| trixie |
| Ever noticed how GM comes up with great ideas that last about one model year? Remember swivel seats in the early 70's. They looked cool at the beach and made it easier for the elderly to get out of their cars. Or how about the secret compartment in the 1980 Seville that was the perfect size to hold a fifth of Jack Daniels. I'm thinking that the seems-like-a-good-idea-but-its-not speed/volume feature will not last long. Can you think of any good GM ideas that flopped? |
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| hammermdx |
I agree that the swivel seats and secret compartment are rather silly, but I do like the speed sensitive volume control on my BMW. I can also turn it off and it has 5 sensitivity settings.
The important thing about options like SSVC, is to give the owner the ability to self program these.....something Acura in general is pitiful at. |
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| xcel |
Hi Trixie:
___GM has quite a few imho … The EV-1 was an excellent idea (some of today’s Hybrids use similar technology). So was alternate cylinder shutoff for fuel economy in larger engined ICE’s (see the 2005 Accord press release). It’s to bad GM didn’t have the calculating HP and fast valve HW and SW to accomplish the cylinder shutoff properly. Both ideas were bit before there time :(
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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| zafer |
| OnStar ? The RL has it. |
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| renov8r |
| ...but seriously, GM has done some cool things. Their problems have mostly been related to their huge size-- from labor problems to dealer problems Honda has the benefit of "learning from others' mistakes". |
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| zafer |
| DRL? That was GM idea, right? |
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| BWSmith201 |
| Wasn't the auto-dimming rear-view mirror GM's? |
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| pcgold |
I just sold my 1996 Ford Exploder. It had the keyless entry keypad on the oustide of the driver's door. I'm not aware of any other manufacturer doing that.
Also, the Exploder had a door lock switch inside the rear hatchback.
We've only had our X for three weeks but both my wife and I really miss those two features an awful lot.
Why don't other manufacturer's have these?
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| trixie |
Nissan used the keypad entry on their 89 through 94 generation Maxima. I found the feature much more handy than a remote key fob. I was nice to not worry about locking the damn keys in the car. In addition to opening the doors and truck, you could roll down the windows.
Elaborating on my comment about GM's speed volume feature not working. It works well enough when the windows are down. When they're up, the volume is way too loud at speed. The system does not monitor ambient noise levels to adjust volume appropriately. To save a few bucks, perhaps they attach the volume control to the speedometer cable.
Other GM features... How about cornering lights and heads-up display. I think that the Park Avenue still uses both technologies. Are they great GM ideas that flopped? |
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| hondacuraworld |
| The most intelligent idea that GM ever had (and other manufacturers) was an "Engine Cold" light that went off when the vehicle was up to temp and able to deliver heat. Had one in my '64 Bel Air and have missed it ever since :( |
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| jurincie |
quote:
Originally posted by trixie
I'm thinking that the seems-like-a-good-idea-but-its-not speed/volume feature will not last long. Can you think of any good GM ideas that flopped?
I don't know exactly when the speed compensated radio volume started - but I had it on my 1994 Corvette and it is also on my 2004 Corvette. I think it is a great feature, especially when the top is down. |
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| BlueStreak |
quote:
Originally posted by trixie
Ever noticed how GM comes up with great ideas that last about one model year? Remember swivel seats in the early 70's. They looked cool at the beach and made it easier for the elderly to get out of their cars. Or how about the secret compartment in the 1980 Seville that was the perfect size to hold a fifth of Jack Daniels. I'm thinking that the seems-like-a-good-idea-but-its-not speed/volume feature will not last long. Can you think of any good GM ideas that flopped?
GM engineering ideas that flopped? WHERE do you want to start?
- Vega motor - Nice aluminum block but they forgot to consider the need for cylinder sleeves.
- Cady V8-6-4 motor that turned cylinders off to save gas
- Olds gas engine blocks converted to diesel engines
- Chevy/Pontiac - Early aluminum head on iron block motor that ate head gaskets at a rate fast than our thong thread gets views
And Ford has a couple great ones too.
- 80's LTD's with soft-lobed aluminum cams that went flat, literally
If there is one reason to thank the Japanese, it was that Gm had to stop field testing these "great" ideas on the customers. |
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| jurincie |
quote:
Originally posted by BlueStreak
GM engineering ideas that flopped? WHERE do you want to start?
