Future Cars
Did you know that electric cars are not a thing of the future, but rather have been around for centuries (specifically one and a half, dating back to 1834, yes 1834)
You have entered the wonderful realm of the future of cars, where the possibilities are endless and anything is possible. From air-powered cars to battery operated cars, cars have come a long way since their invention in the late 1700's. Inventors then dreamed of a "horseless carriage", a vehicle that could travel under its own power. The cars in 1700 were but mere steam-propelled road vehicles, and were extremely unreliable - they made noise, destroyed roads and even exploded in your face.
Since then cars have made much progress and we now travel in air-conditioned sedans fitted with gadgets and gizmos like car radios, cigarette lighters and such. Cars today are not just a mode of transport, but also a luxury item, one to be ridden in comfort, one in which one can take a nap in.
Cars in the near future? We can only dream of them now, but this site will give you an insight as to what it might be
Let's face it, most of the newest car innovations fit a family about as well as a studio apartment! While Ford never says so, the innovations designed into the Reflex concept make it look like they were designed with family in mind. A hip sporty family, that wants to go green, but a family.There are the reverse butterfly doors which make it easy to get in and out of front or back, and mean a parent is no long bumping into the door installing a car seat, or buckling baby in. And speaking of car seats, it comes with one; built right into the rear seat. When is the last time your car came with one of those?Then there is the rear seat itself - you know how some vans split their row seats 60-40 for easy removal? Well Ford did something similar in the Reflex, for a different reason. The rear seat is divided into one seat, and a small 'love seat' that can easily and comfortably fit two full size adults . . . or, you can push a button, and the love seat is divided in two small seats, perfect for children.Safety is also a major consideration, and in addition to the standard safety features - and not so standard ones, like side curtain airbags - Ford has added some innovation here too. The inflatable seat belts that reduce injury to second row passengers, is nice. The BeltMinder™, that lets you know if someone in the rear seats isn't buckled up, is even better.Ford doesn't stop innovation there either. The solar roofs fans, that power themselves to keep the car cool when it's sitting in a summer parking lot, are a very sweet extra. The solar head and tail lights, that absorb sunlight during the day to use when you turn the lights on - and charge the battery - are a very nice touch as well, and boost the fuel economy nicely.Not that the Reflex needs help boosting the fuel economy. The diesel electric hybrid gets up to 65 mph, while giving all the benefits of all wheel drive. Of course, some things - like how it handles - will need to wait until Ford starts offering test drives.All in all, there is only one minor issue I can see with the concept. Did they have to use white for the interior? I really hope that mesh cleans easily, because speaking for every parent I know, white and kids just do not mix well!
The Camaro concept made its first appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, with styling that wowed the crowd and the styling will not change all that much when the car goes into production. The fifth generation Camaro will be based very closely on the concept, which is powered by a 400 horsepower aliminum small block LS2 V8, has a T56 six speed manual transmission and what GM says is a sophisticated chassis with four wheel independent suspension.The engine is fitted with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel, enough says GM for the concept to get 30mpg or better.While the concept does have four seats, the ones in the rear are for very short people only, as there’s not much room in there."Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all of the right reasons," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. "Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers."And then, after the Camaro coupe came the convertible at the North American International Auto Sho
w in 2007. The production convertible will follow the coupe, with an on-sale date in late 2009. This time the concept came in orange pearl paint, with gunmetal gray racing strips.Tom Peters, General Motors' director of exterior design for rear-wheel-drive and performance vehicles, says they wanted to make the car stand out more: "We opted to go with bright metal accents, as opposed to satin finish, for things like the exhaust tips and fuel filler, and even the rear lights have a polished look. The wheels are different, too. We wanted to do an update of the redline tires from the 1960s, but instead of the red line going around the tire, it's actually on the wheels."The change
s to the concept are obviously around the rear end of the car. Even though the car is a concept it has been engineered to take a folding roof in the trunk. The windshield will be taller on the production version as well. The roof itself is not fitted, and there’s the possibility that a hard top folding roof may be on the production car.And by the way, it seems that the story of Bob Lutz walking in on the team developing the Camaro concept when it was close to its completion and simply saying ‘no’ and then walking out again was slightly incorrect. 
It was actually General Motors' Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner who ordered a redesign at the last minute. Apparently the design was far too closely styled after classic Camaros.
The Camaro concept made its first appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, with styling that wowed the crowd and the styling will not change all that much when the car goes into production. The fifth generation Camaro will be based very closely on the concept, which is powered by a 400 horsepower aliminum small block LS2 V8, has a T56 six speed manual transmission and what GM says is a sophisticated chassis with four wheel independent suspension.The engine is fitted with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel, enough says GM for the concept to get 30mpg or better.While the concept does have four seats, the ones in the rear are for very short people only, as there’s not much room in there."Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all of the right reasons," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. "Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers."And then, after the Camaro coupe came the convertible at the North American International Auto Sho
w in 2007. The production convertible will follow the coupe, with an on-sale date in late 2009. This time the concept came in orange pearl paint, with gunmetal gray racing strips.Tom Peters, General Motors' director of exterior design for rear-wheel-drive and performance vehicles, says they wanted to make the car stand out more: "We opted to go with bright metal accents, as opposed to satin finish, for things like the exhaust tips and fuel filler, and even the rear lights have a polished look. The wheels are different, too. We wanted to do an update of the redline tires from the 1960s, but instead of the red line going around the tire, it's actually on the wheels."The change
s to the concept are obviously around the rear end of the car. Even though the car is a concept it has been engineered to take a folding roof in the trunk. The windshield will be taller on the production version as well. The roof itself is not fitted, and there’s the possibility that a hard top folding roof may be on the production car.And by the way, it seems that the story of Bob Lutz walking in on the team developing the Camaro concept when it was close to its completion and simply saying ‘no’ and then walking out again was slightly incorrect. 
It was actually General Motors' Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner who ordered a redesign at the last minute. Apparently the design was far too closely styled after classic Camaros.
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