Innovative Feature Contest

[ToniCipriani]

A while ago I posted a new key design in the Design forum, which sparked me to think of this.

Aside from the Sketch and Photochop competitions we have, how about an innovative feature contest?

We might be able to inspire GM to incorporate some new features in future cars.

Edited March 8, 2006 by ToniCipriani

[ocnblu]

It would be so frickin' cool to have like a button on your keyless transmitter that would start the engine and heat or cool the car to your settings, waddya think?

[Camino LS6]

Love this idea!

[pow]

It would be so frickin' cool to have like a button on your keyless transmitter that would start the engine and heat or cool the car to your settings, waddya think?

Dunno if that's tongue-in-cheek, but many GM cars have that option.

[ocnblu]

One word:

O RLY???

[gm_rocks]

does a $100,000 Benz have this?

[Charger4U]

i think a cool feature would be a hydrogen car with an option to run on diesel/E85/gasoline for when it needs more power..chrysler patented this

[04monteintimidator]

how about a sweet forcefield like in the mercury milan commercials? haha but being completely serious... maybe like... oh man i dunno... thats hard... cars these days have so much random stuff in them its next to impossible to think up somethin unique... if something comes to me ill be sure to post it tho

[Enzora]

Dunno if that's tongue-in-cheek, but many GM cars have that option.

I'm not sure if ocn's tongue is ever out of cheek.

[ToniCipriani]

It would be so frickin' cool to have like a button on your keyless transmitter that would start the engine and heat or cool the car to your settings, waddya think?

My car does that

[PurdueGuy]

I loved the inside door handles on my first car - a '76 Mercury Monarch.

notice how the release handle is parallel to the armrest handle. To open the door, you simply squeeze & push, instead of pulling & pushing, which seems rather counterintuitive. Also, the angled armrest handle is at a great angle for pushing/pulling on the door. I wasn't a huge fan of the car overall, though it wasn't too bad, but this feature was very impressive.

[Sixty8panther]

I owned a 1979 Granada back in the day and can honestly say that out of the HUNDREDS of cars I've sat in betwen Easterns Europe and the USA (including junkyards) they had THE worst interior!

The dash, seat, ergonomics, comfort, style, layout... all get a big F-.

What a horrible era of cars. Still at least your first car was RWD.

I've got a few ideas, I'll mention a couple later.

[Newbiewar]

haha... i win this forum...

okay here are some ideas...

While navigation is nice... it would also be nice in my opinion (living in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles) to know the average speed of the freeways you are planning to use? this information is avalible online prior to leaving your home, but it would be nice to see it on your navigation screen... hows that for an idea?

and another thing i've always tried to imagine how it would work, but i never could quite engeneer it up, but engine with a viable displacement... i.e. the stroke can increase or decrease to adjust to operation needed... when crusing you dont need the same power you do getting off the line... just a thought...

ummm another thought I had was to some how have a holagram gauge cluster on the steering wheel instead of having it on the dash, so instead of having to move the gauge cluster from one side to another with oposite driving styles... i guess a heads up display type thing but in between the area on the steering wheel... lol its kind of an off the wall suggestion...

haha a car that could wash itself?

a hybrid motor that was powered by a sterling or external combustion engine i.e. exhaust...

haha... i've got to get some sleep but theres a few things off the top of my head...

[pow]

While navigation is nice... it would also be nice in my opinion (living in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles) to know the average speed of the freeways you are planning to use? this information is avalible online prior to leaving your home, but it would be nice to see it on your navigation screen... scratchchin.gif hows that for an idea?

The Acura RL, and more recently, the Cadillac CTS have "real-time" navigation systems.

[Black and Blue Landscaper]

I loved the inside door handles on my first car - a '76 Mercury Monarch. 

notice how the release handle is parallel to the armrest handle.  To open the door, you simply squeeze & push, instead of pulling & pushing, which seems rather counterintuitive.  Also, the angled armrest handle is at a great angle for pushing/pulling on the door.  I wasn't a huge fan of the car overall, though it wasn't too bad, but this feature was very impressive.

you should check out

Dane Cook Retailiation

hey does a routine about when your girlfriend fumbles with the door handle to get out, you must hear!

