Since it's cold outside and we've got months before most of us can actually do anything automotive except maybe bench race here's something to occupy your time.
Design the ideal car to take with you when you travel back into time and give the reasons you’d build it that way.
I've read science fiction since I was a kid and time travel always played a big part in the stories. It seemed the stories varied between going back and accidentally causing your grandfather not to meet your grandmother which causes you to cease to exist OR shoot em ups where you went dinosaur hunting? Begging the question of was modern man the reason for dinosaurs becoming extinct.
So if we had time travel and were about to send you back in an expedition back in time what vehicle would you want? You decide how far back you’re going.
Would it be existing auto based or a total clean sheet design?
To keep the thread from going way far afield let’s establish a few parameters.
Don’t argue about trivials or go far afield in long philosophical discussions. Keep it focused on the car and the technology required or the nuances of the design. If you feel someone is totally stoopid how about starting a separate thread so that you can show them the error of their ways?
Give the reasons you made your choices.
Keep in mind that even if you traveled back into a time where humans existed, roads weren’t around much until wagons were invented and even then they weren’t anything like we’re used to (except for the Roman era). So cross country capabilities are a must. And while we’d all like to pull a George Jetson, flying cars won’t be a reality for quite some time. Since we all know you can’t time travel to the future you wouldn’t be able to travel forwards to get a flying car and then go back in time.
One thing is certain from all the books I’ve read, you would need to be very defensive and stealthy to avoid fights with or damage to humans and maybe even significant animals. You couldn’t be offensive - we don't want to change the future which might mean you no longer exist. So your vehicle would need some way to weather attacks by the locals.
It seems you’d want to be quiet so you could sneak around the inhabitants. So that means muffled at least and possibly electric?
Depending upon how far back you went back, the car would have to minimal environmental impact because if you went far enough back we wouldn’t want you to crush the precursor to wheat or rice or some other important food source.
What fuel would you use and how would you replenish it? Mankind has known how to make alcohol for a VERY long time so would that be the ideal fuel? It's awfully volitile and also absorbs water so easily. Or would solar cells and batteries be sufficient?
I think tires & lubricants could be the biggest challenge.
Let me leave you with this one final thought - what if you impregnated some poor luckless girl, could you end up being your own ancestor? Or if you’re female how about if got pregnant and you had your own grandfather? There’s some serious consequences at risk here so think clearly.
Ready - Set - GO!
