car Archives | Page 25 of 32

Mercedes-Benz announces in-car iPad integration

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen

Mercedes-Benz iPad integration

Apple continues its march towards world domination. Since its introduction, automakers have paid a lot of attention to the iPad; Hyundai plans to use the device as an Equus owner’s manual, while Chevrolet, Ford and Volkswagen have developed apps for it, and BMW has introduced an in-car docking system for the super tablet.

Not one to be left off the technology train, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to create its own headrest-mounted iPad docks. The units will allow rear passengers to use and charge iPads, which could usher in a whole new era of back-seat driving as the iPad navigation app battles it out with the factory unit up front.

[Source: Engadget]

Mercedes-Benz announces in-car iPad integration originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car… barely

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice police car

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV — Click above for high-res image gallery

The numbers are in, folks. This year’s Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation pitted Ford’s Jurassic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (the new Taurus-based Police Interceptor was reportedly on hand, but its numbers won’t be included until next year), Chrysler’s 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model and General Motors’ Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. And let’s just say the results are closer than you might think.

For instance, as pointed out by the proud parents at Chevrolet, the Caprice did, in fact, manage to set the best acceleration times to 60 miles per hour and 100 mph. But… and there’s always a but… the 2011 Charger was pretty much neck-and-neck with the Caprice. In fact, the Charger was quicker to 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 mph. So, which one is really quicker? Pretty much a photo finish, if you ask us.

Also, top speeds between the two competitors were within spitting distance: 148 mph for the Caprice and 146 for the Hemi-powered Charger. There’s plenty more intriguing data as well, such as the fact that the new Pentastar V6-powered Charger was, on average, almost exactly as fast around the race track as its more powerful V8-powered sibling, and both were about a second behind the Caprice in the lap time derby.

And what of the old stalwart? Ford’s age-old Crown Victoria did its best, but was still over two seconds behind at 60 mph and a woeful 10 seconds afield by 100. Top speed for the Vic was 129 (with a 3.27 rear end, which was even slower in acceleration tests than its 3.55-equipped brother), and its lap times were well behind that of the Caprice and Charger.

Braking tests also favored the new Caprice and Charger. Chevy’s entry posted a projected 60-0 stopping distance of 128.3 feet and the Charger managed to come to a halt in 133.9 feet (133.2 with the V6). For comparison, the Crown Vic needs 141.6 feet to haul itself down from speed.

One final note: If acceleration is really what an officer is into, perhaps he should consider a switch to two wheels. Kawasaki’s Concours 14 ABS Police bike hit 100 mph in under 10 seconds and the BMW R1200 RTP did the deed in under 12. See the complete preliminary testing results here at the link below.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation]

Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car… barely originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vote for your picks for the Internet Car and Truck of the Year

Filed under: Etc.

Jealous that only journalists seem to be able to weigh in on “car of the year” judging? Now’s your chance to make your own voice heard! Voting is underway for the Internet Car and Truck of the Year, now in its second year. The ICATOY actually pools votes from two juries for a pair of awards – one from professional internet auto writers (*full disclosure: author is a member of said jury) and the other from enthusiasts like yourself.

Before you go and make your picks, we’ve assembled a gallery of the semi-finalists in both the car and truck categories. Take a look, then go tell them what you think! The official press release explaining the whole process is posted after the jump.

Gallery: Internet Car and Truck of the Year Semi-Finalists

[Source: Internet Car and Truck of the Year]

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Vote for your picks for the Internet Car and Truck of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Student finds GPS tracker stuck to car, FBI asks for it back

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

So, now that we know it is legal for the FBI to place GPS trackers on cars without a warrant, the next logical question is, how often does it happen? We can’t say for sure, but the recent experience of 20-year-old U.S. student Yasir Afifi leads us to believe it’s taking place more often that we’d like to think.

Afifi, who is an American citizen born here in the States with an Egyptian father, brought his Lincoln LS sedan to a mechanic who put it up on a lift. There, underneath the car, was an odd cylindrical tube connected to a device with an antenna. It wasn’t a bomb, but it was a tracking device.

