Cave News

Segway - “Monster Truck” version

Remember the Segway two-wheeled gyroscope balanced transporter? Now the original Segway HT (Human Transporter) has two new siblings - the XT (Cross-terrain Transporter) and the GT (Golf Transporter). The XT has monster "truck wheels", off-road performance and a mud-splattering ride.

Segway XT
The wide low pressure tires give a reasonably smooth ride over uneven terrain. Fenders protect the rider from mud and debris. It won’t go fast enough to get in too much trouble in the boondocks. Link to "Big Foot" version here and golf version here.

Chrysler Firepower concept car

The awesome Chrysler Firepower concept car is somewhat based on the Dodge Viper. Car and Driver magazine begins to describe the Firepower by saying: “For its next trick, Chrysler shows us a snake wearing a tuxedo”.

If this car does go into production, the estimated base price will be $50,000. The Firepower is a 2-passenger front-engine rear-drive 3-door coupe. It will be powered by a 370 cu. in. (6059cc) Hemi engine though a 5-speed automatic transmission. Estimated acceleration - zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds. EPA city driving: 14 mpg, highway driving: 19 mpg. More information here.

2006 Dodge Charger - revisited

Production of the 2006 Dodge Charger begins this spring at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The Dodge Charger will join the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 vehicles already built there. The Dodge Charger will be available in North American markets early this summer.

After a 30-year absence, Charger returns to the track in 2005. The historic Dodge Charger nameplate returns to NASCAR Nextel Cup competition as the successor to the race-winning Dodge Intrepid race cars of 2001- 2004, and to the storied Dodge Charger race cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s that earned several national championships.

The new Charger will have a 250 hp V6 engine or an optional 340 hp Hemi V8 engine. It has the engine in front with rear wheel drive. The Hemi engine has a multiple displacement system that can deactivate 4 of its cylinders which will help to give a fuel saving of up to 20%.

I don’t get the need for the multiple displacement system feature. If I chose the Hemi engine, why would I ever want to deactivate half of the cylinders? If I were concerned about mileage, I would get the V6 engine option.

The Dodge Charger is one of the biggest names from the muscle car era. It was an awesome car with a look to match its performance. Will this 21st century version live up to the Charger name? I don’t think so. How can a sedate looking four-door sedan take the place of the old 1970’s two-door fastback Charger? Looks to me like they made a grandma car instead of a replacement for the 1970’s Charger. More information can be found here, here and here.

Crosley: the tiny car America forgot

The Crosley car was designed by Powell Crosley, Jr. He was owner of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and built radios and appliances including the noted Crosley Shelvadore refrigerator.

Crosley began making cars with a 2-cylinder model in 1939. He came out with a revised version in 1946 that had a 4-cylinder engine. They could get 50 miles per gallon. The wheelbase was 80 inches and the total length was only twelve feet. Crosley cars had one notable innovation - they were the first cars to have disc brakes.

Powell Crosley, Jr.
A 1947 Life Magazine article said the price of a Crosley was only $500. Other sources have given the price at about $900 in 1950. The diminutive Crosley was made until 1952. The car was never highly popular during its time. Probably because most post war cars were big and glamorous and just what a car starved public wanted. However, they are very popular among collectors today.

1941 Crosley with two-cylinder engine
Click here for original picture

Three post-war 4-cylinder Crosley’s
Click here for original picture

The fuel economy of the Crosley was not a big attraction because gas was cheap and people wanted to take the family on trips in comfort. That couldn’t be done with the Crosley. It cost a little less than half as much as a Ford, Chevy or Plymouth. However, you got less than half the car. The Crosley was just too small for its time.

Corbin Sparrow: mini car/scooter

This is the Corbin “Personal Transportation Module”. In other words, it is a mini car/scooter that instead of getting into you have the feeling of putting it on like a garment.

