Inside The Mind Of An Automotive Geek
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Latest And The Safest Mondeo So FAr...
Guess what car has risen to the occasion lately? The new Ford Mondeo got the 5-star rating for adult occupant protection in the most recent Euro NCAP safety testing which was announced yesterday!The Mondeo was one of the top 10 ever accounted in the valued independent crash testing assessments as shown on the test’s results. The all-new Ford Mondeo will go along with Ford’s three other models and they are the Focus, Galaxy and the S-MAX which are included in Euro NCAP’s top 10 list. The latest highlight is expected to strengthen Ford of Europe's according to the headlines in Ford.com. The latest achievement will secure a spot for the company with the highest number of vehicles in the top 10 for adult occupant protection.
“With each new model, our quest is for the ultimate safety performance. This latest Euro NCAP 5-star rating for the new Mondeo is a further validation of our holistic approach to engineering safety into Ford vehicles, and the strength of our Ford Intelligent Protection System. It demonstrates emphatically that the work we devote to optimising the safety of Ford vehicles really pays off where it counts in a family car like Mondeo with significant protection for adults and children alike,” says Gisbert Gaeb, the Manager for Vehicle Safety of Ford of Europe.
Check out a few of Ford Mondeo’s components in its safety system:
Ford Intelligent Protection System - All drivers of the new Mondeo will gain from Ford’s dedication to safety with massive new features which improves the car's Intelligent Protection System (IPS).
- Improved driver protection through a horizontally retracting steering column
- Retracting safety pedals
- Optimised airbag deployment
- Enhanced safety belt system with pretensioners for front seat passengers
- Advanced seat design
- Advanced neck injury protection system for front seat passengers
- High-level child protection with ISOFIX
- The effectiveness of the new Mondeo’s horizontally retracting steering column and knee air bag were acknowledged by Euro NCAP when the performance of the Mondeo was reviewed in detail with Ford engineers.
- Optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Alert (FA) audio and visual collision warning system and collision mitigation by braking
- Optional Interactive Vehicle Dynamics Control (IVDC) active suspension system with Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD)
- Automatic Hazard Warning Lights Activation
- Optional Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Run Flat tires
- Highly developed Advanced Front Lighting Systems (AFS)
- Optional Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
- Standard Ford EasyFuel capless refuelling system, which prevents accidentally fuelling the vehicle with the wrong type of fuel
Thursday, September 27, 2007
What Car Has What Technology
Through the years, the automobile has become a sophisticated machine. If we list down the improvements made on the automobile in the last decade, I think it would take us a very long time. For example, just look at the design of Volvos in the past with new Volvos. Notice the difference on the corners. Old Volvos are boxy while new ones are sexy. Engine technology has also changed, in the past; they don't use catalytic converters or other emission filtration device. And when it comes to features, new cars are light years ahead of cars in the past. Let us take a look at the hottest features today and what car has them.
For music lovers, there's iPod connectivity. General Motors offers vehicles which allow iPod owners to connect their music player to the car audio system. This means that drivers can easily bring their favorite music long with them but also play them on a vehicle's audio system.
Another feature that I think is really cool is a navigation system which reacts to voice commands. The 2008 Acura TL is equipped with a voice-enabled technology with its Voice Recognition Acura navigation System. This gives divers the ability to stay focused on the road while operating the navigation system. Simple voice commands like "Find Nearest Hospital" are recognized by the vehicle's navigation system. According to the automaker, the said navigation system contains more than 1.7 million city and street names on its database.
One feature designed to keep drivers and passengers safe is collision warning and preparation feature. In the 2008 Lexus SL, this system is called the Pre-Collision System or PCS. This system uses sensors mounted in front of the vehicle. If the vehicle's onboard computer senses that collision with the vehicle or building or anything is inevitable, it will tighten the front seat belts and prepares the car's Brake Assist System.
One automaker that you can count on to develop safety feature is Volvo. For its 2008 Volvo C70, the Swedish automaker has developed a parking assistance system. The system uses sensors both in front and at the back of the vehicle. These sensors warns the driver if something is twelve inches from the front or rear bumper.
