What would a modern Fiat pickup look like? One designer has a theory...
August 20, 2009 at 8:57 pm
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| Filed under: Concept Cars, Truck, Europe, Fiat, Design/Style, Diesel  Fiat Sentiero pickup concept - click image above for high-res gallery
Picture it: you're on holiday in Ericeira, Portugal and wouldn't you know it, the Vespas you rented to take to Sintra won't fit in the back of the Peugeot. You bang on your Brit ex-pat neighbor's door to see if you can borrow his VW Transit, but he's not home and the suspiciously young Hungarian lady backpackers he's letting crash are too stoned to remember where he went. This could happen to you, but not if design student Dragos Prodan has anything to say about it. Behold -- the Fiat Sentiero.
Feeling that Fiat needed a pickup truck specifically tailored to the European market, Mr. Prodan spent his last year in school coming up with a vehicle that is practical, functional and innovative. The truck also had to draw upon Fiat's design heritage as well as Italian design in general. We think the results are rather sharp looking. And the various cubby holes to stash stuff are always welcome.
The proposed 3.0-liter diesel V6 sounds like a smart engine, especially as the Sentiero has a payload capacity of 1,800 pounds and can tow nearly 5,300 pounds. In fact, forget Europe - bring this little darling Stateside. That is, if Fiat decides to build it.
[Source: Diseno Art via Pickuptrucks.com]
What would a modern Fiat pickup look like? One designer has a theory... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| VIDEO: Priceless 1989 Ford dealer training films offer timeless amusement
August 20, 2009 at 8:30 pm
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| Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Videos, Ford, Humor 
Y'all remember Robocop? You know, the really excellent Eighties action masterpiece about a shot-to-hell cop that comes back as a bulletproof robot to rid Detroit of über baddies like the ruthless Clarence Boddiker and super villain Dick Jones? Well, what you may not remember about Paul Verhoeven's 1987 masterpiece is all the social satire. From the 6000 SUX (8 mpg!) to the slaps at very privatized health care (Jensen Sport model heart!) to the Nuke 'Em family home game, the satire was rich and sardonic.
But where did Verhoeven get the fodder for his gags? Dunno, but it's been said that 49% of the population doesn't get sarcasm. Which explains how these 1989 Ford dealer training ads got made. Someone at Ford saw Robocop and said, "Yes! That's the medium we've been looking for." Don't believe us? Make the jump and watch two of them (one on the Fiesta and Escort, and another on the Crown Victoria) for yourself.
[Source: YouTube]Continue reading VIDEO: Priceless 1989 Ford dealer training films offer timeless amusement VIDEO: Priceless 1989 Ford dealer training films offer timeless amusement originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| REPORT: Kansas enacts 'Right Lane Law,' officially lands on Autoblog's Christmas card list
August 20, 2009 at 7:59 pm
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| Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety 
Few driving annoyances irritate the automotive enthusiast set as much as a slow-moving driver clogging up the far left lane of a highway. Mercifully, this is one instance where the law is on your side, as that left-hand lane is meant for passing the slower traffic that should be driving on the right (as the helpful sticker on the Lego Volvo above illustrates).
In Kansas at least, a new law went into effect on July 1 that will allow police officers and the Highway Patrol to better enforce the rules of the road. On all multi-lane highways in The Sunflower State, it's now illegal to drive in the far left-hand lane "except when passing or turning left or when instructed to do so by traffic-control devices or officers."
Trooper Mark Engholm of the Kansas Highway Patrol tells USA Today that "the law is designed to reduce road rage and prevent motorists from trying risky maneuvers." Finally, a good reason to drive through Kansas... let's just hope that the powers that be in the state (and others) enforce it.