2001 Corbin Sparrow
The 2001 Sparrow is a 900-pound vehicle with two wheels in front and one wheel in back. It is about the length of a Honda Valkyrie. Its one-piece monocoque construction fiberglass body encloses four batteries up front, “where an engine might otherwise be, a solo cockpit with four more batteries under the seat, and a windowless, trunkless, skirted rear end”.

The Corbin parked with motorcycles
“Drive 60 mph for 60 minutes, then re-charge (wait 6 hours at 110 volt sockets, wait 2 hours at 220 volt sockets) and do it again. Buy no gasoline. No need for tune-ups or oil changes. No need to sit in traffic jams because the Sparrow qualifies for the diamond lanes." How cool is that?

Cockpit of the Sparrow
Price is reported to be in the $12,000 - $13,000 range. Made in Hollister, California by Corbin-Pacific Inc. More information here and here.

Mobile virus infects Lexus cars

Technology has consequences. An article found here states that: “Lexus cars may be vulnerable to viruses that infect them via mobile phones. Landcruiser 100 models LX470 and LS430 have been discovered with infected operating systems that transfer within a range of 15 feet…if infected mobile devices are scary, just thinking about an infected onboard computer…"

“It is understood the virus could affect the navigation system of the Lexus models, it transfers onto them via a Bluetooth mobile phone connection. It is still unclear whether the cars in question use the Symbian operating system which has recently been under attack from various worms and viruses.”

Lexus concept car
The problem is in the operating systems - if the OS is vulnerable it's easy to become infected. “Vulnerable operating systems are increasingly moving onto a number of different devices. Last year the Slammer worm infected 13,000 Bank of America ATMs as a result of them moving to a Windows-based operating system”

"I've even seen screenshots of major commercial airplanes with Windows 2000-based operating systems”. Windows 2000 is very vulnerable! Very sobering. "Cars are an obvious target for viruses. It's okay if you don't use the operating system for the engine and the brakes, but when you do..."

The article said that Lexus declined to comment when contacted.

Rinspeed Senso: sensuous concept car

The Rinspeed Senso seems to be aptly named. This concept car hopes to “seriously stimulate your senses with its smell, texture, atmosphere and appearance in order to make you a safer driver…the car will adjust its interior environment to ensure that the driver remains relaxed and wide awake, with a view to reducing the risk of accidents.”

“One example of this is the Senso’s lighting – the interior is lined with a specially designed 3D-formable electroluminescent film that uses data to automatically create the most suitable in-car lighting condition to keep the driver attentive…As well as its sensory skills, the Senso is ultra eco-friendly, running on CO2-reducing natural gas.

The Senso designed by Rinspeed
They talk about monitoring the driver's key biometric indicators so the Senso can respond to the driver accordingly. I plan to work on trying to pronounce “electroluminescent” and “biometric” before I attempt to learn the meaning of the words. Will people really want a car that will change their mood?

This Swiss car designer will “debut its curious new concept car at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2005, and its creators claim that the Senso ‘senses the driver and responds’ to him or her accordingly.”

Wonder if this car will eventually go into production and what will it cost? More information here and here.

World’s largest Aircraft: Russian Antonov 225

A few days ago the new super jumbo AirBus was in the news. It is the worlds largest airliner. This post is about the worlds largest airplane. It is large enough to carry the fuselage of a Boeing 737 in the cargo hold.

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The Russian Antonov 225 is the world’s largest aircraft. It was first flew in 1988 and entered service in 1989. The Antonov 225 was built to carry the Buran space shuttle. After cancellation of the Buran space program, the only An-225 built was stored in spring 1994.

Click here to enlarge

Click here to elnarge
To give you an idea of the size of this plane, the complete assembled fuselage of a Boeing 737 can be fitted into the cargo hold of the An-225. This plane has a 32-wheel landing gear system. It has two nose and fourteen main wheel bogies, seven per side, each with two wheels.

