PREDICTIONS: Things We Will Miss On The Highways in 25 Years.

[Brandon]

In 25 years, cars will all look 99% the same (other than supercars), so I'll miss the individuality of older cars. Even now something from the 1980s gets more attention from me on the road than, say, a Tesla.

60 years ago they looked virtually the same.  I still can't tell you a 1955 Buick from a 1955 Chevy from a 1955 Ford.  They look more alike than anything built today.

[bugo]

In 25 years, cars will all look 99% the same (other than supercars), so I'll miss the individuality of older cars. Even now something from the 1980s gets more attention from me on the road than, say, a Tesla.

60 years ago they looked virtually the same.  I still can't tell you a 1955 Buick from a 1955 Chevy from a 1955 Ford.  They look more alike than anything built today.

If you say so.  I have no problem telling the make and year model of virtually any American car of the '50s and '60s.  They all were very unique and each marque had its own trademark styling cues.  Today, cars are just so ugly and boring that I don't even make the effort to learn to tell them apart.

[leroys73]

You probably won't see me.  I'll be 90 and probably gone.  Of course my wife's grandparents drove until in their 90's, I think 93.  If I am still breathing my keys will be in my hand.  I told my kids if you take away my keys start digging the hole.   

Gone will be the Chevy push rod V-8. 

[bugo]

Don't count the old OHV V8s out yet.  I bet if this question came up 25 years ago, we would have guessed that the small block Chevy engine would be history.  The original design is no longer being made, but the LS series and the upcoming LT series are heavily based on the old small block dating from 1955.  Also, Chrysler came out with a pushrod engine in the 2000s (the "hemi" which is really a poly).

[briantroutman]

We will always need signs, even if self-driving cars happen, just in case something happens like your car battery dies. How will you tell people where you are when you call for help? (What if the road is new and it's not on GPS?)

I don't think guide signage would ever go away entirely. But I can envision a future where it would be merely a shadow of what it is today. Perhaps mile markers to reference your location in an emergency, vestigial guide signs at exit gores, etc.–but closer in scale to the postmiles in California or the reference markers in New York, Pennsylvania, and other states.

But I didn't just mean that signage would be removed because people are following GPS instructions and the signage would therefore be superfluous. Considering a number of possible future trends–increasing traffic volumes and mounting congestion, need to communicate traffic conditions, proliferation of toll roads and dynamic pricing–I think it's not difficult to imagine that one day, these needs will result in a national (perhaps even international) standard for communicating this data inside the vehicle. And perhaps the situation would even progress to the point that you wouldn't be allowed to drive on certain roads if you're car isn't "IntelliGuide certified" (or whatever it's called).

Yes but what about poor people or the collector with his 1982 Chevy Citation... That kind of reasoning didn't stop the FCC from pulling the plug on 50+ years of television sets in order to reallocate limited radio spectrum bandwidth. And similarly, I could imagine the DOT doing the same for our limited highway "bandwidth". And likely with the same kind of free converter program that accompanied the DTV transition.

I'm not saying that I want this future or that I would be looking forward to it. Definitely not. But the advantages would be obvious. Reduced cost for signage installation, repair, and replacement, more instantaneous and proactive management of traffic volume, clear communication of toll pricing, an so on.

[vdeane]

Don't give them ideas.

[triplemultiplex]

It would be totally boss if self-driving vehicles were the norm in 25 years.  Even if it's just on the interstates (and their ilk) that would seriously increase the capacity of every roadway that uses the technology exclusively.  Instead of eight and ten lane behemoths segmenting our cities, a single lane of vehicles streams across town at like 90 mph with individual cars darting in and out at exits.  Might be optimistic for just quarter century, but I really want to pull on to an on-ramp an just tell the vehicle to take me to exit 234 or whatever and then sit back and enjoy the ride; maybe watch a movie...

More realistically, driving stuff is has so much inertia behind it, trips in 25 years will probably look about the same.  Just a few more gizmos in your car and some design style that everyone will laugh at in another 25 years.  And tons more congestion even though the technology will exist to make most of it go away.

[PHLBOS]

Yes but what about poor people or the collector with his 1982 Chevy Citation... That kind of reasoning didn't stop the FCC from pulling the plug on 50+ years of television sets in order to reallocate limited radio spectrum bandwidth. And similarly, I could imagine the DOT doing the same for our limited highway "bandwidth". And likely with the same kind of free converter program that accompanied the DTV transition.

A few major differences regarding TVs and cars:

1.  Maintenance costs of a TV vs. such on a car (for the new techo gadgets related to GPS' and/or self-driving) are minimal in comparison.  If a TV breaks down; one just buys a new one.  That can not be said regarding cars.  While one still sees tons of auto repair shops/centers (those aren't going away anytime soon); when was the last time someone saw a TV repair shop?  My guess would be few & far between.

2.  The purchase price of the newest and largest TV available in most stores is still $1000s cheaper than that of a new, subcompact, entry-level car.  Typically, when a new style TV rolls out, it's rather pricey; but over time, the purchase costs drops (LCD TVs are comparitively dirt-cheap now).  The same can not be said for new car prices.   For an example, the price of a 2014 Ford Focus will still be higher than that of a similarly-equipped 2012 Ford Focus when new.

3.  While a TV (for home or business) is a stationary item, a motor vehicle is not.  Such a smart-device or whatever would cause legitimate concerns over invasion of privacy and/or reeks of Big Brother.

No thank you to the above IMHO.