Motor Trend has bestowed its coveted Car of the Year title on Tesla‘s Model S, making it the first car without an internal combustion engine to earn such an honor. The vehicle won out of 25 other contenders, with a total of 45 variants. All of the vehicles were put through an “extensive battery of testing” that examined just about everything you can examine on a car.
There were 11 judges in total, and all of them unanimously awarded the honor to the Tesla Model S. Testing included a 0 to 60mph and quarter-mile acceleration, braking from 60 to 0mph, figure-eight handling, high-speed loops that replicates LA’s freeways, and a winding track. Each phase eliminated vehicles based on various criteria, until only a handful remained.
Motor Trend’s editor-in-chief Edward Loh offered this statement. “We had an extremely competitive field for Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. However, the Tesla Model S floored our panel of judges. The goal of the award is to name the car that best meets our six criteria, and the Tesla Model S accomplished that best … To be the first car in the 64-year history of the award to be powered by something other than gasoline must mean it is very special. It is, and thus we’re excited to name the Tesla Model S our 2013 Car of the Year.”
What kind of competition was the Tesla Model S up against? Other contenders included the Cadillac ATS, Toyota Avalon, Porsche 911, BMW 3 Series, Ford Fusion, Subaru BRZ, all of which were finalists, as well as several other models. Car of the Year is one of several Motor Trend honors available to automakers, others of which include Best Driver’s Car and SUV of the Year.
NASCAR is one of the biggest and most popular spectator sports in the nation. They sell more seats and tickets than any single sporting event, have millions of fans, go extremely fast, and the sport uses some awesome technology that often gets missed in this world of smartphones and tablets. What you see below is the FanVision Controller that makes race day even more exciting. With live video, audio, instant replays and more read on to see how impressive this race day technology really is.
The FanVision Controller is the ultimate companion for any race fan for the sheer amount of options, data, and video it provides. For more details you’ll want to check out our previous coverage and interview with a VP from FanVision. Previously if you want to listen to commentary during a race while watching it live you’d need multiple devices. With the FanVision Controller you get that and much much more all in one useful device. Since many don’t know about the technology behind NASCAR, while SlashGear was at the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, we decided to give it a quick look.
The video below will give you a hands-on look at this impressive device, although being their live is an entirely different beast all together. The FanVision provides live video and audio broadcast, 8 in-car cameras as well as front, side, and rearview options. Stats, detailed driver comparisons, official leader times (live), radio scanners to listen in on each race team and their pit crew, or even the overhead spotter. You’ll also get driver stat cards, team information and detailed breakdowns on points to win the Cup. This is truly an all-in-one solution that delivers the best of all worlds on race day.
Pretty neat right? Oh and did we mention instant replay? After seeing that crazy (and vindictive) crash by Jeff Gordon Sunday, we were able to get live instant replay within a matter of seconds thanks to the FanVision. It was quite awesome watching a live view from the hood of his damaged race car as he slid into the rest of the drivers late in the race. The FanVision employs a 4-inch display, it’s wrapped in rubber and is quite durable, and can even handle the elements on race day. The controls on the side let you pan between fullscreen and stat view, select the driver of your choice, control instant replay and anything else you’d like. Panning through the in-car cameras was a breeze, and as you saw on video there’s no lag whatsoever. This was live, up to the second, and brings racing fans closer to the action than ever before.
The interesting thing here is the use of UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radios instead of the usual WiFi or other options. With thousands of fans all with smartphones and cameras, press using WiFi, and networks recording live FanVision had to find a way to provide fast, fluid, and uninterrupted video and data. UHF, which is that old (yet stable) TV channel technology is perfect for the task. Providing an excellent viewing experience no matter where we were on the track.
Everything you look at when you’re at a race on the FanVision Controller is curated by the dedicated FanVision staff at the race. FanVision works with the cameras that are on-site and the information that comes direct from the source, updating every statistic and element as it changes.
“We’re not doing any kind of production, we don’t have people with cameras that are in the pits or in the garages or anything like that. We’re taking content directly from, as an example, in Phoenix, we’re taking the SprintVision content that’s being fed to the track. So we’re not – in essence – taking ESPN’s content. And as a matter of fact, the radio broadcast for this weekend will be MRN. So if we’re at an IFC track, it’s MRN radio, and if we’re at an SMI track, then it would be PRN radio.”
The digital scanner inside the device also had multiple options. You could simply listen to the live commentator broadcast for their input, or choose to listen to the driver of your choices crew, staff, and spotter. Even better was the “random” mode so we could hear the commentator, but get cut in and out of the racer of our choices communications with his team. Then you’ll hear the best of both sides. Listening to teams talk about why and when to pit brought an entire new level of experience to the race.
The FanVision is everything you get at home as far as video, replays, and stats, as well as an audio perspective only FanVision provides their customers, all while enjoying the event live on site. It really is a sight to see if you’ve never been. Being able to enjoy the extremely loud noise and heat from the engines roar, then plug into the world of FanVision really was a fun experience. You can rent your own at NASCAR races nationwide.
