JSwain

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Advertising the 1980s: 44 of the Most Bodacious Car Ads of the ’80s

1980s Ads Lead
-The malaise that was the 1970s dribbled over into the 1980s, with ads touting Corvettes that made all of 190 horsepower, gussied-up econoboxes parading as Cadillacs, and dubious technology such as the Moleculetor promising improvements in fuel economy of up to 23 percent—yours for just $214 (plus $5 shipping)! And there’s John Z. DeLorean hawking Cutty Sark scotch, with nary a kilo of coke in sight. With apologies to Mr. Dickens, it was the worst of times, it was the worster of times.

A few bright spots managed to punch holes through the darkness. Turbocharged engines began to appear under the hoods of a number of cars, including the Datsun Turbo ZX, the Mazda 323 GTX, the Porsche 944 Turbo, the Volvo Turbo, and even the Subaru XT Turbo.

Nascent technologies also made some of their earliest appearances in these pages, with ads for Apple’s Macintosh desktop computer, Panasonic’s TV with a 1.5-inch screen, and the Maxwell Portable Cellular Phone with one hour of talk time for $695. And if the Maxwell was too pricey, you could order a fake “Cellular Fun Phone” and “enjoy the status of owning a car phone for just a fraction of the regular cost.” Cost: $49.95.

The decade couldn’t end soon enough.

(Note: Click or tap an ad to enlarge.)

Pontiac Grand Prix – April 1980
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The Sharper Image Xernus – June 1980
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International Harvester Scout – June 1980
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Mercedes-Benz – July 1980
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Energy Efficiencies Inc. Moleculetor – September 1980
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Jeep CJ – October 1980
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Panasonic TravelVision – October 1980
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Chevrolet Corvette – December 1980
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Chevrolet Citation X-11 – August 1981
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Ronrico Rum Sweepstakes – September 1981
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Jeep Scrambler – October 1981
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Renault 18i – November 1981
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Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition – January 1982
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Jeep CJ – February 1982

K40 Radar Detector – February 1982

De Lorean Motor Company – February 1982
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Volvo Turbo – February 1982
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Volkswagen Scirocco – March 1982
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Cutty Sark Scotch – April 1982
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Volvo Turbo Wagon– April 1982
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Alpine Car Audio Systems – June 1982
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Megaforce – June 1982
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Ford Motor Company – June 1982
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Datsun Turbo-ZX 5-speed – September 1982
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Cadillac Cimarron – October 1982
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Porsche – October 1982
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Callaway Turbosystems – March 1983
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Cadillac Cimarron – March 1983
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Saab – April 1983
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Nissan Truck – April 1983
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Chrysler Laser XE – October 1983
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Dodge Omni GLH – October 1984
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Apple Macintosh – December 1984
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Ford Motor Company – November 1985
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Chevrolet Corvette – July 1986

Subaru XT Turbo – July 1986
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Pioneer DEX-77 – December 1986
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General Motors Parts – March 1987
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Daihatsu Charade – February 1988
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BMW Motorsport Division M-Cars – April 1988
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READ MORE: Original Tests of the 1987 BMW M6 | 1987 BMW M5 | 1988 BMW M3

Cellular Fun Phone – April 1988
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Ford Taurus SHO – April 1989
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Maxwell Portable Cellular Phone – April 1989
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Isuzu Amigo – June 1989

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro Test: Still on Top

-The Audi A6 was facelifted for 2016, but it’s barely any different from the A6 of 2015 and the years prior. That, however, is a very good thing, since we’ve long ranked it at or near the top of its segment. Audi’s mid-sizer started winning comparison tests in 2009. Since then, A6s have been victorious three more times. We’ve been suckers for the cars’ smooth powertrains, responsive handling, intuitive interfaces, comfortable cabins, and smart styling. READ MORE ››

VW Diesel Fix To Be Announced in a “Few Days”

2015 Volkswagen Beetle TDI

With just eight days left for Volkswagen to present a solution to its emissions-cheating diesels, the automaker has announced that it has come up with a “service procedure” aimed to put the 11 million affected cars into compliance. These vehicles used the EA189 diesel engine and were not equipped with an exhaust-cleaning aftertreatment system. According to VW, some five million of the total carry Volkswagen badges; the balance includes cars from brands such as Audi, Škoda, and SEAT.

