I don't get the opportunity to write about cars very much, but I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to look at some of the automotive splendor that was wielded by the major auto makers at CES this year. In the midst of the Detroit International Auto Show for some reason big auto decided to use CES as an opportunity to show off some more concepts. I am a bit of a car enthusiast and some of the tech recently demoed is going to blow you away. Read more to find out what Ford, Audi, Lamborghini, and Porsche are doing to keep the tech world interested on more than just Apple.
I'm going to start this post by showing off what Porsche is doing with it's dash system. For those that don't know Porsche is making some big changes to their product line. Creating their first sedan, adding electric motors, and signing a deal with Blackberry prove to make 2012 an interesting year. Take a gander below:
So above you will see a very sleek design much like you would see on your most recent Blackberry devices. Well, that's because it's running Blackberry's new OS called QNX. QNX is no stranger to dashboards and you will see them implemented in Audi and of course Audi's off brand you may know by the name of Lamborghini. Here is Porsche though creating a QNX device that mirrors the Blackberry OS on top of Nvidia's Tegra 3 processors. Other companies like Audi try to tailor the look to their tastes on the Tegra 3, which is far from the Canadian programers tastes in Blackberry world. Below is the concept car for the next Carrera. As you can see that is an LCD dash display also running off the same Tegra 3 processor. Now attached to those carbon fiber seats are a pair of Blackberry Playbooks. The Playbooks will bridge to the dash and to your phone, if it so happens to be a blackberry device, to run email as well as other media apps like Pandora to make your car brilliant.
Blackberry is not done with just the Carrera. To compliment the new relationship with Porsche the boys in Canada are also releasing a limited edition Bold 9900 named the P9981. Not much creativity their on the phone naming eh? How about the Boresche? Take a gander at what it will look like. The back is sporting all leather, and as you can tell aluminum plating everywhere. Hope that doesn't make the signal suffer. If you want one of these take your heart medication now because the cost may be around $2,000, leaving many retired Porsche owners in the hospital after sticker shock.
Now I'm not done with luxury quite yet. Below please fix your attention to the newest redesigned Lamborghini known as the Aventadore. Like tradition it was named after an amazing trophy winning bull that surprised Spaniards back in 1993. The 691 hp V12 built in the Aventadore will gladly live up to it's name. Thanks to Audi this work of art on wheels will have a Tegra 3 processor in the dash to host it's LCD dash and 3D navigation system (just the maps not the interface luckily). Take a gander at the Start button with the flip cover on top, much like a jet fighter. In fact many of the design queues found in this car are modeled after a jet. That's because this bull was modeled after an F-22 Raptor. notice the lines on the nose and tail. As you can see LED lights are everywhere and the body is made of carbon fiber. Lamborghini claims this beast is two generations past anything else on the road, I would agree unless Bugatti releases a Veyron with a similar dash.
So how would you like to own one of these mean machines? Well, good luck! Rumor has it the 4,000 planned for production are already sold out and at a price tag of over $375,000. Lamborghini has said the molds for the carbon fiber will only last up to 5,000 cycles so don't expect them to sell a whole lot more than 4,000. I recently started weeping while playing Youtube clips of the Lambo because 2 people have already destroyed their bulls. Please rich speed enthusiasts be nice to this one, y'all killed a lot of Mercialagos.
I hope you enjoyed the high end of automotive, now let's take a look at what Ford is doing for the low end of the auto world. Below you will see what Ford is wanting to do in the $20-30k range to help the 99% feel like they are in the 21st century.
Ford has been missing from the plug-in crowd, but they are about to go all in. This month Google got to taste the Focus all electric plug-in before anyone else. Ford is able to mark this thing at 100 MPGe, and it's not just the Focus. Late this year the 2013 fusion will join the Focus to make a more efficient team of cars beating the Leaf, Volt, and plug-in Prius. Having drove both of the gas versions of the car recently I can say I am very excited for the Fusion. The Focus just feels way to cheap to me and I feel like I am in a clown car when I sit in it. I digress, both of these cars will deliver on performance and efficiency. Both will also have similar dash kits powered by Microsoft SYNC. It's all about what you can connect to the iPhone, and Ford has outperformed all the other automakers when it comes to connected devices.
From a simple iPhone you can control climate in the car, charging levels, and of course media. I know all of you have seen the kid dressed as Vador trying to start his dad's Ford. Yes, you can start your car with an iPhone. What is really helping drivers is the voice input. To be able to interact with apps like Sirius or iHeart Radio by voice can really make Ford the game changer it needs to be to keep ahead of the Toyota and Honda brands taking the majority of the market share. SYNC will also be adding up to 19 languages this year, that should give Ford an international edge.
My last bit I want you to see may never make it to a car, but thank Audi for bringing something truly innovative when it comes to heads up display. Please watch the video below and have your mind blown.
I know it's a short clip, but I hope you noticed the driver swiping information to the passenger. Imagine reading your texts or viewing your maps without ever looking down. We could even see an augmented reality feature that points out what buildings or businesses you are about to pass without ever having to move your eyes from the road. Really great stuff from Audio, and I hope to see a whole lot more.
