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Archives For November 2012

Take Your Review and Shove It: Do Car Reviews Even Matter Anymore?

pygmalion05 —  November 8, 2012 — Leave a comment

The Honda Civic was hammered in a recent Consumer Reports review.
Credit: Wikipedia.

It’s a very interesting time for carmakers.

General automotive technology has reached a high level of quality, making for a very level playing field. There are so many fine vehicles at practically every price point that consumers’ buying decisions are less determined by traditional criteria.

It even has Autoblog wondering about its role in the decision-making process for shoppers.

Bloomberg reports that people basically ignored Consumer Reports’ negative review of the new Honda Civic and bought nearly a quarter-million cars through September, putting it back in position to take over the top spot in the compact car segment from Toyota and GM.

What do you think, is the automotive press relevant anymore?

Read more about the press being completely irrelevant!

Check out the full Autoblog story here and the Bloomberg story here.

In Hot Cars , , , , , ,
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Drive Like a Moron! Amazing New Car Tech Lets You …

pygmalion05 —  November 7, 2012 — Leave a comment

This is a great sequel story for our recent blog post about “connected cars.”

While the consortium of carmakers works on communication BETWEEN vehicles — you have companies like Nissan that are developing more automatic systems for your car of the near-future. For several years now we’ve had cars that can park themselves. That’s nothing compared to what’s next.

Look for Autonomous Emergency Steering, which will take over control of your ride when it detects a hazard.

Then there’s also Active Engine Braking, a system designed for better stability of your vehicle on turns.

Which leaves us to wonder what the driver is for?! Why don’t we simply build a transit system with compartments for parties of four?

Read the full article on Jalopnik here.

In New Technology , , , , ,
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HOT Rides!!! Car Photos, Best of the Auto Aftermarket at SEMA Show

pygmalion05 —  November 6, 2012 — Leave a comment

Every year the best and brightest in the automotive aftermarket gather at the SEMA Show.

What’s been happening in the aftermarket has been one of the great engines for growth in the overall automotive business. Over the years, the OEs have been taking an increasingly greater role in what happens at this show.

Want to see the latest new cars modified? This is where you go for that and a lot more.

To get the full scope of the action in Vegas you really need to be there to walk all the halls yourself, but if you couldn’t make it the next best option is to probably visit these sites along with our social media channels to see Viper-specific projects.

– Follow more SEMA coverage on our Viper Facebook page and Twitter: @ViperSmartStart. If you want raw coverage, go to the source itself at: http://www.semadigital.com/index.htm. Otherwise, check out CNET or Insideline.com.

Quick bonus post: Related to SEMA Show coverage, we thought we’d share what may be the future of racing here in America.

We’re talking about the Global RallyCross. The finals took place in Vegas and Tanner Foust took first place again.

Check out the video of his big win here.

Check out more hot car pics from SEMA below:

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In Hot Cars, New Technology , , , , ,
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Connected Cars See Danger, Warn Drivers, Prevent Crashes

pygmalion05 —  November 5, 2012 — 2 Comments

The goal of connected-vehicle technology to alert drivers of potential danger doesn’t seem quite so impossible now.

Eight carmakers have formed the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership (CAMP) to create an industry-wide communications system between various makes of cars.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this innovation could decrease the death rate in about 80 percent of crashes that don’t involve drunk drivers. There are major hurdles left but if successful CAMP will not merely be taking another step forward in the path toward connected vehicles; it will save lives.

The makers of this new connected car technology seem quite convinced that they have literally reinvented the wheel.

“It can see,” Ford Motor Co. intelligent-vehicles expert Farid Ahmed-Zaid told AutoNews.com. “We can’t.”

Ahmed-Zaid works in a facility in Farmington Hills, Mich., where the tech is currently being evaluated.

The technology transmits data on location, brake status, path history and speed ten times a second — and alert drivers to potential threats that the human eye supposedly can’t even see.

Read full coverage on the connected car technology from AutoNews.com below:

Connected Cars See Danger, Warn Others and Stop Crashes

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Sick at SEMA: Hot Photos of Viper-Powered Show Cars at SEMA Show 2012

pygmalion05 —  November 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

The 2013 Mustang Convertible in the Ford booth at SEMA — this baby is built by Stitchcraft and powered by Viper SmartStart.

LAS VEGAS – That’s right folks, it’s finally here, SEMA Show 2012 in Las Vegas.

You know how it goes, what happens in Vegas … stays in Vegas! And the owners of these Viper SmartStart-sponsored demo cars know exactly where their car is staying, safe and sound! Viper sponsored several sick show cars at SEMA this year, and here’s your chance to take an inside peek.

Several of the featured show cars were powered by Viper SmartStart — from the 2013 Mustang Convertible at the Ford booth (pictured left) to the Ford Raptor Anzio. Heck, we even got a Viper SmartStart system on a Scion FR-S in the Scion booth. No matter how fancy your ride is, with a Viper system on it, no one dares come close.

You can also check out a shot below of the 2013 Ford Mustang in a booth at SEMA — and yes, that baby is also powered by Viper.

The owners of these tasty show cars wouldn’t trust just anyone with the safety of their pricey rides — they had to have the industry-leading Viper SmartStart system — which also allows them to start, locate or control their car from virtually anywhere with a smartphone.

It was an honor to sponsor cars at SEMA Show 2012 — the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. The show (closed to the general public, of course) incorporates the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products together in beautiful Las Vegas.

[Follow more SEMA coverage on our Viper Facebook page and Twitter: @ViperSmartStart. Also check out more at SEMA Show's Facebook page.]

Check out more pictures of Viper-powered show cars at SEMA below here:

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In Hot Cars, VIPER SmartStart , , , , , ,
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