SlashGear was able to enjoy a Pace car ride reaching over 120 mph, get video from the NASCAR garage and pit, and a few other neat videos so stay tuned for more details. Oh and go Brad Keselowski!
The Aston Martin DB5 is a classic piece of machinery, and it was featured in earlier James Bond films like Goldfinger and Thunderball over 50 years ago. The car also made an appearance in the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, where it exploded into flames during an intense action scene. However, what you saw in the movie was actually a 1:3 scale 3D-printed model of a DB5.
The filmmakers didn’t want to destroy an original Aston Martin DB5 (for obvious reasons), so they relied on a company called Voxeljet who used a massive VX4000 3D printer with 283 cubic feet of space to create three 1:3 scale models of the Aston Martin DB5, one of which saw its immediate death from an explosion in the movie.
In order to actually operate different parts of the car like the hood, doors, and the trunk, the makers constructed the replicas from 18 different components. After all the parts were made, they were sent off to Propshop Modelmakers in London to be assembled, finished, lacquered, and chromed to make them look exactly like the original.
It’s not said how much it cost to make one of these 3D-printed replicas, but one of the models that wasn’t destroyed in the movie was auctioned off for $100,000. Voxeljet says that this opportunity has opened up another door for the company, and says that more filmmakers may be using 3D-printed objects instead of 3D graphics in the future for better realistic scenes.
Honda has revealed the 2013 Honda Civic Sedan, previewing the new car ahead of its official debut later this month. Promising to be both “more youthful” and “premium” than its predecessor, the 2013 Civic gets bigger front grilles, clear lens corner lights, and sharper hood creases, flowing back to chrome trim across the trunk lid, “jewel-like” rear lights, and honeycomb-mesh diffuser mesh.
There’s matching mesh in the front grille, along with a newly redesigned rear bumper, integrated reflectors, lashings of chrome, and a set of new wheel selections (though so far Honda has only shown us one example). The belt lines have also crisped up, though the airbrushed silver of Honda’s graphics helps emphasize them.
Unfortunately, there the details dry up, and Honda has only provided the two photos of the new Civic. The interior as well as the safety, drivetrain, and other features have also been refreshed, as you’d expect, but we’ll have to wait until November 29 and the Los Angeles Auto Show for all of the information.
One possibility, however, is the car company’s HondaLink cloud-based infotainment system, as will debut on the 2013 Accord. That includes Bluetooth streaming, Pandora internet radio, Facebook text-to-speech, audiobooks, SMS messaging, and personalized restaurant services, all controlled by voice.
Toyota has revealed its latest plans to get the cars of tomorrow talking to the road, each other, and smoothing out driver-error for safer transportation, with the launch of the Intelligent Transport System test site. A near nine acres of replica roadways in Japan, the ITS Proving Ground is equipped with a road-to-vehicle communications system that alerts compatible cars to nearby pedestrians, other cars, traffic signals, and more. As well as increasing safety, the wireless tech could also be used to maximize fuel efficiency.
The test ground is part of Toyota’s work on car communications, whether that be the road (and road furniture, like traffic signals) talking to your car, or cars talking between themselves. Operated on the 700MHz band, which has broad range thanks to its easily-diffracted signal, the wireless tech will be able to warn of poor road conditions out of the driver’s line of sight, pedestrians in the road, and even the pattern of traffic signals, allowing the car to pre-empt slowing in a more fuel-efficient way.
Meanwhile, even objects that can’t talk to your car – such as brick walls – can be made safer, using Toyota’s Intelligent Clearance Sonar. That monitors objects around the car, and automatically applies the brakes, as well as reducing engine power and sounding an alarm to warn the driver. It works in tandem with Drive-start Control, which can cut power if an auto-transmission is shifted between reverse and drive in a situation of driver panic.
“For example,” Toyota explains, “if while reversing in a parking lot, a driver unexpectedly strikes an object, the driver may become startled and shift gears from reverse to drive while continuing to press the accelerator.” The Drive-start control system would step in at that point.
As for crashes at higher speeds, there’s Toyota’s new Pre-collision System (PCS) with a promised 90-percent effectiveness at preventing rear-end collisions. Effective when the speed difference between the two vehicles is under 37mph – such as when you’re driving at 50mph, and the car in front is going at more like 12mph, Toyota suggests – the PCS can automatically slow the car with brake assistance, whether the driver has applied them manually or not.
The PCS uses millimeter-wave radar to track the distance between cars, and can apply twice the braking forced of the driver on their own. If both driver and PCS are braking, Toyota says the system enable deceleration of up to 37mph; if the driver isn’t braking, that’s cut to 9-19mph effectiveness.
Both Intelligent Clearance Sonar and Drive-start Control are set to appear “in upcoming vehicles” Toyota says, though there’s no timescale for their inclusion. PCS, meanwhile, will arrive “starting with soon-to-be-launched models” Toyota teases.
Lamborghini has officially unveiled a new roadster version of its top-of-the-line Aventador. The car is called the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster. Lamborghini says the new Roadster is recognized by the unique profile of the upper area extending along the newly designed geometric lines from the removable roof to the engine hood.
