First, allow me a brief statement of interests: I really like modern cars and I really like my mother-in-law too — it's good to make that clear, because the world is round and you never know when a copy of Fleet Magazine will go. stop at the “wrong hands” . That said, let me explain the raison d’être of the title of this article.
This month I had the opportunity to drive for a week a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE in excellent condition (better than me, I'm from 1986). A very simple car compared to today's saloons and that had just the basics: air conditioning (something revolutionary for the time), power steering, radio and little else. For the rest, a comfortable and well-built model — as is the hallmark of the Stuttgart brand.
I was very pleased with the peace I experienced at the wheel of that car. Without the constant whistles and warnings that modern systems give off — so often exaggerated. I felt truly “in charge” of the car again. And oddly enough, no catastrophe happened because of it. I didn't crash, I managed to park alone without assistance, I didn't forget about the lights on and I didn't lose my way due to lack of ESP. Yes, it is possible…
A model that as soon as my mother-in-law sat in there, as if by magic, got a series of extras, including: GPS ("go this way it's faster"), parking sensors ("beware that you're going to crash" ), fatigue alert ("you're very tired, son"), anti-approach radar ("you're going too close to that car"), blind spot sensor ("look there's a car coming"), automatic air conditioning (" are 22°! it's better to put this at maximum), and speed limiter active (“slow down son, you go 90 km/h!”).
Systems that for the harm of my sins can only be turned off by asphyxiation — they know the feeling, don't they? And ready. All of a sudden, I was back in control of a modern car. Latest model. Top of the range.
Arrived at the destination, I left the “full-extras pack” at home, and the Mercedes-Benz 280SE went back to what it used to be: a 46-year-old car without the latest technology (of the tongue…).
About a week later I handed it over and got back in the wheel of a modern car. The feeling I had was that my mother-in-law was omnipresent in that car. Whenever I approached a car, changed lanes, or exceeded a speed limit, he was there to let me know what I already knew. That I had a car in front of me, that I couldn't overtake and that it was moving (slightly) faster than it should. Who never…
In fact, that's how modern cars treat us: like they're our mother-in-law and like we don't know what we're doing. And the truth is, they are often right: we don't know. That's why, despite the fact that new technologies sometimes sin out of overzealousness and limit our freedom of movement, they are very welcome. What's more, not all drivers are guided by the best behavior at the wheel. So, if the price to pay for a reduction in road accidents is having to drive a “four-wheeled mother-in-law” on a day-to-day basis, then so be it.
Now don't let your mother-in-law see this issue of Fleet Magazine, I'll do the same.
note: Article published in issue 29 of Fleet Magazine, within the scope of the partnership with Razão Automóvel. We would like to thank Sportclasse for providing the vehicle in the images.