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Honda to add automated parallel-parking gadgetry
Honda is joining the automated parallel-parking party with the addition of a "parking device" to its latest model of the Life mini-vehicle, which will be released on October 5. Similar to other models by Toyota, Volkwagen and BMW, this newfangled widget will do all the hard work of straining to see the right angles and talking you through the whole process, while you apply the gas and brakes. The so-called "parking device" (c'mon guys, couldn't you have come up with a better name?) will also be sold separately for ¥52,500 ($450) -- no word on if it installs itself, though.
Honda touts gasoline-killing diesel system
Lest you think Honda's devoting all its attention these days to developing future instruments of destruction, you can take some comfort in the fact that it is (for now) primarily a car company and, as such, is still working on technology to help us humans while we're stuck driving ourselves around. To that end, the company's just unveiled a new diesel powertrain system that is says will run as clean as a gasoline-powered car, not to mention provide better mileage. Diesel-powered vehicles are already known as gas-sippers, of course, but also have higher exhaust levels of nitrogen oxide. To cut that down, Honda incorporated a rather dangerous-sounding two-layer catalytic converter into the drivetrain, which converts the nitrogen oxide into less environmentally-harmful nitrogen. The first cars using the new diesel technology are set to hit the U.S. market in 2009, with Honda also open to the idea of licensing the technology to other automakers. In related news, Honda also announced an updated version of its Honda FCX fuel-cell vehicle, upping the maximum driving range to 354 miles and the max speed to a respectable 100 miles per hour. It'll be available in limited numbers in Japan and the United States in 2008, and we assume that when they say "limited" they really mean it.
German Honda ad apes Tetris, Simpsons
A new German ad for the Honda Jazz shows off the car's massive storage space by rotating and stacking a variety of blocky objects into the car amid familiar Tetris music and sound effects. Cute, but we can't help but feel the concept of car-as-Tetris-field was done better by The Simpsons years ago. Continue reading to check out YouTube versions of both videos.Other recent game-inspired ads: Roddick vs. Pong, Grand Theft Coke.[Thanks Dominic]
Ron Patrick's jet-powered Honda scooter
It seems that we humans have a strange fascination with strapping immensely powerful jet engines onto objects that were clearly never made for such propulsion, but that doesn't stop the engineering (and a bit off kilter) minds of the world from giving it a go anyway. We've seen jet-powered wheelchairs and even supermarket carts, but the current king of overkill in regards to horsepower is none other than Ron Patrick -- his rocket-infused Volkswagen Beetle, though deemed "completely street legal" by Ron, sports an extra 1,350 horses thanks to the massive blaster he attached to his ride. Obviously this little endeavor went over so well that he figured strapping dual JFS 100 jet engines onto his wife's Honda Metropolitan scooter would solve her complaints of it "only going 40 miles per hour." Since Ron estimates that one engine alone could get her ride over 60 mph, it's fairly safe to say she should be outrunning commuters (and police, or anybody else for that matter) in no time. Patrick's biggest challenge is compensating for the weight of the actual engines, because at 50 pounds apiece, they put a serious strain on the suspension. He plans to install an "air-start" that utilizes a "carbon fiber tank of compressed air" in order to remove the batteries currently on the vehicle. Regardless of Ron's sanity (or lack thereof), we can't argue with his determination, and if you happen to see a scooter in California with a curious looking device on each side (click through to see what we mean), don't even think of revving your puny engine at Mrs. Patrick.[Via OhGizmo]
