Back to the basics in a Morgan 3 Wheeler

A place among the automatons

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In the last several weeks, I've driven a Porsche 918 and a LaFerrari. If I'd been able to put hands on a McLaren P1, I could say I've been in the holy trinity of modern hypercars.

These three cars are showcases and test beds for the technologies that many believe will allow us to keep driving performance cars in the face of increasingly strict environmental standards. They're also proof brain-scrambling performance isn't necessarily going away.

But what of the other specter haunting car guys' dreams: the autonomous car? The remaining technical barriers to autonomy are few. There will be some regulatory hurdles. A small number of consumers might initially hesitate to let go of the wheel, but the writing is on the wall. Too many people abhor driving.

What will the La-Ferrari, 918 and P1 be when the freeways are packed with tight, robot caravans? Once autonomous cars are the dominant form of on-road transportation, how long can we expect to drive alongside them? A better question might be whether we want to drive alongside them. Autonomy will impact every aspect of the car industry and it will transform the regulatory structure governing how, where and what we drive.

When most, and eventually all, cars are autonomous, we'll be able to rethink safety and emissions standards because such cars will be inherently more safe and efficient. But, if we don't want to be forced into those pods, maybe now's a good time to think about what we do want instead.

I recently drove a Morgan 3 Wheeler lent to Autoweek by a friend of the magazine. It's classified a motorcycle, so the Morgan doesn't have to meet NHTSA car-safety standards. It's light and profoundly engaging, certainly among the most joyful, affirming driving experiences available at any price. And its basic design dates back more than 100 years.

Today, cupholder and NVH preferences poison “enthusiast-focused” cars. Fuel economy, emissions and safety standards have their advantages but generally have not made cars more fun. But what if a small enthusiast-car industry could run in parallel to a mainstream transport-pod industry?

Today, plenty of companies make real money selling tack and sails even though horses and sailboats were made obsolete generations ago. I'd assume there are those among us who still want a blisteringly fast and/or fun car with a new-car warranty. I'd assume people would still want to buy Ferraris and Porsches.

Of course, regulators could eventually ban driving altogether or enact strict regulations resulting in a de facto ban. However, car enthusiasts have been successful in carving out regulatory niches for old cars, as well as for new kit cars and hot rods.

These cars make up such a small percentage of those on the road, for the most part they're not worth regulating. As safety and environmental standards are remade to reflect an almost-entirely-autonomous fleet, adding new enthusiast-oriented cars to that group could make some sense.

I don't see us sharing all the same roads in the long run, but I know I'd be happy to leave the freeways to the autonomous commuter cars if we could all agree to set aside the best roads for the people who really love driving.