In a statement released today, VW says that it “and other Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to the responsible authorities in October.” We take this to mean VW intends to meet the deadline imposed by the German authorities.

This official statement comes after Reuters reported that CEO Matthias Müller said that Volkswagen would contact TDI owners within “the next few days” to bring in their cars for repair. Müller could be referring to European customers, as Volkswagen and Audi of America have not initiated an official recall. Reached for comment, a U.S. VW spokesman said, “We don’t have any information on what the remedy might be at the moment, but we are working on it as a matter of the utmost urgency.”

On September 27, Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority demanded the automaker plan its repair schedule by October 7 or face an outright ban on the affected cars from driving in the country. On Monday, a report claimed that Bosch—the supplier behind VW’s engine-management software—told the company in 2007 that it was illegal to use the software on anything but test vehicles. Another report claimed that Volkswagen shelved the use of a urea-injection system when it was developing the diesel engines in 2005 because the move saved $335 per car. (It’s worth noting that the 2015 models included in this scandal use the newer EA288 diesel engine and are fitted with urea-injection systems; these cars, however, also had the so-called “defeat device” software code.)

Here is the full text of today’s statement:

Volkswagen AG is announcing its action plan to correct the emissions characteristics of diesel vehicles.

In a first step, the customers affected will be informed that the emissions characteristics of their vehicles will be corrected in the near future. All vehicles are technically safe and roadworthy.

Under the action plan, Volkswagen and the other Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to the responsible authorities in October.

Customers with these vehicles will be kept informed over the coming weeks and months. All of the Group brands affected will set up national websites to update customers on developments.

An internal evaluation on Friday established that a service procedure is required for some five million vehicles from the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand out of a total eleven million Group vehicles worldwide. These vehicles from certain models and model years (such as the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat or the first generation Volkswagen Tiguan) are fitted with Type EA189 diesel engines.

VW of America has already set up its website for information about its noncompliant TDI models at vwdieselinfo.com.

This story was published prior to the release of VW’s official statement and has been updated.

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro – Instrumented Test

2016 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine

Viper’s Smartwatch-Enabled Security System Lets Siri Start Your Car

Major luxury automakers are adding smartwatch capabilities to their connected car smartphone apps, allowing owners of BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and the like to locate, lock or unlock, and remote-start their cars right from their wrists. But what if you’re fancy enough to own an Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatch, but not quite so fancy as to run out and buy a brand-new luxury sedan to pair with it? Viper car security has you covered, with a new SmartStart security and remote starter system that lets you start pretty much any car from your phone or smartwatch. Siri, fire up the ol’ jalopy for me.

A newly added update to Viper’s long-running SmartStart system, Version 4.0 expands the smartphone connectivity of previous systems to your smartwatch. With the system installed in your car and the requisite app on your phone, you’ll be able to lock, unlock, and start your car from either your phone or your wrist, from anywhere in the United States, thanks to the power of the mobile web.

Viper SmartStart 4.0

The system equips your vehicle with a CDMA/3G module that communicates with your smartphone over Verizon’s cellular data network. Since it’s cellular, you can use the app from anywhere in the U.S., even checking on the location or locked-door status of your car from across the country. A GPS feature shows where your car is at any moment, allowing you to monitor a the motions of whoever’s driving your car and sending alerts to your phone or watch if a preset speed limit or geographical boundary is exceeded. And if your check engine light comes on, the system sends an alert to your phone or watch, explaining the diagnostic code, while a single tap can summon roadside assistance in the event that it’s needed.

Viper brought a SmartStart-equipped demo vehicle to Car and Driver’s New York City office to show how the tech works. With an Apple Watch loaned to me by Viper paired to my iPhone and the SmartStart app installed, I was able to lock and unlock the doors, pop the trunk, and remote-start the demo vehicle with just a few taps on my wrist—or, more impressively, by just issuing a voice command to Siri.

The reaction time wasn’t quite as quick as what you’d experience with a traditional remote-start key fob—a few times, it took around 10 seconds for the signal to travel from my wrist, to my phone, through the cellular network, and down to the module installed in the vehicle. But nearly every command was executed, and status indicators on the watch and smartphone app made it clear whether the doors were locked and whether the engine was running or turned off. Like all other Viper remote start systems, you’ll need to insert the car’s ignition key and turn it to the ON position before trying to drive away, otherwise the system will shut off the engine if you try to shift into gear.

