15 years from now.

[milefile]

Originally posted by Hooligan
Oh. Silicon. I guess that's technically a ceramic. Sure, that'd be great. Just finance the cost of all-new tooling, mining, material acquisition.... It's not as though you can just go down the Home Despot and pick up a diamond-tip bit to put in your "$100" vibrating drill. Like I said, "$2,000 per wheel".

Believe me: I'd like to see this as much as anyone. I just don't think the ceramic option is available anytime soon.

We won't see it until people can get as rich on it as they are getting on gasoline cars, and oil, now.

 

[milefile]

Originally posted by thinkers
The ceramic brake parts you speak of are availiable on some high end sports/performance production vehicles. Yes they are expensive, but on a production automobile they will last nearly forever! Cost effectivness over time makes the parts affordable.

An engine that lasts forever... what auto maker would want this? Sorta makes selling you another car someday a little more dificult. No?

 

[thinkers]

YES! I believe that the worlds auto manufacturers have the technology to build much better cars than they do.You have a valid point. It's the quest for the almighty dollar! We , unfortunatly ,have to buy what we're offered. Sometimes I feel like they're bending me over a table and not even buying me dinner first!

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by thinkers
YES! I believe that the worlds auto manufacturers have the technology to build much better cars than they do.You have a valid point. It's the quest for the almighty dollar! We , unfortunatly ,have to buy what we're offered. Sometimes I feel like they're bending me over a table and not even buying me dinner first!

Oh, totally. This is the era of the disposable car. Old, cast-iron, large-block lumps from the 60's and earlier can be used, abused, and re-used, and eventually recycled after probably 100 years. Try doing that with an all-aluminum Honda block. I see the same thing in my own industry: first-run VCR's were built like tanks, and can still be used today (30 years on); and right now you can pick one up for $50 that will last you about as many days....

 

[thinkers]

I've got one of tose $50 VCR's. It lasted 49 days.