Don Christy Jr. President and CEO of NADAguides.com has this to say about these features: "These are just a few examples of the technologies currently being offered in today's cars -- in both luxury models and in some entry-level models too. As digital applications become more affordable, we anticipate manufacturers will offer these types of products in increasing numbers, not only as optional equipment but as standard equipment in the not-so-distant future."
For music lovers, there's iPod connectivity. General Motors offers vehicles which allow iPod owners to connect their music player to the car audio system. This means that drivers can easily bring their favorite music long with them but also play them on a vehicle's audio system.
Another feature that I think is really cool is a navigation system which reacts to voice commands. The 2008 Acura TL is equipped with a voice-enabled technology with its Voice Recognition Acura navigation System. This gives divers the ability to stay focused on the road while operating the navigation system. Simple voice commands like "Find Nearest Hospital" are recognized by the vehicle's navigation system. According to the automaker, the said navigation system contains more than 1.7 million city and street names on its database.
One feature designed to keep drivers and passengers safe is collision warning and preparation feature. In the 2008 Lexus SL, this system is called the Pre-Collision System or PCS. This system uses sensors mounted in front of the vehicle. If the vehicle's onboard computer senses that collision with the vehicle or building or anything is inevitable, it will tighten the front seat belts and prepares the car's Brake Assist System.
One automaker that you can count on to develop safety feature is Volvo. For its 2008 Volvo C70, the Swedish automaker has developed a parking assistance system. The system uses sensors both in front and at the back of the vehicle. These sensors warns the driver if something is twelve inches from the front or rear bumper.
Don Christy Jr. President and CEO of NADAguides.com has this to say about these features: "These are just a few examples of the technologies currently being offered in today's cars -- in both luxury models and in some entry-level models too. As digital applications become more affordable, we anticipate manufacturers will offer these types of products in increasing numbers, not only as optional equipment but as standard equipment in the not-so-distant future."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What They Said About Him
The auto industry is closely related to motorsports. It is not surprising for auto enthusiasts to be addicted to Formula One or NASCAR or the WRC or even MotoGP and 24 Hours of Le Mans. And many look up to these guys and gals who participate in these sports. So it is not surprising that a guy like Colin McRae will be missed by many including myself.Colin's a driver that will put everything on the line to give his best for the team and his fans. It's his attitude which inspired many to do all the best they can if they want to achieve something. Sadly though, Colin is no longer with us as he passed away along with his son, his son's friend, and one of his long time friends in a helicopter crash on Saturday.
Formula One veteran David Coulthard leads tributes for his compatriot. "He was fearless, flamboyant, blindingly quick in the car," said Coulthard of McRae. "He was very down-to-earth, matter-of-fact that he was so good. He had all the good Scottish traits. I competed in the Race of Champions with him because of my respect for him - I remember him urging me on, telling to get the finger out for Scotland."
"Colin was a remarkable man who wore his heart on this sleeve and was the epitome of a racer; fearless and attacking, yet he remained true to his roots and grounded despite the international fame and recognition that he achieved. The world is a sorrier place without him."
One-time teammate Sebastien Loeb said: "Colin was a hugely talented driver. He was also a down-to-earth, cool and collected person. He loved to joke around and it was a joy and an honour to work alongside him."
Multiple MotoGP World Champion and Colin's friend Valentino Rossi recently won the Portuguese Grand Prix and dedicated his victory to his idol. "Colin McRae was very important for me," said Rossi after the race. "He was one of my great idols when I was young. I always followed his career because he was the Kevin Schwantz (1993 500cc world champion) of rally. Colin gave me a lot of passion for that sport because he made a great show, always with some mistakes but always very fast. Unfortunately, all I can do for him is to dedicate this victory."