[AAS]

and another thing i've always tried to imagine how it would work, but i never could quite engeneer it up, but engine with a viable displacement... i.e. the stroke can increase or decrease to adjust to operation needed... when crusing you dont need the same power you do getting off the line... just a thought...

Saab already did this.

[NOS2006]

One word:

O RLY???

:rotflmao:

[mute]

how about a feature that when there are no passengers you can fold all the seats down and put the passenger seat as low as possible for a lower center of gravity while driving?

-

meaning having control of all the seat adjustments from the drivers seat

dunno if its done etc or how "innovative" it is but i like the idea

[91z4me]

Saab already did this.

I think you are thinking of the variable compression system. It tilted the head to 1 side so the compression was raised or lowered based on the head position. He means actually changing the stroke, most likely on the connecting rod. Go from a long rod to a shorter rod and you can change the stroke.

[regfootball]

satellite fed on demand audio subscription services (ala rhapsody on the internet), also more cars with 5.1 DVD-Audio spec and hard drive based storage for media.

[PurdueGuy]

I owned a 1979 Granada back in the day and can honestly say that out of the HUNDREDS of cars I've sat in betwen Easterns Europe and the USA (including junkyards) they had THE worst interior!

The dash, seat, ergonomics, comfort, style, layout... all get a big F-.

What a horrible era of cars. Still at least your first car was RWD.

I've got a few ideas, I'll mention a couple later.

I'd agree that most of the interior is just blah, but those door handles were great.

[NOS2006]

I have this idea. It's where.. well, two wheels spin at the same time. And, no, not the front wheels.. I like the ones in the back to spin. In the rear, yeah.. the rear wheels. They'll drive. I've got it! How 'bout.. rear wheel drive?!

[Newbiewar]

I think you are thinking of the variable compression system.  It tilted the head to 1 side so the compression was raised or lowered based on the head position.  He means actually changing the stroke, most likely on the connecting rod.  Go from a long rod to a shorter rod and you can change the stroke.

yea thats what i ment... because at low speeds basically you want long stroke, and at high speeds you want short stroke... thus at high speeds making the vehicle more efficent...

hrmm... what else could be innovative?

hrmm well we could always go with the obvious... put an oven in the car, so the engine can heat some food... hahah, i'm sure thats already been done, i know truck drivers will put stuff in foil under their hood for a while...

what else... perhaps umm... tinted windows that are made of that stuff that gets darker with brightness... so at night your windows would be crystal clear, but in the day they would be tinted...

[91z4me]

what else... perhaps umm... tinted windows that are made of that stuff that gets darker with brightness... so at night your windows would be crystal clear, but in the day they would be tinted...

Like those transitions sunglasses. Would an oncoming car make them darken though? Also how long does it take to change?

Still would be cool.

How about vents built into the headliner? I know they have it in SUVs but in cars. That way it doesn't take up dash space, which can be limited, and you can still get it to blow on you.

[Newbiewar]

Like those transitions sunglasses.  Would an oncoming car make them darken though?  Also how long does it take to change?

Still would be cool.

for the sunglasses, they tint almost instantly with brightlights, but they take near 30 seconds to clear back up if you go into a dark room... so it might be bad if the car goes into a tunnel or something...

[NOS2006]

How about heated tires on demand? Like, the tires would heat up to a certain temperature once the air/road drops to a low enough temperature and would stick to the road better and/or help to melt ice/snow somewhat.

[Newbiewar]

How about heated tires on demand? Like, the tires would heat up to a certain temperature once the air/road drops to a low enough temperature and would stick to the road better and/or help to melt ice/snow somewhat.

hey good idea, might help create friction on icy roads...

how about a retractable spoiler that alters areodynamics... porsche has something... but it could be improved... because what is areodynamic at 60 mph is not at 120mph... or at 160mph...

[NOS2006]

How about retractable body panels that would go out, hurting aerodynamics, during heavy braking in higher-power, higher-priced sportscars?

[Nick]

The Veyron's spoiler acts as an airbrake under heavy braking...pretty slick.