Autoblog

While cruising through the enormous American Racing display area at SEMA, we spotted a pretty cool Mustang that made us stop for a closer look. While the car itself will be detailed elsewhere, one of its trick features really stood out. There was a keyboard on the passenger seat. Thinking it might have to do with a programmable engine management system or something, we were told that it was actually controlling a fully functional Windows XP in-dash computer. The computer system is made by a company called Infill and this was its newest G4 offering. The system features a 40 GB hard drive, 1.5 Ghz Pentium 4 CPU, 512 MB RAM, 800 X 480 6.5" Sharp touch screen display, wireless internet, a 3-second boot up time, built-in GPS, 3 USB ports, rear-view camera display compatibility and a DVD-ROM (What, no Blu-Ray?).

It also features steering wheel controls to operate the integrated 5.1 channel A/V system. And if you want to control any of the computer's functions while under way, it also has text-to-speech capability and advanced KT-HUVOIS speech recognition. Not that we'd recommend using it while in motion, but this system can turn your vehicle into one heck of a mobile office or den. The entire thing is also entirely self-contained in the dash-mount unit -- no remote HD or peripherals – which is impressive. The company promises a 40-minute install in most applications at any decent install shop. We'll try to get you more details when they become available, but for now you can get more by clicking on the Read link below or the image above.

[Source: Infill]

Rumors abound within the hallowed halls of General Motors as it prepares to go through a major transformation that will include products designed to make the world take notice. For a brand that was once deemed "damaged" by car guy Bob Lutz, Pontiac is destined to make a huge splash at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

An interesting rumor is that the next G6 replacement will be a rear-wheel drive vehicle on a yet-to-be determined platform. Could this be a viable contender to the 3-series?

Yet another possibility is a rear-drive compact car replacing the current badge-engineered G5 under the G4 name. Speculation has this vehicle riding on the Kappa platform that underpins the Solstice and being available in both coupe and sedan models. GM has been mulling a second Kappa car for a while, and it sounds like it still is.

Last but not least, there has been talk of a Grand Prix replacement called the G8 that will be built on the Zeta platform. From what we hear this car will definitely appear at the Chicago Auto Show in February, if not sooner at the Detroit show in January Aren't rumors great?

[Source: GM Inside News]

We've seen our fair share of vehicles whose obsessive diligent owners have chosen to integrate their favorite OS into their whips. While most of us are content to bring our iPods along for the journey, what happens when you put a professional on the job?

Mattes Interieurtechnik specializes in only the most luxurious interior accoutrements. Previous in-car upgrades run the gamut from a mild Cooper S trim job to a full on redo of a Porsche Carrera GT. The ride that caught our attention though was this 2006 Mercedes CLS. Before the interior was draped in its cream-colored leather, a 17" iMac was installed behind the front seats. At just over an inch thick, the fully integrated screen rests cleanly on the transmission tunnel, while back seat passengers utilize a wireless keyboard and mouse to operate this mobile mac-o-phile's dream rig. Any concerns about theft are nullified as the entire unit can be removed in under a minute.