SmartStart 4.0’s remote-start feature is available on a number of different Viper car alarm packages, from basic remote-start-only kits to full security alarm systems. Viper says the kits are compatible with just about any car, although due to the complexity of the systems, professional installation is highly recommended. A complete SmartStart digital system starts at $399, or if you’ve already got a Viper security system installed, you can add SmartStart to your existing system for $149.

The iPhone and Apple Watch apps are fully functional, while an updated Android app that supports Android Wear smartwatches is coming soon. In addition to the kit and installation costs, SmartStart requires a cellular service plan you can purchase in one, two, or three-year installments.

Is this kind of luxuriousness absolutely necessary? Most certainly not. But being able to remote-start your car when you’re way beyond the range of your factory key fob is a super nice convenience feature, and anyone who constantly worries that they forgot to lock their doors will find the status cards on the phone and watch app a major peace-of-mind booster. Besides, if you already plopped down a few hundred (or more) for an Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatch, we know you appreciate the convenience of having the world answer to your tiny wrist computer.

Escort Max 360 Radar and Laser Detector: Hey, Those Arrows Look Familiar

Escort-Radar-105
-Anyone who’s spent the past decade or more paging through car magazines knows the big two names in radar and laser detectors: Escort and Valentine One. And seemingly since the dawn of radar-detector time, Valentine One’s hallmark feature has been the arrows telling you whether Johnny Law’s fun-squelching waves were coming from ahead, beside, or behind. Prepare for a topsy-turvying the radar detector world hasn’t seen in decades, because Escort’s new Max 360 has threat-location arrows now. It’s as if Porsche suddenly decided to put a pushrod V-8 in the 911.

The new Escort Max 360’s arrows aren’t exact replicas of Valentine One’s red indicators—the Escort unit tells you not only where the threat is located, but the type and strength of the speed-measurement signal, as well. Blue indicates X band, yellow is K band, and red is Ka band (for a breakdown of what each means, check out our radar-detector shootout from last year). The display also indicates the posted speed limit and your real-time speed at all times, so you know just how much whoa pedal you need to dial in when the buzzer goes off.

Escort-Radar-104

When a threat is detected, the Escort Max 360 gives both a visual and audio alert. In addition, the GPS-equipped unit features Escort’s AutoLearn technology, which learns the locations of false-alarm sources (like the automatic doors at your grocery store, or the car-counting devices at a toll bridge) on your most frequently traveled roads. This means, ideally, no false alarms on your daily commute.

The Max 360 sends alert locations to Escort’s DEFENDER database, which the company claims is the world’s largest collection of red-light cameras, speed traps, and air-patrol alerts on the market. When you use the Max 360, you’re helping to refine Escort’s map of both false alarms and real threats from the roadside tax collectors—and benefiting from the advanced warnings of upcoming threats detected by fellow Max 360 users.

Escort-Radar-101

The Max 360 also works in conjunction with Escort Live!, the detector maker’s smartphone app that warns of threats ahead as reported by both Escort radar detectors and other users of the app.

The Escort Max 360 costs $649.95 and is currently available only through direct purchase from Escort Radar’s website. That’s a pricey proposition, to be sure. And while we haven’t subjected this latest Escort to our usual barrage of standardized radar-detector tests, we’re optimistic that these new features could be a big help in avoiding unwanted attention from radar gun–wielding Johnny Law.

Escort-Radar-103

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

2016 Tesla Model X Debuts: Tesla’s EV Crossover Finally Spreads Its Wings

-It’s called the Tesla Model X, but it should probably be called “Elon’s Headache.” Behold, finally, Tesla’s two-and-a-half ton electric sport-utility vehicle that shows, in Elon Musk’s own words, that “I think we got a little carried away.” There are those much-ballyhooed “falcon wing” motorized doors with their multiple hinges and a brace of ultrasonic and capacitive sensors to prevent disaster; the self-opening and -closing front doors; the “monoposto” middle-row seats that put the middle passengers on stout, movable pedestals; a massive wrap-over windshield that necessitated the world’s most unnecessarily complicated sun visors; and a HEPA cabin filter that, says Elon, creates “hospital operating room cleanliness in the car.” READ MORE ››