Click here to enlarge

Click here to enlarge

Seven years after the 1994 retirement, the aircraft was made airworthy again. The huge An-225 took to the air again on May 7, 2001. More information can be found here and here.

Boeing 7E7: the plastic airplane

Boeing sees big future for medium-sized jets built with composite materials

With the recent debut of the new super-jumbo airliner by Airbus, the future of the 747 ended. Now, Boeing is gambling on their 7E7 Dreamliner to rescue the company from a multiyear tailspin. The 7E7 will not compete directly with the Airbus but should fill a definite need in the airline industry.

Airbus super-jumbo, the 747 killer
The use of new, lightweight composite materials for the primary structure provides resistance to fatigue and corrosion and significant weight reduction. It will have 20 percent less fuel consumption than other airplanes of its size.

The 7E7 should debut in 2008 and will be re-designated as the 787. It will have a range of about 9,000 miles, which could take it from Singapore to Denver without a layover and with increased passenger comfort. The cabin pressure as well as the humidity will be higher thanks to the seamless cabin built of composites.

Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner
The body of the 7E7 will be a seamless, rivetless, one-piece barrel of carbon-fiber composite that has more strength and lighter weight than conventional materials. It will be the “first passenger jet produced largely from the same kind of reinforced plastic used to make golf club shafts.”

“The 7E7 is intended to replace the company's aging 767, which has been trampled in recent years by the A330, a jet built by Airbus. At 217 seats, it will be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 767 and is designed to fly short and long-distance routes, bypassing congested hubs that routinely snarl air travel.”

Boeing is gamboling that the 7E7 will be a way for them to claw back into a market they once controlled. The Dreamliner is “a massive gamble: If Boeing can make its new airplane fly, it has a good chance of revolutionizing the way airplanes are built. If not, it can count on watching Airbus fly away with the market”. More information here and here.

Kia KCD-II concept SUV

Kia Motors is announcing the new KCD-II concept SUV this month at the bid Detroit Auto Show. The futuristic KCD-II SUV is the second concept vehicle to be designed by Kia’s new California design center.

At this stage, this is a concept car. No announcement about production dates. This futuristic appearing vehicle has a 116-inch wheelbase and measures 192 inches long overall. It is 75 inches high and 77.6 inches wide.

Kia concept SUV
“The KCD-II is clearly a good look into the future of Kia Motors – and the auto industry as a whole,” More information here and here.

New car from China: the Chery

New car from China: the Chery
A company in China called Alado announced last October it would distribute Chinese-made Chery automobiles in Malaysia. The Chery vehicles will come with 10-year, 100,000-mile warranties.

Malcolm Bricklin, who brought the Yugo to the U.S. and founded Subaru of America, said he would establish 250 dealerships in the U.S. to sell the cars. Lets hope the Chery will be better than the forgettable Yugo.

Chery A21 sedan

Chery T11 SUV
One difficult thing for the Chery to overcome in the US is that many people have associated Chinese-made products as being cheap and having low quality. Another problem for Chery is the lawsuit brought by GM Daewoo claiming the Daewoo was copied by Chery. Click here for more on the Daewoo lawsuit. More on the Chinese Chery can be found here and here.

CT2K Airplane

From Flight Design in Germany comes this cute little single seat ultralight. You have the choice of a Rotax 912 80 HP engine or the Rotax 912S 100 HP. They are both capable of 5,800 rpm. The CT2K had a range of over 1,000 miles. The CT is now available in Canada. More information can be found here.

CT2K Unltralight

Lincoln MK9 concept car

this is a concept car. It has not been put in production. Click here for Lincoln MK9 information.

Eliica 8 wheel electric car

The Eliica electric car was designed by a Professor at Japan's Keio University. It's just a prototype. It will never win a beauty prize. However, it’s the $250,000 building cost rather than appearance that will keep the Eliica out of production.

