Tag: car

Study: Greens gaining ground among car colors

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Design/Style

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in Lime Rock Green

BASF has released its latest forecast of color trends, and there’s a bit of a shake up. The green color range is gaining in popularity, which is a welcome sign if you’re tired of the dominance of blacks, whites and silvers. According to Mark Gutjahr, BASF’s head of European design, “With new technologies, new models and new mobility concepts, a shift in values is on the horizon. In this context, green as the color of growth and a new beginning is playing a key role.”

Yes, green. This follows last year’s BASF trend report, which said we’d see more earthy tones on the cars of the future. The BASF study says green “stands for new values such as straightforwardness, responsibility and individuality.” While we don’t see anything nearly so deep in paint colors, there’s no debating that shades of green have been gaining in popularity. Formerly the realm of British cars, you can snag a shade of green on everything from a Ford Fiesta in Green Envy, to a Mustang in Gotta Have It Green to a Chevrolet Spark in Jalapeno. Even the all-new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray can be had sporting a deep Lime Rock Green.

BASF also hinted at the future of paint colors, mentioning matte shades, like that of our long-term Hyundai Veloster Turbo. Take a look below for the full press release from BASF.

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Greens gaining ground among car colors originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW i8 will be first production car to use Gorilla Glass

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, BMW

BMW i8 will be the first car to use Gorilla Glass.

What do smartphones and the BMW i8 have in common? Glass. Scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, that is. The i8 will be the first production car to use the chemically hardened material, which is more durable, lighter and provides more sound deadening than conventional laminated automotive glass. We thought it would be a natural replacement for windshields, but, according to Autoweek, BMW said it will be used for the rear window for sound deadening purposes. The Gorilla Glass will still be laminated, with two 0.7mm thick layers of it sandwiching an acoustic sheet, reports Autoevolution.

BMW reportedly claims the i8 will weigh less than 3,285 pounds, and to offset the heavy hybrid powertrain to reach that goal the automaker has implemented lightweight materials normally not found in mass-production automobiles. With a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque used for both the (relatively) pedestrian i3 and the upscale i8, it’s not surprising BMW was also the first to jump onto Gorilla Glass, especially given the timing of a report that a high-end automaker would introduce it within the year.

Be sure to check out our First Drive review of the i8 to see if BMW’s newest sports car is living up to the hype.

BMW i8 will be first production car to use Gorilla Glass originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Your car’s ‘big data’ is worth $1,400 a year

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Earnings/Financials, Infotainment

Chevrolet MyLink screen

Connected cars are slowly but surely becoming more commonplace, mirroring the smartphone takeover of the mobile communications market, albeit at a much slower pace. But as we get more and more connected vehicles on the road, the ability of companies to take advantage of the accumulated data becomes greater and greater.

Now, one Cisco executive, Andreas Mai, has put a number on just what one car’s total data will mean in savings for a number of interested parties. According to a report from Automotive News, the average motorist will stand to save $550 per year thanks to smarter routing from navigation systems that allow them to both avoid traffic and improve fuel economy.

Society, as a whole, will benefit thanks to data that allows for an improved traffic flow and higher road capacity, with $420 in savings. Mai estimates that the service providers – those companies that provide the traffic guidance, navigation, parking services and such – should see $150 in value per car. Finally, the automakers should see an extra $300 in value thanks to app design and smarter diagnostics that lower warranty costs.

And while this is all very much still pie-in-the-sky stuff (connected cars are still in their infancy), the prospects are quite exciting. The sole sticking point we can really see has to do with privacy. The average citizen might not appreciate their commuting habits being monitored by faceless corporations, with some potentially electing to opt out.

The idea of incentivizing cooperation is one possibility, but even Mai recognizes that privacy and ownership of the data will be an issue, “There have to be rules about who owns the data. Most likely it’s the consumer, since he bought the car. A balance needs to be struck.”

Your car’s ‘big data’ is worth $1,400 a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Ford, Toys/Games

Mustang RC car chase video behind the scenes

We’ve reported on a few R/C car chase videos in the past. One in particular that stands out as a favorite is Zach King’s “The Cliché RC Action Chase.” It featured a pair of Ford Mustang coupes racing through a cardboard city, plowing into outdoor patios and busting through construction zones. It was wonderfully creative and fun to watch, yet we know there was more to its creation than a bunch of guys fooling around with a camera one afternoon.

