For all-wheel drive cars with high-horsepower engines launch control is a thing of beauty. Simply put one foot on the brake, rev the engine to about 5,000 rpm, let go of the brake and let the computers and traction-control do the rest. It actually works quite flawlessly and for streetcars like the Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 Turbo, launch control is what enables them to shoot out of the hole like shot through a gun. Street cars aren’t the only vehicles to employ this technology. Race and rally cars use it as well, however when they engage the system it’s far more exciting then your everyday driver. Click through to see what I’m talking about.

Source: Youtube.com

Ever been standing around a car show and heard one guy ask another… “Hey, what gears you got in that thing?” Ever wonder the reason for the question? Well, gearing has as much to do with how a car performs as the engine. The gears you’re running determine everything from your acceleration and top speed, to fuel economy. Here is a quick online visual calculator that is pretty basic, but incorporates everything you need to know. Simply input your rear axle ratio (you can add a custom ratio if you choose), your tire size, transmission gear ratio and then hit the gas… it’s actually quite a bit of fun to experiment. It may also answer some questions you may have about how to set-up your ride.

It has the look of a stealth fighter, hyper-car performance and an aura that has the ability to create fantasies. It is the Lamborghini Reventón and it is, without a doubt, one of the greatest cars produced in the last two decades. Recently The Media Merchants, a technology driven production agency out of Canada, got their hands on one of the 20 Lamborghini Reventón’s produced between 2009-2010 and created a projection based visual experience the likes of which we’ve never seen before. The use of sound and projection combined with the angular shape of the Reventón not only peaks our imagination but helps us see things in a very different light.

Source: Vimeo.com

If you own a car that is over 10 years old with black plastic bumper inserts or black bumpers, then odds are they’re faded and dull looking, thus cheapening the look of your ride. Sure there are plastic restoration kits that you can purchase, but those can be expensive and sometimes they’ll do more harm then good if not used correctly. Not long ago I came across this little video of someone using a heat gun to brighten up their black-work. Now, granted I’ve never personally tried this, however it does seem to work well. Plus, it seems like a cheap and easy alternative to a full repaint or dye. This is a pretty cool backyard trick if you ask me.

Source: Youtube.com

Research, research and more research. That’s what you must do when purchasing a new car. Hopefully you’ll look at things like price, fuel economy, features and overall livability. It’s no easy task, but rest assured that if you do your due diligence you’ll wind up with the perfect car. Now, if for some reason you don’t feel like doing any research then you can turn to guys like us – the motor-journalists who do the research for you. Recently Motor Trend Magazine put together a group of SUV’s for their annual SUV of the Year competition. They judge just about every category and in the end, pick the best overall performer. The video is about 15-minutes long, but if you’re in the hunt for an SUV, then it may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Source: Motor Trend

For now, fasten your seatbelts and drift through the following list of some extremely awesome feature ideas that will probably never see a real road, but they can chase you in your sepia-toned daydreams.

1. Fuel Cell Operation

Our world has seen hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles; but as of this moment, our cars still have a gasoline addiction. Sometimes, an auto show goes above and beyond by showing us what a hydrogen cell car can look like and teasing us with its insanely low operation cost.  Imagine no more pain at the pump.

2. Popemobile-style Convertible Rear

Wouldn’t you love to be chauffeured around in a rear section that opens up, so you can catch some rays while you’re driving to the country club or to that important board meeting?  Well, maybe (for now) you won’t be able to own it with your current paycheck, but imagination and fantasy is sure free and fun.

3. Wings

The Saab PhoeniX is the latest example in a long line of cars showing everyone what happens when you combine cars and airplanes without trying to be James Bond. Cars with wings, even if they’re small, draw attention as they show off in the best possible way.

4. Flight

The Chase 2053 concept car speaks for everyone’s unspoken desire to own a flying car. Packing jet engines, this is the kind of vehicle you would be happy to have in your driveway, or on your next transatlantic car trip.

5. Indestructibility

The Chase 2053 also happens to be practically indestructible, thanks to its carbon fiber construction and living skin-based exterior.  Apparently, KITT was about 70 years ahead of its time. One of the big auto insurance tips for 2053: Get the car that can only be damaged by a direct hit from a cruise missile.

6. Shape-shifting

What if you could change the wheel base and the profile of your car to adjust to the changing conditions?  Every so often, a concept car plants that awesome dream in our minds. Go-go-Gadget sports car!

7. Drool-worthy Good Looks

The Mazda Furai is based on a Le Mans entry by the company in years past.  Why exactly do most people drive around in uninterestingly designed cars and then go to auto shows where every design is a work of mobile art?  If you’re not going to drive something awesome, you might as well ride a bicycle or something.

Driving Home the Point

Concept cars are fantasies we taunt ourselves with in the safety of an auto show;  but you don’t drive to work or to the grocery store in a Furai, and only KITT was indestructible — KITT was just make-believe.  While 2053 is a good ways off, many of the features we love in our concept cars will probably never be real — and that’s okay.

