Tech auto news

Official: 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features clever variable-RPM launch control

When you've got the most powerful factory V8 in the world, even the best driver can struggle with getting that power to the pavement. The 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is packing can easily turn its rear tires into expensive clouds of smoke. That's why the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the first Shelby Mustang to be factory-equipped with launch control. "With so much more power and torque on tap from the new 5.8-liter V8," says SVT senior engineer John Pfeiffer, "launch control makes it easier for drivers to take advantage of the performance." What's different about the Shelby GT500s launch control is that drivers can engage it by just pressing a single button, and it's also capable of being fine-tuned for the best reesults.

Launch control is by now a familiar technology, with systems operating by holding engine RPM at a set point to help facilitate clean, repeatable launches. "Launch control is essentially a special mode of the traction control system that integrates the brake and engine management systems to keep the tires balanced on the peak of the mu-slip curve," explains SVT's Pfeiffer. In plain English, it's designed to send as much torque to the tires as they can handle. What's different about the system in the 2013 GT500 is its flexibility. "Most of our competitors' launch control systems have a fixed engine launch speed," says SVT Engineering supervisor Eddie Khan, but since "not every driver has the same style, and surface, tire, and climate conditions vary," he points out, "we've given Shelby GT500 drivers the ability to adjust the engine speed to achieve the best and most consistent performance."

Drivers can use TrackApps through the instrument cluster or tap a switch to the left of the instrument panel to enable the system. Through TrackApps, the engine launch rpm can be adjusted between 3,000 to 4,500 rpm with steps of 100 rpm. There are other tricks up the GT500s sleeve, too. Extinguish the traction control while using launch control and you'll get an rpm-only mode that keeps the brakes out of the picture to avoid sacrificing any possible speed. Launch control also works with the different stability control modes to allow some wheelspin when that's the fastest way out of the hole. "It's not as intrusive as some TC systems have been in the past," said SVTs Khan. "We'e given our drivers the ability to exert control over all the power and torque this Mustang can produce."

Continue reading 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features clever variable-RPM launch control

Report: Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]

The Touchskin interface has beeen on display since last October; now it's at a stage where Magna is shopping it to automakers. Although Magna is the marquee name, the various components that comprise Touchskin are produced by nine companies: Plastic Electronics, Engel Mould Technologies, Schöfer, Magna Exteriors and Interiors, Hueck, Niebling, Votteler, Hennecke Polyurethane and formquadrat.

It is exactly what it sounds like: instead of buttons and knobs populating the center tunnel space around the gearshift, there is a a perfectly smooth Clearmelt panel whose glossy surface heals itself of scratches and nicks. On either side of the shifter in the concept is the IDMP area, where your mobile phone rests. Without needing to be docked, the phone can connect with the car through Qi transmitters (common to phones as of this year) and be charged. The IDMP area and near-field Qi system is one of Magna's contributions and the company says it can't be hacked like Bluetooth or Internet protocols.

To the rear of the concept panel is the haptic interface, a protuberance that responds to numerous fingertip gestures to provide control of the car's various systems. It is made possible by the Touchskin film, produced in reel-to-reel fashion at a rate of 80 meters per minute, that can be molded to any shape and is wedded to the Clearmelt with copper foil.

There's a video just below to take you through the production process and how Touchskin works. It's unlikely the entire panel would make it into a new car, but we can certainly see it creeping, piece by glossy piece, into our Minority Report futures.

Continue reading Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]

Official: Honda unveils another Segway-fighter [w/video]

It seems that ever since humankind grew legs and climbed out of the ocean, we've been trying to figure out ways to avoid using said appendages. While many of these efforts have been wildly successful - think Roman chariots, Pony Express, and the Ford Model T - the recent spate of personal mobility devices hasn't quite taken off.

The poster child for this failure is, of course, the Segway. Though completely awesome, its greatest success has come in comedic appearances on television (Arrested Development) and in the movies (Paul Blart: Mall Cop). But manufacturers have forged ahead, undaunted in their desire to bring human-like mobility to humans. The latest: The Honda Uni-Cub.

An evolution of Honda's U3-X motorized unicycle, the Uni-Cub marries a saddle and sturdy base with an omni-directional drive wheel. A rider controls the Uni-Cub by simply shifting their weight. Honda says it is "designed for harmony with people," as the device positions the rider at relatively the same height as pedestrians, rather than towering over them like a Segway rider.

The Uni-Cub is designed for use indoors, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery and electric drive. It can reach a top speed of 3.7 miles per hour and has a range of 3.7 miles, meaning that any reasonably fit individual should be able to both outrun and outlast the Uni-Cub.

Honda will begin demonstration testing of the device in June.

Scroll down to read the full press release and watch a video of the Uni-Cub in action, and be sure to check out all the images in our gallery.

Continue reading Honda unveils another Segway-fighter [w/video]

Report: Why your next car may not come with a CD player

Michael Arbaugh, chief designer of Ford interiors, describes center console space as "oceanfront property" - already fully populated, with more tenants trying to move in every year. Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Arbaugh said one tenant he'd like to evict is the CD player because it's dead weight for audio Luddites.

Ok, so he didn't say that exactly. But Arbaugh believes they're out of fashion with people under 30, and that growing lack of interest means they occupy space that could be better employed. CD players also add weight that has to be countered somewhere else in the march to meet CAFE regulations, an endeavor with nearly aerospace tolerances anymore.

