The Apple iPhone, by design, is meant to be an all-in-one device, but who would have guessed it would be capable of doing some of the things it can? A few months ago we reviewed Rev for iPhone, which allows you to measure and graph many in-car statistics and analytics in real time, among many other features.

Viper Security has just announced a new iPhone app that allows you to start, lock, unlock, pop the trunk, arm security, or even find your car in a parking lot from anywhere you and your car have cell phone signal.

The system is called “Viper SmartStart,” and uses a downloadable app from the iTunes App Store to connect with the SmartStart system installed in your car. The system isn’t cheap, however. If you already have a remote start installed in your car, you can save some cash and just get the SmartStart module, which runs $299. If not, expect to fork over $499 for the whole system, which does not include installation at Best Buy, or the $30/year service charge (first year is free.)

This is a unique system, and might have some unexpected benefits. Standard key fobs have a very limited range, and the Viper SmartStart system’s range is virtually unlimited, as long as you have cell phone coverage. For example, let’s say you’re at the grocery store and lock your keys in your car. You could simply unlock the car with your iPhone, or even have your spouse at home unlock the car for you. Another benefit is that you’re able to start your car and warm it up in the winter from anywhere. If you’re in the office, for example, start the car while you’re at your desk so it’s warm when you get to it. An interesting and useful system, though a bit pricey.

Check out the video of the Viper SmartStart system after the jump. Continue Reading…

“These crazy bastards dropped a V10 into the Z4. Nice.” That’s what head Automoblog dude Christopher said to me in an email moments ago. Yeah, nice AND crazy all at the same time. Our kind of people these folks from Manhart. I (and I’m assuming Chris) love people that do things like this; V12s into Miatas, mid-engine Mini Cooper conversions, that sort of thing.

Of course, putting an aircraft engine in a 50s vintage car is one thing, doing an engine swap in a modern car, with all the electronics and whatnot, is a bigger deal.

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Ilmor engineering, some of the best engine guys on the planet (good enough for roger Penske at least) have just shown off their new five-stroke engine that will … wait, what? Five? Hold on a second … suck … squish … bang … blow – nope that’s only four. Engines have four strokes, right? Yeah, bike engines are two, but I count only four … I thought these Ilmor guys were supposed to be smart. Wait, you mean this really IS a five-stroke engine? How the hell does THAT work?

Well, it works like this.

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When you hear the name “Bentley” what do you think of? If you’re like most people, me included, “young” is not the fist word to spring to mind. Sure, Bentley is less stodgy than their used-to-be sibling Rolls Royce, but they’re still not the kind of company you’re going to associate with hanging out with the cool kids.

Bentley is aiming to change that, and they’re starting with young engineers.

OK, here’s the deal, half of it is one of those corporate feel good things, they’re aiming to inspire school pupils’ and teachers’ interest in science, math and engineering by having a team of Bentley Motors’ Graduates attend the Rockingham Festival, an event organized by the Learning Grid (an education organization). And the other half, naturally, is to hook’em young. Continue Reading…

Back in the day, automakers used glass to create headlight lenses, and all was well. But over time as car designs became more complex, glass simply wouldn’t do anymore, as it couldn’t be shaped to match the lines of the vehicle. To fix this, automakers began using plastic or polycarbonate for headlights, which would conform to the correct shape, and was cheaper and lighter than the old glass units.

The downside to using plastic lenses is that over time, they turn yellow and cloudy from oxidation, UV rays, salt, road debris, and other factors. Most people assume that the problem is on the inside of the lens (and in some cases it is,) but what they don’t know is that most of the time you can take out the yellow and cloudy from the lens in under 5 minutes with a simple solution… Continue Reading…

When the iPhone was introduced in June 2007, we knew it was revolutionary. It combined a phone, MP3 player, video player, internet browser, hand-held game console, and GPS all in one device, and did it with a beautiful and slick interface. What we didn’t expect, however, is that a new batch of creative developers would create applications to turn it into much more than what it already is.

A perfect example of this an app that turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into an automotive analytics platform that can provide the same OBDII-reading functionality of high-end test equipment costing far more, and it can do it wirelessly. Simply titled “Rev,” this app costs only $40 in the app store, or you can download the limited “Lite” version for free. Check out the cool 50s-style intro video to Rev below: Continue Reading…