I say no, but that’s just me. What do I know, I just spent 10 days driving 3,200 miles in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. But I’m not hyper-miller Wayne Gerdes or NASCAR driver Carl Edwards who are about to attempt this feat by spending 43 continues hours driving the hybrid a 1,000 miles. Ford states that the car will need to average 57 mpg to achieve the goal, which I guess is possible even though I never saw that type of mileage. → Read More
I dropped by the NY Auto Show yesterday and checked out this active park assist thing from Ford. I was a little skeptical about a self-parallel parking car, but it is 2009 and I’m pretty sure we were supposed to have flying cars by now. Check out the demo I got in the Lincoln MKS. → Read More
Can the Web save the Big 3 automobile companies? Probably not, but making Web-friendly vehicles could help to sell a few more cars. Tech companies have increasingly been showcasing web applications for automobiles. Microsoft was working with Hyundai on making an in-car computing system and OnStar may be incorporating Twitter into its vehicle systems. Now Ford will be allowing owners of the Ford F-150, Super Duty, E-Series and Transit Connect trucks and vans to access the web from their vehicles through the Opera mobile browser. Opera will be the featured browser on Ford’s first broadband-capable, in-dash computer.
Ford is purposely installing these computers in trucks and vans to appeal to contractors, farmers, and construction workers to turn these cars into “mobile offices.” Truck owners will be able to use the in-dash browser to access sales information, contact databases, job-site plans, inventory lists, calendars, e-mail, or even the weather. → Read More
Ford speak for the Fusion’s new display cluster is SmartGauge Cluster with EcoGuide; I call it the coolest thing about the car. Two LCD displays flank either side of the speedometer and display vast amounts of info. Thankfully though, Ford leaves it up to the driver with four different settings on just how much info it displays. These two screens signal a departure from the standard dial-type clusters and I for one welcome the innovation. These dynamic screens can display a wider range of information than their static counterparts and can be customized for individual drivers. Just one question: when are we going to see this on more vehicles?
Oh, and those little leaves off on the right? They are clever reminders how much you are helping save the planet when driving this car; more leaves means your driving smart and achieving better fuel economy. The video after the break shows the cluster in action. → Read More
A wee bit ago I took a spin in the Ford Flex here in NYC. While it’s not a geek’s dream, it does have a few high tech goodies that kept my interest. That’s what we’re going to focus on with these Test Drive features going forward since we’re not an auto blog. → Read More
This ain’t your daddy’s Lincoln Town Car. In fact, it’s completely different than anything you’ve ever seen before. With balls to the wall power and a teeth shattering sound system, the MKS from Lincoln is a whole other beast. And I like it.
Like our other Test Drive features, I won’t get into the gearheadesque details of reviewing a car, but, rather, focus on the technological side of it. I will start with a few notes about how fast it is, though. → Read More
Ford and Microsoft has been hard at work upgrading their lovechild named Sync 3.0. The latest version upgrades simply adds more features but maintains the easy-to-use voice-activated system. Simply press the button on the steering wheel and say one of the pre-recorded commands. That’s it. Simple and easy. Exciting video demo after the break. → Read More
After a quick breathalyzer test at 11:30 am, we were granted access for a spin in Ford’s upcoming escape. Overall, we came away impressed with the drive but curious about the plug-in’s price will be set at for the 2012 model year. Will it be higher than the seemingly inferior Chevy Volt? Ford’s being tight lipped ’bout it probably while it surveys the every-increasing plug-in market. After driving it around the basement of the Cobo Arena, we can tell you that it’s a hell of a ride. Smooth and super-duper quiet. Well done, Ford. Well done. Video after the break. → Read More
Show of hands: who remembers WebTV? It was a great idea that was ahead of its time. Today, though, it seems like every product under the sun is Internet-connected, whether there’s demonstrable benefit or not. Sure, there’s an in-dash computer in a Ford F150 pickup allows service techs to browse the web. Is that a good idea?
Tech companies are struggling with the question of whether it’s gadgets or services that consumers want. As the New York Times observes, “If the most exciting thing about your phone or truck or TV is the Web sites you go to and the software applications you download, then the device itself is less important.” → Read More
Info ’bout Ford’s Active Park Assist parallel parking wizardry recently broke cover and now the Blue Oval released a video demo of the system. It seems to work well in the company-made video but excuse me while I hold judgement until a real hands on emerges. Video after the break. → Read More
Parallel parking is the bane of many student drivers but is an important skill to master. Ford, however, is set to take away all the fun and automate the process in upcoming Lincoln models. The system, dubbed Active Park Assist in Ford speak, seems to create the same result as Lexus’s system but ditches cameras in favor of ultrasonic sensors. → Read More
Considering the very nature of vehicular transport is changing, it stands to reason that the all-important cluster of gauges and warning lights ought to change as well. And nothing’s more versatile than an LCD screen. In Ford’s new 2010 hybrids, instead of mechanical gauges and such, you’ll be able to choose your own electronically displayed readouts, and I imagine customize how they look somewhat as well. You can battery charge, GPS and Satellite radio coverage, perhaps even current mp3 track information — this in addition to the usual MPH and RPM indicators, of course. I believe that’s what they call “fancy,” sir. I still don’t trust these things, although I should say that in my car the supposedly trusty mechanical speedometer doesn’t turn on for about five minutes, then with a “ding!” the needle jumps up to like 15 over the limit. I’m hoping Ford has put enough effort into these things that they’re as reliable as the old-school ones have been for almost a century. And I’m also hoping they’ll drop the terminally corny “efficiency leaves” thing. More pictures and a demo video (that I can’t rip off, damn their eyes) over at Jalopnik. → Read More
Please see Microsoft’s Surface. via TC → Read More
Honda will be leasing a limited number of its FCX Clarity sedans in California this upcoming summer. The cars use hydrogen fuel cells that’ll be topped off via a "home fueling station that uses a home’s existing natural gas supply to produce hydrogen." → Read More
Best graphic ever? Microsoft this week received a patent that could have a profound effect on the car audio landscape. The newly minted patent covers a portable audio device that can be docked and/or integrated into a car stereo. The union would allow the devices to transfer media and data back-and-forth. The guts of the patent boil down to this key point: → Read More
If you prefer a trip to the local arcade over playing video games at home, take a seat on Ford’s new twin-unit arcade racing machine. The $19,000 arcade machine features Ford Racing: Full Blown, which includes cars like the 68′ Mustang GT and the SVT Cobra. The arcade machine also gives you force feedback steering wheels, driving pedals, racing chairs and 12 tracks. The arcade game even updates itself at preset date with 8 new cars and 12 new tracks. Though the Ford Racing arcade machine comes with a few good features, there’s nothing that justifies that $19k price tag. I’d expect something more along the lines of the Daytona Racing arcade machine, which features 8 connected cabinets and racing seats that vibrate and move. Unless you’ve got money spraying out of your pockets, I think you’ll be more than OK with Xbox 360′s force feedback steering wheel and a copy of Burnout Revenge. Ford Racing: 1, 2, 3, Bankruptcy [uncrate] → Read More
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