Archive for March 12th, 2010

By now you’ve probably heard about James Sikes, the San Diego man who went for a wild ride in his 2008 Toyota Prius this past Monday.  While passing another car, Sikes claims that the accelerator in his Prius became stuck and that his car began to accelerate uncontrollably.  He led authorities on a 23-minute high-speed adventure until he was finally able to shut down the vehicle.

Automotive blog, Jalopnik, was the first to investigate Sikes and discovered a suspicious past involving a 2008 bankruptcy in which over $700,000 was owed.  Fox News also reports that Mr. Sikes filed a 2001 police report for a theft valued at $58,000.  The rest of the news media has jumped on these findings and on other outside character references and has started to question if Sikes faked the incident to profit from the publicity.

The Sikes incident highlights another small but important component of the story that’s being overlooked amidst all the hype: the transmission shifter.

The 2004-2009 Toyota Prius features one of the most unique transmission shifters on the market.  It’s a tiny plastic joystick who’s mission is to reinforce the notion that the Prius is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill, 21st-century automobile.

Photo via SimonK / Flickr

In this particular incident, however, the unique design may have contributed to Sikes’ inability to control his vehicle.

There is no industry standard for transmission shifters and many automakers have begun to use bespoke designs as a way to set their cars apart.  The Aston Martin DB9, for example, sports separate buttons for Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive on its dashboard.  BMW uses a joystick similar to the Prius on its X5 crossover.

In a relaxed driving situation, these deviations from the norm are at worst an inconvenience.  In an emergency situation, like the one James Sikes claims to have experienced, unusual designs could put drivers at greater risk as they struggle to operate the unfamiliar.

For his part, Sikes claims he was unsure of how to place his hybrid’s transmission in Neutral and he worried that accidentally engaging Reverse might, “flip the car.”  Toyota responded soon after with a list of FAQs explaining that the electronic shifter in the Prius must be moved to the left and held in place for one full second to engage Neutral.

“Press and hold” is an emergency command most often associated with consumer electronics – not automobiles.  Have automakers, in their attempts to create distinctive vehicles, inadvertently put their customers at greater risk?  Do you think that transmission shifters – or aspects of their operation – should be standardized as a result of the incident in San Diego?

Tesla Kicked It Off

A couple of years back the whole world had their head spinning in amazement as Tesla, the small Silicon Valley company, launched their all-electric roadster. And while electric vehicles have been around before, Tesla made a traditionally niche vehicle available to the masses even if the price tag was well beyond affordable.

The “Tesla” movement surfaced a public outcry (“Why can’t the big car companies build these?”) that was so loud and energized that it compelled the government to loan Tesla $465M of our taxpayer dollars. Tesla got the money and now they have to figure out how to actually produce the $50K Model S they promised.

By now, many have already heard the back story that Lotus was the company responsible for building the Tesla Roadster (the Tesla is a modified Lotus Elise) and that Lotus is taking a year off production of the Elise, which means no Tesla Roadsters.  Yes, it kind of sucks if you don’t build your own electric cars. Tesla will be a legitimate car company, but we may have to wait a little longer than expected.

Porsche 918 Spider (source: autoblog.com)

The 918 Spyder – Not Groundbreaking, But Pretty Darn Exciting

One thing is for sure…  the world heard Tesla’s battle cry and the superstars of the sports car world are now warming up to swing their mighty fists.  At the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, Porsche took more than a swing with their new 918 Spider Concept.  While not all-eletric, the 918’s hybrid powertrain pushes this gorgeous cart from zero-to-sixty in 3.2 seconds. To add to the fun, it sips gas as a rate of 78MPG.

But before we get too excited, the truth is that these stats are skewed.  The car has different drive modes, ranging from gas sipper to full-burst electric racer.  On the high end, it’s only a few minutes of full electric torque blasting through the track. The 78 MPG is only on heavy electric mode, which only propels you for 16 minutes.  That’s not even a trip to the grocery store and back.

Audi E-Tron (source: NY Times)

The Audi E-Tron – Energized Mini R8

Late last year, Audi also showcased their latest sports car entry.  Unlike the Porsche 918 Spyder, E-Tron is all-electric and is almost like a Tesla Roadster with a real pedigree.  It’s 45-kilowatt electric motor will propel this car from 0-60 in a modest 5.7 second time. The car will also travel 155 miles on a single charge. While the car is beautiful, it’s performance is not stunning for what will be a high price tag out the gate.  Another beauty, this car is actually going to be produced in 2012 in small batches, similar to the earlier Tesla runs.

I’m not looking to refute Porsche’s claims or discounting Audi’s performance, but rather point out that everybody who already knows how to build cars is about to take a leap forward. It’s a glorious time for innovation and it looks like the big players will be taking center stage from here.  Thank you Tesla… you were a great opening act.

In my review of the Infiniti EX35 on Honk, I called it, “one of the best cars you’ve never heard of.”  I find the EX to be a thoroughly great – though unconventional – crossover vehicle.

The car’s biggest problem is also its most endearing feature: a dramatic, sweeping roofline.  The benefit is a stylish, coupe-like stance.  The downside is a very tight rear seat and cargo bay.

I was skeptical until I drove an EX35 for the first time and found myself appreciating the honesty of driving a car that was no bigger than it needed to be.  The swoopy design tells you up front that this Infiniti was never intended to be a family vehicle and once you stop trying to judge it like one; you’ll realize that it is a great ride for a single person or couple.

Most people will not give the EX that consideration, though, and they’ll wonder, what’s the point of a crossover utility vehicle that lacks utility?

My mother is one of those people.  She’s been happily driving an Infiniti FX for several years now and has so far refused to give it up.  The FX is a surprisingly sporty ride and she credits its quick reflexes with saving her life one day when she had to swerve to avoid a drunk driver.

But lately the charm of her FX’s firm ride and aggressive engine sounds has been wearing thin.  “I loved all that sporty stuff in the beginning but now I’m a little over it,” she confesses.

I knew with 100 percent certainty that she’d love the EX if only she could put aside her prejudices and get behind the wheel.  I begged, pleaded, and cajoled for months until she finally borrowed a loaner car from her local dealership for a test drive.

She had the car for 24 hours and by hour two had announced that she didn’t want to give the EX back to the dealership.  She called me up, very excited, and gushed about the luxurious cabin and buttery smooth ride and eager engine.  “I got on the highway today,” she urged, “and it felt fast.”

The interesting thing to me is that where once my mother was making excuses for why she needed to continue driving a large car, she’s now finding justifications for why she’d be better off in something smaller.

It’s a complete turnaround in her thinking and it reminds me of the ‘right-sizing’ movement that’s become so fashionable across the country.  The economic recession has brought a lot of pain but it’s also provided an opportunity for us to slow down and focus on what really matters.

The EX35 can’t tow elephants or carry nineteen people or cross rivers.  Instead, it figured out what’s really important for its intended market and it does those things exceptionally well.

Whatever happens, I’m just happy my mother admitted that I was right for once.