The extinction of the car as we know it…1 piece at a time

I know we’ve all said it at least once: “Hey, where are all the flying cars we were promised when we were kids?”

Ok, maybe you didn’t think about the future automobile as much as I did: I was convinced I was going to have to get a jet car license by the time I was 16, but, alas, that hasn’t happen just yet. What has happened is some of the “standard” appointments of today’s automobile vanishing into obscurity.

“What are some of those things?”

Well, I’m glad you asked: Here’s a list of 12 if found on LeftLaneNews.com that I thought were pretty good…

12. Spare tires Advanced tires are less likely to be punctured, while runflat technology and simple cost and weight cutting have spelled the end of the line for spare tires. They’re optional on some less expensive cars…while sportier cars can rely on stiffer-riding runflats without irking buyers too much.

11. Accessory gauges Attacking both the upper and lower end of the new car spectrum, electronics are eating away at traditional needle-style fuel, oil pressure, voltage and coolant temperature gauges. Cheap cars come with limited information lights to save money, while pricier models feature multi-function screens akin to iPads.

10. Cigarette lighters You can still light up a smoke in some new cars, but lighters are mostly relegated to high-end European imports and a smattering of domestic and Japanese offerings. We recently sampled a 2011 Ford F-150 that still came with a lighter, but no ashtray was in sight, for example.

9. Hubcaps Once a staple of mid-level trim – one step above steel wheels and one step below lightweight alloys – hubcaps are fading quickly. You’ll still find them as standard on most cars listing below $20,000, but you’d better act fast. Some automakers – namely domestic brands – have started using chromed plastic hubcaps placed over alloy wheels for an inexpensive and durable cosmetic upgrade.

8. Separate CD Changers We’ll argue that even single CD players are on their way out as Bluetooth streaming audio becomes more popular, but until just a few years ago, five, six and ten-disc changers were ready to dispense tunes. Mounted seemingly everywhere – in consoles, glove boxes, trunks and under seats – CD changers are a rare sight today. We recently found one in the center console of a 2011 Honda CR-V, but their presence is increasingly rare.

7. Keys and remote fobs Nearly every new model introduced in the last couple of years has offered keyless access and push-button start, both of which allow the driver to keep a plastic key fob in his or her pocket or purse. Ignition keys – especially those with separate remote fobs – your days are numbered.

6. Roll-up windows and manual locks We used to roll windows up slowly in order to do a poor job of convincing other motorists that we had “fancy” power windows. Virtually every car today has standard power windows aside from the cheapest cars on the market.

5. Headlights you have to turn on yourself It still amazes us that drivers can’t remember to turn their lights on, but we know they do. Go for a drive tonight and you’ll see what we mean, even if that moron in the Accord coming your way doesn’t. Almost every new car today features automatic headlamps triggered by a darkness sensor and the most advanced automatically dim or engage high beams.

4. Cassette players It looks like this longstanding favorite of ’80s and ’90s youths (mix tapes anyone?) finally bit the dust for 2011. Appropriately, the Mercury Grand Marquis and the Lexus SC430 helped extinguish the flame by riding out 2010 as the last new cars with available cassette players.

3. Day/night mirrors Pioneered by luxury cars in the late 1980s, automatic dimming mirrors are becoming standard or at least optional equipment in almost every new car today. Gone soon will be the practice of flipping a toggle switch at the bottom of the rearview mirror. Years ago, simply having the toggle was a luxury!

2. Dipsticks Much to the chagrin of BMW drivers everywhere, the German automaker started removing dipsticks from its North American-specification models several years ago. The explanation was that oil level sensors are smarter than Americans. Well, that wasn’t quite it, but it was close. Other automakers quickly followed suit.

1. Gasoline engines we can finally add gasoline internal combustion engines to the list. We’re not exactly sure what will be the propulsion of choice in 50 years, but we wouldn’t put your long-term investment plans in gasoline stations.

Well it looks like one of the last things we are going to lose in regards to the advancement of the automobile are the roads. No jet car for us…not yet anyway. For the time being, you can just swing by and check out what’s new on the road.