Karl on Cars
Driving
August 19, 2008
Last Friday's post about "Car Guys versus Posers" brought up some interesting points regarding what does -- and doesn't -- count toward car-guy status. I think everyone has their own opinions on this topic, but I'm willing to put mine into self-test form to help you determine your car-guy credentials.
With this test I'll try to take every aspect of car guy-ness into account (i.e. while I'm not personally into modern motorsports I won't discount that as a viable aspect of being a car guy). And while it would be easy for such a post to degenerate into a series of cathartic chides against said posers, I'll avoid that...for the most part.
And to state the painfully obvious in an overly politically correct world -- yes, you can can have two X chromosomes and still be a "car guy." Also, if you have to use google, wikipedia or any other reference source to answer these questions you're not only a poser, but a cheater.
Test begins after the jump:
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- Karl Brauer August 19, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Talk Back Tuesday
- Technorati Tags:
- Definition of a Car Guy, Talk Back Tuesday
August 18, 2008
It's not every day you can see a Ferrari California Spyder leading a Cadillac V16 in a slow parade onto the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Course, but the image above is just one of many great sights and sounds I experienced over the past three days.
The 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was a celebration of cars from as far back as 1896, though most of the vehicles that caught my eye were from 1960 or newer. However, seeing several examples of the Cadillac V16 gave me a new appreciation for the brand's history. Would love to see GM's permier division produce a 16-cylinder engine for the 21st Century. Various economic and geopolitical issues suggest that's unlikely...
This was my third trip to the Pebble Beach Concours, and the first time I did the early-morning (5:30 a.m.) arrival to see the cars arrive in the morning (versus looking at them already parked on the fairway). Yeah, it's a brutal time to get up, but well worth it to see (and hear) the cars moving under their own power.
Beyond the Pebble Beach show I attended one auction and witnessed the widening chasm between what car sellers want and what car buyers will pay. The market for all but high-end, perfect, no-stories cars has shifted. The sooner the owners of cars not fitting that description face this reality the sooner they can realistically decide if it's time to sell or hold. Right now, they are wasting a lot of time and money putting cars on the block with fantasy-land reserves.
I also attended the Concorso Italiano at its new Marina Airport location. The short version? It was cold and windy and everyone hated it. I don't know where this show will happen next year, but it won't be at the Marina Airport.
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- Karl Brauer August 18, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Auto Shows, Driving
- Technorati Tags:
- Monterey Historics, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
August 8, 2008
I just saw an article in USA Today about how Nissan is going to "help drivers become more fuel efficient behind the wheel."
No, we're not talking variable intake manifolds or cylinder deactivation or even extra transmission gears. This latest fuel-mileage breakthrough comes in the form of an argumentative throttle pedal.
Specifically, the throttle will "press upward when it senses motorists are speeding up to quickly." In other words, if you try to go "too fast" the pedal will resist your efforts by pushing back against your foot.
I'm not sure I can capture all the frightening aspects of this "technology breakthrough" in a single blog, but I'll try.
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- Karl Brauer August 8, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Fuel Efficiency, Nissan
- Technorati Tags:
- Gas Mileage, Throttle Pedal
August 1, 2008
If you visit the NHTSA site, among others, you can find reams of data regarding traffic accidents by city, state and region.
But I'm more interested in the what the statistics don't capture -- driving style and behavior, and how they vary around the country. An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal discussed the concept of different driving (and jaywalking) styles across different parts of the country and planet. The article was introducing a new book called "Traffic" by Tom Vanderbilt.
It got me thinking about the differences I've noticed between the two states I've spent the most driver's seat time in: California and Colorado. I just returned from an L.A.-to-Denver-and-back-again road trip, so the differences are fresh in my mind.
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- Karl Brauer August 1, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Driving
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- Driving Style
July 7, 2008
Guess what? High fuel prices are forcing a change in people's lifestyles. I've broached the subject directly on this blog a couple times over the past few months, but an Edmunds survey, posted between June 20 and June 25 on our homepage, has confirmed it with real statistics from over 1,300 respondents. Among them:
Nearly 50 percent are driving fewer miles or combining errands to reduce fuel consumption, and another 14% are consciously driving the most fuel-efficient car in the household versus their "regular" car. Just over 10% have revised or cancelled their summer vacation plans, while another 5% were working from home and only 4.9% haven't made any lifestyle changes.
