Interview: Neill Blomkamp from "Chappie," The GT-R, and His Car Collection
MT: Technology is advancing maybe quicker than it ever has in the automotive industry. On one side there are the Hybrid Supercars, on another fully electric cars, then even fully autonomous cars. Which new technology is most enticing to you?
NB: Electric, for sure — pure electric. One of the reasons I'm not totally in love with the P1 or the LaFerrari is the fact that they are hybrid. I think it's kind of cool and it's ingenious that you're basically filling in internal-combustion gaps as gear changes are happening with an electric motor and you're supplementing the rev range in areas that it's down before maximum torque. I think that's interesting, but I also think that it just feels transitional to me. It's kind of like this weird time where the world is neither internal combustion nor electric, so it'll be this sort of snapshot of time where those cars will be in museums and we'll think, "Look how weird that was during that transition." That makes me not like hybrids, but I am incredibly interested in electrics. The other thing I've been obsessed with since I was a kid is anything radio-controlled. I have a *sugar*¬load of lithium-polymer radio-controlled cars and helicopters. I think Tesla is an awesome company, a very interesting company, but currently I'm not interested in driving or owning a Tesla. What the company is doing is ultimately going for cost-effectiveness and building a smart assembly line where you can control cost and actually compete. So that means building four-door sedans, and it's cool, but I don't want to drive a four-door sedan.
MT: Have you driven a Model S yet?
NB: No, I haven't. A couple of people have offered, but … I should, actually.
MT: It may change your mind, especially the new P85D. Dual motors, AWD. It's the quickest sedan Motor Trend has ever tested.
NB: I love the company; I really love what they're doing. If they put out some $200,000 sports car -- something bigger than the roadster; I don't like tiny cars. But if they put out an all-out performance car, I would so be there, ahead of anything else. But they just don't make that yet.
MT: Technology is advancing maybe quicker than it ever has in the automotive industry. On one side there are the Hybrid Supercars, on another fully electric cars, then even fully autonomous cars. Which new technology is most enticing to you?
NB: Electric, for sure — pure electric. One of the reasons I'm not totally in love with the P1 or the LaFerrari is the fact that they are hybrid. I think it's kind of cool and it's ingenious that you're basically filling in internal-combustion gaps as gear changes are happening with an electric motor and you're supplementing the rev range in areas that it's down before maximum torque. I think that's interesting, but I also think that it just feels transitional to me. It's kind of like this weird time where the world is neither internal combustion nor electric, so it'll be this sort of snapshot of time where those cars will be in museums and we'll think, "Look how weird that was during that transition." That makes me not like hybrids, but I am incredibly interested in electrics. The other thing I've been obsessed with since I was a kid is anything radio-controlled. I have a *sugar*¬load of lithium-polymer radio-controlled cars and helicopters. I think Tesla is an awesome company, a very interesting company, but currently I'm not interested in driving or owning a Tesla. What the company is doing is ultimately going for cost-effectiveness and building a smart assembly line where you can control cost and actually compete. So that means building four-door sedans, and it's cool, but I don't want to drive a four-door sedan.
MT: Have you driven a Model S yet?
NB: No, I haven't. A couple of people have offered, but … I should, actually.
MT: It may change your mind, especially the new P85D. Dual motors, AWD. It's the quickest sedan Motor Trend has ever tested.
NB: I love the company; I really love what they're doing. If they put out some $200,000 sports car -- something bigger than the roadster; I don't like tiny cars. But if they put out an all-out performance car, I would so be there, ahead of anything else. But they just don't make that yet.
