Great idea for you Android Users. An app that will save the trouble of texting while driving by informing anyone that texts you that you are in fact driving. This should be required for all phones, not just Android and Not Just Smartphones.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Podcasting With Automobilistic Undertones
You think traffic is bad on your commute. Try sitting in traffic for 10 days. That's what is happening in China where road construction has created a 60-mile back-up, made-up mostly of trucks. In some cases, the trucks are moving a half-mile per day.
That could drive someone to drink. But hopefully not driving. Sadly, a new study from NHTSA found that 8% of Americans admit to drinking and driving at least once in the past year. That's about 17 million drivers. A quarter of all respondents say they have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of having one or more alcoholic beverages.
Labor Day is coming. Don't drink and drive.
Especially if you paid over a $1 million for your car, which more than two dozen bidders did at the recent auctions during the automotive "holy week" surrounding the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Well-heeled car collectors chose to invest in rare and perfect vehicles rather than the stock market. But that rush of buyers isn't going to trickle down to lowly Mustangs and Camaros from the '60s.
Speaking of more modest wheels, Nissan is rolling out its new Juke tiny CUV in a month, and its polarizing styling make help trick American car buyers into small hatchbacks. That's basically what the Juke and the coming Mini Countryman are, even if they resemble SUVs.
On the assembly line, Ford is using Wi-Fi to customize vehicles and may explore using the same technology to allow owners to customize the options they want, at least in the infotainment area.
Finally, Garmin is on the hot seat with battery problems in several of its GPS devices. They are recalling over a million units, some of which were installed by manufacturers.
 |
| On the road in China, but not moving. |
That could drive someone to drink. But hopefully not driving. Sadly, a new study from NHTSA found that 8% of Americans admit to drinking and driving at least once in the past year. That's about 17 million drivers. A quarter of all respondents say they have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of having one or more alcoholic beverages.
Labor Day is coming. Don't drink and drive.
Especially if you paid over a $1 million for your car, which more than two dozen bidders did at the recent auctions during the automotive "holy week" surrounding the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Well-heeled car collectors chose to invest in rare and perfect vehicles rather than the stock market. But that rush of buyers isn't going to trickle down to lowly Mustangs and Camaros from the '60s.
Speaking of more modest wheels, Nissan is rolling out its new Juke tiny CUV in a month, and its polarizing styling make help trick American car buyers into small hatchbacks. That's basically what the Juke and the coming Mini Countryman are, even if they resemble SUVs.
On the assembly line, Ford is using Wi-Fi to customize vehicles and may explore using the same technology to allow owners to customize the options they want, at least in the infotainment area.
Finally, Garmin is on the hot seat with battery problems in several of its GPS devices. They are recalling over a million units, some of which were installed by manufacturers.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
PVI (Personal Vehicular Incidents)
During tonight's podcast I (mathew) spoke about my own PVI (Personal Vehicular Incident) where I went to start my car last Tuesday and the battery was dead. It wasn't a cartostrophe but it was the last thing I needed/wanted to deal with last week and a pain nonetheless.
So what about you? What was the most annoying PVI you've had? Maybe your PVI turned into a full blown Cartastrophe. We'd love to hear about that one too.
You can either post your story in the comments below, send us a note on Twitter or emails us at GTSOTR@gmail.com and maybe we'll discuss the best story in next weeks podcast.
PVIs, IPOs and iMiEVs, Oh My! GM Electrifies the Market, and the Podcast
Breaking news tonight, General Motors has filed a 734-page document detailing its plans for an initial public offering of stock that would allow the U.S. government to begin selling some of its 61% stake in the auto maker. Also looking to eventually sell, the Canadian government and the United Auto Workers. Deal Journal has a great post on GM by the numbers showing how different the "new" GM is compared with the "old" GM that went bankrupt.
Perhaps GM's stock will benefit from the good feeling that U.S. consumers are feeling toward U.S. brands in general, according to a new survey. Perhaps Ford can even keep prospective Fiesta owners happy with a $50 gift card because they have had to wait for their new cars due to shipping problems.
With eco-friendly drivers are charged up for all-electric vehicles to start hitting the market, electric companies are gearing up to build fast-charging stations. Portland, Oregon, has a new station that can give a Nissan Leaf an 80% charge in 20 minutes. That will save some serious time compared with the 8+ hours for a regular wall socket. Another time saver for Leaf owners: maintenance. No oil changes are needed, along with a host of other items combustion engines have that need tending.
Finally, Mathew had a PVI last week, that's a personal vehicular incident. A few more PVIs with the Vibe and he will be doing the new car dance.
Perhaps GM's stock will benefit from the good feeling that U.S. consumers are feeling toward U.S. brands in general, according to a new survey. Perhaps Ford can even keep prospective Fiesta owners happy with a $50 gift card because they have had to wait for their new cars due to shipping problems.
 |
| Quick charging a Nissan Leaf |
Finally, Mathew had a PVI last week, that's a personal vehicular incident. A few more PVIs with the Vibe and he will be doing the new car dance.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Was That the Last Time I'll Wash My Car in the Driveway?