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- Karl Brauer July 7, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Fuel Efficiency
- Technorati Tags:
- Fuel Prices
April 25, 2008
I could be a tad biased, but we just posted what I consider a great story called Traffic Ticket Urban Legends. It's located in our Young Driver's Guide, yet this is a solid read for drivers of all ages. As much as I enjoyed seeing the myths I already knew about, it was far more interesting to learn about ones I'd never heard of.
For example, the "fool a breathalyzer with a penny" theory was new to me. And I actually thought it was against the law to drive barefoot -- it's not! It's not even against the law to ride a motorcycle barefoot, except in Alabama (makes you wonder what was going on in Alabama that made state legislators create this law...).
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- Karl Brauer April 25, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Traffic Safety
April 24, 2008
Yesterday's blog post brought up an interesting (but consistent) fact of car ownership. After describing the Smart in less-than-glowing terms several readers concurred with my assessment, but a couple blog posts insisted the car was not deserving of such slings and arrows.
Not surprisingly, these glowing Smart comments came from Smart owners, and another reader noted, "It sounds like people that bought them like them."
I would submit that this statement describes 99.99% of all buyers. Think about this: When was the last time you heard someone (inlcuding yourself) say, "Boy, did I buy a piece of junk. I guess I was just totally wrong, and the car I thought was good is actually quite awful. Now I'm stuck with it -- and don't I fool like an idiot."
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- Karl Brauer April 24, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Driving
April 10, 2008
Inside Line just published an excellent test comparing a Crossover vs. a Minivan vs. an SUV. When you think about it, these vehicles really just represent a history of the family vehicle (though we left the wagon out). When minivans first arrived they were seen as super functional (and super cool) alternatives to the stodgy old station wagon that could carry the family around. Then came the SUV, which was seen as a way to carry the family around while looking like a rugged outdoorsman. Then came the crossover, which was seen as a way to carry the family around while looking like a rugged outdoorsman without having the ride/handling characteristics that felt like a rugged outdoorsman's vehicle.
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- Karl Brauer April 10, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, GMC, Honda, Toyota
March 20, 2008
We just posted a fabulous story on gas saving tips. With prices inching ever higher it seemd like the perfect time to re-run the old "A/C versus non-A/C" test. Or how about the "tailgate up versus tailgate down" rumor we've all heard regarding fuel mileage?
Three of our staffers (one a former automotive engineer) ran a Lexus ES 350, Buick Enclave and Toyota Tundra along a 60-mile stretch of California's Interstate 5 in the Central Valley. This region bares a strong resemblance to Kansas -- flat and straight (with miminal scenery), meaning small changes to driving conditions can yield small (or big) changes in fuel economy -- without other factors playing a role.
Does having empty roof rails on an SUV effect mileage versus removing them completely? The answer is "yes" but leaving them up there only cost us 1 percent in fuel mileage. But strap a few pieces of luggage down on those rails and guess what happens? In our testing program gas mileage dropped 21 percent! And you thought traveling light was only smart at airports.
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- Karl Brauer March 20, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Fuel Efficiency
February 21, 2008
I worked with the folks over at Parents Magazine to pick the Top Family Cars of 2008. The magazine just hit newsstands, but if you want to save trees you can read the article at the publication's Web site.
We focused on the items you would expect to find in a solid family vehicle, including strong safety scores, family friendly features and adequate interior space for child-related detritus (car seats, sippy cups, Hanna Montana backpacks). The usual suspects are all here, including the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Highlander and Dodge Grand Caravan. But we also picked winners in the sedan category (Fusion, Malibu), the small car category (Civic) and the value category (Kia Rondo).
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- Karl Brauer February 21, 2008, 7:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Road Trips, Safety Systems
January 17, 2008
So I'm driving our Long-Term 1984 Ferrari 308 home on PCH, and I'm again amazed by the disparity I see between cars and homes on this stretch of American road. While you can pick up a mid-1980s Ferrari like ours for around $30,000, the cars I see on my commute range from $100,000 Porsche 911s to $200,000 Bentley Continentals to $300,000 Lamborghini Murcielagos.
But here's the tricky part: I've seen all of these cars and more parked outside crappy little beach houses that must be at least 30 years old and can't offer more than 1,400 square feet of interior space. I'm sure plenty of people consider a beach house (or bungalow...or shack) and a sweet ride like a 911 Carrera C4S the definition of "pefect life." If that's your dream, and you attain it, more power to you.