[Source: USA Today | Image: Boxybutgood.us]REPORT: Kansas enacts 'Right Lane Law,' officially lands on Autoblog's Christmas card list originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| VIDEO: Codemasters' F1 2009 for Wii launching with Race Wheel
August 20, 2009 at 7:40 pm
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| Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Technology, Videos, Toys/Games 
Codemasters F1 2009 for Wii - Click above to watch video
Kitschy titles like Mario Kart aside, Nintendo's Wii console has never attempted to earn the driving clout that Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's xBox consoles so vehemently compete for. That could change, to some degree at least, with the upcoming release of F1 2009 from the racing simulators at Codemasters. The game is set to be released shortly, and to preview, Codemasters has released video footage of gameplay at the Valencia track where the real Formula One circus will be racing this coming weekend.
To sweeten the deal, the Wii version will also come with an exclusive Race Wheel accessory which will presumably work like the wheel bundled with Mario Kart Wii, but with a flat-bottom form factor styled to resemble an actual F1 steering wheel. The 2009 version will be released for Wii and Sony's portable PSP, but xBox 360 and PS3 gamers will have to wait for the more elaborate F1 2010 due next year. Follow the jump to watch the footage.
[Source: Codemasters]Continue reading VIDEO: Codemasters' F1 2009 for Wii launching with Race Wheel VIDEO: Codemasters' F1 2009 for Wii launching with Race Wheel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Monterey 2009: Ferrari TR59 gathering - Pebble Beach's wild stepchildren
August 20, 2009 at 7:20 pm
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| Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari 
1959 Ferrari TR59 Gathering at Pebble Beach - Click above for high-res image gallery
There's a special place in our hearts for classic Ferraris, especially red ones with long, swooping fenders. That's why we were so excited to hear that the four remaining 1959 Ferrari TR59s would be all at the Pebble Beach Concours this year.
Lighter and more powerful than the 250TR on which it was based, the TR59 featured coachwork by Pininfarina and Fantuzzi as well as upgraded features like disc brakes and coil valve springs that increased horsepower to 306. Coming off a successful 1958 season including a victory at Le Mans, the TR59 continued the winning tradition with a 1-2 debut finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
While the TR59 model doesn't have the simple elegance as its predecessor, we would still consider it one of the most beautiful Ferrari racing cars of all time. We made sure to be on the 18th fairway at Pebble bright and early to capture the historic gathering, the result of which can be seen in our high-res gallery below.
Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.Monterey 2009: Ferrari TR59 gathering - Pebble Beach's wild stepchildren originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over
August 20, 2009 at 6:59 pm
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| Filed under: CES, Technology, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Earnings/Financials 
Back in 2008 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we got to spend some time in a Jeep Grand Cherokee outfitted with a bunch of technogoodies from Hughes Telematics. And again at this year's CES, Hughes let us play with even cooler stuff in a Dodge Journey. They bragged of downloadable apps for your Chrysler-branded vehicle and super-cool, futuristic travel guides from your in-dash nav system. Stuff that might convince someone to actually purchase a Journey.
But, alas, since then, Chrysler went bankrupt and it seems the company's relationship with Hughes soured. In an official statement Hughes tells Autoblog:
New Chrysler introduced additional business terms that were not part of either the prior business discussions or the original arrangement. As a result, we reached an impasse in the negotiations and are ceasing our work with new Chrysler to deploy our hardware and launch our services with them in the fourth quarter of 2009, as was previously planned.
That's okay, Hughes says, because they still have Mercedes-Benz as a customer, and they don't need Chrysler anymore. We're not financial experts by any means, but as we stumbled through the SEC report, it was obvious Hughes had invested a lot of time, money and emotions into making things work with Chrysler and that it might take a while to get over losing the bond they once cherished.
In any case, you can read the SEC filing for yourself here or check out Hughes' full official statement to Autoblog after the jump. Thanks for the tip, MBAcurafan!
[Source: SEC.gov]Continue reading Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over Hughes Telematics and Chrysler relationship looks to be over originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| REPORT: Eberhard suddenly drops lawsuit against Tesla
August 20, 2009 at 6:40 pm
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| Filed under: Government/Legal, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Earnings/Financials, Tesla 
The civil lawsuit filed by Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard against Tesla Motors and its CEO Elon Musk has been suddenly dropped. It was just a few short weeks ago that Eberhard won something of a victory in an opening skirmish of what had threatened to be a long campaign when a judge slapped down Tesla's anti-SLAPP motion.
