Japanese consumers can pay for vending-machine Cokes with their cell phones. Now Americans can make slightly larger payments with their Apple iPhones.
Mercedes-Benz Financial has introduced a software application that lets vehicle owners make their payments, check how much of their loan has been paid, and shop for insurance on their iPhones.
(Credit:
Automotive News)
The free application--"app," in iPhone lingo--also can locate a nearby dealer and contact a service department.
The lender says it is the first financial services company to launch such an app, which it is billing as, "The coolest way to make a payment."
(Source: Automotive News)
If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, I'm sure you're probably familiar with the little golf-cart looking car called the Smart ForTwo. These trendy little things are gas efficient, eco-friendly, and easy to drive, but are they safe? Today's video demonstrates just how potentially dangerous these things are in an accident, so pay attention.
It's been noted that this video has an affiliation with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, although this claim has been disputed by some Web viewers. Regardless, this video is neat as it shows the testers setting up the crash test dummies for placement inside the vehicles. Then shortly after the 3-minute mark, the Smart ForTwo is pitted in a frontal collision test versus a Mercedes E-Class sedan. And even if you know which car is the safer of the two, you should still pay attention to the outcome as the amount of potential damage to a would-be rider in a so-called "Smart" car is hard to realistically comprehend without seeing it for yourselves.
Consumer Reports tested the Toyota Venza's brakes with a wide-open throttle.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)After the Toyota recall over loose floor mats interfering with gas pedals, Consumer Reports tested stuck throttle scenarios with a Toyota Venza, Chevrolet HHR, Volkswagen Jetta Wagon, and Mercedes-Benz E350. The nature of the test was simple, but probably a bit harrowing: the drivers floored the gas pedal until the cars reaches 60 mph, then, keeping the gas depressed, pushed down the brake pedal to see if the car would stop.
The Jetta wagon has Smart Throttle technology, which idles the engine when the brakes are used.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)The test wasn't quite fair, as both German cars had a tech trick, called Smart Throttle, for just such a situation. When the brakes are applied, the throttle lifts, no matter what's happening with the gas pedal. According to the Consumer Reports blog post, both cars easily came to a stop, and the engines idled even with the gas pedal floored.
With the Toyota and the Chevrolet, the drivers performed this test at 20 mph the first time because the cars did not have the Smart Throttle technology. Both cars downshifted quickly when put through this test, and the drivers had to struggle to keep pressure on the brakes, fighting engine torque. But they were able to bring the cars to a stop. Repeating the test on these cars by running up to the full 60 mph, the drivers were able to slow to about 10 mph, but brake fade kept them from coming to a complete stop.
Consumer Reports concludes, as Toyota said in its advisory, that the best thing to do if your throttle is stuck is put the car in neutral. The engine will continue to run at horrendous speeds, but the rev limiter will keep it from burning up over redline. When the car is safely stopped on the side of the road, you can turn it all the way off.
This mobile office concept is probably better appointed than your actual office.
(Credit: Brabus)
Can you believe Brabus stuffed a conference room in here?
(Credit: Brabus)The office pictured above is fairly awesome. What's even more awesome is that it's a mobile office, located in the back of a van. The Brabus "Business Light" Concept for the Mercedes-Benz Viano is, besides a ridiculously long title, "the perfect partner for leisure and business with custom interior options, powerful engine tuning, exclusive exterior design and custom-tailored wheels," according to Brabus' own press release.
Of course, the Business Light features the requisite wheel, suspension, and aero/aesthetic upgrades over the stock Viano. Under the hood breathes a 6.1-liter V-8 engine that outputs 458 pound-feet of torque and 426 horsepower, which thrusts the van to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds and onward to an electronically limited 155 mph. This is Brabus, so we expect that sort of thing.
But any van enthusiast knows that it's what happens in the back that counts, and the Business Light doesn't disappoint in this respect.
The huge cabin features upholstery that's custom-tailored in leather and Alcantara to the individual customer's request. The rear compartment of the Viano can be transformed into a movie theater or concert hall on wheels, complete with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment, but in the case of the Business Light, Brabus has chosen to build a mobile office.
Yo dawg, I heard you like work. So, we put an office in your car, so you can work on your way to, err, work.
(Credit: Brabus)First, Brabus installed four power seats in a conference configuration to turn the van into a mobile conference room and a fully functional office on wheels. Next, two motorized 15-inch LCD screens were integrated into the headliner and a large LCD television was integrated into the wall dividing the driver from the passenger compartment. These displays are connected to a DVD changer and a digital DVBT TV tuner.
The final bit of tech is a docking notebook computer that connects to the Internet via UMTS. In-vehicle Wi-Fi allows for the use of multiple computers on either fold out trays or an optional burled-walnut conference table. Storage areas for file folders and office materials are integrated throughout the rear compartment, as are cup holders and a built-in espresso machine (yum!).
Like any epic van, custom-tailored rear curtains provide privacy for the occupants.
All that's missing is an "If this van's a-rockin'..." bumper sticker.
Hopefully, we'll get a US release date shortly after the Japanese launch.
(Credit: Polyphony Digital/Sony)The lack of a hard release date--or even projected timeframe--has been a bit of a sore spot for Gran Turismo fans when comparing GT5 to Forza Motorsport 3. Well, those days are almost over, as Sony has finally announced the next installment in Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo racing series will go on sale in March 2010. However, that is specifically the Japanese release date, leaving us in the dark as to whether we will get a concurrent North American release or if we'll have to wait a bit longer.