Eliica eight-wheeled electric
car with motor on each wheel

Professor Hiroshi Shimizu, of Japan's Keio University developed this 8 wheel electric car that accelerates faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo. It is capable of 0 to 60 in just four seconds, powered by separate 100hp motors in each of its eight wheels. It hits maximum speeds of 230 mph. More information can be found here.

Another view of the Eliica built at a cost of $250,000

Personal side note to this story: while in the military, I was stationed in Japan near Keo University. Several of us flew gas powered control-line model airplanes on the tennis courts at Keio University, which was located about midway between Tokyo and Yokohama.

The new BMW M6 - Awesome car!

The new Beamer M6 has a V10 snarler under the hood and a seven-speed SMG transmission. It’s the transmission that gets the attention instead of the V10 engine.

The new Beamer M6

“This gearbox from BMW M is the world's only sequential transmission with seven gears and Drivelogic. It allows manual selection of gears with extremely short gearshift times as well as comfortable cruising qualities thanks to the automatic gear selection function…the additional gear keeps the increments between engine speed and torque even smaller, ensuring an absolutely smooth process of one gear ‘flowing’ into the other. The driver shifts gears in the SMG transmission either from the selector lever or via paddles in the steering wheel.” More information can be found here.

Is your car spying on you?

If your car was made in 1999 or later chances are it could be spying on you by means of an Event Data Recorder (EDR). This is not as sophisticated as the black box on commercial aircraft. However, it can supply information about your driving habits.

The auto black box (actually it is silver) is part of the airbag deployment system. The auto industry defends this invasion or our privacy by saying this information is needed to determine if the airbag deployed properly and also to monitor acceleration and braking to improve safety and fuel economy. Whatever reason the auto industry gives, it is still an invasion of privacy.

If you own a newer car, truck or SUV, your vehicle is equipped with the EDR, event data recorder. The EDR in your car is probably located under the driver's seat, and will take a snapshot of your driving habits and patterns just prior to a collision. It is this snapshot that could ultimately become your worst enemy if you are involved in an accident.

“The instant your vehicle's computer recognizes that the air bag has deployed, the data recorder permanently locks in information about what was occurring just prior to the collision. The information can include your vehicle speed, whether you used the brakes, the engine RPM's, the gear that the transmission was in, the rate of deceleration and whether you or your passengers were wearing seat belts.”

“General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Honda and Toyota freely admit to installing these recorders, but other automakers have been less forthcoming about technology they are installing to capture driving habits and conditions.”

Defense lawyer and columnist Jordan Charness questions whether courts should be allowed to use black box information, especially when most people don't know the devices are there. "You're taking something that wasn't designed to do this job and you're using it for a completely different application," said Charness.

"The prospect that we're all under constant scrutiny has social effects and legal effects that we haven't even contemplated," said Stephen Keating of the Privacy Foundation at the University of Denver. More information here and here.

Commuter Cars: two to Tango

Tango electric commuter car
Click here for larger picture.
This little tandem two seater is the brainchild of a father son team in Spokane, Washington. It is their electric powered answer to the European Smart car. Passenger rides in rear seat.

The Tango next to a European Smart car
The Tango is only three feet three inches wide. With it’s ability to go from zero to sixty miles per hour in only four seconds it has been called a “golf cart on steroids”. A single charge can take you about 80 miles.

Solution to city parking problems
The Tango will be sold in a kit form and they will be offering a few production models slated for release in early 2005 with prices starting at around $18,700. The Commuter Cars web site can be found here.

The Tango turns heads wherever it goes

Questions to ponder - should you buy one for each foot, or put one in the back of your Escalade?

Honda FCX fuel cel car approved

The Honda FCX fuel cel car has been approved by the Japanese government. The FCX “transforms twice as much energy to torque as a hybrid and three times as much as a gasoline powered engine". More information and a cutaway illustration can be found here.

Beoing 737 wingless limo

A Mexican limousine company has converted an old Boeing 727 into a 50-seat luxury limousine. You can rent this limo-bus for about $300 per hour to transport you and your closest 49 friends around Mexico.

