That cable system with studs was so effective. So good with the electric plates too.

Ah yes, that motor set that depicts the other set that doesn't exist. Well, not with red bodywork..
https://brickset.com/sets/8437-1/Future-Car

MOTOR!

I'll say the same thing I did some time ago about the motor set from the '70s. If the contacts are kept clean, and the batteries removed before storage, and all wires are taken care of, there is no reason these motors shouldn't last a lifetime. Yet, with the new Powered Up! system, it's a tossup, since it's so dependent on software and smartphone applications.

This is the motor that was included in some Znap sets. I got a few of these motors very cheaply when shops started almost giving the sets away.

Does this really count as a set?

"Does this really count as a set?"- click through to the inventory and instructions, it had enough parts to build a rudimentary car with wired remote and no steering.

Ran my 8448 Super Street Sensation off of this thing. Such a great model.

Yep it definitely counts as a set by any means - unlike perhaps some of it's successors and even predecessors, the tiny car is kind of fun (well given you ignore the 'cable remote').

On a side note at least two major packaging variants exist:

The original one pictured here featured the more classic Technic branding (Technic spelled with only the 'T' in upper case and dark blue/black box colors) as well as an inner plastic tray and a little display window box.

Later releases (2000-2004 I think) featured a greyish/silver box and the modern Technic branding (all letters upper case) that was more in line with the small series of Technic accessory sets from 2000-2001 as well as Technic in general from that time. Unfortunately this version didn't come with a display window though. Oh, and they also updated the style of the instructions in this case (something that's kinda rare).