As carmakers look for innovative and low cost technologies to improve fuel economy of their cars, one such method quickly garnering acclaim is a feature known as engine stop-start tech. The system essentially shuts down the engine to save fuel when the car is sitting idly in traffic and then almost instantly kicks it back […]
GM has announced today that its OnStar system will be getting a new feature that will be able to remotely bring a car to a rolling stop in emergency situations. Just the thought of somebody controlling a button that could stop your car while out on the road is a little scary but when you […]
Renault has shown that low-cost minicars don’t have to be the boring econo-boxes most people presume they are thanks to its stylish Twingo hatch. It’s now made the tiny runabout a little sweeter with some help from Nokia. The two companies have formed a partnership to develop a new range of in-car electronics for […]
Fans of the BMW M3 and cars alike can take a virtual test drive of the new E92 Coupe in a free downloadable computer game offered by the carmaker. The game lets you take a spin around the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, configure the car with all the different M3 options and view you performance […]
Like something straight out of a James Bond flick, Aston Martin is offering a limited edition Jaeger LeCoultre wristwatch for its new DBS that can be used to unlock the car and fire it up. Available only to buyers of the 510hp flagship, the new watch carries a price tag of €25,000. Remember, that’s on […]
There’s one performance aspect almost exclusively overlooked by new car buyers when selecting their next purchase, the electronic brains of the car or the software that runs the whole show. We’re not just talking a couple of small programs here. A study conducted by Strategy Analytics found that a vehicle contains on average almost $2,000 […]
In a bid to compete with BMW and its own Google Maps-based ConnectedDrive navigation package, rival Mercedes-Benz today announced that it has teamed up with both Yahoo and Google Maps to deliver an easy to use in-car navigation system.
The system will be available on The C, CL and S-class models from September 5th. Called […]
British audio company Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), reputed for their high end loudspeakers, has designed its first premium car sound system to debut on Jaguar’s new XF.
This system, which was developed alongside the XF concept, makes up of 14 specially designed speakers, and makes use of advanced Dolby Pro Logic II 7.1 system to deliver […]
Nissan has announced its plans to install fuel-consumption meters to all of its cars, something Euro makes have been doing for years. Nissan says it’s doing it to promote awareness of more economical driving habits and that it’s part of its new ‘Nissan Green Program 2010’ environmental action plan.
Developers will add a small gauge that […]
Audi’s A5 is now available with Bang & Olufsen’s (B&O) latest stereo systems, an international award winner that’ set to take on the superb Mark Levinson systems found in other luxury makes.
The new B&O set-up includes no less than14 speakers, 7.1 surround sound, 10-channel Digital Signal Processing and is rated at 505-Watts. The latter […]
Researchers at MIT have been testing a prototype of a new internal combustion engine design that’s said to improve fuel-efficiency by up to 25% and runs on regular petrol. Labeled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), the new technology works by achieving combustion with only compression of the air-fuel mix rather than using a spark plug.
Last […]
Auto supplier Siemens VDO has developed a new ghost driver (person driving in the wrong direction) monitoring system that’s able to read passing road signs in order to warn drivers they’re heading into oncoming traffic.
The system works with Siemens’s current road sign recognition technology and utilizes a camera positioned on the back of the […]
BMW was the first carmaker to integrate the Apple iPod music player with its car stereo systems, and now it’s first again to offer full support for the new iPhone mobile phone. Motorists will be able to play music stored on the iPhone or talk hands-free with the inbuilt Bluetooth, but it’s only available on […]
A new infrared laser safety system that’s said to be more effective and cheaper than current radar-based systems has been developed, but major suppliers are sticking with the radar technology. These safety systems can be used to monitor whether vehicles up ahead are getting too close and can apply the brakes automatically to prevent a […]
There’s nothing like a small tidbit in a German newspaper to get the rumors started. This time it concerns technology brand Apple, which is reported to be developing a new in-car GPS navigation system that will debut in 2009. According to an article published in German magazine Focus, Apple will be working exclusively with Mercedes-Benz […]