Will Tire Tread Scanners Keep Roads Safer?

A few months back, Malcolm and I were headed north on I-95 after a Southern Automotive Media Association meeting in Miami. We were driving at around 75 miles per hour, in a steady rain and moderate traffic, when the minivan next to us spun.

The whole thing happened too fast to be puckering; one minute, the van was alongside us, and the next the driver was looking out his windshield at the side of my car. No one was hurt, and the van suffered only minor damage. Traffic was slowing ahead, and the minivan driver most likely tapped his brakes. What caused the spin? My guess is bald tires on a wet road. Read more…

Understeer Versus Oversteer

I’m working on a driving presentation for a local auto dealer, and I remembered these two videos (one from Top Gear, and one inspired by Top Gear) that explain the basics of understeer and oversteer far better than any fifteen-minute, physics based lecture. In a nutshell, when your car understeers, you see the tree that kills you. When you have oversteer, you don’t see it: hence, oversteer (at least according to Richard Hammond) is preferable. Read more…

Porsche’s Seven Speed Gearbox, Explained

Seven and eight speed gearboxes are the way of the future, since they offer up a blend of both performance and fuel economy simply not possible with five and six speed transmissions. Porsche is the first manufacturer to release a seven-speed manual transmission, and adding the seventh gear allows the automaker greater flexibility in improving the new 911’s performance while meeting ever-tightening U.S. and E.U. fuel economy requirements. Read more…

Complete Perfection: Identity Designs’ Custom Matte-Silver 3M Vinyl Infiniti G37 Coupe

Our good friends at Identity Designs in Jacksonville, FL, who happens to supply us with all of our graphics and printing needs, recently did a matte silver 3M vinyl wrap on a new Infiniti G37. The remarkable vinyl wrap job exceeds expectations taking today’s faddish matte colored exteriors to a new level.

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Bright Cars: A Newfound Infatuation over Automotive LED Lighting

I asked three of my long-time friends to list their top 10 favorite new cars. It was no surprise to me that they would mainly name off exotic sports cars. Obviously the cars that they named are some of the most recognized and cherished new vehicles for the common-day automotive enthusiast. You have your Audi R8, Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari 458, Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz AMG line, Nissan GT-R, and so on. I then proceeded ask my friends what where some of the characteristics of those 10 cars that made them stand out over common non-exotic cars. To my surprise, two of my friends immediately explained that the day-time running LED car lights (and other LED lighting ie: turn signals, brake lights etc.) was one of the distinctive features, from a very short list, that made these vehicles stand out. Of course out of these “chosen” vehicles there are obvious characteristics such as well-known performance stats, bright red colors on their chosen Italian sports cars, and an exhaust note to die for.

Why have LED lights, made such an impression on people?

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Coming Soon: Intelligent Roads

Just four years ago, a ton of asphalt in liquid form was selling for $175; thanks to the increasing cost of oil, the same amount of asphalt sells for over $1,000 today. It won’t be long before paving with traditional materials becomes cost-prohibitive, which raises the obvious question of “what comes next?”

One enterprising Idaho company, Solar Roadways, thinks they have the answer. The company has developed a solar-panel-embedded roadway that generates electricity, heats itself to melt snow, warns drivers of changing road conditions and, eventually, pays for itself with the electricity created. It carries fiber optic cabling and power lines, so communications systems and the power grid would be much more weather-resistant than they are today. The Solar Roadway panels can even be equipped with an inductive charging system, which means that electric cars of tomorrow could have an unlimited range, charging as they drive. Read more…

New Cafe Rules Not All Bad: Turbo Usage Expected To Triple

If you want to get substantially better fuel economy out of a car or truck, your options for doing so are somewhat limited. You can lighten the vehicle, but doing so is likely to reduce overall strength or substantially increase the price. You can add a hybrid drivetrain, but that adds weight, increases complexity and adds to the price. You can downsize the engine, but few drivers are willing to accept a significant reduction in power just to gain a few more mpgs. There’s another choice, though, and it’s one that’s being rapidly embraced by manufacturers as the best and most cost-effective solution: downsize the engine, and then turbocharge it. Read more…

Formula 1 Goes Green: Cars To Use Battery Power On Pit Lane

The green movement may be in its infancy in the United States, land of the SUV and the open road, but it’s been a hot topic in Europe for years. Everything from political campaigns through Autobahn speed limits have been influenced by the Greens, and even the highest form of motor racing isn’t immune from their reach. In 2014, F1 will switch from the current 2.4-liter V-8 formula, with a redline of 18,000 RPM, to a 1.6-liter turbo V-6, limited to 15,000 RPM. Since forced induction is allowed, performance will likely remain on par with today’s cars. Other changes, though, take a turn for the weird. Read more…