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- Karl Brauer January 17, 2008, 7:00 AM
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- Driving
January 16, 2008
There's driver distraction, and then there's driver distration. On one of my final cab rides in Detroit I saw this practice raised to a true art form.
My driver had a video screen mounted in the center-stack area (right below the radio/climate controls). When I sat down in the rear seat an episode of LOST was paused on this screen, but he hit the "PLAY" button as soon as we drove off. That's not all -- at every stoplight on Woodward Avenue the driver would flip on the dome light and read from a newspaper (ironically, he did not pause LOST during these reading sessions).
Of course he wasn't completely wreckless. Whenever the light turned green he dutifully put the paper down, turned off the dome light and began watching LOST again (with a litle focus left over for that whole driving thing).
I knew nobody would believe me, so I snapped the above photo, which is not posed or staged in any way, I assure you. We were simply waiting at a red light on northbound Woodward when I took this shot.
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- Karl Brauer January 16, 2008, 7:00 AM
- Categories:
- Auto Shows, Driving
December 18, 2007
I don't know if any of you saw the recent L.A. Times story about vehicle trailers and the deaths/injuries associated with them, but it's a rather heart-wrenching report. Basically, the number of trailers on the road has increased by 50 percent in the past 15 years, as has the rate of carnage from trailer "accidents." I use the quotes because most of these accidents are the result of clueless drivers and/or negligent towing practices.
This gets to the heart of one of my major beliefs. See, as a certified freedom lover I hate the idea of restricting people's actions. But as a lover of logic, I realize you can't let everyone do whatever they want whenever they want to. The solution? Training-training-training.
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- Karl Brauer December 18, 2007, 7:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Talk Back Tuesday, Traffic Safety
October 2, 2007
I recently blogged about the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8. Overall I liked the car, but some readers commented that they couldn't understand how Jeep could offer such a clearly high-performance vehicle without a manual transmission (even as an option). Jeep is hardly alone in their lack of manual appreciation. The latest BMW M5 and M6 models weren't available with a traditional manual transmission, at least not initially. There's no manual in Audi's S8, Porsche's Cayenne Turbo, or any version of the Mercedes-Benz SL (a model whose name comes from the term sports light).
Then there are the models that a technically available with a traditional manual transmission, but good luck finding one at your local dealer or in the classifieds. These would include such paragons of performance as the Aston-Martin V8 Vantage, Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo. Even Mitsubishi's orignal bad boy rally racer, the Lancer Evolution, will be available with only two pedals this year. And who wants to bet how the majority of them will be equipped for the U.S. market? Here's a hint: Remember when the Porsche faithful bemoaned the availability of an automatic in their beloved 911 Turbo? They wondered who would actually buy a car like that with a slushbox shifter between the seats? The answer turned out to be the majority of Turbo buyers.
What does all this mean for the long-term health of the manual transmission? Is it destined for the same fate as the hand-crank starter, points ignition and carburetor? And with the development of electro-hydaulic clutches is the death of the manual transmission even worth worrying about? As usual, I have the answer to all these questions and more.
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- Karl Brauer October 2, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Talk Back Tuesday
September 7, 2007
Well, it would appear there's some passion when it comes to the definition of "fun-to-drive." First I must say I'm glad to see this, for if nothing else it proves people are at least still thinking about the concept of fun-to-drive (the Toyota-ization of so many modern cars had me thinking it was a dying topic of concern).
Ironically (or maybe appropriately) I happen to be driving my Ford GT yesterday (versus a random test car) and as many of you can probably guess I consider the GT one of the most fun-to-drive vehicles I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. After reading through all the comments yesterday I drove it home and was more congnizant of FTD than I've been in a long time. But I can appreciate the fact that most folks haven't experienced a GT, and I would emphasize that it certainly doesn't take $150,000 to experience FTD.
Rather than argue which cars are or are not fun-to-drive, I'll describe the various components that, in my opinion, define it.
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- Karl Brauer September 7, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Ford
September 6, 2007
I have a scary proclamation to make, but that's never stopped me before:
Cars are losing their "fun-to-drive" factor.
There -- I said it, and I feel better. Actually I feel better in having finally faced an undeniable fact, but worse that this is a fact of today's automotive reality. Yet after recent stints in the latest Dodge Viper and BMW 5 Series (to name just two) I can't deny the trend.