Other people close to him have extended their condolences to the bereaved family. It is such a blow to the sport but everyone knows that wherever Colin may be right now, he must be strapped on a seat of a rally car and putting the pedal to the metal as they say.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The New Lambo
Lamborghini: an Italian manufacturer of high performance sports cars. And when I say high performance, it means super fast cars with looks that can wow almost everyone. For years, the Diablo has been the most popular Lamborghini. Even when it was replaced by the Murcielago in the automaker's lineup, the Diablo is, for me, still the most popular Lambo and the best looking one too. But that was before Lamborghini's newest road rocket, the Lamborghini Reventón, came into being.
The said car is so expensive that I'd end up being a slave myself for the rest of my life and still be paying for it in the afterlife. The price tag on the Reventón is a million euros. And that's before taxes. What makes it more special other than the price is that only 20 units of the Reventón will be made. And all of them are already pre-sold to customers around the world.
Words alone cannot describe how the Reventón looks so good. You can just imagine the air flowing up and over the car easily. And in reality, that's how air reacts to the car. That's because 0the Reventón is designed to be the most aerodynamic Lambo ever.
We know that Lamborghini cars are designed to be so extreme that it borders on the extraordinary. Stephan Winkelmann, President and the Chief Executive Officer of Lamborghini describe the Reventón saying: "However, the Reventón is the most extreme of all, a true automotive superlative. Our designers at the Lamborghini Style Centre took the technical base of the Murcielago LP640 and compressed and intensified its DNA, its genetic code."
Although the Murcielago is the canvas for the Reventón, the interior of the new sports car is also new with nothing taken from the Murcielago. On the outside, the new super car is made out of a composite carbon fiber metal. I'm sure you have heard of this stuff. The same material used on aircrafts and Formula One cars as well as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. It is light, yet very durable and very stable. The material alone can set you back hundreds of thousands already that's why the 1 million euro price tag is not a surprise anymore.
Just like the Countach, the predecessor of the Diablo and the Murcielago, the Reventón's doors open upwards. It is also equipped with a twelve-cylinder engine. This is the same unit used on the Murcielago LP640. For the Reventón though, the engine was given more oomph. It produces as much as 650 horsepower at 8,000 revs per minute. That power pushes the Reventón from a standstill to a hundred kilometers per hour in just 3.4 seconds.
Wow, huh?
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Volvo Making Cars Safer…Still
Swedish automaker Volvo has always been known as a producer of safe cars. For eighty years now, the automaker has been pelting us with safety features after safety features. With the number of accidents taking lives, each safety feature developed by automakers such as Volvo are really heaven-sent. And just when we though that it will be a long wait for the next breakthrough from Volvo, it announced that it will be using an enhanced safety feature for its vehicles and the whole package will be released before the end of the year.
This feature is the Collision Warning with Auto Brake feature. This feature essentially activates the car's brakes when it senses that the vehicle is on a collision course with a stationary or a moving vehicle in front of it. Ingrid Skogsmo, the director of Volvo's safety center extolled the benefit of this feature, saying: "This can mean the difference between a serious injury and minor consequences for the occupants of both vehicles."
The safety features uses radar and a camera to gauge the distance between the car and the vehicle in front of it. If the distance between the two cars reaches the a certain threshold, the driver will be warned through flashing lights and audible warnings. The onboard computer will also prime the brakes, pushing the brake pads closer to the disc so that the brakes can be applied instantly with just a bit of a pressure on the brake pedal. And when the computer senses a that collision is inevitable, it will apply the brakes thus reducing the impact or totally avoiding a crash.
Jonas Tisell, the technical project manager for Collision Warning with Auto Brake at Volvo Cars, said: "Since the system combines information both from the radar sensor and the camera, it gives such a high confidence level that automatic braking is possible if a collision is imminent. The system is programmed to activate autonomous braking only if both sensors agree that the situation is critical."
Data shows that one out of three accidents involving cars are rear-collisions. In fifty percent of those cases, the driver of a car does not brake at all. This may be due to a driver panicking when caught in a position where they are in danger of hitting the car in front. There are even cases when due to panic, drivers step on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
The automaker announced that the feature will be available with the Volvo S80, the V70, and the XC70 by the end of this year.
