Autoblog

Toyota developing new pre-crash braking aids

Zach Bowman — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:34:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Toyota, Luxury

Automotive News Europe reports that Toyota is set to debut a pair of pre-crash safety systems. The company hopes the tech will help reduce the likelihood of high-speed crashes and accidents caused by pedal misapplication. One of the systems uses millimeter-wave radar to calculate the risk of a collision. Like the Volvo City Safety technology, when the vehicle senses an impending crash, it alerts the driver with both audio and visual cues. A new brake booster can then be activated to help deliver twice the braking force typically available.

Toyota also hopes to prevent parking collisions with an additional automatic braking system. Using sonar, the vehicle can detect whether the car is approaching a stationary obstacle too quickly and apply the brakes as necessary. It also features a fail-safe that will automatically slow the vehicle if the driver shifts gears while the accelerator is applied or "abnormal shifting" is detected.

Word has it the manufacturer will debut the tech on a "high-end Toyota-brand sedan," but specifics beyond that are not known.

Toyota developing new pre-crash braking aids originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 claims new braking record

Chris Shunk — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Porsche, Koenigsegg

The Koenigsegg Agera is one stupendously quick supercar. It can travel from a dead stop to 186 miles per hour and back down to zero in a scant 21.19 seconds. That's not even enough time to sit through a car insurance commercial.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 isn't quite as quick, but it can boast some serious performance chops all its own. The race-ready 911 can hit 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds, and a trip to 120 miles per hour takes only 11.5 seconds.

But while the GT3 RS 4.0 can't quite keep up with the Agera once the rubber starts rolling, this athletic Porsche can stop a bit more quickly. The GT3 RS 4.0 has reportedly beaten the Agera's braking record of 186 mph to zero in 6.66 seconds, and we have the video that proves it. Hit the jump to watch the speedometer plunge from 186 mph to zero in only 6.5 seconds.

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 claims new braking record

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 claims new braking record originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo found guilty of manslaughter, fined

Dan Roth — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Volvo

Two children tragically lost their lives when French driver Catherine Kohtz lost control of her Volvo 850. The 1999 incident, which Kohtz blamed on a loss of braking ability in her Volvo, has led to French courts handing down a finding of manslaughter. The guilty verdict against Volvo also carries an €200,000 fine, though Volvo holds that there wasn't anything wrong with the car's braking system and will likely appeal. Driver Kohtz was fined €300 and also sentenced to a six-month jail term, which was suspended.

Kohtz's accident was initially attributed to reckless operation, and tensions in the town of Wasselonne have been stirred by the circumstances of crash. Rumblings of Kohtz, relatively wealthy, having bought her way out of a more serious outcome for the death of two ten year olds from lesser means have been dividing the town in eastern France. An investigation determined that the brakes in the Volvo 850 suffered from a problem known to Volvo. Rather than recall 180,000 850s, Volvo is alleged to have quietly asked its dealers to fix a rubber pipe prone to rupture or detachment, causing a loss of braking ability. An investigating magistrate contended that service documents instructing dealers how to repair the problem were overly vague, leading to an improper and ineffective repair on Kohtz's car. For a company with such an emphasis on safety, its surprising that it would try to cover up a major flaw in such a crucial system. Volvo argued that the service documents that were seized outline an innocuous fault, and that something else like a loose water bottle behind the pedal was to blame.

[Source: BBC via Winding Road; The Independent]

Volvo found guilty of manslaughter, fined originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes developing video-based safety features

Dan Roth — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:54:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives

Mercedes-Benz has a long history of making cars safer, and the brand continues to spearhead a push to increase everyone's chances of survival. Mercedes currently has the Pre-Safe system that acts like an adrenal gland for the car, tightening up the muscles before an impact. Future plans for safety systems aim to make the cars even more attentive to things such as road signs, pedestrians, and impending doom. The second generation of PreSafe is undergoing tests, and there's a lot more accident prevention muscle coming our way. The safest car is one that does not get into an crash in the first place, and there are cameras, radar sensors, monitoring systems and warning beacons heading our way to keep us out of trouble

Continued after the jump with Mercedes' press release.

Continue reading Mercedes developing video-based safety features

Mercedes developing video-based safety features originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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