Hasta La Gadget!

A lot of automotive manufacturers are working to get more technology integrated inside of their vehicles. Much of the push is to add additional entertainment options and streaming capabilities to the in-car infotainment systems. BMW announced this week that it has four new partners that will provide BMW Approved Apps for the BMW Apps option for the Apple iPhone.

The apps that have just been approved include Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody, and TuneIn. If you’re familiar with these companies, Audible is a service that offers downloadable audio books and other spoken content, Glympse is a location sharing service, Rhapsody is a subscription streaming music service, and TuneIn is an Internet radio provider. BMW says Audible integration with BMW Apps is the first time a graphical integration of the app is available for the BMW infotainment system.

Drivers will be able to access their own library through the BMW iDrive controls. Glympse will allow drivers to share their location information with anyone during a specific period of time. The app is useful for things like letting family know you are in route and where exactly you are at any given time.

Rhapsody is self-explanatory and allows drivers to listen to on demand music with more than 16 million tracks to enjoy using the iPhone and fully integrated vehicle controls. The TuneIn app integration allows the driver to select from all sorts of streaming Internet radio stations using the app running on the smartphone and controls inside the vehicle. The BMW Apps option is available on 2011 later BMW vehicles when the iPhone has to be connected to the car using either the USB cable that comes with the iPhone or a special snap in adapter.

[via BMW]

BMW announces new app integrations with Audible, Rhapsody, and more is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Volvo has unveiled the world’s first cyclist detection system that offers fully automatic braking, causing the car to stop itself if a cyclist swerves in front of the vehicle. According to the manufacturer, Cyclist Detection is built upon its already existing detection and automatic braking technology, and will be implemented into all vehicles that use pedestrian detection.

The system is straight-forward: sensors keep an eye out for pedestrians and cyclist in front of and near the car, including those walking on foot and others on bicycles. While monitoring the individuals, if one of them makes a sudden change of direction in front of the car and the sensors determine that a crash will happen, the brakes are fully and automatically applied, bringing the car to a stop. You can see how it works in the video below.

According to the unveiling announcement, approximately half of the cyclist killed in Europe are hit by a car, something Volvo’s detection system aims to reduce. This feature will roll out in the middle of this upcoming May, and will be available in the following models: Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80.

Volvo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Doug Speck had this to say: “As the leader in automotive safety, we have been first in the industry with all detection and auto brake technologies, from the first-generation brake support in 2006 to pedestrian detection with full auto brake in 2010 … By covering more and more objects and situations, we reinforce our world-leading position within automotive safety. We keep moving towards our long-term vision to design cars that do not crash”

[via Volvo]

Volvo unveils world’s first Cyclist Detection system with automatic braking is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Fisker’s cash reserves have been in trouble ever since its Department of Energy loans were frozen, and now its putting its US workforce on furlough to keep money in the bank while it searches for a partner with deep pockets. “This is a common practice, particularly in the automotive industry, to manage costs and operations based on current activity levels and commercial requirements,” said Fisker, which has over 200 employees in America, in a statement concerning the unpaid leave. Considering that battery woes and other mishaps have contributed to keeping assembly lines quiet, current activity levels are indeed low. Reuters says the automaker hasn’t built a car since July, and it’s coming up against a federal loan payment in late April. According to the outlet, Fisker was aiming to partner with Chinese auto companies that could bolster its finances, but talks are said to have crawled to a stop. Regardless, the firm is still on the lookout for an investor to fuel the production of its Atlantic hybrid.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Reuters

This week the folks at Chevrolet have revealed the 2014 Camaro Z28 (or Z/28 if you prefer), a beast of a vehicle with a 7.0L LS7 V8 engine with no less than 500 horsepower ready for road-thrashing action. This machine works with 470 pounds-feet of torque under the hood paired with a six-speed Tremec TR6060 manual transmission. The look of the vehicle is all classic Camaro with a smooth-yet-sharp set of aesthetics for this years battle with the best.

Inside this next-generation automobile you’ve got a set of hardware that’s ready and willing to be compared to the more powerful Camaro ZL1. As Chevrolet let us know this week, you’ll find that the Z/28 is 300 pounds lighter than the ZL1, this thanks to a series of changes in the makeup of the car. From its lighter wheels to the thinness of the rear window glass panel, this car has been polished to perfection. Even the air conditioning has been made available only as a stand-alone option for your ability to keep the weight low.