While it's probable that a settlement framework of some sort was agreed upon, no details of any such arrangement between the two parties have been released. Eberhard's council, Yosef Peretz, has only been willing to say that more information may be disclosed sometime toward the end of September. Tesla Motors declined to give AutoblogGreen any comment on the lawsuit at this time.
The suspension of hostilities comes at a good time for Tesla, having recently been given a large ATVMP loan that should help them get their promising Model S in production and become an automaker in earnest. For his part, Martin is also keeping busy and has just started sales of his own Tesla Roadster-specific mobile charger, the Roadster Foundry Mobile Connector. Let's just hope these two stay busy and keep bringing the world green transportation innovation.
[Source: Silicone Valley / San Jose Business Journal via Tesla Motors Club]REPORT: Eberhard suddenly drops lawsuit against Tesla originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Radical SR8LM sets new Nürburgring record at 6:48
August 20, 2009 at 6:20 pm
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| Filed under: Performance 
Radical SR8LM at the 'Ring - Click above for image gallery
What's the best way to set the fastest lap time for a street legal car? Make it as close to a race car as possible. And that's exactly what British carmaker Radical does best. They've held the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record since running their SR8 there in 2005, setting a 6:55 lap time that remains well out of reach for anything less, well...radical, including the Dodge Viper ACR's 7:22.1 and the Gumpert Apollo Speed's 7:11.5 from just a few days ago. But never content to let their record stand, Radical headed back to Eiffel to raise the bar even further.
Upgrading on the 360 horsepower SR8 that set the record four years ago, the SR8LM was introduced in 2007 with a 455 hp modified Suzuki Hayabusa engine mounted in a compact Le Mans Prototype-style body. But despite its racecar styling and tarmac-scraping ride height, the Radical is completely street legal. Somewhere. As proof, Michael Vergers drove it down from the factory in England all the way to the vaunted German circuit, and within 24 hours, he had set the new record. The 6:48 lap time, a full eight seconds quicker than Radical's previous record, was verified by Germany's Sport Auto and England's Evo magazines using Dunlop racing slicks. Check out the press release after the jump for more details and the photos in the gallery below.
[Source: Radical]Continue reading Radical SR8LM sets new Nürburgring record at 6:48 Radical SR8LM sets new Nürburgring record at 6:48 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| BREAKING: Cash for Clunkers ends 8PM Monday night
August 20, 2009 at 5:58 pm
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| Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal 
It's been a fun ride, hasn't it? The federal government's Cash for Clunkers program began with a bang on July 24th and, despite the original plan having it last until Labor Day, will officially end next Monday night (August 24th) at 8PM. The end date was announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and takes into account what he calls conservative sales estimates that have the pot running dry sometime over the weekend.
As of today, C4C has recorded 457,476 sales worth $1.91 billion in rebates. The feds estimate about $400 million worth of rebates have yet to be submitted and are reserving another $100 million for administrative costs. That leaves $600 million left for what should be a very busy weekend on dealer lots.
Despite being a logistical mess, no can argue that C4C did exactly what it was designed to do: sell cars. Throughout the program's short life span, however, dealers were either ecstatic over the amount of metal they were moving or angry that their applications for reimbursement were either being rejected or not approved fast enough by the government.
Come September 1st, we expect the industry to report sales increases across the board. The real question is what happens on October 1st when they must report the first full month of sales after Cash for Clunkers. How far will sales fall without the government's gracious incentives? Stay tuned and we'll let you know.