It was a hot summer evening in Seattle last night and I had two cars that needed a good wash. It had been a long time since I washed a car at home. In fact, I hadn't done it since we moved to the Seattle area last year.
I still had a bucketful of rags, car wash soap and other tools of the trade in the garage. With the kids "helping" me, I rinsed and lathered up the new Mercedes and then the Mazda.
It was enjoyable, but as I rinsed off the cars and dumped the remaining soapy water down the driveway and into the gutter, I thought about the potential damage to the water system and the cost in time and materials that was put into that wash.
Also, I remembered all those little signs on the storm sewers with pictures of turtles and fish warning you not to pollute.
And so, I'm thinking that is the last time I wash the car at home. I will still vacuum and detail myself in the driveway, but I won't do the soap wash.
I like to use the self-serve wash places and I'm a fan of local Brown Bear and Pink Elephant (what's with the animal themed-car wash chains around here?). It's fairly cheap to do a decent wash and they recycle their water.
And, while researching this post, I found that Washington would like to ban car washing in the driveway. That explains the dirty looks I got from a neighbor.
Tips for eco-friendly car washing:
 |
| Don't pollute from teresia via Flickr |
I still had a bucketful of rags, car wash soap and other tools of the trade in the garage. With the kids "helping" me, I rinsed and lathered up the new Mercedes and then the Mazda.
It was enjoyable, but as I rinsed off the cars and dumped the remaining soapy water down the driveway and into the gutter, I thought about the potential damage to the water system and the cost in time and materials that was put into that wash.
Also, I remembered all those little signs on the storm sewers with pictures of turtles and fish warning you not to pollute.
And so, I'm thinking that is the last time I wash the car at home. I will still vacuum and detail myself in the driveway, but I won't do the soap wash.
I like to use the self-serve wash places and I'm a fan of local Brown Bear and Pink Elephant (what's with the animal themed-car wash chains around here?). It's fairly cheap to do a decent wash and they recycle their water.
And, while researching this post, I found that Washington would like to ban car washing in the driveway. That explains the dirty looks I got from a neighbor.
Tips for eco-friendly car washing:
- Use a hose with an adjustable nozzle.
- Only use the hose for rinsing, not washing - fill a bucket with soapy water for the washing phase.
- Swap paper towels for re-usable microfiber towels.
- Wash your car using any number of waterless formulas available.
- Spray your car once (fast). Rinse fast.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Ideas for the Cavernous Back Seat of a Mercedes-Benz S500
Sent from my friend Obi in email upon learning about my new ride, a 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500:
OK, so I've put some thought into what you can do with all that extra square footage you now have in the S500's back seat. I mean, why let all that room go to waste?
Some ideas:
Lap Pool. I'm thinking a single lane 30 meter would just fit...
Sun Deck. Throw on a picnic bench and you and the family can eat summer dinners in the car.
20 Seater Commuter Shuttle. Pick up some extra income driving people to Vancouver on weekends.
Screening Room. Imagine how robust your DVD movies will sound while sitting in 30 leather trimmed theatre seats.
Skating Rink. These were passe, but you could totally bring the trend back!
Furniture Building Studio. Allison can put together custom media cabinets as you drop the kids off to school.
Chefs Kitchen with Stainless Steel range and Deep Freeze Fridge. Who doesn't want a mobile griddle?
Milkshakes and Paper Hot Rods at Ruby's Diner
This is one of the coolest kid things given away by a restaurant. The little cardboard cars take about 4 minutes to assemble and come with little stickers that the kids can use to customize them, including new wheels.
Kudos to Ruby's for some creative thinking.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
U.S. Study Indicates Driver Error in Most Toyota Crashes
Wow, I was right! I was right!
An initial government safety examination of the crashes related to Toyota Motor vehicles indicates that driver error was the likely cause in most cases.
Once again drivers: The gas is on the right and the brake is on the left. Press gas to go and brake to stop.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Getting All Luxobarge With a New Ride
I finally was able to spend some time with my new ride, a 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500, which is on the other side of the vehicular world from my bright yellow 2003 Mazda Protege5.
So far I like it very much. It has a great ride, surprising power considering how heavy it is, and still feels solid despite being 10 years old with almost 80,000 miles.
I was also impressed with the way it maneuvered around a crowded parking lot. It was easy to park despite being really, really long and wide.
There were a couple of small things that needed to be tweaked and I was able to fix them. It still needs a good wash and I'll probably get an oil change and lookover from a mechanic in the near-term. I'm a bit afraid of what they might find because these things are expensive to repair.
The only real disappointment so far, and it's not a surprise, is the mileage: about 18 mpg and premium fuel to fill the 23+ gallon tank. Still, the 5.0-liter V-8 pumps out 302-horsepower to push (rear-wheel drive) the 4,200 pound sedan.
