The future?

[daktulos]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-63743597

Mercedes-Benz is to offer an online subscription service in the US to make its electric cars speed up quicker.

For an annual cost of $1,200 (£991) excluding tax, the company will enable some of its vehicles to accelerate from 0-60mph a second faster.

I can't believe Hamilton can't afford $1,200 a year

[Craig380]

This whole idea of what used to be 'extras' - such as heated seats, heated steering wheel, performance upgrades etc - already being fitted to the car and enabled by dealer software upgrades is already controversial.

The manufacturer argument is that few people buy their cars outright these days, but instead lease them, so building-in what used to be dozens of different optional extras and just enabling them in software cuts assembly costs. And previously the owner would have had to pay for the specified extras to be installed, so charging them to 'switch them on' doesn't make any real difference.

But for the owner / leaser, it leaves a bit of a bad taste that a function like heated seats is already installed in their car, but they have to pay a fee to enable it.

I suppose it's a question of perception.

[embee]

It's a sign of the times I'm afraid. I simply vote with my wallet, if a product or company applies conditions which I find unacceptable or undesirable then I take my overdraft elsewhere.
Personally I wouldn't buy any product coming from a business owned/run by "that" chap over in the USA, but each to their own. Plenty of fish in the sea ........ or at least there used to be (even though the sea is now full of rubbish).

Just look on the bright side ......... which is, ermmmmmm .......... nope.

[redtrummy]

Reminds me of when BT were buying Estate cars instead of vans, they asked Ford not to fit a radio 'no problem that will be a £1000 extra per car. Needless to say we had a radio.
That what I as told at the time, but it is an unsubstantiated story