Car Tech

Yesterday we brought you the first details about a new initiative taking place in Germany where a number of firms, including major automakers, are working to develop a common standard for future car-to-car and car-to-object communication technology. Called “Safe Intelligent Mobility -...

Spies have captured the 2013 MINI Paceman, MINI's new compact Countryman-style coupe, testing at the Nordschleife. Ford is moving forward with its car-to-car communications systems, with a new test regimen underway in Germany. Audi's R8 e-tron set a Nürburgring lap record not long ago, and now...

In the future your car will be able to warn you of an impending crash, or perhaps even take action itself to avoid one, by ‘knowing’ well ahead that another car has suddenly stopped in a queue of traffic, is about to cross paths with you at a busy intersection, or is even approaching...

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems combine adaptive cruise control with full automatic braking to avoid frontal collisions, even without driver input. Still in their infancy, such systems are currently available on just 20 percent of the cars sold in Europe. New regulations may be coming to...

The 2013 Cadillac ATS and XTS will get some advanced radar-based safety technology, but first, the company had to weed out bad data.

Toyota competed in its first 24 Hours of Le Mans race in more than a decade earlier this year, using its new TS030 hybrid prototype developed primarily by the automaker’s independently run racing division Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) based in Cologne, Germany. After such a long break from Le...

Another month, another selection of automotive wonderment just begging to be downloaded by Forza Motorsport 4 racing gamers. The August Playseat car pack arrives on August 7, containing the usual mix of classics, rally cars, modern coupes and race cars. You can watch the trailer above to see some...

When it comes to customers demanding the latest in high-tech infotainment systems, Buick probably has more leeway than many luxury automakers. While its demographic is changing, the average Buick shopper is still concerned more with ride comfort than with streaming music via Pandora. That’s...

We have fresh new spy shots of the 2013 Porsche Cayman, and it looks to be following in the footsteps of its handsome soft-top brother. The Lamborghini Aventador may be getting some new fuel-saving measures, including cylinder deactivation and stop-start technology. And the Hungarian GP was the...

There’s a clear trend towards simplification in automotive control design, even as telematics and infotainment systems get more complex. Cadillac’s CUE system, debuting in the ATS and XTS sedans, operates much like a tablet computer and is even capable of recognizing hand gestures...

Several automakers have introduced advanced technology in their cars that can read the road ahead and anticipate whether a vehicle in front is slowing down or a pedestrian or cyclist is nearby. Most of these systems rely on cameras or radar systems monitoring the road ahead, though these can be...

Designing an F1 car might seem, in some respects, kind of simple: read the rule book, build to fit, bam!, race car. Of course, there's the picky bit about setup, tuning, power, and aerodynamics, but the core of the car--the things that make it all work together--should be pretty straightforward...

Calling it the Beltbag, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to introduce inflatable rear seatbelt airbags on a yet-to-be-named “luxury-class model,” likely the new S Class sedan. The inflatable belts have been shown to reduce the potential for rear-seat passenger injuries in frontal...

While we here at High Gear Media generally adhere to a strict “no mime videos” policy, on occasion we’re forced to make an exception to this rule. Such is the case with a new series of videos from Subaru that focus on explaining the automaker’s core technologies. As any...

These days, it seems like there’s an app for the iPhone and iPad that will let you accomplish just about anything. Need to find the best twisty road near your current location? Just launch BMW’s Ultimate Drive app. Want to check prices on premium gas two exits up the road? You can do...

For decades, suspension tuning was a matter of compromise. The components and settings that delivered the best ride quality also returned sloppy handling as cornering forces got higher. Conversely, the setup that delivered the best handling usually delivered a harsh ride on all but glass-smooth...

It’s no secret that, aside from high-dollar collector models, cars are a depreciating asset. Worse, you’re paying for your car even when you’re not using it, which is why peer-to-peer car sharing services like RelayRides are growing in popularity. The concept behind RelayRides is...

One of the strongest arguments for the introduction of autonomous cars is the increased safety brought about by eliminating the possibility of human error, believed to be the main cause of crashes. So far the increased safety factor with autonomous cars has generally been assumed but now a leading...

BMW’s defines its ConnectedDrive as “the innovative connection between you, your BMW and the rest of the world.” That’s a more poetic way of saying that ConnectedDrive blends apps, navigation, smartphone integration, infotainment and telematics to create an improved driving...

We've all done it. You buy a new driving game, then win a few races, drive a few of the cars on a few of the circuits, and play around with a few settings. Then, you pick a car, pick a track and spend an entire race crashing into other cars, walls and anything else you can find to revel in the...