The removable roof of the car is made from two pieces of material and is constructed entirely from carbon fiber. Lamborghini teamed with RTM and Forged Composite to produce the roof for the Roadster. The technology used to build the roof guarantees aesthetic performance and stiffness while being easy to handle and extremely light.
The roof of the Roadster weighs under 6 kg. The roof sections are designed to be easy to handle and simple to attach with storage in the front luggage compartment of the car. The rear pillar of the Roadster also has an automatic protection system for passengers and provides ventilation for the rear engine compartment.
The Roadster has a power rear windshield that helps reduce the amount of air getting into the vehicle, and blocks sound from the massive 12-cylinder engine. The car has a removable wind deflector that can also be taken often stored in the luggage compartment. The car maintains incredible performance with acceleration from 0 to 100 km an hour in 3 seconds. The car sells for €300,000 plus tax.
Back in August, Ferrari unveiled its new top-of-the-line sports car at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance called the F12berlinetta. The car is set to officially debuted in the United States in the first quarter of 2013 at a price starting at $315,888. The car uses a V12 engine under the hood that is naturally aspirated.
The engine produces 730 hp and 730 pound-foot of torque with 80% of that torque available at 2500 RPM. The engine revs to 8700 RPMs and uses a dual clutch paddle shifted transmission. Ferrari claims the vehicle can go from 0 to 100 kph in 3.1 seconds.
Ferrari announced that is going to be offering well-heeled buyers out there a chance to on the first F12berlinetta in the United States. During the Formula One United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas next weekend. Interested bidders will have the opportunity to attend an auction where they’ll have the chance to purchase the very first version of the car in the United States.
The car is being auctioned off to support Hurricane Sandy relief with all proceeds from the auction being donated to the American Red Cross. The last car Ferrari auctioned off for charity raised nearly $1.8 million. Ferrari North America CEO and President Marco Mattiacci said,”The F12berlinetta is already in high demand, and we expect the auction to yield a significant contribution to storm relief.”
Extra information when driving can be useful, but also distracting. Enter BMW‘s new M Performance sport steering wheel — which offers a whole bunch of data and information while letting you keep your eyes (mostly) on the road. Essentially it’s a high-grip Alcantara wheel, with a small OLED display at 12 o’clock, and two LED meters on either side. There are three readout modes: EfficientDynamics, Sport and Race. The former will tell you average fuel consumption, speed as well as oil and water temperature. Sport mode will tell you lateral g-force data (that cleverly remains on the display until you bring the wheel back to its neutral position) while the LED strips provide cues for gear shifts. Like to take things out on the track? Lap times, with section splits, and even a drag-style Christmas tree mode will help you get those times down. How much for this king of steering wheels? A racy $1,700. Speed past the break for a video of the goods in action.
Mercedes has outed its latest high-performance AMG branded sportscar, the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, borrowing racing credentials for an achingly impressive road car. Wrapping a long-snouted, gull-wing chassis around AMG’s 6.3-liter V8 engine, the new car forces 631 HP through a 7-speed sports transmission, for a 0-60mph surge in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 197mph.
That V8 comes with no supercharging or turbocharging, instead relying on natural aspiration for its 8,000rpm maximum and 635 Mb of torque at 5500rpm. However, various AMG efforts to slim the car have helped squeeze as much potential out of the powerplant as possible; the new sports exhaust system, for instance, has been crafted from titanium, saving 13kg from its steel predecessor.
In fact, at 1,550kg, the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series is 70kg in total lighter than the SLS AMG. The bonnet is carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, just as is used in motorsport, as is the rear panel behind the seats, the underbody bracing, and the torque tube. CRP replaces aluminum in sections of the space frame, and even the traditional starter battery has been junked, replaced by an 8kg lighter li-ion power pack.
For the driver, the most noticeable differences may be the new dual-clutch transmission – which has faster shifting speed and auto double-declutching during downshifts, along with a temporary manual mode for the occasional system override – and the AMG rear-axle differential lock, which promises better control over traction, even when most of the nannying electrics have been turned off. There are ceramic composite brakes as standard – now 16kg lighter than the old set – and an all-new chassis and suspension system.
Externally, Mercedes-AMG has borrowed FIA GT3 style for the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series’ flared wings, tinted lights, various carbon-fiber splitters, sills, and other components. Inside, there are bucket seats, metal elements across the dash, and plenty of leather and Alcantara. AMG even ditches Mercedes’ traditional COMAND APS entertainment/nav system to save weight, though it can be added back in as an option. That can be paired with a Bang & Olufsen sourced 1000W audio system with eleven speakers, two of which are illuminated.
Mercedes-AMG says the new car will go on sale in June 2013. No word on pricing at this stage.
We’ve all thought about it before. Why can’t we just park in front of the fire hydrant? Do fire fighters really need all that space to hook up their giant hose? Is there really going to be a fire? Yeah, there is and your car is going to get screwed like the one above. More »
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