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| Smart bumpers |
Swedish scientists have devised a bumper that can anticipate a collision. Pyrotechnics are used to move it away from the car, creating an impact-absorbing crumple zone.
Meanwhile, in Finland, boffins have come up with a seat to monitor a driver's pulse rate to tell when he or she is getting sleepy. |
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| Fit to drive? |
Anyone who makes the unwise decision to drive their car while under the influence of drink or drugs, or even just when feeling a little under the weather might find themselves being prevented from starting the engine by a new futuristic dashboard gadget.
The instrument, no bigger than a calculator, is wired into the ignition circuit of the vehicle and before the driver can start up, they must look at the LCD screen and key in a sequence of numbers within five seconds, or operate controls such as the clutch and indicators in a certain order. If the task is passed with flying colours, the car fires up; if not, and the driver fails repeatedly, then the car doesn't start and the driver is left to call a taxi.
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| Remote parking |
Parking the car in the garage can be a chore, especially if space is tight, but fortunately a new invention called Autogarager has been devised to park the car while the driver enjoys a nice sit down indoors.
Autogarager uses a clever pulley and track system to drag a car into the garage without the need for the driver to be behind the wheel. The system costs $3,800 and is explained on www.autogarager.com |
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| Wwwacky website |
'For travellers who are REALLY on a budget and are looking for a way to skim a few bucks off their travel expenses, why not consider sleeping in an airport? Many airports are actually better than local lodging. And FREE' so says the website www.sleepinginairports.net which is designed specifically for travellers, presumably of the young-limbed and penniless variety, who don't mind bunking down on airport seating if it will save some of their precious holiday money.
This site ranks the world's airports in order of friendliness to sleepers, and there are plenty of travellers' tales and recommendations. Brisbane is judged the best place airport for a bit of shut-eye in Australia, thanks to its 'comfortable couches, televisions, gift shops, bookstores, internet, clean bathrooms, free showers and friendly security who are not bothered by your presence'. |
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Volume 10.05
May 2005 |
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Hello . Welcome to the latest issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare.
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Open top Audi |
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 This is the shape of the exciting new Audi S4 Cabriolet, first seen at the Melbourne International Motor Show earlier this year and now to be found in a showroom near you.
The coolest gadget on this sporty number is undoubtedly the electro-hydraulic roof that opens and closes in less than 30 seconds. There are other great touches too, including 18-inch aluminium 'S' wheels and exclusive styling on the grey-dial instrument dash and three-spoke steering wheel. Powered by a 4.2-litre V8 rated at 253kW/410Nm, the S4 Cabriolet will do the 0-100km/h run in 5.9 seconds.
Add to that the sports suspension, quattro all-wheel drive and six-speed tiptronic transmission with paddle-shift on the steering wheel and the S4 Cabriolet, priced at $143,800, it's worth looking out for. |
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Guinness entry for Golf |
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 The Volkswagen Golf has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most economical car of its kind.
The Golf V 1.9-litre turbo diesel travelled for 15 hours through 10 European countries, at times topping 120km/h on motorway sections, from the starting point at Lake Constance to the test's end at a VW dealership in the Czech Republic. Fuel consumption for the 1100km journey averaged 4.4-litres/100 kms. |
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Disney DVD |
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 Prepare for an attack of pester power when these Disney DVD players hit the shops. Not content with just making our kids favourite films, Walts company is now manufacturing something to play them on.
These portable DVD players are aimed squarely at kids, with the boys version plastered with Power Rangers and the girls model a pretty pink with Disney Princess branding. The players are available with either an 8.75cm screen or a 17.5cm screen and they play CDs and MP3s as well as DVDs.
The pocket money may not cover the price though, as the smaller model is currently selling for about $163 and the larger about $250. |
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Sporty Civic |
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 It's a long time since Honda has made a sporty hatch to be totally proud of, but the all-new Civic may just be the one to lift the Japanese manufacturer out of the doldrums.
At the Geneva motor in March, the Japanese maker revealed what it called a Civic Concept, but Honda sources have since revealed that it is to all intents and purposes the 2006 model, which is expected to hit the dealerships here next year.
The Civic Concept's sharp lines and headlight shape are similar to those of the Accord Euro sedan and Odyssey people mover, both of which have proved popular since their arrival two years ago. |
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Spaced out |
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 The search engine Google is bringing a brand new perspective to some of the US' most significant, and in some cases, mysterious, landmarks with fascinating new satellite photographs which are available to internet users who subscribe to the service at the click of a mouse.
The satellite images are provided by digital map-maker Keyhole Corporation, which was bought by Google last year, and the detail visible in many of them is quite impressive, with houses and even cars easy to spot on the highest magnification. So far the service only covers North America, but Keyhole does have data to cover the entire globe, so it is likely that satellite images of other countries will be available soon.
All users need to do is key in the postcode of the area they would like to view from the air, and Keyhole will come up with spectacular images of that location, taken from space. The Grand Canyon, Alcatraz, Mount Rushmore and the fabled 'Area 51' are some of the most popular sites to be viewed in this way, and some users are so hooked on the new service that they have compiled their own galleries of favourite shots.
Subscription costs US$29.95, but a free trial is available from www.keyhole.com |
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