A friend took pictures of the device and put it up on the interwebs… which led to a gaggle of police officers and FBI agents showing up at Afifi’s apartment complex in California asking for their device back… sternly. “We’re going to make this much more difficult for you if you don’t cooperate.”

A tad worrisome, no? Says Afifi, “It seems very frightening that the FBI have placed a surveillance-tracking device on the car of a 20-year-old American citizen who has done nothing more than being half-Egyptian.” We agree… but it apparently doesn’t violate the 4th Amendment.

Turns out Afifi has nothing to worry about. “You’re boring,” said an unidentified agent. This is one of those rare cases where being boring is a rather good thing.

[Source: Wired via Engadget]

Report: Student finds GPS tracker stuck to car, FBI asks for it back originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: LaHood mulling nationwide ban on all in-car mobile phone use?

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Ray LaHood at Distraction.gov lectern

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to make our roads a safer place. Distracted driving is arguably his number one issue, and LaHood is waging a concerted campaign to try and curb it. Is he taking things a step too far, though? According to Automotive News, LaHood has now stated that he believes motorists are distracted by any use of a mobile device while driving. This includes making hands-free calls through the use of in-car or in-ear Bluetooth devices. LaHood’s department is going to begin researching all types of mobile device usage to see how they affect drivers. He also plans to meet with automakers to try and gain support for his campaign to eliminate distracting driving.

According to the report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration feels that Ray LaHood is focusing too closely on one area of motoring safety, rather than the bigger picture. NHTSA officials are quoted as saying that current distracted driving crash statistics may be inflated because not all law enforcement agencies are properly trained to recognize a distracted driving accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety even went so far as to release a study showing that new texting laws have not influenced accident rates in a positive manner.

Ray Lahood has quite an uphill battle on his hands. Even if he and his team can prove that hands-free usage of mobile devices increase accident rates, the practice is so deeply ingrained in the brains of the overall driving public – not to mention the businesses associated with it – that it will be difficult to convince motorists to not use their phones while driving at all. LaHood is optimistic, however,

“The bottom line for me is to get where we’re at with seat belts and with drunk driving. When those programs were started, people were very skeptical that you could get people to buckle up.”

So don’t adopt the “You can pry my iPhone from my cold dead hands” attitude just yet. Secretary LaHood is merely investigating the matter at this point. There are no plans to call for a ban just yet, but at least one NHTSA official admits it’s a possibility.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.| Image: Mark Wilson/Getty]

Report: LaHood mulling nationwide ban on all in-car mobile phone use? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan to offer free conventional car loan to Leaf buyers to ease range anxiety?

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Nissan, Rumormill, Electric

2011 Nissan Leaf

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

The December 2010 launch of the 2011 Nissan Leaf gets closer every day and thousands of people have already signed up to reserve their spot for one. Still, some would-be buyers may suffer from a touch of “range anxiety” – that is, a nervous apprehension about running out of juice, only to be stranded somewhere. To quell that fear, TheDetroitBureau.com reports that Nissan is pondering an option for owners who need to undertake a journey longer than the 100-mile range the all-electric Leaf is rated for. A no-cost loan of a conventional, gasoline-powered vehicle could be made available to owners for periods of up to a week.

The loaner car option is still in the early planning stages, and it’s not yet clear exactly how it would work. Would the Leaf owner be required to arrange the loan through a rental agency, or could it be handled through a local dealership? Nissan still has a lot of details to iron out, but if the plan gets approved, it could prove to be a strong marketing tool.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: TheDetroitBureau.com]

Nissan to offer free conventional car loan to Leaf buyers to ease range anxiety? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reconfirmed: BMW developing FWD, four-cylinder small car line for sale in U.S.

Filed under: Technology, BMW, Rumormill, Luxury

BMW seems to think American buyers are ready to sink their teeth into small luxury vehicles. The automaker has reconfirmed plans to unleash a wave of small, front-wheel drive creations positioned below the 1 Series and due to go on sale in the U.S. market. The vehicles will be sold under a new class called UKL, and there are supposedly several different body styles just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting North American buyers. The news came via Ian Robertson, a BMW board member for sales and marketing, who also said that the full line will pack a four-cylinder engine when the cars debut before 2013.

