Car Tech Articles

Whether it's binoculars or Segways, Ferrari is a company that knows marketing. So to generate more interest in the Meridian F80 portable media system debuted earlier this year, it is relying on a standard branding practice: introducing new colors.

In addition to the lacquer finishes shown before--we were particularly fond of the yellow--Ferrari is introducing two special editions: The "Rubino Micallizzato" (red) and the "Grigio Silverstone" (graphite). They'll have the same features, according to Newlaunches, including a CD/DVD player, digital radio and 80-watt speakers. And don't worry, the price hasn't changed … Read more

It's billed as "the world's fastest urban car." And while we're not entirely sure how the Tango T600 two-seater on display here at SEMA gains that distinction, the narrow electric-powered kit car does have some notable performance figures. According to Commuter Cars Corporation, its Washington-based manufacturer, the 39-inch-wide Tango can apparently get itself from 0 to 60mph in around four seconds and has a reported top speed of 130mph.

And don't worry about the Tango T600 tipping over when thrown into corners--the 2,000-pound lead acid battery pack gives it the equivalent of a … Read more

Built-in storage is all the rage among carmakers and stereo manufacturers these days, and Kenwood is no exception. The vendor is using SEMA 2007 to show off its KDC-X991, which, in addition to its support for a range of digital-age audio formats (MP3, WMA, USB), comes with 512MB of internal flash memory--roughly enough for 30 albums' worth of music.

Drivers can rip CDs to the memory as they listen or import digital audio files via the stereo's USB port. A color fluorescent display and a novel jog dial controller let users navigate folders and files using an intuitive rotary … Read more

When Lexus unveiled its IS-F sedan at the Detroit auto show this year, it was the first factory-tuned model that we had seen from the Japanese automaker. Today, Lexus unveiled a range of performance accessories to allow owners of standard IS250 and IS350 models to cash in on the "F" factor by pimping their rides with their choice of performance-enhancing components.

IS drivers will be able to choose from a number of dealer options, including upgraded brakes, a carbon-fiber engine cover, a performance air-intake, and F-branded 19-inch forged alloy wheels. According to Lexus reps, the accessories will be … Read more

Magellan is using SEMA 2007 to launch the latest portable navigation system in its RoadMate family. The RoadMate 1200 is a "budget-conscious" pocket-size GPS device that replaces the RoadMate 2000 at the bottom of the Magellan lineup. The RoadMate 1200 comes with a suggested retail price of $229 and features a 3.5-inch QVGA touch-screen display and a Centrality Atlas processor, which Magellan says provides "superior GPS performance and navigation." Based on our initial attempts to program a destination using the model on display here at SEMA, we're not too convinced that the processor works … Read more

Next time someone tells you that four cylinders are not sufficient for a performance car, show them these pictures. Powered by a 3-liter Dodge Mopar Hellfire "Lil Hemi" four-cylinder engine, the Speed Demon looks--and goes--like an F-16 without wings.

According to Ron Main, one of the Speed Demon's designers, the single-seater car road rocket, which features a chrome moly steel chassis and composite body, reached a top speed of 353.414mph on Bonneville salt flats, Utah, earlier this year. The car is turning heads at this week's SEMA 2007 show, where it has just won the … Read more

Just what we needed: another competitor in the portable navigation market. Panasonic is using this year's SEMA show to launch the CN-GP50U, its first portable navigation device, and the second product in its Strada navigation series. The CN-GP50U features a 5-inch display, and comes with text-to-speech technology for reading out road names when under route guidance. An optional real-time traffic service from Clear Channel is also available on the device with the purchase of a separate receiver.

For in-car connectivity, the CN-GP50U comes with a built-in Bluetooth hands-free calling interface, which copies over full cell-phone address books. Like the … Read more

Lexus offers a look at what could be the next generation RX, with an "H" thrown in to signify that it's a hybrid. The grille gets a treatment similar to that of the LS series, while the whole thing takes on a sportier look than current SUVs.

The dopey-looking Puyo has a soft-gel body coating, intended to protect pedestrians, and it glows in the dark, for greater visibility at night--not that you would want to be seen in it. Honda is short on specifics about the fuel cell powertrain the Puyo is supposed to run on.