Sure, the Viper is still quick, loud, brash and bold -- but it ISN'T more fun to drive than before. In fact it's less. The steering response is too slow, the shift action is too clunky (yes, even for a "raw, manly car" like the Viper), and the driving position is not only uncomfortable but uncooperative when driving fast, which is supposedly the whole point of the car. And while the 5 Series is still luxurious, refined and stable around corners, it's also less entertaining on a twisty road than it used to be (I blame active steering primarily).
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- Karl Brauer September 6, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- BMW, Cadillac, Dodge, Driving, Porsche, Toyota
September 5, 2007
I'd like to be able to say "There's a great article in this Sunday's L.A. Times" but all I can honestly say is, "The L.A. Times is only about five years late on this one." Waaay back in March of 2002 I wrote an editorial titled "(Wasteful) Actions Speak Louder than (Environmental) Words." I wrote this article after seeing scores of Hollywoodies in West L.A. driving highly fuel ineffecient vehicles like Lincoln Navigators (Jennifer Lopez), Land Rover Range Rovers (Dustin Hoffman) and gray market G-Wagons (Arnold Schwarzenegger, before he was governor and before the G-class was being imported by Mercedes-Benz).
Now the L.A. Times is uncovering the shocking fact that (gasp!) some Hollywoodies aren't really as environmentally conscious as they claim to be!!!! Actually, the article basically admits that these folks have never been truly concerned over their wasteful lifestyle, but now society at large is finally calling them on it. (Sigh) Once again, I'm five years ahead of society.
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- Karl Brauer September 5, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Fuel Efficiency, Hybrid Vehicles
August 24, 2007
I wrote about the concept of crushing older cars to reduce vehicle emissions waaaaay back in the summer of 2001. This subject comes up every few years when the latest batch of legislators is looking to put an environmental feather in their cap. As I stated in my original editorial column, crushing older vehicles not only doesn't reduce emissions, it often raises them. Beyond the editorial I linked to above, here's another interesting take on the subject.
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- Karl Brauer August 24, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Fuel Efficiency, Muscle Car
August 9, 2007
Well, she wasn't really Jennifer Aniston, but if she wanted to cause havoc by visiting local L.A. starlet clubs she easily could. Yet it wasn't a government employee resembling a mega-star that freaked me out when I started the process of fighting my latest speeding ticket yesterday. What surprised me was that she was sincerely pleasant and helpful in the process (I can handle attractive government employees, but nice ones???)
This is on top of the unexpected news that Ventura County actually has a "Help Center" for its citizens. While no official legal advice is offered (obviously) the help center has resources like a "Fight Your Ticket and Win in California" book and computers where you can type up your motions for discovery to get all the notes the officer wrote down regarding your traffic stop. "Jennifer" went so far as to help me type up all the necessary forms...
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- Karl Brauer August 9, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Traffic Safety
August 6, 2007
For all the concerns people spout regarding our supply of gas I find myself far more concerned about our supply of gas stations. I spent the last few days in Newport Beach attending the Ford GT Owner's Rally, and the single most disturbing aspect of the rally was the near absence of gas stations in that area. At one point, as I droned up and down Jamboree Road near the El Toro air base with the gas needle edging ever close to "E", I realized I'd covered at least five miles in my search for fuel without a single pump sighting.
And it wasn't like I was driving through rural Montana or the Mojave Desert -- I was in the middle of Orange County! It was truly surreal. I mean, there were cars driving all around me. And, unless I'd somehow slept through the extinction of the internal combustion engine and the birth of a fuel cell world, I knew these other cars were burning gasoline, and that gasoline had to come from somewhere.
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- Karl Brauer August 6, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Fuel Efficiency
July 24, 2007
There are those folks out there, cynical types mostly, who think the system doesn't work. They feel like the government and the police have gone too far in the direction of "revenue generation" and lost sight of other, basic goals -- like public safety and prosecuting real criminals.
Well these people obviously weren't in Malibu this past Sunday, where a battery of police vehicles (cars, motorcycles and even a big RV with "CHP" painted on the side) were stopping every car and motorcyclist on Mulholland just west of The Rock Store. Yes, every motorist that passed -- at least until their ability to process folks was maxxed out, then they'd let a few vehicles slip by until the next slot in their mobile prosecution center opened up. Your speed didn't matter, nor the operating condition of your bike or car (though they were gunning people as they came up the hill, so if they could get you for speed they would).
