10 Techno-Cool Cars

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Friday February 21, 2003 @10:43AM from the rice-rocket dept.

mrv writes "The IEEE Spectrum picks their '10 Techno-Cool Cars'. The article picks vehicles from the 2003 or upcoming model years, that feature significant jumps in performance, convenience, or comfort, are technologically bold, and otherwise cool (for engineers, not just the 'motorhead' type)."

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Re:WORST POST by Anonymous Coward · 2003-02-21 10:47 · Score: 0, Informative

Your panties smell like limburger cheese.
Re:Gas/Electric Hybrid cars are cool by Ryu2 · 2003-02-21 10:52 · Score: 3, Informative

The Honda Insight has a optional manual transmission, and it indeed does get higher gas mileage than the automatic.

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There's 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
Chevrolet Trailblazer: Four or eight cylinders by Doobian+Coedifier · 2003-02-21 10:53 · Score: 4, Informative

Ummm.....GM has done this before... in 1981 Cadillacs. The system got mixed reviews. Some people said it worked great, some said it was nothing but trouble (getting stuck in V8 mode was one problem, IIRC). They scrapped it after MY 1984, presumably in favor of 4 cylinders.
Because when I think Cool... by mmmjstone · 2003-02-21 11:03 · Score: 1, Informative

... I think Volvo.

(Sure, I drove a Saab for years, but I thought it had to be said)

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Re:Gas/Electric Hybrid cars are cool by garignak · 2003-02-21 11:05 · Score: 2, Informative

Actually, the Insight was first introduced with only a manual transmission. The automatic was introduced last year. My brother just bought a 2002 Insight (w/automatic) and it kinda cool. With the automatic he gets around 50mpg. From what I've seen the manual transmission gets around 70mpg. Even the automatic gets better gas mileage than my motorcycle (around 45mpg).

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"Sometimes a man's gotta do what a woman wouldn't consider." - Red Green
Honda Dualnote by IvyMike · 2003-02-21 11:10 · Score: 2, Informative

Unfortunately these cars don't have enough "muscles" as compared to the "more traditional" gas-only cars.

Check out the concept Honda Dualnote. Hybrid, 400 HP, and 40mpg gas mileage. Sweet! Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it will ever make it to production.
1. Re:Honda Dualnote by nelsonal · 2003-02-21 12:37 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  The current speculation is that the next generation of the NSX will be a hybrid. It won't be the 2003, still to heavy, perhaps by '06 or so.
  
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Re:Gas/Electric Hybrid cars are cool by Kentamanos · 2003-02-21 11:22 · Score: 2, Informative

If CVT stands for continously variable transmission, then the Prius (a Toyota hybrid) does have that.
Re:Brake by wire? Sounds horrid. by Mr.+X · 2003-02-21 11:23 · Score: 4, Informative

Did you read the entire article? There is a manual backup braking system on this car.
Re:Where is the Honda S2000 by Neon+Spiral+Injector · 2003-02-21 11:31 · Score: 4, Informative

The RX-8's Renesis engine was revving to 10,000 and making 270 HP out of a 1.3 L engine. But the production version was scaled back to 8,000 RPM and 250 HP. But still 1.3 L. That beats the 2000's engine.

Of course four strokes only use half of their displacement per revolution where the rotary uses it's entire displacement every time around. So to be fair you either multiply the displacement of the rotary by 2 or divide the boinger (piston engine) by 2.
Re:Greenhouse Gases by Anonymous Coward · 2003-02-21 11:41 · Score: 1, Informative

Water Vapor is a greenhouse gas
Re:Rotating Headlights Even older by ashitaka · 2003-02-21 11:41 · Score: 2, Informative

Tucker 1948

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If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
Re:Rotating Headlights by Ojamin · 2003-02-21 12:10 · Score: 2, Informative

That, and the Tucker