Turns out we were right, as evidenced by this video produced by Ford that takes us behind the scenes of Zach’s creation. The young filmmaker explains why he chose the Mustang to star in his video, as well as how the cardboard sets were created, what equipment they used for shooting and what it was like when his video went viral. Ford found the young filmmaker and produced the followup as part of its Mustang Countdown video series, which will see a new video about the Mustang culture released every week until the original muscle car’s anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Want to make an RC chase video of your own? Yeah, we do too. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below (you can refresh yourself on the mini feature film, too) before you get started.

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How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Average US car now a record-setting 11.4 years old [w/poll]

Filed under: Car Buying

Heavy traffic is shown on north-bound Interstate Highway 5, Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Seattle. Commuter traffic was congested but moving slowly in Seattle on the first weekday commute following the nine-day closure of the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct, one of the city's main north-south highways. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Cars are becoming less and less of a disposable item, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press. The average age of the 247 million cars and trucks in the US fleet is now up to 11.4 years, an increase of two full years since 2007 and 0.2 years since 2012. The newspaper spoke with Mark Seng, vice president of industry research firm Polk, who cited consumers’ desire to avoid monthly payments and the ever-improving quality of mainstream cars and trucks as reasons for the increased age.

The first item is fairly obvious – no one really likes to carry a monthly car payment. The second point, though, is perhaps less obvious. The fact of the matter is that modern vehicles are just so reliable that people aren’t feeling the need to scrap them as quickly. In fact, scrappage has fallen 50 percent since the start of the recession, a stat that is sure to pain junkyard scroungers everywhere.

But while the nation’s average vehicle age is likely to continue to increase, it is expected to do so right along with increasing sales of new vehicles. After a 30-year low of 10.4 million vehicles in 2009, the annual average is running right along at 15.5 million according to The Detroit Free Press. While it seems counterintuitive for these two stats to climb together, the combination of improved reliability, lower interest rates and readily available longer-term financing options has created a kind of perfect storm for both long-term ownership and new vehicle sales.

How old is your primary vehicle? Participate in our poll below, then let us know your thoughts in Comments.

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Average US car now a record-setting 11.4 years old [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mini considering sports car replacement for Coupe and Roadster?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Budget, Performance, Crossover, Hatchback, Mini, Luxury

Mini Coupe

The next-generation Mini lineup could see some big changes, according to a report from Australian site CarSales. Starting with the debut of the third-generation Mini Hardtop at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, we could see a regular string of Minis on the stages of the world. But the bodystyles we see might not be what we’ve grown used to.

A four-door sedan could eventually arrive, while the polarizing Mini Coupe and Roadster are likely to be replaced by a dedicated sports car with unique sheetmetal and uprated engines. While the rest of the line is switching to three-cylinder, turbocharged engines, the new sports car, which will be available in both soft- and hardtop variants, will use some version of BMW’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. The Aussie site also claims that the interior treatment could take inspiration from the Mini Vision concept car, while showing off the know-how BMW gained when working carbon fiber into the i3. The new model(s) would likely arrive in late 2015 or early 2016.

According to CarSales, we’ll see the three-door Hardtop at the 2013 LA Show, along with a five-door hatch that is different from the Clubman at the 2014 Paris show. The Clubman, meanwhile, will arrive in Geneva in 2015, while the Convertible is slated for later that same year. The current Countryman and Paceman are expected to be around for some time, before being joined by an MPV. Eventually, the larger Minis will share their architecture with the BMW X1.

Mini considering sports car replacement for Coupe and Roadster? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Apple moves to patent adjusting car preferences via iPhone

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology

Apple files patent for adjust car preferences via iPhone

Just when you thought your iPhone could do everything for you, Apple is pulling one more trick out of the hat. According to The Unofficial Apple Weblog, the company has filed a patent application for a system that remembers individual car settings, such as the angle of your side mirrors or steering wheel, and adjusts them accordingly.

While many higher-end vehicles and trims already offer packages that include memory for seats and other functions, this iPhone app could be a good solution for those of us who don’t spring for such luxuries. What’s more, it very well could provide drivers with memory control over a greater range of functions.

