I could read a review and really understand how the car will feel in my hands. And very few people had the driving abilities to leverage the descriptions of handling in these reviews. You’d have online forum fights of who’s got a better car based on these reviews. “My car handles better than your car so it’s better”. Now, it’s shifted purely to acceleration numbers with how a car feels in the hands of a driver left as an afterthought.

Cars haven’t changed. Car enthusiasts, however few of us left, haven’t changed. The reviews have changed. It’s MSM changing the narrative on us lol.

[Kloubek]

I like that they actually made a car look unique. It's not exactly groundbreaking in appearance since it follows some of the same overall styling strategies other carmakers are implementing these days - which is basically to make a car look like a jelly bean. But it's a fairly nice lookin' jelly bean.

[Ca_Silvia13]

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I like that they actually made a car look unique. It's not exactly groundbreaking in appearance since it follows some of the same overall styling strategies other carmakers are implementing these days - which is basically to make a car look like a jelly bean. But it's a fairly nice lookin' jelly bean.

It should look nice. ST said their tester was 170k USD.