Conceptual Fun Starring Subaru

Concept cars are the best things about the auto shows. It's always fascinating to see a peak into what designs automakers are tinkering with to add to their future production lines.

Many concept cars never make it off the showroom floor – unless you hop behind the wheel and successfully drive it out of the convention center. (I wouldn't recommend doing this. High speed chases look cool on TV. They're no so cool when you're the one being pursued.)

Subaru will be offering a glimpse into the future with its new VIZIV concept car at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show in March. The VIZIV, a Subaru acronym referring to the phrase “vision for innovation,” is a prototype of the automaker's newest generation of crossover sedan. It promises to showcase advances in design and technology that foreshadow the direction Subaru will take through the remainder of the decade.

The only problem is that Subaru is being tight-lipped about most of the VIZIV features ahead of the official unveiling in Geneva. I get that they want to leave some things to the imagination. Still, offering up a few details on the engine, power train, interior controls and other such features would not do any damage. It's not like any rival automaker is going to copy it and slap something together in a month to steal Subaru's thunder.

Here's what we do know: the first image of the VIZIV features a large grille and c-shaped headlights and hints at having a two-door body. Elements of VIZIV will likely trickle down to Forester, Outback and other SUV models so it is probably also all-wheel drive instead of front wheel drive.

It's not likely any of us will ever get to drive a VIZIV in the near or distant future. Concept cars rarely make it into the production stage. But we will get to enjoy some elements from this concept model in test drives of other Subaru models.

You can test drive a new Subaru atTindol Subaru NC if you live the Tar Heel state or your local Subaru dealer elsewhere.

The Curious Fuel of a Mazda 6

Mazda turned to the farm to power its latest race car entries at the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

Three Mazda 6 sedans were on the starting grid for the annual endurance race that went from January 26th to January 27th. Each Mazda 6 was powered by a new Skyactiv-D clean diesel engine. The race car version of the Mazda 6 used a bio-diesel fuel capable of producing more than 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from the engine.

Going to the racetrack offers a chance for experimentation and the fuel used in these Skyactiv-D engines was no exception. The bio-fuel powering these race cars was an organic goop made from a mixture of chicken fat, beef tallow and pork lard.

You read that light. The same ingredients found in a typical fast food hot dog are now a fuel source for race cars.

It makes for an interesting moral dilemma if, for example, you encounter a vegan race car driver. Do they refuse to race in a car using animal by-products as fuel? Do vegans or vegetarians boycott watching the 24 Hours of Daytona altogether? Do any racing fans hail from that dietary demographic in the first place?

The funny thing is the slaughterhouse inspired bio-fuel burns much more efficiently than typical gasoline. When injected into a Skyactiv-D engine, it burns 25 to 30 percent less fuel than a gas-powered race car over the same distance.

Louisiana, which is famous for find all sorts of novel uses for animal parts, is home to the refinery that produces this unique bio-fuel. Dynamic Fuels produces 75 million gallons of synthetic diesel each year made from a blend that includes Tyson Foods animal by-products. Dynamic Fuels is planning to sell this fuel to the public eventually at $5 per gallon.

When this bio-fuel hits the market, you can contact Reedman Toll, a top Philly Mazda dealer, to test drive a Mazda 6 fueled by the remains of chickens, cows and pigs.

Who knew farm animals could feed your family and fuel your car at the same time? They have all sorts of wonderful uses that give vegetarians everywhere unending nightmares.

Infiniti steering in a new direction

Infiniti has entered the realm of aircraft for a cool technological upgrade on its Q50 luxury sports sedan. The 2014 Infiniti Q50 will feature a new steer-by-wire system called Direct Adaptive Steering. This steering technology replaces the conventional mechanical steering linkages with digital controls.

If this sounds quite similar to the fly-by-wire technology already employed in aircraft from a 747 to a jet fighter, it is no coincidence. The Direct Adaptive Steering technology operates on a similar concept. The steering controls are 100 percent electronic. A backup mechanical steering linkage does exist and can drop into place if the electronic controls fail for whatever reason. Otherwise, there is no direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel and front tires.

This means options for a driver. Four different steering settings based on the driver’s preference will be available to 2014 Infiniti Q50 owners. Once these new Infiniti models hit the market this summer, you should be the first to test drive one. If you live in Maryland, contact your local Baltimore dealer, JBA Infiniti, to hook you up. If you don't, then find the nearest Infiniti dealer to you

You know this is the first step toward all sorts of crazy high-tech gadgets that will make your car seem like a sentient robot. Hopefully, these are the sort of robots created to serve humans that Isaac Asimov would give his seal of approval. We don't need to deal with any killer robots of The Terminator variety bent on taking over the world.

Extending electronic, robotic and computer functions to other auto components wouldn't be such a bad thing.  How nice would it be if you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and the rubber repairs itself through the influence of microscopic nanobots, computer chips or some other imbedded technology. 

