Tag: checks

Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Videos, Toyota

Toyota Entune

Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Toyota will be launching its new Entune infotainment system later this year – a product that pairs with a customer’s Internet- and Bluetooth-equipped smartphone to bring a host of applications right into the car’s navigation screen. Entune is the Japanese automaker’s answer to Ford’s SYNC system, and we recently had the chance to get a first-hand look at Toyota’s latest creation inside of the upcoming 2012 Prius V.

Entune made its official debut at CES back in January, combining functional apps like Bing search and real-time XM information (traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports and stocks) with entertainment features like Pandora and iHeartRadio. What’s more, Entune adds restaurant booking capability via OpenTable and allows you to research movie times through MovieTickets.com. Of course, there’s a slate of safety features like collision notification and roadside assistance, similar to those found in Lexus’ Enform system.

We sat down inside the 2012 Prius V with Toyota’s corporate manager for advanced technology, Jim Pisz, to see exactly how Entune works. Pisz tells us that the Prius V will be the first Toyota vehicle to feature Entune, but that we will likely see it spread to higher-volume models like the Camry and Tacoma by the end of the year.

In all, Entune looks to be a pretty slick system. The touch-screen display is easy to navigate, though it isn’t as visually appealing as the Blue Oval’s MyFord Touch. See a full walk-through of Entune for yourself in the video after the jump. As an added bonus, click here to see an Entune hands-on from our friends at Engadget, as well.

Editor’s Note: Because Entune pairs to a smartphone, if there’s a lengthy loss of signal at any time, that will cause Entune to become temporarily unresponsive. This happened during our preview outside of New York’s Plaza Hotel, and thus, the video begins after Pisz restarted the system.

Gallery: Toyota Entune

[Lead image: Steven J. Ewing/AOL]

Continue reading Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: See how Nissan checks its cars for radiation

Filed under: Japan, Safety, Videos, Nissan

Nissan radiation testing in Japan

Nissan radiation testing – Click above to watch video after the jump

Japanese automakers are continuing to test their products for excessive radiation levels as they leave their respective manufacturing facilities and before they’re loaded onto container ships for transport. Nissan has released a video detailing the company’s radiation check system, which includes monitoring randomly-selected sample group vehicles in three key locations.

Workers measure levels at the vehicles’ wheels, the center of the hood and the steering wheel before handing out clean bills of health. So far, all of the company’s vehicles have passed without a problem.

Automakers began testing vehicles after the disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant despite the fact that most manufacturing locations are situated well away from the ill-stricken facility. The video after the jump follows a few vehicles (including a 370Z and a GT-R) through the test procedure and onto a transportation vessel in port. Click past the jump to watch the full video for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Stephen!

[Source: Integrity Exports]

Continue reading Video: See how Nissan checks its cars for radiation

Video: See how Nissan checks its cars for radiation originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat, UK

Fiat 500 TwinAir on Fifth Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The more cylinders, the better. Right? That’s exactly the kind of conventional wisdom that’s being turned on its head with the green revolution. Everything from hatchbacks to muscle sedans are dropping pistons like clumsy engine-plant workers these days. But what about the TwinAir engine on the Fiat 500? Have the Italians taken things too far?

That’s what the crew over at Fifth Gear have set about figuring out. The other British car show took the latest Cinquecento – all two cylinders of it – out for video review. So how did it fare? Follow the jump to watch the segment for yourself and find out.

Continue reading Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir

Video: Fifth Gear checks out the two-cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Translogic goes to Japan, checks out its modding culture

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Japan, Videos, Motorcycle, Design/Style

Bradley with Kaido racers

Translogic goes to Japan! – Click above to watch video after the jump

Our in-company pals at Translogic decided it was time to add a new stamp to their passports. They gathered up their video equipment and hopped on a plane. Destination: Japan!

Bradley Hasemeyer and the Translogic team descended upon the Asian island nation to film a multi-part adventure, exploring different facets of the unique culture. First up on the agenda is the subject of modification. Hasemeyer kicks his trip off by checking out a group of folks who love tricking out their scooters. The mods add up quickly and the 250cc “Big Scooters” are fitted with everything from neon lighting to full air suspension setups.

Moving on from the new-school world of scooter modding, Translogic examines the more classic Kaido Racer scene. This very unique styling endeavor gets its inspiration from the old-school FIA Group 5 racing league that included such legendary cars as the Porsche 917, Ferrari 512 and the Ford GT40 Mk 1. Now, the Japanese have obviously taken serious liberties in their own four-wheeled homages, but the result is a style that is nothing if not distinct.

After scaling up from scooters to cars, Hasemeyer gets even bigger and shifts his focus to the van modding world. Starting with such a large canvas, the Japanese van culture goes absolutely crazy and transform their vans into creations that defy explanation. You’ll have to hop the jump and watch the video to see the owners explain their obsessions.

[Source: AOL Autos Translogic]

Continue reading Video: Translogic goes to Japan, checks out its modding culture

Video: Translogic goes to Japan, checks out its modding culture originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Bull reportedly cutting employees fat bonus checks for winning world championships

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

Winning the Formula One World Championship may be motivation enough. But as an added reward, Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz is reportedly giving each of his employees at Red Bull Racing a big fat bonus for having taken home both titles this year.

According to reports, each of the 500+ staff members at the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, England, will receive at least £10,000 (~$16k), but that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Some senior staff members stand to rake in up to £42k ($67k), while Sebastian Vettel – the driver who took home the top prize – is expected to get €3 million, equivalent to over $4 million in American terms.

With Mateschitz many times over a billionaire and the team waiting for nearly $100 million in purse winnings for the titles, the team can easily afford the bonuses, and are certainly most deserving.

[Source: PistonHeads | Image: Vladimir Rys/Getty]

Red Bull reportedly cutting employees fat bonus checks for winning world championships originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota audit uncovers ‘misunderstanding’ among suppliers about quality checks

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Toyota Prius assembly line

Toyota has a long history of building high-quality cars and trucks, but the recent recall of over eight million vehicles for unintended acceleration-related issues showed that no company is without flaws. Toyota has since worked hard to correct the chinks in its armor, adding 40 quality engineers in Toyota City and another three chief engineers at its technical center in Ann Arbor to help prevent defects from reaching its customers in the future. At the same time, Toyota is in the process of auditing its most critical suppliers to ensure that quality checks are being properly executed; a process that has uncovered some inconsistency.

Bloomberg is reporting that Toyota has discovered that some of its suppliers aren’t performing as many component quality checks as the company thought. Dino Triantafyllos, vice president of North American product quality, told the news agency that there was a “misunderstanding” as to how many checks were being performed, with some suppliers doing one quality check per year instead of the required four. Triantafyllos feels that the audit is working, adding “these improvements we’re making, if we’d made them two years ago, maybe some of these issues wouldn’t have happened.”

Triantafyllos isn’t alone in his efforts to eliminate future quality problems. The Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers, led by Hiroshi Osada, is also working with Toyota to improve quality. Osada claims that the problems that led to the recall of millions of vehicles occurred in the design development stage, adding that closer inspection of components “should be able to help prevent quality defects.”

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty]

Report: Toyota audit uncovers ‘misunderstanding’ among suppliers about quality checks originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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