It’s powered by a six-cylinder, turbo diesel engine located in the rear. It has air brakes and air suspension. This wingless bird is about 54 feet long and 12 feet wide. Guests are treated to neon strobes, dance floor and bar.

Limo made from a Beoing 737 Airliner
“Outside, the wingless plane still has its 30 portholes, but passengers looking out the windows will be admiring asphalt instead of white clouds.”

No mention if the 12 foot width limits navigating Mexican highways. Are wide load flagmen required? Folks on the dance floor may learn new steps when the vehicle hits potholes in the road. More information can be found here and here.

Navistar CTX - monster pickup

How about that new International monster pickup truck? Nothing “green” about this monster! It is the Navistar CXT (Commercial Extreme Truck) that dwarfs the Hummer and the Ford F-350.

This is the world’s largest production pickup. No word on fuel consumption - but you can bet it will gulp lots of diesel. Hope it comes with big fuel tanks.

According to Navistar, “the legendary International DT 466 diesel engine provides up to 6 tons of hauling power…the air-ride cab and seats provide an exceptionally smooth ride. And auspicious and well-appointed interior ensures automotive-like comfort and convenience”.

Navistar CXT - built on tow truck chassis

The CXT is built from the same platform as the Navistar tow truck and can haul six tons of dirt and tow a 20-ton yacht at the same time. It's 9 feet high, 8 feet wide, 21 feet long, and weighs 15,000 pounds. It’s about 2 feet taller x 4 feet longer than the Hummer H2 and if you want to, could tow the Hummer along with that yacht! More information here and here.

VW Westfalia concept micro bus

This Volkswagen Westfalia design concept was created by Montreal-based design firm Verdier et Collaborateurs. It is a redesigned and updated VW microbus camping vehicle that will be shown in at the Detroit Auto Show in January, 2005. No mention of when or if it will go into production. See a movie demonstration here.

2006 Dodge Charger

Remember the 1966 Dodge Charger? I thought it was a simply awesome looking car! It was a two-door fastback fitted on a Dodge Coronet chassis. It had hidden headlights and full width tail lights and looked like it may have been related to the forgettable AMC Marlin.

One of the ‘66 Charger power choices was a 426 cubic-inch Hemi V-8 rated at 425 hp. It would go from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. That was battin’ the bugs at a very impressive clip in 1966!

Most of the 37,344 Chargers produced for 1966 had smaller V-8 engines. The 230-hp, 318-cubic-inch standard engine or the 265-hp, 361-cubic-inch upgrade option. Actually, only 468 of the ’66 Chargers had the Hemi snarler under the hood (less than 2%).

The 2006 Dodge Charger

Now, 38 years later, the Chrysler Corporation has become Diamler Chrysler and the Hemi V-8 is back in a modern form. What better vehicle for the new Hemi than a new version of the Charger? However, most of the new Chargers will be powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 250hp motor. The Hemi powered version will be an optional choice.

Carried aloft by toy balloons

Have you ever wondered what it would be like being carried into the sky by a giant bouquet of colorful toy balloons? Well, that’s what “cluster ballooning” is.

The cluster balloon pilot wears a harness attached to a cluster of large, helium-filled balloons. Control of the ascent is achieved by releasing ballast and the pilot bursts some of the balloons to control the descent.

A man carried aloft by toy balloons

The most famous cluster balloon flight took place in 1982. Larry Walters, with no prior ballooning experience, attached 42 helium weather balloons to a lawn chair. He intended to go up a few hundred feet, Instead he soaring to 16,000 feet! Surprisingly, Walters survived his flight. However, both before and since Walters' adventure, experienced balloonists have experimented with helium balloon clusters, some rising to even greater heights. More can be found here.

Sky roadster from Saturn

Saturn released the first visual rendering of its upcoming sports roadster and announced that the two-seater will carry the name Sky.

