(Credit:
Josh P. Miller/CNET)
When most shoppers think of "GPS" their minds immediately rush to TomTom and Garmin Nuvi, but there are other brands and models that also deserve a closer look, for example Magellan's RoadMate 1470.
Despite having a larger-than-average 4.7-inch color touch screen, the RoadMate 1470's slim profile makes it quite easy to fit into a pocket. After powering the unit on, we were pleased to find that the 1470 offers snappy performance and a well-designed interface that gives users a good deal of flexibility over their routing when they need it, yet still remains simple when they don't. Also, the RoadMate's capability to calculate multiple routes simultaneously makes it a great PND for map geeks and driving enthusiasts looking for the road less traveled.
However, our experiences with the RoadMate 1470 weren't all sunshine and lollipops; we ran into a few snags with both the onscreen keyboard and the poorly thought-out car cradle.
So how does the Magellan RoadMate stack up against the competition? Check out our full review to find out.
One year after the spectacular meltdown of the domestic auto industry and three years after becoming Ford Motor CEO, Alan Mulally's turnaround efforts are gaining traction.
Ford reported a surprise $1 billion profit last week, and Mulally credited the improvement to better products, prices, and market share. Mulally, 64, was interviewed by Associate Publisher Peter Brown, Editor Jason Stein, and Staff Reporter Amy Wilson just before the earnings announcement.
A year ago you were part of a three-man team from Detroit in front of Congress asking for help, and now you're kind of on your own. How would you assess how Detroit and Ford have weathered the past year?
In Ford's case, we have made tremendous progress. We were really there to support GM and Chrysler getting temporary help with their situation approaching bankruptcy and [because of] suppliers. They could have taken the entire industry down and taken a recession into a depression.
... Read moreChevy built the Volt for a smooth ride, but now engineers are putting the electric car to the test at General Motors' Milford Proving Grounds. Watch the Volt tackle potholes and a long stretch of cobblestones called Belgian Blocks.
(Credit:
Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
Last year, Scion's booth at the SEMA Show was jam-packed with some of the craziest cars at the show. 2009 saw the continuation of that grand tradition.
This year, Scion brought out an xB with a built-in kitchen (sink and all!), another with its own dancefloor, and yet another that had been stretched into a pickup toting a matching custom scooter. Scion's other models also got some modding love in the form of a rally-prepped xD and a loud-and-low tC that seemed to have forgotten its roof.
Check out some of the wildest Scions of 2009 in our gallery.
That's strange, I thought a V-10 engine would be a bit bigger than this...
(Credit: SoundRacer)Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I wish I had a V-8?" Well, what if I told you that you could give your crappy car a V-8 rumble or even a V-10 scream for $40? Now, what if I told you that you wouldn't actually be getting any extra performance to go along with that sound? If you're still interested in this shady deal, then you're probably a poseur. In any case, you'll want to check out the SoundRacer.
The device plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter, where it uses fluctuations in the power flow to calculate your engine's RPM. It then broadcasts a fake engine note to your car's stereo via an FM transmission. The general idea is for your vehicle to sound like it's powered by a V-8 or V-10 engine, but I predict that the outcome will probably sound like a crappy, fake revving played through crappy speakers on top of your car's already crappy existing engine note. Of course, your mileage may vary.
The best part is that if you keep your windows rolled up, no one will know that you're riding around pretending to be driving a V-10 Aveo. Nice!
Once you get bored with "the thrilling sound of a powerful Super Sports Car engine," you can plug your MP3 player into an auxiliary input and use the SoundRacer as a standard FM transmitter. The SoundRacer has an MSRP of $40.
Check out the embedded video for a demonstration of the SoundRacer V-8 and V-10 in all of their goofy glory.
This radio-controlled model car is powered by a battery that can be refilled with an electrolytic fluid.
(Credit: Fraunhofer Institute)Imagine that you're driving your future electric car down the road, and it gives you a low battery warning. What do you do? Instead of spending a few hours at a recharging station, new battery technology being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany would let you pull into a service station and refill the battery with an electrolytic liquid.
The Fraunhofer Institute is using a redox flow battery, a type of cell that uses two electrolytic fluids exchanging protons through a membrane. This process generates electricity. Although this type of battery isn't new, the Fraunhofer Institute improved the energy density, making it equivalent to that of a lithium ion battery.