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- Karl Brauer July 24, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Motorcycles, Talk Back Tuesday, Traffic Safety
July 18, 2007
...arrived right on time last week. Though maybe I should have titled this post "My Latest 'USE YOUR RADAR DETECTOR!' reminder."
I'd gotten lazy about mounting and plugging in the Valentine One ever since the CHP blanketed PCH with all those "Your Speed" digital signs that use radar to display your rate of travel. Of course they set off the Valentine One with a constant "BRAAAAAAAP!" tone as I drive by each unit, even the ones pointing the other direction (and there are literally, like, eight of them between Santa Monica and the Ventura Country line). Yeah, I can hit the "mute" botton on my radar detector 16 times a day, but it's not the most enjoyable way to spend my 100-mile, round-trip commute.
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- Karl Brauer July 18, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, MINI, Traffic Safety
July 5, 2007
What started out as a "let's see if the Triumph is still running right" ride, one I expected would last 20-30 minutes, turned into a full-fledged two-wheeI outing, with a stop at the Rock Store and a ride along PCH (traffic was snarled due to holiday beachgoers -- thank god for lane-splitting).
The Rock Store was rockin', with plenty of other Independence Day riders enjoying the slightly toasty (for L.A.) temperatures. I rode beween 9:30 and 11:30, avoiding the worst heat of the day. The Triumph Hurricane was basically running the best it ever has. This was a most welcome change, as it's been experiencing intermittant reliability (to say the least) over the past 12 months. But the 65 miles I put on yesterday were near perfect bliss. Still a tad twitchy on throttle response when you first roll into it, I suspect a slightly-too-advanced timing setting. But that's nit picking (especially for a 35-year-old British bike). It was fast, it made those magical-mystical British triple noises, and it elicited several thumbs up from other motorcyclists -- and even from a few four-wheeled folks. Best of all, it got unprecedented fuel mileage, a sure sign of a proper tune.
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- Karl Brauer July 5, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Motorcycles
June 22, 2007
"Manual windows and no audio system?! What is Mitsubishi thinking?"
An easy question to ask, and even easier to answer. The Evolution RS is simply the best performance bargain on the planet. For less than $30,000 you get a vehicle that can chase down (and likely beat, considering the typical owner profile) Lamborghini Gallardos and...well, sure I'll say it...Ford GTs (note I said typical owner profile). This car screams, even with "only" 286 horsepower (remember, it weighs just over 3,000 lbs). The last one we tested, which was actually the heavier, more "luxurious" version, ran to 60 in under five seconds and slithered through the slalom at over 70 mph. Those are supercar numbers for $28,000.
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- Karl Brauer June 22, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Mitsubishi
June 18, 2007
Go ahead and get all the Magnum P.I./Christy Brinkley/Vacation jokes out of your system. When you're done, consider the following: Every enthusiast worth his weight in burned rubber has asked the same question while browsing the car ads: "Wow, you can now buy a 1980s era Ferrari for about the cost of the average new car. Obviously it's going to be a different experience, but what do you get when you drop approximately $28,000 for a Ferrari instead of a well-equipped Camry?"
Well, purely in the name of serving you, the loyal reader, we've decided to find out. We just purchased a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole. It's a one-owner car with 46,000 miles on it, and we paid exactly $28,000. The car is red with a tan interior (just like the Magnum/Vacation models), and it's in surprisingly good shape. There are some scratches on the exterior and the interior shows definite patina, but we've already put on several hundred trouble-free miles. Well, they haven't been totally trouble free. The turn signals stopped working at one point, but yours truly dinked around with the hazard switch (after another editor confirmed the fuse was fine) and got them going again.
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- Karl Brauer June 18, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Ferrari
May 25, 2007
It's the start of Memorial Day Weekend, and you know what that means. Uh-huh, too many scary drunk drivers taking people out with there 2-plus ton lethal weapons. Normally I avoid the "Don't Drink and Drive!" rant because, well, who among us hasn't already heard it? Of course, I ask myself that question and then I listen to the news reports every Monday night at the end of this weekend and am surprised to find that, apparently, some people haven't heard it. Or else they have but think the chemical reactions between alcohol and their blood/brain are somehow different from the rest of the human race.