Chevrolet has also noted that this 2014 model has averaged three seconds faster than the ZL1 in tests they’ve conducted thus far.

While the new Camaro Z/28 is not intended to compete in a specific race series, it is solely focused on track capability. In initial testing, the Camaro Z/28 is three seconds faster per lap than the Camaro ZL1. That extra speed comes from three areas:

• Increased grip: The Z/28 is capable of 1.05 g in cornering acceleration, due to comprehensive chassis revisions
• Increased stopping power: the Z/28 features Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes capable of 1.5 g in deceleration, and consistent brake feel, lap after lap
• Reduced curb weight: The naturally aspirated Z/28 weighs 300 pounds less than the supercharged Camaro ZL1, with changes ranging from lightweight wheels to thinner rear-window glass

Once you’re past the tweaks and pushes, you’ve got a fabulous set of Recaro racing seats inside that complement a set of aesthetics across the entire vehicle that make it appear ready for any of your most race-ready road-blasting adventures. You’ve got a flat-bottom steering wheel, blacks and grays with bright red accents – mostly in the stereo and speedometer areas – and an overall look that reads: SPEED.

The engine, again, is of course the monstrous heart of this amalgamation of Camaro bits and pieces – here you’ve got your hand-assembled 7.0L (427 cid) V-8 made from top-end parts as follows:

• Titanium intake valves and connecting rods, and sodium-filled exhaust valves
• CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads
• Forged-steel crankshaft and main bearing caps
• High-lift camshaft
• Hydroformed exhaust headers
• 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a 7,000 rpm redline.
• 10.5-quart, dry-sump oiling system

You’ve got what Camaro engineers describe as “the very best components in the industry” used here in the chassis of this high-performance vehicle, including 19-inch diameter wheels and tires, forged aluminum wheels that is, wrapped with “massive” 305/30ZR19 tires. This vehicle uses the ultra-high performance Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tire, the first production implementation of said technology – one that they say they believe is now the widest front tire on any production car – hot and large!

You’ve got Brembo Carbon Ceramic Matrix™ rotors as well as fixed, monoblock calipers. You’ve got 394 x 36 mm front rotors matched with six-piston calipers up front and 390 x 32 mm rear rotor paired with four-piston calipers. This setup saves another 28 pounds (12.5 kilograms) compared to comparable two-piece steel rotors.

And that’s not all! We’ll continue to run down the full layout of this lovely vehicle as it hits the road later this year. Chevrolet dealers will be getting the Camaro Z/28 “later in 2013″ while the vehicle will be appearing in track events throughout the USA in Spring of 2014.

Keep tuned to the whole industry in SlashGear’s Car hub and don’t forget to catch the rest of our show coverage in our New York Auto Show 2013 tag portal, too!

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 unveiled with lightweight body and hard power is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Dodge has announced a new limited edition appearance package exclusively for the Charger SRT8 from SRT. The new appearance package is called the 392 Appearance Package and brings an interesting look to the outside of the already potent Charger SRT8. This package modifies the looks the vehicle only with power output from the engine remaining the same.

The special 392 Appearance Package will be limited edition with Dodge and SRT producing only 392 vehicles featuring the special styling. Dodge and SRT are also limiting the 392 package to availability on five exterior body colors of the vehicle. Dodge designed the 392 package as a modern interpretation of classic muscle car styling.

The appearance package has custom-designed gloss black 392 HEMI fender badges with a charcoal gray metallic insert. The center section of the car’s power bulge hood is painted Pitch Black as is the roof. The car also gets a satin black SRT lower-body side stripe and side mirrors painted in the same Pitch Black color.

The appearance package also adds 20-inch split five-spoke Black Vapor Chrome wheels and the rear spoiler is painted in the Pitch Black color. The five exterior paint colors that can be optioned with the new appearance package include Bright White Clear Coat, Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Plum Crazy Pearl Coat, HEMI Orange Pearl Coat and TorRed Clear Coat. Under the hood, the power output of the 6.4-liter V8 engine stays at 470 hp and 470 pound-foot of torque.

The engine bay does get engine beauty covers that say 392. Inside the vehicle, the car is fitted with a serialized dash plaque showing the production build number out of the 392 available versions. The options package is $2495 and ordering of the package starts in April.

[via SRT]

Dodge unveils new Charger SRT8 392 appearance package is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.