Or... automanufacturers can grow a spine and tell regulators where to go and how to get there and continue to produce what they want opposed to what those respective 13 states want.
That's what I'd be doing. I wouldn't appease nanny states.
I wouldn't be conforming to what any state or federal entity declared I need to conform to.
In terms of all things automotive. 90% of regulations placed upon the automotive industry do nothing but arbitrarily raise coats for we the consumer.
What's even more amusing...
I played with diesel pickup trucks. You know. Those evil hexus spewing hillbilly things...
A properly tuned modern diesel engine can in fact produce more horsepower and torque while not producing a rolling black cloud of soot, nor even a slight bit of haze. I've seen it first hand on dynos with 5 gas analyzers in the tailpipes with that emissions equipment from the factory gone. Egr cooler/egr system and diesel particulate filter MIA. Diesels absolutely can be clean. They absolutely can be emissions deleted.
It is all in the tuning.
Same with gas engines too.
I've seen engines on stands in dyno rooms. Each exhaust port have its own 02 sensor. Each intake port, it's own independent throttle body. Emissions reduced drastically power output increased tremendously.
But. Since the push is for mileage and "cleaner emissions" as per .gov mandates... we can not have nice things.
Just have to have rare earth material packed catalytic converters...
Just have to keep choking up engines with restrictive exhausts in vain of cleaner emissions... There's more than 1 way to achieve it...
In terms of deisels. Every catastrophic engine failure I have repaired, has been directly caused by emissions control devices. Every single one of them.
Funny with that emissions crap gone they go 100s of thousands of miles issue free...
The costs incurred from down time loss of use, cost of repairs? All burdenous mandates and regulations. Couple that with corporate penny pinchers always looking to cut corners to save pennies to add up to saving millions...
It's we the consumer who wind up paying for it.
I'd bring back Studebaker Nash and Packard.
You wouldn't see airbags as standard features. 5 point harnesses. So long as you are strapped securely to a seat. Airbags are not needed.
You wouldn't see traction control and stability control as standard feature either.
That vehicle can't see that tree fastly approaching while sideways in a snow storm. All it knows to do is force command idle and maintain an uncontrolled slide.
Automatic transmissions wouldn't be standard feature either.
Can't text and drive when you need to rev match and down shift to pull a hill.
Can't drink and drive when you need to up and down shift.
I'd build affordable, simple so simple you yourself could perform repairs in your driveway with basic hand tools. Crash worthy too.
Packard would be the ultimate in luxury.
Studebaker would be the average Joe's with a bit of performance enthusiasts in mind.
Nash would be the low income/teenagers/basic form of transportation.
I'd even make the little metropolitan again. With just enough room to shove a small block in.
All would be rearwheel drive platform. Not that feeble wheel understeering nonsense. AWD as an option.
Trucks would absolutely give Ford GM and Mopar a run for their money in terms of towing hauling and ability. Fuel economy too.
Combine the best of both worlds from GM/Mopar and Ford.
Pushrod V8s with the ability to drop down to 4 cylinders based upon calculated load.
With turbochargers present.
40mpg and 500hp pushrod V8s for everyone.
Only reason my trucks would have 20 inch+ wheels from the factory would solely be for the largest diameter brake rotors and biggest calipers I can get in there to increase stopping power for towing hauling and in general.
And diesels.
I'd make a Itty bitty 3 or 4 cylinder turbo diesel for the little metropolitan. Common rail, variable geometry turbocharger, design a high pressure fuel pump that is compatible with waste oil/waste veggie oil. It'd have something like 300hp and 400+ft lbs of torque. As simple as can be with room in the engine bay too. There'd be a 70+mpg vehicle.
Trucks again... simple and powerful with the small business owner, fleet owner, in mind. Simple. Easy and cost effective to repair. No need to tear a cab off to access the engine. Even in the event of a catastrophic engine failure. No need to remove the body. Cough cough ford. Cough.
Every vehicle would be body on frame construction. None of that throw away uni body crap.
Capture C02 from the air. Produce a polymer with it for the interior components and as a protective coating to the under body and chassis. It would laugh at North east road salt and folks in MA and CT wouldn't fail for rust through on their bodies anymore as fenders and quarter panels rocker panels any body panel directly exposed to road salt would be sealed and coated with a polymer. Just like steel cased 7.62x39 rounds.
No rust develops on those as a result of properly being coated with a high temperature resistant polymer.
It's wonderful being a hotrodder and racer. Especially if you have friends in the know who can augment your enhancements with their code writing abilities to make programs to upload to a PCM TCM and in some cases, FICM EEPROM.
The only thing stopping me is asinine regulations which act as a double edged sword to protect and harm the big names in the automotive manufacturing industry.
They can afford the fines and penalties. I cant.
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