Six months (or more) is quite a wait to get your PS3 racing fix, especially with Forza 3 releasing next month on the Xbox 360. But the GT faithful have waited five years, so what's a bit more? To help tide you over, here's a video montage of live and in-game footage of Mercedes-Benz's gull-winged SLS AMG, which the automaker has just announced will be featured in the game.
The Nissan GT-R proves that the coupe is the best body style in the world.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)
I love coupes. I would go so far as to say that the coupe is the best style of car in the world. Limiting a full-size car to two doors may fly in the face of practicality, but it allows for much more body style than a sedan. Automotive designers get to play with the roofline and equip a coupe with real fenders, making for a sporty-looking package. The best a sedan can do is look stately.
Roadsters are loads of fun, but a soft top just says you're not taking driving that seriously. A coupe means business, ready to take on all sorts of weather, with a hard top that can be shaped for aerodynamics.
The only negative aspect of a coupe is the rear seat. Most coupe rear seats are a joke, cramped little spaces that serve as much purpose as your appendix, or a vestigial tail.
In honor of the coupe, I've collected our last 10 coupe reviews and added a little commentary about those rear seats. Enjoy! I certainly did while driving these cars.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG's retro design evokes the 300 SL.
(Credit: CNET)
With all the very expensive new cars being unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show, you would think the economy never went into recession. It did, and yet here they are, a parade of new automotive objects of lust from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce. Some emphasize sport, some luxury, but all have way more of each than your standard economy sedan.
Leading the parade is the spectacular new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a monster of a supercar with retro styling evoking the gull-winged 300 SL. Porsche shows off a couple of 911s, the styling only slightly updated but big improvement where it counts: in the engine, transmission, and suspension. Ferrari comes up with a replacement for the F430, managing to improve on that already fantastic supercar. And then there's Abarth, which offers up a tribute to Ferrari in the form of a heavily modified Fiat 500.
A number of convertibles follow, the tops chopped off of an Audi R8, Lamborghini Reventon, and Maserati GranTurismo. And finally, a couple of stately sedans from Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce take the floor.
BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept uses a gas engine and three electric motors.
(Credit: CNET)
Japanese automakers pioneered hybrid cars, but German companies have been slow to join in. At the Frankfurt auto show, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche showed off their latest efforts, a mix of research and production vehicles. Most of these cars don't stint on the power, merely using hybrid systems to boost efficiency without shooting for stellar fuel economy.
Volkswagen also comes in with a hybrid concept in its quest to build a car that will only burn one liter of fuel over 100 kilometers. And Lexus shows off a luxury compact concept with a full hybrid power train as a way of testing the waters in the European market.
(Credit:
Mercedes-Benz)
Okay, so after a pair of supercar reveals on yesterday, let's take a step in a different direction and focus on something more environmentally friendly.
Hot on the heels of the S 400 Hybrid's European launch, Mercedes-Benz is set to trot our its new Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. (Wait, isn't BMW's new hybrid concept also called "Vision?" Oooh, scandalous!)
The Vision S 500's engine room is predictably similar to that of the S 400. Both vehicles use the same direct injected V-6 gasoline engine, both vehicles feature a electric ring motor sandwiched between the gasoline engine and the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission. However, there are a few crucial differences.
Firstly, the S 500's 44 kW/60 horsepower electric motor is about three times more powerful than the S 400's 15 kW/20 horsepower unit. Additionally, the S 500's larger 10 kWh lithium ion battery pack is housed over the rear axle, instead of in the engine compartment.
A more robust electrical component allows the Vision S to go up to 18 miles on EV power.
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)Finally, the Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid is, as the name implies, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), with its own onboard charger. Mercedes-Benz claims that a rapid charge cycle takes less than an hour with a 20 kW source. Recharging a completely discharged battery to full with a conventional household socket takes about 4.5 hours. Not too bad, we think.
Fully juiced, the Vision S can drive for up to 18 miles on silent electric power before the gasoline engine has to intervene. Mercedes is claiming a certified consumption of 73.5 US mpg (on the New European Driving Cycle), which pretty much blows the S 400 hybrid's 29 mpg out of the water.
Another supercar? What did we do to deserve this?
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)The Frankfurt floodgates have opened and we find ourselves in the midst of a deluge of supercars. This time we've received a batch of photos of Mercedes-Benz's revival of the 300SL Gullwing, the SLS AMG.
Under the SLS AMG's long hood is a version of the V-8 that we've seen powering every Merc of this generation with an AMG badge--although, this time the engine actually displaces 6.3-liters. Output has been tuned to 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The extra power comes partially from all-new intake and exhaust systems and a rejiggered valve train.
Power flows through a SpeedShift 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and down an exotic carbon fiber driveshaft before meeting the road at the rear wheels. The gearbox features three driving modes for Comfort, Sport, and Sport plus, as well as an automated manual mode. Sixty miles per hour happens in a blistering 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 197 mph.
Dispite its wing doors, the SLS AMG is more at home on the road than in the sky.
(Credit: Mercedes-Benz)Of course, the SLS' real draw is it's design homage to the 300SL Gullwing. In addition to the wingdoors that hinge upward from the roof, the also SLS features the classic long-hood, short overhang design of the sports cars of old, with a small passenger compartment mounted just ahead of the rear axle.
Check our continuing coverage of the 2009 Frankfurt auto show for more details as they emerge. In the meantime, enjoy the delicious photos.
