Hasta La Gadget!

Those that aren’t drag racers may have no idea what the electronic line lock feature Ford has added to the 2015 Mustang GT is for. A line lock is a tool that locks the front brakes of the car to keep it in place while the rear wheels spin.

Typically, a line lock is used to heat up the rear tires at a drag strip for a better launch. I’m sure in the case of the new Mustang, many a parking lot burnout will be performed with the tool. When the line lock is activated, the driver presses the brake pedal and only the front brakes lock.

This allows the rear wheels to spin and the driver can do a perfect burnout. Doing a good burnout is harder than you might think, just checkout all the burnout fail videos on YouTube for proof. The biggest catch with this feature comes in this little Ford disclaimer: “Electronic line-lock for 2015 Mustang GT is intended for use only on racetracks. Racing your vehicle will void your warranty.”

I’ve been driving around a Super Motard motorcycle for the last six months, and let me tell you, it’s extremely loud, so loud that my neighbors have asked me to start it outside the courtyard where it’s usually parked. One friend said that it sounded like my bike had eaten another one for breakfast. While all this racket is a fun part of having a motorcycle, you can imagine how this would be problematic for military motorcycles.

Note: Bike Shown Here is an Earlier Design by ZERO Motorcycles

With that in mind, DARPA has commissioned the development of a stealth motorcycle, which would allow soldiers to ride for long periods of time without emitting much noise. The bike, would use an extended-range hybrid-electric engine, and will be built by BRD and Logos Technologies. In addition to its stealthy operating capabilities, the bike will have all-wheel drive to help tackle difficult terrain.

Electric and hybrid bikes also make sense for commuters, especially in city traffic. Switching over to electric drive would mean no shifting and reduced noise, and of course lower fuel costs. Also, I’d probably not get any complaints from neighbors either.

[DefenseTech via The Verge]

I have always wondered why car manufacturers didn’t go the extra mile and make it so keyless entry systems are actually keyless and fobless. Sure, it’s more convenient to press a button on the door or grope yourself looking for a remote than to have to put a key in the door. That said, it would be much more convenient if the car would just unlock itself when you walk up and lock itself when you leave.

It can’t cost much more for automakers to implement that sort of tech. Until that tech becomes common on cars sold around the world. Viper has a system that will bring that functionality to the aftermarket. The system is called the Viper Smartkey and it uses your iPhone to lock and unlock your doors.

The cool part is that you don’t have to take the smartphone out of your pocket or purse to make it work. All you need to do is get out of the car and walk away, the doors will lock, and the Viper alarm will arm. When you walk back up to the car, the doors unlock and the alarm turns off. Smartkey does require a Viper alarm or remote start system to function. If you have one of those systems, you can get Smartkey for $149.99(USD) right now.

There is a huge difference between most automatic transmissions that have a torque converter and paddle shifters and the dual-clutch automatics with paddle shifters featured on many European sports cars. A paddle shift automatic in a Ford product, like the Taurus SHO, needs about 1000 RPM to shift a gear making for a very annoying driving experience.

On the other hand, the dual-clutch transmission on something like the BMW M3 will shift gears much faster than your typical person can shift a manual. Chevrolet is going to be offering a new 8-speed auto transmission in the 2015 Corvette Stingray. However, many people were not happy when it was announced that the transmission GM made for the car isn’t a dual-clutch unit.

GMs tranny has a torque converter, but the company claims it will shift faster at wide-open throttle than the dual-clutch unit Porsche uses in its 911. GM says the 8-speed 8L90 transmission will shift gears .08 seconds faster than the Porsche gearbox. At the same time since it has a torque converter, GM says that it remains smooth and comfortable around town. The 8L90 transmissions will be offered in the standard Stingray for 2015 and the Z06 version.

“Corvette Stingray’s new eight-speed automatic delivers the comfort and drivability of a true automatic transmission, as well as lightning-fast shifts and the manual control that enhance the performance-driving experience,” said Bill Goodrich, assistant chief engineer for eight-speed automatic transmissions. “It was designed to enhance the Stingray’s driving experience, with performance on par with dual-clutch designs, but without sacrificing refinement.”

Guess we’ll have to wait to drive a 2015 Stingray to see how well the transmission lives up to its promises.

Nic Case loves his R/C cars. In fact, he just broke a world record for the fastest R/C car, which is aptly called the R/C Bullet. This one-tenth scale car has hit a top speed of over 188 mph, breaking Case’s own record of 171.97 mph. To put that in perspective, the top speed of a V8 Jaguar F-Type is 186mph.

How did it get to be that fast? Most of the car is custom-designed and fabricated to be as light, sturdy, and aerodynamic as possible. The vehicle weighs just 10 pounds and generates 10 horsepower from its electric motors. All of that power is transferred to the wheels using a low-profile scoop-shaped body and 3-inch tires.

Another problem he had to deal with is that when the car gets up to speed, the motor spins so fast that it produces a gyroscopic effect that threatens to throw the vehicle off target. So Nic added a heavy brass weight to the drive shaft that counters the inertia of the motor. Nic thinks he can get it to go even faster with some additional tweaks.

[via Geek]