Is it me, or has 2019 arrived sounding a reconciliatory tone?
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that 2018 was ‘a bit fighty’, but the new year’s newspaper opinion columns, at least, seem to me to have a more sympathetic, understanding lilt to them; as if we are all, whether we like it or not, bloodied pugilists who, tired and broken, look across from our prone positions on the mat and think: ‘Didn’t we used to like each other? Didn’t we used to have more dignity in our discussions? Honestly, what’s the point of all this?’
Or perhaps it’s that, when I write, it’s still, technically, Christmas (diary, day 11: sherry stocks are running dangerously low and the cat and I are eyeing each other suspiciously over the last few scraps of ham; please send help). This is a time that traditionally teaches us it’s possible not just to get on with but also to love those who we have minor disagreements with because, frankly, there’s more to life, and getting on with each other is more important.
This year already feels more understanding, more nuanced, like things haven’t since, well, I don’t know exactly, but let’s call it 2016.
If only, though, there were a more reliable metric than just catching a whiff of a positive mood in the air, to affirm my new-found sense of optimism.
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The future is not for us...
The vast majority of people don't give a toss about cars, they just need to have one. And since they do, it might as well double as a status symbol or just a cheap box, depending on their outlook on life. But that'll change. Our kids or possibly grandkids wont have that emotional bond. Most will be content to just hail an autonomous taxi that'll take them where they want to go. I quite fancy it myself to be honest. A fun drive in the Peak District is one thing, the dull reality of crawling along the M6 another.
Cars will be like horses, or even motorbikes are now. There will still be people who own them, love them and spend money on them. But it wont be mainstream.
Happy New Year...
Blurred Lines
I get a sense of car companies moving into a space that's shared with tech companies, social media, the world of fashion and designer labels, and "Mobility Solutions", with the knowledge that new things we haven't thought of before will emerge. But that as yet no-one is sure what these new things might be. I'm not sure I like this future. I don't want connectivity. I don't want an "interactive experience". I don't want to share my every move with manufacturers, dealers or the rest of mankind. I want to buy a car and own it like I've always done, make my own choices about how and when to maintain it, and if I take a hit when I sell it, well I'll learn from it.
Oh, I see I've strayed a bit from the point haven't I? How did I get from concept cars to this? I suppose, however tenuously, I'm still roughly on the theme of future motoring. Still, the future is for the younger generation, and although I'm not quite ready for my pension yet, the world moves on, often not takng me with it.
It's a weird concept car
I look forward to wheels on long bendy arms appearing on the options list for the next i30.