We all have heard of OnStar. Most automotive consumers are aware of what the company offers users and subscribers via the endless number of television commercials produced over the years. They range from humorous Tiger Woods examples to the more serious “We’ve-been-in-an-accident” spots.

I’m going to try not to bore readers a great deal on the specifics of OnStar. What I want to talk about is if this concept really works.

What Is OnStar?

OnStar came into inception in 1996 on higher-end General Motors vehicles and offered drivers hands-free communication as well as an innovative safety device in case the inevitable happens. Today, OnStar has over five million subscribers, is offered in over 50 different GM vehicles, and offers a vast array of options.

How OnStar works is, simply, the system utilizes both Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) as well as wireless phone technology to locate your vehicle wherever you may be and help you receive anything from turn-by-turn directions to vehicle diagnostics to emergency services in case the vehicle has been in an accident. Continue Reading…

Aston Martin, in conjuction with famed watchmaker Jaeger LeCoultre, has developed the AMVOX2 DBS Transponder, a very fancy, very sophisticated, and likely to be very expensive watch.

Sure, it is basically a brand-whore item, but it’s a really cool brand-whore item. It will be showcased on the eve of the Paris Motor Show where it will then be very likely sold to the highest bidder.

This magnificent watch will be available only to current Aston Martin DBS owners. An interesting tidbit is that it can control access in and out of the car, so lucky owners don’t need a key to take their DBS out for night out on the town. And if the more devious among you are thinking you can just buy the watch and take any DBS out for a little joyride, sorry, but only Aston Martin dealerships can code the watch to the specific DBS.

I’m not sure what the watch itself is made of (looks like gold to me), but I do know that an enormous amount of attention was paid to detail and symbology. The metallic DBS symbol is suspended in the middle, and (it’s hard to see, go here for a better pic) the Aston Martin logo is discretely placed below the hands, and the black dial and satin finish are all supposed to represent the dash of the DBS. The outer ring has an opening that lets you view the mechanics of the watch, an allusion to the DBS’ exposed brakes.

The chronograph styling is very attractive, and the mulit-layered format sounds cluttered but it actually looks rather elegant and refined (not to mention expensive). Not for the first time, I wish that I had an Aston Martin DBS and tons of cash.

Y’all have heard about Lamborghini’s crazy Reventón- costs a million euros, looks insane, and it is really, really fast. It’s also made out of the best materials there are. Apparently, Lamborghini just decided that the Revénton thermal barrier wasn’t spiffy enough, so they hired Zircotec, a leading automotive coating specialist, to make it better. You can check the whole thing out here.

Usual paint isn’t a good choice for coating heat-sensitive items, as it is too hot for the paint to handle. Zircotec, however, uses a coating called Diamond Black, which is currently awaiting a patent. What’s special about it, from what I gather, is that it is plasma sprayed, which welds (sorta) it to the metal, and it lasts longer, is more resilient to heat and abrasion, and it is a glossy black, so it looks good. Continue Reading…

I had a 2005 Ford Escape in the shop last week, it was a 3.0L Duratec V6 with two-wheel drive. Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen - there was a big hole in the rear for where the rear diff would be, as opposed to most 2WD trucks where the situation is the reverse. So, it needed an alternator. No biggie, I thought. But alas, with all Ford’s so-called improvements, there comes a price. The alternator is mounted on the lower rear of the front of the motor, in its own little cubby hole, hidden away. The placement was so poorly thought out that Ford had to install a two-piece Ram Air contraption to the alternator for cooling. Naturally, this design flaw makes them fail miserably, and removal requires removing the Right driveshaft, and snaking in various special extensions to gain access to pretty much anything in this forbidden zone. Continue Reading…