Autoblog

At the prodding of Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Co. is relenting and giving its customers what they want. At least most of them. What Ford's up to is reducing the number of options for buyers to choose from and rolling all that goodness into the standard package. By reducing the number of possible variations on the general theme, production costs decrease. With fewer configurations, things move more smoothly at the assembly level, and engineering and management costs decrease, as well. The effort has already kicked off, and it will snowball from model to model, making it easier for customers to get what they want, and increasing the odds that dealers will have the cars customers want on their lots. The simplification effort is a step that can be enacted quickly; a lot faster than bringing over a platform from somewhere else. It's all part of an effort to chip away at the losses and return black ink to the ledger. More stuff, packaged the way we like it? Sounds like a win.

[Source: Auto News - sub req.]

Responsible drivers usually keep the same few things in their trunk in case of an emergency: a set of jumper cables, a flashlight and some road flares. (What, you don't?) The trouble is, for the style-conscious motorist, that the cardboard box or egg crate in which this emergency equipment is held is an unsightly presence in the boot of a high-end luxury, performance or classic automobile.

Enter Dunhill with the solution. The company makes all manner of motoring accessory, its founder Alfred Dunhill having been quoted as declaring that his company offers "everything for the car but the motor". That might be a bit of a stretch, but Dunhill's emergency equipment kits puts those essential pieces together in one stylish yet durable canvas bag, trimmed in leather, that would look at home even in the trunk of your pristine Aston or Benz. Likewise, it's price is proportionately higher than your local Wal-Mart's car repair kit at €850.

[Source: Sybarites]

We've all been there, you're pressing on, but you know you're dangerously close to falling asleep while behind the wheel. Rolling down the window, blaring the radio, and frequent shakes of the head just aren't doing it. Those jumping jacks you did at the rest stop a few miles back helped for a little while, but you can feel sleep creeping up on you quickly. Driving while drowsy is a big danger, and researchers from the University of Tokyo, Oita University, the Shimane Institute of Health Science have teamed up with Delta Tooling, to develop a seat that can detect a tired driver. Hiroshima-based Delta supplies dies for industrial presses and equipment to industry for the manufacture of products, mainly automotive seats.

The team first had to target what they were going to detect with the seat, so they set out to study the signs of sleep onset, paying particular attention to pulse and respiration. Once they determined what they were looking for, a sensing system was designed for integration into an automotive seat. In the seatback, sensors monitor the driver's pulse, while the bottom cushion has sensors that keep track of breathing. Testing in a variety of conditions was carried out, and the system is reportedly effective even through layers of thick clothing, such as winter coats. There have been drowsiness detection systems in the past, but this system requires no action from the driver, which is a new development. As long as there's a posterior in the seat, it's keeping vigil against the Sandman.

Now that the detection system has been dialed in, work can progress on just what to do with that information. There's currently no alarm tied to the sensors, but that's the obvious next step. Many safety ideas come and go, but we think this one, like ESC before it, has legs.

[Source: Pink Tentacle]

SaturnFans.com has learned that the 2007 Saturn Aura will start at $20,595 when it goes on sale later next month. That's for the XE model that comes with GM's 3.5L V6 with VVT produceing 224 horsepower and 220 lb.-ft. of torque and a standard four-speed automatic. The only other model is the XR that gets a more powerful 3.6L DOHC V6 with VVT that makes a stouter 252 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque mated to the General's new 6-speed auto and starting at $24,595. While some of the Aura's competitor's may have lower base prices, none come standard with a V6. For slightly over $20K owners will also get 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control, 17-inch wheels, six airbags and a host of other standard equipment. SaturnFans.com has compiled the full feature lists for both Saturn Aura models here.

[Source: SaturnFans.com]