Windshield Time
Chances are you spend a lot of time in your car. Here’s some automotive-related news that might help you appreciate your home-away-from-home a little more.
10 Best Cars
Imports were, once again, prominent among Car and Driver Magazine’s picks for the 10 Best Cars of 2007. It was the 25th year the magazine has made the selections. The “10 Best” winners (in alphabetical order) and the number of times each has made the list are: BMW 3-Series (16), Chevrolet Corvette (13), Chrysler 300 (five), Honda Accord (21), Honda Fit (one), Infiniti G35 Sedan (three), Mazda MX-5 (eight), Mazdaspeed 3 (one), Porsche Boxster/Cayman (eight) and Volkswagen GTI (two). A panel of 12 Car and Driver editors determined the winners by rating them on a scale of one to 100 with a focus on functional performance, driving satisfaction and value. Vehicles considered for the award had to be available in the United States by January 2007 and priced below $70,000, or 2.5 times the average transaction price as of summer 2006.
‘Doored’
Here’s the scenario: A bike, motorcycle or skateboard passes a parked car just as one of the vehicle’s doors is opened in its path. That, according to tire manufacturer Michelin, is what it means to get “doored.” In the “2007 Michelin Challenge Design™,” which was to debut at the North American International Auto Show in January in Detroit, entrants suggest a number of designs to eliminate “dooring.” The xV concept from Marin Myftiu of Albania features a locking system designed to prevent a door from being opened for a few seconds after the vehicle is turned off when an object approaches within the door’s span. Meanwhile, the Concept WL created by Hyun Joon Park of South Korea has doors that rotate vertically rather than hinge outward.
Hi-way Wi-Fi
A San Francisco-area company, Autonet Mobile, was gearing up at press time to introduce an in-car Wi-Fi hot spot. The company says that the service will work on 95 percent of U.S. roads, even in tunnels. The system uses
a reception system that roams existing 3G cellular networks and switches between neighboring networks
and high/low-speed connections as needed without interrupting the session. While the cellular signal reception is proprietary, wireless reception inside the car works on existing Wi-Fi standards, according to Autonet Mobile. The Autonet Mobile Unit, including optimized mobile router, will cost $399, and nationwide service will run
$49 per month.
Car of the Year
The redesigned Toyota Camry was named Motor Trend’s 2007 Car of the Year. The Camry is on target to become the first car in nearly three decades to sell 450,000 units in a single year in the United States. Eligibility for the award was limited to cars that are totally new or redesigned, and were released in the 12 months prior to Jan. 1, 2007. This year’s field of contenders included Chevrolet Aveo, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Caliber, Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Entourage, Infiniti G35, Jaguar XK, Jeep Compass, Kia Optima, Kia Rondo, Kia Sedona, Lexus ES 350, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes Benz S-Class, Nissan Altima, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa, Porsche Cayman, Saturn Aura, Saturn Sky Redline, Suzuki SX4, Toyota Camry, Toyota Yaris, Volvo C70 T5, Volkswagen EOS, and Volkswagen Rabbit.
Order in the garage
Get your garage in order with products from The Complete Garage (www.completegarage.com) of Minneapolis. The company’s Yakima Ground Control Storage Base can store kayaks, bikes, cargo boxes, skis, snowboards, packs and climbing gear; and its Telescoping Bike Storage Rack elevates as many as four bikes up and out of the way. The company also sells floor coverings, cabinetry and storage accessories.
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