Car Tech
Toyota Prius recalled: Brake issue hits UK
Toyota's not having a brilliant 2010. As if having to recall a whopping 180,865 vehicles in the UK from the Auris, Avensis, Aygo, Corolla, iQ, Verso and Yaris ranges for having dodgy accelerator pedals wasn't embarassing enough, it's now announced a global recall of its third-generation Prius due to rubbish brakes. We wish we'd known that before we filmed our video review -- we might not have driven it quite so fast.
The problem was thought only to affect North American and Japanese models, with Toyota claiming as recently as 3 February that it had received "no reported problems in the UK or Europe". The company appears to have eaten a giant slice of humble pie, however, admitting just six days later that every Prius built before 27 January 2010 -- including 8,500 cars in the UK -- will be recalled over safety concerns.
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Video: Ford Focus RS will leave you green with envy 
In this latest instalment of Car Tech, Rory slides into his Burberry tracksuit, puts his baseball cap on incorrectly and prepares for a ride in the Focus RS -- the fastest, most brutal Ford hatchback on the market.
The verdict, as you'll discover, is that this emerald monster is faster than it is green -- and it's pretty flippin' green. Reaching 60mph from a standstill is a case of mashing your foot to the floor and waiting 5.9 seconds as the world becomes a blur. If you're on a long enough straight, it'll even escort you to a twisted metal grave by way of its 163mph top speed. Top stuff.
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Top Gear's Stig makes another appearance on Google Street View
A while ago, there was much excitement online when Top Gear's tame racing driver, the Stig, was spotted standing in a window at the BBC's White City complex. As it turned out, this was, in fact, a cardboard cut-out. But this time it looks like the Stig has been caught out and about for real, in Scotland.
This image of the white-clad racing driver, said by some to sleep upside down like a bat, was taken by Google on the A82, which joins Fort William, in the south, with Inverness in the north. Popular with many motorists, this road has been voted one of the country's greatest. It's also the second-longest A road in Scotland after the A9. Continue reading...
BMW Concept ActiveE: 1 Series does the electric boogie 
BMW is continuing its pursuit of emissions-free driving in earnest. At the Detroit Motor Show, the company unveiled a new vehicle known as the Concept ActiveE -- an electrically driven version of its 1 Series coupe.
For this project, BMW's gutted a standard 1 Series and integrated a new synchronous electric motor directly into the rear axle. This produces 170hp and 250Nm of torque, which is good for a 0-37mph time of 4.5 seconds or a 0-62mph time of under 9 seconds. It's no Tesla Roadster, sure, but it'll leave a Toyota Prius for dead and spew out absolutely zero emissions in the process. Continue reading...
New Audi A8 MMI system to feature Google Maps, Wikipedia
Our mighty overlords at Google are at it again. Not content with pwning China or pimping smart phones, the search behemoth is about to take a step into the world of automotive technology by bringing Google Earth to the new Audi A8.
Yup, from May, Audi's MMI (Multi Media Interface) system will mix its existing offline maps with data pulled directly from the Internet. Unlike ordinary GPS maps, it'll show drivers their location in high-resolution Google Earth satellite imagery on the car's 8-inch display, making it even easier to figure out where you are and where you're going. Should you spot an interesting-looking building or point of interest, the system can pull live information from Wikipedia. Continue reading...
Kia UVO: Control your car with your voice
Remember Fiat Blue&Me -- the Windows-powered entertainment system for your car? Well Kia's been busy working with Microsoft to produce a similar system, known as 'UVO', which apparently stands for 'your voice'.
Like Blue&Me, it's based on the Microsoft Auto software platform. Unlike its rival, however, UVO incorporates full Microsoft speech-engine technology, so users can control almost all of its features -- access music, control the radio, make and answer phone calls, and dictate and hear text messages -- with their voice. Continue reading...
GT Academy: Become a real-life racing driver with Nissan and Sony PlayStation
Fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton? Yeah, us too -- that's why our ears perked up like little meerkats when Nissan and Sony started a competition to let gamers become real racing drivers.
The international GT Academy competition -- the second since 2008 -- is split into four main stages. Stage one requires competitors to record flying laps on a time-trial-based track in Gran Turismo 5 via the PS3's PlayStation Network. The 20 fastest entrants in each country will qualify for stage two -- a national final. In stage three, the 20 fastest entrants from stage two will battle it out to reach the next round -- a five-day boot camp in which they'll have the chance to drive real-life sports cars, including the latest Nissans, around Silverstone. Continue reading...
Bloodhound SSC jet car to hit 1,000mph: Not so hot on corners
The design has been finalised for the world's fastest car, set to be the first to top 1,000mph (1,610km/h). The Bloodhound SSC team are undergoing 'parametric optimisation', tweaking the blueprint ahead of the world land-speed record attempt in 2011.
The Royal Air Force has loaned a Eurofighter Typhoon engine to provide the Bloodhound's grunt. Handling the big jets will be Wing Commander Andy Green, under the supervision of former record-holder Richard Noble. Those two must be rather intimidating at parties. "And what do you do, Richard?" "I break land-speed records." "Oh. Hey Andy, I've just upgraded to the new Mondeo. What are you driving these days?" "A car with a fighter jet for an engine." "Ah. Er... see the game on Saturday?" Continue reading...
Poover pooper scooter cleans up Islington
A local authority is employing a faeces rider to clean up the mean streets of North London. Islington Council has unleashed the Poover, a modified Honda 125cc scooter, to clean up dog mess.
First, the poover sprays the doggie doings with a jet of water to 'loosen' it. All the while, a smelliflous detergent sterilises and deodorises the area. A handheld suction nozzle then hoovers up the resulting muck mélange, storing 25 litres of canine crap on the back of the scooter. You wouldn't want to rear-end that council worker -- it'd be a miniature version of the manure scene in Back to the Future. Continue reading...
AutoExec WM-01 Wheelmate: Computing has never been more exciting
If driving while holding a mobile phone is an offence, and driving while using a hands-free kit is legal, it stands to reason that driving while using a mobile phone -- or any other electronic device -- is entirely within the law* as long as your hands are free to control the steering wheel.
If that's the case, and you can't bear to be apart from Facebook on those long road trips, cast an eye on the AutoExec WM-01 Wheelmate steering-wheel desk tray. This ingenious device attaches to your steering wheel and provides a strong surface on which users can mount a laptop, update important papers, or even eat their lunch. Continue reading...