The Sky is scheduled for public debut in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January. However, it probably will not arrive at Saturn retailers until early 2006.

Saturn Sky roadster

“The new form vocabulary of Saturn has been influenced by GM’s design talent from around the globe,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Design. “Taut, controlled lines combine with harmonious and fluid surfacing to create a technical and dynamic feel.”

The Sky will be built at GM’s Wilmington, Del., assembly plant. It borrows its name from a Saturn concept that was shown in 2002, but there is no design link between the two vehicles.

Mini Cooper stretch limo

This incredible Mini XXL is a six wheel, four door, six seater. It made it’s world premiere appearance in Athens, Greece last summer during the Olympics.

Later it toured around Europe and parts of Asia where it was the star attraction at various events.

Ford Freestyle FX concept car

The Freestyle FX concept is a “unique, purpose-built crossover vehicle. Introduced at the 2003 North American International Auto Show, the Freestyle FX concept is Ford's answer to consumers who demand nothing less than a perfect fit for their transportation needs”.

This is a new kind of vehicle that “transcends boundaries and can’t be pigeonholed”. Ford says that in the world of crossovers, “it is like nothing else because it is based on nothing else”.

Ford FX Freestyle sedan

Ford FX Freestyle station wagon style SUV

The Freestyle FX features a 3.0-liter 24-valve Duratec V-6 engine and new continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The CVT provides exceptionally smooth operation and delivers up to a 10-percent fuel economy improvement over a traditional transmission. The car also has all-wheel-drive and “dynamic stability and traction control systems, the concept car features safety and security typical of an SUV, all in a car-like package”. More information can be found here.

Chainsaw motorcycle

The Dolmar company of Hamburg, Germany is noted for gas powered chain saws which they began making in 1927. Now they have put their talents to work on a custom motorcycle unlike any other. The end result is a monstrosity of a motorcycle they call the Dolmette.

The Dolmette uses 24 Dolmar chain saw engines. Power is transmitted by a series of belts to a Harley Davidson 5-speed transmission. The end result is a 24-cylinder, 2-stroke power source with a total displacement of 1900cc with about 170 horsepower.

This elongated speedster can reach speeds in excess of 120 MPH in third gear. The cycle is now on a publicity tour at locations around Europe. Wonder what 24 chains saw engines sound like all working together? A bit tricky to ride on the street but the sight and sound would be awesome! More info here.

Ford EX Concept car

The Ford EX is a “no boundaries” SUV concept vehicle. The EX promises a “unique, no-compromise driving experience for the off-road enthusiast and extreme sports authority”. But does it have a heater or air conditioner?

No more locking keys inside the car! Drive-thru car wash tunnels not recommended. Click here for more.

Extreme sports “no boundary” SUV

Thunderbirds movie car

The new DVD movie by Universal Pictures called Thunderbirds is based on the Thunderbirds TV series. I didn’t see any of the TV series episodes and I have not seen DVD movie. However, after looking at the awesome methods of transportation on various web sites, it should be worth the cost of the DVD just to see the travel action.

One of the stars of the
movie Thunderbirds

What intrigued me most was the pink car with two sets of front wheels. Ford helped by providing design and technical support in the design of the car called FAB 1. It is more than a car. It can act as a boat on water and can also fly. Short wings “sprout” from the lower sides and the trunk lid slides back to reveal a jet engine.

More photos of FAB 1

The movie is set in the year 2010 hence the futuristic designs and capabilities of the transportation vehicles. FAB 1, the car/boat/aircraft, is surely one of the stars of the movie. This awesome pink vehicle is the personal transportation of London Agent, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward played by Sophia Myles. The car will probably upstage the people using it in the movie. Click here for more information.

SUV backlash

My sister and her husband, Karen and Ted Wade returned last month from a few days in Paris where they retraced 40 year old footsteps. In some of the pictures they brought back, there were tiny little cars parked on Paris streets. A little research showed they are made by a company called Smart and have taken Europe by storm.