Better yet, since the settings stay with your phone, you could theoretically use them in other vehicles that you drive. As explained by the patent abstract, “…when the user visits another similar environment, such as a rented automobile, those configuration preferences can be imported into the visited environment and used to automatically configure the environment according to the imported preferences.”

While there’s no telling when this solution might make its way onto your iPhone, we’re definitely excited about the possibilities Apple’s mobile integration with cars might hold.

Apple moves to patent adjusting car preferences via iPhone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hyundai app lets you build your own zombie apocalypse car

Filed under: Hyundai, Humor

Hyundai app lets you build your own zombie apocalypse car

Walking Dead fans, rejoice! Thanks to Hyundai, you can build your very own virtual zombie survival machine. We’ve all seen the light-green Hyundai Tucson transporting the likes of Rick Grimes and his motley crew of survivors in AMC’s hit series, and now you can get in on the action with Hyundai’s Walking Dead Chop Shop.

Available both as a mobile app and desktop version, this quirky configurator presents you with a choice of three Hyundai vehicles: the Veloster Turbo, Santa Fe and Elantra. Each one has its strengths, though we particularly like the Santa Fe’s utility. After all, according to Hyundai, “There’s room for seven survivors inside” and you won’t have to worry about “getting zombie all over your seats. They’re easy to wipe clean.” But for those who prefer not to invite zombies along for the journey, the speedy Veloster Turbo and its 201-horsepower engine may be the way to go.

Once you select your post-apocalyptic ride, you have a choice of colors (including Apocalypse Black, of course), decals (“Alive Inside” is a useful one) and nearly 300 other zombie-fighting features. We’re partial to the automatic shotguns on the hood, although the flamethrower is also quite tempting. You can even add titanium or aluminum armor and a dizzying array of other defensive and offensive weapons: spinning saw blades on the wheels, a horde plow on the front bumper and barbed wire on the side windows, just to name a few.

When you’re finished creating your zombie death machine, the app spits out a percentage rating your likelihood of survival. You can also share your vehicle with friends on Facebook and Twitter. According to Hyundai, 37,672 vehicles have been built so far. And out of these, they’ll choose one vehicle to build for the New York Comic-Con convention this October (the automaker already debuted a zombie survival concept based on the Veloster at the San Diego Comic-Con). The only question now is… when can we buy one of these things for real?

Hyundai app lets you build your own zombie apocalypse car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Aug 2013 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch Tony Stewart violently crash a Sprint Car

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Racing

Tony Stewart crash video

Tony Stewart is a racecar driver. There aren’t really any ifs, ands or buts about that. Unlike the sheltered stars of other sports that would rarely be caught dead around the lower levels, Stewart actively seeks out midget and sprint races, often on dirt tracks around the country. Stewart got started in these smaller, local events, and hasn’t stopped racing in them since hitting it big.

His latest outing, at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, didn’t end quite so well, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports. The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, who currently sits at eleventh in the Sprint Cup standings after a fourth place finish at the Brickyard 400, popped up for the Northern Summer Nationals sprint car race, and was duking it out with the eventual race winner when he ran wide in the middle of the corner. It looks like he picked up some debris, which was enough to send the car tumbling across the top of the track.

Thankfully, the crash looked a lot worse than it actually was, and Stewart walked away. Take a look at the full video below.

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Watch Tony Stewart violently crash a Sprint Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: VW launches Car-Net telematics system with brace of safety features

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Safety, Technology, Crossover, Volkswagen, Infotainment

Volkswagen will offer Car-Net assistance system for select 2014 models.

Starting with select 2014 models, Volkswagen will offer an in-car assistance system called Car-Net, which comes with safety features such as location-based roadside assistance, automatic crash notification, remote vehicle unlock, destination assistance and more. The system is very similar to General Motors’ OnStar, but VW is quick to point out that a subscription to Car-Net gives the owner access to all of its features. OnStar requires that subscribers pay extra for its navigation function.

A mobile application will be available to accompany the in-car system as well, and working together they allow owners to check vehicle status or even find where they last parked.

The 2014 VWs that are compatible with the system are Jetta, Passat, Tiguan, CC, Beetle and Eos models. One year will cost $199; two years is $378, three years is $540; or $17.99 for a month-to-month subscription. Feel free to read the press release we included below.

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VW launches Car-Net telematics system with brace of safety features originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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