How Much Computer Do You Want In Your Car?
I don't know how plugged in you are to the world of online discourse, but recently there has been an upwelling of posts on social media like the one below. They'll feature different people holding different protest signs all edited to say "I want a car that is 0% computer" or something similar. I've been seeing posts like this crop up across the internet landscape for a while, and it's starting to get irritating. While it may be true that cars have far more computer content than the average consumer actually wants or even uses, I promise nobody buying a new car in big 2026 actually wants a 0% computer car. So I want you to tell me the actual amount of computer you want in your car.
— messed up cars (@messedupcars) May 21, 2026
It is absolutely true that you can drive a 0% computer car, and maybe some of you even drive one regularly. Maybe you have a car from the 1960s that relies on a carburetor for fueling and a points/condenser setup for ignition spark, but that's just not realistic anymore. Modern car buyers don't want to put up with carb tuning and gapping points on the side of the highway. I personally love older cars, but still don't really want to deal with carbs. My most finicky motorcycle uses carburetors, and I really don't enjoy trying to finesse it into life every spring.
What kinds of creature comforts do you want in your car? Can you live without automatic climate control, modern premium audio, heated seats, traction control, air ride, keyless entry, proximity sensors, magnetorheological adaptive suspension, and adaptive cruise control? What percentage of computer do you really want in your car? Sound off in the comments below and we'll discuss it. On Monday I'll pick a few of my favorites to recap for everyone else.
I Want 10% Computer
I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about the sweet spot of computer when it comes to a daily-drivable sporty car, and I think I've settled on about 10% computer as the perfect number. Or whatever the closest you can get to the same amount of computer as my 1996 BMW R1100 GS. This bike has electronic fuel injection and anti-lock braking and that's it. I think that's about all I would ever need in a car, and even that is unrealistic in 2026.
There is, of course, a difference between needs and wants. When driving a modern car I really enjoy having Apple CarPlay and adaptive cruise control, heated seats and a nice dual-zone climate system. I can certainly enjoy a car without these things, but they're nice-to-haves that make the drive, especially long drives, more comfortable. And that's how we have fallen down the slippery slope to where we are today when even the most simple of cars is around 50% computer.
So, here's your chance to tell the world how much computer you want in your cars. Maybe you're a full-on technology head and you want a 100% computer car. Maybe you actually daily drive a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair or something, and you want an opportunity to extoll the virtues of simple and DIY-repairable cars. Or, like me, you're somewhere in the middle. Sound off in the comments and we'll have a nice rousing debate about it.