BMW is looking to move around 100,000 units of its new UKL series vehicles worldwide, though the company hasn’t said exactly how it expects that figure to be broken up by market. Automotive News reports that while the company has also been tight lipped about exactly how many different vehicle types will fall under the new front-wheel drive, four-cylinder philosophy, other reports have pointed to a total of four body styles at launch.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Reconfirmed: BMW developing FWD, four-cylinder small car line for sale in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #197 – F-150 powertrains, GM diesel car, hatchbacks, Mahindra, Bugatti Galibier and Nissan’s sold-out Leaf

Filed under: Podcasts, Bugatti, Cadillac, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Kia, Volkswagen, Electric

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Steven Ewing joins podcast regulars Dan and Chris for Episode #197 of the Autoblog Podcast. Items we cover are the newly expanded powertrain selections for the Ford F-150, a potential diesel-powered car from General Motors, the apparently heating-up American love affair with hatchbacks, the just-out-of-reach Mahindra Pik-Up, the definitely unattainable Bugatti Galibier and the rush to pre-order the Nissan Leaf. At one hour, twenty-two minutes, it’s not quite as epic as last week’s extravaganza, and we wrap up by responding to some of your feedback. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #197 – F-150 powertrains, GM diesel car, hatchbacks, Mahindra, Bugatti Galibier and Nissan’s sold-out Leaf

In the Autoblog Garage:

Cadillac CTS
Volkswagen Tiguan
Jaguar XKR Convertible

News:

F-150 Ecoboost Drive
GM will sell a diesel car in the U.S.
Hatchbacks: Who says Americans don’t buy ’em?
Despite uproar, Global Vehicles places its initial order from Mahindra
Bugatti Galibier coming for 2013
Nissan full up with Leaf pre-orders

Hosts:
Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Steven Ewing

Runtime: 1:22:14

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #197 – F-150 powertrains, GM diesel car, hatchbacks, Mahindra, Bugatti Galibier and Nissan’s sold-out Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM will sell diesel passenger car in the U.S.

Filed under: GM, Diesel

USDOT DEER 2010 Detroit Sources (i.e., email tips and a Tweet from Ward’s Auto) are telling us that General Motors Vice Chairman Tom Stephens told attendees at the Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) conference in Detroit today that a diesel-engined passenger car is coming to the U.S. sometime in the future. Nothing has been officially decided, but Stephens indicated that GM has a portfolio of diesels to draw from, noting that it’s up to the marketing department to define what engine and platform might be used, let alone what brand it would be marketed under. What might we see? Maybe something along the line of a GM Jetta?

GM has been talking up diesels in the U.S. for years, but oil-burning powertrains haven’t gotten quite the attention that the plug-in Voltec in the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt has (how could it?). Now that the cat is at least poking its head out of the bag, we wonder if the German automakers, who are having a bit of success with oil-burning powerplants here, are worried. Unlikely, but at least we could get more options – and would it kill GM to make the new car officially B100-capable from the start?

[Source: Ward’s Auto Twitter]

Report: GM will sell diesel passenger car in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Citroën teases DS3 WRC car (w/video)

Filed under: Motorsports, Paris Motor Show, Citroën, Racing

Citroen DS3 WRC

Citroën DS3 WRC teaser – Click above to watch video after the jump

Citroën’s DS3 WRC entrant, the car they’ve chosen to adapt to the new regulations, will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show next week. Among the deluge of pics and videos teasing all manner of creations we’ll be seeing on the French floor, the Gallic firm has strung together a few shadowy snippets of the hot hatch that Sébastien Loeb will pilot next year (according to him, his final year) in his attempt to win yet another title. He’ll have to beat the new Mini Countryman WRC along the way. Follow the jump to be teased. Hat tip to Dan

[Source: YouTube via WRC.com]

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Paris Preview: Citroën teases DS3 WRC car (w/video) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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