The CD-less car is just talk at the moment, but there's no doubt it's coming. More and more computers are being sold without optical drives, and as it goes in the tech world so it shall go in the car-tech world. If we could just get carmakers to properly integrate connections for other PMPs that can play lossless codecs and don't mutilate the music, we wouldn't mind at all.

Video: Mission Motors Mission-R electric motorcycle checks in to Jay Leno's Garage

The crew from Mission Motors took the time to stop by Jay Leno's Garage to give the comedian a peek at the Mission-R electric motorcycle. The machine uses 14-kWh lithium-ion batteries paired with a 120-kilowatt motor, which means there's around 161 horsepower on hand. Mission says the combination can get rider and machine to 60 miles per hour in around three seconds while scooting to a top speed of 160 mph. Not too shabby. The whole package weighs in at around 550 pounds and gives riders a range of 80-100 miles depending on how frisky they are with the throttle.

Mission says the company wanted to pursue a race bike because of the challenges the platform presents. Namely, the machine has to serve up impressive performance while remaining fairly lightweight, meaning there's little space for massive battery packs. Leno is no stranger to electric bikes or motorcycles. The guy has a stable of two-wheel machines, both internal-combustion and EV. Scroll down to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading Mission Motors Mission-R electric motorcycle checks in to Jay Leno's Garage

Report: A123 Systems posts $125 million net loss

As you may recall, A123 Systems provides battery packs for companies like Fisker. The extended-range EV manufacturer recently reported issues with the supplier's products, but A123 says it has determined the cause of the defective cells and is working to make sure the failures don't reoccur.

The report also suggests A123 Systems will lower its revenue forecast for the year to $145 million to $175 million. The company originally projected it would generate between $230 million and $300 million.

Report: Electronics makers wary of NTSB's proposed hands-free ban

Here's one from the unsurprising file: The Consumer Electronics Association has written the National Traffic Safety Board in opposition to the proposed ban on hands-free calling.

According to The Detroit News, CEA is all for efforts to create technological solutions to the distracted driving problem, which makes perfect sense, as those products or features would be one more thing for its member firms to sell. To its credit, CEA did write that it supports banning texting and restricting phone use by young drivers.

But the organization insists that there is no "real-world evidence" to support prohibiting all phone use in vehicles, according to the report. In support of its position, it played the makeup card, saying that other distractions like "eating, drinking, applying makeup and engaging with children" would also need to be banned.

The NTSB proposal to ban hands-free calling is somewhat peculiar in that it would ban calls through a paired cell phone, but not calls through a phone built into the vehicle, like the OnStar system from General Motors. The recommendation has been controversial, with even Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood failing to get on board with the idea.

Report: Engine packaging to blame for Fisker Karma garage fire?

While the investigation of the Fisker Karma that toasted a Texas garage is not over, pundits have begun to weigh in. Automotive News has found a particularly credible one in Jon Bereisa, CEO of Auto Lectrification and the chief engineer of the General Motors EV1 and systems architect for the Chevrolet Volt. And according to Bereisa, the poor packaging of the Karma's internal combustion engine is what likely caused the fire.

"The engine is shoehorned into that bay, because they had to use a larger engine, because it was too heavy a car," Bereisa told AN. "As a result, there's no room for exhaust routing and heat shielding to route the heat away."

The Karma uses a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from GM. In the Karma, however, the Ecotec does not drive the wheels, but acts as a generator to supplement and recharge the batteries. The report says that a fluid leak, combined with tight engine compartment confines and the resultant high heat from the gasoline engine's exhaust and the would have been enough to cause the fire.

Fisker is maintaining that it is not the car's battery pack that is at fault, and has pointed to other potential sources of the blaze, according to the report, telling AN that, "There are myriad combustible materials that could be in the garage, in the wheel arch, or picked up on the roadside."

Report: Next Subaru WRX previewed by Japanese Legacy's 2.0L turbo?

The next-generation Subaru WRX and WRX STI are still shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. Or is it indecision? Either way, Car and Driver is reporting that when Subaru eventually pulls the wraps off whatever is going to wear the WRX badge, there's going to be a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter FA-series engine underhood, a derivative of the naturally aspirated engine that's found in the Subaru BRZ.

How does the venerable buff book know this? Because the turbo'ed flat-four has already appeared in the Japanese domestic market Legacy, making 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, mated to a continuously variable transmission. C/D says that engine differs from the one in the BRZ in that it uses Subaru's own direct injection system rather than one coming from Toyota.

In the standard WRX, horsepower numbers are expected to be a bit lower than in the JDM Legacy, though the STI version will probably see power boosted. C/D says the new 2.0-liter engine is supplanting the 2.5-liter Subaru has been using due to fuel economy considerations, though there's also something to the notion of consolidating powertrains to reap greater efficiencies in manufacturing.

Report: Google allowed to test self-driving car on Nevada public streets

Nevada has officially granted Google a license to test autonomous vehicles on public streets. The tech giant underwent demonstrations in both Las Vegas and Carson City to prove its vehicles are as safe or safer than those piloted by mere humans. The state requires two people to be in the test vehicles at all times, including at one occupant in the driver's seat and another monitoring the vehicle via an onboard computer. If anything goes wrong, the human "driver" can take over by simply applying the brakes or taking hold of the steering wheel.

As of right now, Google has only applied to license three vehicles. Each one will carry a red license plate with an infinity symbol. According to Bruce Breslow, Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles director, vehicles with autonomous capability could be on the road within three to five years. When that happens, the machines will wear green plates.