In production cars such as the Tesla Roadster, the lithium ion battery pack requires almost four hours from a quick charger to go about 200 miles. A redox flow battery service station would pump out the discharged electrolytic fluid from your car's battery, replacing it with charged fluid, most likely in a matter of minutes. Instead of getting new shipments of charged fluid, similar to how current service stations rely on tankers full of gasoline, the station could merely recharge the fluid on its premises, even using solar cells or a wind turbine.
Other companies are working on redox flow battery technology for stationary energy storage.
So far, it seems like all the luck in the world has been on driver Jimmie Johnson's side throughout the 2009 Sprint Cup chase, and things have been so lopsided between Johnson and his Nascar competitors that some fans feel they should just throw him the trophy and call it a season. While Johnson remains the odds-on pick to win the whole shebang, he didn't fare so well this past Sunday at the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. And we got the footage right here...(and by the way, I have no clue what's up with the opera singer at the beginning of this clip).
Right away we cut to Lap 3 where Sam Hornish Jr. makes contact with Jimmie Johnson, sending his 48 car spinning into the wall and across the track again. The damage was significant, and this debacle eventually put Johnson over 100 laps behind and put a serious dent in his points standing.
With that crash out of the way, we pick up later into the race with Kyle Busch in the No. 2 car holding onto the lead. Kyle forgoes a stop for fuel so he can try to hang on to the lead, but eventually his car starts sputtering as it begins running out of gas, and right behind him is his brother and teammate Kurt Busch, who (probably reluctantly) capitalizes on Kyle's miscue to grab the lead.
A mere couple laps later, Kurt Busch gets the checkered flag and wins the Dickies 500.
TOKYO--A senior Toyota executive last week denied statements by U.S. safety authorities that the company issued "inaccurate and misleading information" about a safety recall.
Toyota's recall of 3.8 million vehicles in the United States advised drivers to remove floor mats that may jam the gas pedal and cause unintended acceleration.
In a statement last week, Toyota said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found "no defect exists in vehicles with properly installed floor mats." In fact, NHTSA said, Toyota vehicles have a "very serious defect."
Toyota Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo denied that the automaker tried to sidestep engineering or design defects. He said the company is working closely with NHTSA to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
"It is not a part of Toyota's culture and the Toyota Way to cover up anything, and we are proceeding with open and frank discussions with NHTSA," Funo said.
According to a NHTSA statement, the accelerator and floor design of the vehicles create "the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats." The statement said removing the floor mats is only an interim solution that does not correct the underlying defect.
Funo said Toyota had "no disagreement on this issue."
The floor mat recall was prompted by an August 28 accident involving a runaway Lexus ES 350 in San Diego that killed four people.
The company has said it would begin sending letters to owners urging them to remove the floor mats from their cars while the company considers what to do about the problem.
(Source: Automotive News)
The new Ducati Multistrada 1200 is here with four riding modes: Sport, Touring, Urban, and Enduro.
Sport mode offers a 150-horsepower adrenalin-fueled ride. The Touring mode is meant for all-day driving, also with 150 horsepower. The Urban and Enduro modes offer a smooth ride with less torch (100 horsepower).
This 45-second Web video gives you a taste of what the bike has to offer.
For 2010, Tesla updates its electric Roadster with a Sport version, featuring faster acceleration.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Tesla often emphasizes that it works more like a Silicon Valley technology company than a traditional car company. And the company just proved it by delivering a model update to the Tesla Roadster for 2010. Remember, the Roadster has only been in production for one year, but in that time Tesla completely redesigned the interior, while at the same time adding new materials to reduce cabin noise. Model updates from other automakers often take five years.
We spent a day with the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport, enjoying its unique driving experience and finding these updates made the previous generation car seem like something hacked together in a garage. Where the previous car had a fussy little lever for putting it in drive, the new car uses push buttons. To check battery statistics and change the drive mode, you had to use a touch screen by your left knee. That touch screen has been moved to the center of the dashboard. And in a real step toward convenience, the Tesla Roadster now comes with a glove box.
The rear air intakes get clear coat carbon fiber inserts.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)Externally, the casual observer won't see much difference. The Tesla Roadster uses the same Lotus-sourced body clad in carbon fiber. But the carbon fiber stands out more, as clear-coat panels make up the hood, spoiler, and even the insets in the rear air intakes. The suspension is now adjustable for comfort or sport, and the all-new Sport version of the Roadster uses an upgraded power train that rockets it to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, faster than the standard Roadster's 3.9 second time.
... Read moreOn Sale Now:
$128,500.00
View the latest prices for 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport
