Car Tech

The V-6 engine is a great thing. Many carmakers, notably Volkswagen and Nissan, have used them to great effect in various implementations. But BMW has a history of inline sixes, not Vs. That may be about to change if the latest patent drawings and reports hold up. As dug up by Bimmerpost, the...

The last few years have seen a step-up in in-car telematics, with more connected systems than ever now available to drivers and their passengers. Kia is currently developing its next generation of telematics, to expand on the first-gen UVO system found in its current 2012 range of cars. The new...

The breathalyzer -- technically a brand name that, like Jello, Xerox, and Dumpster has gradually become genericized -- was invented in the early 20th century for police purposes. But scientists have recently discovered a new use for the device, one that could eliminate the need for costly medical...

In an age known for its electric vehicles, hybrid drivetrains, clean diesels and alternative fuels, you might not think there's a place in the world for a pushrod V8 with architecture dating back to the 1950s. GM disagrees though, and is currently making a case for continuing the lineage of one of...

We all like to think that our cars have been developed using technology bred on the race track. It adds a sense of kudos and the impression of thoroughbred engineering to even the most mundane of vehicles. Ironic then, that with the push towards electric vehicles as road transport, the world of...

Even if you're not a "digital native" or "millenial," born and bred on digital technology, you can surely appreciate the high-tech, socially-integrated infotainment system in the new Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class, previewed in this official video. While it's largely still just a proof of concept...

The demise of the horsepower wars, predicted for years now, still hasn't come, but a new rival is rapidly gaining ground: the transmission wars. Once it was dual clutch proliferation, but now Porsche looks to be taking it in a different direction for its new ‘991’ series 2012 Porsche...

Ever wanted to lead a car company? Ever looked at rows upon rows of sedans in a parking lot and said to yourself, "If I were in charge, I'd do things differently!"? A new videogame called Automation is about to let you put your virtual money where your real-world mouth is. On the pre-order website...

Volkswagen will soon become the first major manufacturer to launch cylinder deactivation in a four-cylinder production engine.

Cylinder deactivation has been with us for several years in big V8 engines. Both GM and Chrysler have used it and Audi now offers it on its S range. Rather firing on all cylinders during steady freeway driving, the units use cylinder deactivation to save fuel when the power demand is low, shutting...

Sometimes the pace of development in the automotive segment has echos of Moore's Law, the trend for power in the computing world to double every two years. No sooner have manufacturers such as Audi started ditching halogen and HID lighting for intelligent and ultra-bright LED light clusters in some...

Having already announced the introduction of full LED headlights in its new 6-Series range, BMW is moving onto the next wave of advanced lighting technology for cars: lasers. BMW engineers are currently working on the introduction of laser light in car headlights, with the aim to improve safety as...

For everyone who has ever uttered the words, "I bet I could beat that guy" when watching motor racing on television, getting a chance to actually go head to head with a Formula 1 driver could be your opportunity to prove it. European gamers will do just that on September 5, when Gran Turismo 5 fans...

We love self-driving cars here at All Car Tech. It's not that we don't like driving ourselves as there's nothing better than having the open road to yourself, but even in the comfiest of cars some traffic conditions make us wish we could simply teleport place to place. In the absence of Star Trek...

The Great Recession forced many people to rein in household spending. Among the easiest cutbacks to make? Subscriptions to cable channels, magazines, and other infotainment services. Now that the economy is on the mend (this week, anyway), many of those services are working overtime to woo former...

Stopping is inefficient. When a vehicle comes to a complete stop, it wastes energy, frittering away gas while idling, and consuming even more to get moving again. This is in part why we're seeing stop-start technology become commonplace in today's greener vehicles. But what if drivers didn't have...

Google Street View -- like its big sisters, Google Maps and Google Earth -- is a great service that has changed the way we view the world, but it's taken a lot of heat, too, especially from privacy advocates. Now, Street View cars are making their first forays into Israel, but they'll be rolling...

Occasionally, the All Car Tech team gets pangs of nostalgia for times gone by, and we often yearn for the days of 1980s excess, when braces were red and Porsches were white with whale-tail spoilers. Inevitably, the subject of video games will pop up. We love a good racing game here, and the...

Late last week, Garmin rolled out a teaser campaign for something to be unveiled on August 24th. Assuming that Garmin is a forward-thinking manufacturer of high-tech gadgets, we imagined that the company might roll out an Android app (finally) or perhaps a telematics service to compete with OnStar...

Some cars are beautiful. Others are fast. Some others are incredibly practical. Some other cars are none of these things, but their importance isn't in their looks, speed or usability but the technological advancements they'll offer to the car industry as a whole. The RoboCar MEV-C is one of these...