Get you friend to demonstrate how, while driving along, he deals with
- the screen starts misting up: how does he redirect ventilation
- you are about to drive through smoke from a fire; how does he switch from external air to recirculating air
I can't speak to the Tesla case but the number of bells and whistles in the new (to me) BMW surprised me in this regard. If in "auto" climate mode the answer in both cases would be "nothing", there are sensors for both misting up and external air quality and the car will automatically do the right thing. There are also physical "demist the windows with the aircon" and "fresh/recirculate/auto air circulation" buttons if I have the climate control off or in manual mode. The answer for the old car would vary between "fiddle with lots of manual controls" or "stop and put the roof up/down", but it had the two great advantages over the 'new' car of (1) having a soft top, (2) having the engine just behind the driver's seat - both qualities I shall miss.
Lotus Elise?
1997 MGF VVC
I didn't even know that MG was/is alive, or maybe I did but can't remember.
If I've seen any of those new ones they are probably passed by as Mazdas.
One other car thing.
Already around 20 years ago Citroen(C4) was using some extra electricity tricks, like a double action ash tray light.
The second function is a fuse for headlight height adjuster, what obviously is in annual inspection must work category.
Extra air pump for cold catalysator warm up speed up system is also there.
The pump motor, inside its case, is vertical and in a rubber sock, so water can't, even in theory, leak or dry and a faulty pump will salute you by turning on the engine light.
Maybe profits were just extra low back then.