Car Chute

Ford Motor Company offered on Thursday a taste of some advanced technology that will be featured in the all-new Fusion, which is scheduled to be introduced at the Detroit auto show in January. The technical tidbit is a tracking system that can help prevent drowsy or inattentive drivers from wandering out of their lane. While similar technology has previously been offered on some automobiles, Octavio Navarro, a Ford spokesman, said in a telephone interview that the Fusion will be the first affordable nonluxury vehicle to offer this type of system.
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By Christoph Walter, dpa

Munich (dpa) – In less than two decades most cars on our roads will be as comfortable as a living room with mummy and the children reclining on the settee while daddy is playing with the remote nearby.

Peter Naumann, a design professor at Munich University, believes it quite possible that the cars in the year 2030 will still have four wheels but that this will just about be the only similarity with the car of today. Read more…

Tokyo (dpa) – Subaru is revealing at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month a hint of its future design philosophy with the Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept, which featres pronounced shoulder lines along the front and rear fenders.

Measuring some 4.58 metres in length and 1.84 metres in width, the station wagon has been given a powerful presence. Read more…

Tokyo (dpa) – The first images of the new Toyota Celica that is expected to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month have been revealed.

The new sports car will be built at a new factory in the Japanese province of Gumma, with Subaru supplying the platform and engine while Toyota has responsibility for the design. The engine has been fine-tuned by Toyota, giving it an output of 200 hp. A turbo version is expected at a later stage with an output of 300 hp. Read more…

Music storage has gone through a transition from cassette to compact disc to MP3 file. While portable MP3 players are great and easy to use, one may come across difficulties when trying to use them in the car. We look at how to overcome the challenges to enjoying MP3 music through your car stereo. It’s also worth checking that your car insurance has a contents allowance, if your MP3 player is left in your vehicle.

The Apple Ipod is arguably the most popular, and certainly the most globally recognized MP3 player brand. While this article may refer to the Ipod, these tips apply equally for any type of MP3 player.

Standard Connectivity in New Cars
MP3 players have been around for years now, so most car makers really should be up to speed. MP3 players are the standard means for portable music, so any self respecting car manufacturer should have some sort of way to connect an MP3 player into a car stereo. Just how easy this is, and how well an MP3 player integrates with a car stereo is the test of car maker’s efforts with sound system advancement.

Full Integration
This is the ultimate. Many new cars now have stereos that are ready to accept MP3 player plug ins, and allow full operability on the part of the driver. Stereo controls on the steering wheel allow the driver to scan through tracks and albums on an MP3 player and select songs. On some systems, the track names will even appear on the car stereo.

Audio Jack
Having just an audio jack on a car stereo is a passable but sub-standard solution. A non integrated solution means that one needs to handle the MP3 player in order to skip tracks and the like. This can be a little dangerous if the driver is doing this and taking his or her eyes off the road. The shuffle option is useful in providing continuous music, but if the driver gets an incoming phone call or other interruption, it’s harder to pause the music quickly and safely.

Cassette Adaptor
If your car has a cassette player, a cassette adapter can be used to link an MP3 player to a car stereo. Again, one can’t operate the MP3 player remotely, and there will be some loss of sound to the adapter’s analogue format, but it’s a pretty cheap solution.

New Stereo
A new stereo is much cheaper than a new car. If you are planning on a new stereo, then it’s worth looking for one that offers remote operation. If you are buying a new car, and music is important to you, take your MP3 player and cords into the car showroom, and see how easy it is to hook up.

MP3 players have revolutionized music. It is now possible to carry literally thousands of songs around with you in your pocket. With many of us spending considerable time in our cars, it’s important to be able to also enjoy music libraries through car stereos. Taking heed of the points above will make this not only possible, but easy. When comparing car insurance quotes, make sure that installed accessories, like MP3 compatible stereos are covered under your insurance.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Lexus intends to conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 39,000 2003-2007 Model Year LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft condition. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this safety recall.

This action follows an announcement made by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan on July 29, 2010.

Lexus has determined that the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.

Lexus is not aware of any accidents related to this condition.

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3,800 Lexus LS sedans were recalled in the U.S. to address a steering system problem. This is a similar recall made by Toyota Japan earlier. The recall covers 2009 and 2010 LS 460 and LS 600h sedans.

The recall is designed to fix a problem in which the steering wheel becomes off-center after a specific driving maneuver. The problem should not occur during normal driving. Lexus dealers will be contacting owners to set up appointments to have the repair performed.

The company has received 12 complaints of the problem in Japan but no accidents caused by the problem were reported either in the U.S. or Japan.

The LS 460 is Lexus’s highest-end four-door sedan, starting at $65,380 in the U.S. The LS 600h is the hybrid version and is priced at $108,800.

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Kia Motors America today rolls out the first all-new special edition for the Soul model line, the 2010 Denim Kia Soul, a unique iteration of the popular urban passenger vehicle that further emphasizes Soul’s cutting edge style and youthful, fun character. Matched with impressive fuel economy and safety features standard on all models, the special-edition Denim Soul provides consumers with even more personalization options.

“Denim Soul incorporates edginess and confidence,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. “It illustrates our commitment to fresh design, even on a vehicle that’s been in the marketplace only a few months, and it’s the first of more special editions to be offered in 2010 for the recently introduced Kia Soul.”

Exclusive to the Denim Soul is a unique denim exterior color, striking white side-view mirrors with matching white 18-inch alloy wheels, front fender turn signal indicator lights, a wing-type rear spoiler and a bold off-set white racing stripe completing the rally-inspired look.

The Denim Soul is based on the Soul+ model and is fully loaded with the Audio Upgrade Package (center speaker, subwoofer, external amplifier and speaker lights that pulse to the beat of the music), an iPod connection cable for full functionality via the radio head unit and steering wheel controls, carpeted floor mats, moonroof and fog lights all included for this special edition.

The special edition Denim Soul starts at $17,300 with a five-speed manual transmission, and $18,250 with an automatic.

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