Navigation systems have quickly gone from being an interactive way to direct one from Point A to Point B to massive infotainment centerpieces capable of MP3 player integration, web browsing and wifi. Auto Express is reporting that GPS units could go 3D as soon as next year, because advancements in hardware could make the technology [...]
Though many companies have solved the dilemma of playing digital music in your car by adding auxiliary (iPod) inputs, that solution still renders all your USB flash drives useless. Volkswagen, however, has announced that a number of its vehicles in Europe can be ordered with a USB port in the center console. This type of [...]
As the interiors of our cars start to resemble the sales floor at Circuit City, and as auto manufacturers get increasingly better at discouraging at least casual thieves (the pros will just roll your ride onto a flatbed), what’s inside your vehicle may now be more attractive than the vehicle itself.
According to the FBI, [...]
We had the pleasure of catching Dr. Sebastian Thrun’s keynote presentation at the 2006 Sensors Expo on Tuesday, where he spoke to the audience about his experience leading Stanford’s DARPA Challenge entry to victory last year and how the project’s success may affect the way we drive in the not-so-distant future.
The technical content of “Stanley” [...]
Senior researchers from automakers around the world agree that internal combustion engines will dominate the automotive market for decades to come, even though hydrogen fuel cells are becoming an attractive replacement technology.
Volkswagen’s Wolfgang Steiger predicted that fuel cell cars will not reach 1 percent of new car sales before 2030, growing to a 50 percent [...]
Autoweek reports that Ford is developing a 4.4-liter diesel V8, slated for the F-150 pickup and possibly the Expedition SUV.
Apparently the new diesel is a supersized version of the twin-turbo 272 hp 3.6-liter V8 (right) manufactured for the 2007 Range Rover at Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Center in England, and would likely be produced there and [...]
Autocar reports that BMW plans to launch its Automatic Engine Start/Stop System next year – one of the fuel economy and emissions reduction components of its “Efficient Dynamics” technology package, as the company aims to meet its commitment to the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers 2008 CO2 emissions reduction targets.
Officially called “Auto Start/Stop,” the system [...]
As if rollovers, suicidal deer, and thieves who break in with laptop computers weren’t enough to worry about, now there’s a new menace on the roadways – high-energy neutrons from cosmic rays.
Let’s back up a moment. The increasing complexities and decreased time-to-market demands for automotive electronics has caused some manufacturers to migrate from microcontrollers and [...]
Sure you could purchase a $35 plastic case to protect your shiny (for now) iPod Nano, but does it have disc brakes and airbags? Mitsubishi has taken iPod protection to a whole new level with its integrated Nano slot in the i (eye) city car’s dash. Just plug in your iPod and enjoy the security [...]
Mitsubishi’s first Outlander unwittingly lived up to its name, operating on the fringes of mainstream SUVdom, largely failing to cross-over to the widespread success of competitors like Ford’s Escape and Honda’s CR-V. It wasn’t that it was a horrible vehicle, but it didn’t offer much in the way of Unique Selling Points (USPs), save its [...]
British specialist automaker Caterham, stewards of the legendary Lotus Seven ultra-minimalist sports car, have announced a wholesale switch to Ford powerplants from the Rover K-Series engines that have been the mainstay of the marque for the last 15 years.
With MG Rover’s closing, the clock was ticking to find a new power source before the current [...]
Amidst the “19 new engines” announcement from General Motors Thursday was a brand-new engine of particular significance for the power-hungry (and aren’t we all?): a 3.6 liter all-aluminum V6 with direct injection and variable valve timing. The new V6 is promised for the 2008 model year, with a launch vehicle “to be announced.”
Destined to [...]
Volkswagen’s innovative marriage of a supercharger and a turbocharger on the same 1.4-liter engine gained the automaker two prizes (one for each induction system?) at the “International Engine of the Year Awards 2006″ – “Best Engine, 1-liter to 1.4-liter category”, and “Best New Engine of 2006.”
VW’s “maximum power – minimum consumption” strategy for the TSI [...]
Legendary British engine designer Al Melling (right) is reported to be in the final stages of developing an all-new British supercar – the Melling Hellcat – for a November launch.
The Hellcat will be powered by a 700-hp Melling-developed 6-liter V10. Rather than using conventional castings, the engine block and cylinder heads for the new engine [...]
We thought that the Trackpedia “wiki” was a great idea when it originally launched, but now Billy Newport and his crew have an even better reason to visit the racetrack database – in-vehicle telemetry data and analysis.
Looking at GPS data – and getting some assistance with interpreting it – is certainly a good way [...]