Karen and Ted Wade

Most of these little 2 seat Smart cars are powered by a 3 cylinder 60 hp engine that goes a long way on a whiff of gas. At 60 miles per gallon and a 8.5 gal. fuel tank you should be able to get 480 miles per tank.

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The Smart car has taken Europe by storm

An on-line brochure said the Smart has a “spacious interior for two”. Spacious eh? My old Buick is a lot bigger and I don’t consider it spacious. If the Smart car windshield opened, the driver could probably lean forward, look down to see if he needed a shoeshine. I’ll spend a little more for gas and drive something a little less claustrophobic.

On Paris streets, 2 Smart cars used same parking space

Smart cars will be imported by ZAP, a company in Santa Rosa, California. ZAP had specialized in electric vehicles but is branching out to sell thousands of the high mileage, gasoline-powered cars. ZAP plans to Americanize the Smart and set up a large dealer network in the US. Look for a ZAP Smart car dealer near you sometime in the future. There are rumors that diesel powered Smart cars are now available in Canada.

Smart car - sport version

Blue state Ford

Kerry bumper stickers completely cover a Ford Taurus - pic was found here.

Sticker removal blues.

Why not leave them on - Kerry may run again in 2008.

Sleek Fétish concept-car

The Fétish concept-car, made by Venturi, was unveiled in 2002 at the Geneva International Motor Show. It was also presented at the Paris Motor Show the same year. The Fétish was awarded a “Talent du Luxe” as well as the “Michelin Challenge Design”, therefore making Venturi ambassador of France during the 2003 Detroit Motor Show. For more information, click here and here.

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Venturi Fétish, the French electric concept car

What is really unique about the Fétish? It is an electric sport car and is the first electric car to be beautiful and desirable. “Where public opinion believes that an electric car lacks performance, Fétish offers a remarkable acceleration and a maximum speed of 170 Km/h, well above the maximum speed limit.”

The quick-charge system in the 245-horsepower Fetish is fast; 10-minutes on the plug nets 16km worth of drive time “easily covering the needs of daily urban transport”.

No Escape - clean car needs dirty gas

The Ford Escape Hybrid, unveiled this week here at the New York International Automobile Show, averaged over 38 miles per gallon (61 kilometers per gallon) in a nonstop, 37-hour test drive around New York City. The Escape Hybrid's chief engineer, Mary Ann Wright, dubbed the drive a "commuter's nightmare”.

A mean green machine, the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV is priced at about $7,000 more than the gasoline only version.

Accessories with car attached

Remember the old Knight Rider TV program. I watched one or two episodes. I was impressed with the gadget laden talking car named KITT. I thought it was all very far fetched. Not compared to some of the cars available now. The new Chevy Cheyenne pickup, that looks like a concept car, lets half the engine go to sleep. When not needed, four of the eight cylinders shut down to improve fuel economy.

The Cadillac XLR 2-seat convertible has no spare tire. Doesn’t need one. If punctured, the tires stay inflated for 125 miles. You can’t loose a key to the XLR. It doesn’t have one. The driver has a fob that unlocks the car. Once inside the car starts with the push of a button. The XLR seats are warned (or cooled) electronically. The XLR automatically steers the car in the direction of the spin for safety. The automatic impulse is for the driver to do the opposite.

The new Audi, which does require a key, has heated door locks to prevent freezing. Audi A8L drivers who want to go off road can literally get a rise out of the car. Ground clearance can be adjusted to one of four settings - from paved streets to very rocky roads.

Many makes of cars have LCD panels that show maps pinpointing your location based on data pulled down from a GPS satellite. When you preset a course the Audi A8L has a voice that reminds you when your next turn is coming up. The Audi also alerts you if the tires are under inflated and sounds an alarm if you doze.

Somehow the old way of buying a car with gadgets seemed simpler and more appealing (also less expensive) than buying gadgets with a car attached.