A few weeks ago I was walking around the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV oogling the thousands of amazing show cars. The entire show is one gigantic aftermarket spectacle that must be seen to be believed, as it showcases just about every trend the automotive spectrum has to offer. One such trend that caught my eye was the crossbreeding of parts (power plants in particular) from one manufacturer to another. For instance, it seemed as though every hot-rod, rat-rod and pro-touring car out there had some type of GM LS motor under the bonnet. Now granted it makes sense, because in the scheme of things, who wouldn’t want a stout 600 hp, aluminum small block under the hood.

*Image Credit: Inside Line

However seeing them in cars like old Ford trucks and AMX’s was a little strange. It used to be that mixing and matching like this was a big no-no amongst the brand loyal, but nowadays it’s totally commonplace. So, anyone have a problem with this, or do you think it is the right way to go.

Just when the lightening speed of technological advancement seemed incapable of increasing, news of the autonomous car began circulating. While it sounds like something right out of a science fiction story, skeptics must remember that much of technology today began as a dream.

The autonomous car is just that: a car that “thinks” and acts on its own. While still in the developmental stages, autonomous cars are fast gaining traction in the world of today.

Currently, every state except Nevada has outlawed driverless cars. Those in favor of the cars, such as the scientists and engineers developing them, point out that robot cars can monitor 360 degrees at the same time, and are not distracted like human drivers. While auto insurance tips often remind drivers not to drive while distracted or sleepy, drivers often do. An autonomous car would never suffer those feelings. And, as far as science has taken technology, it is still impossible for a robot to drive while intoxicated.

Roughly 40,000 people die in car accidents every year. Autonomous cars would remove driver error, reducing these fatalities, say supporters. Despite critics, developers are testing more and more autonomous cars. In fact, Google has had a semi-secret project in the works for several years, clocking over 140,000 miles on seven cars with only minimal driver control. The only accident that occurred was a human rear-ending a robot car.

So what does that mean for the average driver today?

A specific objection raised against the driverless car is:

• Robots do not have the instinct of human drivers

This is true. However, Google’s driverless car allows for a driver to take control with the touch of a button, much like cruise control. This is especially handy when others nearby do not follow laws, like bicyclists running red lights.

• Higher cost than regular cars

With more technology, especially new technology in these cars, the autonomous car would likely cost more, at least to begin with.

Some possible benefits from autonomous cars include:

• Fewer accident-related deaths

This is by far the best-selling point of a robot car. With safer travel, fewer people would die in senseless traffic accidents.

• Fewer traffic accidents

While autonomous cars do mimic the responses of humans, they are not prone to driver error, nor will they fall asleep at the wheel, drive drunk, or get distracted by passengers and other atmospheric distractions.

• Lower insurance costs

With fewer accidents, insurance premiums would drop, since the companies would have fewer claims to pay.

• Less traffic

Robot cars would be able to drive closer together, speeding up transit time and allowing the maximum use of the roadway.

With Nevada leading the pack and more and more people realizing the great number of benefits which could come with driverless cars (a drawing board idea since the 1930s), before long we will see more and more of these cars on the streets.

For most people the art of jump starting a car is a simple one. Connect the red cable to the positive connection and the black cable to the negative one… it’s not rocket science and is a tried and true procedure that’s worked for millions around the globe. Manual cars have it even easier as they can be push started, then, once you get them rolling you simply dump the clutch in second gear and wallah – running automobile. This only works if you have someone to push the car and then get it rolling. If you’re on your own though then you’re generally S.O.L. That is, until now. You see this enterprising gentlemen has employed the technique of simply wrapping a rope around an elevated front tire and then pull starting the car like an outboard motor. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done and we’re pretty damn impressed that it actually works. Click through for the video and check it out.

Source: Youtube.com

If you’re a fan of all things Clarkson, then you’ll want to add the new TomTom Top Gear edition GO Live to your holiday wish list. In addition to voice guidance from none other than Jezza himself, the special edition GO Live includes Top Gear themed startup and shutdown screens, and unique icons (although we can’t confirm whether or not one is really a hamster). In case that’s not enough, there are also Top Gear-themed points of interest, which leaves us Americans scratching our heads wondering what they may be. Perhaps the Miami used car lot where the salesman showed Clarkson his Saturday Night Special?

If you get tired of Clarkson verbally berating you en route, you can switch over to “Stig Mode,” which includes no voice narration at all. On the plus side, it doesn’t play 1980’s power ballads, sung in Italian, either.

If you want one of your very own, the price of admission is $269.95, which is $20 more than the standard GO Live. Top Gear licensing doesn’t come cheap, and someone has to pay for Jezza’s ever-expanding vehicle collection.

Source: CarTech