[Source: Detroit News | Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty]
BREAKING: Cash for Clunkers ends 8PM Monday night originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Monterey 2009: Gooding & Company breaks $50 million in sales at Pebble Beach auction
August 20, 2009 at 5:40 pm
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| Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Misc. Auto Shows  2009 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction - Click above for high-res image gallery
When it comes to auctions during the Monterey car week, the best is saved for last. Held in conjunction with the Pebble Beach Concours, the auction house Gooding & Company offered up an incredible selection of cars on both Saturday and Sunday night. By the time the last lot had crossed the block, two cars had sold for over $4 million including a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Drop Head Coupe that went for $4,180,000 and a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider that commanded $5,115,000.
Seven other cars passed the seven figure mark, including a 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Roadster ($3,000,000), a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider ($2,750,000), and a very unique 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Special Coupe ($1,375,00) previously owned by Ettore Bugatti himself. More details about the auction can be found in the press release after the jump, and you can view complete auction results on Gooding's web site.
Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Gooding & Company]Continue reading Monterey 2009: Gooding & Company breaks $50 million in sales at Pebble Beach auction Monterey 2009: Gooding & Company breaks $50 million in sales at Pebble Beach auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| If it's direct-injected and sold in America, it's on this list
August 20, 2009 at 5:20 pm
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| Filed under: Technology 
Direct injection is exciting technology in that it allows car enthusiasts to have their cake and eat it too. How so? By both improving fuel efficiency and increasing horsepower. This being the case, it's not surprising that automakers from all ends of the world are embracing the tech and selling their resultant wares right here in the U.S. of A.
While Ford has made lots of noise as of late with its so-called EcoBoost power-adding system, the Blue Oval is hardly the first automaker to offer direct injection to the masses, even with forced induction. For a complete rundown of all current passenger cars sold in America with direct injection engines, our friends over at Winding Road have compiled what looks to be a pretty complete list in their latest issue. Expect this to be a rapidly expanding list as more and more engines are fitted with direct injection to yield greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and more power.
[Source: Winding Road - NOTE: Link launches magazine e-reader]If it's direct-injected and sold in America, it's on this list originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Bill Ford, AdAge chide GM over 230 MPG Chevrolet Volt MPG projection
August 20, 2009 at 4:58 pm
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| Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Ford, GM 
The Chevrolet Volt's 230 mpg number continues to be questioned. The latest to criticize is Bill Ford, who takes issue not only with the General Motors-approved 230 figure, but also Nissan's claim that its Leaf EV will get 367 mpg. The real culprit here, Ford said, is the EPA's methodology, which he argues is meaningless. "This question devolves into madness," Ford reportedly told Green Car Advisor:
"The government will have to come up with a meaningful number for customers - a user-friendly label. And I think they will. I can't dispute that number, but I'm not sure it's relevant to the customer either."
Ford also said that since his company doesn't "have any particular expertise in batteries," they'll probably buy the batteries from established manufacturers for their own electrified cars.
Speaking of relevance, Advertising Age, the publication that was first to guess that the whole 230 teaser campaign was a GM plot, has determined that the stunt was a bad idea. The big problems it sees with the campaign are that it often gave people the wrong idea (that 230 would be the U.S.'s new a standard voltage for outlets) and didn't give people enough breadcrumbs to follow to the Volt. It created more questions than answers, until the big reveal last week. In any case, the whole thing was targeted at a younger, hipper audience, but are these the people who have $40,000+ to buy a Volt?
[Sources: Green Car Advisor, Advertising Age]Bill Ford, AdAge chide GM over 230 MPG Chevrolet Volt MPG projection originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Could you still pass a driving test? Take this quiz and find out
August 20, 2009 at 4:28 pm
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| Filed under: Etc., Safety, Humor 
If you are like most of us, you look back at your first DMV-issued driving test - that one you took with a dull nub of a pencil while standing in a crowded room - and remember racking your brain over questions that not only made no sense, but some that were downright confusing. Whether we approve of the age-old process or not, everyone eventually passes their first driving test (and it seems many forget everything the moment they hit the highways).
