Safe Towing
A recent study shows that Americans aren't as safe as they could be when towing. According to NHTSA, 57,000 crashes involving passenger vehicles towing trailers occur annually. In 2003, accidents with trailing vehicles resulted in 364 deaths, 14,484 injuries, and 40,080 instances of property damage. The number of deaths and the amount of property damage increased in 2003 from the previous year. The biggest hazards: towed trailers that get loose, trailers that sway and cause the towing vehicle to lose control, trailers that blow tires and cause the towing vehicle to wreck, and improperly tied-down cargo that breaks loose and falls into the roadway.
Plastic Engines?
Automakers are looking to high-temperature plastics as the materials of choice for some engine parts. They are increasingly considering developing fuel reservoirs, ignition modules, air manifolds, fuel connectors, oil screens, pistons, pumps, and valves with plastics that may not have made the grade a few years ago. They are corrosion-resistant, can be custom-molded to any application, and can last longer. Who knows--there could be all-plastic engines in the not-too-distant future.
Audi Q7
Audi's first sport/utility, named the Q7, will arrive in dealerships in the U.S. later in 2006 as a 2007 model. It's based on the same platform as the Touareg, but is no product of badge engineering. The three-row SUV will be powered by a 350-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 and uses the next generation of Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system, with a Torsen differential.
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
This is the first look at the Outlander, which will go on sale in Japan before a version comes to the U.S. It has a new engine and suspension and is based on a new platform. Rumor has it by the time it gets to the U.S., the seven-seat SUV will be powered by a new 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6.
A New Type of Mini Truck
The Crossup concept vehicle is from the Italian designers at Castagna Auto Makers. Highlights include an extended frame to allow for a small storage bed and a height-adjustable suspension. We're told the company has plans to make 10 of these vehicles per year as long as demand continues. The price? 40,000 Euros (about $47,000).-Jean-Pierre Bourdeau