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- Karl Brauer May 25, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Safety Systems, Traffic Safety
May 9, 2007
I just got back from an 800-mile drive in our long-term Sedona. You can read the details on our long-term blog, but the short version is that this minivan is yet another example of how Kia is stealing sales from long-time players. The van may not be the best in the category, but it's not far off the leaders, and (as usual with Kia) the price makes it quite the value proposition.
We're having a chat tonight with Len Hunt, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors of America...
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- Karl Brauer May 9, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving, Kia
May 2, 2007
I don't get migraines very often. In fact, I'm so unfamiliar with the term I had to look up the spelling on dictionary.com. But over the past few years I've noticed a strange phenomenon (yes, I had to look up that word too). It seems like whenever I drive through the Orange Curtain I get a headache. I'm not kidding, or even trying to make fun of the most-made-fun-of county in the U.S. I'm simply admitting that something about driving through the O.C. consistently makes my head hurt. I was just down there yesterday attending a conference in Newport Beach (where I finally met Jalopnik's Ray Wert in person). The conference went well and I was able to speak on the topic of Web 2.0/User-Generated Content/Blogs (don't worry, I told the crowd that user-generated content is going to be a fad, just like the Internet.) Since migraines have been traced to brain damage and strokes I'm somewhat interested in figuring out the cause here. I've narrowed the possibilities down to three choices:
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- Karl Brauer May 2, 2007, 6:00 AM
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- Driving
February 26, 2007
It's amazing how a good drive to a great car show can brighten a potentially dreary weekend. I planned to attend this show last weekend, but my car was too dirty and I instead spent last Sunday morning detailing the Ford GT for several hours. I really needed a distraction this weekend, and the self-named Supercar Sunday provided it. It was only my third trip to this West Valley show, but there were hundreds of beautiful (and rare) automobiles. Of course there's no entry fee and anyone with wheels (two, three or four) is welcome to show up between 7 and 11 a.m. (get there early if you want a good space).
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- Karl Brauer February 26, 2007, 6:56 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini
February 22, 2007
On a day when most of California's politicians are debating how much money should be spent addressing L.A.'s traffic problems an interesting article in the Financial Times suggests a promising (yet troubling) solution. If you saw the 2004 movie I Robot you've already seen this solution in action. It involves a complex technology system called Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) which, essentially, allows vehicles to drive themselves. We've seen elements of this system in everything from OnStar (GPS tracking) to Mercedes-Benz (adaptive cruise control) to Infiniti (lane departure warning). But the idea here is to standardize a wireless communication system that every car company utilizes. With such a system in place every vehicle could "see" every other vehicle, plus intersections, traffic signs and even the specific curve of the road. With the system fully in place you could just get in your car, select your destination, and go to sleep behind the wheel (insert your own joke about people already doing this here).
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- Karl Brauer February 22, 2007, 7:07 AM
- Categories:
- Car Audio and Technology, Driving, Future Vehicles, Safety Systems
February 5, 2007
A complaint about L.A. Traffic is as original as a new C.S.I. show ("Coming this fall -- C.S.I. Jackson's Hole!"). Yet I still have to raise an aspect of L.A. driving that hasn't received enough attention. It's not how bad the traffic is, it's how readily L.A. residents embrace it. I compare it to the frog-in-a-pot scenario that says a frog will immediately jump out of a boling pot of water when he's thrown in. However, if you put him in luke warm water and slowly heat the pot, he'll sit there right up until it's frog stew time because of the slow degeneration of his situation.
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- Karl Brauer February 5, 2007, 7:09 AM
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- Driving
January 22, 2007
The good news I got to drive the Saturn Sky Red Line last week. The bad news is I drove it on the one day every decade or so when it snows in Los Angeles. I watched the outside temperature display go from 75 degrees as I pulled out of the underground parking lot to 35 degrees by the time I hit Mulholland. And with varying patches of dry and damp pavement (and the "Ice" warning flashing in the that same temperature display) I couldn't give it quite the workout I planned on. Yes, I was bummed, and no, I can't remember the last time I had icy roads stop me from effectively road testing a vehicle in Los Angeles. At least I didn't have to use Kanaan Road, a few miles west of my driving loop; there were plows over there clearing the packed snow...
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- Karl Brauer January 22, 2007, 7:54 AM
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- Driving, Saturn