I did a bunch of research before I bought (from a friend) and read reviews from Motor Trend, Edmunds, Automobile and the LA Times. Cars.com does a really good job of collecting reviews from many publications. It was surprising difficult to find reviews for this car on the Web. It's not like the Internet was a new thing in 2000.
This car sold for roughly $78,000 when new and included several features that were quite cutting edge at the time: 8 airbags, CD navigation, integrated carphone (can't figure out how to get it to take my SIM card), traction control and an electronic air suspension. That was roughly twice as much car as a Cadillac Seville SLS, Acura RL, Volvo S80, Audi A8 or a Lincoln Town Car at the time. But, how many of those are still around 10 years later?
I'll update my impressions and experiences with the new ride as time goes on. And post more on my zippy little Mazda as I get ready to part with it.
So far I like it very much. It has a great ride, surprising power considering how heavy it is, and still feels solid despite being 10 years old with almost 80,000 miles.
I was also impressed with the way it maneuvered around a crowded parking lot. It was easy to park despite being really, really long and wide.
There were a couple of small things that needed to be tweaked and I was able to fix them. It still needs a good wash and I'll probably get an oil change and lookover from a mechanic in the near-term. I'm a bit afraid of what they might find because these things are expensive to repair.
The only real disappointment so far, and it's not a surprise, is the mileage: about 18 mpg and premium fuel to fill the 23+ gallon tank. Still, the 5.0-liter V-8 pumps out 302-horsepower to push (rear-wheel drive) the 4,200 pound sedan.
I did a bunch of research before I bought (from a friend) and read reviews from Motor Trend, Edmunds, Automobile and the LA Times. Cars.com does a really good job of collecting reviews from many publications. It was surprising difficult to find reviews for this car on the Web. It's not like the Internet was a new thing in 2000.
This car sold for roughly $78,000 when new and included several features that were quite cutting edge at the time: 8 airbags, CD navigation, integrated carphone (can't figure out how to get it to take my SIM card), traction control and an electronic air suspension. That was roughly twice as much car as a Cadillac Seville SLS, Acura RL, Volvo S80, Audi A8 or a Lincoln Town Car at the time. But, how many of those are still around 10 years later?
I'll update my impressions and experiences with the new ride as time goes on. And post more on my zippy little Mazda as I get ready to part with it.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Best Dirty Car Note I've Ever See
Spotted on a grubby Honda CR-V in the parking lot of a corporate office in Redmond, Wash. on Friday August 6.
 |
| I wish my girlfriend was this dirty (click for bigger version) |
One Year Of Getting This Show On The Road
It was one year ago today that we re-connected and started our own independent automotive podcast called GetThisShowOnTheRoad, even though this blog was not up untill two weeks later. Since then, we've done 40 podcasts (most of which are now available through iTunes) and posted what we thought were some of the most interesting or important stories in the automotive world, hopefully while also providing you with a couple of laughs.
Thank you to all of the people who tune in each week. Please feel free to Email Us or contact us on Twitter with suggestions and thoughts for improving GTSOTR or just to say hi. We'd love to hear from all of you.
As a special treat, here is our first podcast under the heading GTSOTR. Thankfully both our delivery and technology has improved since that day.
Thank you,
David Patton and Mathew Passy
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Steal This Podcast! (Auto Sales Thrive, David's New Ride)
The calendar has rolled around to another month so that means car sales are here. Our favorite story line. Last year's numbers were skewed by the hugely successful Cash for Clunkers program. Even so, July auto sales were fairly strong with larger vehicles getting a boost and small car sales slipping compared with last year.
Cadillac sales topped the list in terms of percentage gains but buyers of the giant Escalade beware, the Highway Loss Data Institute says it gets the highest rate of theft claims. But Volvo's S80 doesn't get stolen much, no surprise.
If you are looking for something safe, and probably less desirable for thieves, then check out Consumer Reports' list of ideal vehicles for teens and senior citizen drivers.
We know that teens like the Internet and they may be helping Nissan's Leaf win the search battle over the Chevrolet Volt. The all-electric Leaf is still getting most of the attention from Web searchers.
China is considering a cleverly designed bus that is jacked up to ride over traffic. Smart yes, realistic, probably not.
Finally, David is getting a new set of wheels. Listen in for the details and check back on the blog for photos and reviews.
Cadillac sales topped the list in terms of percentage gains but buyers of the giant Escalade beware, the Highway Loss Data Institute says it gets the highest rate of theft claims. But Volvo's S80 doesn't get stolen much, no surprise.
 |
| China's 3D Express Coach |
We know that teens like the Internet and they may be helping Nissan's Leaf win the search battle over the Chevrolet Volt. The all-electric Leaf is still getting most of the attention from Web searchers.
China is considering a cleverly designed bus that is jacked up to ride over traffic. Smart yes, realistic, probably not.
Finally, David is getting a new set of wheels. Listen in for the details and check back on the blog for photos and reviews.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)