The days of fiddling with a jack and straining to loosen the lug nuts – all while other cars zoom past honking at you – will be history. And it can't come a moment too soon.

Jeep – Italian Style

When you think of Italian cars, a Jeep isn't the first thing that springs to mind. For me, I always associate a Jeep with World War II or old episodes of “M*A*S*H.” Much like the Hummer, it had roots as a war vehicle that later was spun off into domestic production.

FIAT is trying to change the way you perceive a Jeep. The Italian automaker unveiled plans in December to begin production of a Italian subcompact Jeep model. It will be based on the same platform that will be used in the production of the Fiat 500L crossover. 

There are going to be a few differences with this new Jeep. The “Jeeplet,” as it's being called,

will be available exclusively in all-wheel drive. Future models will also carry a trail rating that makes it possible to use them for off-road activity – just like a traditional Jeep.

FIAT is going all out in its efforts to remake Jeep into an international brand. The automaker is going to invest more than $1 billion euros into the plant which will manufacture the new Italian Jeep model. It is also planning to export these models all across the globe. Ken Garff DCJ, a Jeep dealer in Utah, is one of many U.S. auto dealers that can hook you up with this newest Jeep.

Success will come when Italy is associated with Jeeps as often as it is with Spaghetti, the Roman Empire and Mafia families. The best way to accomplish that objective? Simple: make the Italian “Jeeplet” the centerpiece of a popular action movie.

Look at what “The Italian Job” did for the Mini Cooper. Do you think anyone beyond auto enthusiasts knew these cars existed before Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron used them as getaway cars in one of the all-time best cinematic chase scenes? The Jeep can comb that same ground and soon everyone will be racing to their nearest Jeep dealer to snap up the latest model.

Put a hot actress behind the wheel and a bad guy in pursuit and the car pretty much sells itself. 

Feeling Safe in a Dodge Avenger

 

If you are in the market for a new car and opt to buy a 2013 Dodge Avenger, you are making a safe choice. We're not talking about risk or coolness factors here. This is literally about safety.

The 2013 Dodge Avenger has been included on the list of safest cars released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for this year. It occupies a spot on the list with other reliable makes and models like the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Kia Optima and Subaru Outback. This is great news for Dodge owners who love their car and want to upgrade to a new model.

Placement on the IIHS list speaks volumes to the quality of an automobile. Each vehicle tested by the IIHS is given a good, acceptable, marginal or poor rating based on rigorous criteria.

The main thing the IIHS does is put each vehicle through all types of crashes. It bases a crash test rating from head-on crashes, side impacts, rear impacts and roll overs. The IIHS also evaluates the effectiveness of seat belts, head restraints and air bags in protecting from head or neck injuries during impact.

In these categories, the 2013 Dodge Avenger rated at acceptable or good. It earned a top safety pick status from the IIHS. If you are a Texas resident you can test drive a Dodge Avenger at Holt DCJ of TX. If you live elsewhere, take a trip to your local Dodge dealer. You can get firsthand experience on how safe it feels and handles. 

That doesn't mean you should treat a trip to the grocery store like a lap down the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Driving a safe car does not mean much without a safe driver to go along with it. You don't get to rack up a higher score or power up by taking out fire hydrants, trees and other obstacles while going from point A to point B.

What driving a top safety pick car like the Dodge Avenger means is that you will be better protected from whatever loser chooses to do these sorts of things. You got to admit that feels comforting. None of us wants to feel like we are some obstacle meant to be taken out in some real-life first-person driving video game.

Automatic Parking

One of the things I always enjoy when I sit down and watch science fiction movies is seeing the futuristic cars. This is one of those details where we can tell if the screenwriter or director have a flair for creativity and show imagination.

Think about it. What do you remember most about the Back to the Future trilogy? The simple answer is the souped up DeLorean that is outfitted with a flux capacitor to enable time travel. It also is capable of bringing in all four tires like landing gear and taking flight. Who needs roads with a car like that one.

Modern automotive technology is bringing us closer to science fiction each year. The latest step is found in the automatic parallel parking system Ford includes on some of its models like the Ford Escape. Ken Garff Ford, a top UT car dealer, can hook you up with one of these models.

This self-parking system operates through the vehicle's computer system. It helps the driver identify a parking spot on a crowded street and park without bumping or banging into other vehicles. A computer guided parking system delivered by the technology that Ford and other auto makers now feature makes it easy to squeeze your car into tight spaces. Fighting over parking spots is a thing of past. Parking lot vultures are destined to become an endangered and extinct species.

Self-parking is a revolutionary concept. There is nothing that is a bigger pain for drivers everywhere than trying to parallel park. I'm really hopeful the next step is flying cars.

I always wanted to pretend like I'm a pilot. A flying car would give me a chance to do it without the need to attend flight school. If there are flying cars, I can safely predict they will feature computer guided piloting. If a computer can park a car, why would it not be able to make it fly too?

It's common sense.

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