Now that you are well-seasoned driver with years (or decades) of experience under your seatbelt, and you know all the rules of the road, the folks over at AutoInsurance.org are offering you a chance to take a quick driving test all over again. Don't worry, this isn't a government-issued quiz (we can't recall our local DMV ever giving us a multiple-choice test with "flip him the bird" as a potential answer), and it won't count on your driving record. However, it will make you ponder about a few rules of the road that many of us have tossed into the cobweb-laden parts of our brains. Go ahead, take the test, and brag about your results in our comments section!
[Source: AutoInsurance.org]Could you still pass a driving test? Take this quiz and find out originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 RS doing what it does
August 20, 2009 at 3:58 pm
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| Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche 
Yesterday brought news of the new and improved 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. More power from a bigger engine, shorter throws from its six-speed manual gearbox, rejiggered PASM and a wider track for better handling and a don't-eat-the-brown-acid paint scheme all conspire to produce what is no doubt the most track killingest naturally-aspirated 911 ever.
And now we have video! We must say that at speed doing what a GT3 RS is supposed to do, the infantile neon pink graphics don't look nearly so silly. Still, the lipstick on a porker has got to go. Also, mad bonus props for the cantilevered piece of sculpture holding up the carbon fiber wing. Plenty of B-roll after the jump.
Continue reading VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 RS doing what it does VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 RS doing what it does originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Caption Contest: Sinclair C5 EV is a Segway for the even lazier
August 20, 2009 at 3:29 pm
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| Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Budget, Etc., Specialty, Alternative Fuel 
What you're looking at is a 1985 photo of the Sinclair C5, a titchy electrically motivated trike of which 12,000(!) were reportedly sold. We stumbled across this gem of an image, and after your enthusiastic response to yesterday's Roller at Wal-Mart snapshot (over 200 captions at last count), we've decided to go to the well again.
As is our form, we've come up with a few semi-humorous attempts of our own to get your creative juices flowing:
"No, Bob, it's just the jacket that makes you look like a dork... just the jacket."
Sinclair C5: For the perpetually single man
Mini my ass!
For his entire life, Walt dreamed of Corvette ownership, but after rent for space in his mother's basement, the only C5 he could afford was altogether less impressive.
The Sinclair C5: Members Only, please.
So, take your best crack at our trike-wheeling Chevy Chase doppelgänger above by leaving a caption in Comments!
[Source: SinclairC5.com | Image: Hulton Archive/Getty]Caption Contest: Sinclair C5 EV is a Segway for the even lazier originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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| Do costly blind spot systems actually fix a problem that doesn't really exist?
August 20, 2009 at 2:59 pm
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| Filed under: Etc., Safety, Ford 
Before automakers started equipping cars with all sorts of blinking lights and beeping telltales, there were still ways to mitigate blind spots, keep your following distance consistent, and generally avoid accidents. Of course, nobody is going to deny that the public at large seems only mildly interested in steering 3,500 pounds of automobile in between stints on the phone, so the addition of radar-sensing systems like Ford's BLIS or Infiniti's Lane Departure Warning at least reminds inattentive drivers that there's a world on the other side of the glass.
Ford's Steve Kozak, when quizzed about the necessity of blind spot detection systems by The New York Times' Christopher Jensen, concedes that if most drivers adjusted their rearview mirrors in the fashion suggested by engineer George Platzer in a 1995 SAE paper, there'd be virtually no need for BLIS. Platzer suggests leaning far to the left and right while adjusting the respective side mirrors, which should reduce or eliminate any blind spot issues altogether. The reality is, though, that most drivers need all the help they can get. Not only is Ford using the Volvo-developed BLIS, but it's also taken up another of Platzer's mirror ideas, the BlindZoneMirror, as seen on the Ford Edge.
While manufacturers are fitting cars with gadgetry that's little more than a thin panacea to the cancer of inattentive, poorly trained drivers, we want the warning horns going off inside that car drifting into our lane just the same.
[Source: New York Times]Continue reading Do costly blind spot systems actually fix a problem that doesn't really exist? Do costly blind spot systems actually fix a problem that doesn't really exist? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments 
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