Cars

Cars and mobile phones haven’t had a very happy relationship. For most people, a car/phone interface means a bracket suction-cupped to the windscreen. At best, it means a Bluetooth connection between the phone and the car’s infotainment system, that leaves much to be desired. Trying to rectify this situation, Israeli telecom company Accel Telecom describes its new VOYAGER smartphone as the “first standalone connected car smartphone,” designed with the car specifically in mind.  Read More

Last week, on January 15, Aston Martin celebrated its centenary. To mark the occasion, the car maker unveiled its Centenary Edition Vanquish. Billed by Aston Martin as the “ultimate GT car,” this bespoke version of the luxury coupe will be available worldwide, though only 100 vehicles will be built. The company has also announced that similar centenary editions of the V8 Vantage, DB9 and Rapide are in the offing.  Read More

Toyota and its Lexus division took a step closer to the autonomous car as they unveiled their Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle (AASRV) at a press conference in the run up to CES 2013 in Las Vegas. Based on a Lexus LS, the AASRV uses automated vehicle safety technologies to work toward the goal of eliminating "future traffic fatalities and injuries.”  Read More

Drivers of top of the line cars can customize just about everything. At the touch of a button or the turn of a dial they can change the brake settings, the traction control, the suspension and even how far the boot opens. Cadillac is taking this customization up another notch in its XTS luxury sedan by making it possible to alter the arrangement of the digital gauges to suit the driver’s tastes.  Read More

Honda apparently wants to show that good things come in small packages, so it's announced that it will be installing its 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel engine in the 2013 Civic manufactured at the company’s facility in Swindon, U.K. Specifically designed for the European market, the 1.6-liter i-DTEC is the lightest in its class, yet puts out 120 PS (118 bhp) and 300 Nm (221 ft-lb) of torque.  Read More

Stanford's autonomous Audi TTS research vehicle is gaining on the performance of its human-piloted counterparts. In contrast to its slightly pedestrian romp up Pikes Peak back in 2010, the self-driving car known as Shelley has recently hit speeds of 120 mph and posted lap times only just behind those of expert race car drivers at Thunderhill Raceway in California.  Read More

At first glance, hydrogen seems like a brilliant alternative fuel for motor cars. It burns so clean that all it produces is water, it’s the most abundant element in the universe and it doesn’t need all those rare earth elements and heavy metals that electric vehicles depend on. The only trouble is, it’s very difficult to handle. In an effort to make hydrogen cars practical, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Austrian automotive manufacturer MagnaSteyr are adapting technology developed for the Ariane rockets so that it can be used in cars, as part of ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme.  Read More

If you've ever wished that roads would do something instead of just lying there, a pair of Dutch design firms have the answer. Studio Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure are developing what they call a “Smart Highway.” It’s a roadway that incorporates a suite of interactive technologies that adapt to traffic conditions and provide motorists with valuable feedback.  Read More

Pizza delivery usually depends on the delivery person’s own transport, but that may change in the near future. Domino’s Pizza and crowd-source automaker Local Motors have announced the winner in their "Ultimate Delivery Vehicle" contest, which aims at creating a dedicated, high-tech pizza van. After a six-week competition with over 200 entries. the winner of the initial design phase was Anej Kostrevic of Slovenia, who was awarded the US$10,000 prize first prize for his Domino's Pack delivery vehicle.  Read More