Official 2007 Chicago Auto Show Thread

Yeah, they are pretty brutal. I can't figure the fascination about them.
 
Just some small changes.

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Those scions are possibly the ugliest cars toyota has yet to produce.. Did anyone else notice the phallic shifter in the xA replacement?
 
seanmcsean said:
Those scions are possibly the ugliest cars toyota has yet to produce.. Did anyone else notice the phallic shifter in the xA replacement?

I would't feel right shifting with that thing.
 
Continental auto safety - Active Passive Integration

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Modern cars are incorporating a variety of safety systems designed to help drivers avoid accidents and then, if an accident is unavoidable, to minimize the risk of injury. Until now, most of these have operated largely independently of each other, but Continental Automotive Systems (and its competitors) is trying to change that. At the Chicago Auto Show, Conti had a BMW 3-series equipped with its experimental Active Passive Integration Approach (APIA). APIA ties together the various safety systems to try and achieve a result greater than the sum of the parts.

Continental combined the radar inputs from the adaptive cruise control system and added a laser speed detector, the hydraulic control unit for the stability control, and then tied it all together with the air bag, seat belt tensioning, seat controls and window controls. The system detects the speed of the vehicle ahead and determines how fast you're closing in. The system has various stages of operation depending on how quickly you approach the vehicle in front of you. There's more about how the system works after the jump along with a video from Continental.

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When the system detects that you're closing on the vehicle ahead too quickly, it initially provides feedback through the accelerator pedal by pushing back against the drivers foot. it also lightly pretensions the seatbelt. As the vehicle continues to close, the stability control hydraulics prefill the brake calipers with fluid, bringing the pads in closer to the brake rotor for quicker emergency response. It also closes the windows and sunroof to prevent passengers from being ejected. Next, the seat cushion is tilted up to prevent the front passengers from submarining under the seatbelts and the belts are tightened further. The airbag system is also prepared for deployment. Finally, the brake assist system engages to help apply the brakes more aggressively and slow the vehicle, and seat belts are pulled tight to minimize any injuries. Altogether, APIA uses every available safety system to maximize its overall effectiveness. Many mid to high-end vehicles already have almost all the necessary subsystems in place to provide this and it will mainly take some more control software to implement the solution.

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Laser speed detector behind the mirror to detect closing speed

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Radar sensor under the bumper to detect distance.

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Upfront proximity sensor
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Good Grief! Do they have a sensor that alerts me to a senior citizen backing up on the highway cuz they missed their exit?
 
Chicago Auto Show: 2008 VW GTI Cup

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Upping its sporting quotient, VW announced that it will sponsor a GTI Cup racing series in North America in 2008. And it announced that its sporty R32 model, of which only 5,000 will be produced, will be allocated through an order reservation process.
The Cup Series, which will be sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, will use stock GTI models with their 200-bhp 2.0-liter turbocharged fours mated to dual shift gate manuals that feature clutchless sequential shifting. Meanwhile, reservations for orders of the 250-bhp R32 will be taken through a proprietary website that current GTI and R32 owners will be given access to. The first 850 prospects who obtain certificates through the site will be allowed to place deposits on the R32 with authorized VW dealers. Deliveries of the R32 are expected to begin in August.
 
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