As more cars start to gain Internet connectivity, we need to have a serious discussion about automotive cybersecurity.
Category Archives: Technology
The world needs another Bugatti Veyron
At $2 million, the Bugatti Veyron is a seriously expensive car with equally expensive maintenance – an oil change alone costs $21,000. The car’s not exactly a looker, either. But the Veyron is an exceptional kind of insane, and the world could use more of it.
The star of this year’s Canadian International Auto Show — the McLaren P1
The Canadian International Auto Show has seen its fair share of epic automobiles over the years. The Lamborghini Diablo SV still stands out as my fond first memory of the show, and I’ve returned every year since then to see the likes of the Aston Martin One-77, Bugatti Veyron and Porsche Carerra GT. However, this year something very special was on display — the McLaren P1.
Michelin develops new tire that doesn’t lose traction as it wears down
Tires are a very important part of the automotive equation that is oft overlooked. Most of the time, innovation in this area is simply too subtle to report on. Michelin, however, claims they have a new tire that has “been able to break the traditional paradigm.” This tire, unlike regular tires, does not lose traction as it wears down.
Self-driving cars to take over the world after 2050? I’m not so sure
Even the computer likes to have fun sometimes!
Well, it’s official folks — the robots are taking over. A new study by IHS Automotive suggests that nearly all of the vehicles in use after 2050 will be self-driving, getting rid of the weakest link in the automotive chain of being — the driver. And while the self-driving car definitely seems slated for mainstream sales within the next 10 years, the time frame provided by this study strikes me as a little ambitious.
Rear-wheel-drive versus front-wheel-drive — The age-old debate
Well, one RWD advantage comes to mind instantly!
These days, front-wheel-drive has become the drivetrain layout of choice for many manufacturers. Even BMW, famous in the past for criticizing the layout, has given into the temptation with the launch of the Concept Active Tourer. But many of us gearheads have pooh-poohed automakers for this, claiming that rear-wheel-drive is far superior. And in some ways, that’s certainly true. Let’s have a look at the facts so we can draw some conclusions.
Next Nissan GT-R due by 2017, could go hybrid
The Nissan GT-R, known by many as Godzilla, has received plenty of incremental changes ever since it launched in 2007 — little refinements to make it faster and a little more plush. At some point, however, a new iteration of Godzilla will have to step in. If rumours are to be believed, this next-generation car is due by 2017 and could end up being a hybrid.
The trickle-down effect: What expensive technology do you want to see go mainstream in the future?
Cruise control, anti-lock brakes, traction control – these are all examples of technologies that started life in high-end cars commanding more money than the majority of us could afford. But nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find a car that doesn’t come with them all. The same is likely to happen with many technologies that are currently out of our reach. But which one of these technologies would you most like to see trickle down to cheap cars in the future?
AOL Autos announces 2012 Technology of the Year finalists – here’s my pick
Awards can be pretty important in the automotive world. Give an automaker an award and they’ll bang on about it for a pretty long while, before hopefully moving on to another one. And in this day and age, what more appropriate award than Technology of the Year? AOL Autos has just such an award, and is asking for people to vote on it from their list of finalists. Here’s what I voted for.
The plea for more diesel cars in North America
Fuel-efficient hoonage is a future I can agree with!
From the few Europeans that I’ve met, it seems that everyone and their mother has at some point owned a diesel automobile on the other side of the pond. Here in North America, however, we appear to have some sort of dieselphobia, with very little diesel cars on offer at all up until recently. But there are some very good reasons for us to shake that fear and demand more diesels from the manufacturers.