Hasta La Gadget!

Google has poached a US highway safety executive to work on its driverless cars program, NHTSA deputy director Ron Medford, to better guide its autonomous cars through evolving legislation. Medford, who has worked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2003, will jump ship to Google’s automotive division from January 7, 2013, as the new Director of Safety for Self-Driving Cars.

“Deputy Administrator Medford brings a long history of working on safety issues involving automobiles and other consumer products,” an NHTSA spokesperson said in a statement to Wired, “and will use that experience at Google.” Prior to his position at the NHTSA, Medford worked at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, where he was Assistant Executive Director for Hazard Identification & Reduction.

Interestingly, Medford has also worked with Segway-creator Dean Kamen in the past, taking time during a sabbatical to look at safety issues around the self-balancing scooter as well as the iBOT mobility system that – though now discontinued – harnessed a complex array of sensors and other autonomous features to help disabled users move around their environment.

The relative safety of self-driving cars has been something Google has been pushing strongly in the years it has been developing its project. The search giant insists that, in fact, its system is safer and more responsive than a traditional, human-piloted car; however, there are lingering concerns around whether the driverless system is sufficiently safe from malware, and though public road testing is ongoing, Google must outfit each car with not one but two human occupants in case they need to wrest control from the computers.

Medford’s role at Google will be to help the company navigate as smoothly through developing regulations as it does through traffic. Simultaneously, the NHTSA will be running its own program to investigate the regulatory requirements around self-driving vehicles.

Google grabs NHTSA safety exec for self-driving cars project is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sports car enthusiasts take note, because McLaren announced today that it will produce a very limited run of its new 12C GT Can-Am Edition. The new car is meant for the track only, meaning that it won’t be street legal, but it also comes decked out and ready to race. All of that power and speed is going to cost you a hefty amount of money though, so be prepared to plop down some cash if you want to drive one of these around the track.

As you can see from the image above, the 12C GT Can-Am Edition is one serious car. McLaren is calling this bad boy “the ultimate track car” and says that it isn’t subject to the same racing restrictions as other cars. “Each will be fitted with an unrestricted version of the familiar 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with a unique engine calibration, and optimised cooling system to increase the power output of up to 630hp, making the 12C GT Can-Am Edition the most powerful 12C produced to date,” McLaren’s announcement stated.

That rear wing you see mounted on the back of the car is made of carbon fiber, and McLaren says it “increases down force by 30 per cent.” The 12C GT Can-Am Edition is also equipped with a FIA-approved rollcage, two racing seats, and a McLaren GT steering wheel that’s identical to the one found in the 12C GT3 race car, which serves as something of a predecessor to the 12C GT Can-Am.

As we said above, these cars are expensive, with McLaren sticking each one with a price tag of £375,000 – just a bit under $600,000. McLaren means it when it says this will be a limited run too, as the company only has plans to produce 30 12C GT Can-Ams. Production on the cars is set to begin in March 2013, so you better start saving up.

McLaren announces limited run 12C GT Can-Am Edition is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Last week, I mentioned that Ferrari was going to be auctioning off the first F12berlinetta in the United States at the inaugural US Grand Prix held in Austin, Texas. The vehicle is being auctioned off with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross to help with Hurricane Sandy relief. The auction for the car brought well over $1 million.

Ferrari auctioned off the vehicle for $1.125 million. The auction also raised an additional $50,000 from online and in person donations at auction. Proceeds raised totaled over $1.5 million with all the money going to the American Red Cross.

Ferrari fans other than the winner of the auction will have to wait until next year to get their hands on the F12berlinetta. The car carries an MSRP of a bit over $315,000. I guess the upside to being rich enough to pay over million dollars for car that starts at $315,000 is writing the money off on your taxes as a donation to charity.

The car itself is an impressive piece of machinery with a V12 engine under the hood that produces a 730 hp and 730 pound-foot of torque. Ferrari says 80% of that torque is available at 2500 RPMs . That powerful motor is attached to a dual clutch paddle shifted transmission.

Ferrari F12berlinetta auction raises $1.5 million is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s less than 59 days away – thats what Chevrolet wants you to be pumped up about when it comes to their next beastly beauty in the 2014 Corvette viral campaign. The video you’re about to see shows “CONCEPTION” as far as exterior form and function go – some lovely circle patterns covering a vehicle you’ll not see the whole of perhaps for weeks. The creators of this vehicle want one thing, that’s for certain: to make you anticipate with great glee the oncoming next generation.

This vehicle is one that Chevrolet says will change everything, and, “with transformational advancements in design, engineering, and technology, the driving experience will never be the same.” Sounds pretty fabulous. The video will show you some tiny glimpses of what’s possible with the next-generation Corvette and has a very short quote from none other than the vehicle’s exterior design manager.

“Performance cars are definitely about form follows function. But I would say: beautiful form follows performance-driven function.” – Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design Manager

Below you’ll see a gallery of screen-grabs taken from the video you see above. You’ll get some definite clues as to what this vehicle will look like, some lovely patterning action, and some conceptual drawings to boot. As a bit of a bonus, you’ll also get two gigantic (3000 x 1689 pixel) images taken from the design floor focusing on airflow.

We’ll be keeping our eye on this next-level beast until it’s out on the market without a doubt. Today we’ll leave you with one more quote from Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer for this project.

“The all-new Corvette integrates more high-performance aerodynamic features than ever before, many taken directly from Corvette Racing. For example, the front grill and radiator flow paths reduce lift, improving vehicle stability at high speeds by keeping the car pressed to the pavement. In addition, functional vents increase track capability by channeling air to the brakes, as well as heat exchangers for the transmission and differential.” – Juechter

Let us know what you think you see and what you’re hoping to see in the comments below! Also be sure to tip us off if you’ve got any sweet insight on this monster in the weeks to come!

Chevrolet begins 2014 Corvette countdown with exterior concept video is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ford has announced a new seven-passenger people mover called the Transit Connect Wagon. Despite being a large vehicle with tons of interior space, the car is expected to achieve 30 mpg on the highway using EcoBoost power. The Transit Connect Wagon has sliding doors, fold-flat second and third-row seating, and 1200 pounds of payload capability.

The vehicle can be had with a rear lift gate or symmetrical side-hinged cargo doors. Ford says that the Transit Connect Wagon drives like the car, has the flexibility of utility, and can haul payloads the size of a full-size pickup. The vehicle can also tow up to 2000 pounds when properly equipped.

The Transit Connect Wagon will offer two four-cylinder engine options, including a 2.5-liter and an optional 1.6-liter EcoBoost. Both engine options we use the same six-speed automatic transmission. The Connect Wagon will be available in five or seven-passenger versions and can be had with a full-glass panoramic roof, rearview camera, 6.5-inch touchscreen displays, and lots more.

The vehicle is also available with an electric windshield defroster to clear icy windshields in wintry climates. The vehicle has a number of safety features, including first-row frontal, pelvis, and side airbags with first second and third-row side curtain airbags in the longer wheelbase models. Pricing is unannounced at this time and the vehicle will be on dealer lots in Q4 2013.

Ford unveils 2014 Transit Connect Wagon is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.