- Vega motor - Nice aluminum block but they forgot to consider the need for cylinder sleeves.
- Cady V8-6-4 motor that turned cylinders off to save gas
- Olds gas engine blocks converted to diesel engines
- Chevy/Pontiac - Early aluminum head on iron block motor that ate head gaskets at a rate fast than our thong thread gets views
And Ford has a couple great ones too.
- 80's LTD's with soft-lobed aluminum cams that went flat, literally
If there is one reason to thank the Japanese, it was that Gm had to stop field testing these "great" ideas on the customers.
The V8-6-4 idea is back and this time it is called displacement on demand. All I know about it is that it should be out in the next 6-12 months on the trucks, and fortunately the Corvette won't have it.
I must add that Acura "field tests" things too, like the rain sensing windshield wipers and voice activated navigation. Both are good ideas that are a little early for prime time and don't work very well in my opinion. They sure looked great in the brochure though. |
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| trixie |
And the winner is...
First runner-up
Cadillac V8-6-4
Missed the winning spot because the feature could be defeated by unplugging the electronics. At the heart of the concept, a decent Chevy 350
First place
Oldsmobile diesel
GM wins big by selling millions of these units to unsuspecting folks that think diesels or more reliable than gas motors. GM saves tens of millions by recycling the Chevy 350 for diesel service. They only miss one detail--the compression ratios needed for diesel combustion will rip a normal motor in two. GM is not dumb, the motors were just good enough to survive the warranty period, saving GM another fortune in warranty payouts. |
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| eurohazard |
How 'bout the Corvair? Rear engine little coupe, sedan, van, and truck.
And my Cadillac has repeater LED signal lights mounted on the fronts of the fenders in the drivers view. Why? There is already the arrows in the spedo cluster. |
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| td284 |
quote:
Originally posted by eurohazard
And my Cadillac has repeater LED signal lights mounted on the fronts of the fenders in the drivers view. Why? There is already the arrows in the spedo cluster.
I call those "Grandma lights". They cut down on blinker-always-on syndrome (every Buick should have them!).
Let's not forget the Toronado and Eldorado, first with front-wheel drive and the humpless floor. As for styling, GM was first with fins on the early 50s Caddys, and then the boattail Riviera of the 70s and humpback Seville of the 80s were standouts.
My soon to expire Explorer has the keypad, and once the carwash locked the keys in the car. I had the code and it was a simple save. Also, my seat automatically slides back when you turn off the ignition and remove the key, a nice feature for getting in and out. Those may be the only two features I'll miss when I get the X (oh, and the lighted steering wheel controls...aaarrgghh!). |
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| pcgold |
| And don't forget what Ralph Nader said about the Corvair: "Unsafe at any speed." That is just one great quote. |
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| loa3 |
The Corvair was a great little car. We can thank Ralph Nader for trashing it for his own publicity. I believe most if not all of his allegations about the Corvair were disproved, but by the time that happened, the damage was done.
Regarding GM's misses -- how about the Pontiac Fiero 4 cylinder. They reduced the oil capacity to 3 qts. or less. The engines (located behind the driver and passenger) had a habit of overheating and catching fire. Talk about burning your backside!
Probably the most obnoxious thing GM did (for only one year, thankfully) was the ignition interlock with the seat belts in 1974. Talk about a stupid idea! You couldn't start the car unless the driver and front passenger buckled their seatbelts. Luckily, there was a way to deactivate the system. Some GM engineer's brain had obviously been deactivated earlier! |
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| G. COLTON |
quote:
Originally posted by eurohazard
How 'bout the Corvair? Rear engine little coupe, sedan, van, and truck.
And my Cadillac has repeater LED signal lights mounted on the fronts of the fenders in the drivers view. Why? There is already the arrows in the spedo cluster.
The only thing wrong with the Corvair was Ralph Nader and incompetent drivers. |
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| 04mdx4sq |
| I would have to add CroosFire Injection from the early 80's Camaros. |
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| eurohazard |
quote:
The only thing wrong with the Corvair was Ralph Nader and incompetent drivers.
I agree with that. My dad had a few corvairs and a van. He sold them before I could drive though, so I never actually drove one though. |
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