IEEE Spectrum Selects Top Ten Most Technically Sophisticated Cars for 2003
NEW YORK--Jan. 29, 2003--Favoring bold technologies and significant jumps in performance, convenience and comfort, IEEE Spectrum has issued a list of the top ten most technically sophisticated cars for 2003 in the magazine's February issue.IEEE Spectrum surveyed cars in the current or upcoming model year and selected vehicles based on the most significant technological changes. The top ten ranked cars feature "techno-cool" technologies such as fingerprint access systems; Bluetooth wireless technology; natural gas, zero-emissions control; voice activated devices; and night vision.
"The auto industry, while having the capability to deliver technologically advanced cars, tends to move conservatively in introducing new technologies into production model vehicles," said Philip Ross, writer, IEEE Spectrum. "For the most part, techno-cool features make it to market as a result of either government regulation or consumer demand."
The top 10 cars selected are:
| -- | Volvo Safety Concept Car shows safety beyond the box including night vision and see-through A-pillars; controls for automated seat, pedal and floor adjustment; warning systems that cover blind spots; and rotating headlights that follow the lead of the front wheels as the turn. |
| -- | Saab 9-3 the first car equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology that connects wireless devices that obey the driver's voice, such as cellphones, PDAs and computers, through a voice-control system. |
| -- | Honda Civic GX relies solely on natural gas that is sold along with a home fueling station that will feed off of a home's piped-in cooking gas to recharge the compressed-gas tanks overnight. |
| -- | Honda FCX is the first car for the U.S. market that is powered purely by fuel cells, which meets zero-emissions standards by exhaling water vapor. |
| -- | Cadillac XLR uses several high-tech features to control the ample output of its 4.6-L, V8 engine, in a rear-wheel drive configuration. |
| -- | Audi A8 has one central control system - called Multi-Media Interface - that manages a mobile telephone, satellite navigation system, tautness of the air suspension system as well as audio, heating, air conditioning and assorted goodies. |
| -- | Mercedes-Benz SL500 equips the driver with a more sensitive, computer-assisted response to crises. The braking system links seamlessly to a stability control system and an active suspension system, which helps keep all parts of the car on the ground when taking a corner. |
| -- | Fiat Stilo is a smokeless diesel with a 1.2-L, four cylinder engine. |
| -- | Chevrolet Trailblazer houses a new engine technology under its hood that switches half the cylinders on or off, depending on the load. |
| -- | Toyota Prius is a gasoline and electric motor hybrid that has an output of a small (1.5-L) engine. This engine squeezes more growl from the liter than the rest, while cutting emissions. |
The February issue of IEEE Spectrum is available by subscription, on many newsstands throughout the Northeastern United States and online at http://www.spectrum.ieee.org.
About IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum is published monthly by IEEE, the world's largest organization of technology and business leaders. 385,000 executives, engineers, and computer scientists at the world's largest companies and universities look to IEEE Spectrum each month for the latest news, the most accurate information, and the newest insights in their fields. IEEE Spectrum readership comprises the largest concentration of high-tech professionals and senior managers of any publication in its niche. Collectively these readers own thousands of patents and develop standards that ensure sound engineering practices worldwide. IEEE Spectrum also communicates through its Web site, Spectrum On Line, whose content includes numerous news stories and features beyond those featured in the publication.
EDITOR'S NOTE: IEEE Spectrum Writer Philip Ross, is available for expert commentary and media interviews for automotive stories. Photos of all the automobiles referenced in the press release are available upon request.
